Men: How would you react if you were in this audience?

Question

http://mensnewsdaily.com/2008/02/14/feminist-yale-graduation-speech-some-of-the-well-dressed-fathers-in-the-audience-have-sexually-abused-the-women-who-are-now-graduating/

Excerpt:

"In Catharine A. MacKinnon: The Rise of a Feminist Censor, 1983-1993, Christopher M. Final describes a scene which might properly be labeled modern collegiate America’s darkest hour. According to Final, during MacKinnon’s 1989 Yale commencement address she said:

“‘Some of the proud mothers in the audience [are] sitting next to men who [have] battered them. Some of the well-dressed fathers [have] sexually abused the women who [are] now graduating."

Men: How would you react if you were in that audience? Would you get up and walk out?

Answer 1

I'd leave, i dont need that c**p, Catharine A Mackinnon can believe inflated hate statistics about rape if she wants to, but i dont have to listen to her c**p.

Answer 2

I didn't read all of that, but i take it that this women is a radial feminist who thinks all men are abusers.

Answer 3

i'll just sit there and smile and wish silently that the speaker will be killed. and to those saying that it is true, well, not all men are like that, my father is my role model and he doesnt hurt my mom, look at your fathers, you feminists!

Answer 4

I didn't read the whole thing but that woman is a flagrant moron who is using the term feminism to further here own goals. Women like her make me sick. I'm not even and I man and I would have left the audience.

Answer 5

That's completely ridiculous.  Yale should have higher standards.  I don't think I'd stand to listen to such feminist hate speech.

Answer 6

Thrown anything I could have at her.

Answer 7

That's totally uncalled for and unnecessary. Why would you say that at a graduation? Statistically, it's probably true - a lot of women DO stay with abusive husbands, and continue to act like a solid family. But the reverse is true also, so why single out the men? And why bring it up at all on a day that is meant to be happy?

If that had been my graduation, I'd have been embarrassed and angry, but I'd also hope that no one would have walked out. It's a special day for all the graduates, and I'd like to think that any mature adult would not want to ruin it for them any more than it already had been. They shouldn't be punished for that woman's actions, inappropriate and bigoted though they were.

Edit: Complaining to the president of the university would have been a great idea, though. And I would have.

And to Owain, I agree, it is just as unacceptable as anti-female hate speech. But personally, I wouldn't have left because of that, either, because presumably I'd be there to see someone I love graduate, and I wouldn't want to hurt them. I'm not saying anyone should tolerate that kind of thing, I just don't think that hurting innocent people (as in, your family members who you are there to support) is the right way to go about it. I think that's why I find her actions even more horrible... she knew she had a captive audience, because what mother or father is going to walk out and leave their graduating sons and daughters in there alone? I hope they ban her from their campus.

Answer 8

Ugh I'm a woman and I would walk out. Although statistically she would be correct, it is the most improper time and place to bring that up.

Rather than successfully raising awareness of the issues, she would actually further hurt the abuse survivors. They are trying to have a happy day that celebrates a life milestone. They don't need such a blatant reminder of what they have been through or are going through.

Not to mention that she's twisting the rape stats quite a bit. Abuse and rape are not limited to those 2 categories.

Answer 9

A well voiced "F*** YOU!" and a fast exit would be my response to such hate speech.

Answer 10

Perfect comedy moment. With the consent of my wife, of course, I would do a lound "fake" slap (you know where you hit your hand instead of that person's cheek), take off all my clothes except for my white undershirt and start yelling at her for burning the pot roast.

Answer 11

I would get up and leave immediately, and would have no qualms voicing my displeasure publically as I left.  It is disrespectful and ignores the high level of female perpetrated sexual and physical abuse of boys and girls too.

"Hypocritical, venal b#*ch would be a small part of my commentary.  Any fruit in my posession would certainly have decorated her visage too.

Oh, and I would most certainly have made my views felt to the University Board.

Smudgeth:  I understand that you would not want men to up and leave, but simply sitting there and taking that abuse, to my mind,  would be wrong.  Put it this way, if it were a man making derogatory comments about women, any thoughts about the graduates special day would be cast aside in outrage.  Rightly too.  I will never subscribe, even by inference, to the concept of "all men are rapists", or that manners must always take prcedence (what of her ill-mannered tirade?).  There are certain things that are demonstrably unacceptable and must be tackled immedialely:  her speech was one.

Answer 12

Yeah I remember this lady.   Family guy even made a joke about this as well.  I would have sat through it but I wouldn't have clapped.  You don't say these things at a graduation.