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(11/07/00 11:52pm)
Are you wondering why Myles Brand is still president of IU when the University continues to fall apart?\nWhen Brand was due for his five-year review last year, his Board of Trustees hired one person, an outside consultant named Robert Atwell, to do it, the IDS reported.\nAtwell worked to work with Fred Steingraber, who was on the IU Foundation Board with Brand, according to the IDS.\nWilliam Baker, vice president of the University of California, was named to work with Atwell only after complaints.\nFaculty members at IU were outraged, the IDS reported. Normally a special committee is appointed to do the reviews. Now it was coming down to two people, one of whom worked with Brand's buddy. \nAs one faculty member told the IDS, "Having an outside evaluater who was reasonably removed from IU … and the amount of time -- were insufficient to allow students and faculty an opportunity to express their opinions." \nAtwell held only one open meeting for students and faculty to voice their concerns, on April 1. \nAnd what did Atwell find? He produced a 14-page report discussing Brand's administration in a favorable light. Go figure.\n"It is our considered and enthusiastic judgment that (IU) has been well-served by Brand and is most fortunate to be blessed with his leadership," the report stated. \nDuring an Oct. 6 Policy Committee meeting, Brand was asked about the measly 1 percent annual raise the faculty receives. Brand just emphasized faculty salaries are higher than state averages, according to the meeting minutes, available at www.indiana.edu/~coasinfo/coascommittee.shtml.\nHe is scheduled to get another 6 percent raise next year, no matter how poorly IU continues to do. Brand is making more than the U.S. president. \nAnd Brand's track record is anything but clean. \nLast year he signed an agreement to protect human rights by saying IU products would not be made using sweatshop labor. \nIn an Apr. 4, 1999 IDS article, Brand said: "We want Hoosier fans everywhere (to) wear their IU colors with pride … (knowing) that the workers who made those garments were treated fairly." \nHe then allowed Nike to sponsor our athletic programs, even though sources such as the Christian Science Monitor note Nike's sweatshop labor practices. \nChristopher Simpson, vice president for public affairs and government relations, is always talking about what a powerful package IU is. Simpson told the IDS, "IU is a tremendous value in terms of the very moderate cost." Then why did IU not rank as a "Best Value" for a Midwest college when 124 others did rank in U.S. News and World Report?\nThe flood gates have been opened. IU has an 86 percent acceptance rate according to Barron's. One 1972 IU graduate said, "(IU) used to be a top notch school and very difficult to get in." \nNot anymore. \nWe should be trying to raise the class-rank figures.\nBut even Brand seems to be confused. On IU's Sept. 15 Web page, he said, "I am pleased that (IU) continues to attract more and more well-qualified students." He told the IDS, "I believe the rising enrollments reflect the strong reputation of our academic programs."\nBut in an Oct. 6 Policy Committee meeting, Brand said that since enrollments have gone back up, it should be possible to concentrate more on the quality of the students we enroll. \nWhen questioned about IU's decline, Brand mentions the Schools of Music, Education and Business -- all in the top 10 in the country. He acts like he helped make them successful. \nIn actuality, it was the work of other IU presidents -- such as Herman B Wells -- who helped set the stage. \nBrand charges faculty who have raised questions about the decline of IU should do their homework. It appears they have. Brand's just reading a different book. It's titled My Perfect World.\nOne professor asked me, "What would happen to the manager or CEO of a business who didn't produce?" They'd be fired.\nBrand's trustees supported his efforts and re-appointed him. \nNow it's time for action. Brand and the administration must go.
