Dear editor,

As I was reading Walter Block’s opinion column in the March 2nd issue, I could no longer keep my humanitarian opinion to myself. Let me start off with an annoyance about his opinion.

It seems that he is living a little in the past, to say the least. His “Miss” and “Mrs.” argument is laughable. That happened decades ago. He argues that these titles, “convey important information: marital status.” Please tell me why he needs to know the marital status of every woman by her title, yet not a man’s?

Maybe we should come up with a term for “misogynist” to put in front of names; that would be far more useful. I could know simply from a person’s title that I do not want to know them or read/hear their opinions. For example, I could start referring to Dr. Block as, I don’t know, Chauvinist Block.

Although most of his argument I could hardly take seriously, I did take his comments on “Take Back the Night” seriously and offensively. He claims its only benefit is that rapists would laugh so hard they would be incapable of rape during the event. That is ignorance at its finest. One in four college women have been or will get raped, and he has the audacity to argue that “Take Back the Night” has no benefit. I understand he wants to make his opinion heard about feminism, but this?

Does he care that little about the women at Loyola? Dr. Block, next time you teach a class, take a good look. I bet at least one women in your class has been raped, that is, if any women ever considers taking your class again. And yes, as a feminist, I do interpret him as a woman hater. “Some of my best friends are women. I admire many women.” Just because you have a female friend does not make you immune to woman-hating, and just because you have your tenure doesn’t make you immune to backlash.

Chauvinist Block, I suggest you open your eyes and your ears and try to learn something new. Since we do study/work at a liberal arts college, maybe you could take a lesson or two from other departments. I would suggest starting at Women’s Studies.

I am a feminist because I believe in equality for all. I will not apologize for annoying Block and neither will the other 50 plus feminist faculty, staff and students at Loyola. Block, along with other close-minded misogynists, will undoubtedly interpret the forgoing as evidence that I am a radical feminist, and maybe I am. I believe in our Loyola ideals: compassionate humanitarian actions.

Sincerely,

Susan Baughman, Sociology Senior