Eighty-Seven Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Friday, October 22, 1976
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Round 3:* Going for TK O
TONIGHT, ON THE campus of the
College of William and Mary, the
rubber match of the Presidential de-
bates between Gerald Ford and Jim-
my Carter will take place. Round
three shapes up as an exciting and
crucial contest, with both candidates
having one victory apiece in the pre-
vious two rounds, and each desper-
ately needing a win in the deciding
match.
As a result and coupled with the
trend towards mud-slinging that has
marked each man's campaign recent-
ly, the debate has promise of being
the real incendiary affair that the
first two were billed to be, but fell,
far short of.
Tonight, the topics for debate will
not be limited to either foreign or
dpmestic policy questions, as were
the first two jousts, so the candi-
dates should be able to manipulate
the conversation to their livelier in-
dividual fortes, thereby sparking a
livelier exchange.
THE DEBATE SHOULD hold inter-
est for all types of people. For the
serious minded elector trying to de-
cide which man to cast his or her
ballot for, it will probably be the last
chance to see the two candidates
face to face discussing the issues. A
large percentage of the populace re-
mains undecided on who to vote for,
the debate may help them decide.
For the party followers and others
who have already made their choice,
the debate offers them a chance to
cheer for their man, and reinforce
the belief in their candidate.
FOR THE MORE CYNICAL, the
debate offers the chance to see which
candidate can make the most blun-
ders, and evade the issues the long-
est. What new "Eastern Europe"'
statements will come out? Will there
be sound for 90 minutes, and is sound
necessary to enjoy and learn from
the debate? Or is watching Ford grip
the lecturn in a show of strength,
and Carter smiling with his hands
folded piously enough to differenti-
ate their respective ideologies?
For prospective journalists, it
should be interesting to see how well
the panel of questioners controls the
tempo of the debate, and whether
or not they pin the candidates down
on certain questions such as abor-
tion, General Brown, and the B-1
bomber.
Regardless of where one's political
sympathies or antipathies lie, one
and all are urged to tune in to the
great debate. Make it a party, gather
the friends together, guzzle a few
sixes and watch the fireworks.
TODAY'S STAFF:
News: Susan Ades, Nick Katsaules,
Bill Turque, Ann Marie Schiavi, Ken
Parsigian, Bill Yaroch, Bob Rosen-
baum, Ann Marie Lipinski, Pauline
Toole, Patty Montemurn
Absurdnn rbor housin
scene:e ,tenant s fih enant
By RICKY DUTKA peoples' needs. Recent Ann then sign a lease for the same to alleviate the housing crisis "heightening the emotional
TENANTS versus tenants? It Arbor history has shown how- place to another group the next somewhat, by building more pect" "I had sympathy
may sound unusual after ever, that united tenants can day, at a higher price" corn- student housing with a low in- him," added Ken, "and
after hearing about the contin- force the hand of the landlord mented Jonathan Rose, attor- terest government loan; but the whole situation was logami
ual battle between Ann Arbor into providing at least mini- ney at Campus Legal Aid. Regents sat on it, quibbled, and by the'housing situation."F
landlords and tenants, but giv- mally decent living conditions. "Many people don't realize they finally voted it down. The loan ally after much pressure,;
en the severe housing shortage Struggles for collective bargain- have the legal right to fight this offer has now expired. Thus a threat to change the o
in Ann Arbor, tenants are forc- ing, rent rebates, and mainte- and sue the landlord. They end more and more students are (which the tenants were ev
ed to compete and, sometimes, nance have all been won in the up searching all over again for forced into the private housing wally forced to go thro
even fight, over their shelter. past few years because of unit- a new place, and usually have a market, either by losing out in with), the subletter left.
Overnight in line in front of ed struggles. Still, we are at the right to compensation for their the dorm lottery or having to anxious "victory" for thet
a realty company is not un- beginning of the road, faced time, trouble, and expenses." opt for a more comfortable sit- ants, yet another tenant on
common in this town of tenant with one of the highest rent For example, 10 p.m. one Fri- nation than crowded dorms can streets in an impossible bin
desperation. Last year, a realty rates in the country and no day night, a group of desper- provide. In addition, because
manager was awakened in the controls over the landlord sys- ate searchers received a call students often lack transporta- IT SEEMS AS if there
middle of the night with a tem in general. in Detroit from a landlord who tion, they are forced into a many such tenants "on.
