We are a nation that thrives on fear. In the Michael Moore film “Bowling for Columbine” the director walks down a suburban street in Canada, randomly entering people’s homes. He is able to do this because first, he’s got some cajones, and second, because the citizenry is perfectly comfortable leaving their front doors unlocked on a regular basis.
American women in particular are programmed to live in fear.
Those who live alone worry even more than women who have roommates or significant others.
They are programmed to keep their doors locked at all times in case some big bad man comes along to harm them.
Answering machine messages should be left in the plural so whomever is calling doesn’t think she lives alone.
It’s also best if she doesn’t leave her name on the message. She should just recite her phone number.
When she does venture out into the big, bad world she should carry pepper spray at all times.
This is essential as she could be violated at any time. She heard the myth about stabbing Bad Guy with her keys, but learned that he has to get too close to her for this to be effective, so pepper spray it is. She has also been to the self-defense workshops where she learned to kick the creep in the crotch and gouge out his eyes, all while screaming “NO!” repeatedly.
It’s not that these techniques haven’t saved some women from harm, it’s that Jane Doe is given the impression that she should be on the ready at all times for an attack.
Walking through a semi-dark parking garage can be a stressful experience for a woman. She never knows who is around the corner, or hiding in between cars.
Maybe the man she will encounter doesn’t want to hurt her, he just wants to shock her by flashing his business for some kind of cheap thrill.
There are also more subtle ways a woman must look out for herself, for fear of the perverts out there. When she is doing laundry at the mat down the street she must endure exposing her under-things to the world.
All her bras and underpants, in their hot pink and lacy glory, tumble around in the machines for any Joe to gaze upon, because he certainly will.
Then, while she is quickly trying to gather her dainties out of the washing machine to avoid the leering gazes, she drops one of her G-strings on the floor and turns bright red.
Now he’s gotten a real good look, and those have to be rewashed at another time.
It is also essential that she not leave her laundry unattended as her delicates could be stolen and added to the panty collection of the porn addict down the street.
Thus, she has to sit there while the men-folk feel free to leave their ratty boxers tumbling around in the dryer.
These scenarios may sound ridiculous, but are in reality every day occurrences.
And it’s not fair to anybody.
Yes, terrible crimes happen.
Yes, there are perverts out there. But why must women be trained to constantly fear these things, and all men assumed guilty?
The government has been trying real hard to instill an underlying fear of terrorism in the American people, but there are more insidious fears that the populous, particularly the female sector, has to deal with every day.
What should we do about that? I’m thinking plastic sheeting and duct tape, or maybe we can all just hide under our desks.
That’s how the gov’ment suggests we handle problems, anyway.
By MARY Q. BURTON
Managing Editor
mqburton@ius.edu
