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OPINION
Page 4
Sunday, January 13, 1985
The Michigan Daily
S t aditdgau ailt y
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
The facts about campus rape
By Lisa Fitzpatrick
Vol. XCV, No.85,
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
A step backward
HE FEDERAL government has
issued a warning to abortion
clinics to be aware of potential violen-
ce from January 20 to 22. January 20 is
the start of President Ronald Reagan's
second term and January 22 is the 12th
anniversary of the Supreme Court
decision legalizing abortion. The need
for such a warning illustrates the fact
that the recent bombings of abortion
clinics are a step backward for con-
cerned advocates on both sides of the
abortion issue.
The recent guerilla tactics used to
shut down abortion clinics have served
only to cloud the arguments surroun-
ding the legality of abortion. Instead of
the rational discussion that should be
taking place between right-to-life ad-
vocates and those of the pro-choice
movement, the distance between the
two camps has increased as a result of
the violence. Abortion clinics have
begun to arm themselves for the poten-
tial violence and doctors across the
country feel as though they are under
siege by over-zealous and irrational
proponents of the anti-abortion cause.
More than simply clouding the
already emotional issues surrounding
abortion, those who practice violence
against the clinics are caught in a
serious contradiction. The actions
they commit are far more harmful to
society than those they claim to op-
pose. Though in thirty clinic bombings
since 1982 those responsible have never
taken life, the damage to public and
private property along with the severe
potential for human harm and even
death far outweight the effect of any
social statement they hope to make.
To the contrary, bombing abortion
clinics offends the very structure of
civilized society. The perpetrators are
taking the law into their own hands,
forcing their own individual morality
onto society. This type of vigilante
justice cannot be tolerated. It is
abhorent to honest advocates on both
sides of the abortion issue and it
weakens the credibility of pro-life
movements working through
traditional methods to make their
opinions known.
It is time for conservative groups
and those traditionally known for op-
posing abortion to not only condemn
these irrational tactics, but to do their
part to see that they never happen
again. Until clinics can feel safe from
attacks, these groups should tone down
the rhetoric-such as calling
physicians "murderers" and
"devils"-if they ever wish to discuss
their view in a rational manner.
I WOULD LIKE to share with the
Michigan Daily readers some research
that I have recently done on the issue of cam-
pus rape. It seems that campus rape is a very
common occurrence-more common than
most of us think. The causes and effects of
rape are widely misunderstood, so I have
chosen to tell the facts.
At Auburn University, surveys revealed
that twenty-five percent of female students
had been raped (penetration). Forty-six per-
cent of female students had been forced into
some type of sexual activity. Very few of
these rapes had been reported to police.
Other universities find similar statistics. (I
apologize for not having any statistics from
the University of Michigan). Over fifty per-
cent of all rapes are commited by acquain-
tances. Rapes and gang rapes are often enac-
ted by fraternities and athletic teams.
Rape is often accepted because of the
myths that men have greater sexual needs,
that men can't control themselves beyond a
certain point; thetmyth that women want or
need rape, and that rape victims are to
blame. These myths are excuses for rape,
and make it seem more understandable and
acceptable than it is. These myths are all
based on the idea of rape as a sexual crime.
In reality, people of all ages, levels of attrac-
tiveness, and past sexual conduct are raped,
because rape is not a sexual crime. Rape is
caused by a rapist's want of power and
dominance through violence.
Society encourages male aggression and
"glorifies female vulnerability" through the
mass media and other modes of socialization.
Most studies agree that the normal male is
socialized to be macho and aggressive. He is
taught to seek sex as a form of great satisfac-
tion and prestige. Men are not sufficiently
warned about the responsibilities of having
sex. Socialization causes men to associate
sex with violence rather than its true
meaning-as an expression of emotion.
Women are socialized to believe that sex
should be part of a serious relationship (if at
all), and that the results are their respon-
sibility. This difference in gender
socialization has created many difficulties
which will not be resolved until the two sexes
converge on one meaning of sex. Men and
women must learn to share both the pleasure
and the responsibilities of sex equally. The
results of the differences that exist today are
often coercion and rape.
Women live in fear of rape, and fear of jeers
from men about their fear of rape. Women
who have been raped need to understand that
they are the victims and are not at fault. It
seems obvious that more sensitive treatment
of rape victims would not only be more
humanitarian, but would encourage reporting
rapes. The trend of blaming the victim,
again, stems from the false concept of rape as
a sexual crime.
Recent evidence supports active resistance
by women who are attacked. Traditional
modes of resistance-talking, crying, and
pleading-make the rapist feel more power-
ful, and are therefore not effective. The vic-
tim must show the rapist that she will not
easily be dominated by fighting, screaming,
and running. Women who resist physically.
greatly reduce chances of rape occurring, bu4
slightly increase chance of injury.
There have been several suggestions of-
fered about ways of fighting rape. Fraternity
rapes should be dealt with more strictly by
universities and the Greek system. The high
frequency of date rapes should be a warning
to women to be careful about who they go out
with, and where they go with a date. Campus
Escort Services may help, if the escorts
themselves are known to be trustworthy.
