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From: wjr@x.UUCP (Bill Richard)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Rape (The nature of reality)
Message-ID: <794@x.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 10-Oct-85 06:40:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: x.794
Posted: Thu Oct 10 06:40:42 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 13-Oct-85 04:47:41 EDT
References: <25100002@smu> <25100003@smu> <2569@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: wjr@x.UUCP (STella Calvert)
Organization: Charles River Data Systems, Framingham MA
Lines: 57
Summary: Evolution in action!

Note:  This is STella Calvert, aka mrswjr, a guest on this account.

In article <549@mtfmp.UUCP> lje@mtfmp.UUCP (L.ELSER) writes:
>Several years ago the campus police at my school
>came up with a novel way of handling the problem
>of rape on campus.  When they saw a woman or a small
>group of women walking after dark, they would hand
>them cards that said
>    "If I were a rapist, you'ld be in trouble."

I was once handed such a card, by a cop who materialized out of the shadows.  
I stopped my blow just short of his Adam's apple, smiled, and said, "If you
were a rapist, you'd be in pain."

Then I suggested that he give women a little more reaction time, rather 
than trying to throw a scare into our defenseless hearts, and explained to him
why I felt this was another example of "blaming the victim".

>It is unfortunate that we ARE expected to curtail our
>activities to "avoid" rape.  I take Karate in part to
>learn how I can protect myself.  I will not hide like
>a child from the world to "avoid" rape, but I WILL
>be damn sure I can run, scream, and, if necessary, kill
>to prevent rape.  This may sound unnecessarily bitchy
>or paranoid, but I live in a city, I enjoy my freedom,
>and I will defend myself with no more force than
>I need to get away.  If that includes seriously injuring
>someone who has attacked me (and, I must presume, would
>not hesitate to do me harm!!) so be it.

I agree.  But I'd inflict a little more than the bare minimum of damage needed
to ensure my escape.  And if I had gotten a clear shot at the knife-wielding
would-be rapist before he dove off the balcony, I'd have taken it.  (Note:  I
live in Massachusetts, and currently own no firearms.  But I will use whatever
comes to hand.  And hope to see a change in the law, if people ever get tired
of defining themselves as victims.)  The detective who took my complaint
reminded me that if I ever bagged one, I should drag him so that at least one
foot was inside the apartment, since that was the current minimum for
self-defense in that state ("Don't quote me, lady.")

Before someone posts a note asking why I'd go the extra mile beyond making my
escape,  it's like this.  The person I was ready to kill had entered my 
apartment with a six-inch knife, saying "Shut up and you won't get hurt."
A few days before, he had "collected" a woman I know (her description 
matched mine perfectly).  She felt that she would rather be buggered and 
forced to blow him afterwards than risk her life trying to kill him.  To 
make rape unrewarding in a situation where the maximum payoff is two 
or more orgasms,  the other side of the equation has to be possible death.  
Maybe I'm wrong, since he didn't cut her too bad, just enough to get her
attention, but I'd happily bury a rapist under a simple granite stone saying:

		EVOLUTION IN ACTION, ASSHOLE.

				STella Calvert
				(guest on ...!decvax!frog!wjr)

		Every man and every woman is a star.