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OPINION
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Page 4
Tuesday, September 19, 1989
The Michigan Daily6
br £irttgan4ra gi
X, Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
420 Maynard St.
ol. C. NO. 9 Ann Arbor, MI 48109
"Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board. All other
tartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion
of the Daily.
Failed U.S., Salvadoran policies force negotiations:
Rally for women's
rights
By
-- -- - - ---- !F - -- - --- --- ap -
popular
demand
TUE FARABUNDO MARTI National
Libaration Front (FMLN), the political-
military opposition movement in El
Salvador, has presented El Salvador's
government with new proposals for
achieving a negotiated settlement to its
10-year-old war. Talks began last week
in Mexico, against the backdrop of the
Tela accords, a peace agreement signed
by the five Central American presidents
calling for direct dialogue between the
government and the FMLN, and
growing popular pressure for peace in-
side El Salvador,
,The FMLN has offered several pro-
posals designed to end the war and
transform El Salvador into a democracy
which respects human rights. Until
now, however, President Alfredo
Cristiani's far-right government has
resisted the demands of the Catholic
Church, opposition political parties,
trade unions, peasant associations, and
community groups, for a resumption of
negotiations with the FMLN.
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have inflicted thousands of casualties
on the armed forces.
In return, the FMLN called on the
Salvadoran government to fulfill their
democratic rhetoric by ending all re-
pression - including assassinations,
torture of political prisoners, and the
"disappearances" of those working to
democratize Salvadoran society. The
rebels also demanded an end to forced
recruitment by the armed forces; the
bombing of the civilian population; and
attacks aimed at the press and freedom
of expression.
That the Salvadoran government has
agreed to talks with the FMLN is proof
that the U.S.-designed plan for military
victory has failed. The government's
actions were forced by intense popular
support for the rebels and an end of the
war.
Whether popular opinion will be
enough to force concessions from the
government is questionable, however.
The United States equips and trains the
Salvadoran military, providing the
government with more than $1.3 mil-
lion a day. This aid serves only to
strengthen the government and the
armed forces' determination to block all
attempts to reach a political solution to
the war.
By presenting flexible and realistic
proposals. for ending the war, the
FMLN has responded to popular aspi-
rations for peace. Those concerned
with peace and justice must take this
opportunity to pressure the Bush ad-
ministration and Congress to end all aid
to El Salvador and support a negotiated
and just settlement.
The University community has
an opportunity to learn more
about the situation in El
Salvador and the peace talks"--
Ramon Cardona, a representa-
tive of the FMLN, will speak
tonight at 8 pm, in Room D of
the Michigan League.
By Camille Colatosti
This Sunday, September 24, from 1:00
to 4:00 pm, defenders of women's right to
abortion will rally at the State Capitol
Building in Lansing. Sponsored by the
National Organization for Women, the
demonstration will deliver to the Michigan
Legislature, the media and the public a
strong message of support for safe, legal
and funded birth control and abortion
rights.
To maintain legal and safe abortion,
feminists must defend the rights of the
most vulnerable - the young and the
poor. This fall, the Michigan Legislature
will debate five anti-choice bills. One bill
concerns parental consent laws for abor-
tions performed on women under eighteen
years old. The remaining four threaten
public funding of and access to abortion
for poor women.
If passed, these bills would effectively
widen the gap between the privileges
granted the rich and the exploitation of the
poor. History reveals that wealthy women
will have access to abortion regardless of
whether or not the procedure remains legal
in the United States. Women with money
will travel to Europe, Mexico, or Can'ada,
or they will persuade U.S. doctors to per-
form therapeutic abortions -abortions
deemed necessary for medical reasons.
Prior to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision
which effectively legalized abortion in the
United States, 93 percent of all therapeutic
abortions were performed on white women
in private hospitals. If abortion becomes
illegal once again in the U.S., poor
women will not stop having abortions,
but they will stop having safe abortions.
Prior to legalization, 49 percent of all
pregnancy related deaths in New York were
due to illegal abortion. 50 percent of these
women were Black and 44 percent were
Puerto Rican.
Abortion remains fundamental to
women's liberation. Anti-choice activists
know this and so do we. Though the right
to birth control and abortion is only a
small part of what women need to achieve
'If abortion becomes illegal once again in the U.S., poor
women will not stop having abortions, but they will stop hav-
ing safe abortions.'
liberation, without reproductive control,
women will never be able to determine
their lives.
