41
OPINION
Page 4
Thursday, October 15, 1981
The Michigan Daily
Er-ah
my foreign policy ?
Sure
Ronald Reagan has been our chief
executive for nearly nine months now. Od-
dly enough, while romping virtually un-
molested in domestic areas, the president
has had very little to do with foreign af-
fairs. Albeit a steady string of anti-Soviet
tough talk, we, as American citizens and
subjects of Mr. Reagan, remain quite
unaware of his specific international views.
Since there is faint prospect for
clarification from The Gipper in the
coming months, I feel compelled to help
him out just a little bit. What followsis the
transcript of a hypothetical press conferen-
ce held by the president concerning foreign
affairs only, which best reflects his ap-
parent grasp of these issues. +
President Reagan: Thank you for coming,
ladies and gentlemen of the press. I'd been
talking to Nancy during dinner, and she men-
tioned that I really should discuss foreign
policy with the press, as a kind of change of
pace. I thought I'd take her advice.
You'll have to forgive me for not addressing
these issues very much until now; I've been so
n.
busy with the economy here at home, and with
clearing out those dead branches at my ranch.
So go ahead, folks, I'll take your questions now.
Reporter: Mr. President, how does the death
of Anwar Sadat affect your plans for peace in
the Mideast?
President Reagan: Well, I've always said
that President Sadat is crucial to our interests
in that region, since we have such a need for oil
from Saudi Arabia. I just hope the new leaders
over there will keep the shipments coming. As I
was telling Nancy ...
Reporter: Excuse me, Mr. President, for in-
terrupting you, but Anwar Sadat was the
president of Egypt, not Saudi Arabia. They
have a monarchy in Saudi Arabia, sir.
President Reagan: You're absolutely right.
I've always said that President Sadat is crucial
to out interests in that region, since we have
such a need for oil from Egypt.
Reporter: Mr. President, much has been
written about the effect of Sadat's
assassination on the Camp David accord with
Israel and Egypt. Given Sadat's death, what do
you think of Camp David.
President Reagan: No complaints from me!
I think Camp David is a lovely place to unwind
after a hard week at the White House.
Reporter: Mr. President, your support of the
existing regime in El Salvador has aroused
much controversy during the past several mon-
By Steve Hook
ths. You have been quite outspoken in your
fears of a communist takeover there, I wonder
if you still believe Moscow and Havana are ac-
tively involved there. '
President Reagan: Pardon me, Moscow and
Harvarna?
Reporter: Ha-va-rna, sir, Havana, Cuba. Just
south of Key West?
President Reagan: Oh, right. Havana, Cuba.
Well, there is good reason to suspect the com-
munists are involved in South America, and we
can't just sit back and ...
Reporter: I'm sorry to interrupt again, Mr.
President, but El Salvador is in Central
America, not South America.
President Reagan: Central America? I've
never heard of Cen. . . well, as I said over lun-
ch the other day, we just can't sit back and let
those communists stir things up in Central
America.
Question: Mr. President, the actions of
Alexander Haig have caused concern about
continuity within your administration. Some
claim Mr. Haig has taken too much power into
his own hands. How do you feel about this?
President Reagan: Well, it has always been
my opinion that a strong Secretary of War is
vital for our nation's foreign policy. As I was
telling Frank Sinatra last week ...
Reporter: I hate to interrupt, Mr. President,
but Alexander Haig is our Secretary of State.
This country hasn't has a Secretary of War sin-
ce World War II.
President Reagan: Exactly my point, and we
should never forget that. Our nation needs a
strong Secretary of State, and it has needed one
especially since World War II. I mean, well,
World War II was extremely important
for . . . (pauses, strokes hand through hair)
Alexander Haig is extremely important in ar-
ticulating this nation's views on. . . well, we
need good relations with Egypt and Saudi
Arabia.
Reporter: Mr. President, although you have
spoken little of foreign affairs since you took of-
fice in January, you have repeatedly warned
the nation of a growing threat from the Soviet
Union. Could you elaborate on this view,
please?.
President Reagan: Certainly. As I'm sure
you have heard Cap Weinberger explain, this
country will face a serious "window of concen-
sus" in the coming years, which will result in
"strategic vulnerability." Or it is a "window of
strategic concensus" that will lead to ...
Reporter: I believe that you are refering to
the "window of vulnerability," sir.
President Reagan: Right. And given the
huge buildup in Russian weaponry, as well as
the Soviet Union's
hegemonaist . .. hegam ... hemon.. histeg
.imperialistic ambitions, we just can't
stand idly by while the window slides open and
the mosquitoes of nuclear blackmail fly into
our faces.
Reporter: Mr. President, American relations
with its NATO allies have been deteriorating
badly in recent months. Are you concerned
about the growing discontent and anti-Americ-
anism in Europe?
PRESIDENT Reagan: Absolutely not.
(Pauses, removes sweat from eyebrow.) I have
full confidence in the leadership of De Gaulle,
Macmillan, Brandt-the leaders of France, the
Netherlands, and England, respectively-and
the others who are in full control over there. I
have little doubt that. . . I've always said that
peace in the region is vital. . . as I was telling
Roy Rogers...
Edwin Meese: That will be all for .
