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Author Topic: Men are scum...
Icarus
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quote:
. . . there are men I trust. But they're pretty few and far between.
[Frown]

-o-

This sucks, Paul. I'm so sorry for your friends, and I hope against hope that the jerks responsible someday face justice.

-o-

But I don't think this can really be about one gender's moral inferiority to another. Rapists are more likely to be men, sure. But there are destructive things that are more often done by women, as well. To decide to hold one gender to a higher standard before trusting than another . . . well, it not only seems misguided, but, frankly, it seems dangerously naïve.

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Icarus
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Hey Allegra, I understand that you're pissed, but he backed down. Let him do so with grace, and maybe he has been educated in this thread. Get his defenses up, and he will be inclined to reject out of hand all that he hears here.
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Allegra
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In his posts he put all of the hateful ignorant things that I have been trying to push out of my mind since it happened. Even the police officer I talked to spouted this crap to me. It brings back everything I have gone through.

I didn't see the apology before. I cannot say I entirely regret what I said, but I do regret the way I said it and I apologise for it.

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MyrddinFyre
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I'm sorry, Paul. That sucks for everyone involved [Frown]
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Chris Bridges
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While I'm sympathetic to the women raped, and in no way mean to excuse the actions of the men involved, I object strongly to "men are scum."

No, they're not. A lot of them are, sure. But blanket statements such as that do us all a disservice, both by placing preconceived blame on all men -- guilty until proven innocent -- and by implying an excuse for the behavior -- suggesting that all men are like that, although some can be trusted. Maybe.

Please avoid blanket statements. Men are not scum. Rapists are. The two are not and never have been equal.

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Kwea
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skillery, that was well done. As I said, it cuts both ways. I was drunk when the events that I was accused of supposedly happened, and sine I was drunk I almost believed her story. Thanks god she had a friend who heard about what she was saying, and knew better....and thanks god the police listened to me and her, and tested me.

I am not the only guy that that has happened to, I know, but the fact is that it is far more likely that a woman suffers the repercussions because of something like this.

Allegra, I am sorry it happened to you, but I am glad that you woke up when you did. That cop was way off base, plain and simple, and I would have gone to his Sargent over it.

Kwea

[ February 15, 2005, 08:06 AM: Message edited by: Kwea ]

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quidscribis
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You could even demand to talk to a female cop. They are more likely to listen with more sympathy and understanding, especially compared to dumb cop. And I'd be loud until I got someone to listen.

I'd also probably show up in emergency and demand a rape kit be done with a blood test for rohipnol or other such substances. It's one way to get a police report filed.

Most rape is caused by friends/acquantances. The last time I read the stats, it was in the neighborhood of 90% plus (sorry, I don't have links right now. If it's that important to anyone, I'll dig some up later.) It sucks.

I'm with Chris on the whole blanket labelling men as scum bit. While there are men who are scum, and rapists definitely fall under that category, there are a whole lot of men who are not, and labelling them all as scum does a disservice.

Having said that, I can also understand the sentiment. I felt that way for a long time, too. Good luck and may the healing be as speedy as possible.

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ElJay
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quote:
But I don't think this can really be about one gender's moral inferiority to another. Rapists are more likely to be men, sure. But there are destructive things that are more often done by women, as well. To decide to hold one gender to a higher standard before trusting than another . . . well, it not only seems misguided, but, frankly, it seems dangerously naïve.

Icarus, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply women were morally superior to men. I just meant that on that particular issue I felt more comfortable trusting women, in general, because a woman is less likely to rape me. So it's easier to trust one to watch my back.
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Elizabeth
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"Men are not scum. Rapists are. The two are not and never have been equal."

Yes. And this is why it is so very importanat that we, as parents, talk to our children about sex, and what is appropriate/OK, and what is dangerous.

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Lalo
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I have serious trouble believing anyone's remaining calm over this -- least of all you, Paul.

The tire iron's the right way to go. If he gets away with this, he'll do it again. Try the legal path first, but if that doesn't get him put away, I don't see an alternative -- nor how anyone here could tolerate the idea of this piece of shit going unpunished. Make sure he'll never be able to harm anyone again.

