Reasoned Consideration

[ Image credit ] Marlise Richter , a self-described “Sex Positive Feminist”, writes on the apparently vexing question of whether women should be 'allowed' free agency: " Stripping the tears of bleeding-heart feminists and other sex abolitionists ": "Liberal feminist Emma Powell visited Mavericks Revue Bar to investigate two pressing questions. One was how “places like this” could exist under the South African Constitution. The second was whether the stripper “girls” looked happy. Her impressions were captured in a Daily Maverick article dramatically titled “House of the Rising sun, built on misery” ... I ask to meet some of the dancers. Early one evening, before their work starts, I sit with four well-groomed women. They are from the UK, Romania, Brazil and South Africa. I give them copies of Ms Powell’s article. (Yes, they can read! Yes, they have opinions!) Indignation and annoyance reign. With voices high in irritation, they describe the ...

It's a commonly held belief that victims of child abuse are somehow 'pre-destined' to become abusers themselves. Research shows, however, that only a minority of abuse victims go on to become abusers, and that this is thus (in short) a myth:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11731348 . A related comic: http://www.tencentticker.com/somethingterrible/

"Generating Discussion" is not  per se  virtuous - after all, Hitler also "generated discussion" - a lot of discussion. It's only a virtue if you generate useful discussion.