I was reading my favorite sex-advice columnist this morning and his "letter of the day." One commenter posted a reply that some might find a "bit" pretentious. I liked it. I might do a needle-point of that last sentence. I'd have to learn how to do needle-point first, but...

Some quick context for those who'd rather not go read the letter. Twenty-year-old lesbian in a LTR with her girlfriend babysat for her 11-year-old sister, turned it into a sleepover-type setting, dragging a mattress into the living room in front of the tv set. Snacks, drinks and chat were consumed and they eventually all fell asleep. Letter-writer has guiltful remorse regarding appropriateness considering her relationship, yadda, yadda. Columnist offers approximately sensible advice, and commenters rip loose, as usual, in all directions. Much reading amusement ensues. And then, this pops out of the muck heap:

Our society, and much of human society in general perceives all males to be potential abusers or rapists--hence the clear double-standard. Mammals aren't terribly well used to having heterosocial child-raising units. Females typically either behave independently or band together for their own protection, but rarely do they spend long lengths of time with males; a father-bear may, after all, decide to eat his young.

But it takes a much greater investment to raise humans--hence the development of heterosocial households. But I believe abuse, of one kind or another, to be extremely common in human households, and I do not think for a moment it is even predominantly by a male aggressor. But you would be surprised how well the coping mechanisms for some developing humans operate. There is so much misery and suffering in all that breathes; we, not as wilting flowers, but beasts of burden have always climbed atop the mountains of our dead; that is the way of all articulate life.