"So what did you claim he did to you?"
Jun. 9th, 2003 11:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ceebeegeeI read the following in Jason's journal:
"He also had some interesting views of women, which are probably predominant in his culture, despite the fact that he's from the 'progressive' Middle Eastern countries. (He's from Jordan, and currently works, as mentioned, in Qatar.) He believes that women should not be in IT, because they don't work as hard as men, and, in fact, mentioned that women are purposely paid less than men. His wife is working towards her masters degree and PhD. Progressive, you say? Well, she's doing that because he wants her to work in education, which he sees more as women's work. Or maybe that's just what his wife lets him believe..."
I can't possibly state strongly enough how much that sort of attitude upsets me. Why? Why? Why is it still so acceptable to bash women? Why come here to a country where you know we as a culture don't share those views and loudly announce your prejudices? (Especially when I'm sure this guy would be the first to scream if he felt discriminated against in this country. Hey, maybe I should ask the guy if he knows any terrorists.) Why don't people object to this? Why is sexism and misogyny still--still--STILL acceptable where racism and religious bigotry are not? Why do people just shrug at this? Why aren't we denouncing out loud and often those countries where "honor" killings are still practiced?
Yesterday as Tim and I were driving to Duncan's show, the radio was on and they were reading the news. They were talking about the police presence at the Puerto Rican parade, saying that 3 years ago, "several women complained that they'd been harassed by parade-goers." Don't you love how they leave out the whole fact of trial and conviction? How they make it sound like maybe it didn't happen--it was just these women's complaints that led to the police presence rather than an actual crime for which these thugs had been convicted. Newsflash: If there was a trial and conviction, that means it happened. That's right up there with Larry King interviewing Samantha Geimar (raped by Roman Polanski at the age of 13) and asking her "So what did you claim he did to you?" Jesus! The man was convicted! It happened! It actually happened, I can't believe he used language like "claim." I was so outraged, I whipped off an email to CNN. No other crime is treated like this. When a mugging or a burglary occurs, the victim is taken seriously. The investigators go by empirical evidence, the newspapers are properly appalled, the defense attorney doesn't put the victim on trial. But when a women is attacked, it's open season--watch some of the archival news about the Central Park jogger. It'll make your stomach turn. Yeah, I guess it's acceptable--in Stupid Logic Land--in an effort to deflect attention from the young men who are accused, to call the almost-dead victim a whore. Because her sexual history has everything to do with whether or not the young men did it. Brilliant reasoning there. But then they did the same thing to poor Jennifer Levin (tiny woman murdered by 6'2" Robert Chambers in Central Park--the piece of filth claimed he killed her in self-defense. Please)--so why should I be surprised?
The world sucks. People suck. I actually had a pretty good weekend but this just depressed me.
"He also had some interesting views of women, which are probably predominant in his culture, despite the fact that he's from the 'progressive' Middle Eastern countries. (He's from Jordan, and currently works, as mentioned, in Qatar.) He believes that women should not be in IT, because they don't work as hard as men, and, in fact, mentioned that women are purposely paid less than men. His wife is working towards her masters degree and PhD. Progressive, you say? Well, she's doing that because he wants her to work in education, which he sees more as women's work. Or maybe that's just what his wife lets him believe..."
I can't possibly state strongly enough how much that sort of attitude upsets me. Why? Why? Why is it still so acceptable to bash women? Why come here to a country where you know we as a culture don't share those views and loudly announce your prejudices? (Especially when I'm sure this guy would be the first to scream if he felt discriminated against in this country. Hey, maybe I should ask the guy if he knows any terrorists.) Why don't people object to this? Why is sexism and misogyny still--still--STILL acceptable where racism and religious bigotry are not? Why do people just shrug at this? Why aren't we denouncing out loud and often those countries where "honor" killings are still practiced?
Yesterday as Tim and I were driving to Duncan's show, the radio was on and they were reading the news. They were talking about the police presence at the Puerto Rican parade, saying that 3 years ago, "several women complained that they'd been harassed by parade-goers." Don't you love how they leave out the whole fact of trial and conviction? How they make it sound like maybe it didn't happen--it was just these women's complaints that led to the police presence rather than an actual crime for which these thugs had been convicted. Newsflash: If there was a trial and conviction, that means it happened. That's right up there with Larry King interviewing Samantha Geimar (raped by Roman Polanski at the age of 13) and asking her "So what did you claim he did to you?" Jesus! The man was convicted! It happened! It actually happened, I can't believe he used language like "claim." I was so outraged, I whipped off an email to CNN. No other crime is treated like this. When a mugging or a burglary occurs, the victim is taken seriously. The investigators go by empirical evidence, the newspapers are properly appalled, the defense attorney doesn't put the victim on trial. But when a women is attacked, it's open season--watch some of the archival news about the Central Park jogger. It'll make your stomach turn. Yeah, I guess it's acceptable--in Stupid Logic Land--in an effort to deflect attention from the young men who are accused, to call the almost-dead victim a whore. Because her sexual history has everything to do with whether or not the young men did it. Brilliant reasoning there. But then they did the same thing to poor Jennifer Levin (tiny woman murdered by 6'2" Robert Chambers in Central Park--the piece of filth claimed he killed her in self-defense. Please)--so why should I be surprised?
The world sucks. People suck. I actually had a pretty good weekend but this just depressed me.
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no subject
Date: 2003-06-09 01:48 pm (UTC)Of course, it's not a big deal. It wasn't that long ago when America was the same way. Women, in this country, are still being paid less than men for the same jobs. It's crap. Utter crap, but that is the world we live in.
I didn't know about the complaint comment, but I probably would have skipped right by it. We've been designed to not notice it. Seriously, it hasn't been that long since defenses like "look at what she's wearing" and "she wanted to. she's done it with everyone else" were valid.
Yes, it sucks, but while I'm still breathing, there is one more woman in the world who won't buy into that crap. I guess this could be part of the reason why I enjoy meeting arrogant, egotistical men and reducing them to the idiots they truly are.
I don't know if I can consider it a hobby. It's just something I've done when the opportunity presents itself.
It's fun.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-11 03:48 pm (UTC)But I feel you on the "it's fun"--'cause it is. I just looove pulling the rug out from under the assholes, when I can keep my temper, that is.