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I tsi n t1.s
Eighty-Seven Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Freedom
in
the
Wednesday, March 30, 1977
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Let's voice our feelings on
Fra nki Rhodes'successor
IN CASE YOU weren't aware of the
situation, University Vice President
for Academic Affairs Frank Rhodes
will be leaving in July to assume the
presidency of Cornell. To find a suit-
able replacement, the University has
ordered a search to be conducted by
the Senate Advisory Committee on
University Affairs (SACUA).
SACUA reports that so far, 12
names from inside the University and
16 names from outside the University,
have been received, and that at least
two women are on the list. Now this
is all very encouraging, and we would
be pleased as could be if it weren't
for one minor problem that SAUCA
Chairman Prof. Brymer Williams
pointed out Monday - no nomina-
tions for Rhodes' replacement have
come from students.
Originally, University President
Robben Fleming had indicated that
he would probably select Rhodes' suc-
cessor himself, with little or no stu-
dent input, and no search commit-
tee. Under pressure from several stu-
dent groups, Fleming agreed to a
search committee with at least one
student member, and he agreed to
let students submit names of per-
sons they felt qualified for the post
to the committee. Some people work-
ed very hard to get us this chance,
and now no one seems ready to make
use of it.
IME POST OF vice president for
academic affairs is a vital one at
the University, probably second only
to the presidency. It is a position that
students should take an interest in,
and it is one that they should set
specific criteria for. The person who
succeeds Rhodes must be responsive
to students. He/she must be willing
to work closely with students, and
he/she must be sensitive to our needs.
But the only way we can get this
kind of administrator is if we make
the SACUA committee aware of our
needs. And the only way to do that
is to submit the names of various
professors and administrators who
embody the qualities that you deem
necessary for the position.
If you have any names you would
like to submit, contact Prof. Brymer
Williams, chairman of SACUA, and do
it today. There are only four months
left in Frank Rhodes reign, and un-
less we act now, we won't have any
say in determining his replacement
and our future.
By ALEXANDER YESENIN-VOLPIN
Second of two parts
IN THE EAST, people cannot travel freely even from
one Communist country into another. They have no
free access to philosophical, religious, and historical
literature; they cannot freely publish their ideas or ex-
hibit their paintings or organize groups for protecting
these rights or peacefully demonstrate for these issues.
"Freely" means without police interference or consent.
When arrested, they have no access to lawyers, and in
regular cases that continues until the conclusive stage
of the pre-trial investigation. So it is in the Soviet Union,
and approximately so in the satellites. Lawyers are not
free to accept clients; 'they need a particular permis-
sion ("dopusk") in each political case. Criminal laws
are applied in heavily distorted interpretations which
make "libel" from sincere speeches, and Western
translations of the Soviet laws help to hide the distor-
tions.
Procedural rules are disregarded, the publicity and
constitutional "openness' of trials in the USSR, when
"observed", does not prevent private persons from de-
tentions and violences when they try to penetrate into
an "open" trial hall. Three years of labor colony for
"libelous" speeches are "mild" sentences of these
courts; in more serious cases of "anti-Soviet agitation",
a defendant unwilling to recant often gets seven years
and up to five years of exile with additional heavy har-
assments thereafter; a "recidivist" even up to 10 in-
stead of seven years of prison plus exile and harass-
ment. In cases when a defendant under criminal prose-
cution claims his innocence and is procedurally so well
prepared that he doesn't need a lawyer, the authorities
arbitrarily prefer to replace the prosecution by a psy-
chiatric one which can result in an indefinite confine-
ment n a "special" prison type "hospital". When a
person like the physicist, A.D. Sakharov, is well pro-
tected by his fame from such prosecutions. he is black-
mailed by prosecutions of his friends, and harassments
of his relatives, and, each day, it may happen that the
fame is no longer any protection.
THAT IS THE present day situation in the USSR
from where people cannot emigrate solely by their own
decision.
