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 o 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 M~AX N4E X)E9JT ac4 i VE jI4 IL." (J %-~ tlI"- Z4 S- 4t s 4\ - t , -sAA~ /'WI . . .. I