Spec Ops sends me to many places, encountering many people. While saving the world of books from those ill-intentioned enough to believe that they shouldn't have to leave well enough alone, I see and hear lots of things about people that either delight and amuse or simply stun me into silence.

Sometimes, I find I have doubled back onto something I thought I was done with.

If you are a woman, you know the uncomfortable feeling that comes from being leered at. It's the look that makes you feel small and angry and outraged and helpless. 'cause all he's doin' is lookin', know whutI'msayin'? Nothing feels so silly as wanting to yell, "Stop Looking At Me!"

As women, we can be appalled and indignant on our sister woman's behalf. Because we all know what it feels like. We can even talk strategy for stopping the behaviour, avoiding it or making ourselves feels not so small and helpless.

I have known a lot of people who excuse the behaviour by saying, "He's a guy. What're you gonna do?"

The proper retort to this is something like, "That doesn't make it right."

But what if, in your daily affairs you hear a story about a woman you know that mirrors this behaviour? A story that appalls you so much it leaves you blushing and speechless?

I would not want the reputation as a woman whose male healers pass on this "forewarning" to each other, "Wear loose pants, she likes to check out your package."

A man does that and he gets excused (except in the most egregious cases). A woman does that and everyone who comes in contact with her label her but no one makes excuses for her.

That sort of behaviour by anyone is wrong. So wrong it makes my already overworked head hurt. This goes beyond the simple enjoyment of the beauty of the universe's handiwork.

And what makes it worse in my eyes is that we, as women, work so hard to be taken seriously and accepted and someone comes along and does something this boneheaded it sets us back. How can we be taken seriously when women are using 911 as a dating service or being known for objectifying men to the point it makes them uncomfortable?