300 Years & Counting 1H KILLS - On The Issues Magazine

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Wuornos28 PHOTO AP/WIOE ViORLO ON THE ISSUES SUMMER 1992
SEX. DEATH 3THE DOUBLE STANDARDWuornos <strong>On</strong> TrialMany studies have shown that at least90 percent of all violent crime and 99percent of mass and serial murder iscommitted by men, not women. However,women are not rewarded — nocash, no political power, no freedomfrom violence — for being "good girls."Perhaps a woman's only reward is inknowing that as bad as things are,they're even "worse" for "bad girls."A "bad girl" is any woman who's poor,(or too rich or ambitious for a woman),non-white, unwed, not young, not thinand-pretty,without strong family support,and who is therefore vulnerable toaccusations of mental illness, lesbianism,drug addiction, sexual promiscuityor witchcraft, i.e. feminism, paganism,socialism, etc.Enter Aileen (Lee) Carol Wuornos—aprostitute and lesbian accused of killingat least five men — a really "bad" girl.<strong>On</strong> January 31, 1992, in DaytonaBeach, Florida, Wuornos, described bythe media and countless experts, includingthe FBI, as the world's firstfemale serial killer, was sentenced todie in the electric chair for the murder of51 -year-old ex-convict Richard Mallory.I believe that if the state of Floridacould, it would electrocute Wuornos oncefor each man she's accused of killing.But what, really, are her true crimes?Is Wuornos guilty of not having killedherself — the way all "good" sexualabuse victims and prostitutes are supposedto do? (Wuornos says she wasabused in childhood and serially rapedas a teenage prostitute.) Or is Wuornosguilty of daring to defend herself in aviolent struggle with a man and, byexample, encouraging other prostitutesto do likewise?Most people — and this includesjudges, jurors, and lawyers — valuemen's lives more than women's andempathize with, sometimes even romanticize,men — but not women —who sin. In fact, lawyers, both male andfemale, often defend male — but notfemale — killers pro bono.A woman's story is rarely believed, bymen or even by other women: Less so ifshe's accusing a man of being the agbyPhyllis ChesterON THE ISSUES SUMMER 199229
Page 1 and 2: T H E P R O G R E S S I V E W O M A
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTSSUMMER 1992F E A T U R E S8
Page 5 and 6: MERLE HOFFMANO N T H E I S S U E SI
Page 7 and 8: WIN SOME c LOSE SOMEA Compiled Adap
Page 9 and 10: officials said."The quest for cheap
Page 11 and 12: ody performed. Every cycle was wort
Page 13 and 14: W I T *6What Really Happened During
Page 15 and 16: Salem Village began, in November 16
Page 17 and 18: ead account of the Salem trials. Mi
Page 19 and 20: I******Recent Major "Witch Hunt"by
Page 21 and 22: The following year, Joe McCarthy di
Page 23 and 24: two young children to his native Ne
Page 25 and 26: ON THE ISSUES SUMMER 199223
Page 27 and 28: farm in the summer of 1990, she was
Page 29: By the late198Os,witchcraftwas a cr
Page 33 and 34: pushed the death penalty, portrayin
Page 35 and 36: By Laura SydellAnd OtherReportorial
Page 37 and 38: then failing to follow through duri
Page 39 and 40: E AGAINSavannahpressed itselffull-l
Page 41 and 42: PRAYING FOR SHEETROCK: A Workof Non
Page 43 and 44: LETHAL CIRCLEby Paola D'EllesioAlth
Page 45 and 46: her acknowledgement could have wide
Page 47 and 48: havior. What drove you to act as yo
Page 49 and 50: movement left no room for motherhoo
Page 51 and 52: neously rose up in mass protest. He
Page 53 and 54: model of childbirth, and the midwif
Page 55 and 56: tool for promoting euthanasia and d
Page 57 and 58: IPt&z&eIS S-iJ E SRECOMMENDEDYes, I
Page 59 and 60: Madonna image — the mother — th
Page 61 and 62: There is also talk now of a new"wom
Page 63 and 64: most interesting article for On the
Page 65 and 66: GOODS & SERVICESYELLOWEMPERORWe hav

300 Years & Counting 1H KILLS - On The Issues Magazine

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?