1

ge Amiet' 43 & 1
Eighty-Seven Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Nuclear

energy

poses

single

Saturday, September 18, 1976

News Phone: 764-0552

largest threat to environment

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Band should play for Hall

By HARVEY WASSERMAN

THE UNIVERSITY, in its infinite
wisdom, has once again stirred
up another bubbling cauldron that
threatens to boil over into its collec-
tive faces. By authorizing the appear-
ance of the Michigan Marching Band
to play at President Ford's rally this
past Wednesday night, the Univer-
sity has become the defendant in a
lawsuit filed by the Young Workers
Liberation League. The suit seeks to.
force the Michigan band to perform
at the political speech of the Com-
munist Party presidential candidate,
Gus Hall, scheduled September 24.
In allowing the band to perform at
the Republican spectacle, many seri-
ous political questions were raised:
O Should any organization funded
by the University, which is funded by
the state, be allowed to engage in
partisan political activity?
* And if the answer to the question
is affirmative, who has the right or
the authority to decide for what po-
litical functions and groups the or-
ganization will work for?
The University's official position is
that the band was not performing at
Editorial Staff
Rob Meachum.Bill Turque
Co-Editors-in-Chief
Jeff Ristine.........Managing Editor
Tim Schick............. . Executive Editor
Stephen Hersh............Magazine Editor
Rob Meachum ..............Editorial Director
Lois Josimovich........ . ...Arts Editor
STAFF WRITERS: Susan Ades, Dana Bauman,
Michael Beckman, Dana Bauman, James Burns.
Jodi Dimick, Elaine Fletcher, Mark Friedlander,
Tom Godell, Kurt Harju, Charlotte Heeg. P-h-
ard James, Tom Kettler, Chris Kochmp 'i
Stephen Kursian, Jay Levin, Ann Marie T
inski, George Lobsenz, Pauline Lubens, Teri
Maneau, Maureen Nolan, Mike Norton, Jon
Pansius, Kim Potter, Cathy Reutter, Ann Marie
Schiavi. Karen Schulkins, Jeff Selbst, Rock
Sobel, Tom Stevens, Steve Stojic, CathiySuyak.
Jim Tobin, Jim Valk, Margaret Yao, Andrew
Zerman.
Sports Staff
Bill Stieg.Sports Editor
Rich Lerner...........Executive Sports Editor
Andy Glazer ............ Managing Sports Editor
Rick Bonino ............ Associate Sports Editor
NIGHT EDITORS: Tom Cameron, Enid Goldman,
Kathy Henneghan, Scott Lewis, Rick Maddock,
Bob Miller, John Niemeyer, Mark Whitney.
STAFF WRITERS: Leslie Brown, Paul Campbell,
Marybeth Dillon, Ernie Dunbar, Henry Engel-
hardt, Jeff Frank, Cindy Gatziolis, Don Mac-
Lachlan, Rich Ovshinsky, Jim Powers, Pat Rode,
John Schwartz.
Business Staff
Beth Friedman.............Business Manager
Deborah Dreyfuss ..........Operations Manager
Kathleen Mulhern ........Advertising Manager
David Harlan ................ Finance Manager
Dan Blugerman.........Sales Manager
Pete Peterson .......... Advertising Coordinator
Cassie St Clair...........Circulation Manager
Beth Stratford............. Circulation Director
Photography Staff
PAULINE LUBENS .......... Chief Photographer
SCOTT ECCKER . . Staff Photographer
ALAN BILINSKY ..... ..... Staff Photographer

