Other forms of prejudice being used

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to two quotes from last week's Review, both by Mary Margaret Towney. In reference to the amount of students who smoke cigarettes, "We're not talking about a bunch of rednecks with double digit IQs who can't be expected to know any better." And discussing the campus response to the conference of gay and lesbian cartoonists, "We're not exactly toad-suck Arkansas where people would stampede and call guys in white sheets."

It is ironic that in speaking of other's prejudice, other forms of prejudice are being used. Living in middle America does not connote ignorance in terms of IQ or mindset. There are students from "hick" towns attending Oberlin College. They got here by the same standards as everyone else. They are no less educated, and no more bigoted. Just as you would not make negative generalizations about people of different races, religions, or sexual preferences, please think twice before doing so about regions of the country or socio-economic background. In scoffing at those who judge you by unfair misconceptions, be sure that you are not doing the same.

-Steffany Haaz, College junior

Slurs hit some of us close to home

To the Editor:

Mary Margaret Towey recently wrote a pretty vigorously anti-tobacco essay in the Review, and I have to say that most of what she wrote makes a good amount of sense. Tobacco is not good, Mary Margaret, I agree with you.

However, there's something about the essay, something pretty much unrelated to its views that nevertheless somehow seeped into it. About midway through the second column Mary refers to "rednecks with double-digit IQ's who can't be expected to know any better," making the point that Oberlin students ought to exercise better judgement than said

rednecks. I was a little miffed when I read that.

Now, I am only a first year, and I don't have a lot of experience reading essays written in the paper, so maybe I'm wrong. I wonder, though...if Mary Margaret Towey had used a different slur in her essay, would said essay have been printed by the Review?

Perhaps it would have, in which case I ask that both Mary Margaret Towey and the editorial staff of the Review ask my sincerest apologies, knowing that as a first year I am simply not used to the amount of free speech allowed in the paper now that I am in college.

But, if you'll indulge me for just one minute, please imagine that Mary Margaret Towey had indeed used an ethnic slur other than redneck. Free speech or no free speech, I'll bet a few irate letters to the editor would have surfaced. Maybe a protest or two, who knows. Some people would have been offended.

The word redneck offends me. It offends me because when I hear it, I know that the person who says it has not really thought about who they might be talking to. I'm actually only half redneck, and perhaps even less, my father having abandoned his outhouse-and-ma's cookin' past to go to college. But when I hear the word, it makes me sad. It's an acceptable slur in society today, really, and most people don't pay it much attention, but it's there. When we hear it, we know who's being talked about. Jokes about inbreeding and general stupidity.

I have heard many people voicing their minds in the few weeks that I have been at Oberlin, but I haven't heard any Polish jokes. I haven't seen any advertisements for minstrel shows. I haven't heard any blonde jokes, even. I would like it if I didn't have to hear redneck jokes. They hit some of us close to home.

-Sam Garman, College first-year

Oberlin would not be Oberlin without you

To the Editor:

Each year I seem to find more Oberlin students that take time from their busy academic schedules to contribute to the quality of life in our city. Especially important and timely to me was a report in last week's Review of statements from City Council Candidates for the upcoming November 4 election, one of which was an Oberlin student. The report was compiled by several Oberlin students and was followed by interesting commentaries about important issues on the ballot and about the importance of voting in general. To all of you who helped, and especially to Sarah for throwing her hat in the ring, I thank you for your effort, your energy, your insight, and, above all, your obvious concern for our city. Oberlin would certainly not be Oberlin without you.

-Ken Sloane, Oberlin City Council member