Men, not women, need to 'take back the night'

Here's another in a wearying cavalcade of articles about violence against women, and this one, like all the rest, is premised on the supposed fact that women are the primary targets of violence, and that women, and only women, have the most to fear: "Most women . . . still feel afraid to walk alone . . . ."

Well, I guess I don't exactly know what that means. Does it mean women are afraid to walk alone on a dark deserted street? Good. They should be. So should men. But if it means women are generally afraid to walk alone in a relatively safe neighborhood, it is irrational.

I know this goes against their entire rape culture metanarrative, and I am sorry to muddy up a perfectly good victim fetish, but anyone not intoxicated on Womyn's Studies knows that innocent men are victims of violence far more often than women. There is no dispute about that. None whatsoever. You can even consult sources that feminists would consider unimpeachable: Yes Means Yes: Visons of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape, by Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Vallenti (2008) at page 23: "Men are 150 percent more likely to be the victims of violent crimes than women. . . . Men are more likely to be victimized by a stranger . . . ."

Did you get that? Yet we have an entire month dedicated to women's fear of men. The result? Well, for purposes of this blog, the result is to help create a false rape culture. With all the irrational fear-mongering Chicken Littles running about warning women not that "the sky is falling!" but that "men can't be trusted!" the slightest whiff of a rape allegation is automatically believed. The male-as-predator hysteria gives automatic plausibility to every rape claim, even the ones that are false. And when a rape accuser is automatically believed, the man or boy she accuses is automatically branded a rapist in the court of last resort, the American dinner table where clucking tongues pass judgment on everything under the sun based on nothing more than vague, unsubstantiated feelings. And that is intolerable on any level.

So ask yourself, in light of the facts, which class of citizens should most fear walking alone?

And which class of citizens has given in to irrational fear-mongering?

Further, why does the class of citizens least victimized by violent crime not seem to give a damn about the safety of the class that is actually most victimized? (That's actually a very interesting question, isn't it?)

Then, after you've answered all those questions honestly, the following question should answer itself: Do women really need to "take back the night," or has it been theirs all along?