Much more legal prosecution of rapists an
follow-up on rape cases is critical in publicly
discouraging rape. Perhaps social dissuasion
is the most essential tool in decreasing the oc-
curence of rape.
Students are often unaware of the intensity
of this issue or are misinformed about rape.
Rape is a violent and traumatic act, which
drains all power and all human dignity from
the victim. Rape is a constant worry for
college women (and all women), and it stric-
tly limits their independence. Men and
women must be educated about rape-that i.
is not an acceptable action, and that victims
are not to blame. This issue demands im-
mediate legal and social attention.
Fitzpatrick is an LSA sophomore.
i
Wasserman
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4
W ITH FALL term exams completed,
the entire class of '88 has been
freed from the shackles of the super-
stition surrounding the Diag 'M'. Each
year, incoming freshmen are taught
that if they walk across the 'M' they
will fail their first exam at the Univer-
sity. It is a campus tradition that
should be passed on to the nextngroup
of Freshman.
For one thing, the superstition
creates a wonderful air of tradition.
Every class for the last who-knows-
how-many years has gone through the
same indoctrination and has passed it
on with a vengeance.
Unlike most of the structures around
campus, the 'M' has its own story and
nearly everybody is familiar with it.
At one time or another everyone on
campus has had to come to grips in
some way with the dilemma of either
following "that silly tradition" or
flouting the supernatural ani taking a
chance at subjecting ones immature
g.p.a. to the nadir of professorial ap-
proval.
But most of all the superstition is
fun. It makes the personal dilemma a
public spectacle. Freshmen and those
upper classmen who never learn to
shake the specter of the superstition
cannot help but betray their inner con-
flict. Some take the deceptive ap-
proach and walk steadfastly toward
the 'M' only to sidestep it at the last
minute. Others try planting their feet
between the prongs of the 'M' thereby
getting as close to it as possible without
breaking stride. A few think ahead and
walk along the outer edge of the Diag;
and perhaps some just avoid central
campus entirely.
Tne simple tradition does no real
harm to anybody and it does liven up a
central campus jaunt. All of us, in-
cluding now the class of '88, should
pass on the tradition to the class of '89
and as late April gets closer, should
practice up on our 'M' dodging tactics.
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LETTERS TO'
THE DAILY
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A AN.
New Un
To the Daily:
Twice a year almost every
student has to contend with the
ordeal of buying books for next
term and selling old class
materials. No one will admit that
they enjoy this process. It is time
consuming, stressful, and very
expensive. Where else but at a
university bookstore must one
purchase a thirty dollar, 100 page
paperback and then find that it
cannot be sold back because of a
new edition? Often I don't give
the bookstores the satisfaction of
paying a dollar for my used books
and keep them instead, knowing
full well that they will simply
gather dust on my shelves.
In recent years the choices of
books have been rather easy. A
student could buy new or used at
either the private Ulrich's or the
student run University Cellar.
The prices at the two stores are
about the same even though the
U-Cellar is supposedly non-profit.
The only real difference is that at
Ulrich's, fastidious workers
gather your books whereas at
ion bookstore is a bad idea
student union. However, the
Michigan Union board of direc-
tors felt they could better the
Union financially by having
private stores in the basement
and thus evicted the Regent char-
tered Cellar. The U-Cellar was
relegated to its present location
in the sticks of East Liberty.
As we all know, a new
bookstore has opened in the
Union. Barnes and Noble
received the exclusive right to be
the Michigan Union Bookstore
and to be the sole vendor of candy
and other tidbits within the
Union. Why did the Union board
evict the student bookstore in
place of a private one which
charges very high rates for books
hoping to bilk gullible students?
Where was our kindly vice-
president for student services,
Henry Johnson? Where were the
students who sat on the Union
board?
The Barnes and Noble store
does attract many people to the
Union which is good for business
and is helping the Union regain
organizations. Of course, the new
bookstore attracts many studen-
ts, but the prostitution of public
University property to rip-off
private firms coupled with the
ousting of a healthy student run
establishment seems hardly wor-
th any benefits.
-Andrew Hartman
January 12
Can the human race survive?
To the Daily:
Are We, self-proclaimed and
self-righteous Homo Sapiens, so
enslaved to inhuman concepts or
so addle-pated as to believe that
nuclear war-heads which may be
detonated on route to their inten-
ded targets will be less lethal to
Planet Earth than those nuclear
War-heads which are bound to
penetrate a "Star-Wars" screen
which will be detonated over
their intended targets?
The human and natural resour-
ces which we have devoted to and
which we, foolishly continue to
devote to the creation and main-
tenance of systems of economic
oppression and conquest could
have produced a "Heaven on
Earth" had we devoted our com-
bined talents and energies to that
end.
Is it too late to use the intellec-
tual skills with which we claim to
be endowed and the material
capabilities which we hav
created in ways to build a societ
based on mutual trust and esteem
and on our combined talents
which will be truly affluent - a
society which will reflect the
aspirations to which we have,
recently, given so much lip-
service?
-Ralph Muncy
January 7
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