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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 1997)
The Battalion NINGS Wednesday . October 29 ; 1997 ued from jnately for ON Sreakine free from the bottle ;ti: Vomen must liberate themselves from male-dominated, sex-centered society Michelle Voss columnist ve Back Coach )f the best in red Glenn, Smith, Ray Bates. Coach itential in Jen: nk the NFListm] 1 to judge, chance. Heh ' get to that en are scum. Okay, not i’o start for us ;Ly I all men. Most men are bout the cok V JLcaring, sweet, kind- i Brandon an: larted and good friends. In a et. In turn, BiJrd, nice. makes plays However, the remaining five uccess." ten percent are pathetic Coach R.( sers with no semblance of nth Slade’sass oral fiber. This five to ten per- havingagooc nt|ncludes boys who take guy with lot Ivantage of freshmen girls, cum said. These are the social degen- was surpr ates, the foul-smelling fungi play last year humanity. They feed off of a as a pleasant iung woman’s vulnerability and leave her to decay, young man I Fifeshman girls who fall for these parasites are and fill a spot. live. Listen girls, many boys who are leading you 1 liked anexpenck to their dorm do not just want to chat about but that didn eudian analysis and read e.e.cumming’s poetiy. He d. ighi just want sex. has compare Sadly, society and even our peers bombard us with Francisco IS risted messages that say something must be wrong >ecause of tli ithyou if you are not having sex. Crass commercial- nce and bet ttion of sex has lead to a severe distortion of reality, el in pass coveiung people are left feeling inadequate or even freak- ent Hatters Jen if they are not participating in this national orgy, h Slade gives The results of these dangerous images are kids d I ty to male ho lack discretion. Like strapping young bucks off said. i episode of “Wild Kingdom,” many college boys imon belief in e pressured into believing that it is their manly s players m ity to chase after sex from any female with a pulse, improvement nfortunately, unsuspecting freshman girls often be- shman and surHe the target of this disgusting circus. Hie same is Like shy little kittens, sleepy-eyed and cute, fresh- an girls arrive to college with illusions and roman- can see the e' dr eams. Prancing around campus with visions of ough. He’snii inee Charming, Godiva chocolates, roses and back I le’s beam: bs, her longings of grandeur are trampled by the her and thafs:>ad. Ugly, warty and swarthy, the Toad prefers Taco mg in the wedl cheap beer, and ramen noodles, xme a muchbf It is time for boys and girls to face the music (ya r,” Slade said, tow, it’s that offensive and kinky disco). Many /er, there is tls are caving in to the manipulation and lies of h. Jceptive boys. Ion could becc: Resulting from a lack of identity and self-esteem, it of the gamt'nao freshman girls naively believe that if only they was, and gaia tiding of tb fall into bed with a guy, he will shower them with af fection and his uttermost attention. This summer-camp mentality that you’ll wake up tomorrow holding hands with this guy and frolicking down by the lake with daisies in your hair is just not a reality. Truth is, he won’t remember your favorite Sinatra tune or that you had a cat named “Mr. Fluff- sky.” He won’t even remember your name. Boys who prey on innocent girls are cowards. They are too scared of responsibility and caring and be come serial one-night-standers, luring girl after girl into their shag-carpeted, strobe-lighted, smoke-filled rooms with disco balls and mirrors. These scummy boys deserve to wear a bikini with stiletto heels and a sequin banner that says, “I’m a Sensitive Male,” while serving turkey giblets at Sbisa. We could call it “Empathy Day.” Insecure about their self-image, many college boys feel compelled to show off their sexual prowess for the rest of the tribe. Sex becomes a contest, a sa fari. Who can score the most, who can bring home the gaudiest trophies. Why do boys do this? Don’t they realize she is a person, not a mute, deaf, feeling-less sex thing? She is capable of wrath, of slashing tires and of degrading your name on a flying ad at a football game. In no way is the female in this situation is just a helpless victim. To the contrary, women possess in credible power. Yet, so many girls relinquish this power in hopes of gaining attention. Women simply must take control instead of being controlled. This is not just a lecture for freshman girls, this is a warning to women everywhere. Do not compromise your principles, pride and self-respect for a guy who, in the end, does not care. Boys, behave like civilized gentlemen and find some dignity. Ladies are human beings who deserve respect; they are not sexual objects. As a generation, we need to liberate ourselves from the daily assaults of enslaving filth from the media. We should feel outrage toward the revolting manner in which the media depicts women, and we need to work for change. Otherwise, we will be just a cesspool of scum. Michelle Voss is a sophomore English major. omen illustrate superior intelligence t is indeed a crushing revelation, some- hing which could shake the very founda- ion of society. Yes, aid as it may be to ept, the truth has aled itself. Donny Ferguson columnist innings’ chat;: n succeed, former high Toya Jones Aggies a yet still decided. 