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From: greenber@timeinc.UUCP (Ross M. Greenberg)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: ``they'' vs *US*
Message-ID: <186@timeinc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-May-85 22:14:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: timeinc.186
Posted: Thu May 16 22:14:29 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 19-May-85 05:48:15 EDT
Reply-To: greenber@timeinc.UUCP (Ross M. Greenberg)
Organization: Time, Inc. - New York
Lines: 47

In article <397@calmasd.UUCP> gail@calmasd.UUCP (Gail B. Hanrahan) writes:
>
>"Provocative clothing" is no excuse for rape.  Don't try to
>blame women for someone else's lack of control (or sanity).

I know that this will probably start flames, and I wish it wouldn't:


If I told you that I was walking in a "bad" area of town, late at night,
and had $100 bills sticking out of my pockets, and that somebody
mugged me, would you be shocked???

Chances are you would tell me: you should have known better.  Now, this
doesn't mean the robbery was right, and it doesn't represent that the
society that allows for someone to mug me is protecting me from myself
(given that there *are* nasties out there).

So why shouldn't the same caveats apply to a women in some provocative
clothing?  If I have to be careful of not being mugged, why can't the
women in the see-thru blouse and the tight leather micro-skirt be
aware that she *is* provoking some sickie out there. It doesn't make
her the guilty party.....it just means that *maybe* she could have
avoided the problem by not dressing in a manner that is thought by
many to be provocative. The problem still resides within the rapists
mind, just as the above problem existed in the muggers mind.

And if somebody were to say to her: "You should have known better than
to dress like that..." that person would probably be labeled sexist!!

Let the flames fly --- after you consider the *logic* of the above
and after you get over my inherently sexist attitude for mentioning
an unspeakable.


-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Ross M. Greenberg  @ Time Inc, New York 
              --------->{ihnp4 | vax135}!timeinc!greenber<---------

	Timeinc probably wouldn't acknowledge my existence, and has
	opinions of its own.  I highly doubt that they would make me
	their spokesperson.
------
"If ever the pleasure of one has to be bought by the pain of the other,
 there better be no trade. A trade by which one gains and the other
 loses is a fraud."         --- Dagny Taggart