phone call notifying her of a A chaotic scramble is set in had promised to show them a very concentrated area close to streets", especially in Aug
"riot" in the lobby of her of- motion when people arrive in house the next morning. The campus. Landlords can be as- "August is the worst time
fice. The "riot" turned out to town to find a place to rent - landlord told them he was about sured of renting each unit des- tenant squabbles," nted
be merely students camping out rents are outrageous, mainte- to sign a lease with another pite its quality - they have a VISTA lawyer at Legal
for the night in order to as- nance is poor, housing is ex- group unless they came up to desperate and captive clientele. who recently had a rash of s
sure themselves of a place to tremely limited (to the point Ann Arbor right away. They All the while, the banks rake in cases. "People are desper
live the coming fall. But if it of being considered unhealthy, jumped into their car right the money, and the landlords they no longer have time
wasn't a riot then, there could according to conclusions of the away in order not to lose a increase their soaring profits play around with." Often
have been one in the incident President's Commission on chance to end their headaches. in various, and often unseen result is a small apartment
that followed. Housing), and to top it off, ev- ways (to be described. in a ing rented to quite a few p
Karen and Barb, two Univer- eryone seems to be searching THE LANDLORD W A S future article). ple. If tenants who don't k
sity students, took turns in line for a place at the same time: asleep when they arrived, so one another fight bitterly, t
during the all-night haul; they ,a back-biting "me-first" atti- the tenants woke him up to dis- GIVEN THIS ANXIETY tenants who do, i.e. thosev
and the others had devised an tude comes to the fore. cuss terms immediately; a ridden situation, it is no won- live together, can really fo
informal list to assure every- oral agreement was made, to der that tenants often forget slits in their relations
one s maintaining their place ,ONCE OFF THE rental line be written up the next week, where to point the finger; and when they live in an o
in the line. As the doors opened and on to the open trail, the after-,they moved in. End of even if they do recognize the crowded apartment.
at 8 a.m. on March 1, everyone search for a place can get even hassles? No, just the beginning. oppressive landlord-tenant sys- One tenant in this type of
was calm. Just after 8 however, tougher. After quite a few frus- Two days after moving in, a tem, the fact remains that hous- uation told me that therev
a woman "excused herself" trating experiences, K., an ac- new group of people arrived at ing is a basic necessity. Every- "no privacy at all," and
through the crowd and entered tivist in the Tenants' Union, and their front door with a signed one who is out there struggling housemates, who were frie
the office in front of everyone her friends, luckily happened lease in hand, and demanded to sign a lease on a decent to begin with, fought all y
else, as her friend aggressively upon an unadvertised "secial". possession of the house. Since apartment can be viewed as long. "When people had a t
pushed to keep up. Once in, the Soon enough, four groups of an intense conflict flared up im- your competition - at times, lack of privacy, they took
two ran over, grabbed a num- tenants (including kI's) were mediately, with both groups even your enemy. out on one another instead
ber off the "official" rental vying for the same house. "I getting riled, they all agreed As we've seen, finding a place forcing the landlord into de
company board, and began to immediately developed a hatred to hold a meeting with the and maintaining possession is ing a more livable situation.
sign a lease. Naturally all those for those other people and I'm landlord, and some friends to one problem: forcing an illegal The stories go on 'and
who had waited many hours inin the Tenants' Union", K. ad- act as mediators. The meeting tenant out of your apartment is Landlords playing tenants
line screamed out bitterly that mitted to me. She pushed her turned into the first of many quite another. Ken, an art stu- on one another, making ren
all had gone awry. Karen ex- way through the crowd, and battles between the tenants. A dent, and his roommates left for one anartment to avoi
plained the tenants' list to the against the advice she'd give heated argument developed, their apartment to subletters unified strike against them,E
employees, but to no avail; they anyone coming into the Ten- with abusive language thrown for the summer. Upon Ken's However, the point here se
were informed by the manager ants' Union office, she cursorily back and forth, an anxiety for return, the began to gather not to be who has experien
that if the tenants couldn't en- insnected the premises and all. the tenants involved. The some friends together to live in the worst of a bad situation,
force their own system, then the told the landlady she'd take it; landlord, who was assured of the anartment the coming fall. what that situation drives e
"official" system would be in spite of the fact that the being sued no matter who won, There was one snag, however; one of us, as tenants, into,
valid. The two intruders signed house was under construction, remained quiet. one of the subletters refused to some form or another A m
a lease Ps the others watched, with a vague completion date, move out. Ken told me that he united front of tenants co
restraining their frustration and and still no walls. Despite the UPON RETuRNTNG TO the reneatedly asked the guy to alter the housing crisis sig
anger. Another couple finally offer, the landlady demanded house a few days later, the or- find a place quickly becanse of cantly, and that union is ba
s p o k e up, expressing the that all the gron go (i.e.. race) iginal group discovered all their the Ann Arbor housing crunch. needed since it is obvious
crowd's rage, and asked, "What over to her office to fill out belongings on their front porch "He looked high and low Tiut mot tenants that a crisis
the ?-?-?-? is going on?" The anlications. Cars were revved and a locked door in their face. the rents were outrageous," said ists and that landlords will
rental company immediately in- in and the race was on. K. The police refused to come Ken, but there was another make moves to remedy it
formed them that they would coldn't believe it. since it was a civil matter, and difficnlty. The subletter had their own. The tenant t
not receive a lease on account "I even perceived these ten- so the incident became a full- submitted two conflicting ap- proves to be your competi
of their "poor attitude." People ants as my enemies, . . . ev- blown legal case that is still plications to a management today, may be the one v
began to threaten the two wn. eryone gave each other the evil pending 1% years later. "We company and they refused to heps you in the near future
men, vowing to find out their eve." and filled out checks and didn't want to sue the other rent to him. So, as we all do advance the entire tenant str
address The two responded by annlications as quickly as pos- tenants," one tenant told me, when caught in a tight situa- ele for low-cost quality ho
telling the crowd not to "be so sible. The landlady announced "but given the whole situation, tion, the subletter stalled. Evic- ing. .
