Philadelphia Weekly

NEWS AND OPINION

Letters to the Editor

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Jun. 29, 2011

Rotten Egg

Regarding Tara Murtha’s column about Broad Street Review Editor Dan Rottenberg’s editorial about women and rape:

Rottenberg just trashed whatever reputation he had with this nonsense. It’s don’t-know-where-to-look bad, atrocious on every level, from the writing to the warped un-logic to the hateful and insidious implications. Its worst crime may be how goddamn lazy it is. Just awful.

OY BARONEY, via philadelphiaweekly.com

Child Support

Regarding a male child abuse survivor’s take on rape:

There is a special place in hell for people such as your stepfather. Kids don’t typically lie about abuse. I suppose I would be in jail because I would have hunted his ass down later in life and lit a match to his genitals. When my daughter was growing up and I was dating, I never allowed my dates into my home. I met them at the door and we went out. I always figured home should be a safe haven for kids. I have a cousin who is pretty much screwed up because her mother’s boyfriend touched her inappropriately and she didn’t believe her. What kind of woman thinks a man is more important than her child? Sadly, they live among us. I wish women were more vigilant about who they allow into their lives—especially when they have kids. But I guess that’s wishful thinking.

FRAN, via philadelphiaweekly.com

Thank you for having the courage to say and write your experiences! I’m 47 years old and still today I’m haunted with the memories of being abused by my stepfather and no one would listen.

LYNN, via philadelphiaweekly.com

Don't Want No Scrub

Regarding Nicole Finkbiner’s article about Hollaback Philly, a group focused on ending street harassment:

I’m inspired by the cause and method of Hollaback. Confronting the problem is done so, literally. And whether its snapping a picture of the perpetrator (the cell phone is mightier than the sword), or making them feel daunted by announcing their trespasses to a crowd, these amoral misfits and masters of degradation are put on blast. A beautiful woman is not a commodity. As men looking to lend ourselves to the cause, HBG’s notion of a take-action stance allows us an opportunity to do more than empathize with the repulsion; we, too, can demonstrate the essential difference between sympathy and solidarity by joining the revolt. See you on July 21.

MICHAEL ROMBOLA, South Philadelphia