Comments by "JLH" (@Kyarrix) on "Rape on the Night Shift (full documentary) | FRONTLINE" video.
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This is a video about this specific population, why would you feel left out? Do you work cleaning offices at night? Are you able to speak English well and communicate? Are you an immigrant, legal or otherwise?
If you're not, why would you feel left out of the conversation? Of course it doesn't happen to people of color only, but the video is about this specific situation which predominantly happens to people of color. It happens to people of color because they are easily taking advantage of. These are women who don't speak English well, who lack familiarity with the legal system, who come from countries where women often have fewer rights. They are easy prey for these and other reasons.
That doesn't mean that other women aren't also raped and harassed. If there is one constant in our society it is that women, regardless of social status, are treated badly.
If this were a video about your specific situation would you be open to every other group commenting that it doesn't represent them? Can every video represent everyone at the same time?
How can a video about poor Hispanic women working working the night shift cleaning offices be about you unless you are in that group? Based on what you're saying it's not valid to ever talk about any specific problem if it doesn't include every other group and every other problem.
Attention to their specific situation doesn't negate or diminish yours or anyone else's. Why would you feel that it does?
In an ideal world we would want to work together, we wouldn't begrudge attention given to one group nor would we view it as coming at our expense. Your perspective is zero-sum, the gains of one group come at the expense of another but it isn't another group, women are women, all of us together.
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How do you tell yourself that it's okay to comment or even think this way?
Rape isn't and has never been about sex with the hottest woman. Rape is about power, violence and domination. While the specifics vary, it's generally a man who is angry, who feels that he is owed something he isn't getting. A man who feels entitled and believes that women are inferior or stupid. A man who frequently lacks empathy for others, especially women.
The fact that you referred to the women as "these creatures" and sneered that no one would want to rape them speaks to your frame of mind, how you view women and the world in general. This is something you can change. I hope you do try to change it, for your own benefit and the benefit of those around you.
With respect to the anti-Hispanic/immigration aspect of your comment, who do you think is going to do these jobs? They need to be done and you aren't signing up to clean offices at night. What's your solution, after you deport them, who will do the work? Also these men are not more likely to commit rape than white men are. You're being dishonest if you say that this population commits more crimes, they don't.
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