By Julie Burkhart
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 13, 1998

Women need to take control of thier surrounding

To the Editor:

As a woman, I resent the implication made by Ms. Kellie Weiss that I should be frightened into staying home behind locked doors ("Keeping safe at college," Feb. 11). I guess I'm one of those women she talks about - the ones who walk by themselves at night.

Before I go further, let me explain that I am currently living in Washington, DC, working as an intern. I, more than almost any other student at the University of Arizona, have a reason to be concerned about women being attacked by strangers - I live in a city with one of the highest murder rates in the nation. Yet when I walk alone here at night, I feel safe. Just as I did when I lived in Tucson. Let me tell you why.

I stay on well-lit streets. I carry pepper spray. I am aware of my surroundings. I walk fast and I stand tall. I feel confident that I don't look like someone you want to mess with. More than that, though, I refuse to let someone else tell me how I should act. If women stay home, behind closed doors, too frightened to venture out at night, thenthe "bad guys" have already won. Their object is terrorizing women, and from the tone of Ms. Weiss' column, they seem to have succeeded. I agree that women (anyone, for that matter) should be careful when venturing out at night. If you don't feel comfortable, then do what you need to do to get that way. Take a self-defense class. Invest in a can of Mace. But don't let your fears dictate how you live your life.

Julie Burkhart
Political Science/Philosophy Junior
Intern, Washington, DC