4
OPINION
Page 4
Monday, January 11, 1988
The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
.Vol. XCVIII, No. 69 420 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.
Dean's racist comments
LETTERS
T Tt' A
d T"
Ut/AK OPPOS
To the Daily: tions of racist students is
The principal problem of merely a symptom of that
Black students on campus is problem. We have always de-
institutional racism. The ac- manded that the University not
CIA violates human rights
es
proposal
l Z-
LSA DEAN PETER STEINER has
once again made remarks con-
sidered racist. At a meeting o f
department chairs last fall, Steiner
expressed concern about turning the
University into an institution where
rh inorities "would naturally flock in
much greater numbers."
He mentioned Wayne State and
tHoward University as two such
schools. Wayne State has approxi-
Siately 25 percent minority enroll-
ment and Howard is a predomi-
.nantly Black university. Steiner
stated that "emulating" these mi-
nority enrollment figures would
alter "the essential quality of the
.University of Michigan." Steiner
would have the University accom-
modate a few more minorities, as
Z:Iong as it poses no serious chal-
lenge to the institutionalized racism
'that pervades its structure
Steiner may favor increasing the
underrepresented minority popula-
tion at the University, but only as
tokenism. He implies that reaching
a certain quota or number is ac-
cepteable, but that a greater number
of minorities is detrimental to the
academic standing of the Univer-
sity. The implication that increasing
minority representation decreases
the academic viability of the Uni-
versity is outrageous.
Through his criticism of Wayne
State, Steiner demonstrates his lack
of regard for the minority popu-
lation at the University. Steiner's
many statements about the recruit-
:i ment and retention do not indicate
that he supports affirmative action
:as a way to increase the richness
' and diversity of our campus.
Rather, it seems only a way for him
to meet quotas and satisfy the de-
mands of the University commun-
ity. This ignores the fact that racial
variety at the University can only
increase everyone's educational ex-
perience.
Steiner has defended his remarks
by saying that his comments were
taken out of context. Unfortunately,
this does not seem to be the case.
Protest Israe
Tonight in Ann Arbor, concerned
students and citizens will have an
opportunity to express their outrage
at the Israeli government's human
4rights abuses in the Gaza Strip and
the West Bank. People who care
about human rights and self-deter-
mination should attend this protest.
The occasion for the demon-
stration will be the speech of the
Israeli consul-general from Chi-
. cago, at the Michigan Union, at 8
p.m. Protesters will meet at 7:15
p.m. on the front steps of the Union
cfor a brief gathering before the
speech, and plan to distribute leaf-
lets to people entering the Pendleton
Room for the talk.
This demonstration brings to-
gether the most diverse and wide-
ranging group of people ever to
:protest Israeli policy in Ann Arbor's
recent history. Sponsors include the
New Jewish Agenda, the United
Coalition Against Racism, the
Palestine Solidarity Committee, the
Latin American Solidarity Com-
mittee, the Michigan Alliance for
Disarmament, Greeks for Peace, the
Arab-American Anti-Discrimination
Committee, the Concerned Faculty,
the American Friends Service
This is not the first time Peter
Steiner has made comments that
raise questions about his com-
mitment to broadening the Univer-
sity minority community. Last fall
he made a statement in an LSA
newsletter which indicated that he
thought the main obstacle to having
more minorities in graduate pro-
grams was their attitude towards
advanced education (and that the
earlier lack of women in graduate
schools was also due to their bad
attitudes). While he later retreated
from this statement (Daily 12/4/87),
it is still difficult to see why he
made it in the first place if it did not
in some way reflect his own views.
While the Daily cannot fully
assess Steiner's true beliefs or in-
tentions, what he has said and writ-
ten on a number of occasions, as
well as some of his policy decisions
as Dean, have provided serious
reason to question his commitment
to affirmative action. His ten-term
initiative, for instance, limits finan-
cial aid to graduate students, dis-
criminating against minorities,
graduate students supporting fami-
lies, and students from lower
income brackets.
