Preaching, sister

I read your opinion in the Wildcat “”Sex, drugs and responsibility,”” and I agreed with most of the points you made. I can’t think of anything more disrespectful to real victims of rape and other sexual assaults than girls who falsely “”cry rape,”” especially since the accusation of being a rapist can follow and hunt a man all his life. Absolutely, women should step up to the plate and own up to their sexual indiscretions.

I don’t deny that there are women who make false claims of being too lubricated so they can shirk responsibility for poor decisions and can end up hurting the men they accuse terribly and sometimes irreversibly.

But it seems to me that you’re saying a woman who choses to drink and put herself in a vulnerable situation is still responsible if and when something bad happens. Alcohol impairs judgment and logical thinking. A person who is drunk can’t be put on the same level of reasoning and accountability as a person who is stone cold sober.

I don’t think it’s fair that a woman should have to constantly monitor and limit herself because, in theory, someone might take advantage of her. You said that if a woman drinks, she should take the proper steps to keep safe, like sticking to trustworthy friends, but those kinds of safety nets aren’t always enough.

— Ariel Flowers

History and journalism undergraduate

Cat scratch

Numerous times in the last few years, I have seen terribly researched, poorly written articles generally devoid of any journalistic merit appearing in the Wildcat. A perfect example is the blatant incrimination of the whole swim team for the alleged crimes of a single former member with little more than hearsay as evidence. Each time, a handful of letters criticizing the Wildcat’s editorial decisions are written and published, and, on rare occasions, a response piece, like Mr. Knauer’s editorial (which really just dodged the criticism) on Tuesday are written. And yet, despite the constant criticism, nothing ever changes! The Wildcat still publishes poorly-written articles, the readers continue to complain, and the editorial staff continues to pay lip service to its readers.

So here’s my question: The Wildcat staff is obviously aware of the problem — why is no visible action ever taken? And if there are behind the scenes actions being taken, why does the journalist quality never improve? I challenge the entire Wildcat staff to do more than just pay lip service. Instead, take action to improve this publication. Here are some ideas: Identify common traits of the articles readers criticize. Develop guidelines for improvement. Act on these guidelines! Publicize your efforts to correct these common shortcomings. Respond in a meaningful way to reader criticism. And, above all, instead of treating the paper like your own personal soapbox, have a little respect for the profession many of you aim to join in a few short years!

Mechanical engineering junior