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OPINION
Page 4 Friday, March 28, 1986 The Michigan Daily
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Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Wasserman
IT WAS A &REAT DO'i
CON&G2E6 of 'The
UNITED &TRE-5 /
Vol. XCVI, No. 121
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board
Apathy and activism
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STUDENT LEADERSHIP of the
strong protest against
Representative Carl Pursell's sup-
port of military aid to the
Nicaraguan Contras sought to
dispel a myth: that University
students have become politically
passive.
The student participants deserve
applause for raising awareness and
taking a moral stand on an impor-
tant issue. It is unfortunate
however, that too few people pay
attention to politics and to issues of
erucial importance. This general
apathy could lead to disastrous
results at the polls.
When voters act to ensure that
their voices are heard by their
representatives in Congress, they
are not ignored. The House ap-
propriately shot down President
Reagan's aid package, though the
222 to 210 vote was disturbingly
close.
Pursell constituents in Ann Arbor
clearly cared enough about the
Nicaraguan issue to vocalize their
dissent. In general though, voters
are not activists. When they per-
ceive no threat, they remain silent,
and open a gateway to dangerous
situations. Such was the case last
week in Illinois, when indifferent or
uninformed voters nominated Lyn-
don LaRouche supporters Mark J.
Fairchild and Janice Hart to
gubernatiorial candidate Adlai
Stevenson's Democratic ticket.
LaRouche's platform calls for
mandatory screening for AIDS for
everybody, "Nuremburg-style"
trials for drug traffickers, and in-
creased nuclear weapons stock-
piles. Stevenson has expressed
vehement disgust with the
primary results and said he will
not run with the LaRouche suppor-
ters in November. He has criticized
the lack of local efforts to
disseminate information about his
own choices for lieutenant gover-
nor and secretary of state, George
Sangmeister and Aurelia Pucinski.
Their names evidently were not
mentioned in sample Democratic
ballots. The voter turnout was
low-25 percent-and unknown
numbers of Republicans crossed
over to vote on the Democratic side
in the open Illinois primary, and
these may have been key reasons
for the outcome. The LaRouchean
candidates spent only $200 on their
campaigns, so name recognition
was clearly a factor.
The Democratic party cannot af-
ford to be overconfident, especially
in these days of conservatism and
far right morality. While it is the
responsibility of the people to pay
attention, they were given little in-
formation on which to base their
views.
Stevenson may have to create an
alternative party if he is to avoid
running with Fairchild and Hart.
But Democrats, instead of pan-
dering to apathy, should lead the
fight against the extremists, con-
front their opposition, publicize the-
ir positions, and demonstrate the
activism and interest demon-
strated by Ann Arbor constituents
last week. When they do, voters
will respond in kind, making in-
telligent responsible choices when
they go to the polls.
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LETTERS:
U. S. cannot allow Libya to draw line
No confirmation
THERE IS no independent con-
firmation that Nicaraguan
troops actually embarked on an in-
cursion into Honduras. No repor-
ters are not allowed into the area and
the Nicaraguan government denies
any action. The Nicaraguan gover-
nment called for an objective ob-
servatory committee, modeled af-
ter the committee for peace with
Costa Rica, to inspect the border
and verify the United States
claims.
The Honduran embassy officially
denied that any incursion took
place until meeting with U.S. State
Department officials, six days af-
ter the alleged invasion. In Hon-
duras, however, recognition didn't
come until Wednesday; Honduran
media beginning coverage only af-
ter the official statement was
issued from Washington.
Both Honduran President, Jose
Azcona Hoya, and Nicaraguan
President, Daniel Ortega, met on
Monday; the border conflict did not
appear on the agenda. Soon after
this meeting both presidents left to
vacation, demonstrating little in-
terest in the potential war between
their countries.
In Nicaragua it is Holy Week (an
Easter holiday): the entire country
has the week off, including
television and newspapers which
are not running.
No aerial photographs have ap-
,novA aAs ni f nn+laa ho h a n
seen. Only two prisoners, sup-
posedly Sandinistas, were taken,
and they were never available for
comment. It is not certain that they
were captured in Honduras.
