Apparently Anthony Michael Meale, who wrote a letter on Wednesday, knows any woman, her intentions and the reason for all her actions better than she does herself. For example, he's sure that if a girl did not want to be stared at or hit on
then she would not wear revealing clothing. Strangely enough, women choose their clothes for many reasons, mostly not for the sole purpose of strangers: because it feels good, because it fits well, because it's a fashion we like, because part of going out in the evenings is often dressing up, because like anyone else we want to look good in any situation.
Sometimes we even wear clothing that in our opinion is perfectly moderate, but that any passing observer sharing Meale's point of view will pass his judgment on for not meeting his vague standards. Most women will tell you that it doesn't matter if you're wearing a miniskirt or a gigantic old sweatshirt ' there's always some man who will catcall and call crude things at you. It's a display of aggression and entitlement to women, and it feels threatening and demeaning. Should we purposely choose clothes that make us look unattractive, just to make sure we don't make those feeble men lose control and harass us?
But perhaps Meale thinks that women who haven't dressed just for him don't deserve to feel safe and respected, since he thinks that if women want to be treated with the respect that they deserve then they should act ' and dress ' like they deserve it. Since when is an outfit a measure of someone's worth as a person? Meale also says that girls who wear clothes he disapproves of are not the guys that girls should want to take home to their parents ' unmarriable! How terrifying! Too bad he hasn't figured out that real women don't fall into categories of revealing or chaste, slut or virgin, bangable or lovable, unworthy of respect or safely obedient, or that none of these words are synonyms. Only men who harass can stop harassment ' we don't have that power over them.
Darcy Higgins is a freshman political science major.
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Letter to the Editor
