Kara,i actually quoted Margaret Thatcher.

statements like "humans are not animals"freak me out.don`t take it personal.
do you know what you are saying with such statements ?that all the millions of species on this planet can be divided in just TWO categories:human beings and the rest !
Kara,we ARE animals.we have to eat,we need oxygene,we have to go to the toilet.

"Typical masculine and feminine traits are in a large part socially constructed and so they can and should change as society changes. "
that`s wrong.there are thousands of scientific results that proove the opposite.gene,G-E-N-E-S largely determine our behaviour.the remaining ENVIRONMENTAL influences are things like "exposure of the embryo to substances,
position of embryo in uterus(in case of twins)etc. so factors that can NOT be shaped by "society".

*conciliatory* Kara,why do you identify
Nature with "evil" and
Culture with "good" ?

imagine a totalitarian system that wants to sacrifice boys from age 14+ in a terrible war.so the propaganda of this system will say "to sacrifice your young life is a noble and heroic thing to do". but the Mothers of these boys won`t buy it.they will try toresist.because their INSTINCTS tell them so.
i have read a book that`s entirely dedicated to reconciliation strategies of apes and monkeys.

unlike you i`m convinced that we can NOT (re-)create ourselves.
unlike you i don`t think this is merely bad news.there are a lot of positive instincts we can build on in the future.
we don`t have to believe that "tabula rasa"-nonsense if we want a human and
peaceful future.

"witch-hunt" was refering to BrianRitchie and Mr.Smith,NOT to you Kara.

your view of animals makes me sad :((
believe me,i prefer to be nice and polite.
but animals are to me what women are to Brian.
i can`t talk about them without emotions.

it`s true that you weren`t aggressive.you just hit a nerve.MY fault,not yours.
Sorry if you feel offended.

Gerhard