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OPINION
Page 4 Friday, February 21, 1986
The Michigan Daily
I I
Edie nd manbt sa ns tyf iig
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Don't forget S. African pain
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Vol. XCVI, No. 101
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board
Rights of Review
R ECENT CASES have been
reported of the Michigan
Review's various opponents
trashing issues of the paper. This
trashing consists of taking thirty to
one hundred copies of the Review
at one time and throwing them
away or scattering them on the
ground. After being caught in the
act and confronted by Review staf-
fers, these trashers gave what they
deem to be funny responses or
make snide remarks. Trashers
have also proclaimed that they feel
a certain justice in trying to remove
the conservative paper from cam-
pus distribution.
Judging from their actions and
the careless attitudes displayed
through their remarks, these
trashers seem to regard destruc-
tion as a game. But trying to ob-
struct others' viewpoints is as
serious as it is dangerous.
Ironically, these trashers are some
of the most vocal opponents of the
proposed code of non-academic
conduct because it could be used to
stifle student opinion. Their actions
demonstrate that they believe
student opinion which leans to the
right does not deserve protection,
but should be snuffed out.
Through their attempts to hide
opposing viewpoints, the trashers
are merely revealing their own in-
security. If they believe in the
strength of their own disbeliefs,
they should respect the Review's
right to challenge them. Their cen-
sorship is insulting to other studen-
ts.
These trashers should halt their
efforts to remove the Review from.
the University. After all, if the
Review is so distasteful that the
trashers feel morally obligated to
protect other students from ex-
posure to it, that very exposure
would ensure its downfall. The ef-
forts of trashers to suppress op-
posing opinion at least as
frightening as any ideas the
Review may espouse.
By Barbara Ransby
If a tree falls in a forest and there is no
one there to hear it, is there sound? Of cour-
se there is. Sound waves are emitted even
though no human ears receive them.
Despite a seven month news black out, the
political violence in South Africa continues;
the screams of children blinded by tear gas
continues even though we don't hear them;
the police shootings continue even though
we don't seem them on the front pages of
our daily newspapers. The crimes of apar-
theid continues, as does the suffering of our
brothers and sisters who are its victims.
The most recent victims of apartheid are
the residents of the Black township of
Alexandra, near Johannesburg. Over the
past week close to 80 protesters,most of
them teenagers, have been killed by the
South African police according to local
clergy (government figures estimate only
19 deaths), and hundreds have been
arrested or detained in what one reporter
describes as an area resembling a "combat
zone." More than 25,000 Alexandra residen-
ts, one fourth of the townships' total
population, poured into the streets on Mon-
day to demand that police and soldiers
leave the township and release thosejailed.
Bishop Tutu expressed the fear that if the
conflict continues children will "be killed
like flies." The massacre in Alexandra is
testimony to the brutality of Apartheid, its
vicious suppression of any political dissent.
Contrary to Prime Minsiter Botha's conten-
tion that things are calmer since the news
black out, Alexandra is probably only the
tip of the iceburg. In fact, Sout Africa'a
leaders are so afraid that their crimes will
be revealed to the world that they recently
arrested and charged several foreign jour-
nalists because they attempted to publicize
the situation. Even more frightening is the
government's threat to escalate its violent
attacks upon the Free South Africa
movement in the future. According to
Minister of Law and Order Louis LeGrange,
"If necessary, (we) will not hesitate to
Ransby, a graduate student in history,
is an active leader of the Free South
Africa Coordinating Committee.
tackle any situation with even greater for-
ces than have been used in the past."
Perhaps by this statement LeGrange means
that more children will be killed, such as the
2 year old girl who was "accidentally"
murdered by the South African police last
Fall. Clearly, South Africa is in a state of
war and there will undoubtedly be more
bloodshed before the situation is resolved.
This is the grim political reality to which
people concerned with justice must
respond.
While the situation in South Africa rages
on and the suffering and killings continue,
many Americans ask the question - what
does this have to do with me? The fact is
that Reagan's policy of constructive
engagement, his friendly relationstwith the
dictators in Pretoria, is being pursued in the
name of the American people. And if
Americans don't protest that policy as
loudly and vigrously as they can, then
tacitly and passively they endorse it and
thereby become a part of the problem. This
not only applies to individual citizens but to
institutions such as the University of
Michigan as well. In fact, the actions of
prestigious academic institutions such as
ours can have more of an impact than the
single actions of individual citizens. It is for
this reason that the Free South Africa
movement on this campus has made a
number of suggestions to the University
administration and the Regents regarding
how the University can more effectively use
its influence to oppose Apartheid. They are:
" 1) The University must divest the
remaining $500,000 it has invested in com-
panies doing business in South Africa. The
ambigious concept of "University
autonomy" is not more important than
our taking a resolute moral stand against
apartheid, and severing our economic links
to it.
- 2. In addition to adopting a moral in-
vestment policy, the University should also
adopt a moral buying policy which means 4
boycott of large companies such as IBM,
which collaborate openly with the apartheid
regime.
