The Michigan Daily-Thursday, November 10, 1977-Page 7
Prof favors 'termination ' S. Africa teach-in lectures open
for
'defective' infants
By MARGARET JOHNSON
Newborn infants that are physical-
ly or mentally "defective" should be
"terminated," University Philoso-
phy Prof. R. B. Brandt told a small
audience in East Quad last night.
* While qualifying the conditions
which should determine whether a
newborn is killed, the former Phil-
osophy Department chairman com-
pared forcing "defective" infants to
live a life of pain to the act of prevent-
ing a person from committing sui-
cide, only so that they may be
tortured to death later on.
NEWBORNS have no memory or
past experience, Brandt emphasized,
and they are boupd to be "indiffer-
ent."
Braqndt maintained that "termin-
ation" of infants must remain a
matter of choice for the parents.
Brandt pointed out that guidelines
must be set as to which defects are
serious enough to prompt "termina-
tion." He added that there was no
reason why a normal child should be.
"terminated," because it faces a
potentially good life. In case a defect
can be surgically corrected, Brandt
said, then "(termination) doesn't
count" as an alternative.
BRANDT, who says he is in favor
of abortion added, "If you could find
out before birth (that a baby will be
defective) you think it's an outcry not
to abort the child. But if you find out
after birth you would think ti's an
outcry not to keep it.
"A child that has not been born is
not going to suffer from not living,"
he said. He added that there ";really
is no difference" between an unborn
child and a newborn. According to
Brandt, it's not as if doctors are
killing an immortal soul, because
people are not immortal and doctors
are only shortening a mortal life.
Brandt argued that the biblical
law, "Thou shalt not kill," cannot be
taken seriously, because it can be
interpreded to include suicides, kill-
in animals and even killing plants.
IN THE CASE of some "defec-
tive" babies, life is not worth living,
Brandt said. "We are only doing
them a favor," he said, by "terminat-
ing" them as newborn babies.
He cited the case of a 12-year-old
boy who has no muscular control a
low IQ and no control over his bodily
functions. Brandt said that the
parents of this child have paid more
than $275,000 in hospital costs and
that it costs them $600 a month, and
the state $500, to maintain the child.
"The family must live on a Spartan
level for years." He cited bad effects
on siblings, and added that a "defec-
tive" would drastically reduce the
quality of life for the rest of the
family. The rest of the family are
also human beings with lives to lead,
he said.
"Should a person's career be sacri-
ficed to maintain a vegetable?"
Brandt asked. He continued: Should
such a life take precedence over
another sibling's college education?
According to Brandt, there is an
active and a passive way to "termin-
ate" the life of a newborn. The
passive way - which Brandt terms
'mere stupid cruelty' -_is to
withdraw life support or food from
the baby. Brandt said that it is "far
kinder" to "terniinate" the newborn
"quickly and painlessly." Often, he
said, many parents will refuse
consent for an operation which would
allow "defective" babies to live.
Brandt is not sure where to draw
the line on "defective" babies, but
said it "calls for a lot of thought."
( Continued from rage 1
fighting which goes on within South
Africa is favorable to the side
fighting for progressive change in
that country," Mazrui said.
"We (black African states) don't
get along very well with each other."
But, Mazrui continued, these states
are in general agreement that, "the
continent shall not be ruled by aliens
or racists."
"THERE IS NOT yet the will for
military confrontation in South Afri-
ca. We (the African states) are not
yet willing to put military resources
into that purpose."
He suggested African governments
should change their current passivity
and, "Find ways to fight wars of
liberation rather than wars of brutal-
ization against their own popula-
tions," which Mazrui claims is occur-
ing in several African countries.
Later in the evening, addressing a
somewhat larger but still sparcely
attended audience Samoff outlined a
series of changes which have taken,
place both inside South Africa and
internationally which are pointing in
the direction of black majority rule in
that country.
ACCORDING to Samoff, two key
points to this are the power which
independent African states are now
feeling as a result of the abundance
of mineral wealth located in Africa,
and the Black Consciousness move-
ment in South Africa.
The current Black movement in
South Africa, Samoff said, is a
product of previous movements in
that country but its focus is some-
what different. Where previous ef-
forts were aimed at "decolonizing"
South Africa, the consciousness
movement is aimed at "liberation"
of black South Africans and organiza-
tion towards this end, according to
Samoff.
