Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site kontron.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!pesnta!pertec!kontron!cramer
From: cramer@kontron.UUCP (Clayton Cramer)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Immodestly Dressed Women in the Workplace(and elsewhere)
Message-ID: <156@kontron.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-May-85 15:59:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: kontron.156
Posted: Tue May  7 15:59:46 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 8-May-85 06:20:41 EDT
References: <1787@decwrl.UUCP> <908@homxa.UUCP> <554@lll-crg.ARPA>
Organization: Kontron Electronics, Irvine, CA
Lines: 36

> In article <908@homxa.UUCP> carson@homxa.UUCP (P.CARSTENSEN) writes:
> >A couple years ago, I ran across a Christian pamphlet that said
> >among other things that women exposing their *knees* was what 
> >incited men to rape....
> >P.
> 
> 
> As far as this goes, why is there an attitude that a female wearing something
> "revealing" by whatever standards you care to name is inciting men to rape?
> On the other hand, why is this not considered to be a problem (as far as I
> know) on a beach or in a swimming pool?  The women are wearing even less than
> they probably wear on the street, but this does not seem to be viewed as 
> incitement.  i.e. I can wear a bathing suit at the beach, but if I add, say,
> a pair of shorts and wear it on the street, it's "too revealing."
> 
>                         Muffy
> 
> (Yes, I know, this isn't always the case, but I hear it often enough to
> wonder why.)

I know I'm going to get flamed for this, but I feel like throwing it in
anyway.

First, rapists are a tremendously broad group; I'm sure that the vast majority
of them are going to be raping women even if all women wore floor length
dresses and veils.  However, considering that there are perhaps a few rapists
who may be pushed over the edge by a women dressed provocatively (which is
not necessarily correlated with the amount of skin exposed), it would seem
wise to avoid looking for trouble, in the same manner that a rational person
doesn't walk down an alley in a "bad" area of town.  (Of course, this may
work just the opposite way as well, for a few tweak-outs.)

Incidentally, the difference between a swim suit at the pool, and wearing the
same outfit walking down the street is a matter of what we are used to.
From a rational standpoint, it makes no sense; however, people are not
rational.