LETTERS: A satirical definition of rape/sex

To the Editor: The satirical definition of rape as sex is a play on so-called activists nationwide who define virtually any sort of sex involving penetration as rape. Even though Levkoff asserts that I "wouldn't know a feminist if she slapped [me] in the face," I would suggest she take a look at widely regarded radical feminist Catherine MacKinnon's work, "Towards a Feminist Theory of the State," where she specifically defines any sort of sex as rape. And since Levkoff has such an interest in feminism, I encourage her to check out the September issue of The Red and Blue, in which I conducted an extensive interview with Wendy McElroy, a widely published and respected feminist scholar. Finally, I would be honored if Levkoff would pick up the December/January issue of The Red and Blue (coming out after winter break) and read one of our cover stories, which will investigate both the definition of rape and Penn's rape policy. To help research this story, I attended the most recent NOW meeting at the Women's Center on campus with a fellow staff member. Incidentally, I was the only male in attendance. Where were you? For someone who supposedly cares so much about rape and rape victims, you were conspicuously absent. I missed being able to have the chance to work with you to make Penn a safer place. Before you start name calling, my dear feminist Levkoff, judge yourself. David Kalstein College '99 Editor-In-Chief The Red and Blue u To the Editor: I am quite confused about Logan Levkoff's column ("An incorrect assumption: sex is rape," DP, 11/26/97). In it, she takes excerpts from the "Politically Correct Dictionary," which appeared in the November issue of The Red and Blue and assigns a belief in these definitions to the writers of The Red and Blue. Any senior at Penn should know by now that The Red and Blue is no friend to political correctness. A piece entitled "Politically Correct Dictionary" is clearly not intended to convey an author's beliefs about reality. Instead, it represents the author's perceptions about the beliefs of those who subscribe to a doctrine of political correctness. Thus, when Levkoff criticizes the contents and implications of the "Politically Correct Dictionary," she is essentially agreeing with the point behind The Red and Blue's article -- political correctness is a doctrine that contains some problematic notions that often lead to undesirable and often ludicrous conclusions. That said, I can't understand the anger Levkoff expresses toward the writers of The Red and Blue in her column. If Levkoff really believes in the words contained in her column, one could only expect her to be pleased that a campus publication is promulgating her beliefs. Ben Goldberger College and Engineering '98