Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site bcsaic.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!bcsaic!shebs From: shebs@bcsaic.UUCP (stan shebs) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: Rape - Another Solution Message-ID: <209@bcsaic.UUCP> Date: Mon, 12-Aug-85 16:50:18 EDT Article-I.D.: bcsaic.209 Posted: Mon Aug 12 16:50:18 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 15:31:51 EDT References: <2402@amdcad.UUCP> Reply-To: shebs@bcsaic.UUCP (stan shebs) Organization: Boeing Computer Services AI Center, Seattle Lines: 34 Keywords: Violence in our culture Summary: In article <2402@amdcad.UUCP> linda@amdcad.UUCP (Linda Seltzer) writes: > >This is not a complete solution, but I think it would help. >Right now most of us economically support a culture of violence. >... >In spite of all rationalizations, violence is our art and our culture. I find it interesting that violence does seem to be an important part of our civilization. Not to get back into discussions of sociobiology again, but perhaps "violence" is an integral part of human character. I know of no solid proof for or against, although there's much flimsy evidence (some primitive cultures seem to be nonviolent, but they generally are found in hostile environments - violence comes from outside rather than inside). >Why do people continue to spend money going to violent movies >rather than contributing to the local chamber music ensemble, >orchestra, or arts center. Why not make contributions >stipulating that the money not be used to but on productions >which include violence? I'm a fan of chamber music and play classical flute, but I would not want to eliminate the violence of Beethoven's Fifth or Ninth (or even parts of the Sixth). If everything in life were reduced to the bloodlessness of Devienne's or Haydn's music, there would be little to distinguish it from death... This is a little far afield from the topic of rape. I'm *not* defending rape; I'm suggesting that training everyone to be nonviolent might be another one of those cures that is worse than the disease. It might be extraordinarily risky even to experiment with; if violence *is* linked to creativity, extinction of violence would be irreversible... stan shebs