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From: jeff@rtech.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Why not walk them home?
Message-ID: <478@rtech.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Jun-85 03:32:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: rtech.478
Posted: Mon Jun 10 03:32:59 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Jun-85 01:14:22 EDT
References: <1566@reed.UUCP> <592@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP> <5385@tekecs.UUCP> <294@ihlpa.UUCP>
Organization: Relational Technology, Alameda CA
Lines: 45

> 
> QUESTION:
> 
> knowing even this little bit how many of you men reading this 
> upon finding yourself in a like situation would step to the aid
> of the strange woman?

It's almost impossible to answer this honestly.  I would love to believe that
I would not back down in this situation, but I've never been faced with
something like this; to say that I would be brave would just be noise.
I have come to people's aid in the past (both men and women), but I have never
faced a situation before where there was an immediately obvious danger of
being killed.

> I'm not taking a poll I'm just curious since there have been a goodly
> number of men saying - in effect - I can be trusted to protect you
> if you only let me know that is what you want or need at the moment.
> But if it came down to the chance to leave your loved ones unprotected
> in the long run would you be as willing to come to the aid of a 
> relative stranger?
> 
> Does the horror of rape and assault really have enough weight in your
> mind to allow you to walk into a situation kknowing that there is some
> chance (admitedly small) that you might never walk out of it?
> 
> Think - hard - because there is every chance in the world that if a woman
> you agree to escort is attacked in your company you will be hurt just because
> you are there even if you make no move to aid her at all!!
> 
> jeanette l. zobjeck

I don't think that my escorting a woman is any riskier to me than my walking
alone.  My escorting a woman isn't some grand, brave act on my part; I'm just
adding to the woman's safety, because anyone who attacks her will be attacking
me, too.  If we are attacked, then I will do what I can.  If I get shot, then
I get shot: I take this small risk every time I walk out the door, regardless
of whom I'm with.  If I am ever faced with having to risk my life in order to
save someone else's, I'm not sure that I would act bravely, but I'm not going
to be so cowardly as to avoid escorting women because of what might happen.
-- 
Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)
aka Swazoo Koolak

{amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff
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