Snatwunv. May 11. 1974 THE MICHIGAN DAILY t %A' ' J- Y daily dialogue sexploitation To The Daily: WE, concerned organizations of the Ann Arbor community condemn the growing tendency for the use of sexually oppres- sive cinema for financial bene- fit. We find unacceptable such films' portrayal of women or men as sex objects, homosexual- ity as sick or inherently unsatis- fying, and rape or sexual vio- lence as natural, primal de- sires. Such presentation of warped attitudes toward s e x must be differentiated f r o m mere explicit sex. While the latter is not sexist in and of itself, the former tends to re- inforce the myths that b o c k neaningful relationships between people. Within the last few weeks, there have been some prime examples of what we find ob- jectionable. To start with, New World Film Co-op, an alleged- ly radical organization, h a s sponsored the showing of two obviously sexually abusive films, "Behind the Green Door" and "The Devil in Miss Jones". Both of these films promoted rather obvious myths concern- ing human sexuality. Lesbian sex scenes in both movies serv- ed to illustrate not the suppor- tive and feminist aspects of les- bianism, but rather that lesbian- ism runs a poor second to he- terosexual sex, and the glorifi- cation of the male penis in par- ticular. The movie "Behind the Green Door" helped to perpe- tuate the rape mentality by suggesting that women actually desire their own rape. T h e movie "Straw Dogs'", presented as a benefit for the Indochina Peace Campaign (in coopera- tion with Friends of Newsreel) nvas another example. In a handout publicizing the event, Newsweek was quoted as ap- plauding the movie because: "It flawlessly expresses his (the director's' primitive vis- ion . . . that manhood requires rites of violence . . . that a man must conquer other mens to prove his courage and hold on to his womar." The brutal -sae in the mvi was described as "a masterful piece of erotic cinema, a flawless actin ot of the female fantasy of at- solute violation." We find this particularly ou rageous because this film and the accompanying publicity was presented under the name f toe Indochina Peace Campaign. An organization such as I.P.C. has an obligation to condemn su hn presentations which advocate the very same mentality which was so responsible for the vio- lence of the Vietnam War, par- ticularly the overt sexual vio- lence towards Vietnamese wo- men, THE SAME weekend "0 _ e p Throat" was shown as a ene- fit for the Bullard Action Now Group (BANG). This would seem to ilustrate State Sena- tor Perry Bullard's lack of re- sponsibility in assisting t h is community's effort to combat sexual oppression. Another allegedly radical or- ganization, Friends of N e w s- reel, has also shirked its respon- sibility towards the progressive movement. Their presentation of movies such as "Prime Cut'.- helps perpetuate the commo: Hollywood treatment of women as property. While not questioning the fi- nancial instability of such groups, we believe that if such sexually abusive media is re- quired to fulfill those needs, then there is inherently some- thing wrong with the organiza- tional structure. This criticism should rot be confused with the repressive at- tempts by the Regents of the University of Michigan to poli- tically and financially c ntrol campus film groups. We are rather calling for the vsnntary e'd to the presentation of such sexually ar -re films. -Ann Arbor Free People's Clinic Ann Arbor Health Care Collective Ann Arbor Sun American Veterans Movement --Ann Arbor Chapter Feminists in Struggle Together (FIST) Gay Awareness Women's Kollective (GAWK) Iman Rights Party Radical Student Union Community Center Coordinat- ing Council (C4) Representing: Drug Help Ozone House Community Switchboard Creative Arts Workshop Community Center Project Ann Arbor Student Movement Herself alternative To The Daily: FOR THOSE of you (mostly faculty) who have been pres- sured into donating to the Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital Building Fund by professional hard sell tactics such as slick radio ads, smooth newspaper ads, flashy bumper stickers & posters, or more subtly by your boss, your banker, or your organization president, I would like to offer an alternative. - I would like to remind you that if you will donate the amount of money asked by Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital Building Fund (SJMHBF) to the Summit or Packard Street Med- ical Clinics, the return on every dollar invested (the amount of medical care that one dollar can purchase) will be far great- er with nearly 100 per cent of that dollar reaching people in the form of direct medical care and services. On the contrary, the dollar donated to SJMHBF will he eaten up by the archi- tects, the contractors, the ce- ment companies, and the fancy equipment manufacturers. If you want to donate to improved medical care, donate to Sum- mit and Packard Clinics. If you want to donate to the con- struction industry, donate to SJMHBF. I know that Summit and Pack- ard Street Clinics need y o u r dollars desperately. I also know that Washtenaw County needs Summit and Packard Street Clinics because they provide the only low-cost, comprehen- sive, neighborhood health care in this county, and that the me- dical care at these clinics is far superior to that available at Saint Joseph's Walk-In Clines or at any emergency room facil- ities. THE NEED for Summit and Packard and the Free People's Clinic to provide care is greater than