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OPINION
Page 4
Thursday, October 15, 1987
The Michigan Daily
I
4
Edite tutstnrichig an l
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
U,
tries
to
arrest speech
Vol.XCVIII, No. 26
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.
Sister school in S.
Africa
LAST TUESDAY AT NOON, the
Free South Africa Coordinating
Committee (FSACC) held a rally in
the Diag to honor political prisoners
in South Africa. During this rally,
the FSACC revealed plans to aid an
African National Congress (ANC)
sponsored school. It is in the Uni-
versity's best interest to participate
in this endeavor.
The Solomon Mahlangu Freedom
College is located in Tanzania and is
a combination of a school and hos-
pital. The ANC founded the college
in 1979. It provides free education
to students from a primary level to a
post-secondary one.
This school enables people who
left South Africa to receive an alter-
native education. South African
schools bring up new generations
of citizens whp are taught to accept
the apartheid regime's oppressive
reign over the land. Only schools
such as the Freedom College en-
courage the students'- spirit of re-
sisting the South African govern-
ment's racist policies.
By supporting this college, the
Uiversity can be consistent with its
stited policy. When giving the
Honorary Degree to Nelson Man-
dela last year, the University ad-
ministration said it was doing so
because it believed in Mandela's
cause - that apartheid is wrong -
and admired his character, rather
than because of student pressure.
Supporting this college will indicate
the University s sincerity in
awarding the degree to Mandela.
The University's support of the
school doesn't need to come in
terms of financial grants. Instead,
the University can recognize the
college as a sister school similar to
Ann Arbor's acceptance of the
Nicaraguan city, Juigalpa, as a sis-
ter city. Following this, the
University administration can run
professor and student exchange
programs. Such exchanges would
benefit students and faculty mem-
bers here by providing a more di-
verse cultural and political environ-
ment, and by making apartheid
more a matter of local concern.
The University should follow
through on its claim of commitment
to the South African cause, and in-
volve itself in establishing a sister
school relationship with the
Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Col-
lege.
By Henry Park
Last night, the University administra-
tion gave me another lesson in so-called
free speech. A University security officer
from "Public Safety," read me the Tres-
pass Act inside the Daily's offices while
an Ann Arbor police officer stood by to
prepare to make the arrest.
It did not matter that that the two news
editors in charge that evening told the
"Public Safety" officer and the police offi-
cer that there was no problem with my
being in the building. The "Public
Safety" officer, who represented the Uni-
versity, believes that the University has
the right to remove anyone from the
Daily.
To the University administration, it does
not matter that I might have been a candi-
date for president, an anti-abortion lobby-
ist or anybody else that the Daily might
interview. According to the University, if
I do not show my student ID, it has the
right to remove me from a political meet-
ing, a class or the student newspaper.
Of course, that is exactly the reason I did
not show ID. It should not matter
Henry Park is an Opinion page co-editor.
whether a person is a student or non-stu-
deni when it comes to political meetings,
classes, art performances or the press.
Students and non-students alike should be
able to exercise their supposed First
Amendment rights.
Indeed, in this case, the University ad-
ministration violated the so-called civil
liberties of the Daily's two news editors.
The two editors, who are students, should
have the right to talk to whomever they
want.
The University administration also
claims the right to ask everyone at a
political meeting for their ID. I was at a
Trotskyist meeting last night when I first
met "Public Safety." When I refused to
show ID, "Public Safety" immediately
called the police. Later I would find out
that the police would claim the right to
see anyone's driver's license involved in
the University's efforts to prevent so-
called trespassing. (It's not true though,
so don't show your ID to police unless
they arrest you.)
In other words, if I had not diverted the
"Public Safety" officer to the Daily, he
would have felt justified in calling the
police on all the non-students at the
Workers' League meeting. The police
would then have asked for everyone's
driver's license.
Seeing that "Public Safety" had decided
to make a news story for me, I walked to
the Daily, where "Public Safety" followed
me from the second floor of Mason Hall.
So in a certain sense, "Public Safety" was
non-discriminatory in squelching "free
speech: It did not matter if I were suppos-
edly trespassing at the Daily or at a Trot-
skyist meeting.
After "Public Safety" had already
demonstrated the University administra-
tion's zeal in preventing so-called free
speech, I relented and showed my student
ID. "Public Safety" said the ID was not
valid, but left anyway, as did the police.
