YI
4A - Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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i idligan Batly
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MICHELLE DEWITT
STEPHANIE STEINBERG and EMILY ORLEY NICK SPAR
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Imran Syed is the public editor. He can be reached at publiceditor@michigandaily.com.
Redefine rape
FBI must protect all people under the law
lutWalk events have been occurring around the country and
often grab attention by name alone. Last Saturday, in a show of
support for the recent FBI panel vote to change the definition of
rape; SlutWalk came to Ann Arbor. These events highlight important
issues of sexual health and safety and point to the importance of rede-
fining how rape is perceived in America. The Criminal Justice Infor-
mation Services Division's Advisory Policy Board of the FBI should
vote to pass the proposed new definition, which includes males and
Questioning the congressman
think that beinga good host is
an important obligation.
And I want to like Eric Can-
tor. I really do.
The House
Majority Leader
(R-Va.) looks
like a nice guy
in his offi-
cial photo. We
even have some
things in com-
mon - glasses
and family who JOEL
came from East- BATTERMAN
ern Europe early
last century.
But Cantor is coming to speak at
the Michigan League next Monday,
and I have to confess I'm anxious to
ask him some questions.
Why, Cantor, did you vote against
regulating the subprime mortgage
industry after it helped plunge our
economy into some pretty major
trouble? Things like adjustable-
rate mortgages just seem a little
shady. I understand your family
has been in the real estate business
for a while and that you have a
big stake in a mortgage brokerage
firm. Then there's the $2 million
that banks have put into your cam-
paigns (nothing out of the ordinary
these days, I'll admit). But really, is
it worth bringing down the whole
housing market again?
Let me share a little more
about my family. My dad's father
designed radar systems for guid-
ed missile destroyers. My mom's
father worked in a coal mine. Both
were union members. During their
careers, the U.S. was more pros-
perous than at any time in our his-
tory. Since then, corporate attacks
on unions have cut their ranks in
half, and the country hasn't been
faring well either. Cantor, you've
got a zero percent rating from the
American Federation of Labor and
Congress of Industrial Organiza-
tions - meaning that you're basi-
cally opposed to anything that
helps working families. Shouldn't
we be a little scared by that?
And did you really mean it when
you said folks to your leftwere push-
ing "efforts to incite class warfare?"
The private jet business has soared
to record-breaking heights. Coach
reports that sales of $400 handbags
are taking off. Meanwhile, people
on the ground are getting laid off,
their houses are getting foreclosed
and they're being thrown off pub-
lic assistance. Sounds like "shock-
and-awe" to me, and it's not coming
from occupy Wall Street.
That reminds me: You described
those protesters as "growing mobs"
who are "pitting Americans against
Americans." Well, golly! What do
you call voting against minimum
wage increases while slashingtaxes
on the rich?
Speaking of "pitting Americans
against Americans," can we talk
about your record on gay rights?
You've voted for allowing job dis-
crimination based on sexual orien-
tation and against enforcing hate
crime laws when gays are singled
out for persecution. Talking about
social harmony when you don't
believe in protections against prej-
udice just seems a little, well, queer.
Then there's the planet, which has
been alittle under the weatherlately.
You called the reaction to last year's
Gulf of Mexico oil spill a "hyperbolic
fuss." Seriously? This wasn't a drop
in the bucket. It was 5 million bar-
rels. It contaminated almost 500
miles of coastline. Eleven people
died. You do realize that hyperbole
means exaggeration, right?
On the other hand, maybe non-
chalance towards disasters is just
how you roll. When a tornado
ripped through Joplin, Mo. in May,
you said you wouldn't support any
relief unless Congress cut other
programs. As you put it so gener-
ously, "(I)f there is support for a
supplemental, it would be accompa-
nied by support for having pay-fors
to that supplemental." Warms the
cockles of the heart, doesn't it?
There are limits
to University
hospitality.
OK. There's a lot more I'd like to
ask. But I'm hoping that other folks
will bring similar questions to your
talk on Monday. Just don't skip
out on us, all right? You decided to
cancel a talk at the University of
Pennsylvania last week when you
learned it was open to the public. In
fact, it had been open to the public
all along, but when the "mobs" got
word about it, and turned out to
protest, you reconsidered. Maybe
you'll deign to address them this
time.
For reference, we're hosting Can-
tor at 1 p.m. Monday at the Michi-
gan League. With all due respect
to his office, we might want to let
him know that our hospitality has
its limits. It may be Halloween, and
these are pretty terrifying times,
but there's a time to face our fears.
Joel Batterman can be reached
at jomba@umich.edu.
I
I
transgender individuals.
