Saturday, August 10, 1974
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page
Saturday, August 10, 1974 THE MICHIGAt'-J DAiLY Page
.1 Letters: Fan mail and advice
to be fair, hardworking, honest, Using the first approach, but don't denounce a judicial prehensible conduct. R
and sincere. He always tries to Judge Elden comes fairly close candidate for merely having they go to the fact tha
do justice within the constraints to the ideal profile, although his made an unpopular decision, should have been more s
of the law and legal system. personal prejudices no doubt The whole world does not re- tive to the fact that the p
i I nare an influence in his decis- volve around the $5 done law. are seeking to isolate stu
I HAVE NO doubts that when ions. Since his philosophies are supporters as outside agits
Judge Elden ruled against the probably more conservative -Randy Phillips But such political criti
dope law that he did so only af- than mine or the editorial staff August 9, 1974 pales in comparison to the
ter careful consideration of the of The Daily, those prejudices gust I feel at the role of
legal arguments on both sides. may go against my interests at gu Ann Arbor Police in prote
I am sure that he was convinc- times. But on the whole Judge the interests of the Argus
ed that the law required him to Elden has proven himself to be To The Daily: poration as they seek to i
make the decision that he a good judge under the first SINCE THE Tuesday edition the wishes of their empl
made. approach. of The Michigan Daily attri- expressed in a democrati,
C That ruling itself can not re: Many neonle would arge that buted an inaccurate quotation erally supervised election.
Five
ather
t he
ensi-
olice
udent
ators.
.ici3:n
edis-
f the
cting
Cor-
gnore
oyees
, fed-
Elden
To The Editor:
I WAS QUITE disturbed at
your harsh attack of District
Court Judge S. J. Elden in your
recent endorsements.
Your paper called Judge Eld-
en a "reactionary" without any-
thing to his judicial credit.
Clearly, you based this state-
ment as well as all the other
endorsements in the judgeship
race primarily on the $5 dope
ordinance. Since Judge Elden
ruled against Ann Aroor's first
$5 law, your paper deduced that
he -must be a reactionary and
a conservative.
To equate that decision with a
"reactionary" character shows
an ignorance of the legal and
judicial process.
As a law student working for
student legal aid this past year,
I have had the opportunity to
appear and argue cases before
Judge Elden. I have found him
flect upon his own social and
political philosophies, and Judge
Elden may very well favor the
de-criminalization of marijuana
use and other victimless crimes
as I do.
Despite the above, I do not
wish to imoly that I either vot-
ed for Judge Elden or support-
ed him in the recent primary.
I did not, but it still remains
that your endorsement was ur-
fair to the man.
I believe there are two alter-
native approaches to choose
from in deciding who to vote
for for judge.
FIRST, WILL he or she be a
fair. honest, objective, and im-
partial jodicial officer, i.e., the
supposed ideal profile of a
judge in our legal system?
Second, will he or she vigor-
ously protect those interests
which most clearly reflect the
voter's own political and social
philosophies - perhaps even to
the disadvantage of other inter-
est groups?
only the first approach is pro-
per in choosing a judge, but I
believe that certain interests
which are not now being ade-
quately protected need vigorous
protection in order to balance
the inequities caused by some
bad judges and bad law.
I HAVE worked to defend
tenants and the accused for the
past year at legal aid, and my
interests center around the pro-
tection of the rights of those
two groups. Thus, I voted for
Donald Koster based upon the
sescond approach. My decision
was not an easy one to make,
because I have a great deal of
respect for judge Elden and his
judicial abilities.
In the future, I would sug-
gest that you make very clear
the real reason for your choic-
es. If it is because you think
your endorsed candidate will be
very favorable to the positions
or interests you support or wish
to see protected, then say Lo,
to me as a person who alleged-
ly "wished to remain anony-
mous', I feel compelled to set
the record straight.
The Daily stated that I had
said that Mark Zucker, a stu-
dent supporter of the Argus
strike arrested on the picket
line by the Ann Arbor police,
had blocked a car. I did not
say that, and he did not do it.
It is curious that the police
originally stated to me and oth-
ers at the picket line that Zuck-
er had struck a car with a
picket sign. After we pointed
out that the police had not even
checked the car for evidence of
the charge, they "adjusted" the
crime to obstructing traffic
when he was booked. S i n c e
the car which Zucker alleged-
ly obstructed managed to pro-
coed through the picket line un-
escorted and quite unscathed,
the charge seems patently ab-
surd.
WHAT CRITICISMS I m a y
have of Zucker are hardly that
he engaged in illegal or re-
Not only has Argus ignored
the results of the election, forc-
ing the workers to strike, they
have hired scabs by moans of
patently illegal newspater ads
forbidden by Ann Arbor orain-
ance. Yet the police continue to
act as armed guards of strike-
breakers.
