Letters
It’s not about race, it’s rape
This is a response to "Critics question motive behind attacker
search" (News, March 18).
If you want to find a racial issue, move on, for to focus on
anything but the threat to our safety is ridiculous. The fact is
that someone has assaulted several women in Westwood, and has
thrown us all into a state of insecurity and distress.
It is an embarrassment to the intelligence of the collective
student body to make statements like James Clark’s. According to
him, "The sketch is very generic and it feeds to a hysteria against
black men on and off campus. All I know is that I can’t go into
Westwood after dark because I know I will get pulled over simply
for being black." Such ridiculous assertions just foster
ignorance.
There are no ulterior motives to uncover here. A visual image
was formed – based on victims’ accounts – to alert people, not to
make racial undercuts.
Only those awakened to some unknown person in their bed
assaulting them should be offering their opinions on how the
attacker is depicted.
Theresa Louis
Fourth-year
Sociology
Bra protests hypocritical
On March 10, the Daily Bruin’s front page contained a picture of
scantily-clad women joining the ranks of the protesters on Bruin
Walk. These women were petitioning for the removal of a recent
Maidenform advertisement, which made a statement to the effect that
inner beauty can only take a woman so far.
Well, congratulations, girls, for running the most hypocritical
campaign I have ever witnessed.
You all are so angered at Maidenform for promoting a society
where women are judged by their physical appearance, but what were
you doing by standing around in your bras? You gained attention
because of your outer appearance, not because of your argument.
While I agree that the advertisement is wrong in its message, the
statement you made was far worse than that of Maidenform.
Through your campaign, you showed that it is OK for a woman to
use her body in order to get what she wants. To me, this is a far
more damaging message to send to the impressionable minds of young
women.
Next time you decide to hold a protest, I urge you to be more
responsible when planning your strategy.
Maegan Heflin
Fourth-year
Psychology
Verbal assault sexually violent
I am writing in response to the article "Rape survey manipulates
actual number of victims" by Glenn Sacks (Viewpoint, March 3). I
hope that Sacks does not consider himself a good representative of
the male population, and as far as an apology goes, I think he
needs to make one not only to women, but also to men for his
uninformed and insensitive submission.
While I would never presume to understand and appreciate the
pain, confusion and despair that a rape causes, I think that I can
begin to empathize with the frustration and anger that many feel
every day about catcalls and sexist comments .
Not long ago, I sat waiting for a bus on Bundy. Dressed well, in
a skirt and shirt, I was proud of myself for having done well at an
interview. A pickup truck pulled up alongside me and the man inside
leered out at me. He then parked his car on the side, got out and
approached me. He sat down and asked me if I liked to party, that
he would pay me and I would have a good time. I was offered a phone
number and the man returned to his car.
I went from a strong, confident person to one who questioned
what she did to deserve his insulting suggestions. He did not touch
me or threaten me with a gun, but his words did almost as much
damage. This leer and proposition is a form of sexual violence
because I was violated.
I certainly would never wish rape on anyone, but maybe Sacks
should experience the feelings that accompany unwelcomed and
unwanted sexual advances. Maybe line up a few women along Bruin
Walk to call out and whistle as he walks by. Then perhaps he would
not feel as though 1 in 4 was such a high number.
Kathryn Goodyear
Fourth-year
Art history
Insulting column misconstrues Christianity
In regard to "Selling out on God" (Viewpoint, March 8) we
question the motivation and purpose of printing this article. Did
the Daily Bruin run out of material to print? The argument wandered
and the only apparent point was to make jest of religion, God and
Christianity. If there were a central purpose or thesis supported
by substantiated facts we would uphold the writer’s right to
freedom of opinion and speech. (Since when did Jesus run across the
water to catch his friends as if he were late? Mark 6:45-56 has the
real story).
If the writer Doug Lief had stuck to and developed the argument
about the glass bridge instead of making unrelated jabs at
Christianity, we might even agree with his article. But the
article’s various topics were only unified by their mocking of
Christianity.
We are not only offended because God and Jesus Christ are
central to our lives, but also because the Daily Bruin seems to
have limits on what is published in regard to matters such as race,
but not when it comes to beliefs such as Christianity. It would be
politically incorrect to publish such a mocking article on a less
dominate culture, ethnicity or religion within the United States.
It seems unethically biased to place limits on issues that you deem
important.
Do you not believe that religion is just as important to some
people as culture and race are to others?
We understand that Viewpoint is a forum to express opinions,
offensive or not. We are just asking that there be a universal
standard regarding the content and purpose of each article.
Criticism is appropriate if it is validated with proof and not
just written to insult others for fun.
We are sorry Lief, that you think religious leaders are nutty.
We think that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a dynamic leader who
acted in the name of the Christian God, and it disappoints us that
according to you he is in the same category with the man wearing
half a Big Bird costume talking to mailboxes on Pico. Too bad.
Perhaps God smote Lief in mid-sentence because he would have
been a good columnist if guided to a more appropriate subject with
a more effective argument.
Shayla Kasel
Third-year
Political science, history and religious studies
Eugena Wang
Third-year
Political science