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Page 4-Saturday, March 22, 1980-The Michigan Daily
Support
Over the past two years, South Africa has in line s
been a major campus issue. Many students racial cate
have protested against University investments which seeke
in a nation of legalized racial discrimination. whifsek
While public protests have subsided, the issue ween diffe
is very much alive. . Other la
Ann Arbor Representative Perry Bullard has identificat
introduced three bills in the State Legislature quality of
regarding South African investments. The whichaxi
bills, HB 4831, 4838, 5446, would prevent publicwhich tax
funds controlled by the state of Michigan from they can g
being invested in companies which operate in on.LEG ISL
South Africa. This would include public em- laws whici
ployee pension funds and public University tows cha
portfolios to seek cha
education;
A HEADCOUNT of legislators shows that the which cor
bills have nearly enough support to pass; one white econ
letter or phone call would go a long way in thiss
effort. Since.Ann Arbor's representative is the
author of the bills, letters and phone calls
would have much more impact if they are sent
to your home (parents) representatives.
There are several reasons why these bills
should be supported. The structure of South
African society is based on race-the infamous u
system of apartheid. Although black Africans
comprise roughly 70 per cent of the nation's
population, their access to employment,
housing, health care, and education is severely
limited.
South Africa's apartheid legislation is
designed to control Africans and maintain that
control.
Influx Control: South Africa has a series of
laws that determine where Africans may live,
work and travel. Africans are allowed in or
near the urban areas of South Africa only when
their employment contracts are approved by
the regime. Africans without employment are x
relocated to distant rural areas known as ban-
tustans (homelands).
IDENTIFICATION: This series of laws
exists because all people in South Africa are x
identified by race, with Africans also identifiedh
by 'ethnic group. This legislation is vital for the -
rest of the apartheid laws. Each individual in STUDENT
South Africa is stamped with an official brand ce the Reg
of racial identity. South Afr

state bill
with the legislation to stamp racial
on people, laws exist to preserve
egories. The most graphic are those
to prevent marriage and visits bet-
rent racial groups.
aws remind people of their racial
ion. Rights are based upon race and
life is determined by one's racial
ion. A person's race determines
I a person can ride, which hospital
o to, which park bench/they can sit
ATION is enforced through more
b prevent Africans from organizing
nge. This is especially manifested in
children are taught only those skills
respond with the labor needs of the
nomy. Education for white children

s controlling S. Afri
ByBob Stechuk U.S. corporate earnings are taxed at a 40 per
By cent rate. These funds allow the regime to
in South Africa is free and compulsory; for finance separate development. South Africa's
black children, it is neither. According to a past apartheid leaders have reserved 87 per cent of
Minister of Bantu Education, "there is no need the land for whites only; the remainder (much
to teach a black child mathematics, for as an of it barren) is left to the nation's blacks.
adult he will never be able to use it." In the Because Africans make up the bulk of South
realm of politics, anyone accused of terrorism Africa's population, the costs of this policy are
may be held indefinitely, without charges filed, obviously enormous.
and without any communication. The THE PRESENCE of American corporations
Terrorism Act itself is broad enough to apply to is a source of confidence to the regime. U.S. in-
any African, including those organizing for vestments are naturally, in South Africa's
peaceful change. "white only" areas, a highly visible sign that
Each of these major categories of apartheid South Africa's system has the financial vote of
legislation is reinforced by South African in- confidence of the U.S. Should American com-
stitutions. And while .U.S. companies do not panies withdraw from South Africa, the move
detain Africans or put them into jail their would be a most powerful message to those in
presence supports apartheid. South Africa who wish to maintain apartheid.

an ties


Would divestment harm the companies in-
volved? Some firms, such as Chrysler and
General Electric, have sold off majority
holdings of their South African interests. Other
companies have disinvested completely:
Polaroid announced that its products wer
used to maintain apartheid (African pictures i
pass books) and ended its operations. Other
firms, including some of the largest investors
(IBM, Ford, General Motors) have announced
a freeze on new investments. Why? Recently
many U.S. corporations have not made a profit
in South Africa. Because South Africa's con-
sumer sector is almost exclusively white, the
markets for products of U.S. firms is at or very
near the point of saturation. But won't U.S.
companies seek to change this? Unfortunately,
-because the companies' investments ar4
focused in South African institutions which
maintain apartheid, the arrangements are
perpetuated. The latest report of the Sullivan
Principles (the corporate code for change in
South Africa) shows that there is less in-
tegration in the work-place now than there was
several years ago. Apartheid is the foundation
of South Africa's legal system, and U.S. com-
panies there must abide by South African law.
Will divestment hurt South Africa's blacks?
U.S. companies employ less than 2 per cent of
the nation's blacks. As long as U.S. firm4
remain, their capital, technology, and products
will be directed by the regime against 18
million South African blacks. For all the harm
that U.S. disinvestment would impose upon
South Africa's blacks, the continued support
of apartheid is far more severe.
Please take the time to write or phone a
legislator from your area. Further information
is available from either the Washtenaw County
Coalition Against Apartheid (4316 Michigan
Union) or the Michigan Student Assembly,
Legislative Relations Committee (3909 Union)..
In the time it has taken youto read this ar-
ticle, six South African blacks have been
arrested for pass book violations.