As the "Public Safety" officer left, he
pointed out that I had signed a contract
with the University to show ID whenever
asked. What the University does not seem
to realize is that the First Amendment is
supposedly a higher law than the Univer-
sity administration's "contract."
People who go to Trotskyist and other
political meetings don't want to sign up
with police and the University. The
government (both the public University
and the police) should not have the right
to make them do so.
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LETTERS
Greeks should learn to fight sexism
Co-ed cheerleading
T HE UNIVERSITY'S BOARD in
Cbntrol of Intercollegiate Athletics
should vote to send both men and
women cheerleaders to all away
games this season. Since there are
both male and female cheering
squads, both sexes should have the
opportunity to represent the
University at away football games.
As a result of a Big Ten rule
change last summer, universities
have been restricted to sending only
six cheerleaders to away games.
This decision is the result of com-
pi;aints from the TV networks who
complain of lack of room to film
games on the sidelines.
Currently, there exists a 10- man
squad and a 12-member co-ed team
which has replaced the pom-pom
squad. Until four years ago there
was only a male team, and because
of that, only men were sent to away
games. That was fair because there
weren't any women to help do the
job.
In complying with the new rule,
the University may rely on tradition
by sending six men and not funding
women to travel to away -games.
This, as ACLU lawyer Jean King
points out, would be discriminatory
against women. Laws exist that
protect against discrimination on the
basis of sex alone. In determining
who gets to go, the Board would
act illegally by deciding solely by
virtue of gender.
Last weekend, a regental request
enabled a team of three men and
three women to witness the debacle
in Lansing. However, the co-ed
appearance was an exception. The
Athletic department must soon re-
solve the permanent status of trav-
elling cheerleaders. The only fair
and legal course would be to send
three men and three women.
To the Daily:
This letter is addressed to
fellow Greeks.
The recent events surround-
ing the alleged rape of a soror-
ity woman and the trial that
followed has caused us in
Greeks For Peace much con-
cern about the state of the
Greek System and our attitudes
towards women.
We, Greeks For Peace, are
sorority and fraternity members
who formed last year to educate
ourselves and others about
sexism: we are equally con-
cerned with issues of mili-
tarism, racism, and social jus-
tice. In March we held a forum
on sexism (organized with the
help of the Sexual Assault
Prevention and Awareness
Center). It was partially the
education received at this event
that consolidated our anger and
disappointment with events
that transpired less than one
month later.
Much criticism has been
levelled against the Greek Sys-
tem for its involvement in and
response to the Neal rape case.
Questions have been raised
whether or not the Greek Sys-
tem is inherently sexist and,
therefore, the cause of the
events. We want to appeal to
people, especially fellow
Greeks, to consider the follow-
ing:
- The Greek System at its
foundation is not inherently
sexist.
- Our society exists funda-
mentally on a pervasive sex-
ism that supports what w e
would term a "rape culture."
- This rape culture has found
a foothold in fraternities and
sororities in the absence of
awareness about the values
upon which they were founded.
- Concrete actions can and
must be taken within the Greek
System to raise awareness and
work to create conditions in
which similar events will not
be repeated.
- Action should also be
sought to address the broader
issues of sexism, as it affects
both women and men, in soci-
ety at large.
Greeks For Peace expresses
support and solidarity for the
woman in the Neal rape case.
Her treatment in the courtroom
and the press was appalling.
She was consistently depicted
as a seductress, which, we be-
lieve was of no relevance to the
case (and possibly illegal by
the Rape Shield Law). This
in effect put her, rather than
Neal, on trial. Irrespective of
the outcome of the trial, the
medical evidence showed that a
sorority woman sustained in-
juries "consistent with non-
consensual sexual intercourse."
Despite the pressure placed
on women to keep quiet, she
chose to come forward and
confront a painful ordeal. We
all stand to gain from such
honesty. Her courage deserves
our admiration and support.
Women must be told that they
can speak out without fear of
intimidation and humiliation.
We, therefore, condemn
Neal's suit against the woman,
the result of which will set a
precedent: women who stand
up for their rights under the
law and tell the truth in public
will continue to be intimi-
dated... and continue to be op-
pressed. This sort of abuse,
like that which occurred in the
courtroom, discourages women
from reporting rape and prose-,
cuting rapists.
