Page 4-Friday, June 8, 1979-The Michigan Daily 0 Michigan Daily Eighty-nine Years of Editorial Freedom 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48109 Vol. LXXXIX, No. 27-S News Phone: 764-0552 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Nuclear protesters benefit from previous movements I - ar AL i _ A _ Abortion action violates rights ASSACHUSETTS GOV. Edward King plans to sign an ultimatum to poor rape and in- cest victims of that state within a few days. Their choice: go to a butcher or carry a baby for nine months whose conception revolted and humiliated them. The move is expected to affect not only low- income women but thousands in the middle class as well. The measure would finance only those abortions necessary to save a mother's life. Abor- tion opponents argued that women can receive discounts or finance their abortions in installmen- ts. Early-term suction abortions run about $175, and saline abortions in later months cost $1,300 or more and require hospitalization. Many poor women cannot afford this extra burden and may be forced to earn it illegally. Meanwhile, Gov. William Milliken is trying to prevent Michigan's abortion law from becoming a Massachusetts replica. Circuit Court Judge Jack Warren ruled last Friday that Milliken im- properly exercised his veto power in trying to maintain Medicaid-paid abortions, because he illegally vetoed money in the budget. Attorney General Frank Kelley filed an emergency appeal of the ruling in' the Michigan Court of Appeals, asking the court to issue a stay to delay im- plementing Warren's decision. If the stay is denied, Medicaid payments for abortions will be cut off within a week. Milliken has fought hard to provide poor women with the same rights as their more affluent coun- terparts. He obviously sees the weakness in abor- tion foes' argument that taxpayers should not have to pay for someone else's mistake. This heartless viewpoint fails to consider the unfair- ness of forcing a woman to bear an unwanted child. One of the most disturbing factors of all is that men, who could not possibly understand what it feels like to be raped, pregnant, or bear a child, are forcing women to suffer the impact of their in- sensitive decisions. Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block state funding of abortions performed on welfare recipients in Illinois. Unfortunately, that decision applies only to residents of that state, and will affect other states only if their cases are heard by the high court. It is tragic to see women's basic rights to con- trol their own bodies swept away, especially after the hard-fought struggle seemed nearly over. Saturday's well-orchestrated protest against the construction of the Fermi II nuclear plant held outside Monroe illustrated traits of the anti-nuclear movement disappointing to the nuclear in- dustry. It is much more difficult to discredit this cause and its supporters than those of the six- ties. The anti-nuclear movement' has greater credibility and drawing power than its predecessors because the issue affects everyone personally, and its leaders have benefited wisely from the evolution of civil disobedience. Anti-war protesters could be easily discounted as disrespectful, spoiled kids who shirked respon- sibilities by not going to or'sup-' porting the war. INSTEAD OF attacking the en- tire system, nuclear opponents only ask to be assured of safety and relieved from the maladies of atomic power. This refined pur- pose has helped attract support spanning age groups and political affiliation. Many of the movement's members ascribe to other liberal causes, but other- wise conservative and. non- activists also have joined the drive. Activism and events of the last two decades swept away the mystique and cloak of blind patriotism that previously precluded challenge of the government. The new iconoclasts are questioning another segment of the power elite, big business's sacred cow-profits. The profitability and monopoly of private utility companies invites suspicion of their concern for the public's safety and pocketbooks. This suspicison is partly based on fear aroused by the unknown dangers of operating nuclear power plants. Reports of body counts and bombings were direct and somewhat verifiable during the Vietnam war. But no one really knows the effect low levels of radiation have on human By JUDY RAKOWSKY organisms, or when the' impact will become apparent. Of course, the Three Mile Island