4
OPINION
Page 4
Tuesday, April 8, 1986
The Michigan Daily
4
01g Atidpigan baiQy
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Chassy
Vol. XCVI, No. 128
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board
All other cartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily.
National security?
L AST WEEK Vice President
George Bush went to the Middle
East on a peace mission of sorts.
The Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC) has
had an internal war that has left
American oil companies
devastated. When OPEC oil prices
go down, oil well drillers in the
United States can no longer sell
their oil at high prices either.
Traders too, make less on oil at
lower prices. American oil com-
panies find it hard to make a large
profit on low oil prices.
Low oil prices open the gateway
to many potential problems. Gas
guzzling cars may reappear. Solar
energy and other non-fossil fuel
energy sources may be set back
despite the necessity of their even-
tual application. Low oil prices
may deceive the public into
thinking that energy conservation
is no longer essential.
Unfortunately, Bush's trip to the
Middle East has no noble
motivations. Bush is plainly and
simply trying to bail out the oil cor-
porations by asking the OPEC
countries to stop cutting their
prices, or in more diplomatic ter-
ms, to "stabilize" their prices.
Bush is reac ting to a real
problem for the oil induistry and
oil-rich states. In once booming
Texas, which is Bush's home state,
revenues are going down from oil
sales. Now, Texas unemployment,
for the first time in recent years, is
above the national average.
Phillips Petroleum just announ-
ced that it would cut its workforce
by 2,500. Meanwhile, Standard Oil
is cutting its exploration budget.
Southwestern banks are suffering
because the companies they loan to
are slowing down their operations
since it no longer pays to pump oil
out of the ground at a fast pace.
George Bush, who is an oil
millionaire himself, has represen-
ted the interests of the oil industry
before. When Reagan's tax plan
came out, Bush worked to put tax
breaks for the oil indistry back into
the tax plan. If the Reagan tax plan
goes into effect, Bush's efforts will
save oil companies over $32 billion
in five years.
It is unlikely that Bush can save
the oil companies from making
less than windfall profits, now that
OPEC has knocked down the price
of oil. So desperate is Bush's bid to
save, oil profits that he hides his
politicking for Big Oil by citing so-
called national security. Instead of
saying publicly that he wants
OPEC to pull itself together, Bush
is saying that a strong American
oil industry is in U.S. interests.
(New York Times, 4/3/86).
Bush's comments on national
security are especially revealing.
He implies that what is good for the
Big Oil is good for the United
States. The next time the gover-
nment cries national security to
justify its foreign policy, the oil
consumer will rightly see the
government as crying wolf.
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LETTERS:
Photographer only presents one view
Field goals
A PPLICATIONS for season
tickets to this fall's football
games were mailed out last week,
sparking a scramble among
University students to find acep-
table seatmates. Genuine frien-
dship counts for little in this
scramble. Credit parity takes
priority. Since seating is deter-
mined on the number of credits a
student has accumulated, students
seek out those who have equal
'credit ratings.,,
This is just one symptom of a
distribution system which does not
serve the needs of the University
students. It's time the Athletic
department recognized that reser-
ved seating for students causes
more problems than benefits.
Last year upperclass sections
were the scene of Who-concert like
crowding. Seating was closely
monitored, which resulted in long
waits; individuals were checked
first for being in the proper section,
and second for heading in the
proper direction.
Every student knows that seat
numbers don't count for much in-
side one's assigned section.
Students routinely ignore these
numbers to sit with friends with
whom they, (for a number of
potentially valid reasons), did not
apt asnn Qtickets-
once one person sits in another's
seat, the displacement sets off a
domino-like re-shuffling which
stadium personnel could never
hope to unravel.
The solution seems obvious. Sin-
ce students are accustomed to
general admission seating at
events such as rock concerts, this
method could be applied to football
games. The main casualty of this
system would be priority seating
for juniors and seniors, but those
who cared about getting better
seats could arrive early for the
game.
Crowding problems' would not
end, but individuals would no
longer be trapped by crowds. As it
stands, when a given section
becomes overcrowded, a rule-
abiding ticket holder gets
squashed. With general admission,
the same ticket-holder, if bothered
by crowding, would be free to move
to a less-congested area.
If the gates were opened early
enough, crowd control might be
less of a problem. The rabid fans
would be at the gates as they
opened, and would settle into the
best seats, trading off a certain
measure of comfort for a good
view. The less rabid fans would
head fnr the end-znne. and watch
To the Daily:
It seems to me the Daily's
"Inquiring Photographer"
(3/13/86) didn't inquire too
deeply in his (and yes without
looking I'm quite sure it's a
"he") efforts to gather a fair
cross-section of student's
opinions regarding a "Women of
Michigan" calendar. All the
printed responses were generally
in favor of the idea provided it
Guidelines
To the Daily:
Mr. Vogel's editorial, "Military
Research Rights," (Daily,
3/31/86) cannot pass unan-
swered. I am amazed by the ef-
frontery of his claim that the san-
ctity of democratic principles
provides him with a moral right
to perform secret research whose
only goal is to kill people. In the
first place, democratic tolerance
for a plurality of opinion does not
mean that all opinions can or
should not be acted upon. It is
illegal and it is wrong: to slan-
der, to discriminate, to shout
"fire" in a crowded theater, to
bomb abortion clinics, to murder.
All are inappropriate ex-
pressions of opinion.
The University's research
guidelines do not infringe on the
rights of individual researchers.
On the contrary, government
grants are not awarded to in-
dividuals; they are awarded in th
name of the University. Accep-
tance of a grant is a public com-
mitment by the University as a
whole in support of the goals of
the funded research. Individuals
do not have the right to make that
commitment.