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Fyfe
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Are you serious?
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Paul Goldner
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So me going to prison for 25 years is a good solution?
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Paul Goldner
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Just to clarify, I do not think all men are scum.

Frankly, I think 90% of PEOPLE are scum, but thats a different story.

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Lalo
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Of course I'm serious. Is this really so rare? If you can't get this bastard put away for rape, then do what the law should have.

I realize I'm probably in the minority of Hatrackers on this issue, but that doesn't mean I'm not right. It's not a question of his guilt -- if you can't prove him guilty in court, that doesn't mean he's not. And if he gets away clean this time, he'll do it again -- maybe to her, maybe to someone else. Your friend deserves vengeance, whether or not she'll take it -- and this bastard deserves punishment. Be smart about taking him, but if you can't get him in court, get him out of it.

I can't believe anyone would seriously disagree with me, distasteful as the thought of vigilante justice might be.

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Dagonee
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It's the same logic people use to justify shooting abortion doctors, Lalo. It says, "regardless of what the law says, I will use violence to make sure people I think have done evil are punished."

Dagonee

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mr_porteiro_head
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Sturgeon's Law: Sure, 90% of science fiction is crud. That's because 90% of everything is crud.
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mr_porteiro_head
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quote:
Your friend deserves vengeance
Nobody deserves vengence.
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punwit
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In my view every circumstance has a variable of uncertainty. I would be very hesitant to exact some sort of retribution unless I personally witnessed the whole event. I'm not impugning the veracity Paul's friends but I couldn't take a person's life or beat them senseless unless I was 100 percent sure.

[ February 15, 2005, 06:59 PM: Message edited by: punwit ]

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Allegra
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Beating someone senseless does not bring back the girl's sense of security, or change the damage it has done. Even if you do not have to evidence to put the scum behind bars, you can file a complaint. It will be on file and might help if he does it to another girl.
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punwit
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I was being less than honest, I guess. I can hardly envision a scenario that would allow me to assume the right to be judge, jury, and executioner. Under almost every circumstance I would allow the laws of society to follow thier course.
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Kwea
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I depends...if it was my sister or wife, I imagine I would agree mor with Lalo than my earlier post...but that is because I have a bad temper, and I know it.

I rarely let it out, but if I get mad enough to do so then I could end up killing someone....and I don't want that to ever happen.

I would try the legal route, it will probably give her more closure than beating the guy up. And it is safer for you.

Kwea

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Shigosei
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If the guy needs a beating, it should be his victim who does it.

Paul, it sounds like you're trying to be a good friend. I don't speak from personal experience, but it seems to me that your friends will need your emotional support. They will probably need to be reminded that it is not their fault that someone else chose to take advantage of them, even if they did make a choice that allowed the situation to occur in the first place. I hope they are able to press charges and put the guy in jail.

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Storm Saxon
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Right, Kwea. If it were someone in my family, I'm not sure what I would do if the legal system failed. I would hope there would be people around who would help me to see reason.
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dkw
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quote:
If the guy needs a beating, it should be his victim who does it.
Bingo. She doesn't need to feel more powerless, and that's exactly what will happen if some well-meaning friend decides to take control of the situation by beating the guy up. Violence might make you feel better (generic "you," not Paul specifically), but this shouldn't be about your needs, it's about hers.
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Lalo
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I can't speak as a raped woman, but if I were, I'd much rather know my rapist were punished -- even if I couldn't deliver it personally -- than allowed to walk, waiting for his next opportunity to strike at me or someone who doesn't know to keep her guard up against him. How many lives does this shit need to destroy before we decide he deserves punishment?

And I'm not talking about beating him up. Not giving him a black eye he can show off to his friends, or knocking out a tooth or two for him to wear around his neck. He relies on force to rape women -- so rob him of that. Break his elbows and/or wrists so he can't throw punches ever again. If the victim feels he merits it, crush his genitals so he won't be able to work up an erection again. This is a horrific crime -- it deserves a strong response.

