By focusing on the legal angle, the News missed the point

By YDNImporter
Friday, January 25, 2008

To the Editor:

The only aspect of the Women’s Center saga the News addressed Wednesday morning was the legitimacy of the Center’s potential lawsuit against Zeta Psi. The paper’s intentions and viewpoint were boldly splashed in the headline across the top of the front page: “W. Center Suit Unlikely to Succeed” (1/23).

It strikes me as thickheaded to comment on the likelihood of success of a lawsuit that has not yet been filed. The Women’s Center, according to coverage in the News, has yet to undertake any legal action. Why are we talking about the outcome of a theoretical case?

The outcome of any legal action that may or may not go forward is, to me, completely beside the point. Far more important is the symbolic value of the Women’s Center’s response. Regardless of what comes of the lawsuit, the Women’s Center will have succeeded, because it will have demonstrated that affronts to the dignity of women and of the Center cannot be taken lightly.

Indeed, the News’ article addresses precisely those points that are least important. Frankly, I don’t care what law professors have to say about a theoretical case whose value is symbolic more than material. And honestly, I think the News knows I don’t care — a check of yaledailynews.com reveals a corrected article. Next time, get it right on the first go-through.

Joe Satran

Jan. 24

Satran is a freshman in Berkeley College.

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