Third in a Four-Part Series
NUCLEAR POWER has now become
a grass roots issue in the United
States. Whereas the anti-war movement1
rested in large part on students and
people under 25, the movement to stop1
nuclear power and to arrest environ-s
mental decay has found its early rootsI
in a much broader spectrum of society.
The reason for that might on the sur-
face be found in the fact that it was
primarily young people who faced the
draft for Vietnam, while destruction ofI
the environment affects everyone.
And no single industry more thorough-'
ly threatens the environment than nu-
clear power. The reasons for opposition 1
are quite numerous, but the main points1
break down into three catagories: health+
and safety, environmental, and econom-I
ic.
On the health and safety score, the
objections break down into the problems
of low-level radiation, the danger ofa
melt-downs, and the question of what
to do with wastes, particularly plutoni-
um.
IT IS A UNIVERSALLY accepted sci-
entific fact that radiation causes can-i
cer, leukemia and birth defects. It isI
also universally accepted that all nu-
clear power plants give off a certain
amount of low-level radiation.
The controversy arises over how much
the plants actually give off, and how
much can be considered safe.
Nuclear critics contend that govern-
ment standards for allowable radiation 1
leakages are too lax. According to Dr.
John Gofman, American nuclear plants
emitting just their allowable yearly dos-
age will cause more than 30,000 addi-
tional cancer deaths every year.
Letters

FURTHERMORE, the plants quite
often give off more than their allow-
able dosage, and when they do the op-
erators are punished with only small
fines or a slap on the wrist. Some stud-
ies - notably those of Dr. Ernest Stern-
glas of the University of Pittsburgh-now
claim to show a direct correlation be-
tween the operation of nuclear power
plants and a rise in the cancer, leuke-
mia and birth defect rates among the
surrounding poulation.
All nuclear reactors have the poten-
tial for causing a major catastrophic
accident. They do not "blow up," they
"melt down" - meaning the core gets
out of control, super-heats and melts
through the containment vessel and into
the earth, causing a potential release
of thousands of times more radiation
than was given off by the Hiroshima
bomb.
There is now considerable dispute
about exactly what the odds are of
this happening at a commercial nuclear
plant. A recent study by Dr. Norman
Rasmussen of MIT put the odds very
very low, but Rasmussen's study came
under immediate, angry attack, and-
in many people's minds - has been
thoroughly discredited.
NUCLEAR OPPONENTS further con-
tend that no matter what the odds of
a major accident, nothing is worth the
risk involved. Literally millions of peo-
ple could die with hundreds of square
miles made permanently uninhabitable
by a "maximum credible accident."
And no matter how "low" the odds,
there have already been at least three
close calls with such an accident. One
occurred at the Fermi plant south of
Detroit in 1966. The nuclear industry


likes to point out that the Fermi reac-
tor was an experimental plant of the
fast-breeder type, but no matter what
it was, it was on the brink of forcing
a hasty evacuation of Detroit, with po-
tential loss of life in the millions.
Other close calls have occurred at
Windscale, England, and in 1974 at
Browns Ferry, Alabama. Thousands of
gallons of milk were confiscated due
to radioactivity released from the Wind-
scale accident, and a workman's can-
dle started a fire that almost destroyed
the Browns Ferry Reactor. How many
more close calls will we be allowed
before the "real thing" descends upon
us?
THERE IS NOW heated debate as
to how effective the back-up safety sys-
tems are at nuclear plants. One could
say it is merely a matter of opinion
as to how effective these reserve brak-
ing systems really are, but no one would
argue they are perfect.
And there is an unfortunate kicker.
Nuclear plants are very definitely prone
to sabotage. It would take very few
people with an understanding of how a
nuclear plant works to turn one into
a bomb. There are guards and securi-
ty systems at all American nuclear
plants, but inevitable questions must be
raised about their effectiveness, as well
as how much damage an "insider"
could do, no matter how foolish or
bizarre the motivation.
In addition, all nuclear plants pro-
duce a substantial amount of plutonium
as a by-product. Plutonium is a human-
produced element that does not exist
in nature. It is unbelievably poisonous
- one tiny grain being sufficient to
cause a fatal case of lung cancer, and
less than ten pounds distributed in the
atmosphere being capable of poisoning

