Thank goodness!

[soc_puppet]

I know I haven't mentioned the Polanski thing here yet, but now I'm going to! I'm sure anyone who's been around either my LJ or DW will not be surprised that I'm on the side against Polanski, and am greatly disappointed in the long list of celebrities, both in the US and abroad, who have signed the Free Polanski petition.

I do want to say that we're now getting a growing list of celebrities speaking out against the Free Polanski movement and Polanski's actions in general. It's not nearly the length of the other list, but it is definitely still growing, and going strong. There's also a few more that aren't on that particular list yet, and more still linked in comments on the post in question, but they totally still count, and I'm sure the lists will be consolidated sooner or later.


Oh, and the question you all want to know the answer to: Yes, Neil Gaiman is on the good list :)

Comments

[dogmatix]

*sigh* You know, I miss the old days when you'd just hang the rapist and get it over with. (and that may be extreme on the other end, but dangit, it's ~effective~, both as a deterrent and as a punishment.

[soc_puppet]

While I agree with your sentiments, I'm afraid I have to differ slightly re: ability to deter :/ The only time I can think of that would apply is when women were the sole property of their fathers, and then husbands, and their value was determined by their "virginity". Raping a woman would then be considered theft or devaluing of property. I certainly can't imagine it stopped husband rapes or the like, and there was probably quite a bit of victim-blaming as well; for example, since pregnancy is more likely to occur when a woman in penis-in-vaginal intercourse has an orgasm, it was determined that all victims of rape who became pregnant actually wanted it and it was not rape after all =_=

But um yes. May justice be swift in catching up to Polanski, and basically all other rapists out there.

[lightbird]

Do you remember hearing or have you ever heard of the incident in Israel when Golda Meir was the prime minister? The story goes that there was a rampant amount of violence against women occurring in the streets of Israeli cities at the time. All of the men in her cabinet were suggesting that a curfew be put into place for women (and women only) for their safety, since the sight of these women after a certain hour of the night clearly rendered the men unable to control themselves - thereby creating an unsafe environment for the women. Golda Meir replied by suggesting: why not have a curfew for the men instead, since they were the ones who couldn't control themselves and it might be best for them to stay in.

The idea to set a curfew was instantly dropped and not brought up again.