I agree with you that all other things being equal, a man is more of a threat to a woman than vice-versa, but rarely are all other things equal.

You do not need to be a strong or highly trained woman to grab a man by the head and plunge your thumbs into his eyes. For that matter, any woman get kick a man very hard in the shin and hurt him badly.

No matter how strong a man is, he'll never be able to grow muscles over his eyes or throat or groin or shins or kneecaps or insteps, and with a little training a woman can learn how to attack each of those. Also, can woman can pick up a blunt object or a knife, or even a gun.

A woman may have less strength than most men, but given some training,she can pose a very dangerous threat to any man alive. The fact that too many women already assault men (in one-sided assaults) demonstrates that women should not be dismissed as "the weaker sex," except maybe in a weightlifting competition.

I think men in general are more prone to violence than women, and that would account for the greater number of female victims of domestic abuse than male victims.

A small man who is a thug and an experienced streetfighter will like win a fight against a large man who is gentle and averse to violence.

Fighting can be taught to anyone. Women can learn to fight. If a woman learns to fight, and she is up against a man who does not know how to fight, I would bet on the woman.

AKA Smith, I enjoy your farmgirl wisdom, but I am an amateur zoologist and am not unfamaliar with what you've written.

Since you're all talking about balls here, and the effects thereon of a well-placed kick, here's a story that illustrates my points: just a few days ago the Washington Post reported on how a little girl got away from her attacker by kicking him in the balls (or "groin" as the paper delicately put it). 'Nuff said.

I see your point, but I would phrase it differently, as in "People who hit people who are weaker than them are subhuman." As in, not fully developed human beings in the larger sense.

As a believer in equal rights for both genders, I believe in equal responsibilities to. A man shouldn't have to "take it" if a woman hits him. He should defend himself just as he would if a man was hitting him. In most cases that would be to walk away; once you're beyond their reach, they can't hit you. If they follow after you and you cannot walk away, and you cannot defuse the situation by talking, you clobber them, be they man or woman.

I have voted Democratic in every election since 1984, but with this disgusting capitulation by the Democrats, I have finally had enough.

Is it too much to ask for an Attorney General who does not support torture?!

I'm beginning to think the Republicans are right about the Democrats: they do not have what it takes to keep our country safe. If they cannot stand up to a deeply unpopular President over the issue of torture, how can they stand up to anyone at all?

I need to ask all of you Democrats this: why bother voting in 2008? Isn't it clear now that it does not make a difference? The Democrats -- excuse me, Defeatocrats -- are worse than useless.

People raise animals in cruel and filthy conditions and then slit threat throats so that they can feed off of their dead bodies. If that wretched system ends up hurting people, it's not unlike a serial killer whose gun blows up in his face.

There's no excuse for glorifying violence and crime and misogyny and crass materialism. I'm also sick of hearing obscenities booming out of people's cars. Most rap is garbage, along with the lifestyle it promotes.

I do, however, like Dubstep, now that I've heard some. I'm an old Sly & Robbie fan.

Go vegetarian.

Why go vegetarian, you ask? Compassion for other living beings. It's better for your health. It's far less stressful on our land, water, and air resources. It involves less fuel. It contributes far less to global warming than the meat industry (according the U.N., the meat industry creates more greenhouse gases than the auto industry). It permits the feeding of more people at lower cost. It's delicious.

How can we respect a Democratic Congress that just voted to confirm Mukasey as attorney general? What clearer issue can there be than torture? Let Bush rattle his playpen and throw temper tantrums and refuse to nominte anyone else. For once, can't the Democrats grow a spine and stand on principle?

And then there is Nancy Pelosi's recent fundraiser for the corporate and GOP ass-kissing tool, Albert Wynn, my "Democratic" Congressman. Progressives are doing their best to help Donna Edwards defeat Wynn in 2008, and here's Pelosi, raising funds for a man who voted for the bankruptcy bill, voted to interfere in the Terry Schiavo tragedy, and opposes net neutrality, among many other ills (not to mention being lousy at constituent service).

It's enough to make you stay home in 2008.