Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site randvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sdcrdcf!randvax!edhall 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 -------------------------------- 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