On Monsters

[eskarne]

People, journalists especially, but everyone, needs to stop calling rapists, paedophiles, etc "monsters."

They do it to make people feel better. It's Them, not Us. We would never do that. It's not in our nature. But these monsters are capable of inhuman acts.

And to make retribution easier. Prison is a fucking miserable existence, but it's okay,

Comments

[_allecto_]

Awesome post eskarne. I also really dislike how everyone demonises rapists and wife-batterers etc as if they are not normal men.

[captainvanille]

/agrees with _allecto_.

You're absolutely right, and I'm going to go for one point that I think is really, really important in keeping things the way they are now (i.e. a rape culture) - the fact that othering rapists keeps men from questioning their own actions. (I disagree that it's "demonising" - that implies that rapists are not, in fact, all that bad. A better word would be "othering".)

It's a defensive response - all the men are able to say, "oh, well, I'm not like that. I didn't torture, rape, and kill that woman. Rapists are scum. I'm not scum, so I must not be a rapist!" without actually analysing their actions.

[_allecto_]

(I disagree that it's "demonising" - that implies that rapists are not, in fact, all that bad. A better word would be "othering".)

True.

[anonymous]

I completely agree, though I would hate to see it pushed too far. By this, I mean that one should not begin to consider all men as rapists.

I think this sort of reasoning should be applied to all forms of 'criminal' behaviour. It seems a healthy way to think - if one considers oneself above an imagined group of 'evildoers', one is less likely to notice the evil that one does, or thinks, or sees, or feels.

I think it also leads to the idea that one can best begin changing the world by changing the way one thinks - that if one acknowledges one's own potential for harmful behaviour, it becomes easier to take the next step - truly seeing the good in oneself.

There's a word that sums this concept up nicely - 'humility'.

- Sean.

Prostitution

[ext_513296]

Hi there..
my name is noni and i an currently doing my HSC and need to do a personal interest project within the subject of society and Culture. I was wondering if i could ask you a few questions about how prostitution, in your opinion degrades women???
It would be wonderful if you could participate and it won'y take mucjh of your time???