en,
      I
      am
      told,
      are
      scum.
      Most
      women,
      at
      one
      time
      or
      another,
      will
      cheerfully
      inform
      you
      of
     
     
      what
      opportunistic,
      selfish,
      lowlife
      bottom-feeding
      slugs
      their
      male
      counterparts
      are.
      To
      be
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fair,
      many
      men
      will
      often
      just
      as
      cheerfully
      inform
      you
      of
      what
      cold,
      manipulative,
      shrewish
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      she-demons
      women
      are.
      Both
      attitudes
      are
      despicably
      narrow-minded
      and
      laughably
      stereotypical.
     
     
      The
      only
      difference
      is
      that
      man-bashing
      is
      fashionable.
      Men,
      it
      is
      argued,
      generally
      enjoy
      more
     
     
      physical,
      social,
      and
      economic
      powers
      than
      women
      do
      in
      our
      society,
      hence
      the
      justification
      for
      the
     
     
      belittlement
      of
      men
      as
      a
      group
      and
      a
      general
      suspicion
      of
      all
      things
      masculine.
      While
      one
      cannot
     
     
      deny
      that
      the
      security
      of
      women
      in
      our
      world
      is
      a
      valid
      and
      pressing
      concern,
      this
      anxiety
      too
      often
     
     
      creates
      a
      divisive
      gender
      mentality
      that
      keeps
      us
      from
      seeing
      each
      other
      as
      people
      and
      tends
      to
     
     
      produce
      ‘‘innocent
      until
      proven
      male’’
      reasoning.
     
    

    
     
      The
      latest
      lightning
      rod
      for
      ongoing
      male-female
      tension
      is
      the
      already
      infamous
      Carleton
     
     
      University
      survey
      on
      date
      abuse
      by
      researchers
      Katherine
      Kelly
      and
      Walter
      Dekeseredy.
      This
     
     
      nationwide
      survey
      of
      university
      students
      conducted
      last
      fall
      has
      become
      the
      subject
      of
      intense
      media
     
     
      scrutiny
      with
      the
      recent
      release
      of
      the
      survey’s
      findings.
      The
      basic
      figures
      from
      the
      survey
      are,
     
     
      initially,
      quite
      shocking.
      Four
      out
      of
      five
      women
      surveyed
      (approximately
      eighty
      per
      cent)
      said
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      had
      been
      victims
      of
      abuse
      by
      the
      men
      they
      dated.
      An
      almost
      equally
      high
      percentage
      of
      men.”
     
     
      admitted
      that
      they
      had
      been
      abusive
      to
      women
      they
      dated.
      the
      picture
      that
      emerges
      is
      on¢
      of
      intense
      *
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fear
      and
      suspicion,
      and
      people
      have
      been
      wondering
      just
      what
      to
      make
      of
      all
      this.
      Unfortunately,
     
     
      the
      rather
      staggering
      statistics
      may
      be
      prompting
      people
      to
      jump
      up
      to
      a
      fewrather
      over-generalized
     
     
      conclusions.
     
    

    
     
      One
      thing
      to
      remember
      is
      the
      very
      broad
      definition
      of
      abuse
      in
      this
      study.
      As
      defined
      by
      the
     
     
      survey
      abuse
      can
      be
      physical,
      psychological,
      or
      sexual
      in
      nature.
      The
      rather
      huge
      eighty
      per
      cent
     
     
      abuse
      figure
      is
      broken
      down
      into
      smaller
      categories,
      and
      the
      serious
      physical
      and
      sexual
      assault
      that
     
     
      we
      often
      associate
      with
      abuse
      actually
      represents
      only
      a
      small
      number
      of
      the
      women
      who
      defined
     
     
      themselves
      as
      abused
      in
      the
      survey.
      Only
      twelve
      per
      cent
      of
      women
      said
      that
      they
      had
      been
      pressured
     
     
      into
      sexual
      intercourse
      and
      only
      two
      per
      cent
      said
      they
      had
      been
      physically
      forced
      into
      intercourse.
     
