4 - Friday, March 16, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 413 E. Huron St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 tothedaily@umich.edu KARL STAMPFL IMRAN SYED JEFFREY BLOOMER EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflectthe officialpositionof the Daily's editorialboard. Allother signed articles u ~and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. F ROM TI! E1A'Y AATA gets greener Purchase of hybrid buses good for environment, economy The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's announcement this week that it will purchase at least 13 hybrid buses in the next year should come as no shock. Initiatives from the past couple of years - notably the purchase of biodiesel buses and the promotion of a regional light rail system - show that Ann Arbor is pushing for more efficient and eco-friendly public trans- portation. Being environmentally conscious is becoming not only more fashionable but also necessary to combat global warming. It's good to see that Ann Arbor is keeping pace in the push to become I want to wait and hear what John Edwards has to say, he's kind of good-looking. " - Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IllI.) at a campaign stop in Iowa last weekend, as reported yesterday by The Hill. Beyond the tyranny ofgood causes 0 ape is rape. Anything that isn't rape isn't rape. As itturns out,thatargument is more controversial than intuitive. In a recent viewpoint, I used those words and drew the ire of campus feminists for violating the required sensitiv- ity for discussions of sexual violence. What should have been the baseline for a productive discussion instead3 revealed the deep gulf between how men and women perceive rape. JAMES In the feedback DICKSON to my viewpoint and in reader c-mails to myself and Daily editors, it became apparent that some- thing more than simple disagreement was afoot. This was not one of those "agree to disagree" debates. The stakes were too high; the politicalhadbecome personal. Not only did critics find fault with my criticisms of the F-Word's cam- paign, many seemed to feel I didn't even have a right to argue the point. In a comment posted on the Daily's web- site, one respondent wrote, "Any effort, whether or notyou believe it's effective, against rape is noble. Iam so sorry that you are so against eradicating rape, as it appears to be the only way you are able to get off." Harsh words. And telling. Sentiments like those are why many who had the most insightful responses to my critique chose to remain anonymous. Whether "ignorant," "insensitive" or "disap- pointing," the words of dissenters were mischaracterized and disregarded by overzealous supporters the second they chose to join the debate. With sexual violence against both men and women historically underre- ported already, the classic argument contends that aggressive attacks on feminists and feminist tactics only fur- ther discourage victims from coming forward and seeking justice. But many men are frustrated by this latest round of feminist rhetoric, and understandably so. Both my inbox and the comments thread for my viewpoint are full of anonymous quotes from men who feel that they have been bullied by feminists for years. They are happy to hear someone speak out. Responsible men reject the prem- ise that men must all answer for the actions or thoughts of rapists. We don't believe that calling a friend a "player" or "pimp" is even roughly comparable to sexually violating another person. And we certainly don't blame any anonymous and debatable force - what feminists call "rape culture" - when people impose themselves sexually upon other people. But when substantive criticism of a public relations campaign is equated to being "against eradicating rape," and when skeptics come under siege for daring to disagree, we don't have very fertile ground for a campus dialogue. Feminists can discount their critics' very real misgivings if they choose, but writing them off as "ignorant" really misses the point. If men see the idea of rape culture as a "shameless feminist scare tactic," then education, not moral suasion, is necessary. If our community is truly unaware as to the realities of rape on campus, it means that outreach groups have some work to do. If the F-Word's goal is reallyto spread awareness, then the "ill-informed"responses its spokes- people assail reveal just how much out- reach remains. Perhaps rather than lampoon the uninformed, the F-Word will study them to see what's missing: why they view the issue so differently and how their awareness campaign can fill that gap. There is hope. The F-Word's recent viewpoint (Commit to ending sexual violence, 03/12/2007) was the most thoughtful explanation of the group's motives that I have seen yet. Going forward, it would be best if our dia- logue was driven bythe very standards the F-Word's spokespeople laid out: "If our dialogue ... is not driven by the understanding that every human