{{{Shir}}} does it help at all to know how very wise you are? Your ability to analyze your self and your surroundings continues to astound me.

Shir, I have a couple of dumb questions because I'm not familiar with Israeli geography. When you say that East Jerusalem is "bad," are you referring to verbal harassment or physical attacks/other crime? If it's the latter, are crime statistics available on the Net?

Thank you, Laga.

Fred Pete, I didn't mean that just East Jerusalem is "bad". I meant that whole of Jerusalem is bad if you're "one of the other's women". All is covered under resolution 1325 of the UN: [link]

But it doesn't stop in wars. Juarez, Mexico with its drug wars (second most dangerous place to women in the world, after Darfur): the murders of the women and girls there have nothing to do with the drug wars in themselves. But a lot of social tensions are usually directed towards who the society considers as its weak. At most cases and most places, these are women. That is all. If you still want the statistics, I'll try and look for them tomorrow.

No need to send me statistics, Shir -- you know the situation, and I'll gladly defer to your knowledge. I was just thinking that you might use crime statistics to make your argument to the men that don't get it.

All good wishes for getting through to them.

Yeah bit of history you may want to know. When the U.S. New Left was at its height (60s) it was very macho and male dominated. And finally lefty women started getting together and as group non-gently cluesticking. Different time, and no reason your style should be the same as in the 60s. But a maybe a bunch of women getting together with the men and explaining things? Harder to dismiss than one on one. Not worrying about delicate male fee-fees (denigrating word for feelings) would be optional.

it was very macho and male dominated. And finally lefty women started getting together and as group non-gently cluesticking

Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the United States has some of that as an ongoing note on Suffrage and the anti-war movement. I should have realized he was being more than incidentally interesting, considering he has to pick and choose precisely while elements he's describing in his books.

When the U.S. New Left was at its height (60s) it was very macho and male dominated.

Ah, yes. back when Stokely Carmichael said, "The only position for women in SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) is prone."

The state cut the number of snow days the schools can call to 2 a year, so, according to a letter home a couple of weeks ago, school will be on a 2 hour delay in the worst weather. No more snow days. This morning, school was on time, and Aidan's bus slid on the ice and had an accident. No one was hurt. They said it was minor. I was called after another bus went and picked them up and got them to school a half hour late. If they try to make tomorrow a 2 hour delay and the roads are as bad as they're expected to be, my kids are staying home anyway.

I'm not even sure that will hit the crime statistics. Most of it is whistling, dirty talking, groping and grabbing and etc. - not something the police would bother to look into, and women to file a report on (yeah, ending my sentence with a preposition, AIFL(ame, but it's late here)).

Even when it's worse, in situations where it's an Arab man trying to assault a Jewish woman, the police will hardly lift a finger. The neighborhood where I lived for 3 years is notorious for that - tons of students are harassed daily (with a rape attempt every other week or so). The university ignores it (and Yours Truly is conspiring to challenge this unbelievable fact. The dorms are at this neighborhood, with thousands of freshwomen who get zero warning every year). When you call the police, they're saying they've tried to talk with the village elders' and sorry, but that's all they can do (lies, of course. The police has a strict "do not involve with how they treat women" policy).

I know I got the long straw here and that the situation in East Jerusalem is graver for women, but even here, in the "right" and "victorious" side of the conflict, you don't stand a chance as a woman to a man from the other side. Because it's not important enough for them.

But of course, if it happens in religious neighborhoods/Jaffa, then there are ugly, racist demonstrations which I don't want any part with. You damn if you do (and I have thought long and hard if to pick up the phone and report some guys in the past, considering the occupation and all), you damn if you don't. It's just "shut up and look leftist!". And I can't have it anymore. Can't shut up to this.

Typo Boy, thanks. Though it's not their feelings I'm worried about - it's mine. I'm not sure if I have the strength to explain it to them, rationally. But you're right with the group thing (once I'll have the 1325 project going on, as a sister-site to Hollaback Israel, I might send them the links).

Oh, Deena! How terrifying! How are they?