Abortion rights activists must use the
current abortion crisis to broaden and
strengthen the struggle for women's liber-
ation. This means demanding not only the
Arbor Committee to Defend Abortion
Rights, at 5:30 in the Michigan Union
Ballroom. I'll see you there.
Camille
Solidarity
English.
Colatosti is a member of
and a graduate student in
I
60
Wasserman
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legal right to abortion but the funding of
abortion for poor women, as well as an
end to the sterilization abuse and economic
exploitation that prevent women form ex-
ercising their right to bear children.
The struggle to build a world in which
there are more adequate choices than there
are today will continue even after the im-
mediate crisis ends. This does not, how-
ever, mean that we should underestimate
the importance of the very real fight we
must wage and win in order to keep abor-
tion legal, even as we strive to broaden the
movement's base and goals.
To fight for women's control over their
bodies and lives, participate in Sunday's
Rally for Reproductive Rights, and attend
the tonight's mass meeting of the Ann
I
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Le tters to the Editor
In a press conference before the
talks, the FMLN announced a series of
ilateral measures to de-escalate the
ar and create a climate for negotia-
tons. The rebels pledged to suspend all
atacks against the government's elec-
tncal and communications systems and
4end the use of land mines, which
Ijffects of Domino's boycott:
Li-mited success
HIS WEEK, rumors of Tom
onaghan selling Domino's Pizza and,
a~cording to his spokesperson, every
other asset "besides his wife and the
T1gers," have dominated the front
pages of regional papers. Monaghan
himself has said that he does not want
hts "philanthropic" efforts to interfere
v4ith his business; and some have
speculated that his decision to sell may
b an attempt to control the damage a
nptional boycott has done to his profits
and his image. The boycott was not
initiated to force Monaghan out, but to
ikform consumers of what their money
was being used for and to allow them
tc make a informed choice about the
products they purchase.
:The boycott, now several months
old, has motivated people around the
c untry to organize against the local
franchises who pay a share of their
profits to Domino's Pizza, Inc., of
Which Tom Monoghan owns 97.5 per-
cent. Monoghan uses these profits for
elverything from union busting in
Central America to limiting women's.
reproductive freedom in the United
States. Others are boycotting Domino's
tfecause of its heterosexist dress codes,
*iti-union hiring polices and fast-de-
livery guarantees that have resulted in
dt least 22 traffic fatalities. Domino's
almits the boycott is affecting sales;
fianchise owners and financial analysts
llave stated that Domino's profits are
down and that Domino's share of the
pizza market is shrinking.
I !qlP oef TV'nin'c Pi77 andl other !as-
or the actions of the corporation. After
selling, Monaghan will have anywhere
from $100-250 million with which to
continue sponsorship of repressive or-
ganizations. He will have successfully
drained all possible profits from the
corporation before the boycott has
significantly lowered its selling price.
Selling Domino's will also insulate
Monaghan from public actions like the
boycott.
Even after the sale of Domino's,
anyone concerned about the environ-
ment, reproductive rights, union orga-
nizing or religious freedom should be
wary of Monoghan's actions. One ru-
mored buyer is Coca Cola, whose in-
vestment practices promote apartheid in
South Africa and union busting in
Central America. Even worse, public
sale of Domino's could allow
Monoghan to siphon a great deal of
money from the corporation to donate
to repressive causes, and still maintain
a controlling interest in the corporation.
In this case, he would have profited
greatly without giving up any of his
power.
Those individuals who have not boy-
cotted Domino's in the past should
consider doing so. For those who are
heartened by news of Monoghan
selling off his assets, it is important to
carefully watch and challenge
Monaghan and the corporation as well
as to continue to drive down the prof-
itability of Domino's. The lower the
selling price of the corporation, the less
monev Mnaghan wiill have to fundi
Farm
animals
exploited
To the Daily:
On Monday,' October 2,
thousands of people in the
U.S. and nations around the
world will observe World Farm
Animals Day to call public at-
tention to the abuses and devas-
tating impacts of today's inten-
sive animal agriculture indus-
try.
