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Page 5 Clark Atlanta University Panther October 9, 1991 Convicted By Society By William Blackburn Editorial Page Editor When I heard that former Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson had been accused of rape I was not shocked. Disappointed but not surprised. Why should I be? Tyson has had a history of wading into troubled waters outside of the ring. There was the time he engaged in a street fight with 'has been’ boxer Mitch Green. How about the time Tyson rammed his BMW straight into a tree? Don't forget the fondling incidents in several nightclubs. Of course we can’t forget the rocky marriage to the ’she-devil’ Robin Givens. However, all of those events are nothing compared to the rape allegations at the Miss Black America Pageant. If Buster Douglas didn’t prove to people that Tyson is beatable then this latest episode in Iron Mike's life will. Rape in America is viewed as violent, sickening, inhumane and totally unacceptable and unexcusable. But there is one thing that separates rape irom other crimes. With rape, the accused is not innocent until proven guilty but guilty until proven innocent - which in most cases is an improbable if not impossible task. You see even though Tyson may be innocent - he already has been tried and convicted by the media and society. When it comes to the issue of rape - minds are closed and everything is one-sided. A person can be proven innocent of arson, murder, burglary or assault and battery, but no person can be proven innocent of rape. Even if the accused is found innocent by the courts, the media has plastered their name throughout the newspaper in such a distorted way that their life will never be the same. William Kennedy Smith has been tried by the media and society for the alleged rape in Palm Beach and has been found guilty. His life will never be the same regardless of the courts decision. Tyson could'have killed a man, he could have wrecked every car he owns, he could have attempted suicide and society would have forgiven him, but they can't for rape - whether he is innocent is insignificant to the media and society. There are always two sides to every story. Your word against mine. That’s what society tells us. But for rape the standards and rules are different. It's the victim's word that counts. No one cares what Tyson or Smith has to say. Their word means nothing. That's how it is in this hypocritical society. Double-standards. Smith's career as a doctor will survive because his name is ’Kennedy’ but despite his name, how many people in this sensitive society that we live in will allow a man once accused of rape to perform any type of medical procedures on them? Not many. All of this despite the fact that neither man has even been given a judicial trial as of yet. Be accused of rape not convicted just accused and society never forgets and never lets you forget. They will always view you as guilty whether you had 10 millions dollars or $10. Society dictates that it be that way. So in all actuality, the allegation of rape has not one victim but two. Raped By The System By Sheryl Kennedy Editor-in-Chief DING, DING, DING! It’s only the first round and former Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson is already hitting below the belt. Not only are the zebra stripped referees complaining about his fancy hand work so are a couple of beauty contestants dressed in string bikinis and a couple of women who like to hit the club scene with nothing longer than a micro-mini skirt. You see the only difference between touching below the belt in the boxing ring is that the sports commentators laugh and the referee simple blows a whistle and yells STOP. However, when Tyson touches below the belt outside of the ring a female blows a whistle to the tune of RAPE. This is one comparative analyses Tyson seemingly didn't learn in school nor from Cus D'Amato or the shock proof Don King. If money, power and popularity won't kill you, making quick decisions based on emotional impulse will - Tyson is a living example of that. He also proves your mother's theory that temptation will get you into nothing but trouble. When rape allegations hit the media about Tyson at the Miss Black America Pageant I was hurt. I was disappointed to see him in the news again for allegedly committing one of the most unforgivable crimes in the nation. Just the mere mention of that word rape makes my blood boil, veins pop from my head and tears fall down my face. It's a crime of power and sometimes lust, but no matter how you sum it up it's a crime. I hear guys say all the time "why print the accused male's name and not the female's name?’ Even though I understand the principle I have to chuckle because life goes on for a man who was accused of rape, but for the women it’s different. It’s full of pain and an instant replay machine that helps the victim relive every moment as if is were happening all over again. But if we want to talk about hypocrisy in America let's talk about the facts. Over 70 percent of men accused of rape are set free and the other 30 percent serve a couple of months to a year and get out on good behavior or a slick lawyer's plea- bargain. What a great justice system. And if you have money, fame and the right last name you get off free and can still smile and wave at the news camera. Heroes in America come cheap and a dime a dozen. It doesn’t matter if you murder, lie or rape someone in a couple of months when the media moves on to its next victim, everything will be forgotten and Tyson and William Kennedy Smith will be back on top. But among all the cheers are cries of pain from those women who were belittled and dismissed in a courtroom dominated by men who thought the case was useless and amusing. Rape is a crime that hurts everyone. It destroys it's victims not just in the eye of the public, but within. Think about it. -i? NO-. 1 r »•< - f - • 1 j -t.-rot *.k*. Look Whai The Wind Blew In By William Blackburn Editorial Page Editor I can't believe it. My eyes must be deceiving me. Ooh my ears are burning with the news. Now I have heard it all. Spelman girls moving into CAU dorms. What has the world come to? It couldn't be unity could it? Whatever it is, I'm not down with it. We could make a movie about it and call it "Girlz n the Hood." The little princesses have packed their luggage, swallowed their pride and moved into dorms on CAU's campus. The' same campus that they have talked and laughed about for years. The same campus that they call the ’upper class ghetto' campus. I know the dorms over at CAU can't compare to the suites on their campus. But the poor little girls ran out of space on their campus. They couldn’t get Bill Cosby to give them another $20 million to build some more hotels over there. Or could it be that the little fenced in institution has run out of room to build anything else? Whatever it is I could ; care less. When CAU had no more room to house its students Spelman offered not a single hand. When Morehouse had no more room to house its students Spelman offered not a single hand. God forbid Morris Brown run out of room. Spelman would have closed it pearly gates quicker than I could finish this sentence. i I could see Dr. Thomas Cole Jr. calling Spelman president Dr. Johnetta Cole (No relation) and telling her about the rooming problem at CAU. TC: "Hello, Johnetta this is Dr. Cole from CAU" JC: "Hello, Thomas" TC: "Johnetta we have run out of room to house our students" JC: "Thomas I'm sorry to hear that, but you're in luck because I heard that Days Inn is having a special now on group rates and I have the number down there if you need it" TC: "Thanks Johnetta, but I was wondering if some our of students could room over there for a little while" JC: (Laughing) "Thomas you always did have a sense of humor" click. TC: "Hello, Johnetta, Johnetta, Johnetta" click. Not in a million years would Spelman let any students from any other school room on their precious little campus. The campus where the adminstration has the gall to put a fence around it. The same campus that could easily change its name to Snobville, Georgia and have no one ask why. Not that campus. That campus is only for Spelmanites. How dare anyone else try to room over there. But now look. They have run out of room and now they come running across the street looking | for a place to stay. If I was president and i Spelman's administration came over here ! looking for a place for their precious little j babies to live I would have called the police to I have them arrested for solicitation. Spelmanites are always criticizing the other AUC institutions, but they take more classes at CAU, Morehouse and Morris Brown than they do at their own school. They get inside the gates of their little village over there and swear that the world is their’s. Walking around with their noses in the air talking about 'you can't touch this.' Well on CAU’s campus the students are down with O.P.P. and right now Spelmanites are living on Others People Property. So as Prince would say "Gett Off'.