4 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 4 CA4'T I TPAVrLTO BCAUSE YOU' L- SPEND MONEY T'Aes U, "T~: M'ONEY \Nill. 9SUS~b"T'o ARMS it*TNGAA 'SWNtLk. g To Cr=NTRAPASICA"s BUY SENT 7 Diag tradition N~9~ T~eYLL wu~ p)U F) !/a 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. 4 PEANST uS. TfQOo'S.. WRONG EXLPANtTiON4 T tJ1 U F- .li NJ .. J U u C 3 r 4 LETTERS TO' THE DAILY -4 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 - - .