Pornography: Men Possessing Women, by: Andrea ... - Feminish

mom’s. [He came after her with a rifle. ] I went to thedoctor’s and hospitals on several occasions, too, but I couldnot tell the truth on how I ‘hurt myself. ’ I always coveredup for him, as I knew my life depended on that. ” Thejudge wouldn’t admit testimony on the torture because hesaid the husband wasn’t on trial. The defense lawyer saidin private that he thought she probably enjoyed the abusivesex. Jayne’s case will be appealed, but she may well haveto stay in jail at Bedford Hills, a New York State prisonfor women, for the duration of the appeal because WomenAgainst Pornography, a group that established the DefenseFund for Jayne Stamen, has not been able to raise bailmoney for her. Neither have I or others who care. It isn’tchic to help such women; they aren’t the Black Panthers.Ironically, there are many women—and recently a teenagegirl, a victim of incest— who have hired others to kill themen—husbands, fathers—who were torturing them becausethey could not bear to do it themselves. O r thewoman pours gasoline on the bed when he sleeps and lightsthe fire. Jayne didn’t hire the men to kill her husband; thereal question may be, why not? why didn’t she? Womendon’t understand self-defense the way men do— perhapsbecause sexual abuse destroys the self. We don’t feel wehave a right to kill just because we are being beaten, raped,tortured, and terrorized. We are hurt for a long time beforewe fight back. Then, usually, we are punished: “I havelived in a prison for ten years, meaning my m arriage, ”says Jayne Stamen, “. . . and now they have me in a realprison. ”12I’ve quoted from statements, all made in public forums,by women I know well (except for Jayne Stamen; I’vetalked with her but I haven’t met her). I can vouch forthem; I know the stories are true. The women who madethese particular statements are only a few of the thousandsof women I have met, talked with, questioned: women who1 2 . D i r e c t q u o t a t i o n s a r e f r o m t h e S t a t e m e n t o f J a y n e S t a m e n , i s s u e d b y W o m e nA g a i n s t P o r n o g r a p h y , F e b r u a r y 1 4 , 1 9 8 8 .