Women's pain, ??!!??

[nancylebovitz]

www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=9339191&postID=5114576517566897462

Earlier this month, you wrote:

I feel the depth of your passion on the issue of women and their abuse. I have ZERO interest in diminishing their pain, or the urgency of dealing with any exploitation. I can feel that in your opinion, women have it worse. All right, fine.

I'm wondering what you had in mind there-- I can understand not wanting to take on all the injustice in the world, but you seemed rather more vehement than that.

That's me being polite and careful. I was horrified by what you said, and when I mentioned it to David Bellamy, he said he was too shocked to reply-- he tracked down the quote for me. I'm hoping what you meant isn't as bad as it looks.

I couldn't find what you were replying to, but iirc, Dan was talking about the devastating effect sexual abuse can have on women, and especially the effects of being forced into prostitution.

[Steven Barnes]

I meant "speaking in such a way to diminish the importance of their pain." I can see I didn't communicate, and for that I apologize profoundly. I would do anything, to diminish the actual pain of women, or people, on this planet. In a clumsy way I was trying to say that there is no way in hell that I would ever do anything to mock or denigrate the struggles of women to lift themselves up, heal themselves, or assume their rightful positions as leaders, creators, and innovators. See why I wouldn't want to go into politics? I write first draft, and can imagine my tonal inflections in my head--even when the meaning on the page comes out totally different. Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa.

[Steven Barnes]

" I can feel that in your opinion, women have it worse. All right, fine." And here I meant it literally: it's fine to have that opinion, I am deliberately trying not to come to a conclusion one way or another about "whether blacks have it worse than women or vice versa", because human pain is impossible for me to quantify with clarity. However, if someone else wants to hold or support an opinion one way or another, fine.

[Argent'horn]

Wow. Thank you. I am so glad you clarified that, Steve. I could only parse it as: 'Let women suffer; I don't care.' It seemed so out of character for you that I was stunned and did not know how to respond, even though I wanted to. And thank you for pursuing this, Nancy.

[Steven Barnes]

Nancy, I understand so clearly how that sounded that I am embarrassed. Ouch. I am terribly sorry to have phrased a response to such a painful and volatile topic in such a sloppy fashion. Bad Steve! Bad Steve! No biscuit.