Violence against women- is it ever OK?

[Shi Huangdi]

Apolyton's favorite frog, Spiffor, recently posted something that caught my interest on another thread:

Society has changed. Especially in Finland, women have now the same rights as men. It includes the right of being hit like a man. There is something worng in hitting defenseless people. There is something wrong in hitting innocent people. There is nothing wrong in hitting strong and violent people - the gender is irrelevant.

This was on Pekka's: Evil, Evil Girlfriends thread.

Now, this is something that has interested me as it is part of a societal phenomon regarding old societal traditions about women and chivalry. Traditionally, women have been seen as the weaker sex, and so they were given limitations in what they could do in their life, what careers they could go after, their family roles, and they were expected to submit to their husband. Some protections came with the old ways to- men were expected do most of anything regarding strength, open doors for women, always treat women with more courtesy and respect, etc. It seems in modern society, most of the negative societal beliefs and customs regarding them, as in those limiting them, have died off, whereas many of the entitlements of an earlier era survive today. But it seems the one that has survived the strongest in many parts is that hitting a woman is absolutely taboo.

I have wondered if someday the parts of chivalry that give women special priviliges will die along with their restrictions. So what does Apolyton think? Is it ever Ok to woman? As Spiffor says, does equal rights mean equal rights to be hit? Or does still make you a villain of the worst kind to ever hit a lady?

[JohnT]

Let me be the first to say it: self defense, of course.

[Cruddy]

I think it's OK it the female is a really nasty person - I saw the thread and the name "Rosemary West" just popped into my brain.

Scarily nasty person that.

[Shi Huangdi]

****! I didn't make a multiple choice. Can a moderator fix this? Ah well, either hold off on your vote or vote the lowest option you agree with, ignoring the banana option

Just post your answers here for now.

[loinburger]

"Getting hit" is not a right. "Rough sex" is.

[Boris Godunov]

Self-defense or that of another, certainly. If she's an enemy soldier in combat and it's her or me or a comrade of mine, the ***** is going down!!!

Otherwise, never. But the same answers go for men as well.

[Al B. Sure!]

hitting a woman is always wrong

[ajbera]

Originally posted by loinburger
"Getting hit" is not a right. "Rough sex" is.

Yeah Shi, you forgot a "(consensual) rough sex" option in the poll. That's certainly acceptable, as is self-defense.

[Dis]

I don't think violence is ever justified.

Even in self defense. If a woman hits you and tries to kill you, you should leave. There is never any circumstance in which you should hit a woman.

[geeslaka]

Here's the list of choices I would have chosen if you hadn't messed up.

It's ok, if there is a danger of her doing very serious harm to herself or others
It's ok, if done is self defense of yourself or another
It's ok, if she is a very nasty person
It's ok if she cuts off your banana

All of these are cases where violence is either imminent, has already happened, or is well deserved.

[Al B. Sure!]

nice to see how me and dissident are the only moral people here when it comes to this matter...

[loinburger]

Don't be a twit, Speer.

[Sava]

Same as men... self-defense only. But even then, depending on the person, I would take careful measures.

[Cruddy]

Albert, go look up who Rosie West is, OK?

EDIT:

http://stopabuse.org/WEST.html

[Pekka]

I don't think it's ok to hit a woman. But I don't make a big fuzz about it either. If woman attacks first, to me it is justified for self defense. But only if the situation is threatning. Otherwise if the woman is small and not having weapons and the man is relatively strong and knows his stuff, then hitting is not OK, he should use only necessary force to protect himself and calm her down.

But then again if a full grown man who has done little boxing etc in his youth, he can literally trash a small womans face with one hit so.. I don't think that's justified. Then again I don't think women can hit men either. I think in some situations men can hit men with full force, but that's in self defense.. and if both are defending, then they wouldn't be hitting each other .

So no.. I don't think men should be hitting women, but it goes as strongly to women not hitting men too.

However if the woman is carrying a weapon like a knife and you don't know this woman and even if she is small, I think man should not be expected to 'be nice'. In this situation I expect the man to make the first move and make her visit few doctors and some sort of specialists.
If the weapon is not deadly, but can do serious damage likje let's say baseball bat, I expect the man to do the first move, but not beat her up when she's down. Just what it needs to get the thing back under control. So, in clear self defense I think it's ok. But other than that.. not really.

But I'm not one of those persons that feels the urge to be the knight and whip some guys butt because he slapped a strange woman in the streets, and it doesn't concern me and he stops right there and doesn't continue hitting. I'll just give 'what a butthole' look, but it's none of my business if no one is seriously hurt.
If I know the woman, then I'd step in, but that's a different story.