4
OPINION
Page 4 Thursday, March 3, 1988 The Michigan Daily
e 31cbtgan iafilQ
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Vol. XCVIII, No. 102 420 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.
The first of a series of analyses on the 'Revised policy'
4
South Africa bans protest
Fleming's
INTERIM PRESIDENT Robben
Fleming's "Revised policy on
discriminatory acts," issued this
week, is an intelligent, but flawed
proposal. Shorn of many of the
outrages that prevented Fleming's
last proposal from serving as an
effective vehicle of discussion, the
current proposal published in the
University Record (2/29/88) is still
provocative.
The document is basically a dis-
cussion of the tension between pro-
viding an educational environment
free of all types of bigotry and cre-
ating an environment most con-
ducive to free speech.
Fleming's new proposal distin-
guishes among three areas of the
University - public forums, edu-
cational centers, and housing. Ac-
cording to Fleming's new proposal,
public forums - which include the
Diag, Regents' Plaza, and the Daily
- should be "bound only by the
limitations on freedom of speech
enunciated by the courts," although
Fleming allows for disciplinary ac-
tions by the University in cases of
physical violence and/or destruction
of property resulting from discrimi-
natory harassment.
In contrast, according to Fleming,
educational centers such as class-
rooms cannot be as tolerant of big-
oted acts of speech because the
University is duty-bound to see that
no one is cruelly alienated in the
educational process because of race,
gender or sexual orientation.
At least Fleming has partially
accepted a position of the no-code
movement, albeit in a very small
part of the University that qualifies
in his definition as a "public
forum." The stipulations, however,
attached to acts committed in the
University community outside of
"public forums," still revert to the
use of intra-University judiciary
committees and academic sanctions.
In principle, Fleming acknow-
ledges a heavy responsibility to see
to it that prejudices concerning race,
gender, and sexual orientation do
not prevent anyone from succeeding
in this University. Fleming should
explicitly link this responsibility to
minority recruiting and retention ef-
forts for faculty, students, and
staff. The paramount concern
should be institutional racism, not
punishment for individual acts of
racist speech.
Fleming's distinction between ed-
revisions
ucational centers and housing is
ambiguous. It is not clear why
University housing should enjoy
less free speech or a differentianti-
bigotry climate than educational
centers.
Underlying Fleming's whole pro-
posal is a concern with the con-
flicting principles of free speech and
educational responsibility. The flaw
in Fleming's thinking that suffuses
the operational parts of his proposal
is that Fleming overdraws the con-
flict between free speech and the
responsibility to fight bigotry.
The way out of this conflict is to
use free speech to criticize bigotry.
There is nothing more effective than
public discussion and ridicule
where necessary to handle the
problems of bigotry. A good exam-
ple is the WJJX incident of last
spring. After having aired racist
jokes on his show, disk jockey Ted
Severansky was subjected to na-
tion-wide humiliation and attention.
In response, Severansky volun-
teered for community service.
Instead of formal reprimands and
little marks in people's academic
files, Fleming should create and
utilize anti-bigotry media and
classes. The University's responsi-
bility is to provide resources and
access to information to those who
will lend their energy to the struggle
against bigotry on campus. A good
example would be to create a news-
paper and radio show to expose
bigotry and promote diversity.
The University should dedicate its
resources to creating media run by
the students, faculty, and adminis-
trators of groups affected by dis-
crimination. Through these two
campus media and others, the Uni-
versity should start releasing infor-
mation on racist and other incidents
of bigotry on campus. If there are
legal obstacles to such a policy, the
University should apply its legal
muscle in the legislature and courts
to remove them. Only by exposing
the dark side of the University can
there be progress.
Fleming has clearly articulated that
the University must promote two
principles in the creation of its aca-
demic environment - free speech
and anti-bigotry. However, instead
of choosing one above the other in
some places but not in others,
Fleming should seek to reconcile
the two by using free speech to
fight bigotry.
By The Free South Africa
Coordinating Committee
On February 24, the South African
government, determined to guarantee the
survival of apartheid into the twenty-first
century, has now effectively outlawed 17
organizations which have taken a lead in
the struggle against apartheid. Shaken by
the extent to which mass based organiza-
tions demanding the establishment of non-
racial democracy have spread, even in the
face of thousands of arrests and extensive
repression, the Minister of Law and Order
has now declared that these organizations
are prohibited "from carrying on or per-
forming any activities or acts whatsoever."
The American people must respond to this
vicious action with strong sanctions.
The organizations attacked include na-
tional political bodies such as the two
million strong United Democratic Front
and the Azanian People's Organization,
local student and community groups, and
human rights groups including the De-
tainee's Parents Support Committee.
These organizations, which under two
successive states of emergency have al-
ready seen many of their members detained
and in some cases even killed, their offices
bombed and destroyed and their activities
severely restricted, now face the prospect
of not being able to function at all.