I speak envisioning my girlfriend raped in my mind's eye. If she were, her rapist wouldn't be alive now, much less permitted to escape with a few broken bones. I don't know how you feel about the victim, Paul, but if you're any sort of friend, you won't deny her at least the chance to consider revenge. Make it her decision to make -- or don't, if you think she'd have guilt over it -- but let her know he didn't get away with it. Let her know she doesn't have to live in fear, let her know she has friends who'll protect her, let her know the bastard who raped her suffered nearly as much as she did.

I don't see how anyone here could deny her justice. Be there for her emotionally, but all the nurturing in the world won't keep this shit from raping again, or let her go on with her life without living in fear of men everywhere. Vengeance may not be able to do that latter, either, but if done right, it might at least keep him from the former. If you can't get him to prison for his crimes, at least ensure he can't repeat them.

To that end, along with this punishment, print up flyers with his color picture, name, address, and phone number -- and the story of what happened, telling the world of what he did and what he is. Distribute them all over campus if he goes to college -- to his professors, all over his dorms, stapled to every bulletin board and taped to every wall you can find. Show his employer and his landlord, mail copies to his family, distribute them at parties and frats/sororities. Let them know what's walking among them.

Do that first -- it further complicates any investigation into who assaulted him. It might've been a boyfriend, a friend, an indignant citizen who saw the flyers, anyone. Just don't let this bastard get away with rape, or he will commit it again. Maybe next time on my girlfriend. Or someone here's wife, or their daughter.

Run the legal gamut, and get him put away if you can. If you can't, though, what matters is that he's stopped. I can't believe anyone here would disagree.

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mackillian
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Sometimes I think that when a close friend or relative of a male is raped by another male, that close friend/relative male feels that he has failed in protecting his friend or relative. And then he must make up for that.

Or something.

Fathers and brothers in particular.

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ghost of dkw
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And I think that sort of response is more about your ego than about her needs.

Edit: that wasn't to mac. But it goes along with what she said.

[ February 16, 2005, 01:10 AM: Message edited by: ghost of dkw ]

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ElJay
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Ya know, besides probably all the women. Who are the ones affected by it.

Edit: And that wasn't to mack or dkw. But you knew that.

[ February 16, 2005, 01:12 AM: Message edited by: ElJay ]

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Bob the Lawyer
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Sometimes, hard as it is to accept, the path to healing is to move on. Vengeance requires dwelling on the act which, to some, is the last thing they want or need.
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mackillian
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Exactly. Vengeance against the perpetrator is an act of ego fulfillment by those who feel that they have failed the victim.

And the victim needs to move on, and wouldn't want the assault to affect more lives that it already has.

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Lalo
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I'd put money that this isn't the rapist's first crime. Imagine how much pain and fear and emotional baggage Paul's friend would have been spared if the his first victim's friends had disabled his ability to rape again? This woman will carry this around for the rest of her life -- you'd let that happen to another woman if a court decides a man Paul already knows to be guilty, isn't?

Telling the victim to suck it up and move on is among the cruelest responses I can imagine. It insults her pain, the suffering she went through -- and lets him escape, unpunished? Let her see some resolution to this. Let her know men aren't free to assault her at will, that there is some element of justice in the world.

Monstrous crimes are to be punished, not ignored. I would much rather know my rapist were punished than go my life wondering who he's raping now -- and if he's coming back after me. Give the woman some closure, and save his future victims from his attacks -- which, I promise you, he'll repeat again if he gets away with them this time.

I'd love to see this reaction to a child molestation case. Tell a kid to suck it up and move on -- that it's okay that his or her rapist got away without any punishment for their crimes. Christ.

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ghost of dkw
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Lalo, I'm not telling someone else to suck it up and move on. I'm telling you that if my friend who offered to kill the guy who sexually assaulted me when I was 19 had done it I would have been furious with him. It would have been the end of our friendship and it would not have helped me in the least.
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Lalo
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Nor am I suggesting Paul kill this rapist. I am suggesting he first show the world what this bastard's done and what he is, then later cripple his ability to rape again. Perhaps this would cost me your friendship -- but I'd rather you hate me and know you can't be hurt without crushing repurcussions than have your affection and know you're in constant pain and fear.

