I've decided to use HOF for my farewell thread.

[salin]

161. I will miss you.

I gave up my star membership of nearly 10 years last year due to a spate of rape threads that were so horrific and were judged as fair game to let stand. One dude as much as admitted to having commited rape in his younger years - but now saw it as rape. I thought.... Ye Gods - I was raped by a drunken college dude years ago - the thread could have been written (not really the given context was different), by the guy who raped me. Lots of horrified comments on the thread - but too many hallelueah for your "courage" to write this (rape appologia and "contextualization&quot there was another one at the same time that from a therapist's view "understood" how men would not be able to understand that what they were doing was rape (what the hell?)

I haven't posted regularly for years - for reasons similar (esp the life beyond DU) - but I do still read. And each time I was about to rejoin the community - another spate of threads that include examples of what keeps the rape culture going - such that 30 years out of college, the incident of rape on that age range of young women is the same today as it was there.

I have been cheered on, however, by threads that you have started that challenge the culture from a male perspective - even in your inimical "in your face" way of challenging folks.

I greatly appreciate you Trumad - you are part of what makes DU NOT suck. I will miss you.

Best,

salin