The regime has simultaneously im-
posed crippling restrictions on South
Africa's largest labor federation, the
Congress of South African Trade Unions
(COSATU). The new restrictions on
COSATU prevent the country's 800,000
strong trade union federation from urging
the release of union members in detention,
or supporting divestment and sanctions or
promoting boycotts of phony local Black
elections.
The seriousness of this action cannot
be overstated. This is the third in the last
27 years that the government has taken
such dramatic action to destroy the peo-
ples' organizations. In 1960, the African
National Congress and Pan Africanist
Congress liberation movements were
banned and leaders such as Nelson Mandela
were sentenced to life imprisonment. In
1977, 19 anti-apartheid organizations were
banned following the massive mobiliza-
tion of youth and students that culminated
in the Soweto uprisings and the subse-
quent police murder of activist Steve Biko.
Now, in 1988, the South African govern-
ment has again moved to crush the spirit
of resistance by outlawing those fighting
for democracy today. Each time in the
past, at tremendous risk, courageous peo-
ple have continued the struggle, rebuilding
and expanding organizations, broadening
their membership, and building new al-
liances.
Wecan be certain the people of South
Africa will continue their struggle in the
face of this new attack. But, it is equally
certain that outlawing these 17 organiza-
tions will bring more deaths, more torture
and an ever growing number of children,
men and women in apartheid's prisons.
We must make an effective U.S. and
Western action equally certain. The South
African government's latest action is a test
of the conscience for the Anerican gov-
ernment and the American people. The
trade union federation COSTAU recog-
nized the importance of U.S. action in its
statement following the crackdown when
it declared: "It is clear that the government
has been encouraged to opt for the path of
increased repression through the support it
has received from ... [the] governments of
Thatcher, Reagan and Kohl."
We must stop the endless debate over
"What to do about South Africa" and make
certain that all Western support for the
apartheid system ends immediately and the
people of the U.S. stand firmly on the side
of the forces struggling for democracy.
There must be no more ships unloading
U.S. computers, no more trade of South
African goods, no more banks and share-
holders financing apartheid. Only compre-
hensive and effective sanctions can cut off
the oil, high technology and foreign ex-
change which the South African govern-
ment uses to wage war on its own people.
President Reagan and the Congress
have the power to impose sanctions. But
it was only a Congressional override that
prevented Ronald Reagan from blocking
the very limited sanctions contained in the 4
Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986.
It is up to the American people to force
Reagan to support new sanctions. In the
next few days the President and Congress
must be deluged with demands for imme-
diate sanctions. Every presidential candi-
date should be pressed to take a stand for
sanctions.
Students on this campus must also ex-
press our outrage at these event. Black4
students and youth in South Africa are
risking their lives to struggle for freedom.
We can at least sacrifice a small amount of
time to demonstrate our solidarity with
them.
We must also demand that our own
University take a more principled stand on
this issue. For the past several years the
University has been embroiled in a court
battle challenging the right of the State
legislature to mandate University divest-
ment of South African related stock. Os-
tensibly this litigation was to establish
regental autonomy on University financial
affairs. Since the University recently won
this battle and established the Regents au-
thority to govern the University, we now
urge them to demonstrate their moral au-
thority by divesting the remaining funds
invested in companies necessary in light
of the current crackdown. We urge all
concerned students, faculty, and workers to
join the Free South Africa Coordinating
Committee in a candlelight vigil, Thurs-
day, March 3rd at 8 pm on the Diag, to
mourn the lives that have been lost in the
struggle, to express -solidarity to those
still struggling and to protest the crack-
down. The struggle against racism and
oppression is not limited to our campus.
It is an international struggle and exten-
sion of the struggle UCAR and others
have been waging here on campus. Join us
tonight and take a stand against injustice.
LETTERS
University won't stop for rain or snow
Reject capital punishment
To the Daily:
Once again the U. of M.t
distinguishes itself by being
the only school in all of
southern lower Michigan thatl
remains open in the aftermath1
of a blizzard, the snowfall ofI
February 10 and 11. In my 25
years here, the University hasc
closed only once in deference tor
the weather.
Team fenced
To the Daily:y
I probably speak for the ma-c
jority of the people belongingr
to small sports clubs when I I
say that funding for our activi-
ties, as it exists today, is atro-
cious. I have been a member of t
the Fencing club for three yearst
and in that time never had a t
real coach. Our club in t
particular gets bounced around
the gyms all over campus at a
whim from someone in the l
Athletic Department, which s
has been very condescending
toward any activity to which r
tickets cannot be sold.r
Last weekend at a meet ata
MSU, I once again realized s
how little U of M cares about
its "non-money" sports. Every
team there, many from smaller,
CIA shouldL
To the Daily:
On Fri. Feb. 26, CIA
recruiters at the law school
were met by a group of
students protesting CIA
terrorist activities around the
world. Law school Dean, Lee
Bollinger, responded b y
cancelling the interviews and
meeting with protesting
students. Students received an
agreement from Bollinger to
After listening to the report
on school closings, I pulled
out my Staff Directory and did
a sampling of six pages, care-
fully omitting the Flint and
Dearborn campuses from the
pool. As I suspected, some-
where between 20 to 25 percent
of all faculty (including TA and
research appointments) and
staff of the Ann Arbor cam-
out of gym
less well-to-do schools than us
could produce a uniform, not to
mention coaches, trainers,
buses, equipment less than 20
years old, etc. etc. True, there
wasn't much of a paying crowd
there, but then how important
is that? Athletics should be for
the students, not the alumni,
out ,pr a day's entertainment.