Also, more to the point, this isn't just about Paul's friend -- this is about the woman the rapist will assault next. And the next woman, and the next woman. Rapists aren't going to stop if their victims don't respond -- and if what responses they give garner no punishment, he'll rape again.

Again, I speak with my girlfriend in my mind's eye. She is a stunningly beautiful woman, and gets a ridiculous number of proposals each day. What happens the day this rapist approaches her and doesn't like her rejection? Why wasn't he stopped before he got to her? And do you really imagine I'd let him get away with touching her?

I would kill him. I'm not suggesting Paul do the same, but at least ensure this bastard can't rape the next woman he wants to assault. Give her vengeance, protect the next woman, and end this bastard's career of sexual assault. I fail to see any alternative.

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ghost of dkw
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You might ask if she wants vengence. Because having you assume that you know what she wants/needs and using violence to provide it in spite of her wishes, could be like being raped all over again.
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ElJay
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quote:
Perhaps this would cost me your friendship -- but I'd rather you hate me and know you can't be hurt without crushing repurcussions than have your affection and know you're in constant pain and fear.
My goodness, talk about a paternal complex. Lalo, tell me how taking this choice away from your girlfriend is any different from the rapist taking the choice of whether or not to have sex with him away from her? Yes, the actions are different, but the attitude is exactly the same. You need to accept that some decisions aren't yours to make.

And give a girl a little credit. Constant pain and fear? For the rest of her life? We are stronger then that. Yes, it's a terrible thing. No, it's not something that can't be gotten over. That doesn't make it any better, but what you're proposing could very well make it worse. Not to mention being insulting and demeaning.

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ElJay
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Oh, and imagine what it's going to be like for your girlfriend to be the star witness for the prosecution at your murder trial, while you're busy considering the effect of your actions on her.
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ghost of dkw
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Assault trial. He's clarified that he doens't want to actually kill the guy.

[ February 16, 2005, 01:59 AM: Message edited by: ghost of dkw ]

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ElJay
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quote:
And do you really imagine I'd let him get away with touching her?
I would kill him. I'm not suggesting Paul do the same...

If it's a friend, assult. If it's his girlfriend, he kills. He was quite clear on that.

I'm off to bed... any further ludicrous statements by rash youth are up to others to respond to for tonight.

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ghost of dkw
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My mistake. [Hat]
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ElJay
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'Salright. It makes up for you saying what I wanted to say faster and better multiple times in this thread. [Hat]
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whiskysunrise
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I was molested from the time I was 8-10 by one of my brother's best friends. I didn't tell anyone about it until much later. My husband knows about it, but he doesn't know the guys name or anything else about him. He doesn't want to see the guy and end up doing something stupid. I would much rather have my husband with me in our home than having vengence.

Before you go and do something stupid like killing or beating someone up because of what they did to someone else you should find out how that someone else wants you in their life.

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Storm Saxon
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There is a distant family acquaintance that killed his wife's father after she told him that he molested her when she was young.

Now he's spending the rest of his life in jail, because he was middle aged when he killed her father.

So, now the poor woman is basically without a husband and a father. She will never get a chance to find some kind of reconciliation with her father. I'm sure she blames herself.

I hesitate to bring this up, but if it makes you feel any better, Lalo, if this guy gets sent to prison, in all likelihood he will suffer much more thoroughly, for a longer period of time, than he ever would jsut at the hands of one guy in one night.

[ February 16, 2005, 02:53 AM: Message edited by: Storm Saxon ]

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Shigosei
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quote:
Lalo, tell me how taking this choice away from your girlfriend is any different from the rapist taking the choice of whether or not to have sex with him away from her? Yes, the actions are different, but the attitude is exactly the same.
Right, Eljay. Though I think if a man hurts or kills someone who raped his girlfriend/daughter/sister/wife, I don't think that's on the same level as rape. One is just misguided, the other is malicious. But I think it does show disrespect to disregard a woman's wishes. It also implies that the woman is too weak to take care of it herself. I'm serious about the victim doing the beating. The act itself will probably feel good (at the time), so why take that pleasure for yourself rather than letting the woman do it? I'm not advocating violence, but if it's going to happen I think it's not your [general you] place to do anything but offer to hold the rapist down while the victim hurts him. And under no circumstances should you push it if the woman doesn't want violence.

