Not the power our sisters marched for

What follows is one of the best responses (and there were many of them) to my column last week. Share your opinions with me online, by e-mail at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or by phone at 881-1217.

Without further ado:

Thank goodness the article entitled, "Women have all the power; at least when it comes to the sex lives of men," was published on a Thursday, right before the weekend.

I hate to think that I would have spent another exhilarating weekend on the front lines of Carson City's dating scene unarmed with this groundbreaking information.

Finally, the Mars-Venus code has been cracked. Sex is power. Who knew?

Well listen up, you too Earl. Really, who knew? Well, I guess that would be anyone who has at some point in their lives possessed female or male genitalia.

Oh yeah, I guess that would be everyone, and their mothers. I'm pretty sure their mother's mother knew this too, and all the other women that came before them.

Does the name Eve ring any bells?

Hitting the bar scene may undoubtedly be a kinder, gentler endeavor for women. Let's be honest, the perks of getting free drinks and the freedom to reject unwanted advances don't suck.

But knowing they often come from men whose only hope is that I will, does.

Especially since most of these men are far more attracted to and interested in the size of my boobs (above average) than they will ever be to my intellect (also above average).

Forget the fact that many of these men are likely married, emotionally unavailable, a serial killer, or all of the above. This is not exactly the power our sisters ripped off their bras and marched for. It is, as the author says, a meaningless victory in the scheme of life.

The No. 1 fear shared by both genders in the Esquire and Marie Claire article cited by the author was HIV. Yes, we actually agreed on something. The United States population that is most affected by this epidemic is blacks and Latina women.

In 2004, 85 percent of all new AIDS cases reflected this group. Heterosexual transmission is the No. 1 cause of HIV among all women. Some of these women are infected by men who know they are HIV positive.

Perhaps these men are more concerned with getting it up as the survey suggested than they are with covering it up. Would you like to ask any one of the 11,000 sick American women 13 years and older if they feel that they had all the power?

Anyone, anyone, Earl?

The big shocker from the survey of course is that men are more concerned about performance than they are of getting someone pregnant. This is because men have never pushed something the size of Hyundai out of a tiny opening in their body.

If men had babies, my insurance company would pay for contraception. It would be cheaper, safer and more reliable. For most men the most painful and difficult part of knocking someone up will be a writing a check each month.

I can assume that the men in the above scenario are not emotionally entangled as this was one of their fears from the survey. I was however surprised to see this listed as one of the fears on the women's survey.

For many of us, sex and emotional entanglement is not an either-or scenario. This may in fact actually be an important clue in cracking the Mars-Venus code.

So, while I may be the keeper of the gate, I am still on the fence about the whole women have it better debate. Maybe when it comes to the bar scene, but what about when you leave there are enter the rest of world?

The 2006 Census revealed that high school graduate rates for women still exceed those of men. Women earned 59 percent of all bachelor's degrees during 2005-06 and 60 percent of master's degrees.

Yet, 40 years after the Pay Equity Act, women who are more educated and work just as hard, are still earning less than men. Women still make about 77 cents for every dollar a man makes.

And, most of these women will go home and do another job that their male co-workers wouldn't want.

Even so, as the old Rodgers and Hammerstein song goes, I can honestly say I truly enjoy being a girl. And, by now you are probably thinking that I hate men. This could not be further from the truth.

In fact, it is possible that I might accept that drink, hand over the key, and love one this weekend.

I love men.

And not because I have the power and I am better, or they have the power and are better. I love men because they are magically, mystifyingly and ultimately magnificently " just different.