Page 4 -The Michigan Daily- Wednesday, March 17,1993
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c e tin tt 1
420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed
by students at the
University of Michigan
JOSH DUBow
Editor in Chief
ERIN LIZA EINHORN
OpinionEditor
Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily editorial board.
All other cartoons, signed articles and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily.
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GO VOTE!
It's the only way to make MSA represent you
HILE MOST OBSERVERS view the
Michigan Student Assembly as an
organization out of touch with student
concerns, it is pivotal that all informed students
vote today or tomorrow. This election - in
which voters will choose a new president, vice
president and multiple representatives - may
be the turning point for the future of student
rights. Students are burdened with an adminis-
tration fond of chipping away at our rights
through measures like an overly restrictive Diag
policy, a misguided Statement of Student,
"Rights" and Responsibilities (the Code), and a
Union access policy that blocks admission to
anyone deemed "unsuitable."
We need an effective representative voice
and MSA -as pathetic as it is -may be our
only hope. Students must stand up and take
interest.
Because members of the University admin-
istration know very few students cast ballots in
assembly elections, MSA members' views are
seen as the pathetic grumblings from the campus
vocals. They are not seen to represent student
concerns becuase they only represent students
who vote (less than 10 percent of registered
students). IfMSA weresupportedby an attentive
campus, its concerns might mean someting to
administrators, but presently we have no voice.
Students who want to maintain basic human
rights have a responsibility to choose the candi-
dates most equipped to represent their needs and
to vote.
We should not necessarily forgive MSA for
its ineffectiveness, but we should take the initia-
tive to vote for a new assembly. While it may take
divine intervention for MSA to adequately repre-
sent student interests, it takes no more than a walk
to one of the many poll sites for the student body
to do its share.
.
Editors' note: Unfortunately, sexual assault has become an issue of statistics. We often see so many
numbers, we forget human beings are involved. It is for this reason that the Daily dedicates this
space every Wednesday to sexual assault survivors. Some pieces will be signed. Others will not. All
of them present real situations from survivors who respond in their own way to assault.
'You robbed me of this person I could be'
i
DEADLY WEAPONS
Waco incident shows need for Brady Bill
WHEN THE STATE of Virginia recently
passed reasonable legislation prohib-
iting the purchase of more than one
handgun per month by the same person, the
National Rifle Association (NRA) decried this
infringement on ---the
"rights" ofhunters and law-
abiding citizens who wish
to protect themselves. Like
the proverbial fool who
built his house on sand
rather than rock, gun con-
trol opponents have built
their argument on the
premise that U.S. citizens
have the right to own any
number of whatever types
of weaponthey want, with-
out interference from goy-
ernment. Despite this inane'
anilgcadteam flobbyists paid to defend it,
immediate passage of the
Brady Bill, which would
mandate a national seven-
day waiting period for the
purchase of handguns,
should be a priority for
President Clinton and for Congress.
The nation needs more stringent gun control
quite urgently. But even as the stand-off be-
tween federal agents and cult leader David
Koresh drags on, the nation can depend on the
NRA to provide more misleading propaganda
about guns. No matter how sensible the legisla-
tion, the NRA members oppose all forms of gun
control. Their position continues to prevent this
nation from developing a sane gun control
policy. It continues to hail the Second Amend-
ment and pretend waiting periods and prohibi-
tions on more than one gun per month are
dangerous infringements on legal rights.
But the Second Amendment does not advo-
.--
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,
, ,
.
guns. The amendment guarantees states the right
to bear arms so eachstatecanhaveits own militia.
The amendment was put in the Bill of Rights to
give states a certain autonomy in the new federal
system. There was a fear at the time that a strong
federal government with a
standing army wouldbe able
T[V FOR NUl to take away states' rights.
To counter this, the states
TOO GOT A PROBLEM were (and are) permitted to
have their own militias. The
amendment does not guar-
antee individuals the right
to own assault weapons. It
does not say or imply that
restrictions like a waiting
period are illegal. Nor does
it hold that people should
havetherighttobuyasmany
guns as they please. As guns
continue to kill increasing
numbers of people, claim-
- ing that the Second Amend-
ment allows unrestricted
xIIj gun ownership is legally
foolish and, indeed, danger-
ous.
