Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site hcrvx1.UUCP Path: utzoo!hcrvax!hcrvx1!paulb From: paulb@hcrvx1.UUCP (Paul Bonneau) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: using public anger to avoid attacks/harrassment Message-ID: <1044@hcrvx1.UUCP> Date: Mon, 17-Dec-84 21:31:56 EST Article-I.D.: hcrvx1.1044 Posted: Mon Dec 17 21:31:56 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 18-Dec-84 01:36:02 EST References: <1767@wateng.UUCP> Organization: Human Computing Resources, Toronto Lines: 37 [Out Vile Jelly!] Judy McMullan writes... > Yeah. You can wait. Meanwhile we women have to walk down the street or > through train stations or into subways. We've got to cope with the leers > and the brushings-against and the dirty and suggestive comments, and worse. > I won't go into what happens in our own offices and homes. > Too many of us have learned the hard way that the cold, deadening stare or > the anger work better than timidity or friendliness. And it IS boring and > it DOES cut us off from the world. And we HATE it. However, we need something > that works, right NOW -- in our day to day lives, while we await the 'better > solutions'. This is really unfortunate. Please note that I am not disagreeing with Judy's method of prevention, I'm not a woman, I haven't experienced such things, but I don't doubt their validity. The sad part is that this male/female interaction looks like a vicious feedback loop. From recent articles in this newsgroup, many men may resent the cold harshness of "castrating bitches", etc., and build up resentment. Meanwhile, the women, in fear of all men as a result of the more Neanderthal of those among us, resort to "cold deadening stares", thereby adding to the resentment, thereby increasing/encouraging the Neanderthals, ad infinitum. But I really can't think of anything approaching a realistic solution, (and if there were, it surely must have been thought of already). No matter how civilized we pretend to be, it's situations like this that show just how unsuited humankind is to its relatively newfound intelligence. I mean we really are just animals (albeit thinking ones), and it seems that a bit more evolution is in order (but this is another topic - watch out for low-flying tangents!). Oh well, it feels good to talk about it, even if it doesn't get me anywhere. -- I'm a man! I'm not a horse! Paul Bonneau {decvax|ihnp4|watmath}!hcr!hcrvax