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O PINION
Page 5 • Friday, March 12, 1999
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alvin Klein's use of underwear-clad youngsters not in same class as child pornography
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Lisa
FOOX
A n adver
tise-
ment
runs in a na
tional month
ly magazine.
The picture
shows two lit
tle boys,
maybe seven
or eight years
old, in their underwear, playing
on a couch. They are very cute
little guys and they look like they
are having a great time. The ad
vertisement is for boys’ under
wear. First reaction: “Oh my
goodness, child pornography?”
Or “Oh my goodness, these little
kids are so cute?”
If the underwear line belongs
to Calvin Klein, the first thing
people cry is “child pornogra
phy.” But in this case, these ads
are not pornographic (in any
sense) for a variety of reasons.
The first issue to address is
what child pornography is. Ac
cording to the Justice Depart
ment’s guidelines, a picture
needs to meet five criteria to be
considered child pornography.
It must “focus on the genital
area, show unnatural poses, de
pict children as sex objects, im
ply that the children are willing
to engage in sex, and have a sug
gestive setting.”
Now, these ads do not focus
on the genital area. They are ad
vertising underwear and to show
underwear, the models need to
be wearing it, sure, but there are
no close-ups or specific camera
angles that zoom in on inappro
priate places.
Further, if all the people crying
foul really thought about these
criteria, they would realize that
children arm-wrestling on a couch
is not in an unnatural pose. Most
Americans, when they were chil
dren, have run around in their
homes in their underwear. Be
cause they are children and be
cause there is no social stigma at
tached to children being
comfortable in less clothing than
adults, there is something cute
about these little kids.
Nor do the ads imply that
these children are sex objects or
willing to engage in sex. The
idea that children need to be
used to sell children’s underwear
appears to be merely common
sense. Without a child model,
what could be used? Animals?
Adults? The best way to sell
something is to show beautiful
people — children or adults —
using the product.
The final criterion to think
about is the idea that these ad
vertisements place the children
in a suggestive setting. Ah yes,
the suggestiveness of jumping
on the couch, when a child is
seven years old. How strange,
how sexy.
Merely because Calvin Klein
designs an ad does not necessar
ily make it food for contention.
To claim that these ads are child
pornography devalues the horror
of real child pornography.
Child pornography portrays
children as engaging or being
forced to engage in sex for a
camera.This is obviously a dis
gusting, perverted and immoral
idea.
But Calvin Klein is not doing
this. He is not exploiting these
children for the sake of showing
children as sexual beings. He is
merely trying to sell his clothing.
Lisa Foox is a senior
journalism major.
ROBERT HYNECEK/Thk Battalion
artmouth making mistake in banning Greek organizations
j ecently the
Board of
uSm JL VTrustees at
mdb Dartmouth Universi-
rc hic;ty released an initia-
ti\ e that would over-
•— hciul student life on
jnse J the campus.
Is jeat;
imaxi
aweA
The Board intends Brandon
to build residence
halls and social
MULLEN
spaces and wants to improve the dining
ween | facilities. While this would be appreci-
I
ated by the student body, one point of
the plan has the majority of students
^’oftfej outraged.
I Ultimately the Board of Trustees
w inni:i wants to make all residential and social
esW iit; organizations coeducational. This
s hoot it would mean that the university that
was the inspiration for the classic
>a thesfl movie Animal House would no longer
tiallys: have same-sex Greek organizations. All
gen’s fraternities and sororities would be
forced to integrate their houses. Bluto
f r oni Blutarski could be living in the same
livers cf
nigh- 01 ;
•alsettoi
All
house as Babs Jansen.
The majority of the trustees’ goals
are reasonable, but integrating the
Greek system is like taking an entire
bottle of aspirin for a common
headache.
One of the reasons the Board is
pushing for a coeducational social sys
tem is it would decrease the problems
the campus has with alcohol.
This is not an uncommon problem.
Most colleges are concerned with alco
hol abuse. But running same-sex Greek
houses off campus is not a healthy so
lution. Dartmouth should consider oth
er alternatives, such as working with
the national organizations to control al
cohol abuse.
Representatives from the national or
ganizations of the fraternities met to
discuss alternatives to the initiative. In
a report in The Dartmouth, one of the
representatives stated the national or
ganizations would openly work with
the university to improve the alcohol
problems.
The representatives said this type of
open discussion would be beneficial to
every one involved: the university, the
Greek students, the non-Greek students
and the national organizations.
The representatives also stated the
trustees’ current plan to integrate the
Greek system would “ultimately drive
away the resources and support of the
national organizations.”
But, the board is determined to rede
fine the social atmosphere on campus
by making the Greek system coeduca
tional. The trustees want a social sys
tem that is coeducational to make it
more like real life. They do not agree
with social separation on the basis of
sex.
The national organizations are
strongly opposed to the integration of
fraternities and sororities and are will
ing to fight it. The university would be
making a big mistake if they alienated
these national organizations and their
alumni.
Another story in The Dartmouth, re-
MAIL CALL
ported that a significant number of
alumni have revoked donations in re
sponse to the initiative.
The university has stated that it
plans to spend as much money as is
necessary to make these changes work.
But if the announcement has already
caused alumni reaction, the actually
implementation could cause a further
drain of expected funds.
In addition to facing the heat of
alumni, the university could face the
fire of lawsuits from national organiza
tion who refuse to integrate.
The groups could argue their point
using a Congressional resolution that
protects freedom of speech and free as
sociation on public and private schools
that receive federal money.
