Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

[Adriane Bang <>]

I'm not sure this posted correctly last time.  However, I think Wendy's
article is worth reading.

Adriane Bang, LMSW
Boise State University Women's Center
1910 University Drive
Boise, Idaho 83725
208-426-2406


MURDER BY INTERNET?

Boston Herald – May 4, 2009-By Wendy Murphy

I'm as shocked as the next person that Philip Markoff, a medical student
resembling Dream-Date Ken, is charged with murder and other crimes of
violence against women he met through Craigslist.  But I'm more shocked that
Craigslist, a free and virtually unregulated internet company that hosts an
"erotic services" section to, um, bring people together, is also being
blamed for the murder.

I'll be first in line to support more punishments and better laws to prevent
this type of crime from happening again.

But all the cranky carping about Craigslist case has me scratching my head.
What is Craigslist doing with prostitution that hasn't been going on
elsewhere for a long time?

The Boston Phoenix has been selling "erotic services" ads to support its
free publication for decades.  Even the prestigious Washington Post sells ad
space for "escorts".

The Attorney General of Connecticut said last week that shutting down
"erotic services" ads on Craigslist will help "stop prostitution" and "save
women" from sexual violence.  One would assume from his comments that things
were going swimmingly for sexually exploited women before that monster
Craigslist came to town.

It’s true that Philip Markoff allegedly used Craigslist to find his victims
- but he could just as easily have found women through MySpace or in the
back pages of the Phoenix, or by trolling Washington Street in Boston
late20at night.

The suggestion that Craigslist is responsible for Markoff's actions is what
we call in law, a "but for" causation problem.  "But for" Craigslist,
Julissa Brisman would still be alive.  Maybe so.  But it is also true that
Brisman would be alive "but for" the fact that Markoff was in medical school
in Boston.  So I guess we need to blame Boston University, too.

Here's what I think is really going on.

The anti-Craigslist tirade isn't so much about protecting women as it is
about protecting mainstream media.  According to experts, Craigslist is
almost singlehandedly responsible for the demise of newspapers across the
country because its free services led to a precipitous drop in advertisement
dollars.
No wonder news organizations are angry.

But using Craigslist as a whipping boy, while a nice distraction – will do
nothing to stop prostitution.  And while it feels good to have someone else
to blame for Julissa Brisman's murder, if we really care about women's
lives, we should be focusing on the social conditions that cause women to
choose a virtual form of sex slavery as a career.

We can make a much bigger dent in the problem of prostitution by doing more
sting operations in “red light” districts and aggressively going after and
punishing the Johns.  Women won't post ads, free or not, if there's no
demand for services - and men will demand services less often if they fear
incarceration.

I f or one am grateful that Markoff used Craigslist.  At least he left an
electronic trail that led to his capture.  We don’t have to honor the
company with a heroism award, but we should apologize for accusing them of
murder.