Lighten up, women

In yesterday’s letter to the editor by Kristin Wagenmann, “Misogyny in The Diamondback,” not only did Wagenmann completely miss the point of Johnny Mathias’s article, she also unknowingly perpetuated horrible stereotypes by showing off her apparent lack of a sense of humor.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am a feminist through and through, but reading about a guy wanting me to show off my legs certainly did not offend me. (Then again, I have hot legs.) But what is actually important is her letter elicited comments such as “I knew there would be an overwhelming fiery response from militant feminists with AK-47s and not enough Midol,” as posted on tThe Diamondback Online. Comments such as the gem stating feminists should just get a “dick stuck” in them are “misogynistic and sexist,” whereas Mathias’ were just playful and humorous. I am not saying any of these comments are justified, but all Mathias did was try to make a joke, and if we can’t laugh off comments such as “Skirt Day,” we open ourselves up to much bigger attacks. I have no doubt there is a problem with the system, but Wagenmann has directed her anger toward the wrong target, and attacks like that can actually hurt the feminist cause, not help it.

My big issue with Wagenmann’s emotional and illogical response (talk about perpetuating negative female stereotypes) is her comment that because of this article she would never vote for Mathias. I would like to suggest perhaps this is one of the biggest problems we face today – people making shotgun decisions on important issues. If we looked into facts and the issues instead of taking sound clips as platforms, perhaps we would do a better job at picking candidates for public office.

Amii Follmer SeniorPsychology

Overboard on hazing

I wouldn’t say I’m for hazing, but all this talk about the horrors of hazing is getting a little ridiculous. The university’s position is legitimate: No university officials want to be tied to this kind of press, lest the quality of applicants or (perhaps even worse) funding are diminished, but what I don’t understand are the students on the campus who are up in arms over the issue. We’re all on our way to being adults. Most of us have bills; we have jobs; we have responsibility. We have the power of judgment, and we can decide who we want as friends. If your “friends” ask you to do something that makes you uncomfortable and they aren’t willing to be your friends otherwise, then perhaps you should find some other friends. It’s that simple.

I’ll be the first to admit I have no firsthand knowledge of the Greek system and I’ve certainly never been hazed, but I do believe in personal responsibility, and as long as this school isn’t requiring anyone to join a fraternity or sorority, I have no problem with the practice.

That’s not to say any kind of behavior can be condoned. As with every rule, there are some things just too egregious to ignore. The example of Delta Tau Delta, which includes activities that clearly and seriously cause harm, certainly cannot be excused. But the question remains: What about the kinds of hazing that are less destructive? Need we throw the baby out with the bathwater? Hazing does have value as a form of bonding, providing a common collective experience. I’m not advocating for all groups to adopt hazing as an initiation practice. I am saying, provided it does not cause serious harm, we should allow college students to choose for themselves whether or not they want to join organizations that practice hazing.

Removing hazing completely takes away personal choice in the same way prohibition made alcohol illegal to everyone because of the potential moral and physical consequences of its abuse. The bottom line is people in college are sentient and autonomous and should be able to make decisions regarding their own welfare. Removing any form of hazing is a heavy restriction that suffocates the decision-making ability of students growing into adults.

Kaitlyn MurphySophomoreGovernment and politics and philosophy

Air Your Views

The Diamondback welcomes your comments. Address your letters or guest columns to the Opinion Desk at opinion@dbk.umd.edu. All letters and guest columns must be signed. Include your full name, year, major and day- and night-time phone numbers. Please limit letters to 300 words. Please limit guest columns to between 550 and 700 words.

Submission of a letter or guest column constitutes an exclusive, worldwide, transferable license to The Diamondback of the copyright in the material in any media. The Diamondback retains the right to edit submissions for content and length.

Letters can also be submitted online here.