Always present, rarely spoken

Between my only two classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I while away the hour and a half in the nearest campus computer lab. With every student taking class at this campus given a username and password upon enrollment, we keep our internet records straight and ensure that any unauthorized activity is properly handled.

Today I went to my usual tucked-in-the-corner computer and sat down to the sign-in screen. Now with our sign-in and sign-out system, the screen keeps the last username to sign out in the box to fill out. Today my screen read "Username: Women are stupid".

I'm signed in, and I'm writing now; but there's something unexpectedly painful about seeing that message. Knowing that the person (I can only assume a man seeing as most women's suspicion of other females is so rarely so intense as to inspire this sort of effort) had to sign out and deliberately type the words before leaving-- I mean, seriously, this was needless and impulsive, not the move of an intelligent person.

But why? And that's my question for so much of the anger and resentment toward women. WHY. What's the reason, what's the motive to hurt, what makes it worthwhile to these people. I have a hard time believing that self-interest can drive a person to deliberately and intentionally harm another person... but then I look at anti-choice politics and have to reconsider.

I know there are studies and surveys that have attempted to answer this, but none of their solutions are satisfactory to me. I'm tired of hearing the excuses, and Joey' s post about the rape-rationalizing film "Free Will" is ringing suddenly very clear to me.

It starts with a mean-spirited "Women are stupid", but where does it end?