Women, residents misrepresented

The Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance objects to certain statements in Monday’s IDS editorial, “McNutty Security” and the accompanying cartoon. The editorial says, “…instead of tightening (McNutt’s) security, (the trustees) should offer self-defense classes to the quad’s female residents who seem to get raped with astounding frequency.” This statement perpetuates the idea that the burden of preventing rape falls on women. Self-defense classes are not always effective because they do not treat the root problem of sexual violence. FMLA suggests that more university funding be directed toward rape awareness and prevention programs. Women don’t “get raped,” as the article says. Men rape women. But what is worse is Monday’s editorial cartoon, which portrayed a cracked-out prostitute with an exposed bum trying to get back into her dorm. An RPS worker asked her which dorm: “Fost-whore, Brisc-Ho, or McSlut.” It is unclear exactly how this cartoon relates to the proposed $1.5 (million) card access security system. Is the cartoonist suggesting that the bad reputation of certain dorms can be attributed to promiscuous women? Is it making a general comment about the women who live in those dorms? More disturbingly, can we assume that the cartoonist blames women for getting raped because of their clothes or lifestyle choices, based on the connection between the cartoon and written editorial? The cartoon was, at best, a politically ignorant and irresponsible joke, and, at worst, a prime example of our society’s deeply flawed vision of women’s sexuality. We can’t believe the cartoon was actually printed in the paper. Editorial board, what were you thinking?