Dangers of focusing on clothes
Quote of the Day
Just when I thought I'd seen it all, yesterday's Viewpoint laughed in my face. I didn't think anything could top the shock of witnessing a "premiere" university masquerade a blatant act of censorship behind a mask of religious devotion, but one Domer stepped up to the challenge. I am compelled to respond to Sheila Payne's article from the Feb. 14 issue of The Observer, not because of my disdain for her opinions, but because the implications in her letter are despicable and dangerous.
"Do your clothes say `I respect myself and am proud to look so nice' or do they say `I want to seduce you'?
Do you really want to say that?
Do you think it's right to say that?
Are you prepared for the answer?"
I only hope that Payne was oblivious to the implications in her concluding sentiments. She is preying on one of the most painful questions a woman faces when she has been raped. Rape victims feel an incredible amount of guilt and shame because of ideas like those expressed in Payne's article; ideas that suggest the length of a woman's skirt determines her right to say no to sex. I have no doubt that the letter was written with the best of intentions, but that only shows how deeply ingrained these negative attitudes are. If you truly want to help women feel confident and self-assured, this is not the way. The belief that a woman must expect to be harassed or violated because of the way she dresses perpetuates a vicious cycle of violence. It also perpetuates the guilt and stigmatism that make a devastating situation even harder to overcome.
Megan Kovac
sophomore
Walsh Hall
February 15, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Monday, February 19, 2001
