Irony has never been so transparent.

The visit of conservative and self-proclaimed anti-feminist Phyllis Schlafly to Penn State Wednesday has been denied by Young Americans for Freedom as a counter to Take Back the Night but acknowledged as a "happy coincidence."

While 200 people marched through campus to fight rape and sexual assault, Schlafly spoke to a group of 100 listeners about why women should carry guns to deter such crime.

The absurdity that 20,000 female college students should need to carry firearms to protect themselves from rape is as obvious as it is outrageous.

In fact, it is hardly worth a rebuttal.

Truth is, rape and sexual assault are not political issues. They are issues of safety. No woman, conservative or liberal, should need to carry concealed weapons to ensure her safety.

Despite not mentioning Take Back the Night during her speech, Schlafly's presence on campus clearly demonstrates the need for such activism.

Those who participated in Take Back the Night should be commended for taking a stand against an issue that is too often ignored by public officials.

And those participants should be motivated by the festering ignorance of public figures such as Schlafly, who uses hypocrisy to gain a following.

This woman, who holds a law degree and was appointed to the Commission on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution from 1985 to 1991 by President Ronald Reagan, says that women should stay home instead of pursuing a career.

It is ridiculous to ask women, half of this country's work force, to delay their careers until each of their children graduates from high school.

Schlafly said in her speech that feminists seek preferential treatment for women, not equality for all. She even said that feminism is the "big lie of the century." This is a statement made out of pure ignorance of the feminist movement. Ask any women's studies professor or student.

"Feminism," along with liberalism, has been thrown into the grab bag of progressive terms that have been twisted into carrying a negative connotation.

To be a feminist does not require one to participate in bra burning and flag-waving protests. So-called anti-feminists such as Schlafly perpetuate the myth of feminists being radical women.

True feminists speak up when they encounter discrimination. They fight for equality of all people, and they hold peaceful demonstrations against sexual assault. Feminism is about equal opportunity for women, gays and lesbians, minorities, and any other oppressed group.

Anything else is a lie.