Page 4-Thursjay, November 17, 1977-The Michigan Daily
Eightyi-Eight Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 61 News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Sadat-Begin: ace at hand?
Confessions
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a
cigarette
junk ie
EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT Anwar Sa-
dat has said he considers his pro-
posed trip to Israel to speak before the
%Knesset a "sacred duty." We consider
it the most dramatic political break-
through in international affairs in a
generation.
Sadat's gesture is dramatic because
oit comes at a time when State Depart-
:ment officials were ready to give up on
convening a Geneva conference before
the end of the year. It is unprecedented
because no Arab state. has publicly
acknowledged Israel's right to exist.
The development is also a dramatic
reversal of the historical precedents
* that extend as far back as biblical-
times, for the seeds of this conflict are
that deeply rooted. Only ten years ago
the Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel
"Nasser, swore that he would hurl the
Israelis into the sea.
Indeed, a short four years ago Sadat
himself mounted a military onslaught -
the Yom Kippur war - against the
Israeli occupied Sinai Peninsula.
But since the end of the Yom Kippur
War, Sadat has been moving towards
deactivating the charge on the volitile
Middle Eastern powder keg. Attempting
to address the Knesset is the latest of
Sadat's initiatives for ending the 30-
year-old Arab-Israeli war. The first in-
itiative, one of remarkable daring, was
bouncing an entire delegation of Soviet
advisers from Egypt in 1972.
Clearly, Sadat is now a man of peace.
These peaceful intentions have been
spurred by the failing Egyptian
-economy. Egypt spends too much
money on guns and not enough on but-
ter. Sadat's regime has been threatened
Eby opposition political parties, as well as
by dissension amongst the Egyptian
peoVe, who two summers ago, burst in-
n ot inthe streets of Cairo.
4Sadat's latest initiative means that
the Middle East is closer to peace than
at any other time since the formation of
the state of Israel in 1948. This is true not
Don't sell ar
HE SHAH OF IRAN is in Washing-
ton this week to persuade Presi-
dent Carter to sell him some of our most
sophisticated weapons to add to his al-
ready formidable arms stockpile.
Carter, on the other hand, is trying to
convince the Shah to use his influence
with oil-exporting countries to prevent
another excessive price hike. And by the
end of the week, the two world leaders
will probably agree to scratch each
others' backs, and the only losers will be
the Iranian people.
The Shah is a ruthless dictator who
gallows no personal freedom in his coun-
try, and brutally extinguishes all his op-
position. The abuse of human rights in
!Iran matches that of any in the world.
"The Shah's secret police, SAVAK, is in
charge of torturing political prisoners,
Vand it employs all the standard methods
from pulling out people's fingernails to
-the Shah's own creation - strapping
someone to a wire bed frame, then
heating the frame to several hundred
degrees. SAVAK, along with the Shah's
well-stocked army, keep the population
in a constant state of fear, and force
dissidents to seek refuge in foreign
.countries.
But the influence of SAVAK isn't lim-
ited to Iran's borders. Many Iranian stu-
dents in this country are watched and
#harrassed by the Shah's Gestapo. While
no students on this campus have proof of
SAVAK activities here, the
;psychological effects the existence of
such a force are clearly present.
Yet despite the atrocities he perpe-
trates, Carter welcomed the Shah Tues-
day, calling his visit a great honor and
"a reminder of the strong ties of
friendship between your country and
ours.:
r Carter has trumpeted the cause of
only because of Sadat, but also because
of Menahem Begin.
It is ironic that although Begin's
position is seen by most as being quite
"hawkish" in his posture as Israel's
Prime Minister may hasten a Geneva
conference. For, even as in the United
States, no one could accuse Richard
Nixon of being soft on Communism be-
cause of his historic trips to China and
the Soviet Union, no one in Israel can
accuse Begin of being soft on the Arabs.
Begin was a powerful force in the estab-
lishment of Israel, although his ac-
tivities at that time were certainly any-
thing but statesmenlike.
DEGIN WAS THE leader of a band of
terrorists that carried out raids in-
to Arab territories, actions much like
those that some Palestinian groups have
undertaken.
But Begin's hawkishness may be a
blessing in disguise. Israelis will feel
more comfortable with compromises
struck by Begin, than those struck by a
member of the more liberal political
parties in Israel. For instance Begin has
supported Palestinian representation at
Geneva. His Labor party predecessors
were unable to agree upon this compro-
mise with the Arabs.
But Sadat's visit to Israel, while
being a dramatic progression, is not the
final answer in itself.
Israel is still opposed to the establish-
ment of a Palestinian state and with-
drawing from the land it has held since
the 1967 war. On these two points all
Arab nations agree; there must be a
separate Palestinian state and Israel
must withdraw from all occupied terri-
tories.
But compromise is facilitated by dis-
cussion. Face, to face meetings between
heads of estate hold the key to the
ultimate solution to the conflict.
Progress has to be made before the bel-
ligerents sit down in Geneva. That is the
importance of the Sadat initiative.