Steiner's statements point to the
larger problem of institutionalized
racism within the University ad-
ministration. Interim President
Robben Fleming feels confident in
Steiner's ability to interpret and an-
alyze racial incidents within LSA,
as would be his responsibility under
the latest Code proposal. Clearly,
Steiner's tendency to make insensi-
tive remarks diminishes his credi-
bility regarding minority issues.
It is clear that the University's
low minority enrollment must be
increased. Dean Steiner is one of
the University's highest adminis-
trators. His statements reveal an
apparent lack of concern with the
problems of racism and a lack of
dedication to bettering the Univer-
sity through increasing minority
enrollment.
1i rights abuse
To the Daily:
In a letter to the Daily
(Daily, 12/9/87) about the
Central Intelligence Agency,
M. Christiancy Rogers states,
"I have no moral objections to
the CIA. I do have moral
objections to communism..."
In light of past and present
CIA actions this made me
wonder exactly what kind of
morals Mr. Rogers does have.
Consider the following oper-
ations conducted by the CIA
and its surrogates.
In 1954 the CIA played the
principle role in the overthrow
of the democratically elected
government of Guatemala.
Col. Jacobo Arbenz Guzman,
Guatemalan minister o f
defense, was elected president
in 1950. He was committed to
social progress and in June
1952 an agrarian reform law
was enacted. It affected only
large, unused tracts of land and
compensation was to be paid
for the book value of the land.
Such a law was unacceptable to
the United Fruit Company
which owned 550,000 acres of
land, 85% of which were
unused. United Fruit appealed
to the U.S. government and a
CIA operation (operation
SUCCESS) was put i n
motion. The CIA recruited,
trained and equiped a mercenary
army. This was supported by
an "air force" of twleve planes
flown by Chinese exiles paid
by the CIA. These forces were
unleashed in June 1954 and
succeeded in overthrowing the
Arbenz government. The result
was 30 years of military
dictatorship in which 100,000
people were killed by the
government.
The CIA's respect for
democracy andrself deter-
mination was further displayed
in its role in overthrowing the
democratically elected gover-
nment of Salvador Allende in
Chile. The CIA's destabiliz-
ation campaign against Allende
was one factor in precipitating
a military coup in 1973.
Allende was elected president in
1970 and the CIA was prepared
to spend $350,000 to bribe the
Chilean Congress not to
confirm his election. The
money was never spent, not
because the plan was
undemocratic, but because it
was deemed unworkable.
However, $3.5 million was
spent to influence the 1973
municipal elections. Additional
CIA money financed the
rabidly right-wing paper El.
Mercurio and gave money to
paramilitary and terrorist
groups that opposed the
Allende government. Other
funds went to support
opposition strikes and demon-
strations. The goal of these
actions was to create so much
unrest that the military would
feel compelled to intervene. It
did so on September 11, 1973
and the result was the military
dictatorship of General Pino-
chet that exists to this day.
The CIA's record regarding
human rights is as bad as its
record towards democracy.
Between 1979 and the present,
over 8,000 citizens have been
killed by death squads in El
Salvador. During that time the
CIA routinely employed Sal-
vadoran military officers
associated with the death squads
and shared information with
government agencies that
organized death squads. For
example, during this time the
Salvadoran Treasury Police was
considered the worst official
government agency engaging
in human rights abuses. For
five or six years, in the late
government, many of whom
were subsequently killed by
death squads. A comrade of
D'Aubuisson's later said, "the
proofs he presented were con-
crete and irrefutable: photos and
documents that were prepared
by the CIA, documents from
the archives of the CIA. All of
the material was passed back
and forth constantly." [The
Progressive, May 1984]
Furthermore, a Salvadoran
army colonel stated in 1984
that the U.S. receives copies of
important surveillance reports
from the Salvadoran military
and provides the Salvadorans
with information in return.
