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?

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.

Yikes, I'm so glad that Aidan is ok! And can I just add 2 snow days a year limit is insane.

Yeah in a group, you maybe will want to get loud and angry. I don't know about Israeli culture, but sometimes in the U.S. there is an attitude that if always explain tactfully, it must not be that important to you.

To explicate a bit more from Dana: yeah "woman should be obscene and not heard" was a big part of it, With rape, and lesser cousins like groping no big deal. Also less extreme: to many men the proper role of women in the movement was making coffee and doing the typing and the mimeographing and the shit work. Woman who spoke at meetings would be interrupted and ignored much more then men. A woman who was dating a leader might be given a little more responsiblity. If she could be trusted with precious leaderdick, she could be trusted more than your average woman, though not as much as a man. Don't know how similar to your situation, but certainly commonalities.

And New Left males mostly ignored complaints as personal problems until confronted in a group. And still resistant, but had to take it more seriously after that.

Shir, I can't even imagine, and I wish I had more to offer you than support. Any way you handle this is going to be incredibly personal to you, but if anyone can affect change it's you.

Oh Deena, that's ridiculous. I don't blame you for keeping them home tomorrow if the weather warrants.