Feminist rantings. You have been warned.

[mari4212]

In religion class today, we were talking about images of daughters. And the one we spent the most time on was Dinah. If you're not familiar with the biblical tale, she was a daughter of Jacob who went out to visit the women living nearby, and was raped by Shechem. He then fell in love with her and asked her father for her hand in marriage. Jacob agreed, on the condition that he and his people had to be circumsized. While the men were all recovering, two of Jacob's sons killed them all to revenge the insult against Dinah and their family.

We ended up talking about how several of the midrash basically blamed Dinah, saying that if she hadn't gone out of her tent, it wouldn't have happened, tying this story back into the idea of modesty. And then one of the girls in the class brought up the idea that it was like wearing provocative clothes, that if you went too far you were asking for it. She also mentioned something about prostitutes probably not minding getting raped.

I was stunned. I'm now calm enough to be able to think about it rationally, but still. Just, no. I thought we were beyond the blame the victim mode of thought here. A woman does not ask to be raped. It is a crime, a horrible violation of her, and no one deserves it. It is an act of violence, and its root is not sexual, but agression and a desire for power over someone.

Luckily, everyone else in the class was quick to correct her, and the teacher asked her if she was sure she meant to say what she was implying. In her defense, I don't think she meant it, but still. How can anyone seriously say something like that?

Comments

[heylittleriver.livejournal.com]

No random male-bashing, just demanding an equal opportunity to succeed or fail on our merits, not our gender.

Yes. That's exactly what I believe too.

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

Yay! Luckily, I grew up in a setting where nobody I knew even questioned this. It was a fundamental fact, like the sky being up or reading being wonderful.

[heylittleriver.livejournal.com]

*nods* Me too. I've grown up in a single-parent family and, as it was my mum who raised me, there was never any doubt as to that principle.

or reading being wonderful.

*g* I love that fact.

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

My parents are still together, but they always encouraged us to go with our talents, regardless of gender stereotypes. My mom and my oldest sister are the people who build and repair stuff around the house, and my dad and my brother both like to sew and cook, and do so very well. I think I'm the most gender typical person in the house.

I love that fact too. My first memory is of my mother taking all four of us kids up to the library, she did it once a week for years.

[heylittleriver.livejournal.com]

Hee! That's terrific. I love it when people put the stereotypes to shame. But the stereotypes shouldn't matter. People should do what they think is most important to them and their talens.

Awwwwwwwwww! That's cute. When I was 8 - 11 yrs old, I used to ride five minutes to the library. I'd get out 7 books, read 'em all, and go back the next day. I loved it so much.

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

Which was sort of my point. We all went with our interests and talents. Elizabeth likes building stuff, Thomas does like cooking and sewing, although that's not all they are.

Me too! I didn't really read until second grade, when I got glasses and could finally see the words, but then I dove head first into my books. Mom calls the library when she wants to find me.

[heylittleriver.livejournal.com]

Mom calls the library when she wants to find me.

Hee. Mine always did the same thing.