Farm animals account for 95
percent of all animals that are
abused and killed by human be-
ings. Veal calves are taken
from their mothers at birth,
chained by the neck in wooden
crates too narrow to allow
them to turn around, deprived
of bedding and light, and fed a
liquid diet deficient in iron and
fiber.
Laying hens have half of
their beaks clipped off and
spend their lives crammed five
to a cage the size of a folded
newspaper. Breeding sows are
immobilized in small gestation
stalls with concrete floors
which cause sores and lame-
ness. Newborn piglets are
weaned within three weeks and
the sows are given only one
week to recover before being
impregnated again and returned
to the gestation stall. Each year
nearly six billion cattle, calves,
pigs, sheep, chickens, and
turkeys are raised in the U.S.
under deplorable conditions of
severe crowding, deprivation
and mutilation.
But animals are not the only
victims of intensive animal
agriculture. Nearly 1.5 million
Americans are crippled or killed
prematurely each year by heart
failure, stroke, cancer and other
chronic diseases that have been
conclusively linked with exces-
Farm Animals Day is the
birthday of Mahatma Gandhi,
easily the most prominent pro-
tector of farm animals in mod-
ern times. Gandhi claimed that
"the greatness of a nation can
be judged by the way its ani-
mals are treated." We have a
long way to go.
- James Monsuma
September 14
Daily's
integrity
in doubt
To the Daily:
I was truly impressed by the
sterling example of poor jour-
nalism I discovered on page
five of the September 14 issue
of the Michigan Daily (Soviet
Cracks Liberty Bell). Such a
brazen display of ideological
intolerance - not to mention
racism - is usually reserved
for the opinion page where
such so-called jokes might be
appreciated. For a purportedly
informational paper to print
this particular brand of humor
in a section that is otherwise
devoted to news is not only in
exceptionally poor taste but
also inspires little confidence
in the reader regarding the in-
tegrity of the publication. In
the future, please keep your
opinions limited to the page
upon which they belong.
- Phaedra Regentin
September 18
Frat
attack
unfair
To the Daily:
I am writing this letter in re-
color are wholly inaccurate.
The Daily also neglected the
two other rush posters we
printed condemning hazing and
the abuse of alcohol, and high-
lighting our excellent academic
record. Of course none of these
posters would have served the
editorial needs of the Daily.
The Daily would have students
believe the "Animal House"
myth. The Greek system and
Delta Upsilon have a long his-
tory of service to the commu-
nity and academic excellence.
In the future please do not in-
clude the Men of Delta
Upsilon, Michigan chapter, in
the editorial illusions of the
Daily.
-Matthew Goodman,
September 16
Pig blind
to paRtr ons
t pneeds
To the Daily:
I am writing tocomplain
about what I consider to be the
unfair treatment received by my
brother and I from the man-
agement of the Blind Pig tav-
ern when we were visiting Ann
Arbor on September 9, 1989.
My brother and I, who were
not drunk, but were tired from
having driven in from Toronto,
were located at the stairs next
to the stage, and listening to
the blues bands that were per-
forming that night. Because no
seats were available, I was
standing and leaning against
the stair railing and my brother
was sitting on the bottom step
with his back against the wall
and his feet stretched across the
stairs. At times, he had his
eyes closed, as people some-
times do when they listen to
music.
The manager apparently
thought he was sleeping and
told him he would be asked to
leave if he fell asleep. Shortly
afterward she came back and
told him he had to leave. He
was very upset, in part because3
he receives disability for men-
tal illness and is concerned
about appearing "normal," and
left in a hurry.
When I tried to explain to
the manager that he would be
okay if he were allowed to
come back in and stand for a
little while, and that the inci-
dent could have a damaging
psychological effect if he were
not allowed back, she refused
to listen. She cut me off by
saying "We don't allow people
to sleep in here. Case closed,"
and walked away. When I fol-
lowed her and again tried to ex-
plain, she had me forcibly
evicted, saying that the law al-
lowed here to kick out anyone~
she wanted to.
While the law may give
property owners the right to
control their property, it does
not speak well of the Blind Pig
for its employees to exhibit
such an arrogant attitude in
dealing with its customers.
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- Steven Yttri
September 12
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Opinion Page Letter Policy
Due to the volume of mail the Daily cannot print all the letters and
columns it receives, although an effort is made to print the major-
ity of material on a wide range of views. The Daily cuts letters and
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