Because it's not. (I'm just disagreeing with everyone in sight, if you haven't noticed. Even you, the reader. You're just wrong about everything. The way you wear your hat? Your taste in music? All. Wrong.)
The context of male castration appeared in The Rag's retelling of a male myth called Vagina dentata, or "toothed vagina," wherein men were told not to have sex with strange women for fear of male castration. While this fable could have saved me from insanity stemming from women I dated in college, anyone with pictures of a loaded gun and a toothy vagina know they possess contrasting qualities. For one, a loaded gun exists.
The two concepts are not the same, because the two sexes aren't the same. This is the crux most feminist manifestos (and the ruling of Colorado College educators) seem to forget. Equality is a great ideal, but look in each other's pants once in a while and you'll find different stuff.
Look in their medicine cabinets. Look at a freakin' amazing tale of Roger and Elaine. Feminists like to talk about strap-ons, what it means to be a bitch, and castration. Tucker Max-caliber dudes enjoy enlightened discussions of chainsaws, guns, and tits. Welcome to the human condition.
The Bag's editors were found to have violated the University's conduct code, and the penalty was equally oversensitive. They had to — Christ, I cringe what I'm about to cut and paste — "host a public forum on the issues raised in the incident." No suspension, or demerit, or prior restraint on future installments of The Monthly Bag. Simply force them to tell people what happened?
What the administration doesn't realize, however, is that this open discussion will be populated by feminists and chauvinists. There's no way this could possibly end well, which is why I terribly miss college so I could attend things like this and diffuse feminist doctrine with actual jokes - and maybe score a date.
Article comments
1 - Jon Sobel
Funny... doesn't sound that different from what went on when I was in college - 25 years ago.
2 - Kristen McDonald
On one hand, sexual violence will never be funny. But I honestly don't understand why these kids were reprimanded. It is a joke to them. Being forced to host a forum will only serve as an aggravation. But then any form of punishment would be pointless. With the exception of a tragic, life-altering event, you can't make kids care. Unforunatly, this is something most feminist will never understand.
3 - MP
Well, until someone actually takes the time to look very closely and very deeply at some of the problems perpetuating in this nation, on our college campuses and off, this is what will happen. Speech about guns is censored. You can't say that. Not yours.
Is it right? Is it fair? Does it make a ton of sense? Absolutely not, no. But it's the solution that college administrators come up with. "Stop talking about guns. Since people have been killed on college campuses by gunfire, you have to stop talking about guns now. Sorry."
Truth of course is that this shooting business will inevitably happen again somewhere, censorship of speech or not. Not that I want it to happen...I'm an NIU student, of course I don't. But, quite simply, CENSORSHIP DOESN'T DO ANY WORTHWHILE THING. You have to go deeper to the real problem.
But no one's interested in doing that. Life is hard enough as it is, right? Why look for answers?