CAPITAL TIMES, March 21, 1990
From the Editor's Desk:
There are different ways to perceive most situaions, but
something that cannot be tolerated is when people cannot see rape
for what it is--a crime with jail as the only solution.
Some people see date rape as a less serious crime than a rape by
a stranger. If a spouse, friend or or formal sexual partner commits
a rape, the common belief is that this act is a one-time thing and the
perpetrator is not really a rapist.
Our society has to get beyond this mentality and treat these
rapists like the criminals they are.
Freindship and familiarity is no excuse for rape--if anything
this makes it even more appalling. The fact that certain individuals
can claim to be friends and still inflict the incredible pain and
mental anguish that accompanies rape, should count against them
and not in their favor.
Sometimes our society gets fooled by perception, and we loose
sight of reality. We make judgments based on a person's looks and
cannot see the criminal act.
It is time to start looking out for the victims and no longer let
rapists off because they look like "the boy next door", or assume it
was just a mistake made under the influence of alcohol.
Rape is never a mistake. It is a delibrate and violent act, done to
injure another. Rape has no logic and no one can identify rapists
by the way they look.
We have to let victims know that if they testify against rapists,
we will stand behind them by fitting the penalty to the crime.
There are not different degrees of rape, so we cannot send out
mixed messages by giving different sentences. Date rapists cannot
be treated with more lenience, and should share the same cell and
sentence with other convicted rapists.
If we start doing this, maybe rapists will learn when a woman
says "no" she means no, unless she says differently. No exceptions!
The Capital Times Staff would like to thank the workers who
moved our office to room W-341. We appreciate the speed with
which it was done and care taken to inconvienence us as little as
possible.
Sincerly,
John J. Garvey,
A newspaper for the student body
Capital Times ,:,:„,:„: )
Editor in Chief... John J. Garvey
Sports Editor... Hank Rappold
Copy Editor... Victoria Cuscino
News Editor... Jon Fleck
Graphics Editor...Huan Nguyen
Business/Advertising Manager... Susan Hoover
Photography Editor... Richard Chiavetta
Adviser... Dr. Peter Parisi
Staff--Christopher Burns, Pat Clawges, Heather Ehman, The Lip
per, Ted Lankay, Sharon Purcell, Mark Olnick, Mary Lee Schnabte,
Barb Soltls, Melissa Stuff, Barbara Sydell, Mark Tuttle,
The Capital Times is pusblished by the students of Penn State Harrisburg. Concerns regarding the
content of any issue should be directed to the editor in room W-337 of the Olmsted building or by
calling 944-4970. Opinions expressed are those of the author and are not representative of the
college administration, faculty or student body. The Capital Times welcomes signed letters from readers
Unsigned letters cannot be printed; however, a writer's name may be withheld upon request.
The Capital Times does not endorse its advertisers.
in Chief.
Editor
OPINIONS
Letters to the Editor:
To Lisa and
Friends
Dear Editor,
We just wanted Lisa and her friends
to know how ridiculous their evaluation
of males sounds.
Ladies, you've put a damper on our
post Valentines Day celebration by
admitting your bitter lack of confidence
in our gender. You've obviously been a
losing team in the chancey game of love
and through the school of hard knocks.
But to stereotype all males in this
negative scenario is insulting,
unrealistic, and worthy of a repraisal (and
so close to Valentines Day nonetheless).
We question your credibility. So be it.
Some of the guys decided to get together
our own realistic opinions on the matter.
Really--" Men want to take home a
girl that Dad will flirt with." Are you
serious? We certainly hope she doesn't
flirt back.
C'mon--"Men are likely to dump
their girlfriends on holidays." For
financial reasons, yet? We don't expect
to be lavished with expensive gifts
around the holidays, so why do you?
Are you materialistic or something?
Even if we had to weasel our way out of
a relationship, we certainly wouldn't use
such a bogus, financial excuse. If you
just want a respectable man that "makes
you happy," why should the size of his
wad matt&
And since we're on the subject of
tangibles, we'd just like you to know
how we feel concerning attractive
women. Some men find attractiveness
in women who carry themselves
confidently, with good posture, and a
smile. Are you ready for this? All men
want isn't T and A. In fact, we favor the
old "take me for who I am" personality.
You see, attractiveness isn't a trait that
withers with age. If you want to turn
our heads and want to earn some respect,
then say something witty or personable
or intelligent. Smart women rouse our
curiosity and actually stimulate a
relationship. Not to mention her
intelligence, which may actually be our
weakness. Do you see a bond? If you
just want to turn our heads, then go
ahead and flaunt the aesthetics. Be
salacious. We'll guess the rest and
probably form opinions that wouldn't do
you justice. In other words, lay off the
typical hokey crap about all guys
wanting a bleached blonde in a bikini
For God's sake, spare us.
We would also like to note that
healthy relationships thrive on honesty,
commitment, and particularly trust. But
if we were to rank the three necessaries
according to the time they take to
establish, the longest would be
commitment, then trust, then honesty.
If you're honest, then we trust you. But
don't jeopardize this first important stage
by being too unfair. Unfortunately,
some people dwell religiously on the
past and conjure images of their
sweetheart preoccupied in foul play.
Call it what you will, but the term
victimized sticks to mind. If there's
something you want to get out in the
open, then air it. We can't stand for
communication gaps and new tangents
brought on through twisted,
misinterpreted, pointless arguments.
Show us some respect--we'll reciprocate;
but remember some skeletons are better
left in the closet. Anyway, we're tired of
reruns, aren't you? Trust is earned and
very difficult to establish. The majority
of us have already lived through at least
one serious relationship that crashed.
We're a little more cautious the next
time around.
Keep in mind that this is a capitalist
country where there's tremendous
variety--luckily for all of us. Stop the
suffering. If you're continuously
unsatisfied with your selection, quietly
put it back and look for another.
We're not angry at you Lisa and
Friends, just concerned that there are a
couple of misinformed women out there
believing you. Your opinion matters,
but don't forget about us.
Lastly, you neglected to put your
conclusion at the end of your special
contribution. If you had, the