THE FORCE OF the govern-
ment and the economic inter-
ests of the Argus Corporation
have become indistinguisnable,
a combination of interests that
are the rule rather than the ex-
ception. It is that combination
that we must all fight. It is
that combination that is being
faced every morning at 5:30 by
the strikers as the scans come
acros the picket line, which is
where Mark Zucker, myself and
others who support the c 0u2e of
the workers plan to Ie.
Requiem ... and the question
(Continued from Page 4)
shock or cynical "I told you so's."
The frail image has collapsed. When, the
highest of the highest succumbs to the common
man's vices, it punctures public morale, leaving
the country vulnerably preoccupied and confus-
ed.
AMERICA NEEDS a full-time president . . -
to fight for personal vindication when the focus
should be elsewhere . . . particularly at this
time with problems we face at home and
abroad would. be harmful," warned Nixon in his
resignation speech Thursday night. Supposedly
a leader in time of crisis, Nixon's ability to
"rally around the flag" was dangerously im-
periled.
Since 1776, liberal historians and political
scientists have stressed the need for a strong
executive. According to them, the Presidential
office was inherently weak and required the pre-
sident to maximize his power. Yet should maxi-
mization imply exploitation?
What will future presidents be like? Wards of
Congress? Do-nothings? Or strong-willed re-
formers able to capture the nation's imagina-
tion?
The future does not promise a strong execu-
tive, for the office has been abused by Richard
Nixon.
GERALD FORD is confronted by a angry
Congress and an irate public. The future of tri-
partite government in this country depends
heavily on his behavior in the next few months.
*
By DELLA DIPIETRO
j DON'T KNOW whether I
would like to see criminal
prosecution proceedings start-
ed against former President
Nixon. I am honestly stunned
and confused. I've heard and
pondered a multitude of con-
flicting opinions.
But amid all my confusion
there is a sense of something
that I wasn't sure still existed
in me. Perhaps some would
think that I'm being sentimental
in a cut-and-dry business world
where sentimentality shouldn't
exist; or I'm being traditional
in a country where traditions
are stamped outmoded on a reg-
ular basis - but I AM feeling
patriotic.
I feel proud of the country
where this transfer of power has
taken place without bloodshed
and riots; of a Constitution that
has lasted and succeeded when
others have failed. Yes, then
carry out that Constitution to
the end - equal justice under
the law for all men, many cry,
with justification.
PERHAPS Mr. Nixon should
not be granted amnesty just be-
cause he was our president. In
spite of myself, though, the
thought of possibly dragging the
than our country elected presi-
dent, down from one- of the
highest offices in the world to
the gutter, is "abhorrent" to
me.
Our country has beep suffer-
ing from a terrible wound. It's
an ugly wound, one many
would like to forget. just 'be-'
caine tf is ugly. Maybe I am
*
one of those. It's a serious
wound, one that would be fatal
to many other countries.
Our country has stood strong
throughout and I do believe that
it will no matter what comes
out of this. But is it necessary
to keep going on? Have we or
have we not learned our lesson
*
yet? Certainly Nixon has, but
have we, who helped let Water-
gate happen - we, who didn't
-and don't- take the time out
to really know and really care?
Can we begin with the healing
process-or is there still too
much dirt still imbedded in our
wound?
Ch urch i ekce
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST,
SCIENTIST
1833 Washtenaw
Sunday Service and Sunday
School-10:30 a.m.
Wednesday Testimony Meet-
ing-8:00 p.m.
Child Care-Sunday, under 2
years; Wednesday, through 6
years.
Reading Room - 306 E. Lib-
erty. 109 Mon., 10-8 Tues.-Sat.
"The Truth That Heals" -
WPAG radio, 10 a.m. Sunday.
BETHLEHEM UNITED
CHURCH OF CHRIST
423 S. Fourth Ave. Ph. 665-6149
Minister: Howard F. Gebhart
10 a.m.-Worship Service and
Church School.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH, 1432 Washtenaw Ave.
Ministers: Robert E.. Sanders,
John R. Waser, Brewster H.
Gere, Jr.
"Where Christ, Campus and
Community meet"
9:30 a.m, - Worship Service.
Sermon Title: "Peace Is Pos-
sible."
ST. ANDREW'S EPSICOPAL
CHURCH, 306 N. Division
10:00 a.m. -'Morning Prayer
and Sermon.
7:00 p.m.-Holy Eucharist in
chapel.
CANTERBURY HOUSE
218 N. Division-665-0606
Holy Eucharist at noon at
Canterbury House.
LORD OF LIGHT LUTHERAN
CHURCH (ALC-LCA)
(Formerly Lutheran Student
Chapel)
801 S. Forest Ave. at Hill St.
Donald G. Zill, pastor
Sunday Service at 10:30 a.m.
UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN
CHAPEL (LCMS)
1511 Washtenaw Ave.
Alfred T. Schelps, Pastor
Sunday Service at 9:15 a.m.
UNIVERSITY REFORMED
CHURCH, 1001 E. Huron
Calvin Malefyt, Alan Rice,
Ministers
10:00 a.m.--Morning Worship.