Foreigners, even the foreign correspondents, are ar-
bitrarily expelled from the USSR in spite of Article 13
of the covenant on civil and political rights which pro-
vides that a law has to regulate the procedures of ex-
pulsions. In the USSR and Czechoslovakia, the covenant
has been effective since March 23, 1976, but, so far,
Health
the Western correspondents when expelled, did not per-
sist or demand the fulfillment of Article 13, or these
facts have not gotten suitable publicity. Recently in the
USSR, there was no law required by Article 13 of the
covenant, and it seems to me that that has not changed.
And, if a high official in the USSR were to be asked
about it, expect the answer that that's an "internal af-
fair" of the USSR!
Western citizens in the USSR have a more happy
opportunity than somebody else to inform the Western
public about the existing situation still densely hid-
den under vague interpretations of "Socialism" and
general judgements about Russian history and charac-
ter. But rarely, do they use that opportunity as they
could. Now the Soviet Union is bound by the covenants
and the Helsinki agreement to proceed independently
of the historical past aId the "Socialism" is supposed
just to help the progress in human rights issues. For
decades, the official press of the USSR was silent on
the domestic civil rights situation - but not quite si-
lent, since the very silence was explained as meaning
that the problem had been solved when the Soviet state
appeared. The West has to be extremely attentive with
respect to that inconsistence because it proves that the
USSR has a long and very deep practice of hiding her
lawlessness. She does it so successfully that ,many in
the West are persuaded of Socialist freedoms in the
East. This practice has to be widely denounced.
. THAT MUST BE done accurately, in order not to be
counter-productive. The civil rights language has to
be non-agitating and exact in denouncing the abuses of
power as such, without hostility expressed to something
other than the abuses and lies. This must be done sys-
tematically, persistently, and without hesitations. There
is no war danger in doing this. The USSR can occupy
Czechoslovakia, not a Western country. And if there
is one which does not declare what she thinks about the
Soviet policy with respect to human rights, let me ex-
press that such a Western country does not even need
a Soviet occupation; so deeply she is already influenced
by the psychology and the ideology of the Communist
party of the USSR.
Many people prefer a more "relaxed" approach to
modern problems. If the psychology of relaxation is the
main preoccupation in a country, the country is lost -
at least so long as it is so - for any serious hopes of
international freedom and safety. But I hope that such
a country cannot be found on the American continent.
Neither the Helsinki agreement nor the Human Rights
Covenant and the Optional Protocol can replace the
necessity of international attention. They only help to
S
Ser viceH
USSR?
direct attention and to make the state powers more
cautious. And they have gaps. The Optional Protocol
has a strange gap -= allow to petition just the vic-
tim only, as if the victims of the most serious violations
of human rights are supposed to be physically in a
position to write from their prisons and even from
their graves! The instrument must be amended, and
now, prior to the entry in it of the Eastern Communist
countries. That is much easier to do now than later.
AND, IF THE issue is not sufficiently popular in the
West, all the more seriously must it be followed by
those who are involved in it. Serious institutions are
to be involved. Unfortunately, some of them were closed
this past year. Others have but nominal existence or
almost so (say, the Radio Liberty Committee). I think
that a special new magazine or newspaper must be
created to cover the problems of human rights in the
Communist countries. (The Chronicle of Human Rights"
and "Current Events" have only limited coverage of
topics. They mainly give news, not suggestions.) What
and how is it to be done in this way - that is a ques-
tion.
There is a particular kind of dangerous "relaxation"
nsvchoolgy that I often observe in this country. That
is merely a usual tendency to "minimize" efforts and
to save money for present needs. That is natural but
dangerous in these fields, because human rights and
lives are at issue. And when something is not suffi-
ciently well done at the time it should be done, it is
much more difficult and sometimes much more ex-
pensive to correct the mistake later.