being deserves equal respect, individuals will be unable to live as free human beings." Feminists should educate, not criticize. I couldn't agree more. If men can't ask the tough questions without fear of being labeled chauvinists, those of us who aren't scared into wearing white ribbons will instead be driven to apathy. And no one wins when no one cares. Communal safety is in all of our best interest. But if the elimination of sexu- alviolence is as worthy a cause as femi- nists claim, surely it's one that can take the constructive criticism that would bolster its educational efforts. It's not whatyou say; it's how you say it. Feminists must learn to say it better if they want to get the help from men that they saythey desperately need. James Dickson can be reached at davidjam@umich.edu. a 0 0 0 a truly green city. The AATA refers to itself as a "pioneer among transit operators nationwide in pur- suing cleaner air." Looking at the bus line's history of incorporating cleaner fuels and becoming one of the first transit systems to have all of its buses use ultra-low-sulfur fuel in 2002, the AATA probably does have some bragging rights. But the costs associ- ated with becoming more energy efficient and ecologically sound have prevented it from fully adopting contemporary alterna- tive energy in recent years. Only seven of AATA's 75 buses use biodie- sel. Biodegradable and non-toxic, biodiesel reduces carbon emissionsby 50 percent and, because it is produced domestically, is con- sidered the solution to ending the country's addiction to foreign oil. The AATA has not fully adopted this alternative fuel because it costs about 10 percent more per gallon than regular diesel. This added cost to becoming greener is perhaps what led the AATA to explore the possibility of hybrid buses. The Ann Arbor News reported that while initially more expensive than diesel or biodiesel-fueled buses, hybrids could save the city more than $9,000 each every year. If more buses are purchased in upcoming years and are main- tained, the city could save more than $2 mil- lion in fuel costs over the next decade. What makes these buses even more attrac- tive to the city is the fact that the added ini- tial cost of the buses willbe offset by funding from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. Eco- nomically speaking, these buses will be a great addition to the city's public transpor- tation system, which is rarely considered an asset to the city's finances. The use of hybrid buses - which consume about 40 percent less fuel than diesel buses - is a great way for Ann Arbor to revive its identity of being a pioneer in environmen- tally sensible activism. If more hybrid buses are purchased in the next year, as AATA Executive Director Greg Cook promises, it will show that Ann Arbor is looking ahead to the future of the environment and taking care of its city. A strong and innovative public transpor- tation system is also necessary for any city looking to expand and encourage more busi- nesses to move in. Ann Arbor's transporta- tion revitalization could be the first step toward promoting more growth in a city that desperately needs to make up for its recent loses. JOHN STIGLICH IE .- .f Extra innings with the FCC A few weeks ago Major League Baseball announced it had reached a seven-year, $700 million agreement with the satellite television provider DirecTV for the rights to exclusively carry baseball telecasts to out-of-market con- sumers. When the deal is officially consum- mated, 230,000 baseball fans who previously subscribed to the MLB Extra Innings pack- age through their cable provider will have to switch to DirecTV to get their baseball fix. For those pissed-off cable customers who think that there is no place on their roof for a satel- lite dish, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is leading your counterattack. On the surface, exclusively selling television rights to DirecTV seems anti-competitive. Zerry, on behalf of cable subscribers and pro- viders, is pleading forthe Federal Communica- tions Commission to strike down the deal and revertback to the status quo. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has always been behind his counterparts in National Foot- ball League and National Basketball Associa- bion when it comes to opening up new revenue sreams for his league. One source of revenue toe MLB was particularly late to open was tellingtelecasts to out-of-market consumers. In 2002, DirecTV and the NFL entered into afour-year agreement for the satellite provider to exclusively carry games that weren't nation- ally televised to out-of-market consumers. The deal received the blessing of the FCC because the regulatory body's standard for anti-com- petitive behavior in this particular market is only enforced when media companies exclu- sively sellitheir services to their television sub- tidiaries. -'For example, if News Corp. - which owns a large share of DirecTV - exclusively sold