Lalo, your argument that the rapist needs to be stopped from doing it again in the future has merit. Plaster warning posters all over town if you like (but watch out for libel). Encourage the victim to go through the legal system, and support her through all the mud that will get thrown her way. But remember that there will always be those out there who will take advantage of others. The best way to prevent rapes is to make sure that women are aware of situations where they can be vulnerable. All women should be careful about their drinks at parties, for example, and should have sober friends they can trust nearby when they get drunk. Women should prepared to defend themselves physically, whether that's learning to use a weapon, training in a martial art, or carrying mace. Or even just knowing the basics of what to do in a physical confrontation. Finally, it's very important that women have enough self-confidence and self-esteem to be firm when saying "no." That, not vigilante castration, will be what keeps women safe.

[ February 16, 2005, 03:06 AM: Message edited by: Shigosei ]

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Lalo
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Heh. Kids, I'm as feminist as it gets -- if you were raped and asked me not to attack the rapist, it'd be difficult, but I'd probably acquiese to your wishes. This isn't a matter of the little lady not knowing what's best for her, or me deciding what she wants -- but for her to decide what's best. As I said, Paul should at least offer her a chance for some sort of revenge. Let it be her decision whether she'll let him go after her rapist, but at least give her that decision. The insult lies in insisting her rape's excusable and forgettable, not in offering her the justice she deserves.

And again, you ignore the crux of my argument -- this isn't just about her, this is also about his future victims. Read Mayday's post -- do you really think the second friend would've been raped if friends of the first had stopped him after his first assault? Do you really imagine this rapist will stop after Paul's friend? Do you really believe another woman won't be raped if he escapes this without any punishment of consequence?

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Perhaps this would cost me your friendship -- but I'd rather you hate me and know you can't be hurt without crushing repurcussions than have your affection and know you're in constant pain and fear.
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My goodness, talk about a paternal complex. Lalo, tell me how taking this choice away from your girlfriend is any different from the rapist taking the choice of whether or not to have sex with him away from her? Yes, the actions are different, but the attitude is exactly the same. You need to accept that some decisions aren't yours to make.

Eljay, I have no idea why you're trying to turn this into a chauvinistic-male argument. Read more carefully -- I've suggested only what you've suggested, that Paul offer himself to her, never that he act against her will. I don't think putting power back in the hands of the rape victim is somehow disrespectful or chauvinistic. Would you like to explain how it is?

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And give a girl a little credit. Constant pain and fear? For the rest of her life? We are stronger then that. Yes, it's a terrible thing. No, it's not something that can't be gotten over. That doesn't make it any better, but what you're proposing could very well make it worse. Not to mention being insulting and demeaning.
I base "constant pain and fear" off friends of mine who have been raped -- as children and as adults. I've witnessed firsthand what sexual assault does to friends of mine -- and from my experience, I don't think it's all that off to say that rape, especially if brutal, will haunt a victim all her life, profoundly affecting her emotional and sexual health. If you think it's disrespectful (much less anything similar to rape, christ) to offer rape victims a chance for some sort of punishment, then it's your judgement call, and your decision whether or not you want rapists punished. But if you'll insist that I'm disrespecting this woman by telling Paul to offer himself for justice, then stop disrespecting her in turn by letting him offer, and letting her decide whether or not she wants her rapist punished. This isn't your decision any more than it's mine -- and if you'll notice, I've never suggested he go against her will, only that he make the call himself if she's too wrecked to make the decision. If she's opposed to pursuing justice on her rapist, it's her decision. But let's at least offer it to her instead of pretending the choice is somehow disrespectful of her.

And again, and again, you ignore the primary effect of disabling a rapist -- if he's incapable of future rape, there won't be any future victims. If you consider it disrespectful to act on behalf of those he's already raped, then act to defend those he hasn't yet. Or at least stop declaring an offer of justice to the victim chauvinistic.

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Lalo
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quote:
I hesitate to bring this up, but if it makes you feel any better, Lalo, if this guy gets sent to prison, in all likelihood he will suffer much more thoroughly, for a longer period of time, than he ever would jsut at the hands of one guy in one night.
And if he doesn't go to jail?

