I was ardently in feminist circles by the late 1960s and 1970s. Older women (I was in my late teens) gave presentations on rape. We were told to trust our instinct. Living was the paramount business. We were taught self defense mechanisms but a knife or gun precludes much. The popular culture of the time believed that a woman could not get penetrated by squirming or going for the eyeballs or testicles. I always had very strong feelings about it. The local ABC weatherman in NYC actually said on air after a newsreport of a rape that she should have just laid back and enjoyed it. It was his last appearance after more than 20 or 30 years on air.
The WTS had strange ideas about rape. My cousin voiced that it was the woman's fault. Wearing short skirts, makeup, etc. was an engraved invitation to rape me. I mentioned earlier that I would short skirts and makeup. Bangs were also a come hither. Port Authortiy bus terminal was a place to never go unless you wanted to be raped. I had to go through it every weekday.
Later, I read Susan Brownmiller's book on rape, Against Our Will. She reported that rape is not a sexual crime, but a violent one. Most rapes do not happen to women, but to men on other men in prison.
Recalling those times I am feeling ill. The WT had hatred towards women. No religion has treated women well. I believe that even accepting their fundamentalism and what they perceive as traditional roles, the hatred is overboard. Rutherford was a pig but I think more than just one man was at work. I will repeat what my father, the former Bethelite said about a nun raped in our neighborhood church. She deserved it, he said to Catholic neighbors.
I relish the idea of these GB and other luminaries doing time in the pen, facing down a massive inmate who wants sex and subjugation. Notions of fornication would change quickly.
Personally, I would love to hear theories about why the WT treats women so badly.
