Ninety-nine years of editorial freedom Vol. IC, No. 20 Ann Arbor, Michigan - Wednesday, October 5, 1988 Copyright 1988, The Michigan Daily Jackson promotes registration BY MARION DAVIS AND ROSE LIGHTBOURN Despite a late start on his mass voter registration drive, former presidential candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke to a sometimes roar- ing crowd of about 1600 last night at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School. Jackson encouraged supporters to "keep the hope alive" and vote for the Dukakis-Bentsen Democratic ticket. "Voting is a benefit you inherited (that) another generation earned," Jackson said, reminding the audi- ence of the hardships endured during the fight for women's suffrage and civil rights. "You can't invoke Mandela and King and be unregis- tered," he added. "The right to vote came (not from the president) but from the people who needed it," he said. "The power is in the people." Jackson began his nationwide voter registration drive about a month ago, with the intention of en- listing a great number of unregis- tered voters. "I travel because I have counted the cost... your vote does make a difference," he said. A coalition of Democratic groups had set up several registration tables" outside Jackson's speech. Labeling Vice President George Bush as narrow-minded and danger-Y ous if placed in power, Jackson said Bush represents a threat to rights and w liberty if elected in November. "He t is against civil liberties, civil rights, workers' rights, and women's rights," Jackson said. Although Jackson has been criti- cized by some Dukakis supporters as being less than aggressive in his ef- forts to elect the Democratic ticket,; Jackson told reporters that he and hisr supporters are committed tos supporting the candidates. Ethel Howard, executive board member of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party said that although x she is a Jesse Jackson delegate, she is voting for the Dukakis-Bentsen ticket because it is "the best thing , we (Americans) have going for our- x,5 selves." "We need to win in November to make society better," she said. Jackson's visit last night marks his second to Ann Arbor this year. Last spring, he spoke to a crowd of.ROBIN LoznAK/Doiy about 6,000 at Crisler Arena as a The Rev. Jesse Jackson tells the crowd of 1600 to "keep hope alive." Jackson was in Ann Arbor last night to presidential candidate. help a voter registration drive and to endorse the Dukakis-Bentsen ticket. Rights abuses highest in'88 LONDON (AP) - Amnesty In- ternational on Wednesday accused a record 135 nations of human rights abuses ranging from the jailing of draft evaders in Western Europe to the massacre of unarmed civilians in Iraq and Sudan. The international human rights. group said the list of offenders in its annual survey was the longest it has published since its establishment in 1961. Amnesty, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, recorded abuses last year in more than 80 percent of the 159 U.N. member states. But it said it was encouraged by the emer- gence of more than 1,000 human rights groups in recent years and the proliferation of laws to protect prisoners' rights. "In at least half the countries of the world, people are locked away for speaking their minds, often after trials that are no more than a sham," the 278-page report said. "In at least a third of the world's nations, men, women and even children are tortured. In scores of countries, governments pursue their goals by kidnapping and murdering their own citizens." It added: "More than ever before in world history, governments are exposed to the glare of international publicity - the greatest weapon we have." The report cited the United States, where 25 prisoners were put to death last year, for executing John Brog- don, a man diagnosed as mentally retarded, and Edward Earl Johnson, despite "substantial doubts" about his guilt. Amnesty opposes the death penalty. In China, more than 200 con- victed criminals were put to death, but that represented "only a fraction of the total number of death sentences and executions," it said. The report said- at least 760 political prisoners were executed in 39 countries in 1987 but estimated the number probably was much higher because of secret executions. 'Fellowship loses MSA standing BY KRISTINE LALONDE The Michigan Student Assembly last night withdrew formal recognition of the Cornerstone Christian Fellowship as a student group, saying the group discriminated against homosexuals when it sponsored a MikeDeasy concert last week. The concert, which took place on the steps of the graduate library, featured the song "God Hates Queer." Recognition entitles student groups to office space in the Union or the Michigan League, funding through the assembly's student fee, and allows them to place boards and banners in the Diag. The Christian Fellowship said last week that the song was not against homosexual individuals, but against homosexual activity, and maintained their right to speak freely on campus. Although no student members attended last night's meeting, Ann Arbor attorney Steve Jentzen, who represented the group, asked the assembly to give them more time to respond to the