History of Feminism

were smaller, and they could, and you couldn't fight them off and they had some kind of misplaced aggression that they had to work out on someone, and you happened to walk by? Was that an acceptable situation?

I would say no. Note that: I am saying that was not acceptable. I am not telling you that someone else had it worse so you should shut up. I am not telling you that it was OK what they did because of the way you looked. I am saying it was unacceptable. Period.

And I would say it is not acceptable that misplaced aggression is taken out on women who are minding their business and walking on a city street, either, simply because the person inflicting the aggression is bigger and he can do it without fear of reprisal. When I say that, instead of agreeing that it is unacceptable, you pull out all the tired old saws: " someone else had it worse so shut up," "it is just men being nice," "this isn't what you think it is," "you should appreciate it because you'll miss it when it stops."

I was beat up as a kid by other kids too. It didn't have anything to do with "kewl." It had to do with an aggression problem on the part of those doing the beating. Street harassment has to do with an aggression problem on the part of those doing the harassing.

Do we really need to have a contest about who has it worst? Or can we simply say that kind of aggressive behavior is not acceptable. Even when it is being inflicted on women.