The Thinking ‘Kat: 62 Million (Trigger Warning: Rape, Sexual Assault)
Ever heard the expression ‘not all men’? It became something of a rallying cry in the wake of women referencing the ever-present dangers they face in daily interactions with men. Whilst women recounted stories of harassment, abuse, and having to tread carefully around fragile male egos, men were… validating those concerns. ‘Not all men’ didn’t offer a reasonable counterweight. Yes, it’s true, we’re not all dangerous sexual predators. No, not all men are inclined to rape, or to use the threat of violence to coerce the opposite sex. However, sifting the good from the bad is a risky business for women. ‘Not all men’. No, but potentially any man.
Never has this been more true than with the unmasking of a global network of men providing assistance and sharing videos to other men, on how to drug and rape women. One website involved in this gets 62 million views in a month, and is hosting thousands of videos of a disgusting nature.
Think that feminism has run its course? Believe that ‘not all men’ is an appropriate mantra in response to this? You should give your head a shake. Keep in mind that what we have here is not merely a case of strangers assaulting strangers; these cases including spouses and partners, demonstrating in no uncertain terms the dangerous world women have to navigate. Trust is something to be given so cautiously, and even then, it can be betrayed in the most foul manner.
What can be done? Well, for starters, let’s lift up rocks. Exposure to the light often poisons cruel souls. Men – and there are a lot of good men out there – have a duty to speak up and speak out. We should be doing better to see and understand the world through the eyes of our mothers, daughters and sisters. Every head turned away, every failure to confront sexist, misogynistic commentary, is tacit agreement. It is not enough merely to not embrace or laugh at it. It needs to be slammed for what it is.
The next time you feel compelled to declare ‘not all men’ when a woman recounts her experiences, maybe pause and think as to why you are getting defensive, instead of trying to understand. It’s long past time that we were better.
‘Kat Comments