fhb current Athletic Director
is leaving us at the end of this
semester and unless the new
ones change some policies, we
will once again have to borrow
masks and blades from MSU
and OSU like we did at last
year's Big Ten Champion-
ships.
-Mikhail Tretyak
January 28
stay away
CIA from future recruitment at
the law school.
We feel that in order to
receive the priviliege of access
to U-M interview facilities,
employers should meet the
minimum requirements of not
engaging in acts of terrorism
(at home or abroad), should
demonstrate respect for do-
mestic and international law,
and should be an equal
puses live in places like Dex-
ter, Manchester, Ypsilanti,
Chelsea, and beyond. Another
sizable percentage live on the
far fringes of Ann Arbor.
Judging from the glut o f
"visitor parking" cars that fill
the parking structures to
capacity by mid-morning, I
would guess that similar per-
centages hold for the student
body as well. That is not be-
cause people like to commute,
necessarily. It has more to do
with the lack of affordable
housing in Ann Arbor.
Once upon a time, long ago,
when the University was less
than half its present size,
virtually all the students lived
in campus dorms, most of the
faculty lived around Burns
Park, and graduate students
Jived within 20 minutes walk-
ing distance of campus. That is
clearly no longer the case. We
can't all get to campus by
putting on our boots, and mit-
tens, and taking a short walk
through the white and drifting
snow.
Pep band g
To the Daily:
Over the past several
months, the Hartford Chapter
of the Michigan Alumni
Association tried to organize a
pep band to support our hockey
team at the Yale Classic in
New Haven. Several requests
were made through University
officials to obtain music and
names of possible band mem-
bers. Repeated efforts always
seemed to end in the office of
Mr. Eric Becher. Mr. Becher
refused to cooperate in any
fashion. He would not even re-
lease the names of band alumni
who live in Connecticut. His
ostensible reason was that this
The other change that has
occurred over the years is that
there are a large number of,
women studying or working on,
campus who are also mothers
of school-age children. The
other school closings present
problems for working parents.
Its not feasible to bring chil-
dren along to the office or,
classroom, and if they are under 4
the age of ten or 11, you might
feel nervous about leaving,
them alone at home all day.
Why does the University think
this is still Ozzie-and-Harriet
time, with stay home moms?
I don't see that it would be a
severe disruption of education
if the University closed down
for a day. Who knows, but that
the students might welcome4
the added time to catch up on
their reading, start writing that
terni paper, do their laundry,
write that over-due letter
home, or, if they've a mind to,
go out and frolic in the snow.
- Norma Diamond
February 12
ets no help s
tunities to support our Univer-
sity in the future. Will he be
equal to the task? Will he direct
a hockey pep band for our team
at home games as other prede-
cessors did?
If you have strong opinions
on this situation, I urge you to
express your views.
-Paul F. Sachs
February 5
Correction:
The Daily editorial "PLO peace
plan ignored" of 2/29/88
should have read "The West
Bank and Gaza are under mili
MICHIGAN, VOID OF THE death
penalty since 1846, must reject the
idea yet again. State Senator Jack
Welborn (R-Kalamazoo) is propos-
ing an amendment to the state 's
constitution to permit the use of
capital punishment in cases of first-
degree murder.
The proposal is particularly scary
because Welborn is taking the ac-
tion in a political climate that is
conducive to the passage of the
amendment: two corrections offi-
cers were murdered recently in
Jackson State Prison and Governor
James Blanchard has said that he is
now willing to accept the death
penalty under limited circum-
stances.
Contrarv to nonular belief, the
plied in an arbitrary and discrimi-
natory fashion. It is imposed
disproportionately on poor Blacks
who have murdered whites.
More important than the impracti-
cal aspects of state executions, the
practice itself is immoral. Under
any condition, the state of Michigan
must not reduce itself to the cruelty
of the murderer. If the state is trying
to say that killing is wrong, it
should not engage in the brutal
practice itself.
A civilized society just does not
kill its citizens. To do so is not only
uncivilized; it is morally sickening.
And the society can be wrong: mis-
convictions do happen. With the
death penalty, any exonerating evi-
dence discovered at a later date is
useless hcause of the finalitv of