Letters to the Editor
Campus Times
May 15, 1998
Dear Editor,
An infamous speaker was coming to speak and enlighten the congregation
about the topics that had permeated his life. I walked into the auditorium
as the speech was starting and decided to walk back out because of the topic
being discussed at the time. I will boycott this speech. I am exhausted
of hearing the antiracist plight of Black Americans in modern America. The
Civil Rights movements have accomplished their goals and it is time to existentially
move forward.
I later regretted having missed this speech, as the speaker was surfacing
in aspects of my life that I had not noticed before. His name kept popping
up on various movies. He was mentioned in a new book that I was reading,
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." I read several articles on him
in the local and national newspapers. I heard him speak a few weeks later
on a favorite radio station (KPFK-a commercial free Pacifica station specializing
in spiritual programs) and was utterly amazed at what this man had to say.
I sent him an e-mail humbly explaining my reason for boycotting his
initial speech and my respects for his newfound philosophy of environmentalistic
humanism. He wrote back, informing me of his understanding of my boycott,
and inviting further discussions with an authentic interest in what I had
to say.
We correspond over virtual mail, making tentative plans to meet for
lunch, which we both kept postponing due to mundane schedules and the dealings
of everyday life. It's a wonder with how many people we do this. Everyday
another plan is cancelled or put on hold with the hopes that tomorrow shall
bring more time.
I picked up a paper last Friday and was surprised to see the man's picture
on the front cover. The caption under it said that Eldridge Cleaver is dead
["Heart attack kills Eldridge Cleaver,"
May 15].
Ary Farajollahi
Senior
via Internet
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to Laura Czingula's article, "Viagra
offers excitement, danger," in the May 8, 1998, issue. Though I
realize it is an opinion column, there were several things in the article
that I did not agree with and could easily be misconstrued by those who
do not know any better.
First, Viagra is not a pill that can simply be purchased over the counter.
A doctor must write out a prescription for the pill and they are legally
prohibited in the random handing out of prescriptions for it. They must
be aware of an ongoing impotence problem. Of course, like everything else
in this society, someone is going to see the opportunity in legally obtaining
the drug and then selling it for profit on the street to someone who has
no medical use for it. My ex-husband is impotent and has been so for over
a decade. About a year ago, he went to a urologist regarding his impotency
and the doctor prescribed Yohimbe to him. This is something that can be
purchased at GNC or other health stores (though at a lower dosage) because
it is a root extract in pill form and not a medication, like Viagra is.
This brings me to my second point. Yes, marriages can dissolve due to
impotence, though it is assuredly not because of the impotence alone. Many
marital conflicts can arise from this problem, such as embarrassment, frustration,
anger, isolation, lack of communication and hurt feelings. It was one of
the reasons for our breakup: He began to pull away from me emotionally because
he felt shame and embarrassment. Despite your opinion, a man who is impotent
loses many things, including his dignity, self-respect and self-esteem.
He most certainly does not want to leave it that way if he has any choice!
Try putting yourself in the position of losing the ability to have sexual
relations. How do you think that would make you feel? Would you be confident
and assertive of your womanhood? Would you tell others, "Well, God
made it that way, so I won't try to do anything to change it?" Many
women who have had a hysterectomy have told me they often felt like they
were no longer a woman. Impotence does the same thing to a man. Have you
ever known a man who was impotent? Probably, but he most likely wouldn't
tell you that he is because of the many jokes society makes about them and
the "loss" of their manhood.
I am sorry that the idea of a man having to take a pill in order for
him to achieve an erection turns you off. You should be very careful, then,
about choosing future mates so that they meet your criteria. If you base
a relationship on how good an erection your boyfriend can get, then perhaps
you have good reason to pass judgment on those men who need Viagra. They
wouldn't pass your high standards. But for those of us who choose to have
an intimate relationship with people who stimulate us emotionally and spiritually,
as well as physically, Viagra offers us one less thing to worry about.
Ali Wooldridge
CAPA student
