Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I'm sensing something odd..

... about generation ME.

Somehow it's better to be killed than to be raped. As if living with the significant trauma of a rape is worse than not living at all. I don't get it.

A new twist -- speeding laws are unjustified because the people who speed should be permitted to take chances with their own lives.... but, cigarettes should be completely illegal for second-hand smoke reasons. Ummm... hun?

5 comments:

Bardiac said...

The better to die than be raped thing is old. As old as the if you got raped you have to commit suicide to convince people you were raped and not just adulterous.

There is nothing new under patriarchy. IBTP.

Inside the Philosophy Factory said...

Yikes -- I hadn't considered it that way.

My students phrase it more like it's worse to live after having been raped than anything they can imagine... so there's a veneer of concern for the victim.

Seeking Solace said...

Wow. I am at a loss for words.

Anonymous said...

That is interesting...this is why I'd never teach an ethics class. My head would hurt.

julie said...

Thanks, Bardiac ~ my thoughts exactly.

P ~ the students' "concern" is still amazingly sexist because that "worse living after having been raped" assumes so many biased things about the body, whose bodies matter and in what way (something about body integrity and about who is allowed to "violate" that integrity), about ways to dominate certain kinds of people . . . .

Lots of patriarchy crap here -- have you read http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/?