By ELIZABETH SLOWIK
The quarters follow the dime and the nick-
el into the machine. The sleek, silver knob is
cool under my touch. Like magic, the pack of
rolled paper and tobacco falls into the slot
below. I rip the pack open. Relief. I smoke
another cigarette to help pass the day away.
In reality, smoking is no relief. I constant-
ly cough, colds seem to last forever, and my
pocketbook is daily relieved of 65Q. So why do
I smoke? Your guess is as good as mine.
TODAY IS National Non-smoking Day,
sponsored by the American Cancer Society.
The society's goal is to have 10 million of the
United States' 53 million smokers sign a
pledge card, which reads: "Take a day off
from smoking. I promise not to smoke on
November 17, 1977." Sandy Speaker, execu-
tive director of the society's Ann Arbor chap-
ter, said the purpose of National Non-smoking
Day is to give people a chance to prove they
can control their habit. These are quite
honorable intensions. I wonder if I can live up
to them.,
My smoking story began back in junior
high school, when inhaling was considered
daring. That old psychological theory - peer
pressure - contributed to the start of my
habit. Everyone smoked. So did I.
Some of those peers who applied the pres-
sure have been smarter than I have. They
have kicked the habit. Others smoke more
than I do. But still I cling to my addiction.
PART OF THE reason I continue to smoke
lies in adolescent rebellion. My parents, who
don't smoke, disapprove of the habit. So, of
course, I smoke. Three of my parents' four
children smoke. The implication - we're all
still trying to break away from our parents.
We are all stuck, subconsciously, in Erikson's
identity crisis stage.
Freud might consider us stuck in the phal-
lic stage. I consider the six-foot three, virile-
looking sophomore man in my French class
stuck in the phallic stage, because he always
sucks on his pen. He's smart, though. He
doesn't smoke.
I plan to observe National Non-smoking
Day. I may not get over to the American Can-
cer Society at 215 N. Ashley to pick up a
pledge card, but I will, nonetheless, hide my
cigarettes and lighter. I will save 65t. My non-
smoking roommate will rejoice. But at 12:01
a.m. November 18, I will light up again. I
can't deny it. I'm hooked.
APPARENTLY I am not the only young
woman who would like to kick the habit. Ac-
cording to the AmericanCancer Society, 70
per cent of all young women smokers are
potential quitters.
The society also says that three main ob-
stacles, largely imaginary, prevent poten-
tial quitters from quitting: two-thirds of them
think that smoking is a permanent addiction;
a majority thinkksmoking is addictiveas
illegal drugs, like heroin; and over, half
believe they'll get fat if they stop smoking.
Although I disagree with the first two ob-
stacles, I do fear gaining weight. I rationize
about smoking and obesity - I'd rather
smoke and be thin than not smoke and be fat,
or smoke and be fat, for that matter. Health
risks are present in the obese person as well
as the person who smokes.
LUNG CANCER will kill 85,000 Americans
this year, according to the American Cancer
Society. Eighty per cent of these deaths will
be smoking-related.
The combination of cigarettes and birth
control pills is extremely dangerous. I can't
understand why a woman who is on the Pill
would continue to smoke, especially is she is
over 30. The older a woman is, the longer she
has been on the Pill, and the more she
smokes, the higher'her risk of heart attack.
Why would anyone purposely set herself up
for a heart attack?
. In view of this, I promise myself to quit
smoking someday. Someday.
I ALMOST gave up smoking twice. Once
was when I was thirteen. My mother discov-
ered a stolen pack of Tarytons in my under-
wear drawer. Theksecond time was this past
summer, when a man I was dating urged me
to quit. I left him for school, though, and his
influence disappeared. Presto - I'm back to
tobacco.
I find myself offended whenever a well-
meaning friend suggests I give up cigarettes
to protect my health. At the time, I always
think, "It's none of his business! After all, it's
my life I'm smoking away, not his." But in
my heart, I know the real reason I'm offended
is because I know he's right.
With luck, National Non-smoking Day will
spark a trend, and more people will join the 30
million Americans who have quit smoking in
the last twenty years. With even more luck,
maybe I'll be able to look back twenty years
from now at Nov. 17, 1977 and say, "That's the
day I quit smoking." But I doubt it.
0*7r
(f'7
ms to Shah
I N ADDITION to violating his human
I rights stand, Carter is also reneging
on his promise to limit arms sales toj
countries that need them. Since he took
office, Carter has made the U.S. the
world's number one weapons salesman,
and Iran is reaching for its piece of the
action. But Iran has little need for more
weapons. It is already better stocked
than any of its neighbors save the Soviet
Union and it is in no immediate danger
of being attacked. The money the Shah
spends to improve his army should be
going back to the Iranian people who
have one of the world's lowest standards
of living.
The Shah has threatened to cut off
our oil supply if we refuse to sell him
weapons, and Carter is rightfully con-
cerned. But if he ignores the Shah's
abuse of p6wer and succumbs to this
threat, he will make the U.S. as
hypocritical as any country in the world.
