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From: mccolm@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: ``they'' vs *US*
Message-ID: <5347@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 10-May-85 16:56:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.5347
Posted: Fri May 10 16:56:29 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 14-May-85 07:08:05 EDT
References: <385@ttidcc.UUCP> <305@mhuxr.UUCP> <327@h-sc1.UUCP> <2473@randvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: mccolm@ucla-cs.UUCP (Eric McColm)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 45
Summary: Ravings on discrimination

>``human'' does *not* derive from ``man'' (although ``woman'' does :-) ).

I heard an interesting interpretation of the word "woman" by a woman
not long ago.  She said it meant "something more than just a man."

A few refutations:

>And now that we've tied up all our energy in useless discussions on
>words, there are a couple of people who are making the outrageous and
>dangerous claims that:
>  1. White men are being discriminated against, and this deserves at
>     least as much attention as discrimination against women.

I'm a white man, and I'm not being discriminated against, so I see no
reason to believe that discrimination against WASP males is anywhere as
serious as discrimination against women.

>  2. It is wrong for women to be proud when they manage to overcome
>     discrimination.

Question:  if individuals, by their essentially small individual actions,
overcome some obstacle that obstructs them as a group, do the individuals
have cause to feel proud of themselves as members of that group?
I think they do.

>  3. Wearing ``provocative'' clothing is somehow responsible for
>     (at least some) rape.

I object to the word "provocative" as applied to womens' clothing,
because "provocative" implies a tendency to provoke, and in clothing,
which is a matter of choice, this implies a desire to provoke.  Such
convolutions of language may seem silly, but given that the rapist is
seen by many as the victim of a woman's charms, I submit that the
line of reasoning is dangerous.

Use the word "attractive" instead, if you wish to show intent.

>		-Ed Hall
>		decvax!randvax!edhall

Thanks, Ed, for bringing these things up.
--fini--
Eric McColm
UCLA (oo' - kluh) Funny Farm for the Criminally Harmless
UUCP:  ...!{ucbvax,ihnp4,cepu,sdcrdcf,trwspp}!ucla-cs!mccolm