4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 15, 1995 1Iw £irbiwgun &dilg I DAvinD WAuRowsi STANDING ON THE 420 Maynard Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan ' 4 -MICHAEL ROSENBERG Editor in Chief JULIE BECKER JAMES NASH Editorial Page Editors The people vs. Jake Baker: eavesdropping on the trial + :4 Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other articles, letters, and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. The numbers me Rape statistics fail to show true picture L ast month, the Chronicle of Higher Edu- cation released a study on campus crime, showing an overall increase in college crime across the nation. The University's Depart- ment of Public Safety (DPS) followed up this study by releasing murder, robbery, rape and other numbers for the Ann Arbor campus. An important thing to note in this set of statistics is the number of rapes: Six. This number is nonsense. The fact that it was in the University report not only reflects the problems our soci- ety has in dealing with rape - it exacerbates those problems as well. Nobody who studies the issue of rape ar- gues with the contention that rape is massively underreported. Many survivors of sexual as- sault fear the social consequences of coming forward at all - including being ostracized, blamed, and having their sexuality put on display. And only a fraction of those who do come forward are willing to involve the legal authorities. In January of 1995 alone, 15 stu- dents reported sexual assaults to the University's Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC). Of these, only three were reported to a law enforcement agency. And the SAPAC numbers still do not account for the sizeable fraction of rapes that are never reported at all. Unfortunately, the DPS report does not include these concerns. Thus, the community must educate itself about the magnitude of the sexual assault problem. Organizations such as SAPAC are indispensable in filling this role. People cannot rely on legal authorities to edu- cate the community on the issue of rape, since so few rapes ever show up on a police blotter. The question also arises as to why rape survivors so seldomofficially report the crimes. The underreporting of sexual assault is a uni- versal phenomenon, but six rapes in a year in a university town is a stunningly low statistic - college settings are especially vulnerable to the problem of acquaintance rape. Police, and the legal system, should reevaluate their methods for handling sexual assault cases. It must be made easier for women to come forward. Statistics such as those contained in the AAPD report exacerbate the problem of sexual assault, as such rosy reports can lull people into a false sense of security. Nobody should have to live glancing over their shoul- ders. Still, people should not come to believe that the world is a perfectly safe place in which precautions need not be taken, when that is obviously not true. People who have experienced rape feel isolated in a world of glossed-over crime sta- tistics. If society does not acknowledge the prevalence of rape, how can it deal with the problem? Effective community action will be forestalled, safety precautions will be disre- garded and survivors will feel even more alone - and thus will be even less likely to report their situations to authorities. The issue of the University's rape statistics is more than a politically correct complaint. The number demonstrates the vast underreporting of rape. And the release of tiny numbers such as those contained in the report lull society into complacency on the rape is- sue. We must acknowledge the magnitude of the problem we face. A ll rise in this U.S. District court as the honorable Judge Bernard Friedman presides over the federal pre-trial hearing for Mr. Jake Baker. You may be seated. The defense calls its first witness, Your Honor: Jake Baker. [Baker takes the stand and the defense begins questioning.] Now let me see if I have this right, Mr. Baker. You wrote a story? "Yes." And it was a very sick story. "Yes, I suppose it was pretty sick." No question it is sick. Why did you write it, Mr. Baker? "Why did I write it? Well, everybody writes these sex stories on alt.sex.stories. This is the purpose of the news conference. I thought it was neat.y Neat? You went beyond sexual fantasy and described inhumane acts of violence and murder. It was putrid. "Yes, sir." But that is not the point of this hearing. You are charged not with being disgusting, but rather with communicating a threat to ensure injury. The point is whether you intended to threaten "Jane Doe." Did you intend to inflict injury of any kind, Mr. Baker? "No, sir. I did not." Then why did you write it? "I told you, sir. It was a fantasy story. I get caught up in these creative images. I'm sorry now that I wrote it because I didn't want to hurt anybody. I didn't think this was wrong. "It was a story like any trash novel you might read. I only liked her name. I hardly even know her, sir." But do you realize that most people are appalled and frightened by what you