I'm not sure where this began, but something has changed. It hasn't really changed so much as it has taken on a new and more public form. It has become the new "in" thing in the past few years to be offended very easily and to force personal views on the majority of society. We have become a society more interested in what other members are doing rather than in advancing and worrying about ourselves. Instances range from attempts to censor speakers to killing people whose actions we disagree with.

Several instances have happened here at Penn State over the past year and a half that I've been here. Every instance, to me, seemed to be fairly insignificant, but became a mass protest when a few people decided that this would not be a good thing for students here (or anywhere) to be exposed to. I'm not saying that it wasn't all right to be offended. I found some of them to be offensive myself, but that decision should be mine. Besides, a little offensiveness every once in a while is a healthy thing. It makes us think. It challenges us and our ideas. Let me give a few examples to clear things up a bit.

At some point last semester (I'm not sure of the date) someone came to campus and publicly stated that the Holocaust never happened. He said the entire thing was fiction. People were infuriated that our beloved school would let someone like that speak publicly to its students. There were letters to The Daily Collegian complaining about the event, there were rallies held, there were mass discussions and everyone knew about it. Everyone had an opinion about this, and everyone I knew was appalled at what was said. At first I was pretty upset. Actually all I did was laugh, but I was still offended at what he said. Then I began to see the results of what he said. I was amazed. I thought it was great. I then began to think what he said wasn't completely negative. What he said created such a commotion that people banded together. No one changed their opinion about it, but rather, many people began discussing it. Many people learned quite a bit more about the Holocaust. It was truly an enlightening experience. It made people angry, it made them think. It was beautiful. It was ... art.

Another instance was an art display hung in Pattee which depicted various organic and inorganic objects on all sorts of body parts. Basically, squashed fruit on stomachs and other such images. There was a big outrage by some workers at Pattee and to show their displeasure at this exhibit, they refused to come to work unless the display was removed. Of course, the display was removed. Someone was offended, took a stand, and the offensive material was removed. It was finally hung someplace different, so I went to see the exhibit myself. I found some images to be interesting. I found none of them to be offensive, but that is not the point. If you find it offensive, don't look at it. It doesn't seem to be such a hard concept, but some people have decided that it is not morally right to view such things, and so they do what they can to save the rest of us.

The last instance I wish to talk about was the letter the Women Studies 400 -- Feminist Theory class wrote to the Collegian about pornography. In some of what they said, they were right on target. It's true that women are at times forced into doing pornography whether by economic or physical methods. But they also made it seem that all women who are portrayed somehow sexually are victims of "pornography" and violence that need to be saved.

Some women actually like to be seen as sex objects. Years ago, it was the "in" thing to be a sex object. Just take a look at Marilyn Monroe or Brigitte Bardot. What has changed now that makes it wrong to want to be a sex object? In fact, I would venture to say that all women would like, at some point, to be viewed as a sex object. It can be a very flattering thing to be viewed by someone as beautiful. Most women would like for their significant other to view them as beautiful and sexy. Some women would like to be viewed publicly as a sex object. Some women would even like to view or be in pornography. I know several women who enjoy pornography, and that is their choice. Yes, forcing women to do pornography by any means is wrong, but pornography is not always forcibly done. Our bodies are not the shameful things that we were taught as children. What is so wrong with our bodies? If some people wish to exhibit their bodies, we should let them do so in the correct forum.

Who are we to say what everyone should be doing, or saying, or watching? If you don't enjoy something or are offended by it, don't do it or watch it. But the choice should be left up to the individual, and not decided by a group. We are not a society with one way of thinking, or one moral right. We are a society of varied interests and varied ideals, and we should be more concerned with our own ideology rather than forcing our own morals on others. Just look what happened in Germany when one person decided to push his views on the rest of the world. How far are we from that form of intolerance?