What a Dick

[luna_k]

From ThinkProgress:
Harvard professor and conservative author Harvey Mansfield recently published a book called “Manliness.” Some gems from Mansfield, collected by Reason.com:
As the weaker sex…women are “not in a position to ask for something directly. They’re either obliged to smile a lot and persuade, or make a scene

Comments

[maggiesox]

Plus, then you run the risk of being cute.

Man. What a dick.

[luna_k]

Heh. Yeah, I'm real fucking cute when I'm about to rip someone's head off.

Grrrrr.

[delux_vivens]

“To resist rape a woman needs more than martial arts and more than the police; she needs a certain ladylike modesty enabling her to take offense at unwanted encroachment.”

I woud ask what century he is living in, but he's at harvard...

[photosinensis]

At times like this, I'm reminded of the best advice to prevent rape that I've ever heard. It's simple, and more frequently directed at men, though I can remember an ex who needed to hear it, too.

It goes like this: "Don't rape anyone, you fucker."

To resist any attacker, a woman just needs to give her attacker a knee to the crotch and a purse/handbag to the head. Same goes for guys, really, though the guy doesn't usually have a purse or handbag, He may have to settle for a nearby rock or brick. Of course, a rusty spoon to remove the penis and testicles would also help.

[thisficklemob]

To resist any attacker, a woman just needs to give her attacker a knee to the crotch and a purse/handbag to the head.

I'm all for "women can fight off their attackers," but that won't work on any attacker. a) Guys instinctively protect their crotches. (Therefore faking a kick or knee to the groin and punching him in the nose when he covers might work... we don't all carry purses, or carry them all the time.) b) The knee to the groin only works if you're close, and you might not want to let him get that close before you fight. c) The knee to the groin may be difficult or impossible if you're pinned, especially pinned face down. d) The knee to the groin might not stop an attacker who's high, drunk, or determined

[photosinensis]

And you're absolutely right. Self-confidence is the first part of self-defense. Hell, being aware of your surroundings and having enough self-esteem to believe that it's worth your while to stand up for yourself is half of the battle when being attacked, whether your attacker is a mugger, a rapist, or an abusive person.

Still, the best way to prevent attacks is to educate those likely to attack people that it's not okay to do so, and severely punish those who forget that fact.

[thisficklemob]

Oh, definitely. I didn't mention it, but I agreed with your "don't rape anyone, you fucker" point 100%. *g*

[dejla]

The perfect quote in answer...

Nothing that you will learn in the course of your studies will be of the slightest possible use to you in after life, save only this, that if you work hard and intelligently you should be able to detect when a man is talking rot, and that, in my view, is the main, if not the sole, purpose of education. -- John Alexander Smith

[thisficklemob]

That's a great quotation. And it very neatly explains why Bush and the Republicans have such an anti-intellectual bias, and are moving education more towards rote learning than critical thinking. (Sorry, bit of Chomsky there.)

[asaresquares]

Oh, man. Oh, man-oh-man-oh-man.

Oh, right. KILLS.