Letters to The Daily
TnE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL
' ,eId NdwonsoteSyr nitrate, c9gr
'No, I do not care for another cigar!'
Eighty-four years of editorial freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Thursday, January 23, 1975
News Phone: 764-0552
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104
Rationing maybe, taxes no
GERALD FORD, in his continuing
attempt to exercise leadership
without any leadership ability, has
thrown down the gauntlet to Con-
gress. Capitol Hill is extremely dis-
satisfied with what passes for the
Administration energy policy, and
threatens to enact a policy of man-
datory allocation instead.
At his press conference Monday,
Ford threatened to veto any and all
rationing plans. Such a plan, he
claimed would be unfair to commut-
ers and rural Americans.
Congressional Democrats are say-
ing almost the same thing about
Ford's energy policy, which calls for
increased tariffs and taxes on oil, in
hopes that the increased prices would
induce people to buy less petroleum
products. The Democrats claim that
his plan would hurt poor Americans
and would spark another round of in-
flation.
In this case, the Democrats are
right. Ford's energy plan is yet an-
other attempt to rob the poor to give
to the rich. The oil companies, with
TODAY'S STAFF:
News: Dan Biddle, Cindy Hill, Jim Ni-
coll, Cheryl Pilate, Curt Smith, Jeff
Sorensen, Jim Tobin
Editorial Page: Alan Gitles, Paul Has-
kins, Marnie Heyn, Debra, Hurwitz
Arts Page: David Blomquist
Photo Technician: Pauline Lubens
their customary lack of public spirit,
would not resist the opportunity to
fatten their bank accounts using the
excuse of passing increased taxes
along to the consumer.
FORD WILL, OF course, fight to the
best of his somewhat limited
abilities to save his plan.' And it is a
safe bet that the Congress will have
passed a gas allocation bill for Ford
to veto within the next few months.
There is a logical alternative to
both plans that no one seems to have
considered - mass transit. More peo-
ple riding on mass transit would
mean fewer driving cars, which would
in turn mean a reduction in gas con-
sumption.
Of course, cities like Detroit have
no mass transit system to speak of,
and one will have to be constructed.
Even cities that have mass transit
systems will need to have their sys-
tems expanded. The federal govern-
ment will have to provide the money.
Spending money, as the govern-
ment would have to do for mass tran-
sit, is the standard Keynesian answer
for recession. And the construction of
the mass transit system would pro-
vide immediate job relief for the de-
pressed construction industry.
PERHAPS FORD WILL adopt the
mass transit solution. But his
current energy policy and past per-
formances would indicate that all op-
timism is foolheardy.
-JOHN KAHLER
To The Daily:
THE LSA faculty r
two dangerous steps
ally restoring the ai
Cold War university
1960s. The facultyn
the LSA Curriculum
endorsed LSA credit
"courses"; and the
faculty reduced stu
bership on that Com
33 per cent to 25 p
all this stands, we
pect a military/aca
prochment to devel
serious student oppE
These actions are
actionary, recalling t
before 1969 when R
LSA credit and stud
Curriculum Commit
Both moves were,
prompted by a reali
counter-revolution c
be delayed much lon
accreditation couldr
layed because ROTC
has fallen too low
a program here. NI
with subsidies in thi
rent-free facilities an
credit from several s
colleges, ROTC nee
credit subsidy to ent
into today's action ar
The counter-reacti
even limited stu
governance also had
or never because thl
toward more, not ]a
participation in acad
ion-making. Studentc
rights had to be redu
defined as privileges
become permanent p
governance system.I
Curriculum Commi
asked to be reconst
student-faculty pait
even the faculty
Graduation Requirem
mission favored 40 p
dent membership th
schools and colleges
students to curriculu
tees: nine schools p
over one-third stude
ship, and four alread
ity.
BUT THE decisiv
ment is the just-pubi
of the Commission to
dent Governance.I
favors student mem
all school/college a
mental committees a
tive bodies, and spec
vors parity on curric
mittees. The faculty
who pushed through
tion probably did it d
to defy the CSSG and
their intransigence t
gents. Significantly th
supported by SACUA
son Carl Cohen, notor:
hatred of students
tempt for democratic
With student-facul
the Curriculum t
would have never fav
credit. But the deep
tion between the d
that both tend to fr
man values of freedo
nity. ROTC is partc
tritive system of U.S
ism; further, "brea
to military discipl
Thomas Jefferson w
breaking their spirit
ciples of passive o
Likewise higher ed
part of the nutritivea
the corporate econom
spotic decision-makin
competition and the h
classroom also foste
obedience.
FOR STUDENTS t
ary faculty meeting i
whatever decisions em
that meeting may:
years. If people de
forcefully, the traditio
ven LSA faculty won
credit for ROTC and
gram is likely to Wit
If a strong presenceG
versal of Curriculum
tee restructuring, the
faculty reaction willI
just in time to permit
scale democratization
by the CSSG. Histori
LSA faculty has treate
with contempt and(
but they respond ver
a show of strength.
The responsibility fo
ing such a democratic
military effort fallsn
the organized socialist
ical groups. I know the
don't usually venture
ivory tower, but if all
es anything, it proves
demic decision-makin
"academic question.
lightly recommend m
tion, but I do when, as
provocation is great, o
nels don't exist - isn'
of the issues? - and
on success are reason
-Bob Black
January 19
homop
To The Daily:
WE, THE undersign
uate Student Assista
.faculty members at th
sity of Michigan, de]
ROTC ror stories about sexual as-
saults is to confuse sexual
orientation with sexual misbe-
ecently took havior. This is a common myth.
toward tot- However, we must point out
uthoritarian that if the University wishes to
of the pre- judge all members of a group
majority of by the abusive behavior of a
Committee few, it ought to consider firing
for ROTC all male heterosexual faculty,
governing since statistics show that by
dent mem- far the greatest number af rap-
mittee from es and other sexual crimes are
er cent. If committed by men against wo-
should ex- men. Of course, heterosexuality
demic rap- or homosexuality per se does
op without not indicate sexual misconduct.
sition. Another myth is that homosex-
literally re- uas are sick: that this is not
he situation the case was recently recogniz-
OTC 1 o s t ed by the American Psychiatric
ents gained Association in its belated de-
tee seats. cision removing homosexuality
I think, from its list of mental disorders.
zation that WE WONDER why the Admin-
ould n o t istration does not want the Uni-
iger. ROTC versity to conform to the local
not be de- Ann Arbor ordinance prohibit-
enrollment ing discrimination on the basis
to justify of sexual preference in employ-
ot content ment. The assertion that the Uni-
ie form of versity is technically not sub-
d academic ject to local ordinances is a
chools and specious one. As a recipient of
ds an LSA federal funds, the University
ice officers should be aware that the U.S.
my. Civil Service Commission's
on against blanket ban on the hiring and
dent-faculty retaining of homosexuals in
to be now U.S. government jobs has been
ie trend is declared unconstitutional.
ss student As an educational institution,
emic decis- the University must be cognz-
democratic ant of the fact that the Uni-
ced and re- versity of Cincinnati forbids dis-
lest they crimination on the basis of "sex
arts of the orientation" in all university ac-
In 1972 the tivities including employment.
ttee itself Sex orientation there is defin-
ituted with ed as including male or female
y. In 1973 homosexuality, heterosexuality,
-dominated and bisexuality, by preference
nents Com- or practice. Portland S t a t e
er cent stu- University in Oregon has a sim-
ere. Other ilar policy. Furthermore, t h e
have added largest union of teachers in the
m commit- nation, the National Education
rovide for Association, has an avowed pol-
t member- icy to defend gay teachers de-
y have par- nied employment rights because
of their sexual preference.
e develop- WE RESENT, but are hardly
shed report surprised by, the University's
Study Stu- attempt to avoid openly con-
The CSSG fronting the issue of sexual pre-
bership on ference. For years the Gay
nd depart- advocates have been euphemis-
nd legisla- tically called the Human Sexual-
ifically fa- ity advocates. Such a euphen-
ulum coin- ism, as well as the evidence
politicians that University officials enter-
the reduc- tain numerous mythical ideas
eliberately about homosexuals, are them-
] telegraph selves indicative of discrimina-
o the Re- tory attitudes, and argue strong-
e ploy was ly for the necessity of articulat-
chairper- ing and implementing anti-dis-
ious for his crimination policies at every lev-
and con- el of University employment
values. practice. The GEO demand is a
ty parity, small start in this direction.
Committee We refuse to be a party to
ored ROTC the conspiracy of silence re-
er connec- garding this issue. We seek the
ecisions is active support of fair-minded
istrate hu- and concerned members of the
m and dig. University community, and the
of the nu- community at large, and urge
imperial- them to speak out.
king men FACULTY: Frithjof Bergman,
ine," as Robert Beyer, Bruce Bowen,
wrote "is Charles Bright, Gary Bron, John
s to prin- Campbell, John Chamberlain,
bedience." Mark Chesler, Margaret Clay,
ucation is Fernando Colon, Roger Davis,
system of Norma Diamond, Elizabeth Dou-
y; and de- van, John Earls, Samuel Elders-
g, graded veld, Lutz Erbring.
hierarchial Raphael Ezekiel, W i 1I1 i a m
r passive Gamson, Zelda Gamson, Edie
Goldenberg, Melvin Guyer, John
Gyr, Brian Hazlett, Robin Ja-
he Febru- coby, Catherine Kelleher, Mar-
s critical: vin Kiersteda, Kenneth Lang-
ierge from ton, William Lockwood, M a r-
stand for garet Lourie, James McConnell,
monstrate Barbara McKinley, Harold Liv-
nally cra- esay.
't approve Richard Mann, Donald Mat-
I the pro- thews, Robert Mattoon, Liz
her away. Meese, Alfred Meyer, Richard
forces re- Meyer, Arthur Miller, J o a n
Commit- Morley, Elizabeth Pleck, Joe
e back of Pleck, Leonard Radinsky, Hen-
be broken ry Reed, Bettie Seeman, Earl
the large- Schulze, Otto Sellinger, D a v i d
proposed Singer.
cally t h e Robert Sklar, Elizabeth Soden,
d students Frances Svensson, Renata Tag-
deception, liacozzo, Michael Taussig, Wil-
y well to liam Utall, John Vandermeer,
Zelma Weisfeld, Thomas Weis.-
r organiz- skopf, Joe Wilson, Craig Wolf,
and anti- Marilyn Young, Marc Zimmer-
mainly on man.
t and rad- GRADUATE STUDENT AS-
ese groups SISTANTS: William Acton, Peg-
into the gy Anton, J. Arnos, Margaret
this prov- Ballad, Pete Becker, Robert
that aca- Bennett, Elizabeth Berriman,
g isn't an Janet Bankenship, Piotr Blass,
I don't Carol Blumberg, Ellen B o b e r,
ilitant ac- Bette Bono, Ray Boryczka,
here, the Nina Bunin, Catherine Calder,
ther chan- Oliver Carsten.
t that one Karen Carty, Amber Chand,
the odds Mark Clarke, Miriam Cohen,
ably good. Robert Collin, Nancy Conklin,
Francis Couvares, Barbara Cox,
Bill Crawford, Thomas Cusack,
A. Cox, Stephen Daggett, Jr.,
Betsy Darken, Rebecca Dauer,
hobw J. Dennis, Kathleen Durham.
Susan Dycus, Randy Earnest,
ned Grad- Richard Eichenberg, Fran Fea-
nts a n d therston, Mark Ferenz, Maurico
e Univer- Font, Robert Fournier, R a y-
plore and mond Fragnoli, Ellen F r a n k,
Linda Hooper, Gayle Horetski,
Michele Hoyman, Tirbani Jag-
deo, Jenny Jones, K. Jordan,
Mark Kaplan, Deborah Kasnitz,
Robert Kessler, David Kikuchi,
Elizabeth Kirchen, Richard Kir-
seline, Ethel Klein, Larry Klin-
ger, Thomas Koop, Aleda
Krause.
Thomas Kush, Jim Landes,
Laurie Levinger, Anne Locks-
ley, Laura Magzis, Ann Meyer-
ing, Aaron Miller, Reynolds
Monach, Nancy Morrison, Ann
Munster, Anne Harper Nobles,
Sylvester Novak, Janice O'Neal,
Kyle Perkins, Leslie Real, Meda
Rebecca.
Stephen Risch, Michael Rob-
inson, James Rosenberg, Claudia
Ross, Gayle Rubin, Virginia
Sapiro, Scott Schneider, Ar-
thur Schwartz, Pam Schwartz,
Stanley Seltzer, Penelope Shaw,
Sandy Silberstein, Rand Smith,
Victoria Sork, Caroline Stoloff,
David Strong.
John Stuckey, Eric Sweetman,
Margaret Thomas, Kathy Tild-
en, Daniel Tsang, Susan Tuck-
er, Marietta Urban, David Wag-
ner, Janice Walker, C. Wal-
lace, Mike Watts, Hugh Wheel-
er, Alexander Wilkinson, J o y
Wolfe, Joseph Woodworth, Mark
Ziegler, Herz Zukier.
handguns
To The Daily:
EVERY 21 MINUTES an
American civilian dies by the
gun. Each year 25,000 Ameri-
cans are shot to death and over
200,000 are wounded. Since the
begining of this century, 800,-
000 people have been shot to
death in this country - more
than all the deaths in all our
w3,ars from The Revolution to
Vietnam.
The U.S. ranks number one
among all the world's nations in
the number of deaths by fire-
arms. The handgun accounts for
/ of all firearms but for 75
per cent of all gun killings. It
is estimated that there is one
pistol for every 6.25 long guns
in the U.S. While pistols cause
3.25 homicides for every one
with long gums. This makes
pistols twenty times as deadly
in actual use as long guns.
There are 210 million guns
owned by U.S. citizens. The
U.S. manufactures 2.5 million
handguns each year. Between
1899-1948 about 2.5 million guns
were sold in the U.S. per de-
cade. In the decade of 1949-58,
the number of guns sold doub-
led to 5 million. In the decade
1959-1968 10.5 million handguns
alone were sold. It is clear we
are becoming more and more
armed all the time.
BUT THIS GREATER insist-
ence of armaments has neither
undermined the crime or mur-
der rates. The U.S. homicide
average is 8.9 per 100,000. Mich-
igan has an averge of 11 per
100,000. Michigan has the high-
est murder rate of any north-
ern state. Only twelve other
states have higher rates.
Within a ten year period, 1963-
73, Michigan's homicide rate
increased 370 per cent. And
that statistic is not all Detroit's
doing; for, excluding the De-
ftroit metropolitan area, out-
state murder rates increased
320 ter cent in the same period.
In 1972 pistols accounted for 515
of the state's 964 homicides-
55 per cent of the total.
About 70 per cent of all mur-
ders in this state occur between
individuals who were acquainted
prior to the fatal incident. This
means such persons as family
members 'and friends perpetuate
most of the kilings. This is only
a sensible observation because
most murders are committed
while in the heat of an argument
over some issue of mutual con-
cern to the parties. The pistol
is the easiest - and most effec-
tive - weapon seized.
IT HAS been discovered that
the gun killer is more often
the victim's brother, wife or sis-
ter than some intruding viscious
twisted killer or burglar. We
could reduce our handgun hom-
icide rate as much as 70 per
cent by simply removing such
weapons from. the hand of the
average "law abiding" citizen.
For it is the most common
among us who is the person to
perpetuate society's most hen-
ious crime.
In light of such facts, Citi-
zens United to Save Lives was
formed in the fall of 1973. This
is a Michigan-based citizen's
group whose sole purpose is to
amend the State Constitution to
prohibit the private possession
and ownership of handguns. An
initiative petition was circulat-
ed by CUSL in 1974 to get the
question on the ballot, but the
effort fell short by 60,000 signa-
tures. CUSL intends to mount
another, more financed and
more sophisticated petition drive
for the 1976 elections.
To see this drive successfully
through to the end, we need to
build up a firm grass roots or-
ganization and support on col-
lege campuses across the state.
-sideswipes,
Wit and wisdom from
the Maynard St. Sage
By BOB SEIDENSTEIN ----
5
EVERYONE else plays t he
game of predicting what
the new year will bring, so why
should this column join t h e
crowd?
Oh, sure, we played 1 a s t
year and our score for 1974 was
not bad. After all, we did pre-
dict that Nixon would resign in
early Augst, that Ford would
pardon Nixon a month later,
that the percentage of inflation
would exceed the number of
fingers you have, and that the
whole mess would end on the
31st day of December. Not a bad
record.
But that stuff is too easy.