The CIA's contempt for
human rights is equally
apparent in the war against
Nicaragua, in which the CIA
plays an essential role. Edgar
Chamorro was the contra's
communications director until
he quit in disgust at the way
the contras were organized and
fought. Anybody that still
thinks the war in Nicaragua is
a civil war and denies that the
contras are a mercenary army of
the United States would do
well to listen Chamorro. In an
avidavit to the World Court in
1984 he wrote, "When I joined
the FDN [the contra umbrella
group] in 1981, I had hoped
that it would be an
organization of Nicaraguans,
controlled by Nicaraguans, and
dedicated to our own objectives
which we ourselves would
determine... I turned out to be
mistaken. The FDN turned out
to be an instrument of the
United States government and,
specifically, of the CIA. It was
created by the CIA, it was
supplied, equipped, armed, and
trained by the CIA and its
activities -both political and
military - were directed and
controlled by the CIA."
[Deposition of Edgar Chamorro
before the International Court
of Justice, September 5, 1985]
CIA policy for the contras
was revealed in the CIA
manual titled "Psychological
Operations in Guerrilla
Warfare." The manual called for
hiring professional criminals to
carry out assassinations and the
killing of contras to create
martyrs ' for the cause.
Additionally, it called on the
contras to carry out a campaign
of "explicit and implicit" terror
against the civilian population.
Chamorro states in his afidavit,
"The practices advocated in the
manual were emplo.yed by
FDN troops. Many civilians
were killed in cold blood.
Many others were tortured,
mutilated, raped, robbed, or
otherwise abused." When
Chamorro complained to his
CIA boss about the immorality'
of such tactics, he was severly
criticized and the tactics were
defended.
Finally, in January 1984
CIA operatives mined several
of Nicaragua's harbours in
direct violation of international
law and the CIA continued to
provide aid to the contras in
1984-85 when such it was
prohibited by Congress.
The traditional rhetoric of
U.S. governments has always
portrayed the U.S. as the
defender of democracy and the
respecter of civil and human
rights. The Soviet Union, on
the other hand, is portrayed as
The Evil Empire, the arch
enemy of democracy and gross
violator of human rights.
Presumably Mr. Rogers
objects to "communism" for
these reasons. If so, why does
he not apply the same standards
to the actions of his own
government and the CIA? The
only deal with acts of racism
by individual students, but on-
going day-to-day racism in the
policies and practices of the
institution itself. President
Fleming's discriminatory pol-
icy proposal fails to deal with
institutional racism on three
counts:
One: It gives more discre-
tionary power to the over-
whelmingly white deans and
department chairs who have
been partof the obstacle to
change in the the past.
Two: It makes no provision
for dealing with the racist ac-
tions and remarks of University
administrators. If this policy
were applied across the board to
all members of the University
community, Dean Steiner
would be sanctioned and possi-
bly dismissed.
Three: "Discrimination" is
defined so vaguely as to possi-
bly jeopardize the freedom of
expression of anti-racist
groups. For example, if we
charge the administration with
racism, and they take offense,
could we be expelled?
However, if the University is
sincere about dealing with
racism, it could enforce poli-
cies already on its books, and
meet the anti-racist demands
already on the table.
Any policy of sanctions;
must be sanctions not only
against racist students but
racist administrators as well,
who invariably have more
power and influence, and whose
biased views have a far greater
impact than those of other in-
dividual students. In addition,
we are not sympathetic to the
"rights" of racist students, who
knowingly - by their own
racistactions - violate or
threaten the rights of Black
students and other people of
color.
-United Coalition
Against Racism
January 10
I
4
Support Palestinians, Jews
To the Daily: Palestinians in the Occupi
While sitting in my chair Territories are the victims
reading the Daily today, I was human rights abuses,c
shocked by the editorial cartoon efforts to insure human rig
on the opinion page which must be for both of the
depicted a religious Jewish man groups. To not work for
holding a "Free Soviet Jews" freedom of Soviet Jews beca
sign while standing on a of the current treatment
prostrate Arab labelled Palestinians by the Isra
"Palestinians." I immediately government would 1
turned the page in order to tantamount to not working
cover the picture, but then the freedom of Palestini
stopped to think about why I because of the actions of A
had done that. Nidal. Efforts to protect hun
Like many ofhmy felow rights should never be restric
Jews throughout the world, I or qualified.
