Editor:

Much has already been said about Fr. Byron and “The Vagina Monologues” but more still needs to be said, particularly regarding the actions of Byron.

His own words, dripping with irony, that women are being “violated in all sorts of ways,” could not be more true and reflect one of the most subtle and dangerous manifestations of misogyny today: the concept of silencing women to “protect” them, of forcing women to “empower” themselves in a manner deemed appropriate by the same status quo that subjugates them in the first place.

Robbing women of the power of their will and intelligence, making them do things a man’s way – there is no more potent method to keep women down than to restrict their ability to create.

Creativity is the power women inherently posses on a tangible, biological level that men have feared and sought to control throughout history. It is relatively easy to bar women from contraception or abortion – at least there is established procedure to do so, just ask Byron or Bush – but to defile the female power of intellectual creativity is much more difficult, and to the patriarchal order, it poses a greater threat.

“The play includes the seduction of a minor child and graphic language,” Byron said. “It is inappropriate to have that celebrated.”

Language, graphic or not (which is decided by said patriarchal status quo), is a source of great power – speech, expression, and communication are empowering. Telling a woman what she can and cannot say is just another way to shackle, bind, and subordinate. You can empower yourself, so long as you recognize that Byron has power over you. I think language should be celebrated.

I do not, however, think child seduction should be celebrated. But to conceive that “The Vagina Monologues” celebrates this is like thinking the Simon Wiesenthal Center celebrates the Holocaust. Maybe Byron should pull funding from all history classes that cover World War II to prevent students from celebrating Hitler.

Perhaps Byron is right, and the best way to empower women is to start no-smoking campaigns and to encourage women to dress more modestly on campus. After all, the number one cause of rape is surely wearing a tank top while smoking a cigarette on the way to class. Tell us, Father Byron, what constitutes modest dress – burkas and headscarves? What constitutes encouragement – stoning women who dissent?

~ Christopher Gabler, Biology senior