1 ! compete wii position, md 1 are eel my igs said. “I"%« That’ll brin?f | In matters of ntertainment, tech- noiogy and common p i, jjsense, it has become iniaitn apparent that women are smarter than en. Oh, the shame and ignominy! p; Although by no AND means inferior, recent ; of f ans !L events are proving just eland today how far men lag behind women when it l he toughesi comes to the proper implementation of gray he Indians, matter. Paula Jones’ allegations about the, er, wds poured direction of the Presidential anatomy have id were tfi forced the infamously slippery Philanderer- ;1 rally throi In-Chief to either publicly disclose some r watched I. rat tier intimate information (thus verifying on a larged totAmerica what half the women in Arkansas ted for the; already know), or face widespread scrutiny, bands. Tte; i| The WNBA completed a full season without time the I® an arrest, bench-clearing brawl or a Technicol- or-coiffed human pincushion, unlike their Y- romosome enhanced NBA counterparts. The difference is, as of yet, unexplained. aps estrogen acts as a catalyst in some mmon-sense initiating chemical reaction. Aybe repeated exposure to Bob Uecker’s he World S« World Series commentary shrivels brain ide also feat ^qells. Whatever the reason, it has become is broadcai cldar that the male population of this coun- e grand 0 try may be under the intellectual superiority 1 with ans were ing their first couldn’t holt i inning and. o the Florida. of their estrogen-laced counterparts. Television programming may be the best illustrator of the male/female intellectual gap. While networks like Lifetime offer educa tional, enlightening programs raising breast cancer awareness and child safety, ESPN and similar networks feature non-stop install ments of midget wrestling and “Marv Albert’s Love Connection.” Though more entertaining, male program ming lags behind female viewing in terms of intellectual development and social worth. Woodworking tips from a bearded Minneapo lis native may be handy around the house, but “HowTo Build You Own Handcrafted Cedar Adirondack Chair Out Of Last Year’s Christmas Tree” isn’t exactly up to par with a three-part series on the life of Mother Teresa. If men are to catch up to women in terms of educational television programming, Roy Fire stone will have to either schedule Maya An- gelou for the next installment of ESPN’s “Up Close,” or convince the New York Yankee’s Joe Torre to compose some improvisational poetry. Though anthropological evidence sug gests men have been historically superior to women in tool making and utilization, the 20th century has seen the above-mentioned male dominance deteriorate. In the early 1900’s Marie Curie discovered radium, revo lutionizing the field of x-ray technology. A few decades later, men discovered Silly Putty, revolutionizing the field of goofing off. Women invented the world’s first antifungal, non-toxic antibiotic, leukemia-fighting drugs and Kevlar. Men are responsible for New Coke, the Pet Rock, rubber vomit, Muzak and the Mir space station. However, the single greatest defining dif ference between the sexes is common sense. Truth be known, if men were left on their own, tire average wardrobe would consist of 2.5 shirts and a pair of ratty pants and Ameri ca’s refrigerators would hold a box of week- old pizza and a jar of mustard. The nation’s roadways would be jammed with lost motorists refusing to ask for direc tions and calendars, date books and instruc tion manuals would be rendered obsolete. If not for women, society would crumble in a forgetful, messy, stubborn orgy of disorder. The crushing, demoralizing truth can no longer be ignored. Eleanor Roosevelt practi cally ran the nation in the final years of Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency. Jimmy Carter practically ran the nation into the ground in the final years of the 1970s. No matter how good a guy thinks he is with electronics without having to read the directions, he still has to call his intellec tually superior friend Autumn to program his One-In-All remote. For centuries, men have denied the now- apparent “intelligence gap” between the sex es; but it seems the inevitable has caught up to us. It may be embarrassing and emasculat ing, but it’s about time we guys realized if it weren’t for our level-headed, cerebrally domi nant female friends, we’d still be wearing that “Wayne’s World” t-shirt from junior high. Now if, you’ll excuse me, Autumn has to show me how to calculate an algebraic radical, or something. Donny Ferguson is a junior political science major. were quick for the W® stood outsit wling wind* peratures, autographs their gear heroes, VI AIL C ALL rattering V •« ’urpose of black team ireeks ignored ilayers are ■ ° le here whet In response to Anna Foster’s ve came,’ silumn on October 28th, we first big, black clc iestion her knowledge on the ow.” unding principles of black fra- it about Indignities and sororities. v-50-year" One of their principles is to unite ■ 100-loss td support the black community, t Edgar H er suggestion to consolidate 1 single ti erdy to increase the manpower re? r projects such as the Dance v is what’sh arathon and “well-executed step during wh tows” is preposterous. (Once rave won djahi Anna displays her ignorance, id two ALp e P shows were not done solely can’t wait entertainment purposes, but as a reflection and reminder of our African heritage.) Since their beginnings in 1906, black fraternities have been known worldwide for continual support of all communities. This has been done successfully with out the assistance of the Inter- Fraternity Council. The bottom line remains the same that there is no comparison to a group whose selection process is based upon leadership skills, scholastic achievement, and com munity service involvement. We do not believe that it is be cause they do not want to “play to gether,” but there is no need for them to “play together.” We recommend that you take the time to research the purpose of the black Greek System before you make such absurd suggestions. No