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OPINION
Page 4
Thursday, January 28, 1988
The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Vo. XCVIIINo.82 420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tunsigned 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.
Regents give poor excuses for rejecting gay rights clause:
Support LaGROC
"Its my understanding that Mason Hall is being used as a meeting place for
members of the homosexual community to perform sexual acts in the men's
Fat Al says the Bowl's a bore
The Super Bore.
Let's face it fellars and gals, the Super
Bowl is the second most overrated day of
the year. Only New Year's eve delivers
less thrills per expectations. The Rose
Bowl is a close third. But the Super Bore,
FAT
AL
toilet rooms."--Deane Baker (R-Ann A
ONLY ONE of the regents, Deane
Baler, has openly subscribed to the
notibn that homosexuality is an in-
sidibus disease that breeds in bath-
roons. But the motivations of other
Regents for rejecting a clause pro-
hibiting discrimination on the basis
of sexual orientation should be ex-
amined as well.
In fact, the reasons some of the
regents gave for doing this at their
meeting this month were so weak
that one is forced to consider the
possibility that they share some of
Deane Baker's paranoid fears.
Gay men and lesbians deserve the
same consideration and protection
as any other minority group o n
Campus. Although Shapiro and
Fleming endorse this stance, a by-
law would more effectively repre-
sen the policy of the University as
a whole, and would result in the in-
clusion of sexual orientation in the
public affirmative action logo on
University documents.
Including sexual orientation in the
byl'aw is absolutely necessary if
discrimination against gay men and
lesbians on this campus is to be ac-
kndwledged and addressed.
Nevertheless, the Regents voted it
down 7-0. Regent Roach contended
that the language of bylaw 14.06
("Tbe University shall exercise its
leadIership..."), would force the
University to adopt a policy of ac-
tiv; recruitient based on sexual
orintation.
This argument is absurd, first,
because gay men and lesbians are
estimated at 13 percent of the- stu-
dent body, as opposed to 10 percent
of the general population: no such
recruitment policy would be neces-
sary. Secondly, there have been no
recruitment measures based on age,
Arbor)
marital status or veteran status on
this campus, despite the fact that
these groups are currently covered
by bylaw 14.06.
The most unconvincing argument
against LaGROC's proposal was
presented by Regent Brown, who
pointed out that non-discrimination
on the basis of sexual orientation
was not mandated by State or Fed-
eral law.
That neither the State of Michigan
nor the federal government have
such legislation is appalling, and
should give the University all the
more reason to take a progressive
stance. Such progressive action
would not be without precedent:
MSU, Western, and the cities of
Ann Arbor and Detroit, have all
adopted official policies of non-dis-
crimination on the basis of sexual
orientation.
Regent Roach also asserted that
including sexual orientation in the
bylaw and on the logo would force
the University to stop dealing with
the CIA and ROTC. But La-
GROC's next move will consist in
proposing an alternatively worded
bylaw that is not written in language
implying recruitment, and which
will carry a disclaimer stating that it
does not apply to the federal gov-
ernment, the military or ROTC.
The University should support
LaGROC's attempts to convince the
regents that they should be pro-
tected by an official non-discrimi-
nation policy. LaGROC's new pro-
posal leaves no room for excuses
on the part of the administration. If
the regents reject their demands,
they will have succeeded only in
making their homophobia grossly
apparent. The students of this Uni-
versity will be watching.
the Super Bore. Man, I hate the Super
Bore.
"Quit your blubbery blabberings!" you
bellow. Don't watch the damned thing if
you hate it so much. I wish I could just
turn my back. But godblammit, every
year, I hunker down with a steamin' pot of
chili and an icey six pack of Pabst Blue
Ribbon to catch me the Super Bowl. It's a
compulsion, it's an illness. It's ridiculous.
I watched maybe two NFL games all
year. I basically don't give a coyote's
howl about the league or the games. I'm a
Steelers fan but it's been ten years now
since Ernie Holmes cruised the highways
of middle America, snorting drugs like a
wildman and shooting down police
helicopters. Ten years since the steel
curtain rusted through, ten years since
Mean Joe Greene spit in peoples's faces.
You get the point. Ten years! And just
what's gone on in these ten years? Diddley
squat. Which brings us back to the point.
The Super Bore.
Yet each year I watch the thing. Holy
guacomole! The damn game's just like a
review session.
Firstly, they both suck. When was the
last time you learned anything at a review
session? It's been a while. Yet, each term
I drag my fat frame to class one more time
to hear some Jr. Joe Pro blab on about all
the crapola you've already got in your
notes. "Think broadly," they tell you.
