Give me a break.

A field of little pink and blue flags is an “offensive and outrageous” “visual harassment?” We’ll forget about “empty, emotionally-driven rhetoric” for now.

I am bombarded daily by articles of clothing (which barely perform even the most basic functions thereof) that I consider to be immodest and immoral, and I’m not even close to a stickler on modesty. I can only imagine what some of our more conservative or culturally-biased students must think about said clothing. Heaven forbid that they and I be “visually harassed” with fashions that we take moral issue with. Certainly we should not allow mini-skirts or tube-tops on our campus, right?

Or let’s talk about an even less popular issue than abortion: homosexuality. I’ve seen on a number of occasions certain public expressions of homosexual affection around campus. I am morally against such activities. Yet another example of “visual harassment,” I suppose, in that I am “forced” to catch these activities in the corner of my eye as I walk between classes. Certainly these people who wish to express their affection toward each other should stop on account of my disapproval, right?

Quite frankly, both of these relatively common occurrences “startle and scare” me, and make me feel “unsafe” and uncomfortable. Given that, can’t we just talk about these issues in a forum somewhere? Y’all will stop wearing revealing clothing and making out with members of your own sex for now, I’ll agree not to mention my moral qualms publicly, and we’ll all hash this out like civilized people.

Give me a break.

Now, about this “empty, emotionally-driven rhetoric.” Oh, if only it were true. The truth, however, is that there are a number of facts here. Fact: Over 4,000 fetuses are aborted daily. Fact: Many abortions take place past the stage at which life begins, regardless of how late you estimate that to be. Fact: Women usually have the choice whether to engage in sexual activity without protection (or at all), just as they have the choice whether to have an abortion. If those facts aren’t “intellectually challenging,” nothing is.

“Politically loaded issue?” You bet. It’s hard to imagine, but politics used to be about people. It’s in the word itself (Gr. “polites” = “citizen”). 4,000 future “polites” will die today, and you’re concerned about a field of flags.

Give me a break.

Nathanael Straight, Senior