By the way, I have mentioned two "Chronicles",
one issued in Moscow, the other in New York. Both
cover about the same material and some people in the
West wonder why to keep both? It must be understood
that the existence of the Moscow "Chronicle" can be
stomoed at any time by the K.G.B., and that it is fi-
nancially almost imoossible to resume the publications
of the New York "Chronicle" if once stopped. And the
KGB did not so far crush the Moscow "Chronicle" -
although it tries to do so from time to time - essen-
tial'y because the New York "Chronicle" does about
the same - so that it is useless for the Moscow author-
ities to crush the former. Thus, both have to continue-
and that is sometimes difficult to explain, because
people, when they hear about it, are inclined to prefer
other issues.
Oh yes many issues could be preferable to the human
rights cause - but let that cause disappear and every-
thing will be stopped, and the world will be in mortal
danger. Therefore much patience is needed.
aindbook
the wave-like contractions which propel intestinal con-
tents through long stretches of intestine and colon. It
also allows for the proper .hydration of the contents
of the intestine, that is, allows them to combine with
water in an optimum balance. Thus most problems
of constipation would be less likely to exist, if fiber
and water were increased in the diet.
We recommend the daily inclusion of whole grain
cereals and breads and the liberal use of fruits and
vegetables. 'At the same time you should include six
to eight cups of fluid in your daily diet.
Although there have been many recent proclama-
tions (some based on observations of other cultures)
on the miraculous disease ,cures that may be derived
from increasing the fiber content of the diet, these
claims must be considered untested hypotheses.
Send any health related questions to:
Health Educators
U-M Health Service
Division of Office of Student Services
20>Fletcher
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Two local intersections
need stop signs badly
WHAT DO THE intersections of Wil-
liams and Maynard and Thomp-
son and Madison have in common?
Both are very real traffic hazards,
that's what, and both are, unsafe for
want of an octangular red sign read-
ing "STOP."
For motorists travelling either way
on Thompson Street, the intersection
at Madison is dangerous at any speed.
Traffic on Madison doesn't have to
stop, but the Thompson traffic must
literally enter the intersection in or-
der to see around the imposing struc-
tures of South and West Quadrangles,
and all the cars parked on the street.
At the Williams/Maynard intersec-
tion, there is an added hazard - pe-
destrians. As anyone who has ever
tried to cross William can attest to,
traffic has no stop sign and few dri-
vers choose to yield to pedestrians
out of the goodness of their heart.
These two intersections constitute
safety hazards that can be changed.
There should be a stop sign for traf-
fic on Williams and there should be
a stop sign for the Madison traffic.
Let's not wait until what is present-
ly a potential danger becomes a trag-
edy. The old adage says that an ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of
cure, so let's petition our members
of the city council to move now with
that ounce in the form of two pairs
of stop signs for two deserving inter-
sections.
By SYLVIA HACKER and NANCY PALCHIK '
QUESTION: What exactly is menstrual extraction.
I heard it was a procedure a woman could easily per-
form on herself to eliminate her menstrual periods?
ANSWER: Menstrual extraction involves the re-
moval of the inner lining of a woman's uterus or
womb (the endometrium). This is accomplished by
means of a thin tube inserted into her uterus through
the small opening in her cervical canal. (The cervix
is the lower portion of the uterus which extends into
the vagina and serves as a passage between the
uterus and vagina). Suction is applied through the
tube and the endometrium is extracted. As menstrua-
tion is the normal shedding of the uterine lining that
has built up during each menstrual cycle in anticipa-
tion of the implantation of a fertilized egg, menstrual.
extraction will technically 'accomplish the same end
as a woman's regular menstrual period.
Although some people have advocated the routine
use of menstrual extraction during each menstrual
cycle as an alternative to the normal menstrual period,
we strongly feel that the routine use of this procedure
Letters 01
is not advisible. The uterus is a sterile environment
and the introduction of any instrument into it through
the vagina, which is not sterile, may transmit infec-
tion to the uterus and fallopian tubes. There is also
the risk of causing perforation or other damage to the
uterus. These potential complication may endanger
both the woman's health and her abii v to have chil-
dren in the future.
