Monday, April 11, 2011

Patterns of Abuse

I was surprised when I began the reading in FFF to see that it was on the subject of violence against women because recently it has been a problem to people very close to me. My sister and her husband are the perfect example to analyze to see the effects a culture that teaches men that women exist solely for them and their desires. There have been a few incidents in the past, the most recent this past weekend, where my sister's husband, who has a bad drinking problem, would be intoxicated and violent towards her and others. He would push her, grab her and yell at her to the point where she became scared for her safety. Valenti mentioned that, dehumanization is what makes people commit violence against each other, and our young men are being brought up to think that women are less than human in a way. Another perfect example of how society is bringing us up to believe that women are somehow less "human" would be the fact that my sister also recently had breast implants done. How much more dehumanizing can you be when you encourage someone to cut open their skin and place a foreign object inside themselves which could kill them?
My sister obviously does not like that she is abused and lives in fear, yet she continues to uphold the idea that women exist for the pleasure of men and their desires, evidence being her new additions. If Valenti is right when she says that both "harassment and rape are results of a culture that teaches men that women exist solely for them", then my sister needs to make some serious changes. Though it should not be solely my sisters responsibility of course, her husband is living in ignorance of his ways, he somehow thinks he is justified in his actions.

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