Nor are the research guidelines
intended to create a better
research environment at the
University, as Mr. Vogel claims.
They are a public statement of
the moral position of the Univer-
sity community. Because of the
nature of research funding and
the University's role in society, it
is necessary that the University
take a public stand on moral
issues.
We have a responsibility. We
cannot avoid the issue by hiding
behind legal technicalities. We
cannot avoid the issue by ob-
fuscation and claims that
democracy and a plurality of
opinion mean that anything can
happen. We must not be bought
Pacifism isn't anti-American
was "tastefully done". Many
were glad University women
were finally provided a chance to
dispel the stereotype that smart
women were inevitably ugly.
One woman, an actual con-
testant, expressed pleasure that
she was being judged im-
pressionally and solely on the
basis of her looks.
In my opinion, that "impersonal
eye" is nothing to be pleased
about. In fact it is a great insult
and a source of great danger for
women here on campus. It is
precisely the abstraction of
women's bodies as objects in cen-
terfold, existing only for the
pleasure of men and not as entire
people, that helps create our
To the Daily:
I was totally appalled by Mark
Powell's letter "U.S. cannot
allow Libya to draw line,"
(Daily, 3/28/86). I feel that his
accusation that the Daily was
"knee-jerk fascist-baiting,"
"defeatist pacifist," and, "anti-
American" is an attack on all
who agree with the Daily's
position regarding the Libyan
conflict.
Many, including myself, feel
that the United States provoked
the Libyan attack. The Daily did
a very good job in presenting that
side of the case, that there is no
reason any ship should be in the
Gulf of Sidra unless headed
toward Libya. Powell finds some
similarity between the Gulf of
Sidra and the Gulf of Mexico. Un-
fortunately, he has made a.
geographical error. The Gulf of
Sidra is bordered on three sides
by Libya; and the Gulf of Mexico
An invitation
To the Daily:
We, the College Democrats,
would like to take this oppor-
tunity to invite Republican Carl
Pursell to speak at the Univer-
sity. If Pursell decides to accept
our offer, we envision an open
forum. While Michigan's
Democratic State Representative
Perry Bullard and Michigan's Demo-
cratic State Senator Lana Pol-
llack have openly addressed students
numerous times on campus, we
feel that Pursell has ignored his
University sonstituency. Not
only has Pursell failed to make
is only bordered on two sides by
the United States and one side by
Mexico. That's all right, we'll let
it go for now. He's still an
American.
That's another point. I feel
proud to be an American. Its the
best country in the world because
anyone can express their point of
view without fear of punishment.
But maybe I'm wrong. It seems
Powell would like everyone who
doesn't agree with his point of
view to be branded as "ANTI-
AMERICAN." Perhaps all of us
should wear little "anti" patches
on our clothes.
SAM mem n
Tothe Daily:
I am a member of Sigma Alpha
Mu fraternity and would ap-
preciate the opportunity to pass
along several facts, opinions, and
suggestions to your readers.
First the facts. Bill "The Fox"
Foster is not simply The World's
Fastest Beer Drinker. He is, first
and foremost, an entertainer. He
plays piano both at his Santa
Monica, California nightclub and
at engagements in Las Vegas.
Secondly, the money "raised" for
his performance came through
an admission fee of $7.50 charged
to those who chose to attend. I
paid my $7.50 and feel neither
remorse nor guilt. I earn my
money and live in a country
which affords its citizens the
right to spend their money as
they please.
Next, the opinions. Questioning
my tinniginnc +to nand manne in
Powell also sees a problem
with being a pacifist. He doesn't
mind that 80 people were killed,
just as long as they weren't
Americans. I'm sorry, but those
of us who are less aggressive
than that don't see the need to kill
people just to defend a principle.
Powell should open his eyes to
other points of view some time.
It's good to hear different
arguments. This way you prevent
yourself from doing something
stupid because you thought it was
all right.
- E. Scott Adler
March 28
ber replies
-
given to charity. Will you take my
challenge?; Maybe the author(s)
of the original editorial, so safely
hidden behind the mask of "The
Michigan Daily Editorial Staff,"
would care to reveal their names
and defend all of their personal
expenditures. Drive expensive
cars? Go to concerts? Have ex-
pensive meals or vacations or
clothes? I challenge you to live up
to the standards that you set for
others.
Finally, the suggestions. First,
don't be so hasty to speak about
things that you don't understand.
Second, if you choose to set high
standards for others, be prepared
to practice what you preach.
Third, take some time to consider
the rights granted to citizens of
the United States, and make an
effort to prevent your
authoritarian tendencies from
denving nennle nf their rights
present "rape culture." How
can the student body talk about
'rape awareness programs' and
improved Nite Owl service while
at the same time allowing the
pornography that necessitates
these programs to go unchecked?
A "Women of Michigan" calen-
dar is a step backward on the
path toward campus safety and
women's freedom. As such it can
not possibly be "tastefully done."
No position of strong oposition
was presented in the "inquirer's"
blurbs. Could it be he's also
hoping to get picked? As the
photographer for this calendar?
By not representing the opposing
viewpoint you give the im-
pression that perhaps it is too
radical of one even to be men-
tioned - or only the opinion of a
small minority. On the contrary
many women here are very ac-
tive in demonstrating against the
sexual exploitation of women, as
evidenced in the large annual
"Take Back the Night"' rally,
feminist graffitti on the "Velvet
Touch" billboard, and rallies last
year outside the "Movie Star
Look Alike" contest. One needn't
look far on the University cam-
pus to find concerned, activist
women struggling to assert our
fair place in academia and
society at large. You obviously
chose not to look.
Helen :Michaelson
March 14
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