Samoff ended his lecture with this
introspection concerning the Univer-
sity's monetary investments in South
Africa: "We need to understand the
point that it is not whether or not the
University can end white minority rule
by divesting itself of this stock, but
rather does the University choose to
contribute to reaching that goal or is it
on the sideof minority rule?"
SAMOFF ADDRESSED himself to
what Andrew Young has been doing as
U.S. representative to the United
Nations.
"Young has essentially been lec-
turing to the business community. His
question," Samoff continued, "is not
when and how majority rule will come
about, but how business can influence
this process."
Samoff also said that transnationals
play a major role in forwarding the U.S.
governmental position because all the
administrations from "Kennedy to Car-
ter regard transnationals as the prin-
cipal vehicles of change in the
development of the third world."
Last night's events were part of a
week-long teach-in on South Africa
being presented by the Black Students'
Association as part of the University's
Africa Week this year. Lectures will
continue tonight and go through Satur-
day night.
The teach-in came about in reaction
to the slowpace at which the University
is conducting its inquiry into its in-
vestments in South Africa, according to
members of the African Students'
Association.,.
The University has two committees
which are focusing on the community's
reaction to University's investments
(totaling $40 million) and what, if
anything can be done with the invest-
ments themselves. The commmittees
are the Communications Committee
and the Senate Assembly Advisory
Committee on Financial Affairs.
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(Continued from Page 1) 1
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REVENUES FROM state and
federal grants last year were up 58
per cent, while over the last four
Troubles
alt Ozone
Ho use
(Continued from Page 1)
it was one of the original members of
the Michigan Coalition of Runaway
Services, anetwork organization for
runaway houses around the state.
"Ozone people were instrumental in
starting it," says Duberman.
TODAY THE staff of Ozone House
consists of nearly 60 members, eight
of whom are paid a);alary of $5,100
per year. Ozone House could easily
conform to the harboring law and get
state funding as well as free use of
the URS, but it refuses to change.
"The only way we'll ever get the
money is if the law is changed - if
it's no longer illegal to house a
runaway," says Duberman. "We're
not going to stop doing it."
Duberman also adds that tonight's
meeting will definitely end with a
decision on whether to pay for use of
the URS. "It's got to be a final deci-
sion. We've been talking about this
for two months," she said.
M IF
GET MOVING
AMERICA!
years, property tax revenues have
risen only 20 per cent, or an average
of five per cent per year.
Another plus for the city, Murray
said, came in the area of housing
inspections. Seven thousand three-
hundred existing rental units were
inspected last year - up 40 per cent
from the previous one. Murray said
that this reflected an interest in keep-
ing rental units up to code. "I hope
we can keep it up," he said after his
morning address.
One major tunsolved problem last
year was sewage, Murray said. He
said that "Everyone seems to want to
take pot-shots" at solving it, but the
problem really needs to be met
"head-on."
THE NEW sewage treatment
plant, to be located in the northeast-
ern section of the city, was only one
of a number of priorities Murray
listed for the coming year. Others in-
cluded:
" New storm drains in various
places around the city;
" More emphasis on repairing Ann
Arbor's much complained-about
roads;
" The need for downtown parking
relief. Murray said that this would
include both parking structures and
open lots.
A COMMON BEVERAGE
WASHINGTON (AP)-George Wash-
ington and Samuel Adams were among
illustrious Americans who favored beer
as a beverage, says Philip C. Katz,
senior vice president of tesearch ser-
vices, United States Brewers
Association.
Thomas Jefferson, another beer fan-
cier, went on record as saying, "I wish
to see this beverage become common,"
he adds.
Katz illustrated how common it has
since become by pointing out that in
1975 the United States ranked first
among countries of the world in beer
production with 160,600,000 barrels. The
brewing industry annually contributes
over $2 billion in federal and state ex-
cise taxes.
AVAILABLE ONLY at the U. CELLAR
AD AUT9
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All cap & gown orders must be placed by
NOVEMBER 18, 1977
degree cap & gown hood deposit TOTAL
Bachelor $6.25 2.00 8.25