Jack Stephenson

To the editor,

Froma Harrop usually writes good informative columns. But the Oct 21 one seemed to me to be a bit mixed up. Is she really confusing "sexist" with "racist" when only writing about suspected discrimination against some women? Anyone who today doesn’t think there are many differences between men and women, must be living on Mars. Viva la differences. But in this day of information, we now know that many of what we like to call "male" or "female" are almost the same! — largely based on hormones. Dominating all that is the environment a child is exposed to. We try our best to give our children the best of what we know, then find that the values of their friends or teachers dominate (often to cause them problems!). As a male, I observed that in school the girls got preferences, clearly because they were mostly "nicer", or "cuter", or more often, better at "sucking up". In college, I never saw that sexual division or advantage, since in science and engineering subjects, there were few girls, and they all matched capabilities of the males.

Okay, with one daughter an outstanding medical technician, another an MD, a son a most successful electrician and another a computer genius and business owner, maybe we never got exposed to the real world. Yeah? At Hughes Aircraft Co we found the best computer programers were ALL women (and if you enjoy your satellite TV reception, thank outstanding genius WOMEN programers like Gladys Perkins! She was a big part of my success, AND success of synchronous satellites, and moon landings!

Okay, does reciting the brilliance of many great women prove women are better, same, or worse than men? No way! We are all different, and must all be accepted for what we are. Businesses MUST pay employees based on what the employee earns for the business, not for their "sex". As an obvious sexual male, I clearly admire some women more than some males, but in business, it is performance that counts. Anyone who wants to blame his/her failure on sexual prejudice is a total idiot, and should expect to be rejected.

Just to make the males jealous, I must point out that three days a week I enjoy my own harem of beautiful, lively, exceptionably intelligent women at the Gunstock Inn pool's aerobic exercise class, with an instructor who is brighter than most males, and infinitely more beautiful! Okay, yes, at times I’m "sexist", but with good reason.

Jack Stephenson

Gilford