we are not members of a Greek organization, but we are still able to feel the striking impact their service and lifetime commit ments have on our communities. Tosha Coble Jamila Dardar Class of’99 Mormons exhibit freedom of religion In response to Mandy Cater’s Oct. 28 column: I compliment your writing. Yours is the one op/ed column that I can stomach. I have not read an opinion of yours which, like a multitude of others, belit tles what you critique. You will forgive my flattery, but this is all the more signifi cant since I squarely disagree with certain points in “The art of censorship.” First, I sympathize with your appreciation for art, but you must admit, life has its priorities. What I mean is, the Mormon Church (of which I am, happily, NOT a participant) believes, like any religion that takes itself seriously, that the claims of art, politics, economics, etc., have nothing fundamentally “high er” to offer than what’s con tained its doctrine. I, therefore, cannot agree that what BYU did is “unfortunate.” After all, this is the country not only of free expression, but also of freedom of reli gion. BYU officials place a higher priority in the latter, and such prioritizing is neces sary in a world where, con trary to advertisements, we can’t have it all. Would you not think it ridiculous for a comedian whose primary whipping-boy is Muhammad (Islam’s prophet) to sue for a perfor mance in the local mosque? Or for the local art afi cionados to stir up city council in order to display “Piss Christ” at St. Mary’s Catholic Church? I grant you these are extreme examples, but I think BYU felt, on a smaller scale, the same kind of intrusion on what it holds dear. As to the truth of the Mor mon doctrines, that is another matter for a different sort of publication. S. Kiilehua Graduate Student March shows signs of female advances and empowerment T his past Satur day, three to five hundred thousand women gath ered to form the Million Woman March. Al though some people might label this event as a watered-down version of the Mil lion Man March or an attempt to simply show that women can gath er in big groups, this is just one of many instances in which women have shown the world their power. It used to be that women were viewed as center pieces of the home. They cooked, they cleaned and they made sure their children received a proper education. Nowa days, women still hold these posi tions of domestic service (as do men), but each new day proves that taking care of “the home” environ ment only is one of their means of living. Women are presidents of companies, leaders of countries and respected figures of authority in many other walks of life. All of this talk concerning fe male empowerment is in no way a means to bash the male popula tion (why would I want to attack myself?). On the other hand, the at titudes of too many male-chauvin istic individuals have given women the distinction of being nothing more than dressed-up Barbie Dolls with no personality or intelligence. Only one good notion came from this arcane thinking — that being a woman is not equal to being a man. In fact, they surpass men in more areas than ever recorded in history. Men, why do you think America is labeled with a feminine pro noun? It is because America is a great body of land, filled with free dom of expression, diversity and individual inner-strength. All of these characteristics define women. They are the nurturers of our country’s children, the bearers of maintaining social justice and equality and they are a constant reminder that “feminine wiles” represent more than materialism and sex appeal. At the Million Woman March, women of color, African-American women, discussed the abolish ment of social problems such as drug use, black-on-black crime and domestic violence. With such a gathering, although it only may the beginning, change is sure to come with influential forces such as Winnie Mandela taking the time out to discuss reform within the African-American community. And in the big-picture scope of the march, people must realize this only was a unification of African- American women. Imagine the possibilities if wo men of all cultures and diverse backgrounds joined to form a unified front against social ills plaguing the nation. This is the way a people rise to overcome overwhelming odds. And because women are standing their ground and making attempts to reach new heights in societal re spectability, they are categorized and defamed by use of the word “femi-nazi.” This description allows the im age of militant outfitted women with masculine features to per vade and impede the mind. “Nazi” certainly does not convey a positive connotation. The term is simply an easy out for men to brush women aside and declare them unfit in an overbear ing male society. The word “femi nism,” however, does play a huge part in positive acknowledgment of women. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines feminism as: the principle that women should have political, economic and social rights equal to those of men; the movement to win such rights for women. Notice that the phrase “hatred of men” cannot be found. This is because feminism has absolutely nothing to do with female disdain of men. It is all about empowerment, self-respect and attaining the knowledge it takes to succeed in life — emotion ally, spiritually and economically. In the end, men can take a few pointers from women, their strug gles and the strides they have made in history. Rosa Parks never took a back seat in standing up for her rights. Women of today have shown and should continue this display of fem inism in the true sense of the word. James Francis is a junior English major. James Francis opinion editor