Regardless of the legal and monetary
reasons not to change the Greek sys
tem, the trustees should look at the stu
dents. Only 35 percent of the students
to Dartmouth are part of the Greek sys
tem and 83 percent of the students are
in opposition to the initiative to make
the Greek system co-educational. The
trustees should realize that the current
system is acceptable to the students.
If the university wants to make the
social environment like real life, it
should be kept the way it is. In the real
world, everyone chooses who they
want to socialize with.
People decide who they want to be
friends with and who they do not. To
change the current system would go
against reality and tradition.
The Greek system at Dartmouth has
been around for 150 years. To make
such a drastic change would do more
damage than potential good.
The goal to reduce the amount of al
cohol abuse is valid, but the current
plan is not the answer.
The university should take the Greek
system off of “double-secret proba
tion,” and look for a more realistic so
lution.
Brandon Mullen is a senior history
and English major.
ne bt^ :
Marines more than
the?
ie b) trained fighters
, ' In response to Chris Bollinger’s
W0 tar. 9 mail call.
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I Two years ago there was a
shooting in Redford and an 18-
year-old boy was killed; however
the information in Chris
Bollinger’s letter was misleading.
1 To say that Marines and all
active duty military for that mat
ter are not trained in anything,
but the operations of war is even
more of an ignorant statement.
If that were the case, why was
an entire battalion sent to Flori-
d; i to build and run a tent city for
^^tle American citizens who had
list everything in Hurricane An
drew?
1 The United States Army along
r ,|Jiith other servicemen went to
ur ^ f Panama to stop the smuggling of
5pr illegal drugs into the United
States.
M Just last year young Marines
were sen t 0 n their first mission
rg raCl to Kenya to bring home the bod-
3b slte ies of Americans killed in the
embassy bombing. In order to
complete these domestic as well
as foreign missions successful-
ly, our troops are well trained in
many areas. In fact, the average
officer or enlisted Marine will tell
you that their training has
equipped them with the skills
that go beyond war tactics.
The list of positive, peace
keeping missions our services
have completed goes on and on,
and because so many men and
women continue to sacrifice
themselves and their families
the list will continue to go on. As
a civilian I am grateful.
It amazes me when people
sarcastically talk about the lack
of training that our military en
dures, yet when a catastrophe
strikes of any kind, we all expect
the military personnel to leave
their own families to serve other
Americans.
And without fail, they always
do, after all, they have been
trained to do so.
I am forever indebted to all
men and women who have
served me as well as my family
in all international and domestic
missions. The Marines sent to
Kosovo did not request the mis
sion, they have just executed it.
They are simply following the
orders of their superiors and by
doing so, they display an incredi
ble amount of respect and hon
or. In their training they were
taught to do this, and these
qualities will benefit them far be
yond their military days. I would
like to thank ail service person
nel as well as their spouses. I
cannot even begin to imagine
what this country would be like
without the sacrifices you have
made.
Jiulie Weber
Class of ’01
Kosovo involvement
not appropriate
In response to Luke Saugier’s
Mar. 5 opinion column.
The ultimate decision to em
ploy U.S. forces overseas in
volves more than the mentality
of, “America has the right to go
around trying to solve the prob
lems of other nations.”
One has to consider the nu
merous constraints and appropri
ate uses of the military instru
ment. Therefore, U. S.
interventionism cannot be based
on morals of: is it the right or
wrong thing to do.
Who in this country does not
■believe, "America’s success as a
nation proves that the American
way of life is the best?”
But Americans tend to view
conflicts in the world through
conventional lenses and mind
sets shaped by the American ex
perience and by American norms
and values. Thus, the idea can
not provide justifiable grounds
for intervention.
Your column also portrayed
United States Marines as homici
dal maniacs. Marines do not en
list to “kill people and break
things.” They enlist to defend the
homeland of the United States
and protects its national inter
ests, whatever they may be.
Furthermore, Richard
Marcinko is not a credible
source. And your citation of this
figure makes your column even
more idiotic.
The military is not asked
“when,” “where,” “why,” “what,”
of employing the military instru
ment. They are only asked “how”
to bring the instrument of power
to bear on the situation. There
fore, your source is not applica
ble.
According to your column, this
would make “good practice?” I
would like you to explain to a sol
dier’s family that their son died
in a ridiculous, unconventional
conflict, but it was good practice.
In conclusion, your column
was the most incoherent and ab
surd article I have ever read.
Stick to petroleum and not poli
tics, Luke.
Elliott Crawford
Confederate flag
not racist symbol
In response to Christian Rob
bins’ Mar 4. opinion column.
Robbins cites the same unen
lightened rationale for discarding
the Confederate battle flag given
by all opponents by stating it
“epitomizes ignorance and ha
tred."
She suggests that Southern
ers discontinue use of the flag
because it is offensive to some.
Well, I am not about to throw
my heritage, purchased with my
ancestor’s blood, in the trash be
cause of the misguided opinions
of a few ignorant dissenters.
In addition, the hate groups
that display this flag do not
speak for the vast majority of
Southerners and their irrespon
sible, inappropriate use of the
flag does not change what it ac
tually symbolizes.
Lastly, slavery is an appalling
institution and I am personally
relieved it was eradicated in this
country; however, as a white An
glo-Saxon Protestant male, I
steadfastly refuse to spend the
rest of life apologizing or feeling
guilty for it.
The time has come for the
black community to stop focus
ing on a past they cannot change
and direct their efforts to build
ing a better tomorrow.
Clay Trant
Class of ’00
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