From: bostrov@engr.orst.edu (Vareck Bostrom)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Safe space for men
Date: 22 Dec 1992 16:24:12 GMT
Organization: College of Engineering, Oregon State University
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: remarque.berkeley.edu
Originator: muffy@remarque.berkeley.edu

[Moderator's note: once again, keep it off the gun control issue. - MB]

In article <oneil.724226959@cwis> oneil@cwis.unomaha.edu (Sharon O'Neil) writes:
>karen.van.hoek@um.cc.umich.edu writes:
>

>Agreed.  It's not the same for men as for women.  I do realize that it would
>be a terrible thing for a man to be accused unjustly of being an aggressor,
>as in the above example.  But having to worry about such an accusation is
>hardly the same as the dilemma we women face every day.  We are constantly
>making decisions about our safety.  And we are not being paranoid about it
>either.  
> 

It took me a while to understand the scope of this fear but I do see
how it does exist. My sister and I had a talk about it a while back...
it's unusual viewing every dark, out of the way place as a threat...
but..

>
>I was visiting with a close male friend of mine tonight and he noticed that
>I carry a small canister of tear gas on my keychain.  I guess he thinks it
>is kind of silly.  But going outside at night is not a risk for him like it
>is for me.  
>
Not at all. Several of my friends (and myself) carry firearms, and we
are male. We carry firearms because we at certain times fear assault. 
My girlfriend doesn't think that even carrying a weapon would make her
feel safe. It doesn't help that OSU has banned student-carry of 
concealed firearms, even if we do have Oregon carry permits...anyway,
what is there to fear so much that a woman would think that a weapon wouldn't
scare the agressor away? What kind of assaliants are women having to deal
with anyway? My girlfriend has made the comment that 'most attackers of
women are cowards anyway'...then fight back! When someone walks toward
you at night, keep your hand on your .505 Magnum Desert Eagle, if he 
is an actual threat to you, pull it and fire a warning shot through his
kneecap. He won't grab the gun...if he tries it, fire anyway, the slide
will cycle and rip his hand up.

>Of course some men really /do/ understand.  It was my dad who bought me
>the canister after two young women were kidnapped in the Omaha/Lincoln area.
>Of course, my dad also happens to work in a hospital emergency room, where
>he sees the victims of violent assault every day.
>

Yes, many of us understand. I bought my sister a stunstick (120000 volts)
and my girlfriend a 9mm Beretta. That stunstick is kinda neato...
Almost all of my friends have equipped their female loved ones with
firearms, stunners, whistles, cellphones, mace (Military Mace, not that
wimpy civilian stuff) and concealed weapons permits. 

> 
>One thing that really irritates me is how some universities think they are
>helping women and keeping them safe.  After a young woman was kidnapped
>and murdered, my old university drew attention to the fact that it had 
>installed a lot of new emergency telephones on campus.  My response is:
>"So what!"  Now I have a phone to call the cops after I've been raped?  
>Give me a break.  What I want them to do is to have more security walking
>beats around the campus.  I want them to install lights in the parking
>lots.  I want them to cut down all the "landscaping" -- innumerable bushes
>and trees which offer many hiding places for those who would assault.
>I want them to take /proactive/ rather than /reactive/ measures.


I understand that much..the one "emergency phone" that OSU installed on
campus that I know of is located in the middle of nowhere (somewhere
between the physics building and the old CS Lab), and has a big
blue light on top of it. On the other hand, state police patrol the
OSU campus fairly regulary. 

- bostrov


-- 
Post articles to soc.feminism, or send email to feminism@ncar.ucar.edu.
Questions and comments should be sent to feminism-request@ncar.ucar.edu.  This
newsgroup is moderated by several people, so please use the mail aliases. Your
article should be posted within several days.  Rejections notified by email.