" 3) Although the University must state
clearly what it is against in South Africa, it
must also state clearly what it is for. An op-
portunity for the University to make a
statement of solidarity with the majority of
the South African people would be to grant
an honorary degree to South African leader,
and political prisoner for 25 years, Nelson
Mandela. Mandela has been internationally
recognized as a symbol of the anti-apar-
theid movement and of the resolve of the
South African people to be free. University
faculty members have already submitted
the Mandela nomination which has been en-
dorsed by letters from distinguished U.S.
Congressmen, former ambassadors to
Africa, President of the Detroit City Coun-
cil and South African author Nadine Gor-
dimir, whom the University hosted as an
esteemed lecturer last year. Also, more
than 2,000 students have signed a petition
supporting the nomination.
Individual students can support all of
these proposals by participating in cam-
puswide anti-apartheid activities. In par-
ticular, a series of educational and protest
activities being planned by a coalition of
student groups, to take place during the
national weeks of action against racism and
apartheid, March 21st to April 6th. The
highlights of these events include a talk by
Randall Robinson on March 21st in Hale
Auditorium in the Business School at 7 p.m.,
and a Freedom March Against Racism and
Apartheir on April 4th, the anniversary of
the assassination bf Martin Luther King.
These events will coincide with similar ac-
tions on campuses across the country.
These same weeks of action were the
kickoff for a series of dramatic anti-apar-
theid activities last year, most notably the 3
week blockade of a building at Columbia
University and a similar action at Berkeley.
This year, while we want all University ac-
tivites to be peaceful, we also want them to
be mass and visible. Thousands of young
people in South Africa are making the
ultimate human sacrifice in defense of their
principles, at least we can make some small
sacrifices of time and energy to take an
unequivocal stand against apartheid in
South Africa and racism at home and in
solidarity with South African liberation for-
ces. I strongly urge the Ann Arbor com-
munity to build for a support the Spring
event.-
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Register soon
.JEANETTE MIDDLETON'S
victory in Monday's third ward
City Council primary was suppor-
ted by an estimated 200 students
who voted for her in the election.
Students in the third ward, par-
ticularly those in the Greek
system, felt pressure to register
from Panhellenic who believed
Middleton's opponent, Donna
Richter, was opposed to frater-
nities and sororities in the neigh-
borhood because of a dispute over
Collegiate Sorosis. Though it is
debatable whether Middleton ac-
tually cares more about the Greeks
since Richter has shown an obvious
support for standing fraternities
and sororities in the neighborhood,
the election illustrated how studen-
ts should partake in city politics if
they want to be taken seriously.
Though Middleton would have won
without student support, student
concerns were recognized in this
election.
who live off-campus. The city at
times has been lax in enforcing
tenants' rights, particularly when
those tenants are non-voting
students. The only way tenants can
make their concerns felt in city
hall is by voting.
Other issues which directly af-
fect students who live off-campus
are problems with adequate
lighting and police protection in
student dominated areas. Such
questions will only be addessed
when students care enough to take
action.
In the early seventies, student
support resulted in the election of
two Human Rights party members
to City Council. Student influence
was particularly responsible for
passing the five dollar marijuana
law at that time.
Candidates will only begin to
consider student concerns when
students exercise their political
clout. In order to regain the power
they once held, students should
register by March 10 to vote in the
April 7 general city election.
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To the Daily:
Your Feb. 12 article on West
Quadrangle's Food Service was
largely a reasonable piece of
reporting, although the reporter
could not resist including several
quotable potshots. Although I am
the director of the West
Quadrangle, I have only liaison,
not direct supervisory, respon-
sibilities with Food Service.
Nevertheless, I would like to add
some additional information to
your article.
The West Quad dining rooms
LETTERS:
W. Quad food service defended
wherever they want in the
Housing system, something the
Housing Division has been most
reluctant to do. With all this
business, West Quad's Food Ser-
vice professional staff is plagued
by less-than-adequate produc-
tion, refrigeration, storage, and
service capabilities. The Housing
Division has spent tens of
thousands of dollars in the last
several years and these expen-
ditures have helped to mitigate
some of these difficulties, but
there is certainly much more that
importance to them. The survey
done by SCARF was noted in the
article but the statistical results
were somewhat misreported.
37% of the 400 respondents
thought the main entree was fair,
which included in the reported
92% of respondents citing the
main entrees as poor to
disgusting. That is more than a
semantic difference. Secondly,
the article only cited the most
negative statistic. Side dishes,
the salad bar, and desserts
received more fair to good
this world. Still, most of the
SCARF participants are making
a genuine effort to learn more
about and understand the con- 4
straints and limitations of in-
stitutional food service, what
things can be changed in the
short-run, and what needs to be
planned in the long run. In so
doing, they are making an impor-
tant contribution to improving
the quality of life for West Quad
residents.
Complaints about residence
hall food have been around for a