Sexist columns create rift between sexes
I am writing in response to the column “Thumbs up to life alone before marriage” (ODE, 10/2). As a married male student, I was offended by the columnist’s remarks. I disagree with the analysis of relationships between couples living together and a seemingly loose bond between a couple that is in their situation for pleasure and subservience rather than the love and trial.
The comments about men and their relationship goals are sexist and wrong. To imply that the primary reason men want a relationship that must be proven rather than just given to marriage is based solely on “free” sex and having a maid at his beck and call 24/7 is patently absurd and goes against the very essence of 100 years of “Women’s Lib.”
If a person continues to carry on in a relationship in which their partner expects them to do things that are against their philosophy, then they need to leave the relationship; something, I might add, that could be discovered the first days of living together rather than in matrimony.
It is a disservice to the columnist, women and men to use stereotypes and statistical information to back up sexism. Hateful groups have claimed that black males are more prone to violence than white males, and there is statistical “evidence” to support their opinions. Does that mean their claims are true? The reason there is a rift between the sexes is because of comments and support for sexist comments — like the columnist’s — by both men and women.
Dan Isaacson
senior
political science
We don’t know Knight’s motives for giving
Instead of pop “psychologizing” Phil Knight for his motives of support, as Andrew Adams did in “Always after the bottom line” (ODE, 10/3), maybe Knight gives simply because he is grateful. Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman lent Knight, then an average Oregon runner, start up money and let him market his waffle shoe design. The rest is history. The University of Oregon, for better or worse, is largely responsible for Nike. I am grateful that Knight has a sense of history, even though some students apparently do not.
John O’Brien
Eugene