Kia ora, while we’re enjoying, enduring, ignoring, what will happen on April 25 – could we all spare a thought for the women. All women were dragged into this disaster because they had sons, lovers, fathers, brothers, cousins, who got caught up in the furore or were hounded into it with white feathers.
Not only did the women left behind have to look after farms, businesses, work in factories and shops, offices and homes, they also had to look after the kids, gardens, preserving, jam-making, chop wood, supply three meals a day, do the washing – no washing machines then remember, ironing – and lots of other stuff I haven’t listed.
Those men who came back were all damaged in some way, and no prizes for guessing who bore the brunt of this.
As well, many of the returned soldiers had venereal disease and had no qualms about passing it on to their wives. One can only imagine the reaction when they went to the doctor (99.9% male) and asked for help. Most women were totally ignorant of what having this disease meant anyway because it wasn’t talked about.
There’ll be no mention of the over-consumption of alcohol which led to domestic assaults involving both women and kids and was one of the reasons Women’s Christian Temperance Union tried (and failed) to get prohibition country-wide. Prohibition, in my opinion, was not the best way to go but I do understand why they acted as they did.
How much would you bet there’ll be no mention of these things at the gatherings up and down the country this Saturday?
