LETTER: Making Sense

Thank you for giving me insight into the feminism of Camille Paglia (DP 3/3/92). As I finished the article, I caught myself saying, "At last, someone who makes sense!" An intelligent, capable woman, possessing both the ability and the desire to succeed in today's world, battles against the amorphous entity of sexual discrimination that is so deeply ingrained in our society. Being a man, I will never truly appreciate the difficulty of warring against this intangible, yet omnipresent, foe. I abhor all obstacles which bar capable people from reaching their potential, but I will never condone the actions of today's mainstream feminism. The mainstream feminism, which Paglia opposes, focuses on the destruction of the establishment while ignoring the vital issue of reconstruction. Too often it seems that popular feminism's most recent herd leader merely picks a target, sounds a call and leads the herd's charge -- or rather, stampede -- against an existing social barrier. If the barrier yields, all that is left behind after celebration is rubble -- no new structure is created. Camille Paglia's feminism focuses on the individual's ability to build a better system. She calls for a coming together of women, like so many skilled builders, to construct a bridge over the chasm of sexual discrimination which separates womankind from her deserved equality. I salute Camille Paglia, for she points the way to a brighter, more constructive future for both women and men. CHRIS VANREIT College/Wharton '93