Letters to the Editor

• More press reports

  [Read the article: I'm a student in Scandinavia terrified of rape]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  The letter writer forwarded by e-mail to me these links to major press reports. These three, as she noted, are all in Norwegian, which I don't read.

  http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article1393911.ece

  http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article1468536.ece

  http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/ostlandssendingen/1.1126465

  I also find English-language reports here (I think these are just translations):

  http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1394245.ece

  Note that the police sketch in this one looks like some dude from Cleveland.

  And here, on spike in sales of pepper spray (or "defense spray"):

  http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1402683.ece

  good letters, incidentally -- the best, not surprisingly, seem to come from those with direct personal experience. Given the twin topics of rape and racism, the discourse is relatively civil, actually, which I appreciate -- sensitive soul that I am.

  Permalink Wednesday, November 15, 2006 09:33 AM

• Isabel --

  [Read the article: I'm a student in Scandinavia terrified of rape]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  You are right, I did neglect to discuss Muslim women's organizations. It would be interesting to know what Muslim women might say about the reports that are the subject of the column, and about the specific experiences of this particular woman who wrote to me. The letter writer is a woman but not a Muslim. Indeed, fear of rape, not Muslim culture, is the main issue. Still, the opinions of Muslim women about this issue would be interesting to hear.

  http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/orgs.htm

  http://www.ccmw.com/

  http://www.mwlusa.org/publications/positionpapers/violence.html

  http://www.mwlusa.org/publications/others/rule_of_the_rapists.htm

  http://www.mwlusa.org/presentations/speech_persec.html

  http://www.westernresistance.com/blog/archives/002306.html

  Now I'd really better go write a column.

  Permalink Wednesday, November 15, 2006 11:45 AM

• Dear Feeling Gyped,

  [Read the article: I'm a student in Scandinavia terrified of rape]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  At the risk of stating the obvious -- that's just dumb.

  But, to revert to my ever-accepting persona, in which I treat every inquiry, however doubtful its provenance, with equal credulousness, yes, absolutely, it is OK to feel afraid. It's OK to feel afraid of anything. And it's wise, when you find yourself feeling afraid, to ask just what is going on, why you are afraid, whether your fears are founded on a real threat, and if not, where did they come from? I think it's quite wise, honest and courageous to ask these questions.

  Permalink Wednesday, November 15, 2006 12:43 PM

• What about postmodernism?

  [Read the article: The Gen Xers are driving me crazy]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  Is no one interested in the idea of the waning of the centered, subjective self, the "depth model" as Jameson put it?

  I'm sorry if the letter was offensive to some in its sweeping indictments. There was some anger in it, true, but I took it broadly as a question: Why am I feeling like I don't understand these people? Why doesn't their worldview and their manner of operating make sense to me? They're admittedly smart, and yet ... And perhaps, underneath: Why is it threatening to me? That's how I took it. Maybe I'm too kind. But I didn't take it as, wow, these younger people are real shits and I hate them. I didn't take the letter that way.

  I assume some historical shift in perception is taking place and we are in the middle of it. It is somewhat tied to age, because one's age determines what technological experiences one is likely to have -- but not ncessarily; other things determine how one intereacts with technology as well -- class, geography, gender, interests, a lot of things. The main idea that interests me is this idea of the decentered self, the self for which "certainty" is an obvious sham, for which the "subjective truth of the artist" -- something we 60s people took as gospel -- is also a bit of a sham. It's provocative and may be hard to swallow, and may be threatening, all things that make it an interesting idea in my opinion. And it has all kinds of implications: Is the "dignity of the individual" a distinctly modern idea? What happens to individuality in a postmodern world?

  I'm not a scholar of postmodernism or postmodern theory. I'm just a guy who picked up this little fragment from Jameson (I read some, but really, I'm not capable of following his arguments with any real confidence) last time we had this generational debate, back in 2002, and thought it fit, thought it made sense. And the LW's letter seemed a perfect symptom of that: Yes, postmodern people are hard for modernist people to understand. That doesn't mean there's something wrong with them. It does mean there is some kind of fundamental difference in how we process information and express ourselves there that's worth exploring. It means that's how they've adapted to the world they inherited. There are specific historical conditions that shaped people, and they are worth talking about.

  What is needed, it seems to me, is some kind of conceptual framework that can encompass these different ways of seeing the world and forming beliefs.

  Permalink Thursday, November 30, 2006 01:28 PM

• Chris --

  [Read the article: The Gen Xers are driving me crazy]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  I don't usually edit people's letters. they speak for themselves, as individuals. I'm pretty amazed at the fracas, however, and didn't mean any group any harm -- and I just saw "The Queen" (!?). I'll give it some thought and decide later today (got to run out to the doctor)

  best

  ct

  Permalink Friday, December 1, 2006 07:06 AM