Feminism gone wild

Katie's excellent column made me have all sorts of internal debates about the parameters of feminism.

Those debates follow "Why Being Drunk Is A Feminist Issue," an article that recently made waves online. Chief among the writer's assertions:

It’s clear to me that women need to question how we play into binge drinking culture so readily. We need to learn and stick to our own alcohol limits. We need to stop equating celebration with getting blasted. We need to stop dulling upset and hurt feelings with alcohol.

And perhaps most importantly, when we’re out, we need to watch out for our friends and other women who may have had too much.

Amid the praise it has received, the piece has also been criticized as possibly leaning too far in blaming rape victims. That's a tough debate, and one I won't attempt to tackle in what's supposed to be a concise post.

I will, however, say that about two years ago I became keenly aware of the irresponsibility dominating the drinking scene.

There wasn't a particular moment that spurred the realization.

Rather, it was a combination of factors -- like a prevalence of alcohol-centered social events with zero focus on designated drivers.

Sure, these discussions aren't overtly rooted in gender issues.

But they underscore priorities that are hardly exempt from feminism's umbrella: common sense and basic safety.