6 CAMPUS OPINION
JONI’S
CORNER
JONI’S
CORNER
JONI SMITH
Foreign Correspondent
I was saddened to leam
that some of the Meredith
community still has the
misconception that
although our country is in
the midst of a war, all
Americans should be sup
portive of the hostilities
and should bow down to
every misguided syllable
uttered by George W. Bush.
If eveiyone in our country
thought this, the U.S.
would look similar to Nazi
Germany, Stalinist Russia
and even Iraq under
Saddam. It is our right as
Americans to express our
opinions and to disagree
with each and every branch
of the government if we
wish to do so.
I certainly hope that not
Patriotic duty inciudes
questioning government,
not blind ioyaity
all Americans feel com
pelled to atcept Bush's
policies simply because we
are at war. If they do, we
might as well not even
have a
democracy
because the
foundation of a
democratic govern
ment is freedom. 1
hope some of you
in the Meredith
Community main
tain your determi
nation to have your
own opinion con
cerning the war
without feeling it is your
patriotic duty to support it.
I actually think quite the
opposite: I see it as every
American citizen's patriotic
duty to constantly question
the government to insure
that the freedoms we so
often take for granted are
never taken away from us.
It also seems to me that
now that the regime in Iraq
has been toppled, many
Americans see the war as
I see it as every American
citizen's patriotic duty to con-
stantiy question the govern
ment to insure tliat the free
doms we so often take for
granted are never taken
away from us.
being won by the Coalition,
but I hesitate to be so opti
mistic because the real test
of our endurance has only
just started. Now we have
to see if our country has the
patience and resolve to see
this operation in Iraq
through.
Will we simply get what
we want and leave? Will
the media cease to cover
the daily happenings in Iraq
like it did in Afghanistan?
Or will the United
States actually see
something through
from start to finish?
As for what I
have been doing in
Russia, since some
of you seem more
interested in that
than the war, I have
had the
opportunity
to meet
many foreign students and
teachers as well as to con
verse with some Russians I
have had the privilege to
meet. Unfortunately for
some of you who will con
tinue to read my column
until the end of the semes
ter, my political opinions
have not wavered a bit after
living here for four months,
although many people told
me before I left that they
probably would.
Russia is such a different
place with such fascinating
people that I cannot possi
bly describe all my experi
ences within the confmes
of a page in the Meredith
Herald. However, I will say
this-^d I actually think
there are lots of people on
campus who will back me
up on this one-studying
abroad is an experience no
student should pass up. It is
truly an experience that
helps mold you into a more
complete person with a bet
ter understanding of the
world around you.
IWo sides of the issue: The Vagina Monologues
LINDSEY JONES
& REBECCA LEE
Contributing Writers
The other side of the issue
appeared in last week’s
Herald.
What is wrong with a lit
tle talk about our vaginas?
The recent Vagina
Monologues phenomenon
has caused a huge uproar,
including both mass
applaud and criticism.
Critics ai^ue that it stereo
types men and heterosexual
sex, relating it only with
violence. They question its
level of liberation, asserting
that it is really widening
separation gaps between
genders. But The Vagina
Monologues is wonderfial.
It has created a sexual
emancipation for women,
causing women eveiywhere
to breathe a sigh of relief
knowing that they no
longer need be ashamed of
or feel uncomfortable dis
cussing their vaginas or
sexuality.
It is about women cele
brating women's bodies-
their own bodies. It is an
alternative to the constant
objectification of the
female body, where the
media, men, and even other
women only celebrate or
criticize women's bodies as
a sexual entity. It encour
ages women to love their
bodies, every part of their
body, including the unspo
ken vagina because if it is
part of a woman, it is beau
tiful. This does not mean
The Vagina Monologues is
encouraging the replace
ment of men with mastur
bation or other women, it
only means women have
the right to be proud of
their sexuality.
The Vagina Monologues
is trying to dispel the taboo
behind the word "vagina."
In the play, the women
address the common refer
ral to. vaginas as "down
there." They continue to list
the infmite number of
names all sorts of people
have given vaginas. The
Vagina Monologues is
questioning why women
feel the need to verbally
hide their vaginas, speaking
in code or so-called
euphemisms because the
actual word is too obscene
or shameful or honest or
real. It is questioning why
women seemed so ashamed
of their vaginas. Just as
men are proud of their
penises, women need to
know that they can and
should be proud of their
vaginas as well.
In addition to desensitiz
ing women to the words
"vagina," "cunt," and sadly
enough for today's society,
even the word "sex" needs
a little bit of a push, the
Monologues try to bring
about awareness for vio
lence against women.
Interspersed between the
monologues there are
women who will relate
facts of horrible acts of vio
lence that occurs to women
around the world - from
female genital mutilation in
Africa, to the rise of female
gangs in the United States,
to sexual assauh against
women everywhere in the
world. By showing us
what happens, maybe
someone who is listening
will be motivated to act.
And that's the entire
point! The Vagina
Monologues wants a
response. It wants you to
feel horrified about the ter
rible things that happen in
the world. What are you
going to do about it? It
wants you to fee! a little
uneasy when tfie woman on
stage is crying for you to
chant "cunt" with her or
when another woman wants
to tell you about her first
sexual experience. Why do
you feel uneasy? Think
about it... these things are
natural and part of our bod
ies and our experiences. We
shouldn't feel shame - we
should be proud that this is
who we are.
The. Vagina Monologues
is harmless. What is wrong
with trying to increase
female self-esteem about
See Monologues
Page?