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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