broadcast rights for Fox News to DirecTV, it would be deemed uncompetitive. Without such circumstances, exclusivity offers to tele- vision service providers are acceptable. How- ever, as a matter of good faith, there was an option in the NFL/DirecTV contract to allow cable companies the right to broadcast to out- of-market consumers after completion of the second year of the contract. In November of 2004, after opening tele- cast rights to competitive bidding, the NFL and DirecTV agreed to a five-year, $3.5 million extension that left the cable companies on the outside looking in. Meanwhile, Selig watched the NFL get rich and waited for the MLB's opportunity to renegotiate its television con- tracts. Over the winter, Selig told television ser- vice providers - both cable and satellite - to submit their best offers for an exclusivity deal. He maintained one condition: whichever com- pany won the bidding had to make the MLB Network (scheduled for a 2009 premiere) part of its basic service package. DirecTV was the only service provider willing to meet such a demand. Once again, InDemand (owned by the larg- est cable providers) and EchoStar Communica- tions (owned by Dish Network) are angry with DirecTV. They are begging the FCC to inter- vene. If the FCC was to decide in favor of the cable companies, though, it would be engaging in rank hypocrisy. The NFL provides no alternative for out- of-market consumers to watch their beloved teams on Sunday, and the FCC has already ruled that contract permissible - twice. In contrast, the MLB provides an online alterna- tive by streaming baseball games live through its MLBTV service. For roughly half the annu- al cost of the DirecTV package, consumers can watch any out-of-market game online. The MLB even includes radio broadcasts with the subscription for free. Therefore, as a displaced Chicagoan, I don't have to switch to DirecTV to watch my Cubs. In search of a truce, Selig has offered the losing bidders the chance to keep broadcasting MLB Extra Innings if they match DirecTV's winning offer. So far, none of the companies that claim to value the package have accepted. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of customer needs. Until recently, satellite television providers had been losing out because their cable coun- terparts can offer television, Internet and tele- phone in the same wiring at discounted costs. DirecTV, with the largest share of satellite customers, has targeted high-end consum- ers by providing the most high definition and exclusive sports programming. Without these features, there is little incentive to purchase satellite television. Competition would suffer and cable rates would skyrocket. John Stiglich is anS LSA senior and a member oftthe Daily's editorial board. Privatizing hospitals would give veterans another option TO THE DAILY: An editorial last week (Blood, sweat and now tears, 03/08/2007) cited the privatization of the Walter Reed Medical Center's staff asa cause for the hospital's "inef- ficiency and incompetence." While that's true, the edi- torial board overlooked the sad situation as an example of the dangers of government-run ventures - especially when it comes to health care. Government-run ventures are perfect places for tragedies because their occupants are trapped there. The only things patients at Walter Reed Hospital could do to improve their situation was write their represen- tatives or wait for the public exposure of their horrific situation. What if this took place in a private hospital? The patients would leave! If this tragedy can happen at Walter Reed, the "crown jewel of America's veteran facilities," just think of what would happen in a universal health care system. Patrick Zabawa Engineering sophomore University shouldn't bow to demands ofgreedy RIAA TO THE DAILY: Paul Howell, the Univeristy's chief information tech- nology security officer, recently sent an e-mail to stu- dents regarding the Recording Industry Association of America and file sharing. While I am no longer a stu- dent and no longer use the University network, I was disappointed to see the University bending to the will of a powerful special interest group. Instead, the Uni- versity should be protecting the privacy of its students. By aiding the RIAA in matching IP addresses to users, the University is surrendering students to a battle they cannot win and fines they cannot afford. I understand that illegal file sharing is against the net- work guidelines, but if this is the case, Howell should be approaching the perpetrators himself. Simply handing students over to a greedy, opportunistic, monopolistic third party only helps to bolster these corporations' bottom lines. Jessie Tanner Alum Ry to understandfeminist arguments before refuting them TO THE DAILY: As a women's studies major, feminist and LGBT advo- cate, I was intrigued to learn that there was an view- point about feminism in a recent edition of the Daily (Don't be afraid to challenge