Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I just finished reading an article in the New Republic by Rebecca Solnit.  It describes three new books about women's anger, and how the root is often compassion for victims.  We don't want to see women scorned and ridiculed for speaking their truth.  We become upset at the treatment because we've experienced it first hand.  She mentions Shirley Chisholm and how she appeared stoic in public but cried in private for the treatment she received as a presidential candidate.  She was a hero of mine and I voted for her way back when.  She had a fire about her, and if that was anger, it was righteous anger, seeing the corruption of our system of government and the the unfairness to our citizens.  But women are not supposed to express anger, and when we do, we are often punished for it verbally and physically.  Men claim ownership of anger, and it is a very effective weapon.  But it is often a weapon of the patriarchy, suppressing women's voices.  Anger for ourselves has no wholesome component, but anger for others may lead to action that is an act of compassion.  I think that is happening now with women.  We are finally protecting our gender, in a way we felt we could not protect ourselves.  We are speaking up for our daughters and granddaughters.