I' OPINION Monday, October 16, 1989 Page 4 The Michigan Dail Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan 420 Maynard St. Vol. C, No. 29 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. 'Reform the bus system 3 I } w { i t 1 . . { } * " . a PROPOSED CHANGE IN ROUTE existing route ® proposed addition A Q? I affected buildings STUDENTS LIVING on North Campus are often deprived of cultural events and weekend activities on Central Campus because of inadequate busing. There are too few buses on weekends; the last bus from Central Campus usu- ally leaves at 2:15 a.m. Intervals be- tween buses are about 25 minutes long. North Campus residents are discour- aged from coming down to Central campus if they are dependent on the bus to return. Further, to endure the long wait for a bus (after midnight, alone in the cold) can be a daunting prospect, and many students prefer to spend the night in friends' rooms. During the morning rush hour, stu- dents coming from North Campus and getting off at Geddes have a long walk ahead of their bus ride if they have classes at Angell, Mason, or Haven Halls or East and West Engineering. Also, students who have classes on North Campus and who live in any of the Quads face at least 15 minutes of walking (usually with instruments, large drawing boards, or portfolios). The trek to C. C. Little is even longer for those living in Greek Houses, Co- ops or Apartments in surrounding neighborhoods. The numerous LSA students who take classes for non-ma- jors at the Art and Architecture Build- ing in the evenings are hindered by a bus schedule inordinately sparse in spite of this heavy traffic. These expe- riences can be excruciating when stu- dents are under pressure from heavy exam schedules, not to mention during cold winter months. The major stop on Central Campus, Geddes, is centered on the campus map, ostensibly serving both Main and Medical Campuses. However the main areas of commuter traffic are far from it, and the Medical Campus is well served by the stop outside the Medical Science Library. The Bursley Baits bus and the North Campus buses should be re-routed, as shown in the map, to service E. Washington, S. State and S. University. There should be four stops: -West Engineering -the Union -the Frieze Building -as well as the current Geddes and Medical Center stops. The Northwood Bus would maintain its current route because of its already long tum-around time of 50 minutes. More buses would be needed, both to accommodate this complex schedule, and to increase their frequency. A 24- hour schedule should be adopted and the frequency of buses on the weekend similarly increased. In addition to greater convenience to the students, other advantages of the reform would include a gradual de- crease in the number of student-owned cars, especially on North Campus, as students have better access to public transportation. An added minor advan- tage would be the increased opportuni- ties for student employment at the uni- versity as drivers of these buses. An effective public transportation system would also be environmentally sound in that it would eventually re- duce private car traffic. The proposed changes in the bus system should be considered as part of a long term plan to eliminate car use altogether in the campus area. These changes will cost money. But the investment in a comprehensive public transportation system should be considered crucial to building a cohe- sive community. The use of State street as part of the route of the University buses would increase congestion in the area. How- ever this must be weighed against the all-too prevalent use of cars on cam- pus. The new route and other modifi- cations to the bus system would dis- courage car use and decrease conges- tion in the long run. The University must reform its bus routes. North Campus is culturally se- cluded from the rest of the University, primarily due to its physical separation from Central Campus. The Schools of Art, Architecture and Music are all sit- uated there, as well as the North Cam- pus Commons and the Crysler Center. These cultural centers have the potential to be much more vibrant if they could attract more students from outside these departments. The difficulties presented by distant location of these centers and in travelling to and from North Campus could easily be ameliorated by the Uni- versity through a better commuting system and a closer inter-relationship could thus be fostered between the campuses. E. Washington ANGELL U.L. . ._ .... t2 0 S.A.B. W " UNION am I JURM ME. E. E. N rr~rrrrrrrrris '[,///////ritrrrr/rfli------------------------------.-.-.....-......-- L.Q. S. University S. Q. 1't I Consider lounges again 0'* By Marina Barnett On October 2, 1989 Consider reprinted an article that appeared last summer enti- tled "Look who's for segregation now." This article is filled with racist and patron- izing statements that cannot be ignored. The misinformed ideology this author rep- resents is all too common on a campus of 'higher" learning. To set the record straight, the issue of separate lounges for Blacks and other people of color can in no way be equated with segregation when viewed in its proper historical context. Segregation is a legal imposition by the white majority on people of color in this country. Separation signifies a con- scious choice among Blacks and other people of color to come together as a means of reaffirming their culture, resist- ing forced assimilation into the racist cul- ture surrounding them, and a desire to take control over their communities. Given the climate that exists or. this university and in this country, it boggles the mind to think how far we must have regressed for whites to feel that they have the right to delegitimize our organizatioas and cynically dismiss our demands. This ideology is clearly an attack on the rights of any autonomous formation of Blacks or other people of color. The cultural lounges that exist on these campuses were demanded by the members of the Black Action Movement in the early 1970s. The lounges were not in- tended to exclude people on the basis of color but to create an environment where our culture and history could be displayed and affirmed, and where we could discuss the nature of our oppression and the libera- tion