Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site wateng.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!wateng!jamcmullan From: jamcmullan@wateng.UUCP (Judy McMullan) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: Re: crossing streets Message-ID: <1786@wateng.UUCP> Date: Thu, 20-Dec-84 13:48:26 EST Article-I.D.: wateng.1786 Posted: Thu Dec 20 13:48:26 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 21-Dec-84 01:19:05 EST Distribution: net Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 30 >My crossing the street will not improve any >woman's chances of avoiding rape, since I am not a rapist. It will only put >another barrier between men and women, and is thus counterproductive. I have to disagree with that. I would see it as a positive indication that you were benign. It would be behaviour clearly inconsistent with an intention to mutter threats or lewd remarks as you go by or grab a quick "feel" or attack more seriously. > I realize that my attitude does nothing for the woman who wonders if >she is about to be grabbed. I wish I knew how to solve that problem I do >know that expecting me to cross the street every time I encounter a woman >will not. Well, Julia's suggestion may not appeal to you. She was reaching over the far gulf that seems to exist between the worlds of men and women and trying to make a suggestion for sympathetic men. It seemed like excellent advice to me. I'm on her side of the gulf. Only a couple of men have posted articles saying they took the advice to heart. Some men have counter-suggested smiling and saying "Hello" as being non-threatening. --Advice from the other side of the gulf! Little do they seem to realize that that is exactly what the men who make unwelcome sexual advances and crude comments often start with. The fact that other men have done things to make women fear them, affects you to the extent that women fear YOU, until they know you. You can regretfully accept that. You can enjoy that. Or you can realize what women are going through and try to show you are not one of THEM, as an act of kindness. --from the sssstickkky keyboard of JAM ...!{ihnp4|clyde|decvax}!watmath!wateng!jamcmullan