Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

redqueen

(115,096 posts)
Tue Jan 17, 2012, 12:55 PM Jan 2012

Shuffling feet: a black man's view on Schroedinger's (sic) Rapist

http://freethoughtblogs.com/crommunist/2012/01/16/shuffling-feet-a-black-mans-view-on-schroedingers-rapist/

This morning I made a reference to the fact that men are often assumed to be potential rapists as an example of how sexism negatively affects men as well as women. The argument, commonly referred to as “Schroedinger’s Rapist”, goes something like this: because you can’t know for sure if the stranger approaching you in a dark alley or other unsafe place is a rapist or not, it is generally a good idea to be on your guard. Men can enhance their interactions with women by being aware of this mindset, and adjusting their own behaviour accordingly.

I have often heard from people making an anti-feminist argument that Schroedinger’s Rapist is profoundly sexist and unfair. After all, most men do not rape – why should every man be treated like a rapist? Isn’t that discrimination? How can you claim to be opposed to sexism, yet promote a fundamentally sexually prejudicial idea? The next step is often to draw parallels to racism – is it fair to treat all black people as potential criminals simply because, statistically speaking, there are more black criminals than white ones? Isn’t that racist?

As much as I hate it when white people use anti-black racism as a cudgel with which to beat other people, I can understand the conundrum as it is expressed. The problem with it (and the reason why it’s so bothersome to hear white people talk about anti-black racism) is that it fails to address the question in a meaningful way. To demonstrate what I mean, I’d like to share a couple of personal anecdotes from my own life. I’ve never shared these stories with anyone before, and I’m not sure why because there’s nothing particularly embarrassing about them, and they’re extremely useful in this context.

(snip)

TL/DR: I’ve frequently heard people object to the Schroedinger’s Rapist argument as sexist, with anti-black racism used as a counter-example. I reject this comparison because it neglects two important factors: 1) that the issue under discussion is about whether or not we want women to feel more comfortable; and 2) that black people often make similar behavioural adjustments to accommodate the racism of their white friends. I share some personal stories to illustrate this.



Edited to add a link to explain Schrödinger’s Rapist:

Guest Blogger Starling: Schrödinger’s Rapist: or a guy’s guide to approaching strange women without being maced
http://kateharding.net/2009/10/08/guest-blogger-starling-schrodinger%E2%80%99s-rapist-or-a-guy%E2%80%99s-guide-to-approaching-strange-women-without-being-maced/
7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Shuffling feet: a black man's view on Schroedinger's (sic) Rapist (Original Post) redqueen Jan 2012 OP
Nothing much to say except Lunacee2012 Jan 2012 #1
my 6'3" linebacker brother has said the same to me. my mouth dropped open and asked if he is for seabeyond Jan 2012 #2
I think I alerted on one of his posts in Meta. laconicsax Jan 2012 #3
lmfao... you are funny. lol. nt seabeyond Jan 2012 #4
Thanks, it's how I keep from losing it. laconicsax Jan 2012 #5
lol. nt seabeyond Jan 2012 #6
He updated again to add a comment from PhysioProf that perfectly summarizes the difference. iris27 Jan 2012 #7
 

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)
2. my 6'3" linebacker brother has said the same to me. my mouth dropped open and asked if he is for
Thu Jan 19, 2012, 09:17 AM
Jan 2012

real

we had 2 pit bulls across the street. he also told me it was silly to be fearful of those dogs.

he has been a bouncer, lived and participated in the worst of life, so is quite experienced in that type of situation.

ya, right.

he also thinks white males are being oppressed.

he is also a fox news, rw wing extremist.

 

laconicsax

(14,860 posts)
5. Thanks, it's how I keep from losing it.
Thu Jan 19, 2012, 11:59 PM
Jan 2012

If I "have" to explain why calling a woman an "evil cunt" is unacceptable one more time...

iris27

(1,951 posts)
7. He updated again to add a comment from PhysioProf that perfectly summarizes the difference.
Fri Jan 20, 2012, 04:25 AM
Jan 2012

“It is not “sexist” for women to view all men as potential rapists, because (other than in prison) men possess the privilege of being subject to a vanishingly small likelihood of being raped by either men or women, while women are subject to a substantial likelihood of being raped by men. In contrast, it is “racist” for white people to view all black people as potential criminals, because (as far as I can discern from available crime statistics) white people are the ones who possess the privilege of being less likely to be crime victims than black people, and they are more likely to be victims of crimes committed by white people than by black people.”

Latest Discussions»Alliance Forums»Feminists»Shuffling feet: a black m...