ever, especially now that SJMH is definitely moving away from the Ann Arbor cons- munity. The SJMH Walkan Clinic is a good idea, and is one of the necessary conditions complied to before SJMH was given regional approval to re- locate outside the center of population; unfortunately, SJMII Walk-In Clinic is not meeting the needs of low income persons. For example, a 20 minute visit (after waiting one hour) costs $20.00 as my personal billing can prove. The charge is $S.00 for a physician, $5.00 for the Clinic Fee, $5.00 for lab-work, and the extra $5.00 is probably for the building fund. Donations can be sent direct- ly to those clinics in care of Dr. Edward Pierce, and Dr. Gerald Walden. Both of these men are unaware of my attempts to seek funds for their clinics; however, I would like to invite them, the community boards of both clin- ics, and all persons who believe in quality medical care at the primary level to dip deep into their pockets and donate to these clinics. You wil be getting your money's worth. The SJMH build- ing will be paid for by the fi- nance companies, bonds, and the higher cost of medical care over a long period of time, but Stmnmit and Packard need your dollars now. Please help main- tain quadity, low-cost, neighbor- hood medical care and preven- tive services in our community. Please donate to Summit and Packard Clinics. -Kathleen M. Fojtik May 8 amplification To The Daily: THE FEAR and paranoia of Middle America was on display this past Saturday at the Uni- versity of Michigan graduation ceremonies. Political differences escalated to physical confronta- tion. While the demonstrators grabbed many headlines, it was the police as usual who did most of the grabbing (and shoving and beating) at the pleasure of Middle America's respectables and their offspring who refused to walk out of Crisler Arena and join the protest. The well-dressed and w e 11- chauffered came to see an an- cient tradition. They also came to hear and encourage the em- erging white knight of the "si- lent majority": Gerry F o r d . The minority was not silent in- side Crisler. Minorities never are. It is they who most clearly perceive controversy and con- Wall Street Crofters Introduction in Weaving and Batik Afternoons and evenings and Saturday mornings 930 Wall Street Phone 662-0789 tradictions in any society. More than that, they feel it. No won- der they shout. It is either shout or be trampled by the si- lence and its majority! R o b b e n Fleming obviously cannot understand this. fle preaches that "spray paiint on walls, militant protest demon- strations and strikes offer no so- lutions." Has he ever stopped to think that the person on the street cannot stand up to a well- amplified microphone any time he pleases? Has he ever thought that not everyone can dispense platitudes while hiding behind the title of office, or a 24 per cent more expensive academic degree and the artificial respect that these garner? The average person has to make his own time and place to heear. Am- plification? It is called SHOUT- ING, Mr. Fleming. FLEMING'S WORSHIP of ci- vility and non-controversy lead him to an even bigger fantasy: "There are problems which we will simply have to learn to live with." Which problems, Robin, yours or ours? I, frankly, do not wish to give up the struggle for solutions that easily. Mil- lions of oppressed minorities will not do so, either. That, Mr. Fleming, is reality. Shouting will continue until solutions, not words of pacifica- tion, are offered and tried. The silent majority is going to have to become deaf, if it wants si- lence -- in Crisler or anywhere else. Are you listening? -Bill Gruen May 7 disappointment To The Daily: REPRESENTATIVE Pe r r y Bullard has been a major pro- ponent of a House bill to require meetings of public boards and commissions to be open to the public, for which he is to be highly commended. He has pro- vided leadership in othe: areas in efforts to "open up the sys- tem". It therefore is a surprise and a disappointment to learn that on April 9 he (and Rep. Gary Owen of Ypsilanti) voted against an amendment to a campaign Page Five financing bill which would have eliminated a ma'or loophole in that bill. The loophole wou'd al- low cash contributions and fund-raising tickets of less than $25.00 to go unreported. As a recent Detroit Free Press edi- torial pointed out, the amount may seem small but this lotp- hole (and another big one which allows too many varieties of in- kind contributon.s to escape re- porting) would allow thousands and thousands of dollars to flow into political campaxgns witho-t being reported. These loopholes should be eliminated when the house takes up the bill again in the weeks ahead. I hope Representatives Bullard and Owen will recon- sider their positions and I urge their constituents to communi- cate with them and rcqlues; such a change in poi tion. -Marilyn Thayer May 7 Ai THIS WEEKEND 8:30 $2.50 FRI.-SAT. NORMAN BLAKE lead guitar for Cash, Carter, Dylan, Kristofferson, Hartford, etc., etc. 141114111, STRE 1finaSl .. i'p r r . t. BRUCE LEE FRED WILLIAMSON In In a BLACK EYE martial arts double feature and '- Godfrey Cambridge ENTEW THE with DRAGON Raymond St. Jacques In and FISTS OF FURY COME BACK CHARLESTON rated R BLUE sated R Mixed League Bowling SIGN UP TODAY ! OPEN 11 AM, U-M Union Lanes DIALECTIC STRUCTURING' MFAY.5--1840 at the tUNION GALLERY (1st floor, Michigan Union) Screen Prints by MARTHA KELLER and JOAN HARKNESS gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.