Sarah Everard, that pretty gentle woman was kidnapped off the street and murdered. There was anger and shock and it stimulated a vigil in the name of women to protest against the violence that a few men commit against women.
The argument now turns on the point of a pin, were the police too rough on the people it arrested. It is important, legislation is to be debated as to protesting on the streets.
Society has changed, we focus on the individual crime and victim and then the debate begins. It gets lost in murky waters along the way. Protest can and will often start out peaceful, but there are always a few hotheads, and also a virtuous feeling of righteousness that breaks the surface and then the trouble begins. The police take action against the people. We live in a peaceful country, we do not undergo the draconian measures that the people of Mynamar are going though at this moment; see here on the CNN news or of course in Hong Kong, as China, probably behind the military coup in Mynamar, also comes down with heavy laws.
The protest at the moment is round the violence that women suffer from men, also and if you read the Marina Hyde article below, the senseless misogyny young women meet on the street. That is the hatred, a few men spit at women. It is an almost impossible task to change an attitude that has persisted for decades, most of us live uneventful lives with loving partners who respect us, how can we be part of this movement?
Marina Hyde was just walking to pick up her son from school on a pleasant afternoon, and was not physically touched just verbally assaulted. There is no law, or if you do complain, it can only be added to a long list that will not be investigated.
Perhaps the problem could be addressed through social media, but we all know that it gives the real trolls something to fight against and neither wins. Somehow equality is always on the back foot and what these young women seek will be achieved probably in the future under the slow attrition of attitude.
And now I shall go back to listening on Audible Books, my first free book, to the fantastical world of Gormenghast - Titus Groan, 20 hours of story!
“I’m talking to you. Fucking turn round.” Marina Hyde - Guardian article
Humans can be terrible to each other and I cannot always figure out why or what to do about it. The haters seem to be louder lately and I do not like it. What should we do?
ReplyDeleteThat is the question of course, the more you look at life the less answers we seem to have. I found the murder very upsetting and so deeply tragic.
ReplyDeleteAnd impossible to comprehend - it is not the first and sadly it won't be the and only generations of education can have much to make things better. I despair.
ReplyDeleteLondon and any big city has such a mixture of people on the move that such things are bound to happen Pat.
DeleteI have a question for you, and forgive me for being the ugly American here, but I would have found that behavior threatening and terrifying. But she was on a busy street, at least for part of that hatrassment. I guess my response would have been loud. As in: (at the top of my lungs) "get the FUCK away from me!" I would have been snapping pictures with my cell phone and telling him I was going to the police. Me, being me, would have told him that he was acting like a man with a small dick, and did he want everyone to think he was one of THOSE, did he? I really don't see that ignoring this Neanderthal was helpful.
ReplyDeleteYour response Debby to that man would have been similar to mine. But think, defensive action would have caused a response on his part, he may be carrying a knife for instance. The ability to walk on and take no notice still requires courage. The problem of hate and misogyny crime is still being worked out in this country but the prisons could be filled twice over if such things went to court.
DeleteToo many of these sad happenings in the world right now. But I was intrigued to see Gormanghast at the end of your musings - I have toted a copy of that book through 2 moves because it looks compelling but haven't read it yet! I'll be interested in your review!
ReplyDeleteI read Gormenghast many years ago so its characters quickly came alive as I listened. It is a dismal tale but very original, the third book in the trilogy loses the thread somewhat, but it is a heavy read.
DeleteWhen I used to walk in the cities I lived in, this happened to me. I remember pairs of men, egging each other on. But now I'm old and can barely walk, and it's gone away for me. How can humans be such bullies?
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your question, humans can either be angels or demons or abide in the middle of it all Joanne. But obviously education is called for as these young bullies grow up.
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