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OPINION
Tuesday, April 11, 1989
Page 4
The Michigan Daily
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Celebrants
set
bad
example
The following letters came from Dorothy
Weaver's fourth grade class at Doherty
School. Many students expressed con-
cern over the behavior of the fans after
the game and were encouraged to voice
their opinions to the participants.
Dear U of M Fans,
I'm in the fourth grade. I watch the news a
lot. Lately you have been on the news. I
loved it when I was on the news, but this
is different. You have the meaning of
celebrate all wrong! You're supposed to be
university students! In the dictionary cele-
brate means: To praise; honor; extol. I
would not call getting drunk, jumping on
cars, roofs, (who knows what elce!),
throwing bottles, turning over things,
getting arrested, etc., praising, honoring or
extoling. This incidence of your hyper be-
havior is a shame to Ann Arbor, the state
of Michigan, and the team! Not to men-
tion a disgrace! I and many of the students
think you are setting a terrible example.
Carefully Yours,
Laura Aronson
age 10
Dear Wolverine Fans:
I'm in the fourth grade and ashamed to
hear that you couldn't handle the winning
of a game! My dad and I are big fans of the
Wolverines but we can handle a winning
of a game! I was thinking of coming to
Ann Arbor and stopping all the noise.
Sincerely,
Robyn Berlin, age 10
Dear U of M Students,
Michigan won the NCAA. But that's no
reason to jump on cars, rip down signs,
turn over cars, jump on buildings, and all
that other stupid stuff. I'd never do any-
thing like that. A little celebrating is
O.K., but you have to have self-control.
You're setting a very bad example. A lot
of little kids were watching you and
they'll think it's O.K. to do it too. I'd feel
embarrassed if I did anything like that. It
spoils the "win" when you do that! The
next time Michigan wins something
again, when celebrating, use some self-
control!
Ashamed,
Jeff Danes
4th grade
Dear U of M, U of M fans, and any other
readers,
I am Julie Jablonowski, I go to Doherty
School, I am in fourth grade and 10 years
old. I am very happy that you won the
basketball game. But the way you cele-
brated, I was very unhappy. I am almost
ashamed to be a fan of yours. All that I'm
trying to say is that turning cars over,
taking down traffic lights, and getting
drunk shows that you have no self-control.
I hope you think about what my class has
said. My teacher, Mrs Weaver, attended the
U of M and is very unhappy about your
behavior. Please shape up!
Sincerely,
Julie Jablonowski
P.S. Hail to the Victors!
Dear Fans:
I am glad that U of M won. But what I'm
not glad about is your foolishness. My
name is Lindsay Roland and I'm in the
fourth grade. Many people were hurt. How
would you feel if someone knocked over
your car? Well, a car did get knocked over
and the people in it got hurt. You are
supposed to set a good example. Where's
your self-control?
Sincerely,
Lindsay Roland, age 9
worth of damage. I'm embarrassed to be a
U of M fan. Weren't they taught to have
self-control? The police didn't believe
what had happened. Why did you have to
do destruction to celebrate just an NCAA
title? I did this because I was angry.
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Embarrassed,
Adam Paulson
age 10
Dear U of M Fans,
I'm a fourth grade student at Doherty
Elementary School, and I think what hap-
pened Monday was pretty dumb. Getting
drunk, breaking bottles, and turning over
cars is not a very smart idea. The people
that got arrested deserved to get arrested. I
know and you know that they are some
people that didn't get caught that should
have.
Sincerely,
Casey Lezell
Dear U of M Fans,
I understand celebrating, but in the way
you did? Hanging on street lights, flipping
a taxi, and worst of all ripping up restau-
rants. One nice man said there was $200
Dear U of M Students,
My Mom takes me to Ann Arbor some-
times. Every corner I turn I always see
someone wearing a shirt with U of M
printed on it. I thought that they really
believed in their school. I thought they
were always trying to make things better
there. But from what I heard on the news I
knew I was really wrong. It was O.K. to
get excited because a lot of people were
excited. But you were hyper. You could
have killed people. You also embarrassed a
lot of people. I hope you're ashamed of
yourselves.
Sincerely,
Aaryn Goldbaum
age 9
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
420 Maynard St.
Vol. IC, No. 131 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.
Shamir's P.R. plan
Letters to the'editor
LAST WEEK Israel's Prime Minister
Yitshak Shamir was in Washington
discussing the current situation in the
Occuppied Territories with George
Bush. He unveiled his plan for peace in
the region. This so called "peace plan"
comes from a man who has said
repeatedly that "there will never be a
Palestinian state" and that the
Palestinians are "brutal, wild, alien in-
vaders in the Land of Israel," ( Los
Angeles Times, Feb. 1989).
Racist and rejectionist statements
such as these make it perfectly clear
that the leader of Israel is committed to
conflict, not peace, in the region.
