Hi David,
You wrote...
>just because someone doesn't think Ladies classes
>are appropriate for National events, does not mean
>they hold the opinions you have mentioned in this
>post, nor even think women shouldn't run there.
Out in the real world, outside of team.net, I have felt much more resistance
to running in the Open class, by both men and women, than I have by both men
and women when I ran in the Ladies class. I don't think that's right.
How do I fix this?
By sending email after email to team.net? Calling women "powder puff?" So
that after awhile, I realize that the audience I'm trying to reach has
finally said enough already and unsubscribed? I'm not seeing what this
really solves.
I think you and others might consider writing letters to the SEB to see
where that goes.
I am NOT every woman. I don't know how each woman thinks or feels. I can't
have my own experiences and my own reactions and assume that all women feel
the same way. So, just because I've come to my own conclusions and my
actions are maybe more pleasing and acceptable to the team.net contingent,
it certainly doesn't make me a better person and it certainly doesn't make
my opinions any more or less valid.
If there weren't a Ladies class, obviously, I wouldn't even have a choice as
to where I run, so the resistance to me running Open wouldn't even be there.
My running there would just be a reality, and not a "statement" that so many
regard it as. So, in that regard, obviously, I would have a lot to gain by
the elimination of Ladies classes. It would remove a lot of pressure (that's
dwindling as time goes by). Then again, had there never even been Ladies
classes, there might just be resistance to me even running at all, and the
struggle to even compete might be so much harder.
I am very grateful for having a mother and father who both raced and still
race, who met at an autocross all those years ago. Thanks to a Ladies class,
I was born.
I can see the letters to the SEB now. :)
I'm merely trying to look beyond my own personal scope, and consider the
feelings and realities of others, many of whom who've done a lot more for
this sport than you or I. This is a private club, it can do what it wants to
better suit its members, many of them are husband and wife teams. It's so
complicated, I'm just not touching it. I'm going to live my life according
to my values, and let these other things take care of themselves. I believe
they will.
If you don't agree with how things are, that is fine with me. If you and I
were to discuss this privately, I would tell you that I understand where
you're coming from. I DO hear where you're coming from. I just think that
there are more productive ways of bringing about change.
Cheers,
Katie K.
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