the entire human race.
AS YET NO EFFECTIVE method has
been developed for storing plutonium.
It has a radio-active half-life of 250,00
years, meaning it must be effectively
stored for 250,000 years before it can be
considered "safe."
The problems of storage are compli-
cated by the fact that the plutonium
is extremely caustic and difficult to con-
tain. In addition it is the "missing in-
gredient" for producing nuclear bombs,
and has lately acquired a substantial
value on the black market.
Meanwhile, the construction of nu-
clear power plants goes on. All the
questions of health and safety are ob-
viously matters of degree - how much
radiation, how many risks, how high
the odds for accidents.
MANY OF US are' more than will-
ing to say that any single factor in
the chain of "radioactive" objections
to nuclear power are sufficient to call
off the whole procession. No amount
of power or material wealth are worth
the gamble we are taking with the
lives of the people on this planet now
and for all generations to come.
To be sure, one takes a risk when-
ever one walks down the street or
steps into a car or an airplane.
But the ultimate irony of atomic
plants is that they not only involve
tremendous risks, but that they offer
little - if anything - in return.
For it is becoming painfully clear
that nuclear plants are not only unsafe,
they are also an economic disaster. At
least when you gamble on crossing the
road, you know that if you win you'll
reach the other side.

Cavender

a political function, but at the request
of the President of the United States,
and as such, the band should consider
it an honor and their duty to per-
form. Being that this is an election
year, the semantics of this position
is a bit too subtle to digest.
IT WAS REPORTED in The Daily
that the original request was handled
like any other request for the band
to play, that is, it was voted on by
the band members. But it appears
that many of the members objected
to playing, that no vote was taken,
and that George Cavender, band di-
rector, hinted at Regental pressure
to perform.
We object to the use of any Univer-
sity property or group for political
reasons. The band should not have
played for Ford, but now that the ad-
ministration has decided to set a
precedent in this regard, they must
now carry their policy out in total.
Any legitimately recognized politi-
cal party, whose presidential candi-
date plans a speech on campus, must
be allowed to have the University
band if they request it. We realize
that this would put a tremendous
strain on the time of marching band
members, but the Regents (or who-
ever put the heat on) baked their
cake, now they can eat it.
Editorial positions represent a
Consensus of the Daily staff.
TODAY'S STAFF:
News: Tim Schick, Bill Turque, Jeff
Ristine, Mike Norton, Barb Zars
Editorial Page: Rob Meachum, M i k e
Beckman, Tom Stevens, Jon Pansius
Arts Page: Lois Josimovich, Eric Gress-
man
Photo Technician: Pauline Lubens

Student respond to Daily
editorial urging demonstrations

To The Daily:
As a student at the Univer-
sity it was with deep remorse
that I read your editorial,
"Demonstrate against Ford,"
on Sept. 15. 1 was appalled at
the tactics utilized and was hu-
miliated by the implication that
your paper represents the voice
of the student population.
The accusations and asser-
tions expressed in the commen-
tary violated all boundaries of
journalistic morals. Rather than
brand all with such inferences
of opinion, would it not be pos-
sible to state that the commen-
tary reflects the opinion of the
staff and not necessarily that of
the students as a collective
group.
The libelous association of
Mr. Ford with the infamous
Adolph Hitler reeked of the art
of mudslinging in the profanest
degree. It is though the level
of commentary thate Ihave
come to expect of the media
under itsrultra-liberal control.
There are, even here in Ann
Arbor amongst the student body,
a few remaining members of
the conservative cause. As
such, we stand witness to the
plunging of our cities and the
nation into a state of decay and
on the path to the cesspool of
Socialism.
We are pleased and proud to
finally have someone in Wash-
ington who has the balls to say
no. The mass of vetoed bills in
the past two years is the as-
sertion that we do not want to
move down that path with the
comrades.
Myself, I am sick and tired
of seeing tax dollars, mine or
anyone else's, going to support
the welfare parasites who live
in government subsidized $15,-
000 Cadillacs. One need only
look at A.D.C., welfare, or food-
stamps to see that the Give-
away Syndrome has gone be-
yond the realms of sane so-
cial treatment. No amount of