(11/06/00 3:59am)
In its Sept. 11 issue, U.S. News and World Report excluded IU from its list of top 50 national universities. President Myles Brand was quick to point out the flaws in its rankings -- which he does every year when IU ranks poorly. \nIU did make it as a "second-tier" university and was a staggering 26th in top public universities.\nBrand said students and parents shouldn't trust the rankings: The magazine considers the wrong criteria. IU wasn't even ranked in the top 46 as a "Best Value" for national universities. Nor did it appear on the list of 124 "Best Value" schools in the midwest.\nWhen asked if the University's rankings were falling, he replied: "No, it is not true," on his Web site, www.indiana.edu/president. He added that if you took away IU's low per-student spending, "moderate" admissions standards, and the fact that we don't have an engineering, medical or agricultural school, our "overall ranking among public universities in U.S. News has still improved over the last six years." \nThe problem is that all universities are rated the same way, and the top students and faculty of tomorrow use these rankings to choose their next academic destination. University presidents cannot decide which categories to include and which to omit. \nWhen asked about the University of Florida's rankings of the nation's top research universities, Brand replied on his Web site: "This is the first time those rankings have been done … it is impossible to use them as a measurement of improvement or decline." \nWhat he didn't tell you is that IU was once considered a leading institution in the field of research. Now we are ninth in the Big Ten. People who have invested considerable resources in research at IU can't be happy. \nHere's one big reason IU is slipping:\nEnrollment is at an all-time high this year. Brand and the administration are quick to say this is a reflection on the quality of students we enroll. What they didn't tell you is the number of students admitted this year is up 1,139. Acceptance rates are at a whopping 86 percent, according to Barron's Profiles of American Colleges 2001 edition.\nIn the last five years, the percentage of students in the top 10 percent of their high school class has dropped 4 percent, according to enrollment services. \nIn that same time, enrollment of students in the bottom 50 percent of their classes has increased 7 percent, according to enrollment services. While 276 of the top 10 percent of students have gone elsewhere, 482 of the bottom half of students are now being accepted. IU is trading students ranked at the top of their high school class for students ranked at the bottom. That doesn't reflect quality, just quantity.\nWe cannot fault the professors. With so many students in a lecture, they can't give every student attention. Many have complained about the amount of remedial work their students need. Why? Because each year, we are letting in more students ranked at the bottom of their class.\nOn Brand's Web site, he writes, "At IU, our commitment to excellence is at the heart of all we do. We encourage our students and faculty to be the very best." But look at the enrollment numbers.\nOn national television, as on "ESPN: Outside the Lines," Brand will say IU is ranked fourth in the nation in arts, humanities and social sciences. Not so, said professor Peter Bondanella, member of the Steering Committee of the Alliance of Distinguished and Titled Rank Professors -- which monitors the level of excellence and quality at IU.\n"I'm afraid that such a statement is sadly mistaken," Bondanella said in the IDS. He said people who have low rankings are on the defensive.\nWhen asked why we can't keep our first-rate faculty members, Brand replied on his Web site: "Because of financial limitations, IU sometimes cannot match offers from elsewhere." \nSo that's why five chemistry professors have left IU in the last five years, because we don't have the money to match other schools' offers? That's not what George Christou, the most recent chemistry professor to announce his departure, said.\n"We no longer are attractive to the best people," Christou told the IDS. This comes from the man who was awarded with IU's Teaching Excellence Recognition Award this year and who has been here 18 years -- longer than Brand.\nIn his State of the University address, Brand said, "On the issue of faculty salaries, I should note that I have been an advocate for higher faculty salaries since I came to IU." \nThe bare minimum raise a faculty member can be given is 1 percent, but most receive a 2 percent raise. Distinguished professor Gail Hanson had this to say in the IDS:\n"For them to give me a 1 percent raise is just insulting to me." \nBrand is due for another 6 percent increase next year. He should be embarrassed to be receiving huge salary increases when the University is going down the toilet. But he's not. \nTrustees President John Walda came to Brand's defense and said, "We have (a president) who's so dedicated to this institution. He's obviously motivated by something more than money and prestige," the IDS reported. Sure.\nBrand will tell you the rankings make me very angry and frustrated," but he does nothing to change the situation. \nHe'll get on national television and lie about where IU is ranked. \nHe'll make promises and then break them; make excuses for IU's rankings done by reputable institutions.\nIn his freshman induction speech Aug. 23, Brand closed by saying, "Question what you hear. Never give up your search for the truth."\nI'm not.\nTomorrow we elect a new President of the United States. It's time we do the same here at IU.
