Page 4-Thursday, July 20, 1978-The Michigan Daily michigan DAILY Eighty-eight Years of Editorial Freedom 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI. 48109 Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 47-S News Phone: 764-0552 Thursday, July 20, 1978 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Birmingham doesn't deserve HUD fiunds I N THE PAST year, Birmingham officials have acquired an unfortunate talent for speaking out of both corners of their mouths. First the Detroit suburb's commissioners cite figures from the 1970 census to show a need for senior citizen housing, then they conveniently ignore statistics from the same census which show an equally urgent need for low-income housing when it suits their purposes. Faced with threats of suspended block grants because of his administration's maneuvering, the mayor chuckles and tells a reporter the government can "shove" their funds, while he publicly marshalled support from Oakland coun- ty officials to protest the cut. What was once only a distant federal threat has finally materialized, when on Monday HUD vowed to cut $98,000 of block grant funds if steps for low-income and senior citizen housing are not taken by next January. Paired with recent rulings to cut federal money in Livonia and Dearborn, HUD's actions are indicative of a merging hard-line stand against communities failing to live up to fair standards in providing housing for community members and space for new community mem- bers. This alone would make HUD's case worthy of support. But more than that, HUD officials deserve praise because they are fighting the shameful reasons behind these housing inadequacies: at best, a proud feeling of insularity, and at worst, often bias and racism. In a May election in which three pro-housing commissioners in Birmingham were replaced with a trio of anti-housing officials, the top vote-' getter claimed itwould be "biologically wrong" to alter the mix of people in the city with low- income housing. HUD must continue to raise its consciousness to include the unfair housing situation in numerous communities all over the country. Unsae at any seed UESDAY, A PROMINENT Ann Arbor at-' torney was killed when his motorcycle struck a pothole on the corner of South Main and' East William streets. Jeremy Rose was a flamboyant lawyer, one who worked closely with various Ann Arbor tenants groups. The Detroit Free Press once called Rose the "Ann Arbor lawyer with a Panama hat and a big cigar". It was a charac- terization friends said he enjoyed. Around campaign time, Ann Arbor officials made the expected noise about the conditions of the roads. And since election some work has been done. But most holes are still there, and pedestrians, bikers and car drivers all curse the inconvenience of the holes. And now the holes l)aye claimed a life.. r 4's, .gq ' ° ; gntedately under taken. Bloodless war play in a Tl I've adu Mor hist chil gam and it i you plea one( crn adu hou By Elizabeth Slowik here was once a time, or so heard, when war was for its and games for children. reover, it seems that our ory records a period in which [dren played nonviolent res, sport for entertainment joy. But that time is gone and s sad that we as a nation, ng and old alike, take sure in the violence that was e reserved for soldiers and ninals. sat weekend close to 3,000 lts spent hour after tireless r pouring over pint-sized replicas of tanks, soldiers and war zones, playing with history. The men and women, teenagers and adults stunned me with a total obsession for war. "There's some people here," claimed one war game en- thusiast, "who would like to see another war so they could make it intoa game." It is doubtless true that the majority of the gamers were more enthralledhy strategy of esch game - whether is was called a Prussian War, World war III or an intergalactic com- bat - than they were with the physical realities of death. But the mentality with which moat of the players approached the boar- ds was frighteningly accepting of war and its terrors. They took pleasure in the domination and aggression that was referred to in military terms. Our society's love affair with violence also surfaces in other ways. This past winter a "Killer Game," in which "murderers" stake out "victims" with dart guns, made its way from East Quad to other University dorms. Throughout the dorm usually passive college students stalked dark corridors and stairways with orange plastic dart guns to "shoot" other unsuspecting players. What makes a person, someone who may avoid fights in principle, want to participate in such an aggressive game? I did not join in the Killer Game when it swept West Quad. It seemed to be a celebration of violence, a "Starsky and Hutch" - he murdered to please "Sam;' "Johnny Quest" combination of the Birmingham killer wanted ti id-satisfying fantasy. "protect" the bhabysitter fron I've come to believe that it witnessing his robbery attempt. demonstrated that no matter how Of course, they'll be punished much our society claims to abhor But there are more killers war violence, we have become im- dering around the country. Mur mune to violence so that strategy der will not disappear with priso contests, which represent sentences or capital punishment organized slaughter, are sold and I suspect that the killers won't b bought without a second thought. thinking of the consequenceso The Son of Sam murders were the murders, no matter hov practically turned into a fiction ultimate they are. story by our media, and Jimmy Man has practiced violenc Breslin's hook ".44" has already since he first bent over for th completed the process. The hook club, and there is no reasonb "Michigan Murders" brings the believe he will stop. If anything fear and violence of a series of violence will increase a ( I- t- to m d. n- ir- n tt. e of w e e 0s killings closer to home. Violence makes a compelling story. But the helpless fear that accom- panies-brutality when it happens to any individual, is something that most people prefer not to contemplate., Society has grown nonchalant in its attitude toward violence in recent years, partly as a result of television accounts of the Viet- nam War. People such as David Burkowitz and a man who recen- tly confessed to the 1976 slaying of a Birmingham babysitter may have been fooled by their own in- terpretaions of social morals into believing that violence is the only way to reach an objecive, in their cases publicity. Berkowitz claims population and unemployment rise. So we must learn to tolerate violence. Even though a person may openly admit to enjoying football and hockey because of their violence, he or she still locks the, door at night and throws a glance over the shoulder when walking alone at night, especially if it's a woman. The fact that most women would have no chance against a male attacker is a most frightening aspect of violence. The desperate feeling is one that the babysitter must have felt as she stood, shivering, naked, in the basement of her sister's hme, while a strange and strong man ransacked the house. There was nothing she could do, no one to cry tofor help. Violence is becoming the ter- minal illness of society. People are in turn fascinated by it and repulsed by it. Although fantasies like the war games and the killer games may be just that- games - they signify deeper social rot that, if not extracted,shouldcho exposed in the open where it can be noticed and discussed. Elizabeth Slowik is a Daily staff writer who covered the recent war games at Bursley Hall. SPRING EDITORIAL STAFF BARBARA ZAHS Editor-in-Chief RICHARD EERKE KEN PARSIGIAN Editorial Directors JEFFREY SELBST Magazine Editor OWENGLEIBERMAN Arts Editor ANDY FREEBERG JOHN KNOX PETER SERLING Photographers STAFF WRITERS: Mike Arkush, Rene Becker, Brian Blanchard, Elisa Isaac- son, Dan Oberdorfer, Tom O'Connell, Judy Rakowsky. R.J. Smith CARTOONISTS: JaneHanstein, DuaneGall Editorials which appear without a by-line represent a con- sensus opinion of the Daily's editorial board. All other editorials, as well as cartoons, are the opinions of the individuals who sub- nit them.