Category Archives: Madeleine Trtan

Campus assaults issue gains attention

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By MADELEINE TRTAN

One in five women will be sexually assaulted on college campuses, according to according to a recent Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll.

The issue has forever been brushed off and swept under the rug. It was not until Rolling Stone’s coverage of a campus rape at the University of Virginia that the news media started actively discussing campus sexual violence.

This was a crucial topic at the time. It is real, it is happening and finally there was some light shed on it in hopes for universities around the country to change policies regarding sexual violence.

Ultimately, the article was falsely reported and left a bad aftertaste for many Americans. Victims are almost always blamed for sexual assault. Only when a woman immediately reports the assault and can precisely recalls every single detail of the assault, is she considered the “perfect” rape victim and is believed. However, this is rarely the case. Sexual assaults cause tremendous amounts of trauma which can leave the memory flawed and victims are likely to suffer PTSD.

News media coverage of sexual violence on campuses has given the false idea to the public that women are lying, framing or seeking attention. Instead of believing the victim, society is more likely to blame the victim and presume the accused is innocent.

If news media were to actively report sexual violence for what it is, sexual violence, and if society were to stop making the excuse “boys will be boys,” there would not be one in five women on college campuses being sexually assaulted.

Fiorina will damage women’s rights

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By MADELEINE TRTAN

On Wednesday, the second GOP Debate took place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO, Carly Fiorina, enhanced her image and campaign during the debate. Fiorina attacked Planned Parenthood on many occasions, she said that defunding Planned Parenthood should be a priority. Her reasons were grossly inaccurate. She described a falsification of events that took place in the videos that have recently been publicized. Fiorina’s graphic words were false. What actually took place in the videos was edited for dramatic effect.

Fiorina has fought for gender diversity in the workplace for most of her career, she claims to advocate for women’s rights and further our nation in gender equality. However, one of her tactics would ultimately hurt women.

Defunding Planned Parenthood would take away women’s rights to free sex education, free contraceptives and free-to-low cost medical attention. Planned Parenthood’s business is primarily built on women’s health, contraceptives and sex education, not solely abortions.

Women across the country use Planned Parenthood as their primary source of female healthcare, defunding it would leave many women in the dark. There is no such thing as getting rid of abortion, defunding Planned Parenthood would only get rid of safe abortions. The wire hanger is something women should never have to experience again.

Third-wave feminism and human rights

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By MADELEINE TRTAN

Feminism was implemented into my life the day I was born. My grandmother, an eccentric, liberal, go-getter, always assured me to feel empowered, feel important and feel unashamed to be a woman. My grandfather, a hometown hero, state title holding high school football coach, was the most pro-woman man I had ever met. He encouraged me to pursue a career in journalism and he backed my cousin to follow a political path, he always taught us to fight for what was right and never to fall short of “the man.” Although women were not accurately represented throughout history, they were the backbone of the world.

Third-wave feminism was the byproduct of second-wave feminism after negative backlash from the movement in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Third-wave feminism is equality. It focuses on eradicating stereotypes and gender roles for both men and women, on the LGBTQ community in addition to women of all races. Intersectionality is a major concept of third-wave feminism, it opens doors to rights, support and empowerment to all women, not just white, cis-gender women.

A feminism that does not support intersectional equality is hypocritical; if there is a fight for equality it must be universal. Third-wave feminism challenges modern conflicts. It fights for equal job opportunities, equal pay for equal work, equal education and equal rights. It’s not a man-hating movement, it is quite the opposite. This feminism aims to eliminate the patriarchy which ultimately hurts self-actualization for men. It encourages men not to follow patriarchal values such as “men cannot cry,” “men have to provide for their family,” “men have to be strong and tough.” When these values are demolished, it gives women the opportunity not to feel inferior by the negative connotations of “throw like a girl.”
Feminism today is enormous, it’s growing rapidly.

As Gloria Steinem has said, “Feminism is the only movement that gets stronger with age.” As a society we are finally acknowledging that rape is real and that it is not ok.  I didn’t find third-wave feminism until college, apparently I grew up believing these values were basic human rights. Third-wave feminism is much more complex and broad. If society would adopt some of these core values women and men would feel much safer and appreciated.