The thin line between yes and no
There have been many cases in the past years that have made rape a very well-known crime. Now it seems like women (or men) could wake up one morning without their recollection or underwear from the night before and quickly jump to conclusions of being raped. Since most “victims” of rape have been so traumatically hurt, it seems only right for the courts to rule in their favor. Yet, I have heard of many cases in which the victim of the rape is lying for some reason or another.
People have become so desensitized to rape accusations that they might actually dismiss an actual rape from court because rapes seem so overplayed. I feel we need to focus our attention on the real rapes and crimes. Plus, we should try to minimize worrying about a person’s fashionably late entrance of the word “no” or “I have to go home.”
I agree tremendously with Tuesday’s article on rape. Maybe if you cannot decide when to call it quits without accusing someone of rape you should not be in that situation in the first place. Women and men alike must make this very clear to their partners since there has been so much confusion lately. There has to be some point where people draw the line between yes and no. Hopefully, people will start to draw that line earlier rather than saying no three hours later.
Katie Ducrest
Sophomore — Mass Communication
All education should be ‘race neutral’
On Jan. 24, a columnist made interesting points regarding affirmative action being banned at the University of Michigan. Many believe affirmative action is reverse discrimination or that admission standards should be “race-neutral.” But until primary and secondary school education is “race-neutral,” there is a definite need for affirmative action.
Public schools are often assigned according to school districts. It is common that middle and upper-middle class areas, filled predominantly with whites, have excellent public learning facilities, while public schools filled predominantly by minorities are left with unskilled or uncaring teachers, outdated books and little access to computers. Those of you who have survived the heat of a Louisiana summer probably couldn’t imagine trying to learn in a classroom filled with your peers and no air conditioning. Yet this is a reality for public schools of minorities in cities such as New Orleans.
The Republican’s plan for school vouchers offers a quick fix, which is only more damaging in the long run. Few are afforded money to attend private schools. And while private schools reap the benefits of government funding, struggling public schools continue to fall through the cracks.
So is it fair for colleges such as the University of Michigan to give minorities advantages in admissions? No, but in a fair world equality would begin in education before college. Why would anyone, including Republicans or Democrats, be against helping with the advancement of those who have the odds stacked against them?
Monique Green
Sophomore — Mass Communication
A few reasons to be pro-choice
What does it mean to be pro-life, exactly? If abortion were to be outlawed again, women would die. Well, poor women would, that is. The rich ones would easily obtain a plane ticket to another country or a contact with a qualified doctor so the procedure could be performed safely (and expensively), providing yet another way to punish women of low economic status, as if they don’t have enough problems.
Do people’s lives cease to be important once they are old enough to make mistakes? Most women who have abortions take them seriously and don’t think about them as just another form of birth control, but as a choice that they are astoundingly grateful to have.
I’m sorry, but I simply place more importance on a breathing, feeling, thinking human being than a fertilized embryo, and just for the record, my mother has always been pro-choice, NOT pro-abortion. One may personally prefer to go through with a pregnancy and still be pro-choice by allowing another woman the right to do what is best for her. Old and young, married and single, mothers and future mothers, religious and non-religious: many women have abortions every day. Before you condemn them all, realize that it if it is not your womb, it is not your choice.
Before I am branded a callous and selfish person who does not recognize the sanctity of life, let me say that I understand the sanctity of life as well as anyone. It pains me to see all of the horrible things people endure in this world, and until war, famine, genocide, rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, poverty and everything else that reduces the human experience to a pool of fear, hatred and pain are eradicated, I cannot focus on the rights of fetuses. I also encourage people to read about Norma McCorvey, aka Jane Roe, who was just one poor, troubled woman from Louisiana who represented the thoughts and wishes of countless others.
Rebecca Marchiafava
Sophomore — English