Because our impressions of events and what is a “culture” is determined by what and who we DO and DON’T care about, says Eric M.
This comment is by Eric M., in reply to Quantuminc, on the post How I Started to See the Light on Rape Culture.
“Unfortunately there is so precise definition of ‘rape culture.'”
Correct. It is whatever the person who believes in it says it is, no different than burglary or car-jacking culture. That it exists in one person’s mind doesn’t mean it actually does exist.
However, I understand why it exists in the mind of many. Properly, they care about women, what happens to them matters. That’s the right way to feel, IMO. So they focus on it mentally and anything that reminds them of it is part of what they consider to be the culture. I get that. I am surrounded by ladies in my own family and care deeply for their safety and work to ensure it.
To illustrate that what we believe to be a “culture” is determined by what and WHO we do and don’t care about:
What if the murder rate of white women suddenly increased by 500% nationwide? What would the reaction be? There would be a sudden, dramatic, and urgent shift in attention and call to action. Activist groups would mobilize, press conferences would be called, 800#s, websites, blogs, congressional hearings, presidential speeches, funding would allocated even with an insolvent government, increased police and judicial focus, declarations of a war on women would be heard on the news daily, declarations by the same “rape culture” activists of a “war on women” and “murder of women culture.” It would be a national call to action to end this “culture.”
Why? Because of care. Concern. Appropriately so.
So, why is it that black boys and men are murdered at that 500% higher rate every day of every year and none of that takes place? Each and every day the response is silence and indifference.
I use this to illustrate how our impressions of events and what is a “culture” is determined by what and who we DO and DON’T care about. So, why the talk of rape culture so often but not murder of black boys’ culture, for example? Because of what and who we do and don’t care about.
If our society acted as if it cared, perhaps things would improve for these kids. It’s worth a shot.
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photo: HeatherHeatherHeather / flickr
It’s all part of keeping the 1% (more like .01%) in power over the 99%, by keeping the 99% all divided and at each others throats. Women against men is a huge help to the 1%, especially since it’s liberals who feed this form of feminism, and it’s still powerful men nearer the top that could threaten the 1%.
The prisoner’s dilemma of American politics.
“So, why is it that black boys and men are murdered at that 500% higher rate every day of every year and none of that takes place? Each and every day the response is silence and indifference.”
The disposable status of men has never been effectively challenged, by leaders in any field or even by the rank and file of ordinary people.
The real reason is MONEY. Plain and Simple money. A cause that helps women makes more money than one that helps men. It really isn’t complicated at all. That is how our society works now. Look at breast cancer for example. It is assumed to be a womans disease and you can fling a dead cat without hitting an ad for breast cancer, you go to a store and now see a pink product. Women are big business.
I see a lot of the pundits turning away from this issue because of two things. Misandry. By highlighting black male deaths it doesn’t help women in any way, so the pundits who seem to be the watch-dogs in the media of the stories that go national (like the editors who make sure missing women and girl stories that go national are always about girls pretty white and blonde–never over-weight, black, or god forbid boys). The other is that in order to address this problem we have to address problems with inner city neighborhoods from the ground up. That includes… Read more »
So, why is it that black boys and men are murdered at that 500% higher rate every day of every year and none of that takes place? Each and every day the response is silence and indifference. Simple. Even for as much as people want to stand up and say something on the state of how black boys and men are treated at the end of the day they still want to keep it all on race. In the minds of some people the fact that they are men and boys is just a secondary description what does matter is… Read more »