When it comes to being a liberal, a progressive, a person of faith there are issues that need to be at the center of your heart, to be in the forefront of the advocacy work being done. In simple terms it comes down to social justice, implying a journey to reach a state of equality. Often the issues taken up are healthcare, labor rights, poverty and the current hot button issue, the war in Iraq. Placed on the back burner by nearly everyone are women’s issues such as domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment in and out of the workplace… notice a pattern there?
Kos, of Daily Kos fame, posted a diary regarding Kathy Sierra and the alleged threats she has been receiving as a tech blogger. Here a couple snippets of Kos’ post to get the gist of it:
I’m in and out of commission, so I hadn’t heard of this so-called “death threat” thing.
Next one…
Look, if you blog, and blog about controversial shit, you’ll get idiotic emails. Most of the time, said “death threats” don’t even exist — evidenced by the fact that the crying bloggers and journalists always fail to produce said “death threats”.
“So-calledâ€, Idiotic emails that has caused Kathy Sierra to be a crying blogger? Come on Kos you can do better than that. Do your research before you post on this. I have been following this story on a couple of different blogs… guess where you have to find it at… the feminist blogs such as Feministing, and Bitch PhD, among others (both of which have been in the blogroll since this blog’s start).
According to the BBC article that Kos links to, Kathy’s threats are not just coming from email, as Kos ascertains, but posts on her website as well, which have included “a post that featured a picture of her next to a noose.†For even further evidence of the threats Sierra received, read this Salon article that goes into more detail, including the posting of her home address in the comments thread.
Kos tops it off with this little nugget in light of the picture prominently displays the threat, which interestingly enough he blockquotes as well.
“If they can’t handle a little heat in their email inbox, then really, they should try another line of work.â€
Are you kidding me?
According to a study (via Bitch, PhD) by the U of Maryland’s James Clark School of Engineering, users with fememine names receives 25 times more messages that have threatening or even sexual overtones than those with masculine names.
The bottom line is that women are more often targeted for violence and harassment. An expert could enlighten you more on why this is but my general sense is still the fact that women are thought of as weaker and as objects to be taken advantage of. Women in work place can be seen as a threat that can easily be contained with a little “heat.”
Women are much more likely to be attacked and violated day in and day out. Any threat that is sent via, email, phone, comments on a post, or in person should be taken seriously and to the police. All it takes is one of them to be for real and it is too late.
Instead of steering an important issue, such as violence against women in the right direction Kos has done exactly what others have been doing for centuries, making it appear as though women are weaker and/or making it up by casting doubt on the credibility of Kathy’s allegations. He should have spun the story to highlight the culture in which treats women a mere objects for society to use as they please! Then, just then we could have a serious discussion of issues so easily ignored by just about everyone but those it affects the most.
I find this whole thing really sad. I think it comes from latent fear of women having a voice. Intelligent women sharing their opinions is still threatening to many (especially in the church) and there has been a long history of silencing women through fear, torture, and threats. Maybe male bloggers don’t think there is much to fear from online threats, but women are too historically and socially aware to not have to take it seriously.
It is more than likely a fear of women, why men would have such a fear… I just don’t fully understand.
This has been happening in the Christian Church since the beginning just look at 1 Timothy and Colassians.
Julie- I completely agree that women are historically and socially aware of the position they are still in within our current society to not take something like this seriously. Today women have to be aware in order to know how to handle themselves in almost any situation, from the workplace to motherhood.
Aaron- men in our culture have been taught that strong women should be knocked down and as a result males are taught they should fear women because they have the potential to take away men’s power. It is not right but it is there.