revision could,. at this point, be
considered- drastic.
The reference to the order to
Mr. Scranton to veto the Viet
Nam application represents a
new view for your paper. The
veto only represents the cries
of the American people heard
over the past 6-8 years. A true
accounting of the M.I.A.'s. It
is the same cry which I've seen
in The Daily- for the past six
years. It is the same cry that
even "White Fang" Jimmy Car-
ter lauded as the right stand
(that was as of this date, one
cannot predict when this posi-
tion will be reversed by Mr.
C. nor how many times).
When Mr. Ford moves though
and grabs the Viet Cong by the
hairs then I note that you are
the first to relent, reverse, and
scream for justice. Justice. For
the Democratic Republic of
Viet Nam. The land of equal
opportunity, old age security,
free elections, minimum wages,
representative government,and
enough rice for all. This state-
ment bears the same accuracy
as your reference to Viet Nam
as a "Democratic Republic"
and as bearing the olive branch.
Ah yes, those fun-loving, con-
cerned rulers, the guys from
the Plain of the Jars will now
tell us about the shortage of
refugees and of their plans to
bring peace to the western
world.
The vision is a bit clearer
now and I see no choice for
myself in the booth on Nov. 2.
One hand represents the in-
cumbent. Vetoed bills. Billions
saved and conservative spend-
ing urged.
The other hand represents the
opposition. Promises warm and
cool, fast and slow, more mon-
ey going out with less coming
in. At the most he could deliver
peanuts.
No. When such a person
craves to play the Easter Bun-
ny and wants to give away 100

billion eggs, American eggs,
then there is no choice in that
booth. Not for myself nor for
any American who refuses to
wave the Hammer and Sickle.
Joe Spencer
September 17
To The Daily:
". . . And I would rather run
against Jimmy Carter than
Harlan Huckleby any day of
the week . .."
-Gerald R. Ford, President
of the United States
And as the battle of Ford and
Crisler ended with our hero,
girl in arm, sinking slowly un-
der the western stands, one had
to wonder - had 14,000 plus
people just witnessed the kick-
off (such an appropriate word)
of an incumbent's presidential
campaign, or . . . a pep rally
for the Michigan football team?
I'm still wondering.
The logic of Ford choosing
any college town, for his start,
even Ann Arbor, had to be ques-
tionable. But to refute an edi-
torial that appeared in The
Daily last Wednesday, the
choice was something akin
to Hitler making the first do-
nation to the United Jewish Ap-
peal. That analogy was absurd
and I wish to say that it does
not represent my opinion nor
the opinion of a goodly number
of my colleagues on the staff.
But the wisdom of Ford's
choice is nevertheless question-
able, considering the number of
educational spending bills he
has vetoed. And despite his sta-
tus as an alumnus (our most
famous or notorious, as you
will), Ford had to realize that
the liberal - minded and gen-
erally anti - Nixonian Michigan
student body would not erupt in
spontaneous applause at his ev-
erv phrase.
Quite apparently, Mr. Ford
did realize this. His defensive
measure was quite logical, if
not in the rhetorical traditions
of William Jennings Bryan and
Theodore Roosevelt.
That measure was to rouse
the students by having Bob

