Letters

Rape and Rhetoric

Jordana R. Lewis's clearly heart-felt concern for what she describes as the "epidemic that preys upon the Harvard campus" ("Date Rape Happens at Harvard," Nov. 30) is not altogether reasonable. No doubt there are grains of truth in her sincere conviction that there are many more cases of date rape than the Harvard University Police Department or the University acknowledge. However, she should refrain from using words such as "epidemic" when she can offer readers lots of speculations but few hard facts.

Highly charged and unsubstantiated rhetoric is misplaced in any reasoned discussion of rape at Harvard, for it abstracts a very important issue into so much public hysteria and paranoia. Of little help to rape victims themselves, it only serves to brand our population of young men--most of whom are not brutes and cads--with undue suspicion.

Bronwen Catherine McShea '02

Nov. 28, 2000

Populist Nebraska

Christopher M. Kirchhoff's column arguing against the Initiative 416 same-sex marriage ban in Nebraska ("Queer Nebraska," Nov. 15) couldn't have been more accurate.

The minority that is stridently against the Defense of Marriage Act is pounding against ignorance for now, but with a withering movement of the Religious Right--which isn't as strong as one might believe here, as this state still has its political mindset rooted in populism, which does not necessarily go lockstep with the Republican party line--and the onset of old age amongst the Baby Boomer set, it's believable that such a ban could drift away in 10 or 15 years. And yet, that is 10 or 15 years too long.

Samuel McKewon

Lincoln, Neb.

Nov. 17, 2000

The writer is opinion editor of The Daily Nebraskan.

Don't Cover Election

In response to Rachel L. Brown's Nov. 28 letter calling for fair and equitable coverage of all Undergraduate Council tickets, I have a proposed solution: How about The Crimson covers none of them?

It would certainly be fair, equitable and would save the rest of the student body--many of whom could be presumed to not care one bit about council goings-on--from the onslaught of articles covering the election.

The table in Monday's issue listing the accomplishments of the last several council administrations serves to brilliantly underscore the truth that the council is a powerless entity that is simply not a factor in most students' lives.

With so many wonderful things happening on this campus of ours, doesn't it seem silly that The Crimson would devote so much valuable space and attention to a group that many undergrads consider--either accurately or otherwise--as a bunch of resume-building windbags?

Matthew R. Mitchell '01

Nov. 28, 2000