     
      Of
      course,
      any
      percentage
      of
      these
      crimes
      is
      too
      high
      to
      be
      acceptable,
      and
      verbal
      and
      psychological
     
     
      abuse
      should
      not
      be
      taken
      lightly
      either;
      however,
      the
      rather
      large
      and
      much-publicized
      overall
     
     
      figure
      of
      an
      eighty
      per
      cent
      abuse
      rate
      gives
      us
      a
      rather
      inflated
      impression
      of
      the
      problem
      which
     
     
      perhaps
      encourages
      a
      mild
      hysteria
      surrounding
      this
      subject.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Carleton
      survey
      specifically
      is
      somewhat
      stilted
      and
      perhaps
      misleading
      in
      its
      findings
      in
     
     
      that
      it
      leans
      heavily
      toward
      a
      black-and-white
      impfession
      of
      men
      as
      aggressors.
      For
      one
      thing
      the
     
     
      majority
      of
      those
      surveyed
      were
      women
      (1,835
      out
      of
      3142
      surveyed).
      More
      significantly,
      there
      is
     
     
      an
      incongruity
      in
      that.the
      survey
      provides
      numbers
      on
      the
      abuse
      of
      women
      but
      does
      not
      provide
     
     
      Corresponding
      numbers
      as
      to
      how
      many
      men
      feel
      they
      have
      been
      abused
      by
      women
      ina
      relationship.
     
     
      These
      questions
      were
      asked
      on
      the
      survey,
      but
      researchers
      have
      yet
      to
      analyze
      the
      data.
      This
      leads
     
     
      one
      to
      wonder
      why
      the
      survey
      was
      publicized
      if
      the
      analysis
      was
      incomplete.
      It’s
      hardly
      scientific
     
     
      and
      presents
      a
      rather
      one-sided
      view
      of
      the
      problem
      that
      verges
      on
      academic
      irresponsibility.
      Men
     
     
      tend
      to
      be
      more
      naturally
      aggressive
      than
      women,
      but
      they
      have
      no
      monopoly
      on
      abusive
      behavior.
     
     
      The
      abuse
      women
      suffer
      at
      the
      hands
      of
      their
      partners
      is
      deeply
      saddening,
      and
      it
      is
      important
      to
     
     
      Taise
      awareness
      of
      this
      so
      as
      to
      caution
      women
      of
      the
      dangers
      they
      face
      and
      impress
      upon
      men
      the
     
     
      importance
      of
      responsible,
      decent
      behavior
      towards
      their
      partners;
      however,
      this
      does
      not
      justify
     
     
      the
      uniform
      depiction
      of
      men
      as
      abusers
      and
      women
      as
      victims.
      This
      creates
      a
      climate
      of
      fear
      and
     
     
      4
      gender
      schism
      that
      does
      nothing
      to
      raise
      awareness
      or
      bring
      about
      change.
      Any
      studies
      of
      male-
     
     
      female
      relations
      should
      treat
      both
      sexes
      with
      an
      objective
      eye
      unless
      their
      aim
      is
      simply
      to
      reinforce
     
     
      Preconceived
      notions
      on
      the
      subject.
      While
      it
      is
      important
      to
      be
      aware
      of
      the
      dangers
      involved
      in
     
     
      telationships,
      we
      should
      not
      hasten
      to
      lay
      blame
      on
      either
      side.
      The
      only
      way
      men
      and
      women
      can
     
     
      and
      do
      live
      together
      is
      by
      talking
      with
      and
      not
      about
      each
      other,
      working
      together
      for
      a
      better
     
     
      Understanding.
      Dividing
      into
      camps
      only
      breeds
      conflict,
      and
      most
      people
      would
      rather
      be
      lovers
     
     
      than
      fighters.
     
