Feminism: Pro- Movement or Waste??
by Laura Resetar
      I do not blame people all over the world for not voicing their opinions on the topic of Feminism. If their views were clear enough, and their points valid, they would be blamed for being unfair, barbaric, and even politically incorrect, thus making most feministic arguments, and even anti-feminists contributions hidden from the public. In our society today, feministic propaganda seems to dominate the media, workplace, and even the educational system, while anti-feminists are criticized for voicing their opinions openly. Personally, I do believe in the Feministic movement, and support all the arguments that feministic women everywhere make, but at the same time I can see where the other half is coming from.
      It all started when we were children watching Barney, or Sesame Street, while one specific song played throughout our minds. “Anything you can do I can do better. I can do anything better than you.” As young children, that innocent song started something so big between young kids; it let them know that anything men can do, women can do too. If a young girl asked her mom if she could play baseball with all the guys at her elementary school, some mothers who were anti-feminists per say would say “No honey, stick with Cheerleading,” but the pro-feminist mother would say, “Absolutely.” At least that is what it seems like to me, and may I remind you all reading this, that this article is an editorial. You may agree or disagree; the option is yours.
      Feminist ethics is an attempt to revise, reformulate, or rethink those aspects of traditional western ethics that depreciate or devalue women’s moral experiences. Feminists have developed a wide variety of women-centered approaches to ethics, including those labeled “feminine,” “maternal,” and “lesbian.” All feminists want to do is create a gender-equal ethics, and create a moral theory that generates non-sexist moral principles, policies, and practices.
      What do you think would happen if a high school student who just so happened to be a girl, wanted to try out for the football team? Think about it for a second. If you’re a guy, what would you think about a girl being on your team? If the coach decided to not let the girl play, based on the fact that she was a girl, that would be sexism right? If the girl who wanted to try out in the first place was not a feminist, and found out that the coach would not let her play because she was a girl, do you think she would turn into a feminist in order to play? Maybe even prove a point? Here at Bishop Ireton there are a variety of girls ranging from freshman to seniors who would love to play football for the Cardinals, but their fear of rejection overpowers their wanting to play. I know some hell of a good girls in the senior class especially who have the arm, the speed, and the endurance to play football just like one of the guys. Who says that girls just have to stick with “girly” sports such as dance, and cheerleading? I would love to see a girl at Ireton try out for the Football team. Unfortunately, for me it is too late, and I already participate in a sport during the fall. Any takers?
      Feminist philosopher, Alison Jaggar faults traditional western ethics for failing women in five related ways. The first reason shows little concern for women’s as opposed to men’s interests and rights. Second, it dismisses as morally uninteresting the problems that arise in the private world, in which women cook, clean, and only care for the young. Come on ladies it is 2006 and Pleasantville is completely outdated. Third, it suggests that women are not as morally developed as men. Fourth, it overvalues masculine traits such as independence, mind, reason and culture, and undervalues culturally feminine traits like interdependence, emotion, and peace. Finally, it favors culturally masculine ways of moral reasoning that emphasizes rules, university, and impartiality over culturally feminine ways of moral reasoning that emphasizes relationships, and partiality. Half of the above reasons, I do not even understand what Ms. Jaggar is trying to say, but some of them I do. Women are depicted as being sympathetic, caring, and they tend to cry a lot, but if a woman goes against those common stereotypes of the average woman in today’s society, they are labeled as being tomboys, or “one of the guys.” So what if a girl burps. That does not devalue her being a woman, nor does it call for a label, but what it does do is it lets the male population know that all female stereotypes of being blonde, a cheerleader whose favorite color is pink, is not true. Please ladies, do not go around all day and burp though. That is just gross, and un-ladylike. Just kidding.
      Feminism seeks to include women in human rights, and most women come to feminism through personal experience, which is one of the reasons why the core identity of feminism has to be so elastic. The most famous example of co-opting feminist issues is the movement against domestic violence. Until feminism, their was no word for battered women or domestic violence, no legal argument of self-defense for women who killed their abusers, and no shelter system. The first shelter for women in the United States was started in California, in 1964. In 1994, when Nicole Brown Simpson was murdered and her football hero husband was accused of the crime, domestic violence was launched into the mainstream of society.
