Opinions • Tuesday, February 5, 2013
YOUR VIEWS FROM PAGE 4
problem is not the technology directed at rating men or women on attractiveness or marriage prospects, but it is the environment many people foster — an environment that believes our rape culture is a myth or that feminists are creating, purposefully, a fear campaign against men. In 2011, the United States Census Bureau reported approximately 158.9 million women/girls and 152.7 million men/ boys (311.6 million total) in the resident population of the United States. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, an estimated 84,767 forcible rapes (the carnal knowledge of a person forcibly and against their will; excludes statutory rape) were reported to law enforcement in 2010. According to the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men will be raped with current patterns. A 2000 survey commissioned by the United States Department of Justice found 20 percent of college women and 15 percent of college men are victims of forced rape. Those are just the reported cases. This is not a minority of the population making up numbers based on ideology and guesswork; it is fact, it is the culture we live in and continue to allow to germinate. A rape culture will exist as long as people hide from it or make excuses for it. It will exist as long as rape jokes, slut shaming, and victimization endure. Rape and sexual assault continue at high rates, domestically and abroad. It is not something that should be accepted among our educated population. We, as the next generation of leaders, must become advocates of social justice and equity by not allowing others to minimize this epidemic of violence. Sincerely, The F.O.R.C.E. Interns of the Women’s Resource Center
Arizona Daily Wildcat • 5 empathy” (by Kristina Bui, Feb. 4): I agree with the message of your column, and these kinds of posts are why I’ve never been interested in UA Confessions. I am a little confused about your opening sentence, though. The Internet doesn’t corrupt otherwise wholesome people and force them to make these comments; it simply presents them in a way that is harder to ignore because they are available for a broader audience to read for a longer period of time (as compared to someone making this kind of comment verbally in passing). Perhaps if as a society we spent less time villianizing the internet we could spend more of it worrying about the people who make these kinds of comments. Empathy has been a problem for people long before computers. —Janae Phillips
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In response to “From the newsroom: Online comments policy will help keep discussion relevant, mature” (by Lynley Price, Feb. 4): “If a comment ‘discriminates against a group on the basis of gender, religion, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other identity’ it will be removed.” Ah, yes, the “Speech Police” strikes again. Seriously; why not just shut down ALL comments? The Wildcat will make for a really boring ‘PC’ read, anyway. Why not limit discussions to the permiability of beach sand? That’s bound to not offend anyone. Oh, dear! Beach sand is ‘off topic’. Nevermind. Yawn....zzzzzzzzzzzzz............. — Steve Langstroth
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Well done. Getting rid of the riff-raff can only improve this website. — Kevin Wos
In response to “Hook-up culture dominates UA, making dating a rarity” (by Wildcat staff, Feb. 1): I blame fraternity/sorority life for the downfall of dating at U of A. We’ve become a generation of kids who are afraid Like K.C. Libman, Campus Health to actually pick up the phone and call Service’s Oasis Program Against Sexual someone we like just to talk. I have friends Assault and Relationship Violence who can’t have sex sober ... and that is truly disapproves of the use of social media tragic, cause they’re missing out on a lot. technologies, such as Lulu, to publicly But you know, I don’t mind that dating denigrate UA students. has been phased out by vitali flavored hook In some cases, this behavior may ups and smiley-faced texts. It just means constitute sexual harassment, which affects that actually knowing how to cook a meal, both men and women. how to make a girl laugh, how to hold a Nevertheless, we understand and conversation goes a lot farther in Tucson support students’ desire for safety and ... and girls notice. All ya’ll frat boys keep community accountability at the UA. doing your thing; you make me look pretty We encourage every student who has damn good. experienced sexual harassment, sexual — Mr. Man assault, relationship violence or stalking to utilize campus resources. Students can In response to “In light of recent school report incidents to the Dean of Students shootings, how does the UA deal with Office (621-7057) or the University of campus crisis” (by Shelby Thomas, Jan. Arizona Police Department (626-0066). 30): They can also confidentially report I’m very glad to see this information incidents or seek counseling and advocacy getting out to students. The UA is taking services from the Oasis Program (626proactive steps to protect and inform the 2051). student body, and educate us in what to do Furthermore, online commenters have in such a set of circumstances. Three years grossly underestimated the incidence ago at another college I was in a class with of campus sexual assault. Recent data an obviously disturbed young man who collected by the National Institute of later went on to commit a mass shooting. Justice show that nearly 1 in 5 women will I tried several times to warn the experience attempted or completed sexual school admin about his behavior, and no assault (defined as encompassing sexual one would take my repeated warnings battery and rape) during college. seriously. It was clear they had no protocol in place for intervening with a disturbed — Megan McKendry, M.P.H., and student before he/she resorted to this kind Kathleen Young, Psy.D. of action. Take the time to follow the link Oasis Program Against Sexual Assault at the end of the article, and the time to and Relationship Violence plan how you would get out of each of your classes, and where you could go for safety. It will take 5 minutes out of your day, and In response to “U of A Confessions might save your life. comments reveal apathy, need for — Lynda Sorenson
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