If Sandinista troops have invaded
Honduras, as they have in the past
to retaliate against frequent Contra
attacks, they should be protected
under "hot-pursuit." Yet, the State
Department claims that "hot-
pursuit" of the Contras does not
apply to Nicaraguan troops as a
reason to enter Honduras.
It seems likely that the U.S. ad-
ministration is trying to promote
conflict around the Nicaraguan
border. This mandate, against an
agreement between Honduras and
Nicaragua, is an excuse for con-
frontation.
False contentions have been
raised by the United State before.
In November 1984, the State Depar-
tment announced Soviet MIGs were
arriving in Managua; this was con-
firmed by their experts. Four days
later these reports were proved
wrong.
It is in the interest of the U.S.
administration to promote con-
troversy in the region to strengthen
its appeal for military aid to the
Contras.
However, without free media ac-
cess to Honduras and contradictory
information received from the
governments, it is impossible to
......«L.:. 4 -1 4 l A..-
To the Daily:
The Daily is reaching ever
greater heights in its ability to
shock and dismay students on
this campus who see the world
around them clearly and think
realistically. You've gone off the
deep end in your seemingly
limitless capacity for knee-jerk
fascist-baiting and defeatist
pascifism. Illustrative is the
Opinion page, whose 4 major
headlines are, by anyone's stan-
dards, severely skewed to the an-
ti-American left. Particularly
egregious was "U.S. Out of
Libya", pursuant to the recent
air-sea action in the
Mediterranean. The Daily makes
no mention of the fact that
Khadafy is an international
outlaw, a maniacial murderer
who assassinates his opponents
as "stray dogs", and a
professional terrorist, who has
been authoritatively connected to
the 1972 Munich massacre, the
assassination of Anwar Sadat,
the slaughter of American
Peacekeepers in Beirut, and the
recent Rome and Vienna
massacres. His formidablear-
senal of modern weapons is sup-
plied by the Soviet Union for the
dual purposes of military expan-
sion into central Africa (e.g.
Chad) and giving muscle to his
world-wide campaign of terror.
The Daily presents as conten-
tious the location of Libya's sea
Nervous hens
To the Daily:
I should keep my mouth shut, if
only to let the whole business dry
up of its own polemical, and
thereby vaporous
nature... nonetheless ...r
Who, really, are these persons
(or person) going about by the
name of 'spock', acting as such
virile champions of 'campus
knowledge?' So certain are they
(he?) of the content of true
knowledge, they feel impelled to
point their accusing fingers at
heresies here at home, at the
Harvard of the Midwest.
A Mr. Weisbrot, poor fellow
(by print date, his fate will be set-
tled anyhow and this will be
water over (under?) the barrel),
seems to be the latest to have
been found-out by the all-
knowing ones; I gather they are
having, trouble seeing anything
but red.
And what of the rest of us? It is
enoughrthat some arrogant short-
tempered poseurs in their
fathers' clothing utter the dam-
ning phrase 'Marx', for us to
breathe easier and think, "Ah,
well then. ther's annother loadrof
National Guard will help Honduras
To the Daily:
Once again the Daily has shown
its ignorance of military affairs,
specifically in its editorial
"Guard stay home" (3/19/86). If
the Daily must publish opinions
perhaps they should be informed
ones, not opinions based on
popular liberalism and miscon-
ceptions.
ThePresident's intention to
send the National Guard to Hon-
duras is not belligerent, nor is it a
pretext for action against
Nicaragua. It is a signal to
Nicaragua not to use its rapidly
expanding armed forces to
spread communism to neigh-
boring nations.
Nicaragua possesses military
personnel and advanced aircraft
which far outstrips the National
Police Force upon which Hon-
duras relies for defense.
Having the National Guard
perform its Summer training in
Honduras will send several
signals to the communist bloc.
First, it signals that America will
honor its commitment to Hon-
Reagan rhyme
INTIMATION
I wanna kill an Iranian!
I wanna kill a Cuban!
I wanna kill a Nicaraguan!
I wanna kill a Libyan!
