There is always sexual dimension to human interaction, its just a facet of being who/what we are. The question is: do we reduce people only to their sexual aspects? Do we apply force?... Thats simply degrading to any human being, and is an act of sexual violence. Its simple assult and battery as well. Lets get the differences straight here and TRY to be grown up and not disingenuous about the issue.

Women who enjoy certain men in certain ways will emphasise their femininity for them, pressing brests, brushing thighs or even going so far as to move or glance in ways to get/hold their attention. This is true. Its also easy to ignore if its not appropriate, and easy to send the direct message that its not welcome. Lean away, move or don't look. Easy. If they don't get it they don't get it, and all you have to do is keep avoiding their come-ons.

Its also easy to flirt with a woman without doing anything domineering or assulting her. Let her catch you looking when you think the look is wanted, emphasise your masculinity for them by standing in certain ways, dress to be noticed, go out of your way to perform small token gestures of respect... Again, easy for them to send the message efficiently or quickly about what is not wanted, easy for them to continue to ignore the man if the man is too dumb or rude to get it.

If there is a power dynamic involved, then its best to avoid any sexual communication at all. In fact, that is my personal office policy no matter who does what to me. But a lot of people simply are not conscious of the fact that they have sexual/seductive behaviors towards the opposite sex regardless of they are actually sexually interest in that person or not. Southern men and women, and some Europeans are outrageously frustrating in this respect as they often just exude 'lets get together' vibes to everyone of the opposite sex.

To some extent, the dense folks and the 'oblivious broadcasters' must be tolerated (perhaps hated, but no more or less than the office gossip or the office snitch) in the work place, as peers, inferiors and superiors. It just happens that in any collection of humans some people will act in covertly sexual ways when it is not wanted. Everyone just needs to get over it. Its like a bunch of 4th graders tittering on about their 'phys ed' class where the school nurse talked about the birds and the bees.

Its a whole different order of business when people use physical force. If a man or a woman grabs a sexual organ, that is simply assult. If a man or a woman does this, they are behaving in no way different than someone who punches someone else, or rifles through their personal belongings.

RobVG: think of it this way. I weigh 230 pounds and, when I'm keeping up with my exercise, I can bench press close to 200, more then most men weigh. I also had about 5 years of very street-fighting oriented martial arts training in my youth. Going just by averages in men and fighting experience, I would lay even odds that if I grabed the average man (maybe a man just your size) by the organ and started fondling it forcefully, you would feel *VERY* intimidated, very Violated and Very scared. I would never do such a thing for MANY reasons, the main of which is that it would be an evil and horrible thing to do. But imagine Arnold S., who could bench press hundreds more then I could, doing that to a 100 pound woman? Now imagine you prancing along and saying that its not all that bad, and women get away with too much.

Get the picture?

Lets get this straight. Grabbing a breast, or a thigh or a damn shoulder using physical force, exposing or humiliating a person using superior strength is really akin to rape, not akin to the simple subtle sexual signals that healthy men and women (and women and women and men and men) exchange on a daily subconscious basis. Its different, and its criminal.

Its also a whole different business when the sexual advances are made blatantly from a position of power- Especially when an attempt to barter power favors for sexual favors is made, or employment status is threatened. Its a crime. If rape is the attempt to force a person physically into a sexual act, then this is very much like Rape.

As for Lee and RobVG:

C'mon, folks. If you can't tell the difference between Arnold S behavior and the comman average every day flirt, then you are too stupid to have lived to adult hood. I think you folks are intentionally clouding the issue so that you can justify supporting this litte shit of a sexual predator.

And anyone who equates an unwanted Breast Press with grabbing a womans buttocks is simply too dense for light to escape.

As for the rest of the hypocritical conservatives horrified at the 'smear' of Arnold:

Arnold S. is everything the moralizing facet of the 'Right' hated Clinton for being. I saw the movie that SHOWED him (Arnold) Smoking Pot. I saw him at best not deny and at worst admit to the DOZENS of allegations of sexual assult. These allegations were NOT 'dug up' at the last moment to hurl at him in the campaign, many here and elsewhere ignorantly claim. These allegations go as far back as the 90's, and were very public and very well printed.

So if you supported Arnold, at least be honest- You supported a Drug using Womanizing pig of a man who shot steroids to get an unfair edge in competition. A cheat. A woman abuser. A man who all but rapes women.

And no, I don't mind his politics all that much- what LITTLE he has actually said about his politics.

Davin L.