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4 » Th* R»d md Black « Thureday, October 29, 1992
OPINIONS
The Red & Black
Established in 1893 - Incorporated 1980
An independent student newspaper not affiliated with the University of Georgia
Mike McLeod/Editor-in-Chief
Johnathan Bums/Managing Editor
Melody Willis/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
Raped with a condom
“I find it sickening that in a very aware city with
very aware people, the fact that I took extreme measures
to protect my life means that I deserve to get raped.”
-25-year-old rape victim in Austin, Tkxas
If a woman is about to be raped, is she implying con
sent by asking her attacker to use a condom? What does
consent really mean?
Two grand juries in Austin, Texas, have been mulling
over this question while considering the rape case of a
25-year-old woman. The first jury adjourned without a
decision. The second indicted the accused rapist on
Tuesday.
In this particular case, the alleged rapist says the
woman consented to sex because she offered the con
doms. She says she was trying to protect herself from
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
The assault began when the man broke into her
apartment. Brandishing a knife, he attacked her. That is
when she asked about using condoms.
What was she thinking at the time? She was worry
ing about minimizing the damage to her body.
In our own sleepy town, five rapes have been report
ed in the last two weeks. Of course, there have been
many more in Athens that have gone unreported. Last
year, 652 people called the Rape Crisis Center of
Northeast Georgia. How many of these victims had the
presence of mind to ask their attackers to use some sort
of protection?
According to Nancy Newton, co-coordinator for the
center, a woman stands a 40 percent chance of contract
ing a STD if she’s raped. Under ideal medical conditions,
a woman will get pregnant in only one out of 10 rapes.
Obviously, the real consequence of rape that should
be feared is the high probability of contracting a STD.
Hence, the Austin woman had every reason to believe
she could get AIDS or any other STD. Moreover, she
says his knife-wielding behavior made her fear for her
life.
The accused rapist says the only issue is whether she
consented to have sex with him. Rape isn’t about sex.
Rape is about violence, the physical and emotional as
sault of another person.
Under rape law, it’s no longer necessary for a woman
to prove that she fought with all her might and was sub
dued anyway. Currently, a rape consists of a sexual as
sault without consent. Therefore, no means no- end of
story. If the victim is assaulted after saying no, then she
has been raped. Just because she is getting horribly vio
lated doesn’t mean the victim needs to get a souvenir
STD to remember the attacker by.
Every human has the right to protection from STDs.
Because we now know AIDS is a killer, this Austin wom
an was obviously trying to protect her life and well-be
ing. Self-defense is a legal action. If a victim can’t avert
an attack, then it seems logical that she would try to
minimize the damage inflicted upon her body. Asking the
rapist to use a condom is one way to protect oneself.
Why would a rapist put on a condom if it's offered by
the victim? Self-interest. The attackers are just as likely
to get a STD from the victims as the other way around.
In the Austin case, the alleged rapist told her he didn’t
have AIDS. She replied, “How do you know I don’t?”
Exactly. In this day and age, no one can tell wi.„’
spreading what. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Should
all women think to offer condoms when they are being
raped? If these victims can, yes. Women should try to
minimize the severity of the attack- by any means nec
essary.
Not all women have the presence of mind or the guts
to mention condoms during a rape. Those who do, more
power to you. You are exercising your right to self-de
fense. Don’t let anyone try to tell you otherwise.
STAFF
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■The day the Citadel accepts women Is the day that black and
white fraternities will integrate."
-Jason Huggins, sophomore and Theta Chi member,
Raising Asian-American cultural consciousness
This week has been dubbed “Asian Week, a
Celebration of Asian Cultures" but you might not
have noticed if you had blinked more than twice.
One purpose of Asian Week, sponsored by
Minority Services, is to raise the consciousness of
Asian-Americans about their Asian cultural her
itage. Unfortunately, it seems that some of the
1,182 Asian-American students at the University
aren’t getting the message.
Asian-Americans are bom of two distinct cul
tures and are in the advantageous situation of
having the option to literally receive the best of
both worlds. However, we, as Asian-Americans
must be wary, lest we lose our Asian identity
through overconformity to American culture.
The term Asian-American can be applied to
either a second- or third-generation American
bom of Asian descent or an Asian native who has
immigrated to the States at an early age.
Regardless of birthplace, both groups have to rec
ognize that they are different from the typical
American. While Asian-Americans may speak or
dress like Americans, all that we have to do is
look in the mirror to realize how different we are.