Participants of SlutWalk walked through
downtown Ann Arbor to raise awareness
about sexual violence. Co-organizers of the
demonstration - LSA junior Megan Pfeiffer
and LSA sophomore Nicole Corrigan - also
hoped the event would encourage people to
focus less on blaming a survivor and more on
rape prevention.
SlutWalk forces communities to reexamine
rape. Women do not get raped because they
are wearing revealing clothing. Regardless of
what clothing a woman is wearing, it is never
avalid argument to say she was "asking for it"
or "had it coming." Rape is a serious criminal
offense and is never the survivor's fault.
Many people, including SlutWalk partici-
pants, are hopeful that the event will garner
support for changing the definition of rape.
Pending the vote, rape will be redefined as
"penetration, no matter how slight, of the
vagina or anus with any body part or object,
or oral penetration by a sex organ of another
person, without the consent of the victim."
This definition adds important specificity that
the current definition - "carnal knowledge of
a female against her will" - is lacking and is
worded in a way that also protects men and
transgender individuals.
All types of people can be victims of rape
and should be protected under the law accord-
ingly. The old definition, which has not been
updated since 1929, is outdated and excludes
large portions of the population. The proposed
change reflects modern society and extends
the definition in a way that holistically covers
all types of rape.
Also included in the proposal's new defini-
tion of rape is information regarding people
who are under the influence of drugs and/or
alcohol. This is especially pertinent to college
campuses where alcohol is often involved in
sexual assaults. If a person is inebriated, he or
she cannot legally give consent and should be
entitled to lawful protection. Inebriation does
not make a person any less of a citizen who
is eligible for protection under the law, and
the redefinition is an important step toward
acknowledgingthat.
The current definition complicates pros-
ecution of rapes by not making specific refer-
ence to acts that count as rape and individuals
who can be victims of rape. The FBI's proposal
to make the description more comprehensive
is an important change to the legal system and
will greatly impact the way these cases are
prosecuted.
SlutWalk in Ann Arbor was a positive
example of public demonstration. It was an
important show of support and solidarity for
the rights of all people to be protected from
sexual violence. The FBI, in a similar show of
support, should approve the new definition of
rape to give all people equal protection under
the law.
6
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Contemplate mind'fulness'
6
!ET._
SEND LETTERS TO: ToTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Incorporate sustainability
across all majors
TO THE DAILY:
What is sustainability? I can't tell you how
many times I have been asked this question as a
Program in the Environment student. I antici-
pate answering it at the start of each semester
in at least one ofmyPitE classes. Sustainability
is an unavoidabletopic within my major, but
this is not the case across other areas of study.
Many of my friends have not encountered the
term "sustainability" in their classes at the
University, and it is doubtful that they will take
a class with content related to sustainability
before graduation.
Sustainability has become a popular buzz-
word on campus, especially after the comple-
tion of the Campus Sustainability Integrated
Assessment. But do students truly under-
stand the meaning behind the "Sustain-
ability" tab on the University's honyepage?
While PitE is a rapidly growing major and
the University currently offers more than
500 courses that incorporate content related
to sustainability, many students remain envi-
ronmentally illiterate.
Shalit's return shows
Israel's moral compass
Though University President Mary Sue
Coleman recently announced the creation
of a sustainability minor, I was hoping to
hear something along the lines of establish-
ing an undergraduate environmental literacy
requirement in the near future. The sustain-
ability minor is a step in the right direction, but
there must be a push for a University require-
ment if we want to become an institution
known for fostering leaders in sustainability.
It is vital for students to graduate with
at least some preliminary understanding of
sustainability, which is a concept embedded
within environmental education. Fulfilling an
environmental literacy requirement should be
just as important as completing distribution
requirements. Sustainability is a very inter-
disciplinary subject that is likely to arise in
most career fields. Thus, studentswill be more
prepared for the real world with this require-
ment. Once equipped with a concrete com-
prehension of sustainability, graduates will
be able to sort through the "greenwashing"
common in today's society and become more
informed citizens.
Beatrice Holdstein
LSA junior
How often do you stop and
consciously think about
what you're doing?
This may be
coming a bit
late - consider-
ing the stress of
midterms has
passed - but
there is increas-
ing evidence of
health benefits
of mindfulness. NORA
Mindfulness is STEPHENS
the act of being
completely "in
the moment" and being so in the
moment that you don't realize you're
"in"anything.Byconcentratingsole-
ly on one's actions, whether reading
"War andPeace"or eatingbreakfast,
one can become more present. A
recent University of California Los
Angeles study found that mindful-
ness reduces stress by encouraging
concentration exclusively on what
you are doing. Instead of contem-
plating future plans or dwelling on
the past, you can be more effective
in the present.