wrote, Mr. Baker? "With all due respect, it was not in- tended for these people, sir." True. And there seems to be a lot of similarstories on alt.sex.stories thatusersof the news conference read. Mr. Baker, you write lots of stories? "Yes." You've been writing them since you were ... "Five." Five. And your mother is a ... "Creative writing instructor." I see. So you do creative things. "I guess you could say that." How would you say that your story differs from others posted on the alt.sex.stories news conference? "I would say it doesn't." But you used somebody's last name. "Yes, that's true. I used somebody's last name." Why? "It is a sexual pun." Would you consider this name usage a part of your creativity? "I would." It is downright disgusting more than it is creative. But that is not the point. The point is ... "... whether I intended a threat." Correct. At least you understand this. You are telling me, then, that your story is not about the woman in your Japanese class, but simply uses her name because you thought it was a sexual pun? "That is correct." And for that you are charged with a federal crime, suspended from your univer- sity, arrested by the FBI and jailed without bond. "That is what I understand, sir." Murderers, rapists and cocaine dealers have been jailed with bond. Yet without a verdict of guilty, you, a college computer junkie, are held captive because of some- thing you wrote. I hope for the prosecution's sake that they have more on you, Jake. Presently, I honestly don't think they have a case. Mr. Baker, do you consider yourself a threat to anybody? "Sir?" His Honor Bernard Friedman and the FBI say you are dangerous. Yet psychologi- cal experts and your friends say you aren't. Are you a threat, Mr. Baker? "I can't see that being possiblesir." Neither can anybody else. Strike that from the record. Removed, Your Honor. But you sent e-mail messages to an Arthur Gundo in Ontario saying you would like to act out these fantasies. As I under- stand, this is the crux of the prosecution's evidence. Don't these messages indicate that you are a threat? "They were still fantasies." But you said you wanted to act them out. "These messages are written quickly. Had I written them in a journal or published a book, nobody would have accused me of anything. I don't even know the guy in Ontario; if I wanted to do something illegal, why would I tell him?" For the record, may it be known that Baker's e-mail messages must be linked to his story of "Jane Doe" to prove any guilt. The threat must be aimed at a specific person. It is so noted. To be found guilty, you had to intend a threat. Do you think that "Jane Doe" would have ever read this story had the man in Moscow never found out from his friend's 16-year-old daughter that you wrote it? "No, I do not." She would not, then, have taken it as a threat, nor would you have intended it as a threat. "That is correct, sir." Thank you. The defense rests, Your Honor. 0 9 Jim, LASSER SHARP As TOAST T)O N'T C0%E T TTO3o C L , E... . OR HE'LL FANTAS1Z C A$OIJT yoV. New surgeon general? Clinton should stand by Foster nomination Ever since Jocelyn Elders was fired from the position of U.S. surgeon general late last year, the Clinton administration has been searching for a replacement: Someone not so outspoken, someone who could easily be con- firmed in the new, more conservative political climate. Last month, Dr. Henry Fosterof Nash- ville was nominated by President Clinton, and for a short while, it seemed he was the person to give Clinton the easy political victory he needs. Initially, Foster seemed like an ideal candi- date. The founder of Nashville's "I Have a Future" program, which stresses abstinence from premarital sex as the key to a successful future, Foster was named as one of President George Bush's "1,000 Points of Light." This strong indication of nonpartisan appeal was backed up by early Republican support for his candidacy. However, the atmosphere changed when the fact that Foster had performed abor- tions came to light. Anti-choice groups were suddenly up in arms, claiming that this fact alone was enough to keep Foster from being an effective surgeon general. On the contrary, this revelation should in no way disqualify Foster from the position. Abor- tion is, and has been for more than two decades, a legal act. Furthermore, for an obstetrician and gynecologist like Foster, it is a part of the job to provide abortions, if necessary. Most of Foster's abortions were in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life was in danger - situations where many conservatives might at least acknowledge a woman's choice to have an abortion. However, even if this were not the case, Foster's actions should not disqualify him. To discount a candidate for performing a HOw TO CONTACT THEM legal procedure as part of his profession is shortsighted, intolerant and without rational basis. A real cause for concern might be the conflicting accounts - and subsequent ad- missions by Foster - of exactly how many abortions he performed. At the time of the nomination, Congress was told of only