Do we trust rape victims?
T he right to dictate
who touches your
body when, where
and in what manner is one
of the most important
rights a person has.
One night, two girl
friends and I drove to a
dance club in Houston. The
dub is on a major thorough
fare and has a parking lot with only 25
parking spaces, so we were forced to park
in the neighborhood behind the club.
As my friend attempted to make a
halfway acceptable semblance of a par
allel parking job, I noticed a man on
the sidewalk. He turned around,
pulled down his jeans and started to
masturbate.
Nothing happened, and we quickly
abandoned the parking spot and sped
away. The man didn’t have an opportuni
ty to violate our bodies that night, but he
left us to contemplate the possibility.
He left us to wonder about how our
lives would have changed. He left us to
wonder if anyone would have believed
our story.
A Houston Chronicle article on Feb.
20 discussed the recent debate sur
rounding the use of lie detector tests on
rape victims.
According to this article, it has become
a common procedure in law-enforcement
agencies across the state to use the re
sults of lie detector tests to determine if a
rape case warrants further investigation.
The lie detector test, or polygraph, mea
sures a person’s heart and breathing
rates and skin responses to basic person
al information questions.
The responses to those questions are
then compared to serious questions about
crimes, such as rape.
Recently, Rep. Debra Dandurg, D-
Houston filed a bill that would elimi
nate the use of polygraphs on rape
victims.
Advocates of the bill, such as Cassan
dra Thomas, director of
the Rape Crisis Program
at the Houston Women’s
Center, argpie that sexu
al violence is the only
crime that uses the poly
graph on the victim.
“We don’t polygraph
people who say their
house was broken into,”
Thomas said. “We buy into the myth
that women lie about rape.”
Although a 1993 law prohibits police
from abandoning investigation of a sex
ual violence case solely on the unwill
ingness of the rape victim to take a
polygraph, advocates say the law has
little effect.
On the other hand, opponents argue
that eliminating polygraph testing alto
gether would hinder the work of officers
who try to elicit important information
from the victim.
But, think about the victim. Think
about the woman or man who has been
raped, and a week later scrounges up
the courage to go to the police. Expect
ing sympathy and aid, they are met
with the impersonal demand of taking a
lie detector test.
Granted, America is a country based
on the concept that everyone is innocent
until proven guilty. But, how much
should a victim be further victimized on
the path to proving that the crime oc
curred? Polygraph results sire, by law,
not admissible evidence in Texas courts.
If a person goes to the police and
claims to have been raped, that charge
is serious enough to warrant a thor
ough inquiry.
Lt. Scott McCollum of the College
Station police department agrees. He
said that it is not a common procedure
to use a lie detector test with rape vic
tims in College Station.
“We investigate every case based on
its own merit,” McCollum said.
“Whether there is physical evidence
does not dictate whether we investi
gate, especially in cases as serious as
sexual violence.”
The College Station Police Depart
ment sets a good example that could, if
emulated, end the practice of using
polygraphs on rape victims. Taxpayers
are paying for police protection, and it
is the police department’s job to investi
gate almost every charge that citizens
bring to them.
Sure there have been both men and
women who have lied about being
raped. But, given the magnitude of the
crime, it seems a small sacrifice to in
vestigate every claim — even the small
percent of the cases where the victims
are lying.
Some would argue that with other
problems such as gang violence and
drug abuse, police don’t have time to
waste digging up the facts of false
claims. This argument seems sub
stantial until you consider how much
time police spend chasing down speed
ing vehicles.
Even if a person has lied about being
raped, that person does not have to go
completely unpunished.
McCollum said that the College Sta
tion Police Department has dealt with
cases — although not sexual violence cas
es — where people have lied about their
car being stolen. When it was discov
ered, the police prosecuted them for giv
ing false reports.
The psychological effects of rape are
too great. Too many cases go unre
ported each year because of the social
stigma and lasting trauma associated
with rape.
If anything, the law-enforcement sys
tem should encourage victims to come
forward, not deter them by questioning
their claims and further aggravating
their shattered emotional state.
Jenny Magee is a junior
English and journalism major
Jenny
Magee
Columnist
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JErOITORXAX
The Other Education
Extracurricular activities are valuable parts of
the Aggie experience and should be rewarded
The Student Senate recently pro
posed a scholarship program that
will reward students for extracurric
ular involvement, rather than on aca
demic achievement.
College students at an extremely
competitive university like Texas
A&M, often cannot easily keep up
with a full load of classes and be
involved in a variety of cam
pus organization at the
same time.
They should create a bal
ance between learning and
“the other education.”
Grades are important. Acade
mics is a very serious part of a col
lege education, but it is not the only
part.
