Posted on 04/24/2005 5:26:19 PM PDT by FreeManDC
Did you know that aggression against women represents a war, and that the domestic criminal laws are so under-enforced that they can be considered not there. The speaker further explained, International law doesnt capture the reality that half of society is attacking the other half. This is a real war that has gone on for millennia.
Its hard to imagine a speech that is more inflammatory or hateful than the one that Catherine MacKinnon gave at Stanford Law School last week. The speech was sponsored by Women of Stanford Law and the Institute for Research on Women and Gender.
Most persons would dismiss MacKinnons comments as the sad rantings of a deranged or warped mind. But Carol Li, a second-year law student, praised MacKinnons speech as thought-provoking and incisive. And Stanford Daily reporter Ronald Chan did not bother to research any statistics that would challenge or dispute MacKinnons misguided statements.
The dean of the Stanford Law School, Katherine Sullivan, only had words of praise for MacKinnons contributions to womens liberation: There are many other prominent feminist theorists in our times, but none of their philosophy is as sweeping and profound as MacKinnons.
In response to MacKinnons disturbing diatribe, columnist Cathy Young had this to say:
Anyone who blamed African-Americans as a group for violent crimes committed by black perpetrators, or Arabs or Muslims as a group for radical Islamic terrorism, would be branded a bigot and rightly so. [www.reason.com/hitandrun/2005/04/hate_speech_at.shtml]
We whole-heartedly agree.
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Contact the Stanford Daily and Katherine Sullivan and tell them the following:
1. Catherine MacKinnons speech is oblivious to the fact that women are just as likely as men to commit domestic violence: www.mediaradar.org/media_fact_sheet.php 2. Reporter Ronald Chan published MacKinnons over-the-top allegations without making any attempt to assure balanced, objective, or responsible journalism. 3. Blaming men as a group for domestic violence against women is misguided and hateful, and represents gender bigotry.
Heres the contact information: 1. Stanford Daily:
Editor in Chief: Telephone: 650-725-2100, Ext. 501 E-mail: eic@daily.stanford.edu [eic-at-daily.stanford.edu]
Letters to the editor: letters@daily.stanford.edu [letters-at-daily.stanford.edu]
Snail mail: The Stanford Daily Storke Publications Building Suite 101 Stanford CA 94305-2240
2. Katherine Sullivan, Dean of the Stanford School of Law Telephone: 650-725-9875 E-mail: sullivan@law.stanford.edu [Sullivan-at-law.stanford.edu]
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Feminist Decries War on Women
Stanford Daily Ronald Chan April 15, 2005
http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=16874&repository=0001_article#
Incidents similar to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are occurring every day in the United States and around the world, but few people are doing anything about it. This was the overarching message presented by leading feminist Catharine MacKinnon during a provocative lecture yesterday that underscored the parallels between the ongoing war on terror and what she sees as a war on women. A kind of war is being fought, but there is no name for this war in which men are the aggressors and women the victims, she said. MacKinnon, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, is one of the most widely cited legal scholars in the English language. Just like terrorist attacks, acts of violence against women are carefully planned, targeted at civilians and driven by ideology. Gang rape, pornography and other acts that humiliate and repress women are methodically organized; the targeted victims are essentially all civilians; and the misogynist attitude is as ideological as Islamic fundamentalism, MacKinnon contended. The number of people who died at [the terrorists] hands is the same as the number of women who die at mens hands-every year, she said. 9/11 happens in this very country every year. More importantly, MacKinnon argued, public responses to the two types of war differ radically. Wars and disputes among nation-states have generated international discussions and conventions. But mens war against women has not even brought about an ad-hoc tribunal. Aggression against women isnt called the violation of peace, as aggression against nation-states is called, she said. Theres no Geneva Convention for this war, and the domestic criminal laws are so under-enforced that they can be considered not there. MacKinnon also challenged the audience to reflect on the parallels between the military conflict in Iraq and the hostilities between the sexes. The major rationale for the war in Iraq is the preemption of threats posed by Saddam Husseins regime because were scared of you, we can kill you, she said. Imagine what it would be like if women did the same to men one day. MacKinnon acknowledged that her speech was intended to provoke thought, debate and a fresh way of viewing womens subordination. She stressed, however, that the war on women is by no means a metaphor. International law today doesnt capture the reality that half of society is attacking the other half, she said. This is a real war that has gone on for millennia. An audience member expressed concern during the question-and-answer session that MacKinnons ideas are too confrontational to effectively bridge the divide between the two sexes. But MacKinnon assured that shedding light on the violence perpetrated against women is necessary to make gender equality possible. If were worried that well be knocked down as soon as we stand up, then well always be crawling on the floor, she responded. The outspoken MacKinnon, who taught at Stanfords Law School in the 1980s, has proven to be as much a lightning rod as she is a magnet of admirers. She has long championed the prohibition of pornography, asserting that producing and viewing pornography degrade women and should be considered a violation of their civil rights. In introducing MacKinnon, former Law School Dean Kathleen Sullivan applauded MacKinnons scholarly contribution to the womens liberation movement. Sullivan referred to the French feminist Simone de Beauvoir whose book The Second Sex offered groundbreaking critique of the social structure that oppressed women in describing MacKinnons influence on the contemporary study of feminism. There are many other prominent feminist theorists in our times, but none of their philosophy is as sweeping and profound as MacKinnons, Sullivan said. Carol Li, a second-year law student who had studied under MacKinnon at the University of Chicago where MacKinnon served as a visiting professor, praised her as an iconic figure in feminist legal theory. Her speech was very loaded and thought-provoking, Li said following the lecture, which was sponsored by the Women of Stanford Law, a student group, and the Institute for Research on Women and Gender. MacKinnon doesnt attack things just on the surface; she goes incisively into the culture and politics. I think she offers a powerful voice to the women whove been subordinated in society. MacKinnon, 58, received her bachelors degree from Smith College and her law degree from Yale Law School. She also holds a doctorate in political science from Yale University. She is holding a book-signing event today in room 180 of the Law School at 12:30 p.m.
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Date of RADAR Release: April 24, 2005
Come join us for a protest of the New York Times at the White House Correspondents Dinner, April 30. For more information, see: www.mediaradar.org/protest_wh.php
Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting (RADAR) is a coalition of men and women working to assure media balance and accuracy in coverage of the domestic violence issue. More information can be found at: www.mediaradar.org
Hillary would be proud.
Catharine,
and this is the important part...
Thank you. Thankyouverymuch.
I said, "Because a missile shaped like a twat isn't aerodynamic."
She didn't like me after that. Actually, she didn't like me before that either, come to think of it.
McKinnon is a fascist pig.
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