Music That Degrades Women

* In response to Ron Harris’ column, “Why Don’t Women Face the Music Degrading Them?” Aug. 27:

Women like myself and others I work with are fed up with this whole vulgar attitude in rap music. Rap could be such a great tool in spreading a positive message instead of such a negative one. It’s teaching young men to “diss” (disrespect) young women, who are too naive to understand that they are being “dissed” (disrespected). They don’t take it personally, I’ve been told by teen-age girls, it’s just talk. OK, talk; if you’re a “ho” today, you’re gonna be a “ho” tomorrow. I have a teen-age daughter; she says she doesn’t allow the boys to talk to her like that, but a lot of her friends do.

It’s nice to read an article that attacks such negativity, instead of praising it. Alot of articles say it’s the anger of our youth, their way of expressing themselves. It has nothing to do with expression, it has to do with being disrespectful and abusive to women. Then people fall back on the line of freedom of expression. Give me a break. No one should have freedom to degrade, abuse, inflict or express language such as the language being used in today’s music.

CATHERINE HAYDEL

Los Angeles

* If there is some collective gender insult to be extracted from the lyrics of dance music, Ron Harris need not indulge his chauvinism on behalf of the women he views as “degraded” by the words. The singer is, after all, not boasting about the size of his intelligence.

We need to keep in mind that those who give bold expression to their own ignorance, whether rappers or Sen. Sam Nunn, degrade themselves and not their targets. It is a burden they should bear without assistance until they are enlightened to put it down.

MICHAEL YEOMANS

Goleta