Remember the whole deal earlier this month about whether Dallas Police Chief David Brown actually said girls should quit drinking if they don’t want to be raped? Bethany didn’t much cotton to his remarks. Then she gave it some more thought — and still didn’t like what she heard. Then the video of the chief’s remarks came out, and, in context, they didn’t sound quite as offensive as they did at first blush. Bethany offered a mea culpa “of sorts” — because, as she wrote, “Could he have phrased his response better? Yes. Could I have, too? Yes.”
Okay, that’s the background you need to know to appreciate this Q&A Bethany did for Feminists for Choice on the topic. I asked her about it. She said, “I don’t know if I am a very good feminist. I kept thinking I needed to be more angry or something.”
16 comments
Depends on whether “angry feminist” is still redundant.
I still believe the Chief’s quote was inoffensive, well-meaning and overall pretty accurate. So this means I’m a horrible feminist now? I just need to know so I can adjust my professed political beliefs on Facebook accordingly. Thanks.
I’m still furious about it. Let’s try blaming the rapists, not the victims. But, well done, Bethany. It was a great Q&A. Kudos.
You guys are too funny.
@sassmaster: Make sure you’re furious about the right thing. Cars are supposed to yield to people in the crosswalk. If you tell someone to take precautions not to walk out into oncoming traffic — notwithstanding her legal right to do so — and make sure that the cars stop before venturing into the crosswalk, are you blaming the victim? The driver of a car who plows into pedestrians in a crosswalk will be criminally liable. They are not off the hook merely because you caution the pedestrian to look both ways.
More angry? Does this involve a belt & spanking? A friend of a friend asked me to pose the question.
There is absolutely nothing that the police can do to reduce the number of date rapes short of providing police escorts for every woman in Dallas.
Politically he can’t say that there’s absolutely nothing the police can do to stop date rape, so he offers the only advice that has been proven to work to reduce crime of all categories, and that is to not put yourself in a position to be a victim.
Of course it’s not the victim’s fault, any more than it’s the fault of the person who leaves their car unlocked when it gets stolen, or the person who walks through the rough part of town when they get mugged. It is absolutely not their fault, but since they can’t control the actions of the person who is at fault, they are the only ones who can do something to reduce the likelihood of it happening.
Getting angry at the Chief of Police for telling the truth about it, even if the way he said it could be misinterpreted, doesn’t do anything to reduce the number of date rapes in Dallas.
What’s the point of feminism if you have to think lockstep with everyone else? I always thought the aim feminism was to liberate, not to supplant one form of conformity with another.
I dunno… I dated an angry feminist once. The relationship ran its course fairly quickly however leaving me with 23 less CDs and feeling emasculated … not necessarily in that order.
I hope this blog isn’t becoming the Bethany show. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed her posts so long ago when she made comments. But then she got her feelings hurt and refused to comment. I’ve followed the whole garbage truck thing and think she probably cut them off and took advantage of her blogging position to get them in trouble. I wasn’t going to comment on that because others seemed to be covering the issue. But now we have to put up with an interview about how she got her post wrong? She’s now an expert on feminism? Just because she’s a woman doesn’t mean she can speak for all women, particularly when she showed an inability to count to ten before blogging her thoughts. Why don’t you start reporting news instead of making it up.
@Me: You made so many silly assertions (new band name) that it’s hard to know where to start. But: you don’t have to “put up with” anything. She’s not an expert on feminism; nor did she say she was (she implied the opposite). She actually displayed admirable restraint in her first post about the chief — and THEN counted to 10 and showed even more restraint.
Finally, I direct you to our tagline. Hereat you will find a daily discussion of all matters Dallas. We are a monthly magazine. We are not in the business of breaking news (though we sometimes accidentally do so).
Good day, sir.
I agree with “me” above. This is endemic of why D keeps repeating senior year, and never graduates. D wants to BE the story, rather than shape and relate the story.
Just look at the title of the magazine–D thinks it IS Dallas. You guys are confusing the map with the territory.
I’m so tired of people ragging on Bethany. It is like we live in a world without grace. One of the first things I learned about in high school is constructive criticism. How can anyone forget that lesson? Keep on keepin’ on Bethany. I love your posts and your fresh perspective.
@me & adam – if you don’t like how D conveys the story, why do you keep reading? You have a choice. Don’t like? Don’t read. It’s pretty simple.
I don’t care what they say, I won’t stay in a world without grace.
Or chalupas beacause that sounds good.
beacause = because