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From: edhall@randvax.ARPA (Ed Hall)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Nothing ever happens to people unless they want it to
Message-ID: <1695@randvax.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 13-Feb-84 20:22:04 EST
Article-I.D.: randvax.1695
Posted: Mon Feb 13 20:22:04 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 16-Feb-84 05:53:37 EST
References: <6452@watdaisy.UUCP>, <901@ut-sally.UUCP> <1676@randvax.ARPA>, <952@ut-sally.UUCP>
Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica
Lines: 37

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Sorry, John; I appologize, and confess to what was a bit of
emotionalism on my own part.

My reaction was simply to your statement that men are at danger of
being raped as well as women, which in context seemed to imply that
they should be just as concerned (or unconcerned) about it.  This
was probably a faulty understanding on my part, although I would
have rather you had made a clear distinction and said that women are
at considerably greater danger than men.

I still suspect that a man probably has considerably greater chance
of being raped by another man than by a woman.  And that the chance
of the latter is real but miniscule compared to the risk women face
from men.  But you are quite correct that the possibility of a woman
sexually assaulting a man is barely even considered, and would
probably show the same under-reporting.  And I am aware that it does
happen.

We have a violent society, and sexual violence is just a part of it.
And violence is not just a male behavior.  But I feel that male
violence against women to be such an important part of the problem
that it deserves special attention.  Also, it illustrates some of
the darker side of traditional male/female roles, and indeed looms
so large that no path to sexual equality can ignore it.

And this is, after all, net.women, not net.politics. :-)

I think a lot of us agree there is a serious problem.  I'll soon
provide some references for those who remain unconvinced.  But it is
very important to go beyond this realization and to begin exploring
solutions.  I hope this discussion can develop fruitfully, and with
a minimum of net-quibbling. (And I confess to a bit of the latter
myself.)

		-Ed Hall
		decvax!randvax!edhall