In those cases where menstrual extraction may be
indicated, it should always be performed by a trained
individual and should never be attempted by a woman
on herself. The insertion of any instrument into the
uterus by an untrained person, let alone by a woman
on herself, will greatly increase the potential health
risks to the woman involved.
QUESTION: Just how important is fiber (e.g. as
in bran cereals) to someone of college age?
According to our Health Service nutritionist, Irene
Hieber, fiber is just as important to college age as
to non-college age people: it is essential to the diges-
tive process. Fiber increases the rate of peristalsis,
the
Mayor's
To The Daily:
A great deal of controversy
has been aroused by The Daily's
articles on mayoral candidate
Lou Belcher. Headlines
screamed attacks of a "secret
deal." Most recently, Mr. Bel-
cher hs been accused of circu-
lating misleading literature, spe-
cifically the piece circulated on
campus, containing the now-in-
famous line, "from Udall. . . to
Belcher." Frankly, the Wheeler
concern over this line puzzles
me. This endorsement of Mr.
Belcher, madeby Parker Pen-
nington IV, says simply that Mr.
Pennington went from support
of Mr. Udall to support of Mr.
Belcher. The photograph beside
the endorsement is of Mr. Pen-
nington, not Mr. Udall. So why
the controversy? Because a man
was attracted by Mr. Belcher's
"honesty, clear thinking, deep
concern for the environment,
and his warmth and under-
standing of people?" Since when
is one man's opinion cause for
controversy?
I met Mr. Belcher when he
came to the dorm last week. He
was friendly, sincere, and made
a great effort to answer, in de-
tail, the questions of a student
who is not even registered to
vote in Ann Arbor. It's good to
know that at least one of the
candidates cares not only for
votes, but also for people.
--Maura Benedetto
To The Daily:
I have been closely following
your articles on the mayoral
candidates, principally Lou Bel-
cher and Al Wheeler. I have
read attacks on Mr. Belcher's
stands on the airport issue and
the "pot law," and attacks on
his campaign literature. My
stands. When are we going to
get some answers?
-Steve Silverstein
To The Daily:
Lou Belcher, Mayor Pro-Tem
and candidate for the mayor-
ship, has been accused of mis-
leading literature. Apparently,
no one has read the literature of
the incumbent.
In one piece of propaganda en-
titled "Al Wheeler: To Preserve
Our Environment," Mr. Wheeler
takes credit for the addition of
bike paths in Ann Arbor. In fact,
the money for bike paths was
appropriated five years ago, by
bond issue. Other bike paths
have been constructed, as a re-
sult of state legislation - led
by Republican Carl Pursell, now
Congressman from the Ann Ar-
bor-Ypsi area.
On the flip side of the same
piece, it says, "During Al's two
years as mayor, the City has en-
joyed budget surpluses. "
*The key word is "during;"
money is budgeted during the
year previous to expenditure,
and thus this surplus cannot be
attributed to Mr. Wheeler.
His literature says what has
been done, though for the most
part, it was not his doing; Mr.
Wheeler's literature says noth-
ing of the future or his stances,
save for his "dedication to
change." On the basis of the
distortions in his literature, I'd
say it's time to change mayors.
-Frederick W. Coale
To The Daily:
This election season, Ann Ar-
bor voters are witnessing one of
the most dishonest campaigns in
memory, being waged by Re-
publicans Lou Belcher, Ron
Trowbridge, Gerald Bell -and
student high-rises, an additional
fire station, double-decker bus-
es, more park land, more police
patrols, no more potholes, etc.,
etc., etc. He makes FDR and
LBJ look like tightwads.
All of these things cost money,
and Belcher knows that. He also
knows that the city barely has
enough money to maintain pres-
ent services and facilities, but
the promises continue.