(10/12/00 6:24am)
As a little kid I had an "A-Team" three-wheeler that I wore into the ground, racing around the block, terrorizing kids while singing the "A-Team" theme song. \nThursday I finally had the chance to meet the man who once ran through a brick wall on screen.\nI approached the line expecting Mr. T to be cocky and arrogant, but I walked away with the realization that this tough guy is even stronger than anyone gave him credit for.\nThe legendary star of the "A-Team" and "Rocky 3" appeared at Blockbuster Video, 1255 S. College Mall Rd, to sign autographs and take pictures with his fans.\nThe scene resembled a rock concert. People of all ages were lined up around the store, chanting his name as Mr. T put kids in headlocks and picked up grown women. He looked just like he did in the '80s: same Mohawk, the weighty gold chains around his neck, a diamond watch and rings, his earrings and the cutoff shirt with the red Converse shoes.\nA Blockbuster manager estimated that Mr. T greeted 500 people. They had to turn away another 100. He was supposed to sign only from 4 to 5 p.m., but as he told the crowd, he couldn't let them down.\n"I appreciate you coming out to see me," Mr T says. "I had to leave at 5 to catch a plane to see my mother, but I promised I'd stay for you all. I can't say no."\nAnd he stayed until 6 p.m., and he signed, and he smiled and thanked every last person who waited for him. He was gracious, friendly and loving. Not like the bad boy he played on the "A-Team."\nMaybe that's what cancer did to him. He was diagnosed five years ago with having T-cell lymphoma, a leukemia-like cancer that affects the blood. He took this as a blessing.\n"Every morning I get up and I got to fight the cancer. I take a special medicine. And every night when I go to bed I fight my little demons.\n"I say, 'Do I want to get up and face the world tomorrow?' And I get up in the morning and I say my little prayer: 'God give me strength today, not so I can lift 500 pounds, but strength so that I can motivate somebody. Somebody listening to my voice needs to be inspired.' And that's why I speak." \nTalking with Mr. T was almost overwhelming. I had a red "A-Team" lunchbox that I toted to school every day from first to fourth grade. \nNow here I was talking to my childhood hero. And he was humble, and he was thrilled that the people of Bloomington came out to see him after all these years.\n"I was moved by the people who came out to see me ... that they still love me. That's why I couldn't leave at 5. We're gonna rush, we're gonna drive a little fast, but we'll get there. But because the people love me, I wanted to give it back to them."\nHe says he doesn't do action movies anymore. No. That's not whathe says God wants him to do. He is a deeply religious man. Mr. T told me his message is this:\n"In life, this is a fate test. I tell everyone that I believe in and love God, but my fate had to be tested, my friends' love for me had to be tested. Five years ago I was diagnosed with cancer and I'm still here. That's not by luck. God didn't heal me so that I could go out there and shoot basketball or be tough-tough."\nPam Thrash of B97 had Mr. T on her noon retro '80s radio show. He was brought to town because he was friends with one of the intern's fathers at the station. And she told me how inspiring he was to her.\n"Normally we play music in between the interviews, but we just let him talk, and he talked for the entire hour. When he was done, I wanted to go run a marathon. He was that inspiring.\n"He didn't want to promote anything, but he had a message to spread of hope and believing in God."\nBy the end of the signing session, Mr. T's red cutoff shirt was soaked in sweat. He talked about how this was a workout for him, kissing the women, pretending to hit the guys and letting the grown men hop up on his back. But he was polite, apologizing for the sweat and greeting the 500th person like he was the first. \nI expected him to be brash and tough, but he was playful and loving.\n"My toughness is basically an act. That's what I do. I perform," he says.\n"But in real life, I'm a humble guy: Believing in God, praying, trying to help the less fortunate. That's what I'm about."\nI expected Mr. T to be here to promote some movie, but he was here just to promote inner strength and hope for everyone.\nI expected his Mohawk would be gone, his hair would be gray and the muscles would have shrunken. But he looked exactly the way he did 15 years ago. This man has aged gracefully.\nHe told me about his purpose in life: \n"I had only one goal in life: that was to buy my mother a house and pretty dresses, because she used to clean other people's floors and she never had a new dress. That's why I'm going home now to see my mother. I'm 48 years old, but I'm a tough, big overgrown momma's boy.\n"My mother isn't proud of me because I'm a millionaire. She is proud of me because I'm still concerned for the less fortunate. She's proud of me that I still pray, still give food and clothes to the homeless." \nLooks can be deceiving, and in the case of Mr. T, I'm glad.
