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Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watdcsu!dmcanzi
From: dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: ``they'' vs *US*
Message-ID: <1436@watdcsu.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-May-85 23:49:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: watdcsu.1436
Posted: Wed May 29 23:49:29 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 30-May-85 20:28:34 EDT
References: <186@timeinc.UUCP> <442@sftri.UUCP> <1395@watdcsu.UUCP> <2769@nsc.UUCP>
Reply-To: dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi)
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 31
Summary: 

In article <2769@nsc.UUCP> srm@nsc.UUCP (Richard Mateosian) writes:
>In article <1395@watdcsu.UUCP> dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi) writes:
>>
>>But what if the choice of clothing *does* influence the likelihood of
>>rape?  A woman who truly believes that this is not so will see no need
>>to be careful about how she dresses, and she'll innocently increase her
>>chances of getting raped.
>>
>>It is important to have good evidence for such a statement, because
>>the consequences of being wrong are serious.
>
>This is like saying that you should invest substantial portions of your
>life's energy in the observance of certain religious forms, because you
>might just go to Hell if you don't.

Unlike the question of whether God and Hell exist, the question of what
effect, if any, choice of clothing has on the likelihood of being
raped, can be defined and scientifically investigated.  Statistics can
be collected on the types of clothing worn by rape victims, and on
random samples of women walking past sites where rapes have occurred,
and then they can be compared.

When I see people dogmatically asserting that choice of clothing has
*no* effect on the likelihood of being raped, it is hard for me to
avoid the impression that a scientific question is being dealt with by
religious means.  You seem so *certain* of your belief.  You must have
some reason for believing it.  What is your reason?
-- 
	David Canzi

"All in all you're just another prick in the stall." -- men's room graffiti