Try it. Take a moment to feel
yourself sitting, feel your feet on
the ground and concentrate on your
breathing. Don't let your mind wan-
der to thoughts of work, classes or
stress. By concentrating exclusively
on just "being," even for a moment,
we return from this moment more
refreshed.
You may be asking yourself:
"Why is this crazy woman asking
me to breath deeply and concentrate
on nothing?" It helped me and has
the potential to help you. The aver-
age University student is wrapped
up in exams, jobs, projects, paying
rent, issues with friends, organiza-
tions - we forget to give ourselves a
break. To be unaware of details and
only aware of purely being is a way
to literally take a breather.
After you have relaxed, try to
be mindful of yourself. Think
about your social identities, which
include your race, gender, ability
status, religion, socioeconomic sta-
tus and sexual orientation.
Now take a second to go deeper,
and think about how your social
identities shape the course of your
everyday life. Do you spend most
of your time with people who have
similar identities as you? Do tend
to question people who are differ-
ent from you? Do you tend to notice
people who are different from you?
It's important to think about
these identities because they shape
the way we see the world. A Har-
vard study found those in minority
groups often have greater aware-
ness of their social identities than
those in the majority. This may be
obvious, but why is it that those
who do not have the same identity
as the majority group have more
intense awareness? And what sort
of privilege does this grant the peo-
ple of the majority group?
It may be uncomfortable for you,
but talk to someone of a minority
social identity, and you may be sur-
prised. The advantage of not having
to be aware of one's identities is a
privilege.
I am a white upper middle-class
heterosexual person who spends
the majority of her time with
other white upper middle-class
heterosexual people. Do I think
this shapes my day-to-day life?
Absolutely. In fact, the only way
I have friends that are not upper
middle-class white people is by my
involvement with the Program on
Intergroup Relations.
This organization creates a space
for people to talk about the self-
segregation that permeates our
campus and build meaningful rela-
tionships beyond this self-segrega-
tion. If I had not become involved
with this group my freshman year,
I would not have nearly as much
awareness about my social identi-
ties, nor would I have many friends
who are different from me.
Be aware of all
your actions and
their effects.
My privilege of being a member
of the majority race on this cam-
pus may present itself this Hal-
loween weekend. A recent Ohio
University poster campaign illus-
trated that when people dress up
as a "Mexican" they are attacking
a culture, not wearing a costume.
Many costumes, whether it is a ter-
rorist, gangster or geisha, attack a
specific culture and make assump-
tions about people within respec-
tive cultures. By wearing a costume
that represents a race that is not
your own, you are participating in
a form of black face. As a white per-
son I will be aware of my race when
choosing my costume and when
talking with friends about theirs.
If our campus community as
a whole became mindful of their
social identities and the privilege or
oppression within them, more con-
versations about injustices in our
community and our world might
begin. The combination of mindful-
ness for our health and mindfulness
of our social identities could lead to
a happier and healthier University.
-Nora Stephens can be
reached at norals@umich.edu.
6
States doesn't see
namo Bay prison
soldier Bowe Berg
This bold decis
mination to prote
TO THE DAILY: Yes, some Israelis
After more than five years in captivity, Sgt. estinians will put
Gilad Shalit has finally returned to Israel. One lit was a boy inn(
would think that the return of a soldier, a son, not deserve to ro
a friend, would be fully supported. However, inhumane conditi
debates have raged for five years over wheth- Prime Minister
er bringing Shalit home in exchange for the that, due to the cu
release of Palestinian prisoners is an ethical world, the oppor
decision. Is his return worth 500 Palestin- have disappearedi
ians? 5,000? The value of Shalit's life should ter terms. He woul
not be determinedby a mathematical equation. papers if the actic
Speaking quantitatively, it's true that one man, grave danger.
Gilad Shalit, is not equal to 1,027 Palestinian The return of S
prisoners. For Shalit's case, the numbers mean el's love of life. Is
nothing. Israel should not be scorned for mak- pragmatic, but be
ing its choice to bring Shalit home. of Israel should b
What other countries would make suchhuge moral negotiation
concessions in order to bring one person out of
captivity andintosafety? Whatother countries Sarah Diamond
negotiate with terrorist groups? The United LSA freshman
m eager to release Guanta-
ers for captured American
dahl.
sion points to Israel's deter-
ect the lives of its citizens.
s fear that the released Pal-
lives in jeopardy. Still, Sha-
ocent of any crime and did
t in a Hamas prison under
ons.
!r Benjamin Netanyahu said
rrent instability in the Arab
tunity to free Shalit might
if Israel had held out for bet-
[d not have signed the release
on put the state of Israel in
halit is a testament to Isra-
rael rescued Gilad not to be
ecause it is right. The state
be applauded for its deeply
n.
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