For those of you who think that feminism is, well, so 70's, think again. A recent Census Bureau study finds--no surprise--white men with college degrees have the highest salaries of any demographic group, making over $66,000 on average. When looked at in terms of just gender, male college graduates typically made $63,000, while college-educated women earned $38,000. Oh, sure, you can look for excuses. Women often cut back hours or take a hiatus from work while their children are little. Some women choose lower-paying "helping" professions like K-12 teaching or social work rather than purely commerce-driven ones. But so do some men. But $25,000 differential? Puh-leaz. That's all about gender discrimination. Women don't receive equal pay for equal work. It's just that simple. And the effect go beyond a paycheck, penalizing women in retirement by creating gaps in Social Security and pensions, as well. I actually like to work--I enjoy the social interaction and the intellectual stimulation that my work provides. And I'm good at what I do. But even though I like it (and despite the fact that I took extended maternity leave after the birth of my kids), I should be paid a comparable hourly rate to a male colleague with similar talents and abilities. It's called fairness. And the fact that I love my work and that I'm mega-productive, which I make work by consulting around my kids' schedules, should be a hint to employers that flex-time is a really good idea. And on a different-but-relevant note, there's a growing movement of "Pharmacists for Life" who not only won't dispense medications that violate their personal, moral or religious beliefs, but also refuse to transfer or refer prescriptions to a pharmacy that will. Those "medications" are birth control and morning-after pills. And they have their defenders. Like the Christian Legal Society's Center for Law and Religious Freedom's Steven H. Aden who says, "More and more pharmacists are becoming aware of their right to conscientiously refuse to pass objectionable medications across the counter. We are on the very front edge of a wave that's going to break not too far down the line." Whoa, that's taking contolling women's future to a whole new level. I don't even want to think about what it means for the most vulnerable women--the poor, who don't have resources to drive around town to find alternatives; the rural, who may have only one pharmacy from which to choose; and the young, who are more easily intimidated. But even for a middle-class woman with relative privilege, what a violation! Who is my local pharmacist to deny me my doctor-prescribed birth control pills? It's none of his or her business how my husband and I decide to plan our lives. Family size is a decision with more impact that any other. I am getting the willies just thinking about what these trends mean. Can there really be a force in society trying to reassert total control over women? All those "traditional family values" folks, like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and Colorado's very own James Dobson really mean it: They're seeking to reinstate a societal norm where Dad is the sole breadwinner; Mom bears as many children as is physically possible, spending all her time keeping the household logistics running; and all those kids are obedient and well-behaved. There's nothing inherently wrong with that if everyone in the household, especially Mom, is on board. But it sure isn't for everyone; I know it's not for me as I have my hands full emotionally. physically and financially with two kids. It's so 17th century, but I see the Dobsons of the world working feverishly to make it the only real option for all of us. Denying women fair wages and compelling unwanted pregnancies looks like part of a pretty smart strategy to re-establish the workplace as a man's domain. Yikes. Oh, yeah...it's time for the feminist movement to become mainstream once again.