Thanks a lot ace. I always sit in review
sessions acursin' up 'n down about what a
goddmaned waste of time they are and how
I'd be better off spending the hour
studying by my lonesome or chillin' out
with some Merle Haggard and a few
PBR's. Yet, I keep on agoin' to the
blamed things year after year.
It's just like the Super Bowl.
Yes, indeedy, both the Superbowl and
review sessions are stupid, overrated waste
of times. And y'all know I speak the
straight truth. The only thing that keeps
you going or watching is that overriding
fear that this year might justa be the year
that it's different. The Super Bowl will
go into triple overtime and be won 41-38
on a 62 yard field goal, the TA will
distribute the final. And you'll miss it.
Hch-heh-heh.
It's this fear which keeps you coming
back for more punishment year after year.
Hell, it keeps me moving and I'm not
afraid of nuthin'. I'm trying to avoid the
cursed Super Bore this week but I just
don't know if I'm strong enough. I might
even catchathe pregame show.
Dear Fat One,
Last Saturday night I was curled up in
my favorite brown (almost leather) Laz-
E-Boy, cleaning my shotgun and watch-
ing the headbanger's Ball on MTV. It was
an ideal evening. The Twinkies, chips, and
brew were still in abundance to last well
into Sunday. Like I said everything
seemed perfect, but it was not to last. The
realities of 1988 were about to give me a
pile driver/body slam combination that I
think maybe more of us could use.
Back to back they played a band called
White Snake,followed by one called Great
White. my buddy Joe Bob turned to me
and says, "How come there ain't no Black
heavy metal bands on MTV?" Is MTV
neglecting Black heavy metal? I hit the
lever on my chair and sat up with a lump
in my throat and a cold sweat on my
forehead. Is MTV guilty of institutional-
ized racism?...Should we have a rally on
the diag?
Just then I noticed they had changed the
packaging of the Twinkies!...My world
had come to an end.
The shotgun went off and blew a two
foot hole in the wall just over the T.V.
set. Joe Bob's eyeballs bugged out and he
threw his beer at me screaming something
about my mom. I didn't care for I had seen
the light.
"It's not more Black heavy metal bands
that we need," I yelled, "It's not more
shanties, and we certainly don't need a
code. What we need is for Fat Al to set
things right, and lead us to the promised
land where we can all live together in
peace and harmony. Only he can save us!"
Joe Bob shook me to me senses and
pointed out that the "light" was just a
street light shining through our new win-
dow...whatever it was, we really do need a
level-headed intelligent person in a
position such as yours(writin' for the
paper and all) to take up the cause!
Someone like yourself who packs a
shotgun, knows the value of a '71 Ford
pickup and ain't afraid to fart in public.
Because we all know, deep down inside,
that it ain't Blacks against whites, and it
ain't UCAR against the administration,
it's got to be people against stupidity. So
come on and take a stand with us Al, or at
least pull up your Laz-E-Boy.
Sincerely, Billy Bob
PS: And for the sake of all that's holy,,
get rid of the new Hostess packaging.
Shucks, Billy Bob, I'm flattered.
Genuinely so. I'm with you boy. Look for
my next column and you'll see where I'm
coming from. In fact, you'll be right
proud of me. Backwards, backwards, the
world is backwards. I'm foaming at the
mouth...it's Super Bore weekend...Howl
at the moon, baby, howl at the
moon... Aiii-eeeee!
4
LETTERS
People should promote racial unity
Mee
se
ATTORNEY GENERAL Edwin
Meese III has lost even more
credibility with the indictment of
two of his closest associates - E.
Robert Wallach and W. Franklin
Chinn - on charges surrounding
the Wedtech Corporation. This is
the latest in a career of mishaps
which demonstrate that Meese is
unfit for office.
Not only did Meese fail to
disqualify himself from the Wed-
tech case, he abused the power of
his office by arranging profitable
deals for the company, an obvious
conflict of interest.
Wallach asked Meese to convince
the Army to award a $32 million
no-bid contract to Wedtech at a
special White House meeting in
May, 1982. Seeking influence with
Meese, Wedtech paid Wallach $1.2
million in cash and stocks for
arranging the meeting.
Through a blind trust run by
Chinn, Meese made over $35,000;
from speculative one-day stock
trades on Wedtech which were not
available to the public.
When the Wedtech scandal started
to unfold, Meese was repeatedly
caught lying. He claimed he did not
know about Chinn's ties to Wed-
tech and his lawyers said he did not
benefit from the company's stock.
However, James C. McKay - the
third special prosecutor to investi-
vatP MPc fn,nd ul-n- o
a disgrace
knew about the deal. These asser-
tions later proved false.
His decision to allow Oliver
North access to his office for a
three-day shredding party indicates
either incredible naivete or a blatant
attempt to cover up for members of
the Administration at the expense of
the law.