(10/12/00 4:00am)
As a little kid I had an "A-Team" three-wheeler that I wore into the ground, racing around the block, terrorizing kids while singing the "A-Team" theme song. \nThursday I finally had the chance to meet the man who once ran through a brick wall on screen.\nI approached the line expecting Mr. T to be cocky and arrogant, but I walked away with the realization that this tough guy is even stronger than anyone gave him credit for.\nThe legendary star of the "A-Team" and "Rocky 3" appeared at Blockbuster Video, 1255 S. College Mall Rd, to sign autographs and take pictures with his fans.\nThe scene resembled a rock concert. People of all ages were lined up around the store, chanting his name as Mr. T put kids in headlocks and picked up grown women. He looked just like he did in the '80s: same Mohawk, the weighty gold chains around his neck, a diamond watch and rings, his earrings and the cutoff shirt with the red Converse shoes.\nA Blockbuster manager estimated that Mr. T greeted 500 people. They had to turn away another 100. He was supposed to sign only from 4 to 5 p.m., but as he told the crowd, he couldn't let them down.\n"I appreciate you coming out to see me," Mr T says. "I had to leave at 5 to catch a plane to see my mother, but I promised I'd stay for you all. I can't say no."\nAnd he stayed until 6 p.m., and he signed, and he smiled and thanked every last person who waited for him. He was gracious, friendly and loving. Not like the bad boy he played on the "A-Team."\nMaybe that's what cancer did to him. He was diagnosed five years ago with having T-cell lymphoma, a leukemia-like cancer that affects the blood. He took this as a blessing.\n"Every morning I get up and I got to fight the cancer. I take a special medicine. And every night when I go to bed I fight my little demons.\n"I say, 'Do I want to get up and face the world tomorrow?' And I get up in the morning and I say my little prayer: 'God give me strength today, not so I can lift 500 pounds, but strength so that I can motivate somebody. Somebody listening to my voice needs to be inspired.' And that's why I speak." \nTalking with Mr. T was almost overwhelming. I had a red "A-Team" lunchbox that I toted to school every day from first to fourth grade. \nNow here I was talking to my childhood hero. And he was humble, and he was thrilled that the people of Bloomington came out to see him after all these years.\n"I was moved by the people who came out to see me ... that they still love me. That's why I couldn't leave at 5. We're gonna rush, we're gonna drive a little fast, but we'll get there. But because the people love me, I wanted to give it back to them."\nHe says he doesn't do action movies anymore. No. That's not whathe says God wants him to do. He is a deeply religious man. Mr. T told me his message is this:\n"In life, this is a fate test. I tell everyone that I believe in and love God, but my fate had to be tested, my friends' love for me had to be tested. Five years ago I was diagnosed with cancer and I'm still here. That's not by luck. God didn't heal me so that I could go out there and shoot basketball or be tough-tough."\nPam Thrash of B97 had Mr. T on her noon retro '80s radio show. He was brought to town because he was friends with one of the intern's fathers at the station. And she told me how inspiring he was to her.\n"Normally we play music in between the interviews, but we just let him talk, and he talked for the entire hour. When he was done, I wanted to go run a marathon. He was that inspiring.\n"He didn't want to promote anything, but he had a message to spread of hope and believing in God."\nBy the end of the signing session, Mr. T's red cutoff shirt was soaked in sweat. He talked about how this was a workout for him, kissing the women, pretending to hit the guys and letting the grown men hop up on his back. But he was polite, apologizing for the sweat and greeting the 500th person like he was the first. \nI expected him to be brash and tough, but he was playful and loving.\n"My toughness is basically an act. That's what I do. I perform," he says.\n"But in real life, I'm a humble guy: Believing in God, praying, trying to help the less fortunate. That's what I'm about."\nI expected Mr. T to be here to promote some movie, but he was here just to promote inner strength and hope for everyone.\nI expected his Mohawk would be gone, his hair would be gray and the muscles would have shrunken. But he looked exactly the way he did 15 years ago. This man has aged gracefully.\nHe told me about his purpose in life: \n"I had only one goal in life: that was to buy my mother a house and pretty dresses, because she used to clean other people's floors and she never had a new dress. That's why I'm going home now to see my mother. I'm 48 years old, but I'm a tough, big overgrown momma's boy.\n"My mother isn't proud of me because I'm a millionaire. She is proud of me because I'm still concerned for the less fortunate. She's proud of me that I still pray, still give food and clothes to the homeless." \nLooks can be deceiving, and in the case of Mr. T, I'm glad.
