Letters to the Editor

Jokes encourage mysogyny

Apparently Ethan Chatagnier is missing some information about the current state of men's affairs. You're looking for a “men's studies” department? It already exists. It's called “The Rest of the Academy.” Looking for a play about ranting penises? Look no further than just about anything in the mainstream media.

Only a man who spends 22 hours a day beating his chest and the other two writing bad poetry about his own penis would ever dream of taking potshots at a benefit production that donates money to organizations that help stop the violent situations that sexist men like him help create.

Shove your ravioli. The ignorance of Chatagnier’s comments is obvious. Joking or not, insensitive remarks like those from your resident Misanthrope only serve to perpetuate the misogyny that women fight every day to rise above. Thank you, young Ethan, for proving our point.

—Michelle Colvin
Women's studies/sociology major
V-Day Committee member
POWER (People Organized for Women's Empowerment and Representation) Co-chair

Battle of the sexes still valid

Mocking the sexist man, George Carlin says "no woman of mine is going to work." And women, he jokes, had it made... until feminism came around.

How funny that this movement for freedom gave women the "right" to the daily drudgery of paid labor.

I understand this might be what you are getting at, but it’s just not true — "working" has given women more power in society and in relationships. Women are much better off as a whole and as individuals if they work rather than being "taken care of."

Suggesting otherwise is little more than a justification of sexism rather than an attack upon it. Yes, it is true that some men feel they "have to" pay the dinner bill or open the door and they feel they "have to" provide for a woman.

I like to think of these behaviors as closer to rationalizations used by weak males to justify their domination of women than they are demands by women to be taken care of. Essentially, the man is saying, "taking care of you gives me power over you."

The whole point of feminism is to overcome that inequality where men are powerful providers. While you seemed to imply the opposite, you actually agreed with a central tenet of feminism — equality between the sexes.

Unfortunately, when it comes to power in our society, there is no real debate — men still hold the vast majority of power in politics, family, religion, media, economy, health and education.

—Tim Kubal
Assistant professor of sociology

Vagina Monologues benefit an important cause

If Ethan Chatagnier would like to write poetry or rant about how his penis has been assaulted, how it has been raped, cut, beaten, burned, or mutilated, then I am behind him 100 percent. If he would like to produce a show and donate the proceeds to a shelter for men and boys who have been raped, assaulted, beaten, burned, mutilated or otherwise victimized, then I am behind him 100 percent.
But, until the rape, beating, sexual assault and murder of women stops, my fellow Vagina Warriors and I will continue to complain, fight for justice, perform The Vagina Monologues, and pay for our own ravioli!

—Carol Tito
Junior, women’s studies

Clarifying the case of on-campus asbestos

Dear Editor:

This letter is in reference to Mr. Chatagnier’s (Opinion Editor) editorial and the accompanying drawing about asbestos that were printed in the Feb. 7 Collegian. I understand that there are many on campus who continue to worry needlessly because of what they read in this editorial. It is my hope that you will print this letter, and provide me the opportunity to state a few facts, and hopefully clear the record.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral in the environment and is commonly found to this day in many public and private buildings that were built in 1980 or earlier. Asbestos in building components is NOT a danger to building occupants if it is maintained and managed properly. The goal is to prevent asbestos fibers from becoming airborne. What was not reported in your editorial was the fact that the campus practices “management in place.” Management in place, when done properly, is a practice that is sanctioned by regulatory agencies such as OSHA and the EPA. There are regulatory requirements associated with management in place that are well over a decade old. This information can be easily found on the internet or in any library.

All campus construction/remodeling projects are preceded by survey and analysis of building components that may be disturbed. If asbestos is found and disturbance may occur, the asbestos is removed before construction proceeds. Air sampling is done to ensure that the building air is safe before anyone is allowed back into the area of the building that had the asbestos removed. All sampling, analysis and abatement (removal) is done by consultants, laboratories and abatement companies certified to do this work.

Mr. Chatagnier implied in his editorial that the campus having asbestos surveys dating back to the early 1990s and as recent as 2005 indicates that we have been long aware of a hazard but haven’t done anything about it. The fact that we have surveys dating back a decade indicates that we have done our homework to determine where the asbestos is so that we can manage it properly. We continue to conduct surveys prior to moving forward with any building component disturbance to ensure that everything possible is done to ensure the safety of the occupants.

It is interesting to me that The Collegian distributed just prior to the Feb. 7 editorial contained a front page feature about the Psychology/Human Services project that factually covered the campus efforts to ensure the safety of the building occupants and properly manage the existing asbestos. Did Mr. Chatagnier talk with the reporter, who researched the facts and wrote this article prior to writing his editorial? If not, why not?

Sincerely,

—Lisa Kao
Environmental Quality Manager
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
California State University, Fresno