Page 4-Thursday, June 29, 1978-The Michigan Daily
Gmichigan DAILY
Eighty-eight Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Ml 48109
Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 35- News Phone: 764-0552
Thursday, June 29, 1978
Edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan
Court should allow
lesbian motherhood
A T THE WEEK'S end, the Michigan Supreme
Court will be asked to hear the case of
Margareth Miller, a mother who has been in and
out of courts for the past two years fighting to
retain custody of her 12-year-old daughter
because Miller is a lesbian.
The case began when Miller's ex-husband went
to local courts to force 12-year-old Jillian to move
out of her mother's home in Ann Arbor and into
his in Sterling Heights. In the latest court action
last week, the Michigan Court of Appeals, by
refusing to grant a re-hearing, upheld a lower
court decision to send Jillian to live with her
father.
Now lawyers for Margareth Miller are plan-
ning to ask the state Supreme Court to hear the
case in hopes of keeping Jillian with her mother.
The lawyers will also ask for an emergency stay
so that Jillian could remain with her mother until
the appeals process is completed.
The probleh is not that Miller is a lesbian, but
rather that the courts are using that fact as
grounds to take her child away. Oakland County
Circuit Court Judge Frank Ziem, the first judge
to rule in the case, citer Miller's "sexual am-
bivalence" as one of he major reasons he awar-
ded custody to the father.
Jillian has stated that she wants to live with
her mother, and be with her friends in Ann Ar-
bor. So why should she be transplanted into a
strange community and a family she doesn't
want because of her mother's sexual preferen-
ce? Moving is tramatic for any child. Jillian is
the issue, but her welfare is being overlooked. In
fact, forcing Jillian to move could easile be more
detrimental to her than attitudes she may face
in living with a lesbian mother.
If the Michigan Supreme Court refuses to hear
this case, it is in effect saying that a lesbian can-
not love and care for her child. This is an absurd
idea; heterosexuality is not a requirement to
love and care for a child, and yet the lower courts
seem convinced that it is.
Custody cases involving homosexuality are
few, or at least as Miller's lawyer Thomas
O'Brien explained, not publicized because of
their sensitive nature. This case, if the state
Supreme Court decides to accept it, could set a
precedent for lower courts and courts in other
states. Should the Court accept the case, and
decide in favor of Ms. Miller, the waves of that
ruling could be felt across the nation.
It seems only fair that Miller should get her
day in the Supreme Court. Since her right to be
a mther has been challenged, and she has been
fored to fight for it, she should now be allowed to
brir her case to thehighestcourt in the state.
Cutting away muscle
By PETER BLAISDELL
The White House several mon-
ths from now. The nation has just
imitated California and staged a
tax revolt, voting to reduce the
federal income by half for all in-
come levels. Of course, this
means a drastic reduction of the
federal budget. In the oval office
the President, Vice President,
various cabinet members, and
top government officials are
anyway. Wheneven I try to deal
with them I look indecisive.
Besides, they're always getting
into wars or raising the price of
our oil."
"I mush say, we're doing pretty
well," comments the Vice
President. "We've cut a lot of
useless expenditures. Education
and foreign aid never did anyone
any good."
"Let's get rid of the National
C A
SS
discussing which programs to cut Endowment for the Arts, while
to make up for the lost billions in we're at it," proposes the
tax revenue. Secretary of Defense.
The President: "Listen, I want "Another great idea!" the
some ideas about which federal President responds. "I never un-
programs to emilinate." derstood abstract expressionism.
Rockefeller Sr."
"WHAT ABOUT making some
dramatic cuts in defense ap-
propriations," an official from
the State Department cuts in.
"That would save billions."
"No!" the President yells
angrily. "I need a big defense ar-
senal so I can show leadership,
decjsiveness and moral integrity
when I face hostile powers like
Russia, Cuba and New York City.
Instead, we can sell some of the
old minutemen missiles to raise
some extra cash."
