Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / Nov. 14, 1997, edition 1 / Page 14
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14 Quaker BY PETER MORSCHECK Features Film Critic One of my favorite quotes is "Never doubt that a small group of committed minorities can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Yet, a week ago Thursday I found myself impeding such a committed group in their long-overdue quest for so cial justice when I blocked consen sus at a called meeting of Commu nity Senate. The topic in question was whether Senate, and thus the stu dent body, would support the hir ing of a full-time African American Activities Coordinator that night rather than at another called meet- Paving paradise for a parking lot BY GREGORY RINALDI Staff Writer Guilford College wants to build a parking lot next to Bauman, where the Fraziers used to be. It was de cided upon a few years ago, and they cite it as an immediate need. But we don't need another parking lot. And if we did, who in the world would choose that place next to Bauman? Imagine it. More concrete sur rounding Bauman. Just one giant hub of concrete surrounding a In defense of pornography BY WILL DODSON Features Editor I think we can all agree that stereotypes are not desirable things for enlightened people to hold. Just because I see an Italian mobster does not mean all Italians are mobsters. Just because I see an Asian who knows martial arts does not mean I should assume all Asians know martial arts. Just because I see an insane woman who wants to castrate all men in the name of feminism does not mean I should fear all femi nists. And just because you see a pornographic movie in which women are depicted in demeaning process not followed ing on Sunday, which would re quire a suspension of normal pro cess whereby a proposal is submit ted one week and approved the next. While everyone in the room was in favor of approving the po sition, I was in a small minority who advocated waiting a few days as a matter of process because, al though many have fought for this position for 12 years, a written pro posal was presented only that night. And, while suspension of due process has occurred for such mi nor things as paying the Violent Femmes and repairing the WQFS tower, I felt it was precisely because this particular issue was so impor small building. Western Guilford College would look like a stone for tress. We don't need it. And why, pray tell, do you pave a parking lot next to TWO other parking lots? Two other park ing lots which are never filled un less some pee-wee soccer game is going on. That makes no sense. Why pave a new parking lot when the Milner lot needs repay ing first? Or when Hobbs needs lots of work? Or when every dorm on this campus needs something more important than what that money and perhaps even misogynistic ways does not mean that all por nography is demeaning and ex ploits women. "Even if words and images could be interpreted literally, we would still have to reject the pornophobic feminists' simplistic stance that pornography conveys unrelentingly negative messages about women," wrote Nadine Strossen in her book Defending Pornography. "Much commercial erotica depicts women in nonsubordinated roles, and con tains images and ideas that may well be seen as positive for women and feminists." What she means is that just because there are few rotten apples, we shouldn't be quick to chop down the tree. Pornography Forum tant that we respect Guilford by approving the decision through proper channels. Three more days is a small price to pay for 12 years of struggle if the alternative is subverting much of what Guilford stands for by disregarding proper procedure. I also saw it as imperative to wait on the proposal because it came at the end of a week of particularly high emotions and tensions with regard to race relations at Guilford. The proposal was presented in what I saw as an abnormally hos tile environment, where many tears were shed and even some personal attacks occurred. In such an environment it is impossible for a decision, regardless of how is going towards? It doesn't make sense. But why argue? Why argue with an admin istration that spends money on computer advancements instead of healthy dorm-life conditions? Why? Because it's time someone did. It's time for this community to wise up. Greensboro is starting to overbuild big time. They build new roads, new malls, new buildings while their old ones crumble into dust. Guilford College should not follow Greensboro's lead. If you is a form of expression, however distasteful any of us might find it. D.H. Lawrence once said, "What is pornography to one [per son] is the laughter of genius to another." Is pornography art? Not by my standards, and probably not by yours. But who are we to judge what art is or is not? Works such as "Piss Christ" in which a crucifix was de picted submerged in a container of the artist's urine were condemned by opponents of the National En dowment for the Arts and are con tributing reasons for the funding cut across the board for the NEA. Quite a few of us found the cut in funding to the NEA be much more distasteful than the creations funded by the NEA. Why do we not respect the le gitimacy of the adult film industry The Guilfordian November 14,1997 "right" or "wrong" it is, to be truly spirit-led. I am a birthright Quaker who came to Guilford in large part be cause of the Quaker values which pervade many aspects of the school. Quaker process is designed to allow decisions to be reach by consensus in an atmosphere of love and respect. The atmosphere last Thurs day, however, was one of anger, frustration, and intimidation. While the final outcome of the de cision would have been the same, the symbolic gesture of respecting Guilford and Quaker process by waiting a few days would have made the backing of the proposal mean so much more. must build something then tear down what is old and build some thing new. Or try rebuilding some thing. That's simple, ain't it? It would be nice if for once the Guilford community could stand united on an issue. This issue is important. It will re-occur throughout your life no matter where you live. Which side are you on? Overbuilding or re building? In the meantime, leave the land west of Bauman concrete-free. while we do respect the right of other visual artists to be as distaste ful as they like? Keep in mind I'm referring to legal pornography, not "snuff" films or child pornography. Women and men of legal age have the right to produce and view pornographic materials under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. While we have the right to be offended by such material and can choose whether or not to purchase and view porn, we do not have the right to prejudge those in the in dustry as misogynist exploiters of sex. Nor do we have the right to prejudge those who view such ma terial as being perverted, dirty, mi sogynistic cretins. Some people just like the funny dialogue.
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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