Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utcsrgv.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!peterr
From: peterr@utcsrgv.UUCP (Peter Rowley)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: But words can sometimes hurt you
Message-ID: <4002@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 21-Apr-84 05:05:45 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.4002
Posted: Sat Apr 21 05:05:45 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Apr-84 09:47:34 EST
Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto
Lines: 33

>I have always been surprised by those who define 'liberty' as the freedom
>to have OTHER PEOPLE BEHAVE IN THE WAY ONE PREFERS.

My liberty is often achieved at the expense of yours.  My continued well-
being depends on your being constrained not to kill me, for example.

A psychological question arises:  can someone's liberty (i.e. freedom of
action) be restricted simply by being called something?  If I organize
everyone around you to call you "stupid" at every possible opportunity,
I will not have done any physical violence to you, but your self-image
may well be damaged to the point of you being severely restricted in
your ability to live your life.

Advertising which depicts women in stereotyped situations (the infamous
laundry detergent commercials, for example) is a milder example.  Porno-
graphy has begun to be treated in this manner, as a civil rights (i.e.
liberty) issue (ref. the recent attempt at a city by-law in Minneapolis
on this basis).

The pen is mightier than the sword, right?  The sword is much more controlled
than the pen right now-- with the only exceptions being the slander, libel,
and (in Canada) hate literature laws.  These laws restrict freedom of
expression, for good reason-- to preserve the liberty of others.  I would
expect to see a few more, very specific, laws much like the hate literature
laws to tackle the worst sorts of pornography.

This article is long enough.  Words, including titles, can restrict someone's
liberty.  They can fight it, of course, but, like it or not, we are influenced
by our dealings with others.  Legal remedies would be hard to write and
enforce, yes-- but the lack of a legal solution doesn't mean there isn't a
problem.

p. rowley, U. Toronto