The Sex War
S1R,—When I first saw the advertisement for Nova that dreW such an inept parallel between the war in Vietnam and the sex-war in London, 1, like Ran- dolph Churchill, disliked the sour taste it put into my mouth. When I read Lilian Knapp's letter last week, I, like Randolph Churchill, found the old argument of if-women-ran-the-world-it-would-be-a- better-place as silly as it always was. But, when I read Randolph Churchill's attack on Lilian Knapp this week, I suffered more than a bad taste in my mouth, and embarrassment that a woman found it necessary to resurrect a dreary argument. I felt decidedly angry.
Never mind his childish rebuttals of the old argu- ment (what was done by politicians in the names of Victoria and Elizabeth II can hardly be blamed on either of those essentially domesticated ladies); what is really infuriating is his demand that Lilian Knapp's marital status should be known, his im-
plication that she should have signed her letter Lilian Knapp (Mrs., Miss) or whatever she may be.
Does Randolph Churchill ever feel it is incum- bent upon him to sign his letters or articles Randolph S. Churchill (Mr.) or whatever he may be? (I don't know--perhaps it should be Lord, or something—I have so little interest in people's labels that I am ignorant of his.)
May I suggest to Randolph S. Churchill (what- ever he is) that it is attitudes like his that convince women that there is in fact a real sex war going on? If he can't deal with a woman's arguments without making it clear that he despises them (for the demand to know a woman's marital status makes it clear he does so despise them, that to him a woman must be known either as the chattel of the man who married her, or as an unmarried non-chattel, and therefore unworthy of notice) he should opt out of the sex war, real or imagined. I was taught that the biggest mistake a military strategist can make is to underestimate the strength of his opponent. Randolph S. Churchill (whatever he is) clearly dangerously underestimates women. I almost pity him. Almost.
CLAIRE RAYNER (UNLABELLED)
7 Pasture Road, North Wembley, Middlisex
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