(10/10/00 6:09am)
U.S. Cellular has decided to teach its 2.8 million customers the dos and don'ts of cell phone use. Monday's Chicago Tribune reported the company received complaints that its phone users have lost all sense of decency. In response, it launched its national campaign on the finer points of "wireless etiquette."\n"Since we're adding customers every few seconds, there's a need to educate them on simple usage procedures," spokeswoman Michele Merrel told the Tribune. "It's simple education versus legislation on phone use."\nU.S. Cellular's list of "Seven Steps for Wireless Etiquette" is being distributed by their retail outlets in 144 markets as well as Wal-Mart stores. But today is your lucky day. I won't make you go to Wal-Mart to read all of them -- unless you want to. I'll just give you a few.\nRule One: Focus on Safety First. It says, "Do not use your phone if it impedes your ability to drive." You can tack on "your ability to walk and talk, too." We'd hate for the people walking to class (and talking on their cell phone) to be hit by a driver who is talking on his phone. \nRule Two: Silence is Golden. "Be aware of wireless-free quiet zones such as theaters, restaurants and classrooms." \nThey left out bathrooms. This is the one place you can get can solace while escaping from a lousy date. Last thing you want is the person in the next stall talking to their friend while using the can. \n"Oh, I can't believe she said that to you! Hold on Judy, I need to wipe."\nAnother rule: No Need to Shout. "Despite the smaller handsets now available, your callers can hear you just as well on a wireless phone as on a regular phone." This might be hard to believe, but it's true.\nWilliam Battle can tell you (and the Chicago Tribune) about cell phone disruption. He was in a downtown hotel when the man next to him was shouting at his girlfriend. She was on the phone, most likely far away from him, because the man was "probably" a jerk to her, too.\n"Overhearing all of this, I'm thinking to myself, 'We've lost our mind because of the cell phone,'" Battle told the Tribune. "It is just another gadget that we can use to be rude to each other. A private conversation should be kept private."\nHere's my favorite part (he continues): "If they had a rule stating, 'Don't answer the phone while making love,' people would realize how silly cell phone use is at times."\nYou had me at "Don't answer the phone while making love," William.\nIn May, San Francisco-based Let's Talk Cellular released its Magna Carta of phone etiquette. \nThe company focused their advice to customers in 22 states. There's one here in Bloomington, too.\nIts rules of etiquette were a bit different from the other company's.\nThey put: "Don't cross the personal-space boundary" at No. 3. "All citizens should be mindful of how close they are to others when using a cell phone" (see Making Love and Phone-use above).\nChicago is considering an ordinance that would forbid the use of cell phones while driving. If approved, they would be the first major city with such a ban.\nLet's Talk conducted a poll that showed 76 percent of customers talked on their cell phones while driving.\nDrivers in Chicago would be required to pull to the curb before using their phones. Those caught using a phone while driving would be fined $25. If you got into an accident while talking on your phone, you would be fined $100.\nNow this is silly. I understand how dangerous talking and driving can be. But if you're going to fine someone, fine them a significant amount so they won't do it again. Chicago police are busy enough without having to write $25 tickets.\nCell phones aren't bad. Friends use them to call their designated drivers on the weekends, and people can call police to report accidents from their car; they are a useful resource when no other phone is around.\nAnd in most cases, the people using them are respectful (excluding the two girls I see walking hand-in-hand to class every morning while talking to each other on their cell phones).\nJust be responsible. If you're so important that you need to bring your cell phone to class with you at 9 a.m. Tuesday, I'm happy for you.\nTell your roommate I said hi, and I'm glad they got home from class safely.