am deeply disturbed by the One other aspect of
treatment of Palestinian Arabs cartoon was disturbing as
by the Israeli authorities. The especially in the enlighte
current situation in Israel and society in which
the Occupied Territories is supposedly live. The Jew
appalling, and drastic measures the picture was depicted
must immediately be taken to reiiourewa lonct
guarantee the peace, safety and relgious t ew, i a long bh
human rights of all people in a d It's u setong wth
the area. Still, the cartoon is that in drawing his cartoon,
most disturbing author felt compelled to der
If we resolve to work to a Jew in guch a stereotypi
guarantee human rights, our manner.
efforts cannot be based on
politics or racial identification. -Robert A
If we agree that both Jews in Roman
the Soviet Union and Januar
ied
of
our
ghts
ese
the
ause
of
aeli
be
for
ans
Abu
man
fted
the
,ell,
ned
we
win
as a
ack
hite
hink
the
pict
ical
lan
noff
y 8
SATs and
grades*
useless
repression should emerge at this
time. Israel has outraged the entire
world by repeatedly sending troops
with live ammunition to fire o n
protesters, killing 25 people and
wounding hundreds more. The
military government has denied the
most basic civil rights to Pales-
tinians who are rounded up and
shipped off to jail without access to
an attorney, and now without even
a trial at all.
U.S. citizens have a special
responsibility for this situation in
that Israel receives more than $4
billion a year from our tax dollars.
We must demand that our own
government put pressure on Israel
to respect the human rights of
Palestinians, stop the shootings and
deportations, and release the hun-
dreds of prisoners they have taken.
Israel must negotiate with the
P.L.O. for an end to its occupation
of the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip.
The groups planning the demon-
stration have committed themselves
not to disrupt the consul-general's
speech and to avoid confrontation.
A strong dissenting presence will
help to show the public that Ann
To the Daily:
Your editorial "Recruit More
Minorities" (Daily, 12/7/87) is
right on point. Both grades and
SAT scores discriminate
against minorities in a way
that is possibly illegal. Uni-
versity officials should realize
by now that SAT scores and
grades don't predict job perfor-
mance in future careers. In a
recent book, Making Sense of
Grades, Ohmer Milton, Howard
R. Pollio, and James A Eigon,
distinguished scholars in the
field of higher education, note:
"Numerous studies going back
at least seventy-five years re-
veal that there is little or no
relationship between grades and
any measures of adult accom-
plishment." The careers where
grades are relatively valueless
as predictors of success include
medicine.
Any employer today who
uses a test that discriminates
against blacks based on factors
unrelated to job ability is
guilty of illegal discrimin-
ation-even if no intent to
discriminate is present. But by
using scholastic records,
apparently many employers can
get around the law.
The real fault of higher edu-
cation is that it sells academic
training and testing and there-
fore doesn't want to admit that
its screening process is not job
related. But the fact remains
that higherteducationrshould
use some other selection pro-
cess to determine who will get
career training at the state's
expense. The use of tests that
don't relate to vocational suc-
cess are clearly racist and don't
even help society get the most
qualified candidates. Probably
the only thing grades and SAT
scores successfully predict are
how well people will do in ap-
plying for academic jobs.
-Robert D. Honigman
December 9
4
I
4
Decries
CIA name-calling
To the Daily:
How dare Mr. Andrews, in
the name of the CIA, compare
my presence at a protest of
peaceful intent to "brown shirt"
tactics used in Germany! It is
outrageous that a member of a
terrorist organization imply
that I am a Nazi! (letter ad-
dressed to Chief Corbett,
Daily, 12/10/87)
This CIA member thinks his
vicious name-calling will draw
attention away from the history
of CIA criminal tactics. As
thousands of students continue
will continue to work for the
widest influence for good and
community service. This
means "saying no" to an orga-
nization which has proved it-
self to be inhumane and terror-
ist, as this type of activity is
contrary to community service!
It means stopping the CIA
from recruiting at my univer-
sity, because the only punish-
ment it deserves for its crimes
is dismantling. It also means
supporting a fellow student,
Harold Marcuse, who is the
victim of University security