Women stand firm as fighters throughout history

Frankly, I am appalled that a college newspaper, such as The Equinox, is willing to spew such anti-women rhetoric that one member of the staff continues to write. Matt Miracle should not be allowed to have his own column if he insists on furthering the ideals of sexism and bigotry. An article, such as the one he wrote in this week’s Equinox, would certainly not have been published if he was referring to a particular racial group, or even a certain sexual orientation.

Let’s change “indecisiveness is a feminine trait” to “indecisiveness is an African-American trait” or even “indecisiveness is a homosexual trait.” I would wager those two stereotypes would never be allowed. The fact that Mr. Miracle’s article was allowed print space is reflective of the attitude in our society, that stereotypes regarding gender, in particular women, are still condoned.

Mr. Miracle raised the point that women are not the minority on campus, nor in the country, so why the women studies classes? I would ask him to look around, beyond the tiny microcosm that is Keene State College, to the larger world. Women are, in fact, a minority where it counts in our society, in the business and political arenas. Out of 100 senators, a grand total of seventeen are women. In the House of Representatives, with a total of 435 members, 76 are women.

Obviously, women are a distinct minority in upper-level governmental positions. In the business world, women are CEOs of twelve Fortune 500 companies. According to our society, power lies in the hands of people who control the economic and political foundation of the country; clearly, women do not.

Women have struggled for the past 150 years in this country to end the bigotry that permeates every word Mr. Miracle writes. I find it absolutely insulting to both my gender and my intelligence that Keene State College would permit such a sexist column to be published in a school-sponsored newspaper. Although I encourage freedom of speech as much as any American citizen, I do not feel a college newspaper is the appropriate place for someone to stand on a pedestal of negativity and vent about his personally adverse experiences with women, especially at the expense of a large segment of the student population.

Mr. Miracle is entitled to his own opinions and has the every right to make them known; however, the fact that The Equinox does not provide a weekly column to counterbalance his claims shows a lack of objectivity and, to be blunt, a level of professionalism I had begun to expect from this newspaper.

Sincerely,

Hannah Walker
A decisive woman