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Ain't I A Woman? newspapers, June 1970-July 1971

1970-10-30 "Ain't I a Woman?" Page 15

BEWARE OF JACK THE RAPER in the disguise of: Mr. Solid Citizen
   Since the beginning of the semester there have been three females assaulted while walking at night. One woman was stabbed, one was raped and the other was beaten. These are the only incidents I happen to have heard about. Reports of assaults on females rarely make it into the newspapers; if they do, it's a two-inch story on page 10. Possibly that's because rapes and physical attacks of women are so common that they're not worth repeatedly taking up space in the papers. So working women, student women, and any female who has to leave her house alone after dark is not reminded that she faces the constant threat of an attack.
   That threat is no less constant here than in a large city. Violence is not an urban phenomenon; it pervades all Amerikan culture. Rape is political. This society breeds a class to be attacked and a class of attackers. A rapist is

[photo]

Women are beginning to get it together! In Berkeley women associated with the free clinic are going out into the streets. One woman baits hookers (especially if they sell drugs to children) and she takes them to a room. Here the rest of the group of women are waiting and they all beet him up. Also in Berkeley sisters leafletted the wedding of a groom who had raped the dancer from his stag party.

not an isolated case, a sexual deviant who needs help. He is not deviating from the sex role socialization that encourages males to be aggressive and females to b passive. 
   The differences in development of physical strength are obvious. Women are not supposed to be strong--not even to handle everyday situations in which some strength is required. We are not physiologically incapable of developing strong bodies. The Man does not want us to have that power. But males are expected to develop in true macho spirit, devoting their life energy to building their bodies.
 Most of the institutions in this country provoke rather than prevent rape. Our entire society (politics, education, advertising, movies, magazines, T.V., Etc.) is filled with situations in which the male is the person in power. People are led to believe that every "normal" female really wants to be overpowered and that every male has the right to demand anything he wants from a woman.
       "..the marriage contract in fact legalizes and institutionalizes the rape of women and the bondage of women, both their internal (reproductive) and external (domestic labor) functions.." (from a leaflet by The Feminists, 1969)
        "A husband may force his wife to have sexual relations as long as his demands are reasonable and her health is not endangered." (from Wives' Legal Rights, Richard T. Gallen Dell, 1967, pp. 6-7)
   This society is responsible for permitting attacks on women, by the way it socializes people into male and female roles. Women have not been given a realistic picture of the danger of assault. Since police and the media do not report all the incidents of rape and other assaults, women have been allowed to feel safe. We are not responsible for creating this situation; we should not be ashamed that we are vulnerable. However, we must learn to fight back. We have the right to defend ourselves by whatever means necessary. Don't wait until you or someone you now has been attacked to learn a skill which will allow you to protect yourself. Do it now! Women who are studying karate, carrying mace or learning how to use guns are not doing so out of any kind of pro-violence trip. They have been left no other choice. 
   We must learn to get angry when we are physically or verbally assaulted by men. Next, we must have enough pride in ourselves to feel that we have the right not only to defend ourselves but to strike back. When it is as threatening to attack a female as a male, then and only then will women stop being attacked. We must not be hesitant to kill for the defense of our lives and freedom if it comes to that.
The fact is that for very many women today it is coming to that. 
Harriet Tubman had a revolver!

Pissed Off Pink
   Seen Jack the Raper lately? Well, you might catch a glimpse of him sooner than you think, especially if you happen to be hitchiking down Grand River Avenue.
   Apparently, a woman's thumb can arouse any macho motorist from his usual depths of depravity to new heights of drooling insanity. ZAPPO, WHAM, Happy Jack flashes to Jack the Rapper.
   Jack the Raper has taken a heavy toll around the East Lansing area. One woman has been in a brace all summer after having vertabrae crushed while Jack's "amourous" advances. Others have been stabbed, pistol whipped and beaten for having the gall to resist Jack.
   Always he gets away. The Big Guns in Blue are invariable unable to find the fiend. The difficulty of course that Jack lurks in the breasts of many men, why his foul heart even beats in the chests of some of our so-called solid citizens.
   What can women do about Jack the Raper? First, we can appeal to all women to pick up their sisters, to give less of a chance to strike. There is no reason for women to fear other women, so when you see a sister who needs a ride, help out. Second, if possible, hitchike in twos and threes, there truly is safety in numbers -- besides Jack prefers single victims.
   Third and most naturally we should strike back. Jack the Raper has intimidated and victimized our sisters for too long. Therefore, we of P.O.P. in conjunction with our sisters in Berkeley, announce the idea of Anti-Rape-Squads -- groups of feminists dedicated to avenging the rape or other kinds of harrassment perpetrated on our sisters by male supremacists. Hopefully such squads will form during the fall term. Remember, when you hitchike to write down the license plate number of the offender and we will publish his name, address and telephone number in the P.O.P. for sisters in the area to use as they see fit. Sisterhood is Power.
Women's Liberation East Lansing, Mich

