Misrepresenting dancers, exotic ones

I am writing with regard to the story "UT conference attempts to define America," Oct. 1, that ran on the front page. In the paper I presented, which is referenced in the story, I went to great pains to avoid using the term "stripper" because it has more baggage than Paris Hilton on a world tour and, as a sex industry outsider, I do not feel that my deploying such loaded terminology is appropriate.

Suffice it to say, I was more than dismayed to see that very term in the first sentence of the story. Further, the lede incorrectly summarizes the argument of my paper: "Strippers" are not "free to form unions and demand equal rights." Workers are routinely denied basic labor rights, and they are prevented from doing so by insufficient enforcement of existing labor laws, inadequate labor laws and even management subterfuge.

While the misrepresentation of my own work was troublesome, I am also disappointed by the misrepresentation of the scholarship of my co-panelist, Jessica Del Vecchio, and the decision to focus not on Melanie Haupt's work, but instead on the details of her personal life. Haupt is, for the record, a graduate student here at UT as well, though she is inexplicably not identified as such. To have a series of papers devoted to the ways in which women's work is devalued and overlooked treated in this fashion is, perhaps, ironic. Or, perhaps it isn't, and the erasure of our work is instead a demonstration of the very problems we sought to highlight.

Carly Kocurek
American studies graduate student



Activism not dead

In response to "Protest of lack of protest," Sept. 28: I'd just like to remind Audrey Campbell that activism is alive and well, both in the world and on our campus. Just ten days ago the Texan published a story about the Jena Six protest by the Concerned Black Student Coalition. They are not alone in their activism, as UT boasts student activist groups concerning everything from ending the Israel and Palestine conflict to protecting women's reproductive freedom.

In fact, as recently as 2004, Voices for Choice was a leading student group at UT and in the state, organizing fundraisers and urging students to attend the March for Women's Lives in Washington, D.C. - the largest march on Washington in U.S. history, which had over 1 million participants. That certainly qualifies students and U.S. citizens as taking action for what they believe in.

Candice Ellison
Journalism junior



Worthwhile opinions demand clear words

Consider the first sentence of Claire Harlin's Sept. 28 piece, "Powerful opinions deserve virtuous words": "Our society is numb to the f-word and its many meanings, yet it still holds the power to offend a nation." How is it that we are simultaneously numb to and offended by the same stimulus?

Harlin later observes, "we must remember that speech and opinion are not synonymous. They exist on separate realms of consciousness and can only be joined together effectively with ethics." Separate realms of consciousness? Nonsense. While not technically synonyms, all opinions are verbal constructions, even if untransmitted. If it can't be put into words, it's not an opinion. Opinions are speech, and the most perfunctory research into propaganda and advertising reveals that effectiveness of speech and/or opinion is not directly related to ethics.

Toward the end of the column, she states: "We should oppress no one for their method of [expressing an opinion]." Individuals have expressed opinions through methods that constitute slander, libel, vandalism, incitement to riot, political spin and outright deception. If the method constitutes a crime, then "oppression" via due process may be appropriate.

Hank Schwemmer
Performing Arts Center staff

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