(10/03/00 5:51am)
The Food and Drug Administration finally approved the use of the abortion pill RU-486 in the United States last Thursday. Mifepristone, as it is known by its chemical name, gives women the choice of a chemical abortion opposed to a surgical one.\nIt can only be used within 49 days of the woman's last menstrual period.\nThe pill is expected to transform the abortion experience for millions of American women. Instead of facing the potentially hostile environment outside a clinic, women can abort their pregnancies more discreetly and earlier. \nAs one U.S. user of the pill explained to The Washington Post, she felt women should have the right to choose a medical abortion.\nThe user, Amy, a 36-year-old mother whose last name was withheld, also said, "It felt morally right. I think all women should have the same option."\nThe battle to bring RU-486 to the United States took 12 years. Former President George Bush banned the pill from being brought here in 1989. \nPresident Bill Clinton, and vice president Al Gore, have fought seven hard years to give women the choice. It has already been used by women in 13 countries -- including France and Great Britain. \nA woman taking the pill would make three visits to the clinic: one to receive a pregnancy test, counseling and three mifepristone pills (which thin the uterine lining so an embryo cannot grow). \nTwo days later, she returns to take a second drug, which causes cramping and bleeding as the embryo is expelled -- comparable to a miscarriage. \nTwo weeks later, the woman returns for a checkup to make sure the pill did its job.\nFDA Commissioner Jane Henney told Salon.com that the pill is 92 percent to 95 percent effective in causing abortion by blocking action of a hormone essential to maintaining pregnancy. Abortion providers say that the pill will cost the same as a surgical abortion.\nTaking a pill doesn't mean the process won't be painful. Heavy bleeding, besides serious cramping, is one of the potentially serious side effects the FDA warns about. \nIn a safety testing of the first 2,100 American women who took Mifepristone, four bled enough to need a transfusion, according to the FDA. In long-term studies, only 1 percent of women had this problem.\nAmy said the abortion was more painful than she expected. She had two to three hours of intense menstrual-like cramping as the fetus was being expelled. But, as she told The Washington Post, she is convinced that she made the right choice.\n"I felt like I was carrying it out myself. It probably was more uncomfortable (than a surgical abortion), but then someone else is doing that to me, and I didn't want that." \nShe is one of the 95 percent of U.S. women who used the drug in trials who would recommend it to others. \nIn the past year, the National Abortion Federation trained 1,800 doctors, nurses and clinic counselors nationwide in the use of the pill.\nPlanned Parenthood of Greater Indiana said it plans to distribute the pill to Bloomington soon. Women will have a greater sense of control over their abortion.\nUnder a certified doctor's strict supervision, a woman can take the medication in her own home, according to Salon.com. \nThis will "turn the tide against anti-choice intimidation," said Planned Parenthood president Gloria Feldt to Salon.com. Doctors not offering surgical abortions can use the pill in private offices instead of protester-targeted clinics. \nMaybe now the pro-life activists will get a life.\nRepublican presidential nominee George W. Bush called the FDA decision "wrong," fearing that the pill "will make abortions more and more common." Health experts in Europe said abortions did not increase after the drug was introduced.\nA Bush spokesman told Salon.com that a president cannot order drugs off the market, but if elected, Bush will appoint an FDA commissioner who would not have made this mistake.\nLike father, like son.\nGore supported the approval of the abortion pill, saying the decision was "not about politics, but the health and safety of American women and a woman's fundamental right to choose."\nI know whom I'll be voting for next month. \nIn this country, it's a woman's choice.
(09/26/00 4:16am)
Three appeals judges in London ruled Friday that doctors may operate to separate Siamese twin girls -- killing one to spare the life of the other. This is in protest of the Roman Catholic parents who said that they wanted to leave the infants' fate to "God's will."\n The twins, Jodie and Mary, are joined at the lower abdomen. Doctors say that the two -- born Aug. 8 at St. Mary's Hospital in Manchester -- will only survive for another few months.\nThe surgery means death for Mary, who cannot survive without her sister Jodie. Their heads are at opposite ends of their connected bodies, and their legs at right angles from each side. Jodie has a functioning heart, lungs and liver, and her organs must bear the extra strain of supporting both her and Mary.\nJustice Alan Ward told Fox News that he lost sleep over the case. \n"It has been excruciatingly difficult. One's heart bleeds for the family."\nBut he stated, summarizing the judgment of the court, "Though Mary has a right to life, she has little right to be alive. She is alive only because -- to put it bluntly but … accurately -- she sucks the lifeblood of Jodie and her parasitic living will soon be the cause of Jodie ceasing to live." \nThis isn't the end. The parents will be allowed to appeal to the House of Lords -- where a continuation of the appeals process might lead to the death of both children.\nIf the case ends up in the European Court, "it could take a very, very long time," said Michael Zander, a legal expert at the London School of Economics.\nDr. James O'Neill of Vanderbilt University is one of the world's leading specialists in Siamese twins. He told ABC News that as each day goes on, Jodie will get weaker. The first step will be the "collapse of the kidneys, intestines and the liver before moving to impact the coronary system and, ultimately, the brain." \nThe parents have refused to give doctors consent to do the operation, saying that God and not the doctors should decide whether and for how long they live.