This letter is in response to Amanda Mittlestadt’s commentary, “The value of those killed by terrorist, AIDS.” The concept that female “genital mutilation,” which is also known as female circumcision, has no religious reason is wrong. I have a friend who just wrote a 10-page paper on the subject for African Religion and it is part of their religious practice.

This practice may not be part of our culture but it is part of some cultures, no matter how wrong we feel it is.

Almost the entire article is about how the money that is going to be used to protect our country from terrorists could be better used to help all these other causes that all revolve around women. Like spending the money on AIDS research so women can see their child grow up.

What, do men not matter? Women are only half of the population that need to be protected, the other half are men. Sorry to say, honey, but we do matter.

The column talks about this money going to help AIDS victims — a large percentage of which contract the disease through voluntary intercourse — rather than being used to protect innocent people like those who have no choice of being in terrorist acts. Most of the causes Mittlestadt wants to spend the money we use to protect our country on take place in other countries.

Not saying these causes don’t matter, but the money from our government should be used to take care of our citizens first and foremost. There seems to be a good chance of our country going to war to protect the innocent people of this country from terrorists and that money will protect women as well as men.

Dom Selgrade

Junior

Construction Engineering