Meanwhile, Gerald Bell is
perpetrating a cruel hoax, by
promising to curb the increase
in property tax assessments. As
Bell knows perfectly well, state
law requires that assessment be
half of market value. As prop-
erty values skyrocket, so must
assessments, and there's noth-
ing that Bell or the entire City
Council can do about it. Of
course, Council could cut the
millage rate, but that means
cutbacks in police, fire, parks,
etc.
Reiner, running in the ore-
dominantly student and tenant
Second Ward hides the fact that
he is a Republican, omitting his
party designation from his ads
and his literature. He doesn't
want the voters to know he be-
longs to the party that has con-
sistently opposed student and
tenant interests.
In student areas, Belcher calls
himself a "progressive" and
identifies himself with Morris
Udall. In other areas, he comes
on like Ronald Reagan.
Ann Arbor voters have had
enough of this kind of double-
talk and empty promises, and
I don't think they will buy any
more of it.
-Mary Ann Robb
To The Daily:
ing to allow gene splicing re-
search at U of M under streng-
thened National Institutes of
health guidelines. The city coun-
cil of Ann Arbor agreed to ac-
cept the decision of the regents
before the regents made their
decision.
Irwin Chargaff of Columbia
University believes that gene
splicing research will produce
communicable cancer.
George Wald, a Nobel lau-
reate biochemist at Harvard
University, supports a moratori-
um on gene splicing research.
Robert Sinsheimgr, the head
of biological sciences at the
California Institute of Technolo-
gy, believes that gene splicing
research will violate barriers
against the exchange of genetic
information presently observed
by life on earth with possibly
catastrophic consequences.
There is a consensus among
biologists that there is great un-
certainty in any_ assessment of
the risks, i.e., they can not
prove that the probability of a
catastrophe coming from this
work is small.
The regents of U of M ex-
pressed "confidence" the re-
searchers who acknowledge
great uncertainty in the risks
can do gene splicing research
without risk.
The Democratic and Republi-
can parties have taken no firm
position on this life and death
issue. The Human Rights Party
of Michigan opposes gene splic-
ing research. They hold that no
possible benefit can justify
gambling at unknown risk with
all human life on earth at stake.
For this reason we support the
eletion of the SHRP candidates
Race
cher describes himself as "Ann
Arbor's leading environmental-
ist." He also touted his envi-
ronmental qualifications in a re-
cent. Ann Arbor News ad. As
one concerned with environmen-
tal issues, I was surprised by
Belcher's statements for I was
unaware of his involvement in
many local issues. A little re-
search has uncovered the fol-
lowing with regard to some of
his claims:
Claim No. 1. "Lou has pro-
posed an innovative waste man-
agement complex.. ." The re-
source recovery/energy reclam-
ation facility for Washtenaw
County was proposed years ago
by the Board of Public Works,
not Lou Belcher.
Claim No. 2. ". .. Supported
a new site plan for the Ecology
Center on city-owned land Jan.
19, 1976." What Lou fails to men-
tion here is that, on Aug. 11,
1975, he voted against a reso-
lution to relocate the recycling
station on city land, thus jeopar-
dizing for a time the future of
the recycling program in Ann
Arbor.
Claim No. 3. ".... Supported
a resolution to reduce the' quan-
tity of salt put on.roads ..."
This resolution was adopted,
with Councilman Belcher voting
yes, on Dec. 6, 1976. Yet, two
weeks later, Belcher sponsored
a resolution to increase snow
removal efforts on residential
streets that would, according
to the Streets department, in-
crease the level of salt use.
Most of the remaining issues
cited by Belcher - the freon
ban, bottle bill, sewage treat-
ment plant quota, etc., were
non-controversial issues which
enjoyed widespread support.
'Forgive me if I'm nervous! I'm not used to being seen in public with
Contact your reps
Sen. Donald Riegle (Dem.), 1205 Dirksen Bldg., Washing-
ton, D.C. 20510