immature." "I felt like strand- that she'd call everyone in two . . . the lack of housing, the tion procedures would have tak-
ling them," Karen told me, "It days, thus placing all the ten- (new) tenants were forced to en 30 days - too long for the WHEN IT COMES down
was so frustrating, there were ants in the tenuous position of stay there. I felt bad about the new tenants, yet they weren't tenants versus tenants, th
only a few two-bedroom apart- having to reject alternative whole thing. There was strong ready to risk, as many land- may be short-term winners b
ments. We didn't lose out, but leases in the meantime. After animosity whenever we saw lords are, using illegal eviction in the long rn, only the la
many others did." Even a com- all the hassle, K. didn't get the them. I know we should try to procedures. A situation develop- lords, management compan
pany manager admitted, "It's house. keep good relations among ten- ed which frequently flared up and banks are the victors. T
just a madhouse." ants and unite against land- into extremely heated argu-
EVEN WHEN TENANTS do lords, but is really became a ments between the subletter, nrofit (literally) from ev
FIGHTING OVER SHELTER? finally find a suitable place to conflict between the tenants," Ken, and Ken's lawyer. More- tight housing situation. And
It sounds so primitive: some- live, they can have their new she paused, reflected, and then over, the subletter devised a is quite difficult for tenants
thing that shouldn't occur in a apartment pulled right out from added, "It seems like that's routine whereby he arose very avoid that situation since,
nation as wealthy as ours. But under them, if they're not exdctly what the landlord early every morning and re- e a S,,
the economics of the landlord- aware of their legal, rights. trned after Ken was asleep, one tenant put it, "you've got
tenant relationship give rise to "We've seen landlords agree to wanted to happen." thus avoiding any confronta- *find a place (to live) that's
housing based on profit, not on rent to one group of people and The University had a chance tions, but, as Ken put it, given."
____ ____ ____ ___ ____ ____ _ t
as-
for
the
med
Fin-
and
cks
ent-
ugh
An
ten-
the
d.
are
the
ust.
for
a
Aid,
uch
ate,
to
the
be-
peo-
now
han
who
ster
hips
ver-
sit-
was
the
nds
ear
otal
it
of
vis-
on.
off
airs
da
etc.
MS
ced
but
ach
in
ore
)uld
nifi-
idly
to
ex-
not
on
hat
tion
who
to
nlg-
)us-
to
ere
but,
nd-
ies,
hey
ery
I it
to
as
to
a
Editorial Page: Tom Stevens,
Meachum, Michael Beckman
Rob
Arts Page: Lois Josimovich
Photo Technician: Freeberg
.1
z? \
RUSSIAD~s.'
ptyiifEt KAUUKE_,R
hu
- .
THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL ,
'Other than that, how do you think the debate went?'
Perspective
by W. L. SCHELLER
rin eaves by Elham Elahi
AND HAVNNG wmr, tvtoV 'S OW,,
.
, wr r
iu
1
t t
r
t
r".
.
IOTA h
APARTHEIDIS A WORD
with wide ranging mean-
ings, or rather interpretations.
To the blacks of Southern Afri-
ca it symbolizes the last ,ves-
tiges of colonialism, while im-
posing on them restrictions that
limit their upward mobility in
society. To the world apartheid
is the image of man's cruelty to
man, an abomination which
must be removed. To white
Southern Africans apartheid is
a means of survival.
Rhodesia is now on the road
to majority rule. Threatened by
civil war and vastly superior
numbers of the blacks, Prime
Minister Ian Smith condescend-
ed to turn the government over
to the majority. South Africa,
though facing internal tensions
of it's own, does not face the
urgency felt in Salisbury.
LET US BRIEFLY construct
a picture of apartheid within
an historical and racial context.
In the early part of the seven-
teenth century most of southern
Africa was a sparsely populated
area inhabited mainly by the
bushmen. By the middle of the
century black tribesmen were
beginning to move in from Con-
tral Africa, and absorbing the
bushmen as they went. In 1652
Dutch settlers connected with
the Dutch East India Company,
known as the "Boors", estab-
lished what is now Cape Town.
