Exploitation and Violence Against Women

On top of all the other things that trouble me, I am getting more and more concerned about the violence and exploitation against women. It seems that there are just more whacko males willing to murder innocent females. There has been a whole string of crimes like this. First there was the sexual assault and murder of a women on the bike trail near my house. And now the brutal murder of the Amish girls by a deranged man. Why all this violence? Can it all be traced to some sexual issue? Are men just more prone to act out their mental problems through violence?

Then there is the case of all the exploitation of women. I have heard stories of how women are lured into, trapped, and exploited in the pornography industry. The best way to stop this multi-billion dollar business is to boycott. It's just that simple.

And then I hear stories of boys luring girls to have sex with them, and then dumping them. They seize on girls who are naive, maybe lonely, and just want a boyfriend. But what these girls get is just a milder version of a sexual predator.

It's all really sick. Women should be treated with respect. Men need to get over their endless obsession with sex. I think the sex craze comes with all the free time and less harder labor. In the old days, after working 10 hours on the farm, men were too kaput to engage in such folly.

I know these problems I am raising have probably been going on for hundreds of years, but that doesn't make it right. Men need to get a grip and keep it in their pants. The selfishness and immaturity I see with the male gender is pathetic.

I don't say these things just because I have daughters. I am saying them because the mistreatment of women is wrong. And it is also wrong to treat them anything less than 100% equals -- no exceptions. This is a conviction I've had since age 13 (I'm 46 now). It has always bothered me.

If we started showing the respect that the 51% of the world's population deserves, maybe our species would not be so dysfunctional. And, yes, all religions must give women 100% equality as well -- I demand it. This stuff about a woman can't hold a senior leadership in a church is a bunch of crap, yet a lot of churches disrespect women in this way, and other churches, denominations, and religions do far worse.

And a note to you women -- you do not have to take any of this crap. Don't buy into this lie about "it's my role to be submissive." The word "submissive" is simply a euphemism for "exploited." You do not have to take it. Do not take any crap from any man or organization that doesn't offer you 100% respect. Now that doesn't mean you have to be an over-sensitive militant feminist. I try to be thick skinned and you should be too. You know what is innocent and ignorant, and what is intentional. So, you be the judge.

In regards to the tragedy of the Amish girls, it reminds me of a passage I once wrote in one of my short stories:

"I started crying for everything that was wrong in this world, and I cried and cried. Then I started to laugh because I knew it was impossible to cry for all the pain and suffering in this world."

I guess that's why I try to make jokes, and that's why I try to cheer up my fellow activists. I don't know. Right now I just think the world is nuts, more than ever.