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