Shamir's ideas for peace must be seen
for what they are: a public relations
campaign to help Israel's badly tar-
nished image. The ideas Shamir brings
to Washington are neither new nor ad-
equate for a just peace and are intended
to maintain the present hegemony of
the Zionist state over Palestinians and
other Arab peoples.
Shamir has proposed elections to
choose Palestinian representatives from
the West Bank and Gaza with whom
Israel says it can negotiate. In addition
he is expected to call for an end to the
popular uprising against Israeli brutal-
ity in these territories while continuing
Israeli occupation. Both proposals are
unacceptable and negate the Palestini-
ans' basic human right to self-determi-
nation.
Separate elections are unacceptable
because the Palestinians already have a
leadership that represents them - the
Palestine Liberation Organization. Mr.
Shamir not only continues to adamantly
oppose negotiations with the PLO, but
Israelis who do meet with the leader-
ship of the Palestinian people are im-
prisoned. Shamir's attempts to bypass
the legitimate Palestinian leadership and
his policy of deporting leaders in the
occupied territories is indicative of his
true intentions, which have only to do
with oppression expansionism, and
domination.
Shamir's past policies and statements
NIwAt V
NATIONALIST lIM./
...)
make it clear that he rejects absolutely
the idea of any Palestinian state in
Palestine and is in favor of continuing
the brutal military occupation of
Palestinian land. His rejectionist poli-
cies concerning the territories and
v Palestinian self-determination are not
only held by him, but shared by his
Likud cohorts and the vast majority of
the Labor Party in Israel.
During the last 15 months of the in-
tifada, over 600 Palestinians have been
murdered by the Israeli Defense Forces
in the West Bank and Gaza. In addi-
tion, over a thousand Palestinian
women have had miscarriages as a re-
sult of Israeli soldiers firing tear gas
into houses and other confined areas
such as Palestinian hospitals.
Children can be imprisoned for
singing national songs or displaying
the outlawed Palestinian flag. Israel's
racist policies toward the Palestinian
people make it clear that Israel practices
a policy of institutional racism and re-
pression very similar to that practiced
by the Republic of South Africa.
Shamir's state policies of collective
punishment, detainment without trial,
beatings and expropriation of Pales-
tinian land are entirely unacceptable and
indefensible.
During Shamir's stay this week the
United States must press Israel to adopt
humane policies and to make a real
peace. The United States should insist
that Israel follow the Palestinian's lead
for a just resolution to the conflict.
Bush's words last Monday which re-
ferred to an "end of the occupation" as
a "goal" of U.S. policy are surprising,
yet encouraging as well. The American
taxpayers must take this statement sev-
eral steps further and insist, as Israel's
main benefactor, that direct negotia-
tions with the PLO commence
immediately and that an international
conference be convened. The United
States must demand the immediate
withdrawl of Israel from the West
Bank and Gaza and must cut all future
aid to Israel if it continues its barbaric
occupation.
ESTINIAN SItLENCE/
D ToR 1i.
Y v /5
Vigil: 9:30
on the Diag
To the Daily:
More than 100 million gal-
lons of oil were spilled into
Alaska's Prince William Sound
from the Exxon Valdez tanker.
This tragedy has killed count-
less fish, sea otters, waterfowl
and wildlife. Thousands of
people whose livelihoods de-
pend on the fishing industry
now face an ecosystem that
will never be thessame. Not
enough is being done to aid the
recovery or stop future abuse of
our earth. Please join us for a
candle light vigil to express
our concern and fury. The vigil
begins at 9:30 tonight on the
Diag.
-Amy Schultz
April 6
Students
really are
mindless
To the Daily:
To be disillusioned by the
actions of previous generations
has become a normal part of
growth into our own adult-
hood. But to be disillusioned
by the behavior of our own
peers is a more painful reality.
The events of Monday night
represent such a disillusion-
ment..
I have always been proud to
think that people who attend
the University of Michigan
were not members of the
mindless masses, but thinking
individuals. I have always be-
lieved that because students of
the University of Michigan
were striving for intellectual
and academic excellence, social
responsibility and maturity
would naturally accompany
these pursuits. The Monday
night mob scene dispelled my
perceptions of what U of M
students were supposed to rep-
resent in our community.
Several school age children I
know are devastated that their
ballet studio was vandalized.
They cannot dance on glass.
They ask me why college stu-
dents would ruin their own
home. I do not have answers to
these questions.
What are the school children
in our community learning
from this behavior? Of course
they look toward "college kids"
as role models, regardless of
their parents' opinions. Yes,
the University of Michigan
streets of Ann Arbor drowned
the beauty of the moment.
I have heard many excuses
that out-of-towners performed
much of the destruction. Those
who stood by casually, laugh-
ing and cheering, were indeed
part of the crowd dynamic that
produced the ugliness on South
University. If you aren't nLt
part of the crowd, then you are
part of the crowd. The students
of this University, in their
moment of glory, have shown
the country that they too are
just part of the masses, un-
thinking and unproud.
