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From: rlr@pyuxn.UUCP (Rich Rosen)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Buttals
Message-ID: <846@pyuxn.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Jul-84 20:31:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxn.846
Posted: Wed Jul 11 20:31:52 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 12-Jul-84 05:24:11 EDT
References: <726@ihuxe.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J.
Lines: 42

1)  People who so vehemently deny that the behavior Trish described is in
	fact the status quo amongst American males must live in some alternate
	universe.  No, *everybody* doesn't behave that way, but that behavior is
	certainly an ingrained part of our culture and those who behave
	otherwise are the exception and not the rule.  My guess is they probably
	account for a good deal less than Trish's perceived 99%, but that might
	be because assholes make their presence known much more obtrusively and
	annoyingly and noticeably than their non-asshole counterparts. (Some-
	body else already said this better than I.)

2)  Being bigoted is a very strong term that implies (to me) a contempt and
	intolerance for another group of people bordering on cruel and
	vindictive behavior (often bordering on the far side...)  Being
	prejudiced involves having a preconception, either based on hearsay
	("All Jews have horns.  I know because somebody told me so.") or on
	experience with a sample subset.  I'd say Trish's remarks, at worst,
	fall into the latter category.  But Trish's remarks came across to
	me as meaning "99% of the men I've met behaved like assholes".  Beyond
	just generalizing for the rest of the male population, her remarks
	pointed out that such behavior is a cultural norm.  If I walked into
	a society where the cultural norm was to murder strangers, I wouldn't
	want to take the time to find those who went against the grain at the
	risk of meeting my murderer.  Of course, standard male/female
	behaviors are far less harmful than this.  But, then again, that's
	just my perception.  Other people may not be so frightened by such a
	society and walk right in and search for the friendly ones.  By the
	same token, others might perceive standard male/female behaviors as
	something that they don't want to participate in.  That's their right.
	Let's leave it at that.

3)  Haven't we had enough of this crap about who's right in defending whom for
	what.  And these empty arguments about "It doesn't matter whether
	someone says 'I think...' when they make a statement; if they say it,
	then they're bigoted!"  Can we go home now?  Enough of playing
	"Pin the Blame on the Donkey", OK?

[I was tempted to draw an analogy with children saying "Play my game or
 I'll take all my marbles and go home", but since most of the people on the
 net lost their marbles some time ago...]
-- 
"Now, Benson, I'm going to have to turn you into a dog for a while."
"Ohhhh, thank you, Master!!"			Rich Rosen    pyuxn!rlr