As a Thai native and a U.S. resident for 14
years, I’m familiar with the necessity and ad
vantages of assimilating into American culture.
There are many positive attributes in American
society such as the freedom (supposedly) to pur
sue your personal ambitions regardless of social
or economic background. However, the question
being po6ed is whether it’s acceptable to com
pletely sacrifice one heritage for another. The an
swer is an adamant no.
As one might surmise, it’s difficult growing up
as an ethnic minority in American society,
whether it be Asian, African-American or
Hispanic. Ethnic minorities have to overcome the
prejudices, covert and overt, that people have
against others of a different racial background.
In coping with racism, minorities also must find
a way to fit into the majority without becoming
swallowed up by it.
Voting for Bush
Petcharawises
r.
An example of this situation involves Asian-
American youths in elementary and high schools.
These kids are in a daily struggle to fit in with
their American peers, yet at the same time,
maintain a harmonious relationship with Asian
parents and relatives who may be traditionalists.
As adolescents grow older, there is a tenden
cy to rebel from parental control. For some
Asian-Americans, this defiance over authority
may be expressed by turning their back on their
Asian culture, thus alienating themselves from
both their parents and whatever their parents
might have taught them about their culture.
Fortunately, some Asian-Americans mature
out of this phase as they grow older and eventu
ally become more receptive of their culture;
However, for every responsive Asian-American,
there appears to be another who is content to
completely renounce his Asian heritage, cutting
himself off from it even well into his adult years.
In situations like this, the individual is affected,
his/her children are affected, and another trace
of Asian cultural awareness in American society
is destroyed. It’s this group of Asian-Americans
in particular that have to be reached and made
aware of the dangers of losing one’s past.
Sometimes the blame for losing Asian culture
may partly fall on the parents. In an attempt to
protect their children from discrimination, some
Asian parents allow their children to become
completely Americanized with little if any em
phasis on Asian culture. Although this is a valid
occurrence, it’s no excuse for an Asian-American
to not exercise his or her own initiative to learn
about Asian culture.
Fortunately, at the University, there are sev
eral organizations that can help Asian-
Americans who are so inclined to educate them
selves. The Asian-American Student Association
is in its second year and allows the potential for
Asian-Americans to interact with other Asian-
Americans and discuss views and opinions. The
Japanese Friendship Society promotes cultural
interaction between Japanese and Americans
and the reformed Chinese-American Student
Association is open to anyone with an interest in
learning about Chinese culture.
In addition, Chinese, Japanese and Korean
are offered as part of the foreign language pro
gram for Asian-Americans who are interested in
improving their mother tongue. Lest we forget,
there are 724 international Asian students, and
they have support organizations (i.e., the Thai
Student Association) from their respective coun
tries. Basically, the University has enough op
tions for any Asian-American to interact with his
original culture.
The immigration explosion of Asians and
Hispanics in the 1980s has, by far, eclipsed the
European immigration of the middle and late
1800s. In a few years, Americans will have to ac
cept and adapt to a new generation of Asian-
Americans. This generation will have the oppor
tunity to be even more more successful than the
current generation and the one preceding it, to
make even more of a visible contribution to
American society. Before any of this can occur
though, we as the older generation have a re
sponsibility to ensure that there is an Asian cul
ture to let them fall back on.
Kris Petcharawises is a sophomore in telecom
munications and advertising and is a copy editor
for the Red & Black.
would lead country to despair
This election year you have a real chance for
a change; you will truly help to decide the fu
ture of this country. Since it is becoming more
apparent that every single vote is going to
count in this election, you shouldn’t take for
granted your right as an American citizen, you
must vote. In an honest attempt to help you
make up your mind on a candidate this year, I
would like to paint a hypothetical picture of
what the future could possibly be like if George
Bush and the Republicans retain the office of
the presidency.
Since it would be such a close election if
Bush were to win, he would have absolutely no
formidable political clout remaining. He would
be the most unpopular president in recent
memory and due to this fact, would get even
less done by 1996 than he has in the first four
years. George Bush, if he lived up to his
promise to put James Baker at the helm of do
mestic policy, would completely ruin the repu
tation of this nation as a peace negotiator, and
he W'juld rob the world of one of the most able
bouied men to ever hold the office of secretary
of state.