T PROTESTS AT Regents meetings last year failed to convin- legislature would prevent state institutions from retaining such invest-
gents to sell University investments in firms doing business in ments.
rica. Several bills now under consideration in the state

Bob Stechuk is a member of the
Washtenaw County Coalition Against
Apartheid.

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Ninety Years of Editorial Freedom

LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
A warning about entering the military,

Vol. XC, No. 135

News Phone: 764-0552

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan

Loans are no

t budget fat'

OR A WHILE, it Jooked1ike resi-,r This severe cutback in Carter's
den Carter's restrictverprogram already inadequate plan would be ac-
regirdig federal, undindfr college. complished by eliminating the slight
student loans might die the death it increase the President had suggested
deserved. Last November the House of in maximum allowable Basic
Representatives virtually ignored the Educational Opportunity Grants. The
President's proposals and instead ap' new House proposal would also follow
proved an expanded program of aid. Carter's recommendation to charge
But now as a result of Carter's recen- higher interest rates for loans through
tly renewed desire ,to balance the restructured versions of National
federal budget, the Congressional ef- Student Loan programs.
forts to broaden student aid may yet be Certainly some fat-and even more
thwarted. New proposals currently meat-must be trimmed from federal
before the House Budget Committee expenditures to achieve a badly-
would not only prevent expansion of needed balanced budget. Financially-
student assistance, but would actually strapped students, however, can har-
reduce such assistance to a level $300 ' dly afford to give up any more of their
million lower than that -originally already lean budget portions.
suggested by the President.
A budget-balancing idea
T HERE SEEMS to be no way to vade the U.S.? It was reported recen-
balance the federal budget-let tly that the Soviet Union will make
alone create a surplus-without loans and grants to Afghanistan to
causing much pain to many American balance the ailing budget of the Kar-
interest groups. mal government.
No way; that is, except one. If, they will do it for Afghanistan,
Why don't we invite the Soviets to in- they might do it for us, too.

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T
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To the Daily:
Let a former University
student air, a few words of war-
ning to any students considering
shelving their degrees in favor of
joining the military.
In return for dropping my
three-quarters completed
degree, I got a rating I didn't ask
for (the rating is the occupational
skill one trains in). In a sense, I
am now a prisoner of the U.S.
government for the next three
years and nine months, or until I
earn entry to another rating.
Here is how it works, kiddies.
Those overly solicitous, kin-
dhearted rocks known as
recruiters will fuck you over
unless you are careful.
There was a year between the
period I spent with the Navy
recruiters in Ann Arbor and
Detroit and the day of my enlist-
ment. It took me that long to
decide that was to be my move. A

liberal arts degree-a B.A. in
political science with so-so
grades-I decided would be wor-
th diddly squat. What I needed
was a marketable skill. The
Navy was a nice prospect. This
was a major move at age 25.
I was assured by the recruiter
that of the five desired skill
ratings I listed in the open con-
tract, my first choice-aviation
machinist's mate-would be
given to me. These ratings are
really useful in the civilian world,
let me tell you. Experience with
catapults and arresting gear
equips me, after four years, for
any privatecitizen's aircraft
carrier deck.
The basis of the problem as I
see it, for myself and others at
this base with a similar situation,
is the quota system whereby
ratings are allocated on the basis
of the Navy's needs rather than
the recruit's future plans or

Stegeman and unknowns

background.
I am not saying that all recruits
are screwed. I took a bigger risk
than I should have, considering
what I was giving up. I will get
four years in the Navy on my
record alright, but not on my
terms.
Of course, ask all the questions
and then some but get the con-
tract you are most satisfied with
before you sign "enlistment

papers.
Not that my case is totally true
for anybody but myself, but a
University student shouldn't
have problems with access to dif-
ferent ratings. My scores on the
enlistment test. opened any
rating, I was told..
-Bruce H. Batchelder, AN
Lakehurst, NJ
March 18

