Dear Editor:

Charles Madden wrote an article about women getting raped and an unfortunate incident of rape happening to a close friend of his. Though he made valid points about how women should be more aware of the possibility of rape, he also points the finger at women, saying they are the ones who need to fix this problem. A female wearing skimpy clothing is going to get attention, negative and positive, but that is not always the basis for a rape. The same goes for females who drink. Madden is saying that women shouldn't drink alcohol because no man would buy a girl a drink on good intentions. Women should be able to drink alcohol - they just shouldn't get so annihilated that they can barely control their own body. And they need to pay attention to their surroundings so that they don't put themselves in a dangerous situation.

In the article, Madden points out a few things that women shouldn't do, but nowhere in the article does he tell men that "no means no" and that "no doesn't mean yes." The article has a point but seems a little one-sided. If the basis for getting raped is dressing a little provocatively and getting drunk, then how do you explain how a 7-year-old gets raped by her own gym teacher, which happened to a relative of mine, and how an old woman gets raped in her own house? There is more to rape than the way girls present themselves, because if any man thinks that he has the right to violate a woman with such actions, there is more going on in his head then him being turned on by a short skirt and low cut shirt. Also, women don't usually end up hating themselves if they get raped; they usually hate the man who has ruined their ability to trust the male gender. The article had a point, but next time put every side of the argument into your article.

Kelsey Julien

senior in University Studies

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