Men are not objects of their own sex drive

As the editor of the paper, I have the privilege of reading forum letters and deciding which ones to print.

As it says on the opinion page, I have free reign to reject letters “for reasons of good taste, redundancy or volume of similar letters.” The letter we’re printing today is one I had a difficult time with because as I read it, I felt uncomfortable with its message.

Don’t get me wrong. I totally respect abstinence from sex. I respect waiting until marriage. But people who choose abstinence aren’t the only ones who deserve respect. As I’ve gotten older, I realize that part of showing someone respect is respecting their choices, even when they’re different than your own.

The biggest thing — though not the only thing — that bothered me about this letter was the notion that men are objects of their sex drive and women are responsible for controlling the things that could trigger it. A woman’s appearance when she wears a sports bra on campus may or may not turn a guy on — or another girl for that matter — but good heavens, give the man more credit. A strong sex drive does not equal an uncontrollable one. Every person is responsible for his or her actions, not for the actions of others.

If someone is beautiful and something horrible happens to her, is it even a little bit her fault for being beautiful? Hell no. Are the words “I couldn’t resist,” a valid excuse for the doer of horrible things? Hell no.

I resent the stereotypes presented in this letter, and I resent the archaic way of thinking behind it. I feel an obligation to print it because it represents the views of some at this university, but I do not agree with it.

If this letter represents the way we talk about abstinence, I’d rather talk about sex.

— Mariah Noble is the editor-in-chief. Contact her at statesmaneditor@aggiemail.usu.edu.