Students who excel through acade
mic achievement should be commend
ed, but so should students who dedi
cate their time and energy to campus
organizations and activities.
Student organizations help build
character, offer experience and devel
op leadership skills. Students often
find difficulty in concentrating en
tirely on academics. After all, stu
dents’ grade point ratios will be only
a part of how they are evaluated by
future employers.
For the most part, the work force
will be looking for well-rounded indi
viduals who have had experience
working in several activities.
While there are some stu
dents who are able to main
tain “A” averages, hold offi
cer positions in organizations
and work their way through
school, there are only a hand
ful of them. Students who put
their time, creativity and motivation
into campus activities deserve recog
nition and support for what they
have achieved.
Texas A&M has always stressed
the importance of the education that
comes through campus involvement.
The University should reward those
students who excel in this “other edu
cation” and perhaps it will become
more meaningful.
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1 Call
Letterman has been
crossing line forever
I am writing in response to Michael
Landauer’s David Letterman column on
Feb. 27. Having watched David Letter-
man for the past 14 years, I guess you
could say I’m not a Letterman expert,
but I could point out a few things to the
obvious novice on Lettermanism.
I saw the show he referred to in he
column when Dave gave extra money to
an overweight guy to buy some snacks.
What Landauer failed to mention was
that the gentleman added to the humor
by saying he would need more than the
few extra bills Letterman gave him. He
did not in the least bit seem offended by
this, so why should Landauer? It was,
more than likely, a moment the gentle
man will never forget.
As for Letterman crossing the line in
his humor, maybe Landauer should lay
off the Nyquil before viewing the show.
Dave has been crossing the line his
entire career. Dave doesn’t care if Lan
dauer watches or not. His show now ac
counts for about one-third of CBS’s entire
gross income. So maybe it is a “kinder
gentler” Dave, but it is by far the best
talk show.
It’s not because of expensive suits,
graphics or the Ed Sullivan Theatre.
Sorry to offend you Michael, but it’s sim
ply because of Dave. Just ask Conan.
Chris Davison
Class of ’93
Corps handled Rev-
napping incident well
In responding to Brian Powell’s letter
of Feb. 27, concerning the abduction of
Reveille VI, a few facts need to be seat
straight. First, as the former command
ing officer of Company E-2, the theft of
Reveille is no one’s fault but my own.
Reveille’s abduction is no the outfit's
fault, and not Jim Lively’s fault — it is my
fault. Responsibility for everything that
did or did not occur within that outfit lies
with me.
Second, I can now reluctantly laugh at
the fact that Rev was stolen. Let’s face it,
as much as it pains me to say, it was
probably going to happen sooner or later.
The President of the United States is
guarded 24 hours a day and is not totally
safe. What I will not accept is the insinu
ation that Aggies are one-sided “spoil
sports.” Spoilsports would have gone out
and stolen Bevo — or something worse —
upon hearing the news. Yet they didn’t.
The Lively house was stalked and
even broken into. Yet, the family filed no
charges. At yell practice prior to the Cot
ton Bowl we could have incited a riot
that would have made the t-sips think
twice before stealing a puppy again.
However, Aggies didn’t seek retribution.
After Rev was stolen, no one felt
Worse than we did — we knew we had let
down many people.
Instead of placing blame elsewhere, E-
2 and Jim Lively accepted responsibility.
When asked about the perpetrator run
ning for office. Lively simply said he
hoped that Sheffield would not be elected
due to his actions — by the way, he was
thrown oub of the race.
So when someone breaks into Powell’s
home, steals something that means a
great deal to him and thousands of oth
ers and then runs for public office on that
premise, we’ll talk about his sense of hu
mor. I would hope that he could find the
same courage and integrity that Compa
ny E-2 has.
Greg Riels
Class of ’94
Use of Corps at partisan
events shocks student
On Feb. 24, units of the Corps — most
prominently the Band — took part in a
partisan and political event. This was
not an event honoring a President or for
mer President; it was not even an event
honoring a Senator. It was, without at
tempt at disguise, a partisan rally for the
advertised purpose of an individual an
nouncing his candidacy for the nomina
tion of his party for president.
All such candidates run as individu
als, not as Senators, or any other such ti
tle. It is irrelevant to the issue, but the
person announcing is not and, without
deciding to come to school here someday,
can never be an Aggie. An Aggie, now
and forever, is a student or former stu
dent. But that isn’t the issue.
The issue is this — present in uniform
and as the Band, those Aggies and other
Corps units present, thereby officially
represented the Corps and the school at
a partisan event. Anyone attempting to
say that the presence of our Band does
not represent this Corps and the school
is being, at best, disingenuous.
