Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/21

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Subject: Re: [Leica] What I did today
From: Eric Welch <ewelch@ponyexpress.net>
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 16:21:12 -0500

At 07:58 AM 9/21/99 -0700, Art Sala wrote:
>Eric, I have tremendous repsect for your insight as a photjournalist,
>however, I have a hard time believing that 32% of all women are molested by
>the age 18.  In the US?  Definition of molested?

Well, my friend who is a highly respected expert, and counselor of abuse 
victims, is where I got that number. And that is for North America. She 
lives in Canada - Saskatoon. The definition of molestation could account 
for it. The legal definition for sodomy is, for example, touching genitalia 
with the purpose of causing one, or the other, person pleasure. That's a 
pretty broad definition, but in the State of Missouri it's enough to get 
one a life sentence.

I find it quite believable, since of all the women I know closely, I am 
astounded at how many of them were molested one or more times in their 
lives. And I never lived in any "bad" neighborhoods. Molestation cuts 
across all socioeconomic classes, but the one thing in common is what I 
said before. The mid-30s guy who like to play with cameras.

And Anthony jumps the gun by assuming that what I mean is all people who 
take pictures are molesters. But that's simply a ridiculous conclusion to 
come to. You don't ignore the possibility of drunk drivers being on the 
road - though you can't possibly live like everybody is. Same with this. We 
need to respect people's feelings, and that's the bottom line. And to walk 
into a situation with blinders of not wanting it to be that way is naive.

Eric Welch
St. Joseph, MO

http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch

Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.