25 August 2007

An intolerant nation?

"Rules for Female Teachers":

1. Do not get married.
2. Do not leave town at any time without permission of the school board.
3. Do not keep company with men.
4. Be home between the hours of 8 PM and 6 AM.
5. Do not loiter downtown in...stores.
6. Do not smoke.
7. Do not get into a [vehicle] with any man except your father or brother.
8. Do not dress in bright colors.
9. Do not dye your hair.
10. Do not wear any dress more than two inches above the ankle.

This is just a reminder for those of us who might wish to be adopt a smug, "holier than thou" attitude to other cultures' treatment of women. These rules come from a town in Massachusetts, circa 1900, which after all isn't all that long ago. Shamelessly "borrowed" from Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States.

No comments: