Page 4-Wednesday, March 22, 1978-The Michigan Daily
Eighty-Eight Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 135
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Tempting the fate of the ERA
SO NE YEAR from today, women
may have lost the struggle to
achieve legal equality.
On March 22, 1979, the deadline for
ratification of the Equal Rights Amen-
dment (ERA) by at least 38 states will
expire. Even the most optimistic of
ERA supporters admit the chances for
passage are slim, if the 1979 deadline
remains intact.
So the women's movement is
pushing to have the deadline extended
by Congress - an action which has
been cleared by the Justice Depar-
tment, should lawmakers decide to do
so. Because of the importance of the
ERA, the lifting of the 1979 roadblock is
justified and should be approved by the
nation's legislators.
The initial momentum with which
states approved the amendment has
subsided, and in a peculiar domino
fashion, state* governments are now
having unjustified second thoughts-
about the issue. With Kentucky last
week, a total of four states have ac-
tually rescinded their initial approval
of the ERA. There is some question as
yet as to whether such rescinding is
slegal, but there is no doubt that the
reversals by previously sympathetic
states will have a detrimental influen-
PARIS - Fear of the unknown
- Communists in the cabinet and
a risky economic plan - plus
vitrolic internal bickering ruined
the left's best change in 20 years
to govern France.
In the elections completed last
weekend, the French seemed to
bear in mind their proverb: "You
always know what you lose, but
you never know what you'll
gain."
FOR MONTHS opinion polls
had suggested Socialists and
Communists would win a
parliamentary majority and im-
pose a leftist premier. on
President Valery Giscard
d'Estaing.
Family fortunes were sneaked
out of France, the franc
weakened, stocks slumped and
investment stopped.
But on Sunday, voters returned
the center-right coalition to
power by a 91-seat margin in the
491-seatassembly, only seven
fewer seats than in the last
assembly and beyond their most
optimistic predictions.
The Communists polled only 20
per cent of the popular vote, one
percent less than in the last 1973
elections. They gained, however,
14 more seats for a total of 86.
The Socialists won 103 seats,
compared with 88 in the last 1973
elections.
'We certainly
provements,' r
widow, 'But no
whole society.
need
social
emarked one aging
t at the price of our
We wouldn't want
France's Left
still has clout
By Mort Rosenblum
the turnout to a record 84.6r-
sent of the electorate, 3.7 pent
more than in 1973.
THE LEFT, however, madts
point. And the polls were null
that wrong.
In the 423 run-off races-er
government candidates won of
the 68 seats decided in the st
round - nearly one out of o
voters cast ballots for Sociats
or Communists. Many seats ve
decided by less than one per d.
The major question is wher
the left can put its imprtd
legislative position to use.
Their alliance, never solids
more shaky than ever.
Socialist leaders are bar
about the Communists' consit
attacks on them duig
discussions for a common t-
form. An official Socialist ty
statement accused Commist
leader Georges Marchaiof
helping the right by "provolg"
disunity in the left.
In addition, Socialist pty
chief Francois Mitternd
frightened off many suppers
by promising Communistan-
portant ministries.
Mori Rosenblum i a
ce on those states which have yet to
decide on the ERA.
Besides their efforts to have the ap-
proaching ratification deadline post-
poned, women's groups are attempting
to curry favor for the ERA in other
ways.
One of the most influential methods
could very well be the current
economic boycott against states which
have not approved the amendment.
Only last Thursday, the Washtenaw
County Board of Commissioners
decided to take part in the boycott, and
prevent the use of county funds to pay
the travel expenses of county officials
and employes attending conventions or
conferences in the 15 states which have
not ratified.
In the long run, it will be united effor-
ts like the one in which Washtenaw
County is participating which push the
ERA beyond its 38-state ratification
goal.
With the grass roots support that the
ERA has already, and with the stepped
up support of the Carter ad-
ministration, the struggle to prohibit
discrimination on the basis of sex will
be granted the extra time it needs for
approval.
But March ,22, 1979 is only 365 days
away.
that bunch in power..
IF 11 RADICALS stay with a
pre-election pact, leftists will
have 200 seats compared with 175
in the last assmebly.
"There is no mystery," wrote
Jean d'Ormesson, conservative
commenator in Le Figaro. "The
French doubtlessly want change.
But not just any kind. They in-
dicated firmly they don't want
the change of structure behind
the leftists' Joint Program."
The same message was heard,
in varying terms, all over Fran-
ce.
"We certainly need social im-
provements," remarked one ag-
ing widow, a classic bread-und-
er-the-arm Parisian. "But not at
the price of our whole society. We
wouldn't want that bunch in
power."
France's silent majority,
exhorted by Giscard d'Estaing to
go to the polls and vote, swelled
correspondent
Associted Press.
for 'he
LETTERS TO THE DAILY
$3500 and what do you get?
The right of free expression
OR A FEW MOMENTS Monday,
. the University campus became
embroiled in a situation identical to
that which is going on now in the Mid-
dle East. Palestinian and Jewish
students engaged in sharp exchanges
and violent outbursts over just who
might occupythe Diag.
The ineident began when a
Palestinian demonstration near the
Grad Library was disrupted by a group
of Jewish students. The Israeli sym-
pathizers at one point began dancing in
the middle of the Diag, chanting their
support for the Jewish state. The
Palestinian sympathizers, who wished
to demonstrate their anger at Israel's
occupation of Lebanese territory, said
they believed the Jewish students were
trying to break up their protest.
It matters not which group began the
pushing and shoving - but some
violence did indeed occur, needlessly
so.
The Diag is the traditional location
for public demonstration at the
University, and its use is not limited to
only one group at a time, or one
viewpoint per day.
All groups have the right to free ex-
pression, but as was classically
illustrated Monday afternoon, that
right is often extended by one group in
order to prevent another group from
its own free expression.
While availability of the Diag is not
restricted to any viewpoint at one time,
THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL
0157, FIELD NEWSPAPER SYNDICATE, 1975o//i//
some people would like to believe
otherwise. This is the type of thinking
which sparks the violence witnessed
Monday.
The ingredients of such a clash were
all there, of course. And the
Palestinian demonstrators certainly
had to be expecting some sign of
disagreement from some passersby.
The Jewish students, likewise, had to
expect the other group present would
get upset by the obvious disruption.
But both groups of demonstrators
should have had respect for the other's
right to free expression.
C01 bb Aibton 19a-l
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editors-in-chief
GREGG KRUPA
DAVID GOODMAN
Managing Editors
EILEEN DALEY......... g.... d.... ............ University
LAN I JO RDAN .................. ....................... City
LINDA WILLCOX .......................... Features/Projects
BARBARA ZAHS .. . . .......Personnel
KEN PARSIGIAN
Editorial Page Director
-BOB ROSENBAUM
To The Daily:
This is a serious letter about a
serious situation that we feel the
people of Ann Arbor should know
about.
We are freshmen at the
University of Michigan and have
faced another screw-up by the
University Housing. We applied
as incoming freshmen last yeaf
for our "guaranteed" room only
to find that we had no lease to
sign when we arrived in Ann Ar-
bor in the fall.
We were temporarily placed in-
to a double room that had been
converted into a triple room for 1
week. Soon after, we were forced
to move to a second temporary
room. By 4:00 p.m., we were to be
out of our first room and moved
across the campus with little
assistance from anyone.
Eventually we were told that
our second room was going to be
our permanent residency and
were allowed to sign a lease. We,
along with 2 other females, have
been living in a 24 foot by 12 foot
converted lounge for our entire
freshman year.
Now, our outlook for housing in
our sophomore year looks just as
gloomy. We applied early to the
lottery held at Mary Markley
dormitory. For a second year in a
row we were told that we do not
have a room. Our choices are to
obtain a lease at some other dor-
mitory with openings, obtain a
lease at the University's co-op
houses, or move into an apar-
tment. (Many are full by this
time). We have decided that
something has to be done about
this situation.
