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
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