North Carolina Newspapers

10 Tuesday, April 23, 2002 Opinion (Thu !mly (Tar Hurl Established 1893 • 109 Yean of Editorial Freedom com Katie Hunter Editor Office Hours Friday 2 p.m. -3 p.m. Kim Minugh MANAGING EDITOR Russ Lane SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR Kate Hartig EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR Lizzie Breyer UNIVERSITY EDITOR Kellie Dixon CITY EDITOR Alex Kaplun STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR lan Gordon SPORTS EDITOR Sarah Sanders FEATURES EDITOR Sarah Kucharski ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Terri Rupar COPY DESK EDITOR Kara Arndt PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Beth Buchholz DESIGN EDITOR Cobi Edelson GRAPHICS EDITOR Jonathan Miller ONLINE EDITOR Michael Flynn OMBUDSMAN Concerns or comments about our coverage? Contact the ombudsman at mlflynn@email.unc.edu or by phone at 843-5794 April Campaign Focuses on Preventing Sexual Assault Throughout April, the Orange County Rape Crisis Center participates in Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We hand out teal ribbons to wear in support of survivors of sexual violence, and we display T-shirts made by survivors and those close to them through the Clothesline Project. These activities, we hope, help to empower survivors of sexual violence to speak out and to seek assistance in ways that help with their healing journey. In addition, community awareness has been focused on sexual violence through both local and national events. Reports of sexual assaults on campus and within the community, continuing coverage of improp er handling of child sexual abuse within reli gious communities and reports that women and men cannot feel safe in their own neighborhoods scream out at us through the headlines and the evening news. Our work at the rape crisis center high lights a number of things that we want to share with the campus community: 1. Although the assaults that we hear about most are assaults committed by strangers, it is most often friends, family members, partners, dates or some other Board Editorials Be Nice to Mice Animal testing is vital to medical research, and the University must stringently follow treatment guidelines Scientific research, particularly related to health, is not all about formulas and equa tions. New medicines and theories must be tried out. Oftentimes, laboratory animals such as rats and birds are the casualties of progress in the field of human health research. If there were no animals to test new drugs on, then many of the drugs and methods that save human lives today would be nonexistent. Because these ani mals are vital to research and enable med ical breakthroughs, they deserve to be treat ed in the most humane way possible. Unfortunately, it appears that some University researchers and assistants do not see the value in following humane proce dures when it comes to dealing with labo ratory animals. A hidden-camera video released last week by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals showed that rats and mice used for research in the University’s Thurston Bowles Building labs were being treated in Gov. Easley rightly denied clemency to a death row inmate; his request to transfer to a hospice was unjustified It is the most severe punishment in the U.S. justice system, exacted upon those who have committed the most egregious offenses: the death penalty. Capital punishment is intended to serve as a means of deterrence and way of deliv ering justice to the families of the victims, requiring that sentencing be swiftly and uniformly applied. Last Wednesday, Gov. Mike Easley right ly rejected a request from a terminally ill death row inmate who hoped that under a new law he could be transferred to a hos pice and spend his last days with family. Lemons, 34, received two death sen tences for the 1994 murders of Bobby Gene Stroud, 38, and Margaret Daniels Strickland, 34, both of Goldsboro. He also received an additional 160 years in prison for two counts of first-degree kidnapping and two counts of robbery with a firearm. Anew law, passed in September 2001, allows inmates to be released to hospice acquaintance who assault women and men, girls and boys. We do not point this out to minimize or discount the experiences of those of us who are assaulted by a stranger. However, when thinking about promoting our safety and challenging the rape cul ture we must have accurate information at our disposal. 2. The fear of sexual vio- Margaret Barrett and Matt Ezzell Guest Columnists lence restricts opportunities for women, both on campus and in the larger communi ty. It is no surprise to us that The Daily Tar Heel found that more women than men were scared to be out alone at night. Sexual violence disproportionately targets women in our culture. The threat, or fear, of sexual violence alone restricts the freedom of movement and expression of women. Indeed, one of the most common responses we hear following assaults is that women should restrict their lives in very real ways - where they walk, with whom they walk, when they walk, when they study, how they dress ... 