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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