I wanna kill a Salvadoran!
I wanna kill a Russian!
My name's Ronald Reagan!
I'm a rambo-ling macho man!
I've designed the master plan
for all men, women and
children.
It requires human destruction,
with a little torture thrown in.
We've got the ultimate
weapon
duras if they are faced with ar-
med aggression from Ortega's
regime, and second, that we have
the ability to deploy troops should
the occasion arise, without letting
up on our other commitments
elsewhere in the world.
There are many benefits to be
gained by sending the Guard. The
Guard is not a combat force that
would be sent in case of need, but
the training they receive in a dif-
ferent environment will
broaden their scope. They will, as
all American forces have done on
such exercises, provide enor-
mous assistance to the local
civilian population through con-
struction, medical care, and the
supply of food items. Sending the
Guard - citizen soldiers - in-
stead of Marines, who have been
there repeatedly implies a de-
escalation. Embarking full com
bat troops would seem much
more threatening to most
rational people. One last point, if
Honduras felt it would be a set-
back to regional stability they
probably wouldn't have invited is
to participate in exercises within
their SOVERIGN state.
The Daily's naivete on military
affairs constantly amazes me. I
sometimes wonder if you are
ignorant, or just attempting to
create controversy where none
exists. If the Daily wants to know
about the armed forces then talk
to those who have been there!
Ignore the liberal B.S. of the
small fringe element and listen to
those with actual experience. t
-John Scott Mathews
CPL USMC (RET)
March 21
boundary. This, to use the Daily's
words, in ludicrous. Under Inter-
national Law, Khadafy (who
mocks and attacks such law
every day), may claim 12 miles
outward from Libya's shores.
Even disregarding the nature of
his regime, his claim to the entire
Gulf of Sidra is the geopolitical
equivalent of the U.S. claiming
the entire Gulf of Mexico.
Whether or not the Sixth Fleet
needs to exercise south of 32030' N
as opposed to north of it, which
the Daily uses in its polemic, is
irrelevant. As a matter of prin-
ciple we cannot allow someone
like Khadafy to draw a line
across the Mediterranean Sea in
defiance of every convention of
International behavior and Law.
and call it a "Line of Death". Sin-
ce none of our allies nor any other
free country has the assets to
decisively challenge this in-
tolerable affrontive claim, the
duty fell to us.
The Daily's claim that this ac-
tion is linked to administration
policy in Central America (where
Marxist Nicaragua, with a Soviet
supplied arsenal similar to
Khadafy's, has invaded Hon-
duras) is preposterous and jour-
nalistically irresponsible, for the
location and nature of our exer-
cises were anounced through all
proper international channels
months ago. When Khadafy fired
missiles at U.S. planes in inter-
national airspace, we necessarily
responded, and in a surgical and
limited manner. The Daily should
be lauding the efficient and effec-
tive performance of US. arms
(an encouraging rarity) in defen-
se of International Law.
-Mark Powell
March 27
Abortion is catastrophe
To the Daily:
In response to your article co'
-vering the "march for women's
lives" in your March 10 issue,
how can you morally give front-
page priority to such a national
catastrophe as abortion? These
women who march for "women's
rights" are choosing to forget the
rights of the children they are
killing.
NOW President Eleanor Smeal
is fighting to retain "women's
rights" to an abortion. How can
we, as people of God, say tiat
women have the right to destroy
a life? God did not exclude em-
bryos when he commanded "thou
shalt not kill."
As for the vatican 24 who say
"that which makes us human is
choice".- that which makes us
human is life - the life which
God grants us - the life which
abortion kills. If abortions con-
tinue at the rate they are oc-
curring, they will someday be the
demise of our nation. Please
don't contribute to this injustice
by giving abortion front-page at-
tention.
Sheri L. Hull
March 12
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Correction:
The editorial, "Wire service
politics" Daily (3/17/86) in-
correctly reported the analysis of.
Amnesty International. The ar-
ticle should have read "Amnesty
did report that the Contras use
torture and mutilation as
"routine practices." The Daily
regrets the error.
I
I
do