[url=http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=816&e=1&u=/ap/20040923/ap_on_re_us/stripper_pole]it’s story likes these[/url] that i think are just completely ridiculous. i think that i’m a fairly enlightened individual and when it comes to equality, i think it is paramount that all people should be given the same opportunity regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, or gender. i don’t think it makes any sense that a woman in the same position of that of a man should make any less. that’s ridiculous.

but in the same vein, i also think it’s ridiculous that people start to cry bloody murder when they say that women are being exploited at institutions like hooters. nobody forced the women to apply to the job. nobody tricked the women into indentured servitude. if they don’t like the conditions in which they are working at, they are completely free to leave. they should know what kind of people frequent these establishments and what they may have to deal with on a daily basis. i mean, come on, folks, it’s not degrading to women, they are volunteering to be put into this place. i would have no problem with some restaurant chain called schlongs where barely-clad men will be serving you food. if that’s your thing, go have fun. i may not want to go there and it may not really excite me, but will i cry out that these men are being exploited for their bodies? uhhh…sorry. they choose to work there.

in the same vein, these university folks are being a little ridiculous when they claim that the party degraded women. the women didn’t have to go to the party. the women didn’t have to dance on the stripper pole. the women didn’t even strip.

now, i agree with the university that they are well within their rights to order the students to remove the pole from the housing because you cannot bolt things in housing that is university property. i can also see how they can punish the students for violating alcohol policies. indecent behavior is sort of a fine line for me…i’m not really sure what they can call indecent behavior…that’s sort of a moral judgement call.

i mean, it’s not like these women were being led into a prostitution ring. it’s not like these girls were being coerced to do something that they didn’t want to do. there was no nudity. i mean, what is indecent behavior, really? what if there’s a couple who’s getting it on in their dorm room? can they be punished for that because it’s indecent behavior?

i also think it’s ridiculous that the winner of the pole dancing contest was disciplined, but not any of the other contestants. why should the winner be the only one penalized? i think that’s ridiculously unfair. if you are going to go and punish people, punish all those involved. or is it just more convenient to make an example out of her? maybe it is. but why should she be disciplined again? because of indecent behavior? i guess that just rubs me the wrong way.

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