The University of Michigan
may be ranked third in the nation
scholastically, but it is at the bot-
tom of the list when it comes to
housing. If the University insists
on enlarging their student
enrollment, it must provide more
spaces for housing.
Take it from those who have
been there -housing problems
are covered up and ignored. For
$3500.00 a year this University
owes its students a decent place
to live.
The people in charge of housin-
ng need to open their eyes and
take a good hard look at the real
situation and get to work on it!
-Catherine A. Rizzi
Kimberly A. Lenhart
patient abuse
To The Daily:
For the past ten years, the
students of Project Outreach
have been spending several hours
per week with people in in-
stitutions: Plymouth Center for
Human Development, Northville,
Ypsilanti State Hospital, The
Center for Forensic Psychiatry,
Maxey Boys Training School,
Salvation Army's Senior
Homemaids, and others. From
time to time the newspapers ex-
pose some abuse in some of these
institutions; there is a public out-
cry, perhaps someone is fired (or
moved upstairs), the dust set-
t1anui dvaer'vthin iS hck in
by state paid employees who are
protected by unions.
As one top official from
Plymouth Center for Human
Development put it, "You can't
legislate caring." Perhaps caring
cannot take place at an in-
stitution. When people are in-
stitutionalized we are inviting
trouble. Experiments have
shown that violence ensues when
one group of people has control
over another. Measures can be
taken to reduce this problem, but
they will not eradicate it. The
staff must be screened, trained,
and be subject to constant super-
vision. Ward staff members
must have a stake in better
patient care. They have a sense
of control over their "wards"
rather than feelsunder the heel of
higher administrators. They
should have ample time off to
avoid "burn-out" and keep their
hopes and interests high in the
people for whom they are respon-
sibe: Pay should be attractive so
as to avoid staff shortages. These
institutions should not be the job-
seeker's bottom line, but a place
which sets high standards for it's
employees.
The community should be in-
volved in as many ways as
possible, not only for a Christmas
party, but continuously, High
School and College students
should spend time there learning
about these instututions and their
residents. The residents of in-
stitutions should leave the groun-
ds whenever possible. Com-
munity groups should adopt halls
of residents and get them out of
the institution and into the com-
munity, as one of our projects in
the Outreach Program does.
To avoid institutionalization in
the first place, families should
receive support in the form of
people power and financial aid,
so that they can maintain their
members at home. All kinds of
self-help and paraprofessional
groups should be supported to
keep people cared for outside of
the institutions. Right now
patients are being abused or
neglected. Haven't we reached
the age in our civilization where
institutionalizing methods must
be changed so that we may
eradicate this abusive behavior?
-Shulamit Reinharz, P.D.
-Georgie T. Ferris
Raymond Sterling
regime is the word
To The Daily:
I wish to point out a seemingly
slight mistake made by your
reporter, Brian Blanchard, in his
story, "Regents vote to use new
investment policy", which ap-
peared in your issue of 17 March
1978.
In Blanchard's article, I was
erroneously quoted as having
said that "the so-called Sullivan
principles have been actively en-
dorsed by the racist government
of South Africa." Since I was
reading from a prepared text, on
behalf Af the Black Sdent -
Union, asopposed to speakg ex-
temporareously, allow *e to
provide yu with the crrect
citation. t reads as flows:
"... they so-called Suivan
principlesiave been fully odor-'
sed by th racist South Arican
regime." lte critical diffeence
here is my use of the term
"regime", 'Istead of "pver-
nment". Fe to use the title
"government would be t( give
that collectior)f treacherou and
demented incriduals and their
fascist apdtheid reiime
legitimacy. As an .ifro
American, I ould never use
such a term tcharacterize the
neo-Nazi apaheid regine of
South Africa.
Only a body li the Regenis of
the University Michigan and
their corporaticollaborators,
which insist un financially,
propping al morally
legitimizing wch murders
thousands of lven Bilko's
would care to c:; it a "gover-
nment". The Rents' intran-
sigence with respt to opposing
divestiture, whileie University
community has mbiguously
demonstrated i desire to
relinquish supporo the apar-
theid regime, can (y be viewed
as an acceptae of the
repressive policiesf the South
African regime.