\n"We believe that nature should take its course. If it's God's will that both our children should not survive then so be it," they said.\nEach side has an argument. \nIn an interview with BBC news, Dr. Richard Nicholson, editor of the Bulletin of Medical Ethics said the consideration should be given to the people who would have to live with the decision.\n"The courts will not have to live with the decision, the doctors won't, but the parents will," he said.\nDr. Harry Applebaum, a surgeon at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Los Angeles, is one of the few doctors in the world who has carried out an operation to separate Siamese twins. He told BBC news he believes nature should not be allowed to run its course. \n"We can('t) just allow things to go on as they are or we (w)ould have got rid of all physicians long ago. If we left things to run their natural course, we would probably all die by the age of 30 from infectious diseases," Applebaum said. \nWhat if these were your children? Would you want the courts to decide their fate? Or would you decide for yourself? The parents say it is morally and legally wrong to sacrifice one of their children for the other. Instead, they are willing to have both die.\nSeparation means certain death for Mary; it is Jodie's only chance of surviving.\n"In this situation we do have a person (Jodie) who can function normally following an operation," said Applebaum. \nThe decision for the three judges was certainly difficult. It was a no-win situation. But in the end, saving one life is better than killing two.
(09/19/00 3:05am)
Wednesday, there will be a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. at Showalter Fountain. This is a time to remember women who have been victims of violence, as there are many.\nEveryday, 12 women are killed by husbands or boyfriends. Right now, as you read this, a woman is being beaten by her husband ' and now another, for it happens every few seconds.\n Last month in Chesterfield, Ind., Pamela Louk's estranged husband hunted her down at her workplace and shot her four times. She survived but is still at Methodist Hospital where she lies paralyzed in serious condition. The Indianapolis Star reported that the attack came eight days after she filed for divorce. What happened to Louk is called separation assault, and it's more common than you would believe.\nIn April, Gregory Bonds killed Monica Blakley of Indianapolis, along with her 10-month-old son. He was the boy's father, and it happened just hours after she sought a protective order against him. After killing them, he killed himself. \nFederal statistics indicate, in cases in which a husband threatens to kill his wife, owns a gun or actively stalks her, the woman is 25 times more likely to die within 60 days of leaving him than if she had stayed. \nThe U.S. Justice Department reported that 1,320 women were killed in 1998 at the hands of husbands and boyfriends. \nEvery 15 seconds a woman is battered in the United States. Chances are you know someone who is in an abusive relationship. Chances are you haven't reported the situation, because within every abusive relationship lies a group of people who are keeping it secret. \nAccording to the National Victim Center, 1.3 women are raped every minute, 78 rapes each hour. But only 16 percent of rapes are reported to the police. And nearly 80 percent of those raped knew their attacker. \nAccording to the FBI, one in three women will be sexually assaulted during her lifetime; one in four women in college will be victimized during her four years at school.\nThe rate of sexual assault in the United States is the highest of any industrialized nation in the world. \nThe U.S. Department of Justice found that 76 percent of women who reported being raped and/or physically assaulted were victimized by a date, boyfriend, husband or cohabitational partner. \nThe Bureau of Justice statistics indicate that women ages 20-34 had the highest rate of violence victimization attributed to intimates. Seven out of 10 intimates murdered are women.\nTime magazine found that there are 3000 animal shelters in the U.S., but only 700 shelters for battered women.\nThis year, 400 IU females will be raped ' 78 percent of them by someone they know. And 57 percent of rapes will occur on a date.\nThink you're invisible? Think again. This is a serious problem that won't go away.\nThe Middle Way House provides services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as for women who feel they are in danger. They can be contacted 24-hours a day at 336-0846. \nThe 24-hour IU Sexual Assault Crisis number is 855-8900. \nThe Indiana hotline for battered women is 1-800-334-7233. \nIf you know someone ' or if you have been victimized ' please get help. It is not your fault. Making the call is the first step.\nMost rapes don't occur while you're walking home late at night. They've happened long before your night ended. They happened at the party after you drank too much; they happened after the dinner with that "nice guy;" they happened when you were separated from your friends. \nRapists are not born. They are made ' and remade in the society that makes both "us" and "them." Rape is the result of a man's anger. It is his way of avoiding his own inadequacy. \nThere are 51 sex offenders registered in Bloomington. This is their home.\nYou probably already know a man who has raped someone, because the average rapist rapes 18 times before being caught. These are the facts. Say nothing and you too may become a victim.\nAt 7 p.m. Thursday in Dunn Meadow, the Take Back the Night rally will take place. It will be followed by a march to the Monroe County Courthouse for a speak-out. If you are female, you should be there. If you are a male, you should be there, too. \nHave I scared you? Good. Because that fear might just save your life. Follow your intuition. And don't be a victim.