Meese's actions signal his waver-
ing respect for the law and indicate
a belief that he can apply the rules
subjectively. The Attorney Gener-
al's misinterpretation of laws in the
pursuit of personal gain and increa-
sed executive power is unacceptable
for the person who supposedly em-
bodies the American system of
justice.
Meese's "serious concerns" about
the constitutionality of the special
prosecutor law are hardly surpri-
sing, considering he has been under
investigation by such prosecutors
three times. He chose to defend the
law only on procedural grounds
when two of his Reagan Admin-
istration cronies, Michael Deaver
and Lyn Nofziger, challenged it in
court. It is not the prerogative of the.
Attorney General to choose which
laws are more valid than others by
limiting his defense of those with
which he disagrees.
Meese has a lot to fear from the
proliferation of truth and justice.
The Attorney General's self-right-
eous attitude, displayed in his
To the Daily:
Once again the problem of
racism has emerged as a front-
page issue on the University of
Michigan campus. Once again
UCAR has reached a stalemate
in its confrontation with the
administration. And once again
racial understanding has failed
to progress. The question "Is
LSA Dean Steiner a racist" is
not the correct one. The atten-
tion of the University commu-
nity must be redirected if
progress is to be made on this
issue.
Two key questions (a) what
was the nature of Steiner's re-
marks and (b) what was the in-
tent behind these remarks,
must be addressed.
Were Dean Steiner's remarks
insulting? Absolutely. They
are demeaning to Black values
and to the Black community,
and are enormously offensive
to numerous people, Black and
white. Dean Steiner's com-
ments clearly demonstrate a
need for better understanding on
his part of issues of race.
Did Steiner make these
comments out of a desire to
promote racist ideology? I
don't think so. At a January
13th meeting with UC A R ,
Steiner repeatedly expressed his
belief in racial equality and his
desire to increase minority stu-
dent enrollment and recruit
more minority staff members.
Is a man who makes racially
offensive remarks out of igno-
rance a racist? UCAR says yes,
Steiner says no. Herein lies the
stalemate.
It is time for those of us
who are truly interested in
combatting racism to refocus
our efforts.
The goal of the anti-racist
movement on this campus
should be to promote racial
understanding and racial equal-
ity. Steiner, and o t h e r
administration members have
demonstrated a lack of under-
sored campus-wide program -
a "Racial Understanding Day"
would do a great service to the
members of the University
community.
Soviet h
To the Daily:
One of the most unfortunate
occurrences resulting from the
upheaval in Israel is that
incorrect parallels are being
drawn between two human
rights issues. These parallels
are not grounded in historical
or current fact. In response to
the editorial cartoon ,that ap-
peared on Friday, January 8 in
the Daily, we find it necessary
to separate the Soviet Jewry
human rights violations from
the controversial relations be-
tween the Israelis and the
Palestinians.
Jewish persecution and anti-
semitism has been rooted in
Soviet ideology for hundreds of
years. Today, Jews are still
being denied the right to prac-
tice Judaism and to emigrate.
We recognize that human
rights violations are happening
in many countries. Each cause
is important in its own right
but it must be addressed inde-
pendently. Parallels cannot be
drawn between these very dif-
ferent issues. At the same
time, one issue must not be
negated or diminished at the
expense of another. The plight
ewery
separate
to Soviet Jewry should not be
linked or lessened in light of
the current Palestinian situa-
tion.
Not only did the cartoonist
show his ignorance by drawing
false parallels, but he further
demonstrates his ignorance by
grossly stereotyping h i s
characters.
Israel's
To the Daily:
I am writing this letter in
response to those written by
Josh Klein and Laura Cibul.
You guys are right. I cannot
believe the nerve of those
Palestinians in demanding their
civil rights. Who do they think
they are wanting a decent place
to live, jobs to support their
families, and food for their
children? Israel has already been
so gracious in confiscating
their country, deporting some
We feel the Michigan Daily
also made an ignorant and in-
appropriate judgement by re-
printing the cartoon.
-Phyllis Glink and
Jodie Pearlman
Co-Chairs Student
Struggle for Soviet
Jewry
January 11
generosity
from their homeland, forcing
the rest into that haven of
luxury, the Gaza Strip, and the
list of noble deeds continues.
Don't the Palestinians realize
how good they have it? It just
goes to show how ungrateful
they are, attacking those poor,
defensele'ss Israeli soldiers with
enormous, deadly pebbles. You
guys are right. There is n o
justice in the world.
-Deyar Jamil
January 20
Until both the administration
and UCAR agree together to
assert positive moral leadership
on the issues of racism and
racial misunderstanding - two
issues which are mutually
reinforcing - true progress
cannot be achieved.
-David. Levin
January 14
4
A
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