3. The person who is assaulted is not responsible for the assault, no matter what happened. There is no exception to this rule. Assaults are always the responsibility of the person who attacks another person - any way but humane. The film’s footage revealed dirty, crowd ed cages, sick animals going without treat ment for weeks and animals being improp erly euthanized, including some mice being decapitated with scissors without anesthesia. While PETA has an obvious agenda, the videotape does not lie. It is clear that some practices in the video violate rules pre scribed by the University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and the National Institutes of Health’s policies in regard to research animals. Fortunately, the University has done the proper thing by launching an investigation looking into the allegations of abuse and neglect leveled by PETA. Other government agencies are also looking into launching their own investiga tions. This University has a long history of reliable, groundbreaking medical research. It would be a shame if this tradition of excellence was tarnished by the actions of a few researchers. A Verdict to Stand By care if they no longer pose a threat to soci ety, have an incurable disease and are expected to die within a year. The law also requires input from victims or their family members before a decision is reached. Lemons was HIV-positive, suffered from cirrhosis, hemophilia, hepatitis C and pos sibly liver cancer. He died early Monday, three days before his scheduled execution. Regardless, sparing him because of phys ical maladies that were the result of destruc tive habits is not justified in light of the hor rible crimes he committed and the input from the victims’ families. They all expressed their desire for Lemons to remain in jail, viewing his release as a potential threat to the community. In light of this, Lemons’ case didn’t deserve special treatment. Easley was right to recog nize that sending terminally ill first-degree murderers to a hospice would unfairly reduce their sentences and diminish the justice deliv ered to the victims and their families. not the responsibility of the person who is victimized. It doesn’t matter what the cir cumstances are; poor judgment is not a crime. 4. While disproportionate numbers of women experience sexual violence, men also are affected by it. Not only have many men and boys been sexually abused, men also suffer as the secondary survivors of their mothers, sisters, daughters and women partners and friends who are assaulted. We all have a stake in challeng ing the rape culture. What can you do on an individual level to combat the problem of sexual violence? 1. Become known as someone who is open to listening and believing when a sur vivor comes forward. Often we think a sur vivor needs to talk to someone. What she or he may need most is just someone to listen. 2. Know the limits of what you are able to offer a survivor, and make sure you know how to refer her or him so they can get the assistance they need. Educate your self as to the resources in your community, school and life. 3. Make sure that your own institutions (organizations, workplaces, communities of faith) have a process in place for handling reports of sexual violence when they occur. If the University’s investigation deems that particular individuals were at fault in the neglect and abuse of the lab animals, then they must be punished. The University and the federal govern ment have regulations concerning animal welfare for a reason. These regulations are constructed and must be followed to create a happy medium between research and animal rights groups such as PETA. Anew amendment proposed by Sen. Jesse Helms to this year’s federal farm bill would permanently exclude laboratory rats, mice and birds from U.S. Department of Agriculture oversight under the Animal Welfare Act. But, any expansion of the act would be too costly. Guidelines as to how animals are treated in labs are already in place, they just need to be followed. It’s a shame that it took a PETA investi gation to call attention to this problem, but the rules must be followed to make sure that no animals unduly suffer from an indi vidual’s carelessness. Furthermore, the costs of sending Lemons to hospice care would’ve fallen on the N.C. Department of Corrections, which has been earmarked for major budget cuts to relieve state’s mounting deficit. Lemons’ lawyers argued that hospice would allow his family members, who live in Detroit, to visit him more frequently to give their final farewells. But in prison, he did receive medical care and was allowed visits from friends and family. Granting hospice care was unneeded. Had Easley allowed Lemons to enter hos pice, he would have set a precedent found ed on a slippery slope. The doors would be open for future offenders and their lawyers to effectively diminish capital punishment sentencing, and the role of the death penal ty as a deterrent would be undermined. The system of justice is by no means per fect, but Easley’s decision to keep Lemons in jail was necessary to ensure that the death penalty continues to serve its purposes. If someone came forward to you, would you know what to do? 4. Challenge sexism when you see it in your life (in comments, jokes, movies, actions, etc.). Speak out. Volunteer. 5. If you are a survivor, understand that the assault was not your fault and that you have a right to seek out support and resources in whatever ways you feel comfortable. There is no script or time frame for your healing. Too often, we turn a blind eye to sexual violence in community, or we excuse it away by victim blaming or thinking that it is something that happens to “those types of people.” Sexual violence affects every one of us. Our community is crying for help, and it is past time that we all stood up and acted for change. A different world is possible. The Orange County Rape Crisis Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to end ing sexual violence. Any individual who has been touched by these issues in any way, direcdy or indirectly, is encouraged to call the center’s toll-free crisis/response line: 1- 866-We Listen (935-4785). Margaret Barrett is the executive director and Matt Ezzell is the coordinator of com munity education at the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. Computenik? Japan, You're Kidding Right? As of last week, the world’s fastest computer resides in a Japanese laboratory. While normal people are wondering when exacdy thisjapanese supercomput er will be sprouting slimy tentacles and eating Tokyo, others are suggesting that we are witnessing the next “Sputnik.” “In some sense we have a Computenik on our hands,” said Jack Dongarra, a University of Tennessee computer scientist, in The New York Times. The intrepid Times interviewer