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Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watdcsu!dmcanzi
From: dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Evidence?
Message-ID: <1445@watdcsu.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 31-May-85 19:06:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: watdcsu.1445
Posted: Fri May 31 19:06:05 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Jun-85 00:43:00 EDT
References: <186@timeinc.UUCP> <442@sftri.UUCP> <1395@watdcsu.UUCP> <630@digi-g.UUCP>
Reply-To: dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi)
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 53
Summary: 

In article <630@digi-g.UUCP> brian@digi-g.UUCP (brian) writes:
>>Feminists repeatedly insist that the choice of clothing has *nothing*
>>to do with the likelihood of being raped.  I haven't been shown much in
>>the way of evidence...
>>	David Canzi
>
>I think you have the sense of proof backwards.  I mean, nobody has proved
>that wearing red *doesn't* incite rape.  Does this mean I should assume it
>does?

You are missing my point, or perhaps ignoring it.  I have not been
saying that the choice of clothing affects the likelihood of rape.

What I have been saying is that the feminist side appear to be
*certain* that clothing has *no* *effect* on the likelihood of rape,
yet they appear to have no evidence sufficient to back up such
certainty.

When feminists are asked how they know, they usually make some reply
about the motives of rapists in using that statement, or they question
the motives and morality of the questioner.  On the occasions that I've
actually seen evidence given, it has been inadequate evidence.

I see certainty of belief, combined with insufficient evidence, and a
strong motive for believing.  Probable explanation: wishful thinking.

>Actually, considering that most rapists don't rape total strangers (usually
>someone they've seen before/know/met/etc) and that rape victims are
>anywhere from 1 to 99 years old, "provocative-ness" seems to have very
>little to do with it.

To say that a young woman in a miniskirt is more likely to be raped
than a 90 year old woman wearing a burlap sack does not imply that the
young woman will be raped, or that the old woman won't.  Likelihood is
a statistical concept, and can't be disproven with a handful of
counterexamples.  It can only be disproven by statistical methods.

A similar line of faulty reasoning would be to point out that your
uncle Harry chain-smoked from the age of 15 and lived to be 105,
therefore smoking is harmless.

>Of course, proof that it *does* is welcome, but I will minimize my
>assumptions, thank you.

In answer to the question "Does the choice of clothing affect the
likelihood of rape", I suspect that you would answer "no".  This is an
assumption.  Saying "I don't know" would involve one less assumption.
-- 
	David Canzi

A dollar is better than nothing.
Nothing is better than the love of God.
Therefore, a dollar is better than the love of God.