Your story has a strong point, but I'm not sure it's representative of Paul. Will he commit assault before witnesses? Will he leave evidence behind? Will he identify himself? I'm hardly a criminal mastermind, but I can think of a dozen situations where I would neither be identified nor proven responsible for starting a fight even if I were.

I'm not trying to sound sinister, but this doesn't seem terribly difficult to pull off, nor unjustified. A friend of mine was raped and beaten for years at the hands of an abusive boyfriend -- I'm still waiting for him to be on the same continent as me, and I doubt I'll have much trouble once he is. Isn't the risk worth the tradeoff? I'm certain the bastard's beating another young girl now, and will another after her -- he was convicted by a court and ordered to pay a pittance as a pretense of retribution for the youth he robbed from her, and may have to do the same for the women he'll abuse in the future. Is this punishment enough?

Yes, I'm aware of the if-you're-a-part-of-society-you-follow-society's-laws argument, and yes, I know I would be virulently opposed to vigilante justice in response to almost any other crime. But sexual and physical assault against those who can't defend themselves isn't to be tolerated or dismissed -- I've seen how badly this wrecks people for the rest of their lives, especially if the rape is brutal or the victim young. There's no shit more deserving of incapacitation than a rapist or child molester -- and I don't think I'm in the wrong for suggesting Paul take action into his own hands (with his friend's permission) if the law fails her. Do you? Will this rapist's next victim?

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Space Opera
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Lalo, I appreciate your strong feelings on this - I really do. But besides the problem that I have with taking justice into your own hands I also have a problem with the idea that assaulting a rapist will make him stop raping.

Sure, break his elbows or his wrist so he can't punch. He'll just get the girl drunk or drug her; there's no fight then. Sure, crush his genitals. Do you really think a man needs a penis to penetrate and rape a woman?

Assaulting him might make him stop for awhile, and it might even make you feel better, but it *does not* take away his ability to rape again.

space opera

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Scott R
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Lalo-- are you willing that the same standards of proof be set up society wide?
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Dagonee
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quote:
Do you?
Yes, I do. You are in the wrong for suggesting it.

Dagonee

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ElJay
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quote:

Eljay, I have no idea why you're trying to turn this into a chauvinistic-male argument. Read more carefully -- I've suggested only what you've suggested, that Paul offer himself to her, never that he act against her will. I don't think putting power back in the hands of the rape victim is somehow disrespectful or chauvinistic. Would you like to explain how it is?

Because I am addressing your hypothetical case involving your girlfriend, not the actual case involving Paul's friend. Yes, when you talk about Paul's friend you say he make it an offer once... but never when you're speaking of your own girlfriend do you say you would give her any choice in the matter whatsoever.

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I speak envisioning my girlfriend raped in my mind's eye. If she were, her rapist wouldn't be alive now, much less permitted to escape with a few broken bones.
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Again, I speak with my girlfriend in my mind's eye. She is a stunningly beautiful woman, and gets a ridiculous number of proposals each day. What happens the day this rapist approaches her and doesn't like her rejection? Why wasn't he stopped before he got to her? And do you really imagine I'd let him get away with touching her?
I would kill him.

And if you want to talk about reading carefully, how about reading your own posts carefully? You've never suggested that he act against her will?

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Your friend deserves vengeance, whether or not she'll take it -- and this bastard deserves punishment.
In your five posts on the topic prior to the one of mine you quoted, four of them make no mention at all of checking with the woman, and in the one that does you negate it in the very next sentence.

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Make it her decision to make -- or don't, if you think she'd have guilt over it
That doesn't say "if she's too wrecked to make the decision." That says if he makes the decision that her poor delicate sensibilities couldn't take the responsibility of deciding such a thing for herself so he should just do it for her.

And then you also imply that even if she says she doesn't want it it's Paul's responsibility to do it anyway, for the benefit of future women the man may rape anyway. There's many, many quotes for that point, I don't think I need to go pull them all, do I?

