Well I can understand why you may feel a hole today. I dont know how well you know these men that are in this group but they obviously disappointed you.

But I wouldn't necessarily jump to conclusions, silence doesn't always mean that the men did not appreciate the speaker. More than anything you probably shocked them.
One never really knows what true effect something like this will have on a person.
I wouldn't just assume that the reaction displayed guilt or even a reveal of how these men treat women. It is more the type of a speaker that caught them off guard and the lack of response was probably a better indication of that than anything else.

Byz, by presenting that kind of speach you never know what real effect that may have. A man in that group may have a daughter and he might decide to talk to her about what he learned that night. A man may have a wife that had a history of abuse and he may now have a more sympathetic understanding of that wife. And just because that one man told you that it was a bad idea and you need to learn a lesson, well, that is just one opinion. And that tells you something about that man.
You may find down the road that after some time has passed someone may mention quietly that they actually were glad you presented that and they have really thought about it and it was very informative. It is really too early to tell. Men don't typically know how to respond to this type of topic.

But what did you get out of it? Your opinion is important too.

Maybe you just realized something, you have more value than other men. Because the bottom line is, that is a value, a very good value to be concerned about women and how their lives really are. Are they going to look at you differently, maybe, but I would like to think that you present a good example of a person who is capable of respecting others. Silence does not always mean rejection. I think you definitely surprised them but you did give them food for thought but it may be silent thought.
And silent thought is sometimes the most significant thought and contemplation.

My only concern is for the speaker. I would make sure that you inform her that she had an impact of deep thought and that you feel she did a good job at discussing a topic that is challenging to think about.

People in general do not know how to respond to this information, it is shocking.
Think about this, did you ask questions? Did you have immediate questions come to mind? How did the information set with you? Silence is not always a bad sign.

Oh, and Mgran you should have talked about their hunting dogs and fanned out from there. Most hunters have a very high regard for their hunting dog partners.

Open Eyes