"No ordinary woman" was written
by Pamela Elizabeth LaMoreaux after
she was sexually assaultedatthe age of
16. When she was 21 years old, Pam
was raped and murdered by an ac-
quaintance. Today, March 17,1993 is
theseventh anniversary ofPam's mur-
der.
No ordinary woman
I can open this door for you
And you will come in
Through the blinking light.
And you will turn to me and say
those things you most
wanted to say - without conscience
you will say things to disturb
me, underground
and no one will notice but I
which makes this your delight.
You will ride me like the wind
And claw at me this entire
while
WhileIthinktomyselfwhether
to laugh
or cry - it is easier to laugh
I'm protected when I laugh
And not when I cry, as you may pre-
sume
I am no ordinary woman
This is not the case with me
Nor is this
the place for me
I could run forever but the sight of you
won't leave my mind...
I remember everyone
I remember everything
And this form which I can't escape
will drive me insane...
I will not be your victim
anymore, so shut your mouth.
I will not hold your vain
or be your meat to stab...
so sweet, you think you are
Am I acting that bizarre?
Catch you out, and twist you up
I will talk over your head
till you are dead.
Because you took me, yes, you
robbed me of this person
I could be
who could once love
but cannot now
So she will react quickwand fast
Yes she will react
soon to blast
Where can she go?
To hide the face that you have
made her wear now?
Perhaps She will never leave
you
Perhaps She will haunt your
dreams
so you won't run to her, ever again.
SEXUAL ASSAULTS
REPORTED TO SAPAC
IN 1993:29*
Involving penetration: 16
No penetration: 5
Acquaintance: 21
Stranger: 0
0
I On Campus: 1
Reported to police: 8
*No additional information
available for some reports
SAPAC works to prevent rape
Even as the government
places regulations on free speech and freedom of
assembly by diluting the First Amendment, gun
control opponents contend that their beloved
Second Amendment is beyond reasonable regu-
lation.
The front of the NRA's national headquarters
building in Washington bears only the second
half of the Second Amendment: "... the right of
the people to keep and bear arms shall not be
infringed." But by reducing the all-important
qualification contained in the first part of the
amendment to three dots, the NRA demonstrates
its irresponsibility. President Clinton and Con-
gress should rise above this deception and pass
the Brady Bill as a first step to reasonable and
'c the Daily:
I have never been raped -
I'm lucky. In a society where
one of every three women will
experience sexual assault in
her lifetime, I've learned to
count my blessings. However,
it's not easy to count the
number of my friends who
have experienced rape or
some other form of forced
sexual contact. Their descrip-
tions bear little resemblance to
the "dark ally sudden attack"
-myth that prescribes the rapist
as a masked stranger. Instead,
the rapes occurred indoors
and my friends knew the
assailants; in one case, it was
my friend's boyfriend. This is
acquaintance rape: sexual
assault by friends, neighbors,
dates, co-workers, family
members or other people the
survivor may know. Over 90
percent of college rapes are
acquaintance rapes - clearly
rape is a big issue.
I think about these facts
when I walk around campus
late at night. Some people
argue that women shouldn't
walk alone at night; it's just
not common sense. Not that
women are asking for it when
they walk alone, the debate
continues, but there are places
where even men shouldn't
walk alone if they don't want
to run into trouble. But I think
about my safety when I'm
leaving a party and I can't
decide whether to bear the
cold by myself or to accept an
escort from a male friend.
Am I safer by myself or in the
company of someone to
whom I might give the wrong
signal? In either case I would
be blamed for my assault.
Some people might even say I
asked for it.
Many people don't believe
rape is a serious issue because
they feel the survivor could
have stopped it. Thus, rape is
often shrugged off as a
woman's problem. Both sexes
are involved, however,
directly and indirectly. Think
of three women and ten men
you know: at least one from
each group will be sexually
assaulted in her or his lifetime.