(09/05/00 5:22am)
A 10-year-old boy from Marion County ' accused of killing his father ' was charged with voluntary manslaughter Thursday. The judge ordered Wayne Salyers Jr., who fired a single shot with a revolver to his father's chest, to remain in detention after the sentencing in juvenile court.\nThe Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council said the boy appears to be the youngest child charged with killing a parent in at least two decades.\nDetails of the investigation are not being released.\nWhat we do know is that the boy gained possession of his father's .44 caliber revolver from the locked gun cabinet in his parents' room. Wayne Jr. shot and killed his father while they were in the boy's room.\nKim Teegarden, a neighbor of the family, told The Indianapolis Star that the father was a stern taskmaster.\n"I don't have any sorrow for the man," Teegarden said. By her account, Wayne Sr. had shot and killed eight of her cats ' in the past decade ' after they crossed onto the Salyers' property.\nSabrina A. Latorre, of Indianapolis, said she visits her mother ' who is a neighbor of the Salyers ' regularly.\n"They're just arguing constantly … the whole family is arguing," she said\nLatorre's mother, Margarita Thompson, said, "He was just angry with the son. He'd get loud."\nA child as young as 10 can be charged with murder in an adult court in Indiana.\nIn an interview with The Star, Chief Deputy Prosecutor James Luttrell Jr. said the manslaughter charge was necessary.\n"Voluntary manslaughter takes into consideration certain factors such as sudden heat (and) provocation, which would affect the ability of the perpetrator to contemplate the actions they're taking."\nIf found guilty, Salyers Jr. might be locked up in juvenile detention until he is 21.\nThe boy isn't being allowed back into his mother's custody. Imagine just starting the fifth grade and being locked up in prison. Alone. That would be scary.\nBut he did kill his father.\nWhich reminds me of a friend I had growing up in grade school. The boy's father didn't know how to talk in a normal manner; he only knew how to yell. He was stern, ruthless and was the owner of a very limited vocabulary that I can't put into print. He was a miserable man whom I despised.\nI had a limited tolerance to going over there. So did other kids.\nChildren who kill their parents do so for three reasons.\nKathleen M. Heide, a criminology professor at the University of South Florida, has written two books: "Why Kids Kill Parents" and "Young Killers."\nIn her talk with The Star, she said children may be severely abused and kill a parent "out of terror or desperation." They might also be mentally ill or dangerously antisocial and kill for "selfish reasons," such as the parent standing in the way of his or her freedom.\nMy friend once mentioned how he wished his father would die. He never specifically mentioned that he was going to kill him, but he was tired of the beatings, tired of the yelling, tired of the broken home. He was terrified, and his choices were limited: foster care for the next 10 years, or deal with it.\nTeegarden mentioned that she found Salyers Jr.'s schoolwork in her trash.\n"He evidently was afraid to take school papers home, because a lot of the time I would find (them) in my trash with bad grades on them."\nSounds like my friend. All the kids went to him when they needed their "D's" changed to "B's".\nHeide studied 75 adolescents charged with murder from 1982 to 1992. She said when a child commits such an act, nearly everyone is surprised.\nNeighbors describe Salyers Jr. as a polite child who never gave anyone trouble. His father just happened to be the man who pushed him to commit the worst of acts. \nWhen I think back to my friend, had he killed his father he would have done so out of terror for what might happen. Children should not be terrified of their parents. A little fear can't hurt. But when a child feels that he has to kill in order to save himself, that's when there is something very wrong. \nThank God my friend wasn't pushed to the edge. Because if he had been, I would have been the first one there in his corner to comfort him.