So, I’m just assuming we’ve all seen the discussions about the bear.
Personally I feel that this is an opportunity for everyone to stop and think a little about it.
The knee-jerk reaction from many men seems to be something along the lines of “You would choose a dangerous animal over me? That makes me feel bad about myself.” which results in endless comments of the “Akchully… according to Bayes theorem you are much more likely to…” kind.
It should be clear by now that it doesn’t lead to good places.
Maybe, and I’m open to being wrong, but maybe the real message is women saying: “We are scared of unknown men.”
Then, if that is the message intended, what do we do next? Maybe the best thing is just to listen. To ask questions. What have you experienced to make you feel that way?
I firmly believe that the empathy we give lays a foundation for other people being willing to have empathy for the things we try to communicate.
It doesn’t mean we should feel bad about ourselves, but just to recognize that someone is trying to say something, and it’s not a technical discussion about bears.
What do you think?
It’s not unknown men, it’s alone with men, period. Most sexual assaults are not stranger-rapes; they’re sexual assaults being committed by a person that was known to the victim. Often it’s an intimate partner, a date, a close friend, or someone that they went to class/church/etc. with. If people you know aren’t safe, then how could you trust strangers?
Strangers are more statistically safe.
Also, most folks are horrible judges of character and intention. Scumbags are usually the most charming, outgoing, and well-liked people, and yet most people think the awkward weirdo in the corner bothering nobody is the ‘threat’.
I mean in that case No One Is Safe
No one with no witnesses, at least. And there’s the issue, isn’t it? It’s not, “would you rather be in a crowded bar with a mix of men and women, --or-- would you rather be in a crowded bar full of bears”.
Yeah, I think that’s the point. If you feel unsafe long enough you become willing to risk the bear. At least it’s a different danger.