The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by Students at the
University of Michigan
Wednesday, June 1, 1977
News Phone: 764-0552
Justice for Watergaters:
More than a pipe dream?
IN LOS ANGELES, Patty Hearst got five years' proba-
tion for firing two machine guns into a store, an ac-
eiomplice to armed robbery.
In San Clemente, in talkative semi-retirement after
Innr vear of impeachable, unpardonable crimes, Rich-
ard Nixon ay hise would have preferred "the agony of
a r hial,"r~t~lc
InWa singlon, lavwyt'rs for Watergate co-con pira-
tors John Mitchell and H. .. Haldeman still try to get
their ltients off the hook.
Contemporary critics believe the justice has gone
frnnm our judicial system. And the courts have a long
way to go to dispel that cynicism.
In recent days, the Supreme Court may well have
taken the first steps.
Last week, the high court refused to hear appeals
by Mitchell and Haldeman of their 1975 convictions of
obstruction of justice, perjury and conspiracy.
Yesterday, the court refused to temporarily block
the iicarceration of the two while their lawyers attempt
to persuade the court to reconsider the first decision.
It is difficult to comprehend how Mitchell and Halde-
man, some of the last bastions of Watergate, could still
try to avoid the penalties for their actions, but, they did
have a good teacher for those sort of things.
Just because Nixon wouldn't admit to it, lie could
not negate that all citizens are recognized as equals in
the letter of the law. But it is not only important for
the citizenry to hear such ideas, but also for such ideas
to be evident in the administration of justice in our
courts.
Although Watergate is (hopefully) dead and gone,
the string of cases and appeals spanning the years should
not, by their endless dronings, obliterate the administra-
tion of justice. The people need to know we will all be
treated equally by the courts.
Selective prosecution is not our cup of tea.
EGCAT N
HAl PNED
Helt S ervice Handbook
By SYLVIA HACKER
and NANCY PALCHIK
QUESTION: What are the sta-
tistics on sun and skin cancer?'
Do any products help eliminate,
the harmful rays, but still give
a tan? I am a tennis player
and like the look of a tan, but
don't want to put myself in
danger.
A pe.isarape...
By LINDA NWILLCOX.
If talifornia could forcefully retire a State
Stipreme Cogrt Justice for senility, could Wis-
cousin forcefully retire a county judge for bla-
tant sexism?
Prior to deciding a juvenile rape case, Dane
County Judge Archie Simonson, 52, commented,
"Whether you like it or not, a woman is a
sex object, and they're the ones who turn the
man on, generally."
He said it is "normal for impressionable
juveniles to react violently" to provocative cloth-
ing, presumably only on women, because the
youths are "groping (literally) to decide what
is proper conduct in this world."
Rape is not proper conduct in this Wyorld.
Rape is the vicious step a man (or men) takes
when he feels it is necessary to impose brute
force, which he interprets as male strength or
supremacy, upon the body of a woman - any
woman.
Girls as young as five months, and women-
as old as 74 have been raped. Such are hardly
TODAY'S STAFF:
News: Lori Carruthers, Stu McConnell, Ken
Parsigion
Editorial: Linda Willcox
Photo: Christina Schneider
Arts: David Keeps
Sports: Steve Lewis
cases which fit Simonson's "provocative cloth-
ing" mold.
Is this the right man to be adjudicating sex-
ual assault cases?
He believes women induce rape. As such,
he would be incapable of fairness, or convict-
ing and properly sentencing known rapists.
The case which prompted his comments was
that of a 15-year-old boy who eventually plead-
ed no contest to charges of second degree rape
of a 16-year-old high school girl in Madison. There
were two other boys involved. Their cases were
adjudicated separately.
Simonson called juvenile rape attempts nat-
ural reactions. At what age do rape attempts
cease to be a natural action? When is rape, in
his eyes, inexcusable?
Simonson is but one of countless judges which
have helped make our judicial system patently
unfair to women.
If he is able to toss all women off as "sex
objects," he is incapable of seeing all people
as equals in the eyes of the law. Fair treatment
under the law and in the courts is precisely what
women in this "permissive society" seek.,We.do
not seek rape.
And a man not able to perform the duties
of his job should not hold that job. A judge who
cannot judge, but merely mete out his biases
to whomever enters his courtroom, should be
retired from the bench.
Whether he likes it or not, he probably hasn't
heard the last of his own words in the wind.
Simonson comes up for re-election next April.
ANSWER: It may be hard for
us palefaces to accept, but the
much sought-after "healthy"
looking tan may not be so heal-
thy after all. Except for some-
times helping to relieve such
conditions as asthma, aching
joints, acne and psoriases, the
sun's benefits are primarily
psychological.
The real truth is too much
sun is harmful. Overexposure
to ultraviolet rays may result
in severe sunburn with blisters
and fever. Another result can
be prematurely aged skin. With
enough time, the sun weakens
the skin's elasticity and can
give us wrinkles and a leathery
look. It can also cause dark
patches and scaly growths call-
ed keratoses which are often
pre-cancerous.
The worst result of constant
overexposure to the sun is skin
cancer. Almost all 300,000 cases
of this disease developed by
Americans annually are con-
sidered sun-related. Fortunate-
ly, such cancer has 'visible ear-
ly warnings, such as:
. a sore which doesn't heal
. a change in size and color
of a wart or mole
. development of any unusu-
ally pigmented area.
These signs may not neces-
sarily mean cancer is present,
but only a doctor's examination
can determine that. Luckily, if
treated in time, most skin can-
cers are very curable.
Persons with fair skin (hav-
ing only a minimalgamount of
pigment for protetion), and
those whose jobs demand long
exposure to the sun should take
special precautions. Certain
temporary situations can also
cause trouble. Antibiotics, anti-
bacterial agents in medicated
soaps and creams, even barbitu-.
ates and birth control pills can
make the skin more susceptible
to burning. Even some per-
fumes, dabbed where the sun
strikes, can cause a sensitive
reaction.
So, after all that, what do we
sunlovers do? Some of the Am-
erican Cancer Society ssggea-
tions are as follows:
t sun before 10 a.m. and aft-
er 3 p.m. when ultraviolet rays
are weakest. If that is too re-
strictive, lie out a maximum of
15 minutes during the danger
hours.
f the best cover-up ailable
is a chemical one - any of the
popular brand name sun screens
containing PABA (para-amino
benzoic acid). Such preparations
absorb ultraviolet rays and al-
low gradual tanning. Even with
a PABA sunscreen, a good gen-
eral sun tanning program is
15 minutes the first day dur-
ing high radiation hours, and
five minutes more each day
thereafter until a good base tan
develops.
* another type of chemical
protection, the sunblock, allows
no tanning, and is most useful
to shield lips, nose and other
extra-sensitive or already burn-
ed areas. Zinc oxide ointment
is a well-known sunblock.
. cool, loose-fitting beach
robes, caftans, long-sleeved
shirts and wide-brimmed hats
offer effective protection
* you are not fully protected
in the shade of a beach n'
brella because ultraviolet rays
may be deflected off the sand,
water, deck, etc.
* seventy to 80 per cent of
the ultraviolet rays also pene-
trate clouds and water
*at high altitudes there i
less atmosphere to filter ultra-
violet rays, so extra care is
needed
0 you're better off in a mo-
ing activity than lying ima
bile.
* sun reflectors expose the
most delicate facial areas (eye-
lids, earlobes, lips, under the
chin) - so avoid using them.
Send all health related ques
tions to:
Health Educators
University Health Servce
Division of Office of
Student Services
207 Fletcher
Ann Arbor, MI 48109