A Woman?   October 30, 1970   15

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BEWARE OF JACK THE RAPER in the disguise of: Mr. Solid Citizen Since the beginning of the semester there have been three females assaulted while walking at night. One woman was stabbed, one was raped and the other was beaten. These are the only incidents I happen to have heard about. Reports of assaults on females rarely make it into the newspapers; if they do, it's a two-inch story on page 10. Possibly that's because rapes and physical attacks of women are so common that they're not worth repeatedly taking up space in the papers. So working women, student women, and any female who has to leave her house alone after dark is not reminded that she faces the constant threat of an attack. That threat is no less constant here than in a large city. Violence is not an urban phenomenon; it pervades all Amerikan culture. Rape is political. This society breeds a class to be attacked and a class of attackers. A rapist is [photo] Women are beginning to get it together! In Berkeley women associated with the free clinic are going out into the streets. One woman baits hookers (especially if they sell drugs to children) and she takes them to a room. Here the rest of the group of women are waiting and they all beet him up. Also in Berkeley sisters leafletted the wedding of a groom who had raped the dancer from his stag party. not an isolated case, a sexual deviant who needs help. He is not deviating from the sex role socialization that encourages males to be aggressive and females to b passive. The differences in development of physical strength are obvious. Women are not supposed to be strong--not even to handle everyday situations in which some strength is required. We are not physiologically incapable of developing strong bodies. The Man does not want us to have that power. But males are expected to develop in true macho spirit, devoting their life energy to building their bodies. Most of the institutions in this country provoke rather than prevent rape. Our entire society (politics, education, advertising, movies, magazines, T.V., Etc.) is filled with situations in which the male is the person in power. People are led to believe that every "normal" female really wants to be overpowered and that every male has the right to demand anything he wants from a woman. "..the marriage contract in fact legalizes and institutionalizes the rape of women and the bondage of women, both their internal (reproductive) and external (domestic labor) functions.." (from a leaflet by The Feminists, 1969) "A husband may force his wife to have sexual relations as long as his demands are reasonable and her health is not endangered." (from Wives' Legal Rights, Richard T. Gallen Dell, 1967, pp. 6-7) This society is responsible for permitting attacks on women, by the way it socializes people into male and female roles. Women have not been given a realistic picture of the danger of assault. Since police and the media do not report all the incidents of rape and other assaults, women have been allowed to feel safe. We are not responsible for creating this situation; we should not be ashamed that we are vulnerable. However, we must learn to fight back. We have the right to defend ourselves by whatever means necessary. Don't wait until you or someone you now has been attacked to learn a skill which will allow you to protect yourself. Do it now! Women who are studying karate, carrying mace or learning how to use guns are not doing so out of any kind of pro-violence trip. They have been left no other choice. We must learn to get angry when we are physically or verbally assaulted by men. Next, we must have enough pride in ourselves to feel that we have the right not only to defend ourselves but to strike back. When it is as threatening to attack a female as a male, then and only then will women stop being attacked. We must not be hesitant to kill for the defense of our lives and freedom if it comes to that. The fact is that for very many women today it is coming to that. Harriet Tubman had a revolver! Pissed Off Pink Seen Jack the Raper lately? Well, you might catch a glimpse of him sooner than you think, especially if you happen to be hitchiking down Grand River Avenue. Apparently, a woman's thumb can arouse any macho motorist from his usual depths of depravity to new heights of drooling insanity. ZAPPO, WHAM, Happy Jack flashes to Jack the Rapper. Jack the Raper has taken a heavy toll around the East Lansing area. One woman has been in a brace all summer after having vertabrae crushed while Jack's "amourous" advances. Others have been stabbed, pistol whipped and beaten for having the gall to resist Jack. Always he gets away. The Big Guns in Blue are invariable unable to find the fiend. The difficulty of course that Jack lurks in the breasts of many men, why his foul heart even beats in the chests of some of our so-called solid citizens. What can women do about Jack the Raper? First, we can appeal to all women to pick up their sisters, to give less of a chance to strike. There is no reason for women to fear other women, so when you see a sister who needs a ride, help out. Second, if possible, hitchike in twos and threes, there truly is safety in numbers -- besides Jack prefers single victims. Third and most naturally we should strike back. Jack the Raper has intimidated and victimized our sisters for too long. Therefore, we of P.O.P. in conjunction with our sisters in Berkeley, announce the idea of Anti-Rape-Squads -- groups of feminists dedicated to avenging the rape or other kinds of harrassment perpetrated on our sisters by male supremacists. Hopefully such squads will form during the fall term. Remember, when you hitchike to write down the license plate number of the offender and we will publish his name, address and telephone number in the P.O.P. for sisters in the area to use as they see fit. Sisterhood is Power. Women's Liberation East Lansing, Mich A Woman? October 30, 1970 15