Women and men together
By Meg Fuchs
Published on Tuesday, August 14, 2007
To the Editor:
In The Dartmouth's Editorial ("In Practice and In Words," Aug. 10) you write: "Now is the time for every Dartmouth student to examine the power they have as individuals to arouse change on a greater level." I whole-heartedly agree with your call to action; however, I wish you hadn't undermined it in the very next paragraph:
"It is now the time for the women of Dartmouth to lead the campus in implementing change by discouraging these actions in practice as well as with words. They must command respect from the men around them, and they cannot continue to associate with men who do not treat them respectfully. If men of Dartmouth can act as they did last week and still maintain female friends, history will repeat itself all too soon."
While well-intentioned, this paragraph smacks of outdated gendered ideals of women needing to "improve" flawed men. Both women and men should take responsibility for confronting their friends, acquaintances, and fellow partiers when they see harassment occurring and, equally important, when they hear hateful and derogatory language in private as well as public spaces.
Meg Fuchs '01
Lancaster, Pa.