Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site burl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!geoff From: geoff@burl.UUCP (geoff) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: rape Message-ID: <605@burl.UUCP> Date: Wed, 12-Dec-84 09:47:40 EST Article-I.D.: burl.605 Posted: Wed Dec 12 09:47:40 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 13-Dec-84 02:09:10 EST Organization: AT&T Technologies; Burlington, NC Lines: 51 >I'd like to remind everyone that: anybody who feels that human >beings should be routinely allowed to follow their genetic >proclivities must, to be consistent, encourage everyone to >dispense with toilet training. This is one of the strongest >examples of society agreeing that, even at great emotional cost >to the individual, we should impose civilized behaviour on top of >our genetic inclinations. > >Logically there is no middle ground here. You either believe: > > (a) It is natural and acceptable to follow genetic proclivities, or > > (b) Society rightfully decides in each case whether to suppress > geentic inclinations. > >If (as I believe) the latter is true, than identifying genetic >inclinations is IRRELEVANT to determining whether behaviour is >acceptable. > > - Toby Robison (not Robinson!) > {allegra, decvax!ittvax, fisher, princeton}!eosp1!robison There are other possibilites than the two provided. First and foremost, "society" doesn't do anything. What we view as society is merely the sum of the actions of the individuals who make it up. Some actions are damaging to the other members and steps are taken to stop this. Right or wrong really doesn't enter into it, except that each member will act in accordance with his or her own view of same. Unfortunately, society is also filled with a lot of busybodies, who are sure that their own view of right and wrong should be imposed on all, rather than just keeping people from damaging each other. I am not trying to quibble; I just take exception to the words 'society rightfully decides in each case'. Quite often, they don't. I agree with Toby's conclusion that the 'genetic inclinations are IRRELEVANT to determining whether behaviour is acceptable'. They might modify what steps are taken to change the behavior, though. Obviously, rape is not a borderline case. It is a clear-cut case of one person actively harming another. It should be dealt with as strongly as possible. However, as has been pointed out by others on the net, it is very difficult to prevent (from a police point of view). It seems that the only effective deterrent is self-defence knowlege on the part of women. It shouldn't have to be this way (in the best of all possible worlds) but I really see no alternative. I DON'T want police standing on all the corners, and the logistics of the same are prohibitive, anyway. People should come to the aid of those being attacked. They don't. I don't think a weapon is the answer, because unless you are very good with it (and fully ready to use it) you could find yourself on the business end of it. A good swift kick does not have this drawback, however. no answers, but looking, geoff sherwood