"Good thinking," the Vice
President agrees: "First we sell
some to Egypt. Then to show that
we're being even handed, we sell
some to Israel. Just like we did
with the F-15s. Then everybody's
happy." Everyone sighs in ad-
miration at deft handling of a dif-
ficult problem.
"I have another idea," says a
State Department official cheer-
fully. "Let's eliminate all federal
support for solar energy resear-
ch."
AN ENERGY department of-
ficial answers sadly: "That
would be a good idea, except
solar energy isn't getting any
federal support for us to cut off."
"Then let's slash all farm sub-
sidies," proposes the Secretary of
the Treasury. "Except to peanut
farmers, of course," he adds
hastily, glancing nervously at the
President.
"Well," concludes the
President, "I think we can all be
proud of ourselves today. "We've
dropped billions of dollars worth
of useless programs. I can safely
say we've cut out the muscle and
left the fat."
"Don't you mean we've cut out
the fat and left the muscle?"
corrected the Vice President.
"Yes, of course, that's what I
meant," corrects the President
hurriedly.
-
Peter Blaisdell graduated
from the University in April.
e
e
e
"HOW ABOUT cutting all aid
to higher education," the Vice
President suggests.
"But then tuition costs will
skyrocket," objects the
President.
"So what? Students are
already conditioned to expect
yearly tuition increases. It's their
birthright."
"Let's stop all foreign aid," in-
terjects a State Department of-
ficial gleefully. "We'd save
billions."
"HALLELUJAH!" shouts the
President. "I always hated all
those obnoxious little countries,
Down in Plains, we prefer Nor-
man Rockwell.
"BUT NOW our wives won't be
able to tour exhibits of new art,"
worries the Vice President aloud.
"True," the President muses.
"But we should all be prepared to
make tough sacrifices in these
times of tax-payer revolt.
"Hear, hear," the rest of the of-
ficials agree.
The President flashes a famous
smile. "Keep up the good work.
How about eliminating all federal
consumer protection agencies.
I'm sure we can depend on
business to protect the con-
sumers in the spirit of John D.
LETTER TO THE DAILY:
ei
Public transportation
To The Daily:
Good public transportation is a Some politicians in Ann Arbor
basic and necessary public ser- apparently expect public tran-
vice. The Transportation Em- sportation to be self-supporting;
ployee's Union (TEU) has con- but attempts to operate
sistently worked for improved privately-owned transportation
transportation services in Ann companies in Ann Arbor have
Arbor and Ypsilanti. Once gain already failed. These failures
we find that the future of public were the reason for the founding
transportation in our area is in of AATA. The Citizens of Ann Ar-
jeopardy. The Ann Arbor Tran- bor have shown their support for
sportation Authority Board public transportation at the polls,
(AATA) is considering several and ever-increasing ridership
service cuts. The cuts under con- proves the need for mass public
sideration are: (1) evening ser- transit.
vice, (2) Saturday service, (3) Now the AATA Board may
Sunday service, (4) peak time fif- refuse to use federal money that
teen minute Dial-a-Ride service, is available and needed now. This
(5) peak time fifteen minute Line could be a very dangerous
Bus service, and (6) all daytime precedent. This refusal will hurt
Dial-a-Ride service.- They are the young, the old, the black and
also considerng a fare increase. other minorities, the female, and
The TEU considers these cuts IfTe poor segments of our com-
A $y decesda-.a i .an ugity mebecause they are the
table, principal users of public tran-
troubled
sportation. However, many
benefits of public transportation
affect us all equally. The streets
and parking structures of Ann
Arbor are overburdened already,
and rush hour traffic severely
pollutes our environment. Public
transportation is the inevitable
solution to transportation
problems in Ann Arbor.
The TEU urges all citizens of
Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti to at-
tend the AATA Board meeting on
the fourth floor of City Hall, at
7:30 p.m., on Wednesday, July
5th, 1978.
We can do something to control
the way our tax dollars are being
spent. Let the Board know tha we
don't want our money to be
thrown away. We all have to fight
for our transportation system!'
-Executive Committe
T.E.U.
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