In takingsthis stand, we in
the Greek System must reaf-
firm the values upon which the
sororities and fraternities were
founded. Sisterhood and
brotherhood, as fundamental
Greek values, have nothing to
do with rape and nothing to do
with violence. Sisterhood
means positive support for
victims of rape and women
who are publicly humiliated.
Brotherhood means condemn-
ing men who feel at liberty to
treat women violently, whether
that violence has sexual or any
other motivations. Sexist be-
havior is "un-cool" and "un-
Greek."
We challenge all of us in the
Greek system to take responsi-
bility. The Panhellenic Asso-
ciation as well as the Inter-
Fraternity Council should or-
ganize mandatory sexual as-
sault awareness programs for
both sororities and fraternities.
We see this as only a first, but
necessary step to deal with the
problem. Resolution should
be made to take further action,
both within Panhel. and IFC,
as well as individual houses.
In addition, Greeks For Peace
supports the demand for a
mandatory University course
on "sexism, racism and clas-
sism."
-Jean Besanceney
Matt Greene
Carol Spencer
Becky Vincent
Mark Wurful
Leith Harmon
Mark Miller
and about 30 others
October 14
Play lampoons everyone
To the Daily:
As two of the more than one
hundred people who worked on
A Funny Thing Happened on
the Way to the Forum, we are
pleased that it received such a
good review in the Michigan
Daily ("'Forum' of talent is
short on awareness, Daily,
10/9/87). Nonetheless; we feel
that several points in Ms.
Kohn's review need to be ad-
dressed. Specifically, to con-
demn the play on the grounds
that it suffers from "bigotry
against homosexuals and ram-
pant sexism" is to miss the
point of comedy.
In fact, in addition to lam-
pooning homosexuals, prosti-
tutes, and shrewish wives, the
play makes fun of: geese, ner-
vous people, soldiers, virgins,
male adulterers, starry-eyed
lovers, Senators, religious be-
lievers, spotlight operators,
busts, and the audience, to
provideaa very incomplete list.
It is hard to find something of
which the musical does not
make fun. To argue that it is
bigoted is, therefore, to suffer
from tunnel-vision.
The beauty of a comedy like
Forum is that it allows us to
laugh at each other and at our-
selves; "socially aware"com-
edy such as Ms. Kohn recom-
mends allows us only to feel
self-righteous. In sum, per-
haps Forum is exactly what is
needed on this strife-torn cam-
pus; it provides a chance for
each one of us to sit back and
see what is funny, and remem-
ber what is human, in all of
us.
-Sara Bettinger
Jeffrey Dine
October 12
Honor Martin L.King Day
To the Daily:
The Black Student Union
(BSU) calls upon the Uni-
versity of Michigan t o
recognize the significant con-
tribution and role of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. in the de-
velopment of national and
international history b y
recognizing the MLK Birthday
Celebration. We demand that
the University officially ob-
serve the national holiday of
Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.'s
Birthday this academic year
(1987-88) and all subsequent
years by cancelling classes.
The University of Michigan
administration must establish
the example for the facultv
rating Difference Through
Diversity," it must celebrate
the life of a man and a move-
ment that exemplify the es-
sence of such a celebration.
Will the University of Mich-
igan be the drum major for
peace and justice that Dr. King
spoke of?
Just as Dr. King marched to
Washington to cash the check
of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence's promissory note guar-
anteeing life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness; BSU will
continue last year's efforts to
cash the check of its constit-
uency. Our check is a promis-
sory note for equal access,
exnanded annartunitie_ ..-
Commends Daily courage
To the Daily:
I would like to commend
your courageous editorial,
"P.L.O.'s voice suppressed."
Few people remember that the
First Amendment applies to all
Americans. We should keep in
mind that Americans, in fact,
ran the P.L.O. information of-
fice. We should also remember
that Israel has participated in
many activities considered
"terrorist" which we accuse the
P.L.O of, such as the bombing
of ent which tnnkthne-al
of innocent lives. Israel's
treatment of Palestinians,
which borders on racist, and the
censorship of the press indicate
where Israel's democratic ide-
ologies lie. (At the bottom of
the Mediterranean.) Silencing
the P.L.O. and letting Israel go
rampant is pure folly. Both
sides should have the right to
present their view of the story,
and I'm glad the Daily is en-
lightened enough to see this.
-Barry Steiner
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