feminism, 03/06/07). As I quickly flipped through the pages, I was anxious and already slightly angry, expecting a thoughtless, frivo- lous commentary on feminism in general. Instead, I found something else. I was not shocked or angry or even all that bothered by James Dickson's viewpoint. The response that he offered to the F-Word's suggestions about sexual assault are common respons- es by those who do not have first-hand experience with sexual assault and even by some of those who do. I can understand Dickson's desire to find a con- crete solution to the problem of sexual assault. How- ever, what the community needs to realize is that lights around campus and an escort service aren't going to do the trick, as he suggests. According to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, 80 per- cent of those who came to its office to receive services because of sexual assault in 2002-2003 were assaulted SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU by an acquaintance. Not only that; the 1997 statistics from the Depart- ment of Justice show that three-fourths of those who experienced sexual assault . knew the perpetrator beforehand. This indicates that although preventa- tive measures such as lighting and escort services are important, they will not fix the larger problem of sex- ual assault. If I invite a boyfriend/friend/classmate/neighbor/ co-worker into my home or meet him at a party and am sexually assaulted, all of the outside precautions aren't going to do me much good. Like I said, stranger rape does occur and should be fought, but it's the more abstract issue of acquaintance rape that the F-Word is trying to battle with their cries against a "rape culture," a culture in which some men sometimes (not all the men, all the time) think that it's OK to use coercion and force in a sexual encounter with a woman. Although I do understand why people want to see something actually being done, maybe they should all find out a little more about the issues at hand and what exactly groups like the F-Word are doing. Maybe it's not as silly or extreme as you think. Alexia Moreland LSA junior Sulfide mine a bad deal for state economy and the environment TO THE DAILY: In light of the Michigan Student Assembly Envi- ronmental Issues Commission's Earth Week, I would like to draw attention to the proposed sulfide mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Mining naturally evokes a negative response in any environmentalist, but these industrial operations are necessary. Without the nickel derived from such mines, we would not have the bat- teries that run our laptops and cell phones. However, as with any economic deal, the risks must be carefully weighed with the rewards. First, the risks: When sulfide rock is exposed to air and water, sulfuric acid is produced. This gas is fatal to local wildlife, especially that of aqueous environ- ments like the head-waters of the Salmon Trout River, which are located directly above the proposed mine. These waters are the only viable breeding ground for the coaster brook trout in the Upper Peninsula. This trout and the pristine waters that are its home fuel the tourism industry of the region - an industry Michigan depends on while the auto industry struggles. Even though the Department of Environmental Quality purports that the permit for this mine has been held to exemplary standards, never before has a sulfide mine been built without subsequent acid drainage. Still, what should really alarm the public is the true economic assessment. The 120 jobs that the Kennecott Minerals Corporation claims it will create are tempo- rary; the mine will be exhausted within 10 years. Such boom-and-bust job creation can only hurt Michigan's economy in the long run. Moreover, approval of the Kennecott mine will set an important developmental precedent in the mineral-rich region. People should ask themselves: Are the environmen- tal, aesthetic and cultural risks really worth a few years of drilling to profit a London-based company and a score of future mines? Last week, the Department of Environmental Quali- ty withdrew its approval of the project, citing transpar- ency concerns in the permit process. This delay allows environmentalists a valuable opportunity to protest state approval, especially with public hearings being rescheduled. A loud environmental response is abso- lutely necessary. Kalen Pruss LSA Freshman The letter writer is a member of the environmental committee for the University chapter of the College Democrats. CHRIS KOSLOWSKI OUT TOPAS/UR n-'...n-SeragnasCAC maesrennne reder ",da,,,h B i s~~ynmb on.Dotey thik 14. 00 I I Editorial Board Members: Emily Beam, Kevin Bunkley, Amanda Burns, Sam Butler, Ben Caleca, Brian Flaherty, Mara Gay, Jared Goldberg, Emmarie Huetteman, Toby Mitchell, Rajiv Prabhakar, David Russell, Gavin Stern, John Stiglich, Jennifer Sussex, Neil Tambe, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Wagner, Christopher Zbrozek