EDITORIAL Renewing a Delicate, But Necessary Conversation and The War Is Only Half the Battle

Author: Jonathan White

Renewing a Delicate, But Necessary Conversation

News of sexual assault on campus demands a revival of last year's discussion concerning sexual assault policy. Are victims finding the appropriate support mechanisms and is there an infrastructure in place in which they are comfortable reporting an assault? If not, then the College should create a rape crisis center, open 24 hours a day, that can provide immediate medical assistance and confidential support.
Yet addressing the needs of victims is just one step. If there is to be a dialogue, then the subject of rape and date rape, all-too-real concerns on college campuses, must no longer be treated as taboo. Forums and discussions must take place. What constitutes a rape in an environment where sex, alcohol and youth conspire in an often-casual manner to produce poor judgments? If a discussion is to be launched, then victims must feel confident in reporting their cases, seeking confidential counseling, but also, somehow, feel empowered to take steps to actively prevent a similar situation from befalling others. An audience beyond FAM should take up the problem of date rape, and the alcohol and drug consumption that sometimes complicates the issue.
An impasse remains until proactive steps are taken by all members of the community to talk about this delicate issue. If this means tackling first the culture behind the problem, the lack of resources for victims, College policy or the blurry line between rape and poor judgment, then let the discussion begin so that these acts might one day stop. If we are concerned about these hideous acts, then we will no longer shroud them in a climate of silence where victims are scared to report their stories.

The War Is Only Half the Battle

Last weekend's worldwide protests demonstrated that goodwill towards America has undergone an alarming reversal. A mere 17 months ago, the world mourned with the United States over the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001. Yet now America and President Bush have become public enemy number one in the eyes of millions.
While confronting Iraq may be the next logical step in the war on terror, this war is already being lost if the estimation of the United States has fallen to all-time lows. Millions marched on Rome and Madrid. London recorded the largest protests ever. Middlebury College students studying in Europe are being informed that anti-Americanism is at an all-time high and are urged to exercise caution.
President Bush cannot allow Saddam Hussein to emerge as a martyr in the eyes of a new generation of anti-American zealots in the Middle East. Nor should Bush lose the card of righteousness in defending the free world from international terrorism. That he has represents a clear failure of diplomacy, if not a disregard for the concerns of the international community. By failing to win a clear consensus in the nation and abroad on the merits of proceeding with the war on terror, Bush risks the cultivation of a deeper anti-Americanism not merely in the Middle East, but also in Europe and Asia. This will be detrimental in the long run to fighting the ideological roots of terrorism. That Bush is villainized in the streets by the millions should be cause for caution. Its time for the White House to re-examine its approach, yet on Tuesday the President said that protestors would not change his mind.
Diplomacy should not be abandoned as a gesture that the United States understands that fighting terrorism requires worldwide cooperation. Moreover, a vigorous campaign to improve the perception of the United States in the Middle East, perhaps in Europe and Asia too, are steps in the war on terror that should not be overlooked in a rush towards military engagement in Iraq.