Rape violence about power, control, not sex

I am a woman, and I'm a little disturbed by Mr. Knutson's ideas on rape.

The idea that women who dress in a certain way are more responsible for being raped than women dressed like nuns is preposterous.

Primarily, rape isn't about sex; it's about power and control. While a short skirt may make easier access the targeted body part than a pair of jeans, it really has nothing to do with the underlying reason for rape. Men are not the only rapists; while the number of reported male rape cases is much smaller, it still happens. Is Mr. Knutsen suggesting that these men must be wearing the wrong clothing and therefore are responsible, even in part, for the violence committed against them? Women as well as men should be able to wear whatever they want without living in fear of violence. [Read article]

So let me get this straight: You're a minor in whatever. You're a few semesters away from graduating, or maybe even a few years. You're excited about whatever major and minor, happily going about your college experience and contributing to the college community.

It's right then you find out the only way you can get any classes on this campus is to be a major and a senior in something. Tough luck, I guess. [Read article]

One week ago, President Bush hosted Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the White House. The Israeli head of government received American endorsement of his plan to achieve security and, hopefully in the process, peace for his country, while effectively placing the Palestinians in the position to have their own state.

In fact, the Palestinians haven't been this close to a state since Arafat walked away from a more-generous-than-expected offer from Ehud Barak in 2000. But as they have consistently done in the past, Arafat and his officials have rejected the path of negotiations and measures that would indicate a serious commitment to resolution. There continues to exist a terrible despotism built on a terrorist infrastructure fueled by gross miseducation of Palestinian youth and the blood of innocent Israelis. [Read article]

Imagine you are the president of a nation, democratically elected by 70 percent of the people in your country, and in the wee hours one morning, you, your spouse and your bodyguards are suddenly awakened by armed men who insist that your life is in danger and that you have to immediately tend your resignation as president. You are then whisked off into a car and led to believe you are being driven to the national palace. You soon realize you are in fact headed toward the country's international airport, where you, your wife and your personal bodyguards are escorted onto a U.S.-charted plane. You are mystified into a shocked stupor when the window shutters on the plane are drawn down and you are unaware of your destination as the plane soars into the morning sky. Several hours later, you land in a country quite unknown to you ÷ the Central African Republic. [Read article]