I dare to write about: Men and Women Today

[BellaKos]

155. cyberswede

You said:
"... applies to women (presumably on DU) who speak out." Well, the truth is I wasn't actually thinking of women here at DU specifically. I was actually thinking of abuse victims in general and others who have suffered injustice and oppression. I was talking about the kind of emotion that these people deal with.

But women here have written about specific instances when they have been molested, raped, and abused. Is it a stretch to presume that they, too, have suffered these kinds of emotions? And, if so, I simply urged restraint in the course of discussion and in addressing men in general. Mainly, because it's just not fair to attack people as a group, or personally, or to accuse them falsely. Just not fair.

About the freedom to express myself and disagreement concerning my point of view -- I believe I have addressed each and every comment that addressed the specifics of my observations.

I did not address those who have accused me of insulting them, because I believe that is not justifiable. I'm inclined to think that they are *willfully* misunderstanding what I wrote in order to bait me into a never-ending contest. And for no reason, either. Just for the sake of the fun of battle, I guess. And in all fairness, I wish that you, who seem reasonable, would notice how many times I've been accused of "insulting" women based on some sort of assumption on their part. It has been relentless. And it has disrupted this thread.

I wrote the post in good humor. Just sayin', in other words. I expected people to respond -- to agree or to disagree. I did not expect an onslaught of attacks based on assumptions about what I had meant, since I had tried very hard to be clear in what I wrote. And the evidence of my responses in general shows that I am more than happy to address people who disagree, sincerely and without malice, in a polite, forthright, and direct manner.