So I am "turning this into a chauvinistic-male argument" because you are acting like a chauvinistic-male. Or are you telling me that you've already had this conversation with your girlfriend and you know in advance that if she ever gets raped under any circumstances she wants you to go kill the guy?

-------

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And again, and again, you ignore the primary effect of disabling a rapist -- if he's incapable of future rape, there won't be any future victims.
Last I checked we do not punish preemptively for possible future crimes in this country. And while you've said repeatedly that if it was you're girlfriend you would kill the guy, you have said that if someone else doesn't want to go that far they can just make him incapable of future rape...

There is no way short of killing a man or leaving him in a coma to make him incapable of future rape. Okay, maybe as a paraplegic, I haven't considered all the possibilities involved.

Crush his genitals and he can rape someone with a broomstick, the barrel of a gun, or any number of other objects. Rape isn't about sex, it's about power. Make the man feel less powerful by ambushing and beating him and I believe you're making it more likely that he tries to regain that sense of personal power by attacking someone else less able to defend themselves than you -- another woman.

Use the tire-iron to break his elbows and he'll use a gun or knife to subdue his victim next time.

I believe that violence begets violence. If you go out and hunt someone down and hurt them you are reacting to the violence done with violence. And if you stop short of killing the person, his reaction when he recovers is probably going to be violence. Maybe he figures out who you are and hunts you down and takes it out on you. Maybe he goes out an assaults more women. However it happens, there will be more violence. Yes, maybe if you don't do it, he continues attacking other women. And maybe the next one will fight back and stop him, or maybe he'll get caught and dealt with by the justice system. You can't know. The only decision you can make is if you are going to react with violence. I don't believe that doing so in the way you are describing adds value to the world. I think it makes the world a worse place, in the aggregate and in the specific -- I think you and your loved ones will be happier in the long run if you do not take the vigilante action.

Okay, so what if I was the one attacked? I would do everything within my power to fight back, hurt the attacker, and escape. I believe that if I hit someone, it should be with the intent that he is going down, and if he goes down I need to make sure he is not able to get back up and follow me and attack again from behind. I have no problem whatsoever with using violence in the heat of the moment. What I am objecting to is the pre-meditated vigilante type of violence you are advocating.

Oh, and I'm sure you're a very capable potential felon, Lalo, but everyone who commits a crime thinks they can get away with it. They wouldn't do it otherwise, ya know? So all those people sitting in prison right now also thought the could do their crime in a way that couldn't be traced back to them. Yep, I think you're probably smarter than the vast majority of the people in prison right now. But do I think you're smarter than every single police officer who could possibly be assigned to your case? Ooooooo, that's a toughie. I'm gonna have to go with "No."

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AntiCool
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quote:
And I'm not talking about beating him up. Not giving him a black eye he can show off to his friends, or knocking out a tooth or two for him to wear around his neck. He relies on force to rape women -- so rob him of that. Break his elbows and/or wrists so he can't throw punches ever again. If the victim feels he merits it, crush his genitals so he won't be able to work up an erection again. This is a horrific crime -- it deserves a strong response.
This goes way beyond the bounds of just being illegal. This kind of action is just plain evil. True, it's answering evil with evil, but it's still evil.

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I don't see how anyone here could deny her justice.
That's not justice. It's just revenge.

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Just don't let this bastard get away with rape, or he will commit it again.
I don't see how you can know that. Is it possible for him to realize the evil that he has done and change? Or is he past redemption? I don't believe he is.

But let's assume that he *will* rape given the right opportunity.

If we can take you at your word, you will murder given the right circumstances. Are we justified in killing you because of your future murders?

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Monstrous crimes are to be punished, not ignored.
But not by you. After seeing what you've posted here, you are one of the last people I would want to see deciding the fate of others. Especial someone who you have a personal stake in seeing punished.

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And do you really imagine I'd let him get away with touching her?

I would kill him.

I really hope that this is hyperbole. If not, then you are the sort of person that I don't want on my streets. You decide that the law is inadequate, so you take it upon yourself to assasinate those who have wronged you.

Knowing that there are people like you out there makes me want to go check to make sure that my shotgun is loaded.

[ February 16, 2005, 10:41 AM: Message edited by: AntiCool ]

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