Hatchet: Unfunny

I am writing you about the “Screw the Ellipse!” editorial in The Hatchet (April Fool’s Day edition, p.4). I understand that it was April Fool’s Day and the comments made were in jest, but, as a Mount Vernon College student (and soon a George Washington student living at Mount Vernon), I find it appalling that such jokes can be made.

How any of you think it is appropriate or even funny to refer to any woman as a “bitch” is nothing more than the sexist crap many women receive on a regular basis. Some people may think that sort of behavior is OK, but to call ANY woman a bitch is the most disrespectful thing you could call her.

As a Mount Vernon student, I am eager to become better acquainted with GW, its students and everything about GW. I would like to feel that GW feels the same way about MVC, but if comments like this can be made, I wonder how much GW honestly cares about MVC.

Mind you, the Playboy bunny comment, while sexist and generally wrong, I can see; even the article about Mount Vernon being a hoax. It is April Fool’s Day, after all. However, calling anyone a bitch is insane, and wrong. I personally would like to see an apology made in The Hatchet regarding this action, and if MVC students have their way, much more.

Can’t you guys think of better ways to hide your fear of independent women than call them bitches? It shows both your lack of talent and lack of imagination.

-Deanna HackworthMount Vernon College student

Letter from the editor

In light of anger sparked by our annual April Fool’s edition, we would like to assure you that our spoof house editorial “Screw the Ellipse” (p.4) was meant entirely in jest.

As student journalists we respect the power of words. We apologize if ours misfired to cause offense – no matter what day it was.

Rob: Unfunny

I have to say that Rob Hertzfeldt’s “My attempt at Mideast understanding” (The GW Hatchet, April 2, p.4) came with a bunch of unnecessary comments. I don’t think anyone should feel proud that his country shells countries it suspects of having chemical weapons when that same country undeniably has more advanced chemical and nuclear weapons.

No country has the right to play global cop, it’s no longer the colonial era (Thank God!). If the occupants of the White House and Capitol Hill had any brains they would spend more money on the homeless who live across the street from Mitchell Hall and less on sending young women and men halfway across the globe to scare Saddam. If that’s Rob’s brand of humor, it ain’t funny.

And what really irked me was his reference to Kofi Annan as “some commie African dude.” I would like to refresh Rob’s memory a little. During the Vietnam war, “commies” was the term used to refer to the Black Panthers by mainstream Americans because of their anti-war stand. I hope that Kofi Annan is not a commie by virtue of his ethnicity. If people who don’t support war are commies, then please count me as one.

And if Rob is interested in finding out what it feels like to be bombed by real bombs, I suggest he should enlist in the U.S. Army, they always have openings.

-Abdul-Azeez Musasophomore