The President took a good first step by
denouncing human rights violations in]
other countries, and now he must stand
behind his policy by refusing to sell ar-
ms to an oppressive dictator like the
Shah.
EDITORIAL STAFF
ANN MARIE LIPINSKI JIM TOBIN
Editors-in-Chief
LOIS JOSIMOVICH..................... Managing Editor
GEORGE LOBSENZ....................Managing Editor
STU McCONNELL ........................ Managing Editor
JENNIFER MILLER.... ...............Managing Editor
PATRICIA MONTEMURRI...............Magaging Editor
KEN PARSIGIAN............ ..........Managing Editor
BOB ROSENBAUM..................... Managing Editor
MARGARET YAG ........................ Managing Editor
SUSAN ADES JAY LEVIN
Sunday Magazine Editors
ELAINE FLECTCHER TOM O'CONNELL
Associate Magazine Editors
Letters to
The Daily
To The Daily:
I find it interesting that Mr.
Hill in his umpteenth letter
against gays Nov. 10, is at least
beginning to "admire" the
many personal qualities that
gays do have. I wonder though,
seriously, about his sincerity. It
is true that many gays, as Mr.
Hill observes, do have the
quality of gentleness which
heterosexuals (who generally
have ruled the planet all the
blood-letting years of human
history) could have ,learned
from. Gentleness is definitely
good in males as well as in
females. Scripture has it that
the Messiah would be so gentle
he would not even "crush the
bruised reed" and he would
beat the swords into plow-
shares. It is weird how some
"Christians" forget about the
thousands of verses advocating
love and take certain passages
(out of context, at that) to
support their own warped con-
cepts of holiness. Let's get one
thing straight and on the record
... for the many people who
have read Gregory S. Hill's
letters, and who have been
duped by them into believing
that he is a Christian, ... it
simply is not true. Right, he is a
Mormon--(let me note here that
it's not the fact that he's a'
Mormon that I don't like, but
the fact that he has led
people to believe that he was
not). For those who do not
know, Mormonism is a sect
which is considered by almost
all Christian Churches as here-
tical and anathema to the
teachings of Jesus Christ.
Mormons put the heterosex-
ual act up on a pedestal, most
would concur, so much so, that
their regard for Christ (who
never married) is lessened.
Jesus is not worshipped by
them as true God equal to the
Father in Divinity. Their re-
spect for Jesus, since they have
such a regard for the prophets
like Moses before him, and
their own questionable prophet
is naturally diminished be-
cause Jesus was not a hetero-
sexual. In fact, Jesus trans-
cends and sanctifies all human
sexuality. He didn't come for
some (as Hill would hope) and
to cast others in hell; he came
as Scripture has it, to draw all
men to himself. A very dis-
heartening passage for people'
whose love is narrow and
limited to a "few good souls".
Wasn't it the "good" people
who gave our dear Saviour the
hardest time? Wasn't it the
oppressed whom he attracted
and came to save? You just
don't know what you're talking
about Mr. Hill, with regard
either to religion, sexuality or .
psychology. The fact that Anita
Bryant did not outwardly re-
spond with anger when some
gay committed the murderous
act of pie-throwing means noth-
ing. It is what is in theheart
that counts. Here again Hill
shows his Pharisaical attitude
of judging by appearance. I
wouldn't be surprised if Mrs.
Bryant was thinking "that dirty
queer, I'll show him I'll act like
a sweet Christian woman."
All of his arguments against
giving gays equal rights are-
garbage. Hill continuously
compares gays with violent
and exploitative criminals and
puts them on the same level. He
is being absurd. I know many
gays who are neither violent
nor exploitative. To the con-
trary, probably more human,
more gentle and more generous
that the likes of the Anita
Bryant mob. Why shouldn't
gays be given equal rights? One
of the symptoms of a sick,
violent, sex-crazed society is,
the continuing fear and hatred
brethren that you do unto me".
So if you think so little of gays,
follow God's command, if he is
your God, and do good to gays.
Repent, for the Kingdom of God
is at hand. God's word does not
condemn .homosexuality. The
few passages (if translated
correctly from their original
meanings) that condemn gay-
ness refer only to certain forms
of homosexuality that existed
in ancient times.
Anyway, we don't li.ve in the
age of Moses, but in the New
Covenant of our gracious sav-
ior, Jesus Christ. We are saved
by him and not because whe-
ther or not we get turned on by
guys or girls. God's mind is a
lot bigger than you give him
credit, Mr. Hill.' It is not
constantly dwelling on sexual
differences like- yours never
stops doing.
With regards to President
Carter, he is not on your side,
Mr. Hill. Just a few weeks ago,
it was communicated to me
through his Assistant, Midge
Constanza that he is still in
favor of equal protection under
the law for all minorities
including sexual minorities.
Mr. Hill, why don't you find a
good Scripture scholar who
knows what he's talking about.
And I do hope you overcome
your arrogance and insensitiv-
ity that you have confessed to.
God loves you and though I
don't like your ideas and relig-
ion, I love you, too as Christ has
commanded me.
--Arthur R. Arroyo
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