Re: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

There is a vast gap between what is reality and what should be reality. It is a fact, as I originally stated, that many, many groups, including women, are not treated as equal citizens, but are abused by other individuals or groups who are in positions of authority. In most (if not all) advanced, industrialized nations, women are de jure equal citizens, but many times are not treated as such. The incident that I quoted comes from the Amnesty International report on Women in Prison. As already mentioned, Robin Lucus was a 29-year old African American woman who was raped in a Texas prison.

The reason I focus on women in my message to the campus is because it is International Women's Day. It is a day set aside with the express purpose of recognizing the positive contributions of women to society, while at the same time recognizing their position as a (oftentimes) disadvantaged sector of society. By focusing on women in my message, I am by no means choosing to exclude other disadvantaged, repressed sectors of society. Everyone should be treated as equal, regardless of gender, ethnicity, nationality, language, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or sexual orientation. We are all humans, each and every one of us, and we should all be recognized, treated, and respected as such.

With the two quotes I used at the end of my message, I put them there for what they say. I feel the Rage Against the Machine quote is appropriate because of my opening statement. There is an urgent need to close the gap between what reality is and what reality should be. I do not mean to say that there is only one option as to what reality should be, but I do mean to say that the basic rights of humankind should be respected and granted to all individuals by all other individuals, organizations, and governments. So I quote: "What better place than here, what better time than now." As to the Beastie Boys quote, I cannot say it any better than they did: "The disrespect to women has got to be through...I wanna offer my love and respect to the end." By using these quotes, I endorse the words they offer; I do not necessarily endorse the band itself, their other beliefs, MTV, or the bands' objectives as cultural icons. I simply agree with those particular words of advice/wisdom that they offer.

Finally, regardless of what Robin Lucus did to end up in a Texas prison, she is entitled to basic human rights. You would dare not say that what she went through was deserving because she was a prisoner. Let us put faith in the justice system to give her a just punishment. Let us not make three male inmates the 'judge, jury, and executioner.'

Also to conclude, I agree with these statements that J___ C______ makes:
1. "What people have to understand is the abuse of authority which takes place."

2. "I'm sure countless cases of abuses of this nature take place (as I'm sure any member of Amnesty International will admit) against people of all genders, races, ethnic groups, religions, home planets, etc."

3. "Rather, I look at them [women] as PEOPLE."

4. "I felt that this was too important to either be forgotten about in light of spring break or thrown on the floor of the CUB."

Finally, when Mr. C______ says: "I look forward to your backlash", I want to clarify that this is not a backlash. It is simply a response to the concerns of a fellow classmate. Only through dialogue can true understanding, and hence change, come about.

WE MUST NOT REMAIN IGNORANT.

Tighe Burns

For those interested in human rights issues, the Gettysburg College chapter of Amnesty International meets every Monday at 4:00pm at Plank Gym, room 119. All are welcome.
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