Judge evaded P.R. issues


To the Daily:
Yesterday afternoon Judge
Jose Cabranes, the first Puerto
Rican named to the U.S. Federal
Courts, spoke at Rackham
Auditorium about the "Process of
Decolonization in Puerto Rico."
As a judge and lawyer, Mr.
Cabranes focused on the legal
aspects of the problem and,
although he did not mention it, he
was talking of course about
legality as the U.S. government
conceives it. It was clear judging
from the question and answer
period that the audience-at least
those who were not afraid to
speak up-did not agree at all
with Mr. Cabranes' perspective
and evasiveness. He simply could
not answer the tough, or for that
matter, simple questions.
How can somebody expect to
give a talk about the subject of
decolonization and then not even
be able to discuss what are the
implications of being a colonized-
country? That I think is very
basic. Mr. Cabranes would not
comment when I asked him that.
Even when he did answer some of
the questions, Mr. Cabranes did
not say much; he was evasive
and simply offered empty
responses. But then, this is an
election year and it seems that
the colloquial andrhetorical
abilities of politicians are con-
tagious.
Mr. Cabranes even had the
audacity to tell the audience that
"as far as I know nobody is for-
ced to vote in Puerto Rico." Isn't

he aware of what the current
,governor of Puerto Rico had been
doing in the past few weeks to get
people to vote in last Sunday's
presidential primary on the
island? He was telling voters that
if Carter did not win this year's
election, federal aid would be cut
off for the island. And that on an
island where over 60 per cent of
the people are allowed to receive
food stamps!! Even the New
York Times ran a very short ar
ticle criticizing this outrageous
lie.
In the future, I encourage Mr.
Cabranes to be better prepared
for his lectures on decolonization;,
at least he should be responsible
enough to look up in a dictionary
the meaning of the word colony,
which I think is pretty basic for
the topic. But, I am almost sure
that as a federal judge he knows
what colonization is all about
because Spanish-speaking Puerto
Ricans who have to attend U.S.
courts on. the island very often
cannot defend themselves since
the official language is English,
and they do not speak it.
In short, the only relevant
comment I heard Mr. Cabranes
say was that Puerto Rico needs
change. But, by failing to address
or recognize U.S. colonial policies
towards the island, he missed the
point. His legalistic approach to
the problem left untouched the
socio-economic realities of Puer-
to Rico and all Puerto Ricans
regardless of where they live.
-Carlos J. Morales
March 21

To the Daily:
Here is a list of what is not
known about the Stegeman high-
rise project:
1. Scope
a. Its size: height, width, depth.
Size at ground level.
b. Size of related buildings to
be added in "Quadrium."
c. Cost.
2. Uses
a. Types of uses (hotel, apar-
tments, or other living, office
space, stores, ...)
b. Proportions among these
uses.
1. Number of residents.
2. Number of hotel rooms.
3. NumbeF of cars to be ac-
commodated in parking.
Rate of usage of access
and leaving, by automo-
biles, buses, airport limo-
usines, etc.
c. Potential for use by people
and groups associated with this
university. This depends on
1. sizes and designs of units;
luxury or other.
2. rents to be charged.
3. Location
a.Setbacks of this building
from Washtenaw and Obser-
vatory, and from adjacent struc-
tures.
b. Setbacks of other Quadrium
buildings from Washtenaw and
Observatory, and from adjacent
structures.
4. Traffic effects
a. On traffic flows and turning
movements. Increment to flows
and waiting times from traffic
caused by this building and by the
other Quadrium building.
b. Effects on University

pedestrian" acces§ through and
near the area. Amounts 'of
pedestrian flows and directions
presently by students, faculty
and staff of this University.
Changes caused by this and othe
Quadrium buildings.
5. Economic effects on land-
prices and rents in the campus-K
area, on students, faculty, and:
staff members of this Univer-..
sity.
6. Design
a. General appearance and>
quality; this building and the.
other Quadrium parts.
b. Appropriateness to the site
and adjoining campus' areas.
Degree of blockage of sunlight to
Physics-Astronomy, East
Medical and Museum buildings.
c. Color? mirror windows,
materials, .,.
d. Blank walls or 32-36 levels of
balconies;
e. Equipment (cable TV
receiving gear, etc.) on top?
f. Appropriateness as the
dominant feature of the Univer-O
sity campus, both at the eastern
campus entrance and the skyline.
g. Visual impact as seen from
the Diagonal and other parts of
campus.
7. Alternative uses of the Univer-
sity piece of land, together with
the other Quadrium land parcels
(which are owned by the City of
Ann Arbor).
8. Views of University groups on
this project, including students,
faculty and staff. (Views were
not expressed because the nature
of the project has never been
presented.)
-W. G. Shepherd
March 20
plete census
Nixon, domestic spying, and
cover-ups galore should be
believed that the Census will not
be used for purposes of finding
draft-age men and women?
Libertarians alone, so far, urgO
all draft age people to think twice
about filling out a Census form;
Forget about what monies may
or may not be lost to the cities by

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Don't com

4

Harris Hall article lauded

To the Daily:.
There has been a serious lack
of interest in the Census among
the various anti-draft/anti-war
groups. While all have been calling
on people not to register, they
have forgotten just how far the
Government is prepared to go to
discover who is of draft age.

To the Daily:
Everyone deserves a pat on the

well spent, he has given us the
definitive statement on Harris