Saturday, July 19, 2008

The Cause of My Insanity

Reports like this one bring up the question about why certain cities and communities have more public sexual harassment than others. H/T.

I think it's entirely about a city's culture. I'll bet my bottom dollar that Egyptian society is turning away from typical third world restraint and politeness, but also hasn't caught up with first world acceptance of women's autonomy and equality. So, you have a perfect storm of almost all Egyptian men hating women and the breakdown of norms that previously kept that shit behind closed doors.

New York is also really shitty in the public harassment arena. I'll add, however much I don't like to bring it up, that most of the harassers in New York are black. Soon after I moved to Seattle, I moved into the city's majority black neighborhood. Not once was I harassed. Not once. The problem isn't black folk, as I might have been made to believe after living in New York for several years. The problem is the culture of New York. A high proportion of New Yorkers are rude and aggressive (and the rest are sheep too scared to acknowledge what's going on, let alone stand up for themselves). They see no need to restrain themselves or mind their own fucking business. Consequently, a significant minority of men in that city behave like sleazebags. Seattle, with its far more restrained culture, simply doesn't tolerate that shit.

I am so glad I don't live in New York anymore. Of course, that city succeeded in making me so aggressive and pissed off, if I returned, the harassers would be the ones running for cover.

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