accident exacerbated such fears. BUT THE MOVEMENT has not been sustained by mere paranoia. The methods of civil disobedience which proved effec- tive throughout the sixties and early seventies are .now being prudently employed. It is now realized that media reports on the number of arrests , made at a demonstration distorts and muffles the protest's message. Anti-nuke leaders ap- parently recognize that violence is also counter-productive. Therefore, great pains have been taken to maintain the non-violent and legal nature of rallies. Unlike most previous movements, the media has awarded nuclear critics greater credibility by reducing sarcasm and bias. Many protest reports in the past were patronizing or regarded demonstrators as ex- cessively dangerous. The seriousness of the Three Mile Island accident and the memory of the near meltdown of Fermi I 'contrbiute greatly to the attitude the media has taken toward this cause. MARSHALS AT the Monroe rally were ready to quell any "bad vibes." This internal con- trol was sufficient, and the nearest police car was stationed about a half mile from Nuke Park. The die-in and funeral possession which followed the rally exemplified pacifism. It is difficult to draw people to an event, even if they support the cause, if they perceive possible, danger. It is doubtful that the elderly nuns and mothers with in- fants would have attended the Monroe rally if they anticipated violence or arrests. Since neither of these undesirable elements were found, they probably carried away a positive im- pression of protests which they are likely to spread. The absence of violence ap- pears to be due to the contem- porary mood and high degree of organization. The contrast to the sixties and early severties ,reveals a different frame of mind for the entire country. The civil rights and anti-war movements both begun with intense anger and members searched for ways to direct it. The fervent emotions were released sometimes con- structively, but often destruc- tively. Consuming anger at once acted as a contagion to potential supporters and created aversion among its targets. AT NIKE PARK, anger and fervor emanated from the speakers and entertainers on stage, but listeners echoed much fainter emotions. Unlike enraged Nixon and Agnew who promised to quash anti-war demon- strations, utility officials have refrained from emotional outbur- sts themselves. Nevertheless, utilities have been pressuring the intelligence community to keep nuclear power critics under sur- veillance as "potential" or "iden- tified" terrorists. Although no terrorist operations have been directed against a nuclear plant in this country, groups such as the Clamshell Alliance are included in the State Department's roster of terrorist organizations. The group has employed only the traditional tactics of non-violent protest and civil disobedience in its fight against the construction of a reactor at Seabrook, New Hampshire. But protesters' reduced anger is sitive signal rather than a mar of apathy. The nuclear in- dustry cannot be combatted with angry voices in a grassy field near a plant under construction. The important battles take place in legislatures, courts, and executive committees throughout the land. Articulate, credible evidence is a far better weapon in such battles than uncontrolled emotions. Judy Rakowsky is the Daily editorial director. IF l6d tE 5C6CAR7P OF TIE F WE WtERE SCARP OF I F lF ER5 CAREV OF CAVE-INS 5EA OE' HAUQA.Yr HAVEHAG 'RAW wRECKS WE .vcT WE WcvsO'uT OAVE MapCoAl. SHIPS. HAVE HAP R~AICROAVS. IF Wt OWE SCAREP OF PLACE IF WE 6 VE' 13 TO THE ABtsRHA. CRA'HES liE' a.(Lt'"T HAVE' FEAR OF RAPIATlOt. WE' WTHT HAVE- HAP AIPRu6S WCC6AR( 6&)6R~c' + f 'u' SPRING EDITORIAL STAFF A Jacksonville, Florida police teamis selling T-shirts to try to ELIZABETH SLoWIK raise money to go to a tour- Editor-in-Chief N O nament. The $5 shirts bear a UDYtRAKOWSKYalr drawing, of Florida's electric EdiaE rchair and the words "1 down-133 ArtsODirector C oK r£'to to go!" The slogan refers to the MAUREENO'MALLEY k, recent. execution of ,John LSAUDE Nk a convicted mur- derer: The 133 is ,the number of condemned inmates on death row-the highest number of any state in the nation. Phil Kearney, a robbery detec- tive and member of the softball team said the shirts merely reflect support for the death penalty. Kearney also said sales are open to the general ppblic but the 'antici-pated mat'ket 'is' law enforcementofficers. -