NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/soc/women/22909

Text File | 1993-01-21 | 2.6 KB | 53 lines

Newsgroups: soc.women
Path: sparky!uunet!panther!mothost!lmpsbbs!areaplg2.corp.mot.com!bhv
From: [e-mail] (Bronis Vidugiris)
Subject: Re: What does "Male-dominated society" mean?
Organization: Motorola, CCR&D, CORP, Schaumburg, IL
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 18:13:38 GMT
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In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Debi Paxton) writes:
)In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Dan Swartzendruber) writes:
):In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (ljf) writes:
):>So, my father is an animal who can't control himself, right?  And yet,
):>he managed to control his anger against a boss he hated and some men
):>he worked with that he didn't like.  My father has never been arrested
):>for striking another man.  So how about, my father knew that he would
):>get into deep shit by beating another man, but not by beating his wife
):>and his daughter?  Now, what were you saying about a proscription
):>against violence towards women?
)
):I'm afraid you're missing the point.  Lack of control is not an
):absolute.  And as to why he would beat up on his wife and daughter
):but not another man?  Couldn't be because they were smaller and
):weaker and couldn't fight back effectively, wherease another man
):might whip his cowardly ass?  Nah, that couldn't be it!
)
)Actually, I believe you have missed the point.
)
)If a man goes out and beats up a smaller and weaker person who
)is not a family member, he will be charged with assault and hauled
)off to jail.   But for many, many years, in most communities, a
)man's home was his castle and what he did to his wife
)and kids was considered his personal business.

I think you are missing a point too.

If a woman goes and beats up her husband, she won't be charged with assault
either.  But it happens.

There have been reports of people who complain about domestic violence
against them by their wives being told to 'handle it like a man' by the
authorities, in fact.  [Net-post-personal experience sort of stuff.]

The perscription against medelling in domestic violence is real - but
it applies to both genders.  IMO.  And the statistics I've seen (and
quoted many a time) seem to indicate that violence is at least commesurate
in both directions, if one uses any sort of survey-based data rather
than police reports.