    

    
     
      Sean
      McQuaid,
     
     
      Editor-in-Chief
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Editor:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Just
      a
      couple
      of
      points
      that
      I
      want
      to
      raise.
      First,
     
     
      unless
      I’m
      seeing
      things
      (which
      I
      don’t
      think
      I
     
     
      am)
      there
      is
      a
      lot
      of
      abuse
      of
      the
      disabled
     
     
      parking
      spaces
      on
      campus.
      It
      really
      bugs
      me
     
     
      when
      I
      see
      secretaries
      and
      professors
      who
      are
     
     
      perfectly
      able
      to
      walk
      taking
      these
      spaces
      with-
     
     
      out
      a
      second
      thought.
      Students
      in
      some
      cases
     
     
      have
      to
      walk
      across
      campus
      on
      -20
      degree
     
     
      mornings
      to
      get
      to
      their
      classes-
      why
      the
      hell
     
     
      should
      some
      secretary
      or
      professor
      get
      to
      park
     
     
      in
      these
      disabled
      spots?
      Where
      is
      security?
     
     
      That’s
      why
      disabled
      parking
      stickers
      exist-
      if
      a
     
     
      car
      parked
      in
      the
      disabled
      spot
      does
      not
      have
     
     
      one
      of
      these
      stickers,
      it
      should
      be
      towed
      on
      the
     
     
      spot.
      If
      the
      owner
      gets
      upset,
      it’s
      their
      problem.
     
     
      They
      can
      read
      the
      signs,
      can
      they
      not?
      -
     
     
      Secondly,
      I
      and
      a
      lot
      of
      other
      students
      are
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “appalled
      at
      the
      mess
      that
      accumulates
      in
      our
     
    
   
   
    
     
      beloved
      ‘‘pit’
      after
      4:00
      on
      week
      nights.
      More
     
     
      than
      once
      thought
      I
      was
      walking
      into
      a
      pig
      pen,
     
     
      not
      a
      lounge.
      They
      need
      someone
      in
      the
      pit
      in
     
     
      the
      evenings
      during
      the
      semester.
      Surely,
      the
     
     
      union,
      or
      whoever
      does
      the
      hiring
      can
      find
      a
      few
     
     
      dollars
      to
      hire
      a
      person
      to
      do
      this.
      As
      it
      stands
     
     
      now,
      one
      person
      in
      there
      one
      hour
      between
      2
      and
     
     
      11
      P.M.
      does
      not
      cut
      it!
      -
     
    

    
     
      Finally,
      I
      must
      say
      I’m
      in
      total
      agreement
     
     
      with
      Daniel
      LaRonde’s
      article
      in
      last
      week’s
      X-
     
     
      Press
      concerning
      the
      disappearing
      pop
      bottles.
     
     
      The
      person(s)
      who
      are
      taking
      these
      bottles
     
     
      surely
      realize
      how
      much
      they
      could
      bring
      in
      to
     
     
      the
      bursary
      fund.
      If
      I
      choose
      to
      leave
      my
      bottle
     
     
      in
      the
      pit,
      or
      wherever,
      I
      want
      to
      know
      my
      20
     
     
      cent
      deposit
      is
      going
      to
      a
      worthy
      cause
      (bursary
     
     
      fund),
      not
      to
      someone’s
      personal
      bank
      account!
     
     
      Like
      Mr.
      La
      Ronde
      said
      in
      his
      article,
      if]
      put
      my
     
     
      bottle
      in
      the
      rack,
      I
      definitely
      would
      like
      that
      20
     
     
      cent
      refund
      in
      the
      bursary
      fund.
     
    

    
     
      In
      closing,
      I
      hope
      everyone
      has
      a
      restful
     
     
      spring
      break
      next
      week-ENJOY!!!!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Junior
      Gallant
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear
      Mr.
      Editor,
     
    

    
     
      I
      am
      writing
      this
      letter
      to
      express
      the
      news
     
     
      content
      you
      have
      within
      the
      X-Press
      on
      any
     
     
      given
      week.
      To
      begin,
      I
      see
      (and
      this
      is
      only
      my
     
     
      opinion)
      many
      articles
      that
      do
      not
      really
      con-
     
     
      cern
      U.P.E.I.
      students
      personally,
      academically
     
     
      or
      financially.
      An
      example
      of
      this
      could
      be
      the
     
     
      weekly
      article
      of
      the
      Comic
      Column.
      If
      we
      must
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      continued
      on
      next
      page
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3