It's time to act.
The Sexual Assault
Prevention and Awareness
Center (SAPAC) is working
to prevent acquaintance rapes
on the U-M campus. I have
been volunteering as a
SAPAC peer educator since
September 1992. Co-ed teams
of two peer educators
facilitate discussions on the
social aspects of sexual assault
in residence halls, classrooms,
fraternities and sororities and,
new this year to the program,
for athletic teams. The
purpose of SAPAC's Peer
Educations Program is not to
lecture audiences, but to
stimulate discussion about the
myths, facts, preventions and
precautions of sexual assault.
We provide information on
what we see as a societal
problem that harms both men
and women.
Cecilia Chin
RC Junior
cate unlimited individual access to all kinds of effective gun control.
RACIST EMBLEM
New group
takes law into
its own hands
To the Daily:
Your readers may like to
know of a new development
regarding the obnoxious
street sign in a second floor
window of West Quad on the
corner of Thompson and
Madison. We have recently
spray-painted a completely
different message on the
window in question. Come by
and see it sometime.
Contrary to popular
opinion, people like us do
have a sense of humor. One
good joke deserves another.
On the other hand, if that sign
wasn't a joke, if it was an
insult to women, an attempt
to downplay the viciousness
of rape culture, or a gauntlet
thrown to people who work to
end sexual harassment and
discrimination ... well, then
the boys who put it up can
interpret this as an expression
of extreme disapproval from
fellow members of the
university community.
We agree that for the
administration to censor
speech or writing would be
unconstitutional. For us to
take action, however, is
merely illegal. It is beyond
the scope of this letter to
expound and defend our
definition of what's ethical.
Let it suffice to say that
sometimes legality and ethics
conflict. Whenever we feel
that they do, we will act. Law
enforcement authorities can
go ahead and try to stop us if
thvan
Miller should not give
PLAINING THAT EXTREMISTS have com-
~plicated the issue and detracted from other
legislative goals, Georgia Governor Zell
Miller announced last week he that will end his
fight to remove the Confederate battle emblem
from the state flag. The emblem offends many
citizens, especially African Americans, who
make up one-third of the state's population. Yet
others, who oppose the proposed change to the
flag, have made Miller's attempts to accomplish
anything else in the government nearly impos-
sible. Just as President Clinton felt the need to
direct his energies away from lifting the ban on
homosexuals in the military, this worthy cause
has been abandoned for the sake of politics.
Miller and his advisors have foundit pointlessto
continue the struggle under such circumstances,
but the issue is still important and deserves
national attentionn-
up trying to lower flag
'Safe sex' may be possible today
GEORGIA STATE FLAG
Miller joined the fight to remove the emblem,
making himself the first white Southern politi-
cianto do so, after Atlanta was chosento host the
1996 Olympic Summer Games. While Georgia
should change its flag under any condition, the
upcoming Olympics make the issue far more
n orga's flag will he hin diacent to
To the Daily:
I feel compelled to respond
to the letter "Safe sex cannot
exist today, not enough
research has been done" (3/8/
93), mostly because of the
uneducated and misleading
information this student
believes. The statement was
signed by a "first-year
student," which means that he/
she is probably coming from
a high school that did not
teach about AIDS in a
"thoronh" wvv This is also
of the disease and the research
until they were pressured to
respond and heavy damage
had been done. I suggest some
self research ... there are
books of facts on the Reagan/
Bush neglect. Firstly, those of
us who have been living with
the realities of AIDS informa-
tion realize that condoms are
not "the" answer, but an
alternative. There are many
alternatives ... again, do your
research. Who cares what size
an HIV cell is, aren't there
someone they love even if
they are HIV-infected. In fact,
I would love my wife if she
had any other cancer, or if she
was in a wheelchair for the
rest of her life, or had any
physical problem that we
understood enough (were
about educated enough) to
allow us to love and not hurt
each other. "Safe sex" does
exist, maybe not for you (or
for you to define yet) but for
others who need help and
support against a horrible
M
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