To the editor—
I did enjoy last week’s article titled “How Not to Be a Sexist Pig”. I think it addresses important issues, and these sorts of problems are certainly found here on our conservative Christian campus. Here is my problem, though. The title is demeaning. There is a fine line between being sassy and rude, and the title is rude. I understand the anger towards this issue as I myself have this anger. But if we are to be effective in addressing the issue, the solution is not to attack the way we feel attacked. We cannot fight rudeness with rudeness. I think that our real solution to the problem lies in Proverbs 25 verses 21-22, which states that we should treat our enemies with kindness and in doing this, “you will heap coals of fire on their heads.” We also need to keep in mind that not all men, certainly not most men, act in such demeaning ways towards the women on campus. If I compare the ratio of times I’ve been cat-called on campus to the amount of times that gentlemen have treated me and my body with respect, kindness trumps overwhelmingly. Along with focusing on the “sexist pig” issues, we also need to acknowledge and even praise the kindness we have received. How discouraging it must be for the men who seek to treat women with respect and then get ignored for favor of addressing the issues of disrespect.
By Anna Toegel