This word has triggers galore. Normally I would think of sexual predators, the likes of Epstein and Maxwell. But there are plenty of predatory types out in the world who have yet to have an adjective to specify them. Whoever desires something, or someone, can resort to predation to satisfy their lust. It’s truly a jungle out there. Shields up!
My education surrounding the beasts of the world has thankfully not been because of being preyed upon. I am a white male after all! I have had the unexpected privilege of my race and sexual chromosomes. What information I have picked up regarding the wolves of the human world is from those who have been less fortunate by birth: women, POC, the poor, the less educated.
Every woman I have ever met has told me tales of being preyed upon by aggressive actors. In pornographic films the predator takes what it needs and the victims are left lying about; in various states of distress, undress and duress. In many cultures it gets muddy whether truth is following fiction or vice versa. My special mom is still wary at 97, “It’s never a good situation to have someone follow you.” I asked her to qualify her declaration so she tapped her finger on the arm of her chair telling me that many men are often “Up to no good.” I felt shamed.
In the wild there are many examples of predator/prey interactions. My students in elementary school learned about the food chain by pretending to be a creature on the menu for the lion on the lawn. The shrieks of children being chased and tagged in the schoolyard still ring in my ears. After the game we would plot graphs, draw pictures and study biomes to show just how wondrous is the web of life in a healthy world. At the end of the day even my 8 year olds could see that humans don’t play by the same rules of nature.
In the world of cinema there are many symbolic predators coming from space, the comic pages, or from an imaginary underworld. I was fascinated by the documentary Black Zombies which informed me of the roots of the horror film genre going back to slavery on the Island of Saint Domingue (now Haiti). In Vodou folklore the undead at least have a measure of peace from all the depravity of being stalked, hunted, bound, and sold.
Testosterone is not to blame. I was taught to never hit a girl, and to always show respect for the downtrodden. But even in sport you’ll hear aggression as though it is acceptable. Like a commentator who suggests that the team experiencing a wide lead on their opponents should “Kick them while they’re down.” In finance, the über wealthy are quick to take advantage of a floundering company. The political predators search for inconsistencies and perceived hypocrisies within the opposing candidates. Making the kill in these cases is about the predator breaking the will, not the bones, of those targeted.
Glorifying the predator, is no better than victimizing the prey. Grace must guide our way.
