Opinions

Elise Patkotak: Plenty of cause to be angry about violence toward women

Let's check in on the progress women are making in the world today. According to some, we no longer have any reason to complain. We have, in fact, become such "nazi-feminists" that men can no longer be men. You know, like in the good old days. Of course, that would be the good old days for men, not necessarily women. So let's see how we're progressing in the early years of the 21st century.

Let's start with the rate at which men murder women in Alaska. That would be two times the national average. Once again, Alaska's No. 1, though I imagine if women are waving their finger at this news, the finger lifted would not be the polite one.

Of course, Alaska has no monopoly on treating women badly. No, the NFL is determined to retain that honor. Apparently an organization with amazing technological expertise in inserting cameras into the smallest possible places on a football field was unable to figure out how to get a copy of a video from a casino elevator. Imagine, all those NFL lawyers and not one of them able to get the footage that TMZ did. To the NFL's credit (and I mean that as sarcastically as possible), the minute there was proof that Ray Rice had popped his girlfriend in the elevator, he was suspended and subsequently fired by the Baltimore Ravens. This leaves one to wonder exactly what they thought when they saw him dragging her unconscious body out of the elevator. Oh wait, that's right. She must have tripped and hit her head on his fist. To add insult to injury in this situation, there are still people blaming his now wife for staying with him. It's as though the past decades of information on the psychology of abuse simply did not happen.

Let's move on now to college campuses. On these campuses of hallowed learning, women are told to be very careful about partying, getting drunk or putting themselves in dangerous places where men can do horrible things to them. In other words, it's still the woman's fault. Women are responsible for protecting themselves from men who, apparently, do not have to be responsible. You rarely hear about men being told to not put themselves in the dangerous situation of drinking so much that rape becomes a seemingly good idea. No, we're still told that men will be men and women must dress modestly, not raise their eyes in public and keep away from any party where drunkenness makes them fair game for any heinous act alcohol might fuel.

So how do you think women are doing so far? Not enough info yet? OK, how about we check in with the National Guard here in Alaska. Oops. Bad idea. Seems that the National Guard was operating under the theory that you can have no better guards for the hen house than wolves.

In China, baby girls are still considered less desirable than baby boys and are often "disposed" of in one fashion or another. In the Middle East, women walk around as veritable ghosts, hidden head to toe so they don't raise carnal thoughts in men. Women are condemned to death for being raped, drowned by their families if they fall in love with the wrong person, and get beaten in public by any man who decides they've broken some rule of Islam. Meanwhile, the worldwide sex trade in young girls and women continues to rage unabated.

If men think that women have an "attitude," they are very, very right. You'd have an attitude too if the tables were turned. If women are angry, then men need to face up to their part in creating that anger. To men who are reading this and saying, "But I treat all women with respect. I'm not one of the bad guys," I ask if you still cheer the NFL despite the criminality of many of its players. That includes players who have obstructed a murder investigation, run a dogfighting ring and now beaten a woman with no greater penalty than a two-game suspension until the video forced the NFL to do otherwise. Are you as horrified as I am that articles are already appearing discussing what Rice has to do to get back into the game?

ADVERTISEMENT

Yep, women are angry. Men should be too. And it is now their turn to do something about it.

Elise Patkotak's latest book, "Coming Into the City," is available at AlaskaBooksandCalendars.com and at local bookstores.

The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, e-mail commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com

Elise Patkotak

Elise Patkotak is an Alaska columnist and author. Her book "Coming Into the City" is available at AlaskaBooksandCalendars.com and at local bookstores.

ADVERTISEMENT