You're seemingly missing the point with my argument. It's not about sexism, it's not about supporting an agenda, or providing a fertile ground for inadvisable behavior. It's very straightforward: you don't get to make these determinations for someone else. It's not your call to tell another person what their intent is. Offer the observation if you must, but that's where it has to end.
Think this one is worth taking a step back on, my man. Making a determination about a woman (calling her a "slut") for some reason ("she's not talking to me", "she's dressed a certain way", "she left for Dream Theater") is not OK. You're getting upset about someone making determinations about you, which is the very act that you are for some reason defending.
I know the op of this thread and I'm pretty sure that he doesn't really view women that way. I think we all get that times change and people shouldn't have there words dangled over them indefinitely. But there's really no need to go a step further and defend those words themselves.
Not defending those words nor am I saying it's okay. In fact, I believe I said it was not:
Of course it's wrong, at least for me.
What I'm clearly objecting to is coming in, 13 years after the fact, and, even after TWO mods - who have shown a history of being measured and prudent in their handling of sensitive issues - have weighted in decisively on the matter, and repeatedly judging others by association for their participation in a thread with questionable material (and I quote: "
some people here really hate women a lot and it shows").
Nothing I've said defends the underlying behavior or condones actual sexism. That it exists, though, doesn't give carte blanche to those who have issue with it. My objection, and the basis of almost all of my posts in this thread, was the forced judgementalism that seemed to imply that we're all guilty if we don't go along with the mob mentality and agree with the accusations against character. To your point, you KNOW the OP and have some insight, perhaps, into his intent. I don't see any of that objectivity with statements like that quoted above. And I'd have left this thread long ago if the discussion didn't continue down that path. I've repeatedly suggested that it is likely more productive that it be kept to the issue at hand - the actual or alleged sexism - and not on the forced implications of what each response might mean, but that was ignored, even down to questioning my intelligence. We're apparently just supposed to shut the f--- up and agree with the accusations or be complicit.