Who-Stole-Feminism.-How-Women-Have-Betrayed-Women

110 WHO STOLE FEMINISM?students from sexual harassment formed "defense guard" groups to takematters into their own hands. "Defense guarding" consists of surroundinga targeted professor in an out-of-the-way place, charging him with sexualharassment, and then chanting, in unison, over and over again: "This willnot be tolerated. This has got to stop." 40One of the participating students told me that if her group hears ofbehavior that sounds sexist or harassing, they will directly and repeatedlyconfront the perpetrator. "Defense guarding is a very effective means ofconvincing someone that what they are doing is wrong." I asked whetherdefense guarding was not unfairly intimidating to the accused and wastold, "Why would they be intimidated unless they are guilty? If they havedone nothing, they would not be intimidated."One foreign professor subjected to this treatment became physically ill.The administration finally acted by putting sixteen "defense guards"under temporary suspension. Women's studies professor Patricia Sharpdisclaimed all responsibility for the behavior of the defense guards; sheinsisted their attitude has nothing to do with feminism. Yet she expressedconcern that nearly half of the eighteen students in her feminist theoryclass were members of the defense guard.That the students' behavior should disconcert even the feminist teachersis understandable. It is equally understandable that the students feelbetrayed. One member of the defense guard who was in Professor Sharp'sclass told me that in women's studies courses women are encouraged toempower themselves, but "when we put it into practice in a direct andeffective way we are suspended."Simon's Rock is part of Bard College. When asked about the tactics ofthe defense guards, Bard president Leon Botstein said, "The best face toput on it is that these kids do not possess a sufficient historical memoryto understand that such behavior is extremely reminiscent of fascism, ofbrown shirts; it is a classic group intimidation and public humiliationwhich is associated with the thirties, and then finally with the RedGuards." 41Pennsylvania State College has an alternative newspaper called theLionhearted that routinely pokes fun at campus political correctness. In itsApril 12, 1993, issue, it satirized an op-ed piece by a radical feministstudent, Amanda Martin, that appeared in the college newspaper. Ms.Martin had recently attended the Penn State antirape march, which shecalled a march of "250 female warriors." She compared patriarchy to abloodthirsty "monster" that is devouring all women. To those who wouldcriticize her, she issued a warning: "I'll kick your ass." 42Ms. Martin's article invited parody, and the Lionheartedobliged by