Anyone can predict that o i 1
prices will go up. Instead, and
as a public service, we'll let
you know what won't hapen
in the next 350 or so earthly ro-
tations.
FIRST, rest assired, things
will not get btter. And if by
some miracle they do, we cer-
tainly won't admit it. This coun-
try needs pessimism to survive
and slrvive we will so that
we can continue saving that
times will continue to get hard-
er.
Second, the meek shall not in-
herit the earth. Once again they
will starve, die in wnrs and get
stoned to Roling Stone albums.
The more well-to-do meek will
contimne working 40 hours a
week in lousy jobs, buying Red
Wing hokey tickets and eating
plastic food. As has been stat-
ed, things will not get any bet-
ter.
Third, Congress will not wake
up and Ford will not get his
needed brain transnlant. Nelson
Rockefeller will not lend you
$6,000 to buy a new car.
CALIFORNIA will not fall in-
to the ocean. The Ioch Ness
monster will not be discovered.
The Tirs will not find a catch-
er who can make th neg to
second. You will not find a job
when you graduate.
Of course, many other events
will not hanpen in 1975. But,
unfortunately, we do not even
have the room in this snace to
list those events, much less ex-
plain the factors that will go
into their non-occurrence.
Happily, the world will not be
too different, especially if, like
we all did last year, we re-
solve not to do too much about
it.
Apathy will not die. Remem-
ber, you read it here first.
* * *
rPHIS NEWSPAPER, as many
of its readers know, has
made quite a number of mis-
takes over the years. But few
have matched the one recently
committed in an editorial entit-
led "Winter: A Mixed Blessing."
There, the writer, bemoaning
the effects on transportation of
the otherwise pretty snow,
says, "But of course, there's
nothing anyone can do about the
weather, as Mark Twain re-
marked." In one swoop of the
pen the writer not only incor-
rectly attributed an overused,
idiotic and downright dull quote
to one of America's great wits,
but has managed to incorrectly
paraphrase the quote in question
as well.
The correct quote is "Every-
body talks about the weather,
but nobody does anything about
it." But as New York Times
columnist Russell Baker o n c e
pointed out, while it is true that
everybody talks about the wea-
ther, people are constantly do-
ing things about it.
FOR EXAMPLE, when it is
cold we wear lots of clothes.
When it rains we carry umbrel-
las. When it is hot we jump in
lakes. This is a far cry from
saying, as the editorialist in this
paper did, that "there's noth-
ing anyone can do about the
weather," for we both can and
do things about the weather.
The quote about people talk-
ing but not doing anything about
the weather has been attribut-
ed to another editorial writer,
Charles Dudley Warner. The in-
ane statement appeared in an
editorial in one of the country's
most inane newspapers, The
Hartfoid Courant, on August 24,
1897. Connecticut was probably
hot at the time.
Although the editorial was
unsigned, Warner has been
thought to have written it since
he was Associate Editor of
the paper from 1867 to 1900.
TO SAY the talented Twain
actually quipped the famous
quote is like saying that he is
resnonsible for "Have a nice
day" or "Smile, Jesus loves
you." Twain was too busyr say-
ing things like "Whoever h a s
lived long enough to find out
what life is, knows how deep a
debt of gratitude we owe to
Adam, the first great benefactor
of our race. He brought death in-
to the world," to be responsible
for such drivel about weather.
The confusion over the quote
has probably come about for
two reasons. First, Twain had
the misfortune of having lived
in Hartford, the city of the
quote's origin and second, Warn-
er collaborated with Twain on
"The Gilded Age."
TWAIN did talk about t h e
weather in a speech to the New
England Society on December
22, 1876 when he said t h a t
the weather in New England "is
always doing something ... In
the spring I have counted 136
different kinds of weather in-
side of 24 hours."
But lest we condemn editorial-
ist Warner, it should be men-
tioned that Warner is credited
with at least three superb quot-
es.
It was he who wrote, "Politics
makes strange bedfellows," and
"The thing generally raised on
city land is taxes." He also
wrote, "Public opinion is strong-
er than the legislature, a n d
nearly as strong as the Ten
Commandments."
But turning back to the wea-
ther, it was, of course, Robert
Frost who said, "The snow
comes in on little cat's feet,"
wasn't it?
Bob Seidenstein is a staff
writer for the editorial Page.
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