The British cameon the scene
in 1795 when they acqiuired
many Dutch colonies after win-
ning a war against France and
Holland.
EARLY IN THE process fric-
tions and tensions were build-
ing and many bloody wars were
fought. Under the great mili-
tarv strategist Shaka, the Zulu
. .ri r, r..n A 0 t' infl,,,.n.r
mountains of Lerotho and what
has become the Orange Free
State and the Transvaal. Un-
der the leader Moshesh various
factions of the Basuto tribe
were gathered together and mi-
grated to Lesotho where they
made war on the Boorish farm-
ers.
Already in 1835 the need for
separation of the races was ex-
pressed in the first constitu-
tion of what is now the Trans-
vaal. It called for "as much
social freedom as possible and
no equality between colored
people and whites in either
church or state." This was
very much the beginning of
apartheid." Afrikaaner nation-
alism grew from the period of
1850-1875 and culminated in a
war with the British lasting
from 1899-1901, which the Brit-
ish won.
SO WHAT WE have in effect
is a land composed of 5 tribes,
3 black; the Zulu, the Basuto
and the Zhoso, and 2 "white"
tribes: theBoors and the Brit-
ish. All these factions have
been warring for centuries and
both white men and black men
can legitimately claim to have
"been there first", in that they
all came to a sparsely settled
r e g i o n away from their
"homes" andtsettled there.
Apartheid then is in many
ways a logical progression of
history, in that it is a means of
keeping the races or factions
apart and should provide an
easing of the friction between
them.
The solution to minority rule
has so far been the immediate
transition to majority rule. But
should this historically be the
case and is the majority cap-
able of governing?
THE WORLD IN GENERAL,
Illusory Vote
S LEONARD FEIN has contended, "The his-
tory of politics, in fact, may be viewed as a
succession of attempts to find effective ways of
resolving conflict." What is missing in the pic-
ture of such a scheme is that those involved in
the conflicts are always the elite of society, a
handful of men who have control over resources:
power, wealth, education, prestige, information,
a better ability for communication, and organiz-
ation. This fundamental point must be kept in
mind in order to get a good whiff of the political
winds blowing hither and thither through the
tubes across T. V. Land, U.S.A.
It is the elites, not masses, which govern
America. Life in "democracies" in this nuclear,
technological age is shaped by a handful of men,
just as in "totalitarian" societies. The scope of
conflict among the ruling elite in. America is
actually much narrower than one would think
from the vehement speeches, stern fingerpoint-
ing, and general racket and clatter which our
media choose to present to us. The sanctity of
property, limited government, and individual
freedom are shared beliefs by dominant actors
in American politics. From here, carry that
where you may but as the Iranian expression
goes, "you'll get the same old soup and the same
old bowl in the end."
NUMEROUS SCIENTIFIC studies have shown
that it is the elite who are committed to demo-
cratic values while the common man /woman has
little toleration for diversity, individual liberty,
or freedom of expression toward those who chal-
lenge the existing order - the masses are apa-
thetic and ill-informed. The irony of democracy
is that elite must govern wisely if "government
by the people" is to survive. If democracy de-
pended on a well-informed, enlightened public,
democracy but how democracy (to the extent
it exists) and individual freedom could have sur-
vived when most people do not support these
principles in general. It seems that it is more
mass apathy rather than elite activism that is
the key. Is it any wonder why so many Ameri-
cans are shunning the polls in this election;year?
ONE STUDY ELICITED causes of apathy
from among the electorate who failed to vote.
The 'perceived reasons could be listed as .,
threatening consequences (not necessarilyrthe
FBI or CIA but rather one's everyday friends
in the community), 2. futility of political ac-
tivism, and 3. absence of stimulation, causing
interest or participation. It seems that four nec-
essary conditions must be present so that elec-
tions cease being imperfect instruments of ac-
countability. They are, 1. compelling candidates
to offer clear policy alternatives, 2. voters must
be aware of and concerned with policy choices,
3. Majority preferences of issues must be iden-
tifiable through elections and 4. Finally, offic-
ials must be held accountable for their cam-
paign pledges.
The point is that elections are primarily a
symbolic exercise to give legitimacy to the es-
tablished order among the masses. Electoral
participation does not -enable them to deter-
mine public policy. At the same time mass opin-
ion is unstable, not bound to principle, and sub-
ject to change. As Dye and Zeigler have so elo-
quently stated, "It is the irony of democracy
that the responsibility for the survival of demo-
cratic values depends upon elites, not masses."
IF THE MASSES seem more apathetic this
election year, it is because of the media's greater
focus upon their disconcern and the improper
standard behavior of government. Not matter
how you slice it, it's still the same old soup and
the saue old howl . . The maior themes of