If Bush were to become re-elected, the coun
try would still be in the dark on the Iran-
Contra, and Iraq loan scandals. The defense in
dustry, still geared to fight that global war with
the evil Soviet Empire, would be building
bombs and missiles, planes and tanks, only to
have them shipped across the country and dis
assembled because they were no longer needed.
Timothy
Moody
If the Republicans won the election of 1992,
they would continue on their path of almighty
right wing extremists. The country would have
the fictitious “Pat" character from Saturday
Night Live come to life in the elections of 1996,
in the form of choosing either Pat Robertson, or
Pat Buchanan. Instead of trying to decide if ei
ther person were male or female, the country
would have to decide which one is the more
hate-mongering, despicable psychopath.
The basic fundamental right of a woman to
choose the course of her reproductive body
would be obliterated, and the press would run
a daily account of how many newborns were
found in garbage dumpsters that day. The en
vironment would be completely destroyed.
American cars would run as inefficiently as
they do now, and air pollution would be a com
mon problem throughout the country. We
would have to go to museums to see what the
environment used to look like. We would look
at painted pictures of what the Arctic Wildlife
Refuge in Alaska used to look like, because now
it’s completely destroyed, thanks to the so-
called Republican policy of environmental pro
tection.
American jobs would continually be export
ed to other countries with more and more
Americans having to travel south of the border
to find work. Millions more would be homeless
and living like they were in a Third World na
tion, while former Communist leaders would be
living in the lap of luxury, thanks to our tax
dollars. And lastly, college students, on gradu
ation day, when they walk up on that platform
to accept their degree, would follow the proces
sion around the comer, where they could file
for unemployment benefits.
Granted that this is simply a hypothetical
picture of what the country could look like if
the Republicans continue to control this coun
try, but I think that it demonstrates well the
direction of this country under President Bush.
Four more years could ruin this county once
and for all; it’s not to late to pull America out
of the gutter that it’s falling into, but you must
have the courage to change. Speaking for my
self personally, I would rather follow this coun
try into the pits of hell, with a young, respon
sive, open-minded, pot-smoking reformer, than
with the worthless, pathetic leadership that
the Republicans and George Bush offer.
Timothy Moody is a senior in history.
Learn about the Libertarians
Suppose you favor school choice
but also believe people should be
free to choose the sex of their lover.
Maybe you support the legalization
of drug use and unequivocally be
lieve in the second amendment
right to bear arms. Or possibly you
want to legalize gambling while at
the same time you wish to see less
regulation of business. If these
were your beliefs, which political
party would you support? The
Democrats? The Republicans?
All of the above positions,
whether considered to be liberal or
conservative, have one thins in
common. They are all pro-freedom.
And they are all endorsed by the
Libertarian Party.
Libertarians believe in the non
coercion principle. This means we
are opposed to the initiation of
force. Coercive force is aggression.
Every person has the right to de
fend their body and their property
from aggression. It’s for this reason
that governments are created.
Libertarians believe govern
ment exists for the sole purpose of
protecting its citizens from aggres
sion. For this reason we are in fa
vor of a military, a police force and
a court system. Libertarians sup
port laws which prohibit assault,
rape, murder, molestation, theft,
embezzlement, breach of contract
and pollution- among others.
Over the past century, however,
our government has gone beyond
its limited role of protecting the
rights and property of its citizens.
In many cases, government has be
come the aggressor, and the people
it’s supposed to protect are the vic
tims.
It’s for this reason that
Libertarians call for the repeal of
all laws which make criminals of
■ FORUM •
■ The Red and Black welcomes letters to the editor and prints them In the Forum
column as space permits. All letters are subject to editing for length, style and li
belous material. Letters should be typed and doublespaced, and they must In
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bring them In person to The Red and Black s offices at 123 North Jackson Street.
Athens, Georgia 30601.
people which haven’t used force
against others. These include laws
that prohibit sodomy, drug use,
prostitution, gambling and pornog
raphy. We are also opposed to a
minimum wage as well as any form
of gun control. Libertarians are op
posed to all forms of mandatory
taxation although we do support
user fees where the people who use
a VOLUNTARY service are re
quired to pay for it
The Libertarian Party is on the
ballot in all 60 states. There are
over 760 Libertarians running for
office nationwide; 140 of these are
candidates for Congress. If you
would like more information about
the Libertarian Party call 1-800-
682-1776 for a free information
packet. Or come by room 139 of
Tate at 7:00 pm any Thursday to
find out what we are about. Bring
your tough questions; that’s what
we’re here for.
John Cochran
Senior, estate management