The oft repeated response from both men and women to men who mistreat or ill-treat a woman is “what if this happened to your mother (or sister or daughter)?” as if to critique their behavior and conduct. The same is rampant on the internet and social media today. Even educated men (and women) proffer such a lesson to those responsible for any real or perceived wrong towards a woman. But that lesson has mostly been lost as the rampant misconduct towards women sees no perceptible decline.
Leaving aside the impact (or lack thereof!) of such a lesson imparted on offenders, one is left wondering with bigger question on the pervasiveness of this sexist bigotry of both men and women towards women!! Why should it even take the (hypothetical) desecration of another woman (his mother / sister / daughter) for a man to understand that actions are unacceptable and improper (or even criminal!). Why? And why do both men and women universally proffer such a retarded lesson deeply founded on bigotry. The (hypothetical) rape of another woman to prevent the rape of a woman. The (hypothetical) teasing of another women to explain that it is not right to tease a woman in the first place!
It is time we as a society stop this unacceptable (even if hypothetical) desecration of an innocent woman to try and prevent the real desecration of another. It just cannot be right. One can argue there is little difference between the wishful and the real, no matter what the intent.
If one is to try and reason with the offender (mostly a male!), the hypothetical should be explained as him as the subject and recipient of the offense and not his innocent female relatives. If a (potential) rapist is to be taught a lesson, explain to him how it would feel if he were raped!! Not his mother, or sister, or daughter. Then and only then will it hit home and not create a case of more desecration to prevent one. Intent cannot justify the objectification of women under any circumstances.
* The subject matter here is based on the intellectual inspiration from another person – the writer simply shoulders the blame for any misinterpretation and intellectual shortcomings, while the credit for everything right goes to someone else with gratitude.
Unbigotry 