elias@eosp1.UUCP (Doug Elias) (03/05/84)
.
Sophie writes,
'The message is clear: "I've suffered, and I paid
for my place in society, I'm not going to let you
get away with it for less than what I had to pay." '
<the above is not intended as having been a statement
of her own feelings, but rather, in this instance, of
women being brutal to their (possibly weaker) sisters>
...and i immediately thought back to Hell Week, well over 10 years
ago, when exactly that statement was made to the Pledge Class of
my Frat by some bigwig from the national organization...
...i'm not sure what the moral is, but i got a strong feeling of
suppressed frustration and something like "...you're not the person
who did this to me, but you'll do..." from all those "actives"
standing around, smoking stogies and laughing, a feeling like i
was watching them obtain some kind of cathartic-release...
...no way am i saying that my going thru Hell Week is anywhere near
being equivalent with rape; at the very least, i CHOSE not to walk
out, as i very easily could have done at any point; i do feel that
there may be some strong similarities, and possibily that rape may
be a similar kind of statement...
...but what about the guys who have piano wire wrapped around their
balls, and are told to jump off a wall, fully believing they'll be
leaving something very precious behind...that doesn't fit the legal
description of "rape", but it sure leaves me with the same kind of
feeling: mental anguish doesn't really care where it comes from,
once you've got it, it's just as bad as someone else's, i guess...
...hell, what do i know?
doug