of our people. racism, whereas people of color have come together with the purpose of combatting this sentiment and thus liberating our people from its adverse effects. So when viewed in its proper historical context those who promote separation like Mal- colm X and racist segregationists like David Duke are in no way analogous to one another. The author goes on to attempt to define 'Given the makeup of this university, it is not necessary for white students to come together and have "white lounges." To usa the words of a fellow student, "this whole town is one big white lounge." ' Given the makeup of this university, it is not necessary for white students to come together and have "white lounges." To use the words of a fellow student, "this whole town is one big white lounge." There are no Black faces on the walls of the Law Quad, The Michigan League, An- gell Hall, Stucci's, or the Brown Jug, not to mention that all of the buildings on campus, with the exception of the Trotter House (Another BAM Demand), are named after white people. Historically, whites have come together in exclusively white formations such as the KKK and the skin heads, to perpetuate th° struggle of the 1960s movement. The@ struggle of Black people and other people of color in this country has never been one of assimilating into a majority culture that has been permeated by white supremacist ideology. The struggle has been one for' establishing economic justice and political' and social equality. If this is what the au- thor of the Consider article was truly fo, why doesn't he struggle against the sys- tematic exclusion cf people of color from this campus rather than attacking the oneO positive aspect of this university for peo- ple of color. Marina Barnett is a member of the United Coalition Against Racism. Remember the deficit Wasserman IN THE NEXT three days Congress is supposed to pass a budget that falls within this year's $100 billion Gramm- Rudman deficit constraints. But its ability to do so remains doubtful. For the past decade, the U.S. has run a sustained budget deficit. The Depart- ment of the Treasury has written bonds and the Federal Reserve Board has tightened the money supply in order to overvalue the dollar and attract domes- tic and foreign investment. Currently, foreign nations own ap- proximately 16 percent of the U.S. debt. If they were to sell their holdings, the value of the dollar would decrease, t':e prices of foreign commodities that the U.S. depends upon would go up, and the country would experience drastic inflation. Economists predict that the Federal Reserve Board would then tighten the money supply to raise interest rates and sustain investment. A period of stagflation - both high in- flation and high interest rates - would destroy economic growth. This debt is the result of utter fiscal irresponsibility. The Reagan Admin- istration slashed income taxes on the richest U.S. citizens from 70 percent to 28 percent. It labeled social programs for poor people in the U.S as meaning- less and cut them to the bone, choosing instead to fund the defense industry. In addition to facing deficits every year since, the U.S. now has a homeless population of 3 million, a shrinking middle class, an educational crisis, and a rise in the number of people living below the poverty level. The government can begin to address the problems of the majority of U.S. citizens by lowering interest rates, thereby sustaining domestic investment in the economy and making it easier for everyone to obtain loans. At the same time, in order to combat inflation and raise federal money, the Bush ad- ministration can raise taxes for the wealthy to at least 50 percent, without returning any of the deductions that were eliminated by the tax reform act of 1986 . Finally, the government must shift the amount it spends for defense and instead spend this money on pro- viding more jobs and a cleaner envi- ronment. Whatever it decides to do, the gov- ernment owes us more than to tell us whether or not we have the right to burn our own flag. No- uM~ f ~ U.- So W} AT G/ .= 5 o45R UCPATIO Mz p& u~s - -- A plea for reason, tolerance and civility: Let CCF be recognized :y 5 ri . a i By Jim Huggins In your editorial "MSA Gets It Wrong: CCF Gets Recognition" (Daily, 10/11/89), you state: "The Cornerstone Christian Fellowship as a group promotes offensive, homophobic causes in the name of religion. Student government support of such a group is inappropriate and irre- sponsible." I feel you have inaccurately characterized CCF's activities. I would ar- gue that allowing CCF to exist asfan MSA-recognized organization is in fact appropriate and responsible. You claim that CCF promotes "offensive" causes, referring, I assume, to CCF's stated position that homosexual ac- tivity is sin. Certainly this position is of- fensive to the lesbian and gay community. However, I can think of many other stu- groups from campus because their views are "offensive" to others? Of course not. In the same way, CCF's "offensive" nature should not be sufficient cause for denying the group MSA recognition. You claim that CCF promotes "homophobic" causes. The only event I can recall in recent history which was bla- tantly homophobic was a concert by Mike Deasy sponsored by CCF, during which Deasy sang a song entitled "God Hates Queer (And So Do I)." CCF has repeatedly apologized for this concert (including at the MSA Meeting of October 3), stating that Deasy's song was not authorized in any way by CCF and that Deasy would never return to campus. Must CCF be Right Organizing Committee (LaGROC) held a rally on the Diag to encourage sup-. port of lesbians and gay men. LaGROC holds public meetings weekly in Univer- sity-owned property to promote the causes of lesbians and gay men. If CCF is denied! MSA recognition, it will not be able to hold a public rally on the Diag to present its side of the issue. It will not be able to hold public meetings in University-owned property to present its arguments. Such a state of affairs would not promote dialogue on this issue; rather, it would seek to sip lence dialogue. In an institution dedicated to the search: for truth (whatever that nature may be), I Opinion Page Letter Policy 'I find it dismaying that one group of people would seek to den