one abortion. A few days later, the figure was changedto"fewerthanadozen." On Nightline last week, Foster raised the number to 39, and now, numbers like 700 are being tossed about. If the physician has deliberately misled the president and Congress, then this is cause for question. On the other hand, if the changing numbers result from sloppy background checks by Clinton aides, the president must fight for his nominee. Past fiascoes, such as the cases of Lani Guinier and Zoe Baird, should have taught the Clinton administration lessons about researching potential nominees before exposing them to the intense scrutiny of Congress and the media. They should also have taught the president something about standing by his nominations. The president's spinelessness in the past - pulling back one nomination after another due to objections from the public - cannot be repeated in this case. Abandoning Foster now would only be another blow to Clinton's prestige, one he can ill afford. Assuming Foster's nomination does reach the Senate, rejecting his confirmation over a handful of abortions would be ridiculous. The focus of Foster's nomination should remain squarely upon the work he has done with teenage pregnancy and public health, rather than being hung up over a handful of acts that \" Jake Baker. DANGER! r 1;>? 4 v i v \\\ ; " . j ', , , NOTABLE QUOTABLE "One life can't be tallied up against another, pain can't be tallied against pain... human suffering can't be tallied on a human scale." -German President Roman Herzog, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the WWII bombing of Dresden I 4 0 I LETTERS A new take on Project Smile To the Daily: Here at the University of Michigan, we have spent years cultivating a finely honed ascetic of misery. Only by harmoniously aligning our psychic energies with the mind-numbing bitter cold, grim scenery, and perpetu- ally gray skies of Ann Arbor are we able to achieve our full po- tential as scholars, athletes and campus leaders. Random smil- ing and unrestrained goofiness simply do not uphold this sa- cred heritage. While "shiny happy people" are perfectly ap- propriate at Disneyland, they have no place at this esteemed university. To combat the rising tide of jovial feeling before it gets out of hand, a group of alarmed stu- dents have created Project SCOWL (Students Concerned with Overtly Winsome Lunatics). We are pleased to announce a series of events for the new year. Our first undertaking will be a succession of " rumnv days." ridicule anyone who tries to make idle chitchat with us. Through these activities, we will reclaim the university from the depths of cheerfulness. Let us embrace our brutish wolverine heritage and commune with the purifying powers of crankiness that have sustained the University for 150 years. Adam Berinsky Rackham student Tracy Pattison LSA senior Nick Winter Rackham student Communication chair ignores student needs To the Daily: Barely 30 students attended the meeting given by the Com- munication Department Wednesday evening, Feb. 8. At the meeting, the department's Interim chair, John Chamberlain, led a question and answer ses- sion about the future of the de- nartment which is currently in speeding up. No longer do we have to write a report, send it overseas, wait for it to arrive two weeks later with instruc- tions to rewrite, only to send it off again and wait. With all of that extra time spent waiting, I'm sure all workers did was theorize about how to speed up the communication process. But now we don't have to wait. We have access to e-mail and fax machines that will send proposals, reports, and plans across the world in minutes. And, if something can't be sent via fiber optics, then FedEx it. It'll be there in 24 hours. With the development of the information superhighway, com- munication has never been faster. Therefore students who plan on obtaining a job and being suc- cessful after graduation need to learn to write, and write well. What good are my critical thoughts if I can't put hand to keyboard and create an effective memo to my boss? But, Cham- berlain said on Wednesday that the development of basic job skills is not taught in other liberal arts disciplines. and therefore was because since the announce- ment of the restructuring of the department, students have been trying to communicate that we don't approve of the new cur- riculum. But then again, we don't really expect you to listen be- cause you're too busy theoriz- ing. Tracey Frimmer LSA junior LSA-SG candidate responds to criticism To the Daily: It seems as if LSA-SG repre- sentative Sara A. Deringer has a problem with students "over- stepping (their) bounds" by holding our student government accountable ("Candidates un- informed," 2/10/95). I urge all LSA students to overstep their bounds by voting in the upcom- ing LSA-SG elections. LikeMs. Deringer,Iwas "per- sonally offended" by her lack of lrncua.ca A a :.v.. t ta University Regent Andrea Fischer Miller, Canfield, Paddick & Stone StA II w ffrcAn Cn qiit '9C.;0 University Regent Dan Homing 600 S. Beacon Blvd. rrn,4 Wnan AM 1A017