-Mat Powell
--Health Service Handbook
Sunday Magazine Editors
PATTY MONTEMURRI7
Arts Editors
OW
TOM O'CONNELL
EN GLEIBERMAN
MIKE TAYLOR
SPORTS STAFF
BOB MILLER.. Sports Editor
PAUL CAMPBELL................Executive Sports Editor
ERNIE DUNBAR...................... Executive Sports Editor
HENRY ENGELHARDT............Executive Sports Editor
RICK MADDOCK........... ......Executive Sports Editor
CUB SCHWARTZ................... Executive Sports Editor
By Sylvia Hacker
and Nancy Palchik
QUESTION: I havea question I've been meaning
to ask someone, and thought you might be able to
answer it. Last summer I was invited to go swim-
ming in the Huron River, and I reluctantly accep-
ted. A few days later I saw abput 10 people swim-
ming at Gallup Park. I've always thought it was
unsafe to swim in the Huron. What, if anything,
can happen to someone swimming in the Huron
River. Thank you.
ANSWER: You certainly are optimistic to think
about summer now, in the middle of a Michigan
winter. In anticipation of an early spring,
however, we turned your question over to Dr.
Hernan Drobny, and he has provided you with the
following response:
The Washtenaw County Health Department
considers swimming in the Huron River unsafe for
several reasons. First, local hazards, such as
debris like glass and metal, are not forseeable (or
visible for that matter) and can cause injury, cuts,
and bruises. Second, the state of the water itself is
considered "unsafe."
Further research into why the water is not good
for swimming yielded variable results depending
on location on the water sample drawn, time of
year, weather, and state of repair of the sewage
plants above the specific sites. For example, after
a big rain one can expect an increase in chemical
pollutants like organophosphates from insec-
ticides, especially in early spring and fall seasons.
These have never been found in high enough con-
centrations to constitute a danger of acute toxic
reactions although any long term effects they may
have are unknown.
Bacterial counts taken on water samples vary
as well. Last year, for example, the count was
found to be high near Dexter. This finding led to
the discovery that local sewerage was being in-
correctly handled due to a local plant malfuntion.
Bacteria counts vary from 3 to 46,000 bacteria per
wounds or cuts are also good sites for intion.
In summary, then, based on the infnation I
was able to obtain from the School Public
Health, U.S. Geological Survet, and 'Vhtenaw
County Environmental Health Departnt, you
face three main risks should you decide accept
your friends' swimming inviutations s sum-
mer: 1) drowning, in view of water curets and
local hazards; 2) injury from local debri3) bac-
terial problems which can compound aiinjury.
How big are the risks? Certainly greateran in a
swimming pool. I don't know, however, hey are
any greater than driving around on a turday
night.
QUESTION: I stopped by the GynecoloClinic
last week at noon to ripake an appointnt and
found the clinic closed. A lot of students le this
hour free. Wouldn't it be convenient for stints if
the clinic were open during this time?
ANSWER: We certainly wish that we cd keep
all of our specialty clinics open all of the te and
be able to accommodate everyone'ideal
schedule. Given that this is not possiblest of
our specialty clinics close during the noon ir.
As you know, our gynecology clinic offenany.
services. If we were to rotate the lunch irs of
staff serving the clinic, although weould
technically keep the clinic open all day, vould
not be fully staffed, and thus we could roffer
complete services at other busy and populimes
(e.g., between 11 and 12 and between 1 ar). In
addition, many of our gynecologylinic
physicians also work in our main medicdlinic
where, although the lunch hours of staff vary'
(allowing us to keep this clinic open all daynost-
staff have lunch between 12 and 1. Keeg the
gynecology open during these hours wouhake
the coordination of staff schedules very dcult.
As a final reason, we'd like to add that clog for
an hour at noon gives us the opportuy to
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