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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!geoff
From: geoff@burl.UUCP (geoff)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: rape and streetwalking
Message-ID: <608@burl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 14-Dec-84 11:19:59 EST
Article-I.D.: burl.608
Posted: Fri Dec 14 11:19:59 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Dec-84 00:41:01 EST
References: <221@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Technologies; Burlington, NC
Lines: 36

I expected some response to my article, but am frankly a bit surprised at
the viciousness of L S Chabots response.  I do apologize for the title.
It was not meant to imply anything remotely similar to prostitution in
any way, shape, or form.  It was a bad choice, ok?

The point I was trying to make is that it is not reasonable to expect people
to go out of their way to avoid bothering others.  Each of us make it through
life the best way we can.  If I spend my time trying to avoid hurting everybody
elses feelings, I will be doing nothing else (and probably end up a nervous
wreck -- ANYTHING I do could possibly hurt SOMEBODY's feelings (do I smile?
how much?  If I don't smile will he/she think I'm pissed at them? and so on)).
I try to avoid hurting other people's feelings, but I realize I can't always
avoid it, and when that happens, tough.  Sorry, but tough.  With friends I
am willing to go further out of my way than with people I don't know, but
there are limits even there.  I am not on this world to be anyone's doormat
(but then I don't expect anyone else to be mine).

Attempting to get others to conform to your idea of courtesy is futile at
best (much flaming on the net has very little in the way of courtesy to
recommend it -- at least as far as my definition of courtesy goes).  You
get a little self-righteous anger out of it (as well as maybe an ulcer
or two) but you really don't affect the situation.  It is much more effective
to take what steps you can to directly affect your situation.  As an obvious
first step to avoiding anything unpleasant, avoid situations which are
conducive to such unpleasantness.  In the case of rape, don't walk through
bad sections of town late at night (chances of getting robbed are quite a
bit higher, too).  If you can learn some self-defence, great.  These are
direct actions and require no one's judgement or activity but your own.
Trying to change the world at large ain't gonna work, and is likely to
leave you rather bitter towards the world in general.  The world isn't
mean or nasty, just indifferent.

	reasonable responses welcome,
	sarcastic blatherings tolerated.

		geoff sherwood