I am writing in regard to DeKalb Nite Weekly publisher, Frank Trebusak’s comment in the April 19 Star.

Trebusak implied that Nite Weekly protesters are only “jealous” of the Night Weekly models. Hopefully he has not really drawn such an off-focus and false conclusion.

The fact that women volunteer for the modeling jobs points to a symptom in our society. The oldest occupation for women is still the easiest way for them to survive!

Women’s pay isn’t best in computer technology. It’s not in medicine, in law, in legal politics, nor in business. It is wrong for women to need to rely on sexual exploitation for their pay.

I say the DeKalb Nite Weekly is sexist and is pornography: It portrays women in a way some might see as erotic.

It makes sense that community members would complain about such pornography. In posing for such pictures, clothed or not, women are made into mindless, voiceless sex objects.

They are made into recipients of unknown gawking from unknown people. Worst of all, whether volunteer models or not, they are made to be passive recipients of other people’s aggressive sexual desires. This does promote the same aggressive behavior in society, and can increase it drastically.

Pornography itself, whether “hard core” or “soft core,” promotes putting a higher value on women’s bodies than on their minds. This, with the promotion of sexual aggression, is the heart of our need for social change.

Laura Cengel

Senior

Social Studies/Education