Saturday, October 04, 2008

Quote of the Day

Today a car with three women in it nearly hit me. Then they glared at me when I got mad. I relayed this information to a guy I was polling for my latest outside poll. He felt like these women were trying to start some trouble and offered to have my back. He said I could take the two big ones and he would help with the third. When I asked if he would hit a woman, he said this:

"Not hitting a woman because she is a woman is sexist."


Discuss.

10 comments:

Saranga said...

I'm inclined to agree with him. Obviously violence in any form is a bad thing and we shouldn't go around hitting anyone, but, not belting someone on the basis of their sex or gender is sexist.
I think it's the reasoning behind it that is wrong. If you were to say that you shouldn't hit someone because they are weaker then you, or because violence is wrong, then that is an acceptable non sexist reason to not do so.
Of course, if your reasoning behind the non violence is sexist, that doesn't mean you should then be violent (to ensure that you are not sexist).
I think maybe the thing about not hitting women may also tie in to the old traditional idea of women should be protected by their strong men because they are weak and feeble. Which is wrong, and not something I'd like to encourage.
Back to the point, I would like to see violence against women eradicated, but I'd like this to happen because women are seen as equals with their own rights, not because they are seen as inferior and need to be protected.

Nick said...

Yeah....this is kinda a sticky-wicket of an issue.

I think if the "never hit a woman" rule is sexist, it's due to the fault of both sexes.

I could say more but it'd go into how our popular culture reinforces certain beliefs while still clinging to old customs of the past, and that's just a lot of reading for everybody.

I think the middle ground for the "hitting a woman" rule is shaking.

I will never, EVER, hit a woman BUT, I sure as hell will shake the shit out of her if she starts wailing on me for no apparent reason. Is that wrong?

Saranga said...

Nick: How do you draw the distinction between shaking and hitting? It's still physical violence. Which is in no way acceptable. (Not because she's a woman, but because violence is wrong). You are physically intimidating her. That's not right and is no way to win an argument.
You could walk away from the confrontation until you've both had a chance to calm down.

The Wandering Eye said...

I think nick was saying that he would use violence on a woman if she was hitting him.

I would not hurt anyone in anger or revenge. If I was attacked I would of course defend myself, no matter the sex of the attacker.

Although I definitely have a fiercely strong urge to say I would never hit a woman, and I think that it is very sexist.

I don't hit a woman by instinct, but that stems from the thought that women are weaker than men. But even if the woman was a weightlifter it wouldn't change anything.

James Meeley said...

Speaking as a guy myself, my basic yard stick is like this:

If a woman wants to walk like a man, talk like a man, get confrontational like a man, and then try to physically assualt me like a man, she can get a can of whupass opened up on her... like a man.

To get a visual example of what I mean, you need only see the opening minutes to the film "Way of the Gun." And for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, you can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9fbIFMAIrQ

Saranga said...

@the wandering eye and Nick:
Apologies Nick I think I misunderstood you. I took 'wailing' to mean literally that - wailing, shouting or crying.
If you meant wailing as in physical assault then that is of course entirely different. Sorry.
And I go with what James said.

Sea-of-Green said...

Hey, I wouldn't hesitate to slug the daylights out of a man if I had to (self-defense and all that)-- so I don't expect a man to hesitate in slugging the daylights out of ME (self-defense and all that) if he had to.

Nick said...

Yeah sorry, I meant wailing as in she would be beating on me, after I made the comment I even thought, maybe I should have used a better word there.

Heidi Meeley said...

My view on this is simple. I don't believe that violence solves things and I have only been in two physical altercations my entire life. Being physically powerful from all my years of outdoor work and weight lifting, I was always scared to hit someone, for fear of hurting them a lot more then I intended.

BUT...

You can be damn sure that if someone comes at me and tries to hurt me, I will defend myself. Be it man or woman.

I have seen women hit men and expect the man to do nothing. To me, if a woman is physically assaulting a man, he has the right to defend himself. I think that is an inherent right, something about survival of the fittest and all that.

I don't think physical assault is the answer. I never have. That is why I beat up on gym equipment instead. BUT, I think if someone starts a fight, they have to be understand that the other person may hit them back. It is instinctual and it happens.

I don't think it is okay to randomly hit someone, whether it be man or woman. It is never right to beat a woman or man because they are physically weaker. That is just chicken shit.

That is my take...

Carl said...

This is my rule: All women and people in general are worthy of respect and treating with respect. Until they move to withdraw that respect with an unexceptable word, action or any other means of causing you, family or friends harm. To quote my father, "All women are ladies until they show you they aren't." All people get the benefit of the doubt, I'm going to assume you are at least innocent unless you prove me wrong. Then when all doubt is removed, I can pick you up and toss you right on your ass. Hard. Thank you...