-Cheryl Baker
April 5
Riot wasn't
just fun
To the Daily:
How many of you had a
good time last Monday night?
Almost everyone, I suppose. It
was great, climbing on build-
ings and awnings, breaking
street signs, lamp posts and
store windows, even overturn-
ing taxicabs. But rumor has it
that everything is videotaped
and the police are going to find
the vandals. But there is no
videotape of the man who ru-
ined my night. No, there was
no videotape at the intersection
of Washtenaw and South For-
est. There is no videotape of
the driver who hit my friend
and sped off.
It was a great night, winning
the championship and all, until
we walked home by our usual
route. How many of you ever
crossed a street with three
friends and reached the other
side with only two? How many
of you have ever seen your
closest friend lying motionless
in the middle of the street?
"That's not Randi! Oh my
God tell me that this is a
dream!! That's really her! !"
Have you ever said that? I
sincerely hope not. But we did.
While everyone celebrated our
victory we sat silent in the
Emergency Room. While ev-
eryone slept, exhausted from
the partying, we waited anx-
iously for news, watching re-
runs of The Honeymooners and
Archie Bunker's Place.
The news of our victory and
our riot was all over the news
the next day. A lot of vandal-
ism and accidents, the worst
incident being the case of the
victim of a hit and run driver.
In class, in the dorm, in the
dining room, people ask "did
you hear about the hit and run
accidePnt?" "Yes_" I rnv
people around, and I beg any-
one who remembers the
slightest bit of information to
help. You can contact the Ann
Arbor Police Department at
994-2865 and ask for Officer
Oxender, and any information
will be confidential and very
much appreciated. Thank you,
and please help us.
-Lauren Iser
April 10
Rioters
risk careers
To the Daily:
After the University of
Michigan basketball team won
the NCAA Tournament, thou-
sands of students flocked to
South University street and
started a riot. These students
had a great time breaking win-
dows, stomping on taxicabs,
and basically just vandalizing
everything in sight. The next
day many students exalted over
the previous night and thought
there would be no repercus-
sions. Well, they were wrong.
The riot was publicized from
coast to coast. The University
of Michigan lost all its credi-
bility on Monday night. This
school was supposed to be
rated an academically rich
school as their high rating in
education among other schools
indicated. What company
would want to hire Michigan
students after seeing the riot on
TV? No company wants stu-
dents with riotous behavior
working in its firm. This riot
proved that Michigan students
aren't as smart as they're
cracked up to be and that they
have no respect for other peo-
ple's property. This incident
casts a bad light on Michigan
students. This bad light could
also remain in people's minds
for a long time to follow. So
all you seniors who had fun
that night vandalizing every-
thing, I hope you have just as
much fun at your upcoming
job interviews! I can hear the
interviewer's question already:
"Were you at the riot?"
-Mike Warner
April 10
Students
should pay
To the Daily:
Like most of the Ann Arbor
and University community I
celebrated Michigan's latest
victory in the NCAA. My cel-
contribute to cover the repair
expenses of those innocent
victims of our sometimes ex-
aggerated celebration and occa-
sional unchampionlike behav-
ior.
-Vern Terpstra
April 4
"Laisser les
bon temps
se rouler"
To the Daily:
"Laisser les bon temps se
rouler" - let the good times
roll - intoned C. J. Chenier at
the Ozone House benefit con-
cert, shortly after crowds had
poured into the streets to cele-
brate the victory on April 3.
But it became a destructive
bacchanal.
The riot could have been
contained. The police were out
in force during the violence of
the 1960s. The question, rather
than just race or ethnicity, is
probably: how far is the mob
putting itself outside the pale?
The protesters of the 1960s
voluntarily proclaimed them-
selves against the system. Mi-
norities are already somewhat
outside and their energy is
feared and repressed.
The University of Michigan
is dangerously unhappy, if cel-
ebration needs to degenerate
into such destructive violence.
However, blowing off steam
occasionally is tolerated, even
when destructive, because to-
morrow the celebrants will be
all the more docile; they pose
no real threat.
People need to go divinely
mad occasionally, to let off
steam creatively. Creative peo-
ple are not docile. We need
more of them, to deal with the
elements of oppression,
loneliness and lack of nurturing
at the Big U, which erupt in
such frenzy at any reason to
celebrate.
Why not erupt creatively?
We should initiate a Spring
Carnival in Ann Arbor, an
outdoor festival, produced
jointly by city and university
at the end of April, after exams
and before September to May
leases run out. Block off Lib-
erty, State St. and South U.,
give humanitarians and revolu-
tionaries, restaurants and mer-
chants yet another opportunity
to set up booths, have
costuming, confetti, music,
theater and dancing in the
streets. (Music is a good chan-
nel for emotion. Maybe street
dance parties should be planned
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