The most fundamental tradition of the
American military is that our military
considers it an internal, sacred tradition
to never be involved, as representatives
of the military, in partisan politics. The
spirit of that tradition was symbolically
violated by the presence of the Corps at a
partisan event, as it would be at any par
tisan event, regardless of the party of
candidate.
My primary concern is with the
Corps. When you put on the uniform,
you put all of us in there with you. You
are responsible, yourself, for learning,
and building, the ideals you represent.
I hope you will use this event as a
spark to quit being on the defensive,
and start concentrating on being what
has made this Corps something that
all of us who have gone before hold so
sacredly.
Van Veselka
Class of ’66
Graduate Student
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Competing agendas cause confusion
A&M Board of Regents should adopt Elchanan's four-point plan
I am a bit confused as of late. I think it
started with the Republicans and their
“Contract With America.” Or maybe it
was just a symptom of our times.
Now every supposed “leader” on cam
pus is proposing some plan, theory or ac
tivity that will improve Texas A&M and
make it a “World Class University.”
For instance, our valiant student body president Brooke
Leslie has come forth with a goal-based platform and her ac
complishments while in office — she may be a professional
politician yet.
While the Book Swap, the starting of a Crime Stoppers
program on campus and the increased lighting are certain
ly great achievements, I kind of found myself confused by
her other deeds.
Leslie said she had improved the media perception of
A&M. Well, maybe someone should’ve told Pi Kappa Phi
about that.
As for the much-flaunted Honor Code, I think that
maybe Robert Smith and his gang should study that tradi
tion further and get back to students about how that is go
ing to work exactly.
This idea for giving scholarships based on criteria other
than grades is cool. We could give scholarships to people with
lots of tattoos and nose rings — for their creativity, at the ex
pense of decency.
As for cultural sensitivity, well, maybe the College Repub
licans should put in a word or two on that subject. On the
other hand, maybe not.
While we are on the subject of cultural sensitivity, I want
to relate a little story to you. I was reading the trusty old
Batt when I came across the NAACP Twelve Point Plan.
I was really impressed.
You see, I have a nice tan skin-tone, and my father was
bom in Tunisia — making me both a person of color and an
African-American. The idea that I could get minority scholar
ships simply made me giddy. On top of that, the proposed
state funding for the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute and
the degree requirement for learning about cultural groups
would mean that I could study topics on Asian and Middle
Eastern history here at A&M, as well as African history.
Some real liberal arts at last!
I did have a few problems with the plan before I signed on,
like the proposed surveying of the local community — other
wise known as the not-paying-for-my-education crowd — for
feelings about A&M and suggestions about how we could pos
sibly represent every minority by having a class about them. .
Unfortunately, I ran into a real snag. First, the NAACP w
said that I could not receive their scholarship money be
cause I was not a black African-American and second, the
classes they were proposing would only be about recognized
American minorities.
I felt like I had been discriminated against, but nobody
listens to Tan Americans, except maybe for the Conserva
tive Coalition. . fj
I found out about these guys from one of my survivalist
friends at work. He was cleaning his gun while discussing
how only the Conservative Coalition understood my pain and
would back me up.
Their Great White Leader — as the members call him —
said we cannot accept every minorities and every view be
cause it is a, “degradation of national patriotism and pride.”
Afterward, it was pointed-out to me how the black people , .
had to be sacrificed for our national needs and how Native
Americans were trying to take over “our” country.
I am still not sure, but I think these guys might not be “all
there,” if you get my meaning. When they started bowing-
down to a picture of Rush Limbaugh, I got out of there.
My experiences around our lovely campus inspired me to
make up a plan for Aggieland. It is only a Four Point Plan,
making it much easier to implement than the others.
Here it goes: . r
• Give all students good parking spaces, and make the fac
ulty park at Olsen Field. This seems logical since most of us ;
have three or four classes while most professors only teach
one or two ~ -J;
• Disband the PIT'S and execute all its present and former t
members — do you think this constitutes ‘inciting to riot?’
* Disband the Board of Regents and the Student Senate
and start the United Students’ Union, where we would all
refuse to pay our tuitions if the FYesident did not give in to
our demands.
* Get rid of the “F” and replace it with a “P” for “Pend-
ing,” since most people have to take a failed class in over to
graduate anyway.
I turned this plan into the Regent’s office. They immedi- *
ately started laughing and asked me to go buy them some
beer while they looked my proposal over. . ^
I dunno, but I don’t think they took me very seriously.
Josef Elchanan is a senior
management major ,
Josef
Elchanan
Guest
Columnist