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From: edhall@randvax.UUCP (Ed Hall)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: rape and other assorted stuff
Message-ID: <2575@randvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 29-Jun-85 13:38:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: randvax.2575
Posted: Sat Jun 29 13:38:27 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 5-Jul-85 03:34:24 EDT
References: <191@cuuxa.UUCP> <2919@sdcc3.UUCP> <2301@sun.uucp> <70@denelvx.UUCP>
Reply-To: edhall@rand-unix.UUCP (Ed Hall)
Distribution: net
Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica
Lines: 45
Keywords: rape, society
Summary: How to stop rape

> > Only MEN can STOP RAPE-ing.  Women don't have the strength nor power to stop it.
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^	Sunny
> 
> Sunny,
> 
> Both you and Ginger have indicated that it is our (men's) resposibility to
> solve the problem.  I have yet to see any suggestions from anyone, aside
> from the obvious legal and legislative solutions.  Forgive my ignorance,
> please.  However, I'm sure I'm not the only one.
> 
> Gregg Mackenzie
> denelcor!gmack

She just told you how, Gregg, though indirectly.

For several years, now, feminists have been claiming that rape is nothing
more than an extreme case of attitudes that are common in much of the
male population.  These are the attitudes that women are somehow meant to
be subservient to men (keeping their houses, having their children,
submitting to their sexual needs).  These attitudes fit in with the male
role, a role in which the ability to dominate figures quite heavily.
Also, there are a set of myths about rape, many of which we've discussed
at length in net.women.  And, perhaps most pernicious of all, there is a
cultural tradition of violence in our society, an attraction to it, and
even the tendency to regard violence as potentually sexually arousing.
Some studies have been done--several have been mentioned in net.women--
and more than just feminists are beginning to wonder if perhaps the
attitude of rape is widespread.  I think it is.

It is these things--all of them--that need to change within the minds
of men before rape will end.  When Sunny talked about how ``Only MEN
can stop rape,'' she meant you and me, not just the criminal rapist.
The attitudes, roles, myths, and predilection for violence in men in
general must end.  Men, in their dealings with themselves and with
other men, are the ones with the opportunity to change things.

For the most part the ``legal and legislative'' mechanisms are already in
place, at least in those states who have laws preventing abuse of rape
victims during trials (if you've ever witnessed this sort of thing you'll
agree there is no better word for it than ``abuse'').  The law can only
do so much.  It can't un-rape, nor can it ever fully deter rape.  But,
collectively, men *can* stop rape.

		-Ed Hall
		decvax!randvax!edhall