Ufer, the radio voice of who
knows how many Michigan
football games, as the master
of ceremonies, by having
George Cavender and his mar-
velous Michigan Band play
"The Victors" as often as it is
played in any given half of
Michigan football, and by mak-
ing numerous references to
Michigan's number one rank-
ing, to Harlan Huckleby, and
to Michigan's (and Mr. Ford's)
long winning tradition.
Those were the only things
that were going to keep sever-
al thousands of the throng from
remaining in a heckling mood
for the entire evening, barring
a positive reaction to the mys-
terious new policy that was
supposed to be talked about
and never was, and they work-
ed. Thanks to these sporty
measures and the deviant soul
who exploded some type of fire-
cracker two thirds of the way
throueh Mr. Ford's sneech, the
President experienced consid-
erably less heckling and con-
siderably more anplause at the
end of his speech than at the
beginning.
And anyone who heard the
President's sneech would have
to dobt that it was the few
concrete political issues that he
choose to sneak about (abor-
tion, amnesty and mariinana
were a few college-oriented
tonics that never did come un)
that kent the mood as spirited
as it was.
No, as Mr. Ford slinned onl
his "Michigan No. 1" jacket at
the end of his sneech, it was
annarent that foothall, not noli-
ties, had carried the President
through his sentimental iournev
back to Ann Arbor. Mr. Ford
commented that a recent noll
had shown that some 65 million
Amerionns may not go to the
nolls this November, for lack
of a candidate they are en-
this'd with.
After seeina foothnll ton noli-
tics, now T think T know why.
Andrew Glmer
Thnnvinq Snorsvtor
The Miehian D-40v

'U' band
To The Daily:
Thank you for your front page
story, "Communists Want 'U'
hand for rally" in your issue
of Friday, Sept. 16. You detail
the legitimate demand of the
Communist Party to hear the
strains of the bright music of
the University band when their
presidential candidate, Gus
Hall, speaks here Sept. 24.
Your strong investigative re-
porting blasts holes in the
farce, of a story released from
University public relations
that band appearances are de-
termined by a democratic vote
by student band members; re:
the band's choice in the ques-
tion of serenading President
Ford when he spoke here
Wednesday you quote one band
member (the faculty band di-
rector) "more or less implied
that the Regents told him he had
to play and he told us we'd be
playing . . . democratic band,
my ass. There was no vote,"
(on the Ford appearance).
As a citizen of the state of
Michigan I am outraged at this
blatant attempt of the Regents
and President Robben Fleming
to "Republicanize" this state
funded University that belongs
to all the people.
I am not a Communist but be-
long to that political party that
will inevitably put a resident
of Plains, Georgia in the Oval
Office in November, especially
with gratuitous one-sided politi-
cal party bloopers like the 'U'
Band - Ford incident to help
Jimmy.
As a member of the gay com-
mimity here, a definite despised
minority (but coming on), I
identify with my Communist
brothers and sisters who have
a right to be heard.
"Strike up the band" (non-
partisan please) Sept. 24-Com-
munist Gus Hall style. Let's
take democracy as a theory in
the University lecture hall out
into the bandroom and the
political arena.
Rev. Craig Wilder
September 17

Contact your reps
Sen. Phillip Hart (Dem.), 253 Russell Bldg., Capitol Hill,
Washington, D.C. 20515.
Sen. Robert Griffin (Rep.), 353 Russell Bldg., Capitol Hill,
Washington, D.C. 20515.
Rep. Marvin Esch (Rep.), 2353 Rayburn Bldg., Capitol Hill,
Washington, D.C. 20515.
Sen. Gilbert Bursley (Rep.), Senate, State Capitol Bldg.,
Lansing, MI 48933
Rep. Perry Bullard (Dem.), House of Representatives, State
Capitol Bldg., Lansing, MI 48933.
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Harlem? It sounds like a lessly harasses his sons and totally predictable play.
contradiction in terms - which daughter, and - adding insult THE CHARACTERS ar
is exactly what Five on the to injury - hasn't admitted a cisely as stereotypeda
Black Hand Side, the Univer- woman to his barbershop for morass they must work t
sity Theatre's opening proddc- fifteen years. Should a woman but some of them mana
tion, proved to be. The action, get too close to his precious keep their head above the
taking place in the Brooks fam- lathers and brushes, he and his Notable examples are Ch

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assistants are ready and armed
with a can of Lysol to rid the
premises of feminine germs.
Contributing to the cliche is
a wife who with a little help
from her friends, moves from
malleable to militant and pre-

Robinson as Stormy Monday
and J. W. Edward Jackson as
Booker T., Ron Parson as Rolls
Royce and Lydia Sims as the
Evangelist who almost makes
it into the barbershop. Bonita
Harvey as Mrs. Brooks





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