From: Jason R. Pascucci <jasonp@primerd.prime.com>
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Safety
Date: 22 Dec 1992 02:27:57 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: remarque.berkeley.edu
Originator: muffy@remarque.berkeley.edu

> Many people, both male and female, have writen about how women don't
> feel safe while men do. I agree this is unfair, but I submit that
> it's unfair torward both sexes. Women are being deprived of thier
> freedom to act by thier fear, while men are given a false sense of
> security.
> [Deleted]

While I don't disagree with anything said in your post, I see
a completely different 'unfairness' going on. What you describe
is, in my mind, common sense.

The unfairness I see, which I honestly was disappointed that the
article wasn't speaking about, is that unfairness of stereotyping
men as violent greedy assholes who wouldn't think twice (and
most likely not think once) about beating up and raping on a woman
walking down the street.

This behaviour pattern is becoming ingrained into our society,
that men, in general, are Guilty until Proven Innocent of
these forms of crime. And I mean all men. I've seen it happen,
and I've seen women victimized by these sociatel beliefs,
not by the actual actions. (Akin, before anybody busts in
and says that societal beliefs are their to help us, to the
Judeo-Christian belief structure which many people have decided
ain't no good for nobody. Misogyny is giving way to
Misohomy(Misoguyny?:) as we shift from a Patriarchy to wherever
we are going.)

It's unfair for men, for the obvious reason, but unfair that women
are being taught that this is the state of affairs...many women
go around in constant fear of such actions. I'm not talking
about walking down a dark street, that's common sense, but
I'm talking about social situations, and so-called 'Date Rape'.
(My favorite topic.)

Personally, I think everybody should know, and know that they know,
how to quickly kill/maim a person, no matter what size or strength.
This would do a lot to discourage problems which arise from
what might be termed 'social violence'. On the one hand,
rapists wouldn't get off scott free, and on the other, a woman
can have a valid answer to the question 'Well...why didn't you gauge
his eyeballs out?'. (Valid answers being 'he held me down'(non-consent),
or that she 'didn't want to (poke his eye out)' (consent). The answer
'I don't know how/I could' would be rendered invalid, and hence any middle
ground of consent.)

Here's a handy little trick, Ladies: Make a fist, with your
thumb straight out, pressed down on your index finger. Push
(Medium hard. Any child can do it with enough strengh)
it into the inside corner of your attacker's eyes, and turn,
like a key. The eyeball 'pops out like a peach pit' to quote RAH.
Might break your thumbnail, though.

Anyways, my issue is that *everybody* should have a fairly good idea
how to defend themselves, for a DIFFERENT REASON than simply being
able to defend themselves: For that little bit of confidence
that can make life a little less painful, for all of us.

--
Jason R. Pascucci
jasonp@primerd.prime.com



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