President Reagan: When I was growing up in
Illinois, I used to enjoy those splendid fall af-
ternoons . . . which reminds me of a little joke I
heard at lunch yesterday.. . has anyone seen
my-billfold? Those Rams look tough...
Edwin Meese: That will be all for tonight,
members of the press. Thank you for coming.
Hook was the Daily's Opinion Page Editor
last summer.
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Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
420 Maynard St.
Vol. XCII, No. 31 Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
Fist Amendment Victory
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A N ANN ARBOR publishing firm's
distribution of a new book on the
Shroud of Turin is to begin
today-despite the restraining order
efforts of Washtenaw County Judge
Ross Campbell.
Last week, in what seems to be a
Violation of the First Amendment
rights of Servant Publications Inc.,
Campbell tried to temporarily bar
distribution of the book in an effort to
aid negotiations with the Catholic
Church on a controversial carbon age
testing of the shroud. The cloth, which
bears the image of a crucified man, is
said to have been the burial shroud of
Jesus Christ.
A panel of scientists trying to deter-
mine how the man's image got on the
cloth filed suit against Servant
Publications for falsely implying the
book was associated with their resear-
ch project.
Fortunately, U.S. District Judge
Horace Gilmore recognized the
restraining order for what it was-a
violation of the firm's First Amen-
dment rights.
Campbell's decision to bar the book
not only represented a violation of the
rights of Servant Publications, but also
infringed on the rights of the citizens.
Citizens have the right not only to print
what they choose, but to have access to
read what they choose.
It was not Campbell's place to decide
whether the book would jeopardize
negotiations with the Church. His
responsibility is to uphold the Con-
stitution. This time, at least, there
were some more insightful judges on
hand to correct Campbell's mistake.
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LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Let Congress decide life 's start
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To the Daily:
To respond to your letter, 'Pro-
life bill. may undermine
judiciary' (Daily, Sept. 24): In
handing down the 1973 Roe vs.
Wade decision, the Supreme
Court refused. to decide when
human life begins. They said it is
a "sensitive and difficult"
question on which there is a
"wide divergence of thinking."
Because of this, the Court said
"... the judiciary. . . is not in a
position to speculate as to the an-
swer."
According to Supreme court
precedent, questions that are
"delicate" and "complex" are
political questions-questions
that "are and should be under-
taken only by those directly
responsible to the people ..."
(congress).
Indeed, iri 1969, Justice Clark
wrote "It is for the legislature to
determine ... that point between
prevention of conception and
viability of the fetus which would
give the State the compelling
subordinating interest so that it
may regulate or prohibit abor-
tion. . ." Thus there is a sound
basis for concluding that
Congress, not the Supreme Court
should decide when life begins.
Stephen Galebach sets forth a
thorough and logical analysis of
the Roe vs. Wade decision in The
Human Life Review, Winter,
1981. It was on the basis of
Galebach's research that the
Human Life Statute was
proposed. Eminent legal
authorities support the right of
Congress to enact such a statute.
The enactment of the Human
Life Statute, then, does not
represent a usurpation of the
powers of the Court. Rather, it is
the enforcement by Congress of
the protection of life guaranteed
by the Constitution, a function
"inherent in Congress's role and
appropriate for Congress to per-'
form."
-Patricia M. Rose
October 12
A U' petition update
To the Daily:
I am writing this letter as -a
member of CRIME, Committee
Against Research In Military
Endeavors, to inform the univer-
sity Community about the
progress of petitions which we
circulated.
These petitions called for an
open forum concerning the
presence of the Defense In-
telligence Agency on this cam-
pus. We began this petition drive
out of a desire to see that the
mistakes of the Vietnam era are
not repeated.
We circulated the petitions for
two days, and collected 2000
signatures. On the third day,
Friday October 2, we were in-
formed by Professor Rabkin that
while the University had asked 75
professors to respond favorably
to the DIA's request for research
only 6 did so. Consequently, the
University decided against a
favorable institutional response
to the DIA, but is still en-
couraging individual par-
ticipation in the DIA's research
agenda.
As a result of this change of
administrative plans, our,
petitions were no longer ap-
plicable. CRIME's work,
however, is continuing. We are
fighting to make more infor-
mation available and are con-
tinuing to initiate activities to
discourage the militarization of
this campus.
-Elizabeth A. Galst
Oct. 13, 1981
Daily incompetent-again
To the Daily:
Your reporting of the Diag
preachers (Daily, Oct. 9) was up
to your usual standards of in-
competence.
We are writing this letter
because it affects a favorite fall
pastime, evangelistic abuse."
It is obvious to anyone who
frequents the Diag that the two
hecklers you wrote about are
frauds. They spoil the fun and
sport of legitimate public
heckling. These two actors who
spew forth verbal garbage taint
our art form and discourage the
public nature of it.
Anyone who still believes the
authenticity of the charlatons
need only see the late model.1
Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
driven by Charlie Wade.
In closing, we wish people a
happy Brother Jed week, and we
ask all aspiring hacklers to pon-
der the question: DID THE FISH
DROWN?
-K. Frederick
P. Wrugg
M. Vannette
D. Eisenberg
October 12
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By Robert Lence
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