I feel like being thoughtful today
I got up quite late this morning, and it's all the fault of the Beeb. To wit: The BBC streams it's programming on Quicktime, and I've become quite addicted to it. However, all the coolest programmes like Future Fantastic, Clic On-Line and Holiday are shown during the day.. that is, to say, the 'day' in the UK, which is usually after 2300 hours Mountain Time. And so, obviously, I have to stay up and watch these things, and I end up regretting it when my alarm clock rings me awake at 7 in the morning.
But it's worth it.
During my lunch hour, while driving to the sandwich shop I was listening to one of the local talk radio stations, and today the interviewer was, er, interviewing some local women's' movement leader. I was not really paying attention to it until the topic of rape came up. I have a slight interest in the subject so I started paying attention. The discussion was about how her organization was lobbying for stiff penalties for rapists, and I had to agree with her -- such crimes are not prosecuted firmly enough, I think. Then they had a caller (not me) who read my mind; he alluded to the fact that sexual assault laws, while stiff, only took into account the act of rape by men on women: "Why", he asked, "shouldn't Rape laws apply to women too?".
That's when things broke down.
The guest then started going on a tirade about how it wasn't the same thing, that men were incapable of being raped because of biology, size and the like.. and then the worst line came: "it's not the same because men don't find forced sexual relations to be objectionable or unpleasant."
I weep for the species.
What scares me is that she was as the head of some organization, and so if she believed that, chances are there are many people 'below' her who believe it too. I pity her for not realizing the kind of pain that will be caused to innocent people due to that sort of attitude.
Miss, whomever you are and where-ever you are, I want to to know something. You make me sad.