undoubtedly responded, “Excuse me?” Blank stares ensued. And Dr. Dongarra, what “sense” is that, exactly? Back in 1957, Sputnik made its way around the earth, singing its shrill song of beeps and informing the world that nuclear armageddon was more than just the stuff of sci-fi novels. Sputnik forced the U.S. to rethink inter national policy, military strategy and domestic expenditures. And Sputnik was a threat, of terrible proportions, clear and simple. In contrast, this yet-unnamedjapanese supercomputer (let’s call it “Son of Godzilla”) is made to “analyze climate change, including global warming, as well as weather and earthquake patterns.” The only people who will be forced to rethink any thing are local news meteorologists, whose primary concerns include thinking up 15 different ways of saying “it’s gonna rain.” Let’s be honest - Son of Godzilla is no Sputnik. In fact, Son of Godzilla isn’t much of a threat at all - it will study the weather, which is a fairly harmless pursuit, the last time I checked. So why the panic? “These guys are blowing us out of the water, and we need to sit up and take notice,” exclaims Thomas Sterling, a supercomputer designer and dispenser of hyperbole from sunny California. Calm yourself, Dr. Sterling. The fear potentially stems from the fact that American supercomputers are primarily used for military research and simulating weapons. A New York Times article omi nously comments, “For now, (Son of Godzilla) will be used only for climate research,” leaving the door open in the reader’s mind for wild speculation as to the eventual pur pose of Son of Godzilla the hallmark of any good piece of sensationalist journalism. Truth be told, for all this hype, there are those who don’t expect Son of Godzilla to make much of an impact at all. “It’s potentially quite significant for climate studies,” said Dr. Tim Kalleen, director of the American climate research center. What. Obviously, the Japanese aren’t hiring the right kind of PR guys because Dr. Kalleen is apparently under the erro neous impression that Son of Godzilla is in fact a rusty weath er vane sitting on a unused bam somewhere in South Dakota. People of Japan: if you’re going to spend millions of dol lars building a supercomputer specifically for the purpose of studying the weather, then it had better be damn, cold-cockin’ perfect for the job! And if it isn’t, then you’d better convince people that it is! Maybe Dr. Kalleen is just trying to be funny. The apparent confusion with Son of Godzilla doesn’t end there. The Japanese government spent “$350 million to S4OO million” developing the system. Meanwhile, Japanese taxpayers are scratching their heads, wondering why then government refuses to employ somebody who can count. Does the government really not know how much it spent? One of my friends kindly pointed out that the government might have been unwilling to disclose the exact figure to the public. While this is possible, the only reason for non-disclo sure I could think of was that the government is too embar rassed about the millions of dollars on only a “potentially quite significant” machine. You know, it’s kind of like buying a used car and finding out in your driveway that you only got three wheels and half an engine. How embarrassing! Whether or not Son of Godzilla is an embarrassment or not, many feel that thejapanese are to be envied for the accomplishment, “Thejapanese clearly have a level of will that (Americans) haven’t achieved,” proclaims Dr. Sterling. One of our nation’s brightest is most likely mistaking Son of Godzilla for the end of poverty, war and disease. While scientific research is important in its own regard, let’s not lose perspective here. As Son of Godzilla begins its tenure as the smartest weatherman alive, the U.S. govern ment is dishing out millions of tax dollars to American researchers designing even faster computers. On one hand, there is science for science’s sake, but I doubt the 34 mil lion tax-paying Americans - including one million North Carolinians - living below the poverty line would agree. In fact, I’m sure they wouldn’t. And neither should you. Eugene’s last CHiPs show is 8 pm Saturday in 100 Hamilton Hall. Bring this column for $ I off. Eugene’s request: Bring a makeshift birthday card to the show for my 27th birthday and get $1 off. E-mail me at chinook@email.unc.edu. Editor’s Note Time is running out to apply for the fall 2002 editorial page staff. The DTH editorial page staff is composed of the DTH editor, the editorial page editor, the assistant editorial page editor, eight board members, five columnists and five or six car toonists. The editorial board is respon sible for writing unsigned board editorials and endorsements for local, state and student govern ment elections. Columnists write one column each week. Columns should be timely, newsworthy and relevant to the DTH’s readers. Cartoonists are responsible for one editorial cartoon a week. Previous journalism experi ence is not required for any posi tion, but members of student government are ineligible to join the editorial page staff. Applications can be picked up at the front desk of The Daily Tar Heel in Suite 104 of the Student Union. They are due by 5 p.m. April 25. Questions? Please contact Editorial Page Editor-select Lucas Fenske at fenske@email.unc.edu. J? The Daily Tar Heel wel comes reader comments and criticism. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 300 words and must be typed, dou ble-spaced, dated and signed by no more than two people. Students should include their year, major and phone num ber. Faculty and staff should include their title, department and phone number. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity and vul garity. Publication is not guaranteed. Bring letters to the DTH office at Suite 104, Carolina Union, mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail forum to: editdesk@unc.edu. uJfjp Baily (Tar MM if] EUGENE KIM OUTCLASSED AT BAGGAGE CLAIM