     Feminism is a politics. It is a politics directed at changing existing power between men and women in society…all areas of life, the family, education and welfare are effected. The worlds of work and politics, culture and leisure determine who does what and for whom, and what we are and what we might become.
     Whether you are leaning towards the anti-feminist side, or the feminist side, just know that it took some strong, brave women to speak up. The world, and society has not always been like it is today, and I like to think that we are lucky for that. Yes, some women in some areas are still fighting for their rights, but today women have a choice. Women do not have to automatically have a family after they marry, and they have a wide range of career options, including the military. Women are still not allowed to fly in combat for the military, but maybe that is something that I will work on.

Larceny in the Locker Room
by Kenny Gartner
     Stealing, especially in a Catholic school, is always wrong and should never be tolerated. In fact, larceny is the wrongful taking and carrying away of the personal goods of another from his or her possession with intent to convert them to the taker's own use. The above happened to me on October 16, 2006 while running at cross-country practice. When I came back from my run and went into the locker room, I found that my stuff, along with other peoples’ stuff, had been strewn across the floor. I picked it up and put it back into my backpack; easy. Then I noticed that my brand new TI-84 graphing calculator was missing from my things as well.
     After I sulked out of the locker room to take a fellow cross-country teammate to the King Street Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station, I decided to check my school locker, as none of the cross-country runners have been given a locker as of yet, to see if perhaps I misplaced my calculator. It was not in there, so I gave up hope and walked out to my car. I pulled out of the parking lot in a bad mood and made a left turn onto Duke Street. It was then that I decided to pull into the gas station to ensure that nothing else was missing.
     I checked my backpack and also noticed that my digital camera was missing as well. I was absolutely stunned that someone would have the nerve to rip off $400 worth of items from my backpack. Then, I drove my teammate to the VRE station and returned to school, where I searched the locker room and found nothing. At this time I noticed that, in addition to the stolen items, my cell phone had been smashed. I left the school and found that one of my pens was on the front steps of the school, so some other very minor items had also been nicked from my backpack as well.
     What have I learned from this, as I write this, mere hours after the incident? I have learned to not leave my stuff lying around in the locker room. Obviously none of the cross-country runners can put their personal belongings in an athletic locker as none of the lockers have been reserved for them. Not even the varsity runners are given a lock and locker to store their stuff. Also, this is not the first time theft has struck the cross-country team. In fact, this is at least the third time that a graphing calculator has been stolen from a runner.
     I was also appalled at the fact that my things were stolen at a Catholic school. The seventh commandment clearly states, “Thou shalt not steal.” For those of you who either have fallen away from the Catholic Church or are not Catholic, stealing is still wrong. How can you expect to get anywhere in society by stealing valuable items?
     I began to ponder the value of these items. What if I was involved in an accident and needed to use my phone to call 911? I would be rendered helpless in a situation such as that. I also remembered that being without a camera would leave me unable to take pictures for The BI Word. I am now unable to perform my job as a student and as an editor of the paper. Without a graphing calculator, I am now helpless in two of my classes; Honors Physics and AP Statistics. Without these items, I am now out of the loop in three of my seven classes. I might also be stranded from important emergency services, if, heaven forbid, something life-threatening were to happen to me while on the road.
     I will say that right here and now my family and I are not holding Bishop Ireton High School responsible for any stolen materials. I would like to get that point across right now before I become misunderstood by those higher up than me. I am not accusing anyone right now and I will hold nobody responsible except those who chose to partake in such irresponsible, destructive, and childlike behavior.
     I would also like to say to everyone out there that if anyone knows who performed this act to come out with any information possible. Even if I do not find out who decided to do such an immoral act, I hope the guilt and shame will be more of an impact to the thief than the loss of my items was to me. Stealing should never happen anywhere. It should not happen at home or school. And also, it should never be allowed to happen in a Catholic institution that prides itself on moral values as well as high academics. How should students be enthusiastic about maintaining their spirituality when stealing is going on right under everyone’s noses?