SlutWalk issues

One of the things I keep noticing in a lot of the discussions about SlutWalk is: no one is making a distinction between tactical decisions to actually protect oneself and moral judgments. Discussing tactical decisions is necessary, but that has to be based on what actually happens and needs to be concrete suggestions. For example: Don't wear a skirt so tight it hampers your movements and keeps you from running. That is a tactical suggestion. Don't dress provocatively because it makes you a target. That is a moral judgement. Both 'provocatively' and 'short' are unclear and have different interpretations. If you are going to discuss skirt length, in tactical fashion, you have to get into concrete details, what is to short, how many inches...etc. If you are not discussing concrete details, you run the risk of drifting into moral judgement.

There is also what I call, security blanket beliefs. Things that make you feel safer, but may not have any tactical value. I have my own security blanket belief that is not backed up by data. I believe that a woman is safer for owning a gun. Now, if you look at the data available, I have my doubts about that, tactically. Most rapists are already in the circle of trust of the victim, friends, partners, family...etc. Having to actually shoot someone and potentially take a life is an incredibly traumatic decision to begin with, compounding it with the person to be shot being close to you, odds are good the gun won't be used.

I'm not sure owning a gun actually makes a woman (or anyone else) safer, but it makes me feel better. I think that when it comes to clothing and sexual promiscuity, many people tell themselves that they can't be victims because they don't dress slutty and don't sleep around. This belief doesn't make them safer, it makes feel better. Part of where much of the damage comes in, is, this belief is so ingrained that when tragedy strikes, and someone is assaulted and raped, not only is their shield of belief shattered, but that belief says they must have done something wrong. It's a belief structure rooted in the concept that you know what a rapist is, how to avoid being a target, and randomness doesn't exist. When all of these turn out to wrong, then victim blaming comes in. Not only does the victim blame themselves, but the people around them, who have similar belief structures, have to blame the victim, or acknowledge that their belief structures are equally flawed.

In my opinion, part of why there has been such a vehement response to SlutWalks all over, is because SlutWalk is directly challenging that belief structure. It brings to the open what, the culture as a whole, wants to ignore. It points out that the culture's belief structure is wrong. It strips people their security blanket beliefs and doesn't replace them with anything. This isn't a criticism, just what I think. It isn't the job for SlutWalk to provide anyone a belief structure, it's each individual's personal responsibility to create a new belief structure that is less damaging to themselves and others. It's a communities job to help with that, but even a community can't do it all.

I think this is why there are so many people who confuse moral judgement and tactics. Also why they are so strongly against the protest. They want to defend the ideas that make them feel safe. I just think it's a useful discussion to see what ideas actually make you safe and what doesn't, as well as what potential harm can a security blanket belief cause.