accusation. But assembly vice president Susan Overdorf replied, "Cornerstone Christian Fellowship had every opportunity to come here." LSA Rep. Zachary Kittrie agreed. "I've yet to see anything defending this (the concert)," he said. "I'm dismayed that there's no one here from the group." According to MSA by-laws, the assembly will not recognize groups who discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, race, or a number of other points. Overdorf said that withdrawal of recognition does not infringe on a group's freedom of speech. "They have freedom of speech, they can say whatever they want," she said. In other business, MSA recognized three engineering societies whose recognition was withdrawn more than a year ago over accusations of racist acts. Members of the the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and Pi Tau Sigma, an honorary engineering fraternity, took part in a "road rally" in which members earned points for taking United Coalition Against Racism and Black Action Movement posters and removing boards from the Diag shanties. SAE President Robert Khami said the societies were working to resolve the issue with the Free South Africa Coordinating Committee (FSACC), which built the shanties. Members of the engineering societies will help FSACC in a bucket drive to solicit funds, listen to a FSACC member speak on racism, take part in other racism education, and print an ad in the Daily formally apologizing to the offended groups. If the societies fail to complete the retribution, MSA will again withdraw the recognition. Palestinian memorial turns into Diag debate BY JONATHON SCOTT AND NICOLE SHAW A ceremony intended to com- memorate the 1982 murder of 3,000 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians by the Lebanese Phalangist Militia instead became a heated debate yes- terday on the Diag. The General Union of Palestinian Students (G.U.P.S.), who sponsored the memorial, charged Israel with responsibility for what is known as the Sabra and Shatila massacre, say- ing the Israeli army "supported and supervised the attacks." A tent was raised for the cere- mony and to celebrate the December 9 Intifada, which is recognized as the start of the current uprising in the occupied territories of Israel. The commemoration attracted many students, mostly supporters of Israel or pro-Palestinian activists. At the onset of the memorial, students critical of the Palestinian uprising challenged many of the Palestinian student representatives to support their position, and tempers began to flare. The arguing went on for nearly two hours as a crowd of more than 40 gathered around to listen and add their own opinions. As a result, the scheduled speaker decided not to make his presentation. The issues debated varied from the United States' role in the Middle East conflict to the prospect of a Palestinian state. Salem Salameh, a member of the Palestinian student union, said that he wanted "brothers and sisters in this country to call congressmen and senators and demand that tax dollars not be given to Israel as uncondi- tional military aid, which only fur- thers the occupation." "What we're trying to do," he added, "is let the American people know we are being deprived of our most basic human rights." Some students chose to lash out at the Palestinians, calling them supporters of "terrorism" and accus- ing them of "Jewish hatred." "I walked by their tent, and I felt this sense of hatred towards Jews, " LSA first-year student Ori Lev said. "I didn't sense that they want peace." Several Palestinian students said they were sorry if Jewish students See Debate, Page 2 Palestine Solidarity Committee member Tom Abowd and Tarik Ahmad speak to a crowd on the Diag during a rally and tribute yesterday to those that died in the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre. Feds concealed nuclear mishaps WASHINGTON (AP) - Serious mishaps over 28 years ago at a government plant in South Carolina that produces materials for nuclear weapons were kept secret for national security reasons and not reported to Washington, federal officials said yesterday. But the situation is changing, in part due to pressure from Congress, they said. One senior Energy Department official has compared the attitude toward b safety at the Savannah River facility near Aiken, S.C., to that which led to Magazine ranks University number 25 in college study BY ED KRACHMER a h hyaeipt uha The University fell 17 places to rank number 25 in at the objective measures, they are inputs such as the "National Universities" portion of U.S. News and scores and average faculty salaries. They say the World Report's annual ranking of the nation's measure the quality of faculty, you must measur undergraduate schools. The special section, entitled number of Ph.Ds. That's not the kind of quality w "America's Best Colleges," appeared in the Oct. 10 is- talking about," Swain said. sue of the newsmagazine. sue f th newmagaine.In addition to printing the overall rankings, the Last year's ranking, which was based on a survey of cle printed the rankingsfrom the reputation sur co11e-e and universitv nresident_ nlaeidei- T TnirtT, -c_ d- th aki.ngs fro the rep.tion sur SAT at to e the 'e're arti- vey.