Page 4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, February 9, 1990 &be £ibigan fai1y EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 NEWS 313 764 0552 Vievvwont ARTS 763 0376 OPINION 747 2814 ThP 'L Cow C RuTh'o PD L F. IThKE i Rv4 0T $1-J,,IU4 ?\P 1 t1u 1 '4S SPORTS WEEKEND . ' 747 3336 747 4630 .w 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. i ._ , , - ,r ri g: South Africa Reforms are necessary, F.W. DE KLERK'S ANNOUNCE- ment last week that South Africa would lift the decades-old ban on the African National Congress and other anti- apartheid groups has elicited a chorus of approval from world leaders. Even Nelson Mandela, the still-imprisoned leader of the ANC, hailed the decision as a "bold and courageous" first step as it sparked off a surge of Black celebra- tion and political activism throughout the country. Yet these reactions must be seen in the context of the apartheid system of minority rule in South Africa. While any move toward racial equality must be supported, the euphoria following de Klerk's announcement must not cloud the fact that Blacks still are a long way from having an equal voice in the South African political system. De Klerk's boldness is from a man "who has been brought up to believe in :the inherent superiority of his race, and who, under overwhelming international pressure, is beginning to challenge the precepts of that ideology. The celebra- tion is of a people force-fed on a diet of violence and repression for genera- tions, conditioned to expect no respite. In reality, the concessions are far from what the majority of South Africans have demanded, although they may prove to be a catalyst to meaning- ful negotiation. Most political prisoners have not been released, the state of emergency in South Africa has not been lifted, and detention without trial will likely continue. There also remains a vast chasm between what de Klerk says and the reality of the situation in South Africa. His recent warning to police officers not to involve themselves in political activities has been greeted with a surge of brutality. Peaceful protests against the arrival of an all-white English cricket team brought out the whips, snarling dogs and tear gas that have be- Armenian but only a first step come so commonplace. And only last week, de Klerk was obliged to order an inquiry into the death of Clayton Sit- hole Twala, whom the police allege committed suicide by hanging in his cell. The announcement of the partial lifting of media censorship - pho- tographs and television pictures remain under government control - is ironic after the expulsion last week of two British journalists, who are alleged to have "distorted" the reporting of the events surrounding the cricket tour. De Klerk may have shown a wel- come willingness for change, but the police force and legal system, soaked in prejudice, continue with business as usual. The Group Areas Act, the Iden- tities Registration Act and the Land Acts, the cornerstones of apartheid, still remain firmly in place. As de Klerk continues to talk of "group" - in ef- fect "race" - rule, and opposes the democracy and majority rule favored by the ANC, he betrays his desire to cling to the order which maintains the wealth and privilege of the white elite. Apartheid cannot be reformed away; it, and the institutions which support it, must be eliminated. The immediate effects of de Klerk's speech have been to boost the South African Stock Exchange and invigorate debate on the lifting of economic sanc- tions against South Africa. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who has been a faithful advocate of keeping economic links to South Africa, im- mediately extended an invitation to de Klerk for talks in the United Kingdom. The unanimous condemnation by anti- apartheid organizations within South Africa of this carrot-dangling should serve as a warning to the U.S. gov- ernment. Economic pressures have al- ready forced South Africa into cosmetic changes; sanctions must be maintained until apartheid falls, and a representa- tive government takes power. studies A .. i' 4 y , ... .. e d .. \ *- n'; YO ,,. t1 I Y{) _.-. . a i , _ , - ,r- r . .n k\ *N .- -I - 1.4t It. e 1 l ( ' * / 1 Jewish theologian Let s an ti-SeitiC To the Daily: I have to take issue with William R. Horwitz's letter (2/5/90) charging Marc Ellis with racism and anti-Semitism. He accuses Ellis, a Jewish theologian, of de- nouncing "the world's entire Jewish popu- lation." If Horwitz has had the benefit of a reli- gious education, he must know that it is well within tradition for rabbis and reli- gious teachers to discuss the collective consciousness and responsibility of the Jewish people. In so doing, there is noth- ing anti-Semitic about expressing concern over how the State of Israel and its poli- -4I tlIrii j i. 1'p 'TO1 i w 0 4c ;. _, t- 4 4 'Wt3o EFise~5h[ 045 ~ ~ ut\ ti ing views is to discourauc thi in' mlusive dialogue that is so r yeessary to the pursuit of peace and ins ice in the Middle East. I ant sure that : me Who carefully read the excellent m - 'w with Ellis (2/l/90) would apprc l.e his in- sights for what they arc:A thoughitil and self-critical discussion + Jch identity, by someone who is obviously proud of his heritage, culture, and rtlion. I hope that those who missed the it rc,.view will not be misled by Horwitz's etter. Mark Weisbrot Rackham graduate student Jacksonville resident de£ries notion of 'smelly city' . To the Daily: I was filled with disgust when I read an article in the Daily which proclaimed that my hometown for 20 years, Jacksonville, Fla., has an odor problem ("Court reveals smelly verdict," 2/7/90). "Jacksonville smells," according to the article. I am sick and tired of all the anti-Jax propaganda that has been promoted by the Daily. I feel like spittin' grits! Smell or stench is a relative term. When you have been nurtured on cow ma- nure all of your life then maybe the paper irIs d1 smnv ~l ib aiid Its Awen you hyvp'critici 'nkos Nirt appivin" your Cdloubke tMr ars to u h a1 n tx as Jax that d - 11 "t WVII) On,,I you fix your why noTic degad mu aher scuruny city such a G Ind., or Dayton, Ohio, or even N w York, N.Y.? Is it because I Hitler's privae y'acht was stored in Jax for years or bcausea Navy F-14 was dt- stroyed wh n it collided with and slaugh- tered a 60b-pound sow on landing at the Jax airport or because those monster truck pulls are more common than gators? Sure Jax is called the "Armpit of Florida," but so what it' w- don't value deodorant as much as Northerners. We like our stench! I can envision future articles such as "Jax chaws" " Jax hawks (spitting phlegm)," or "Jax hunt' I only wish the Daily would keep its biased opinions con- centrated on the more trivial issues such as the Middle East, South Africa, or Central America. Andrew Jaffa LSA junior Jacksonvill- resident .o Daily story mistakes purposeof Farrahan.v=t University should devote THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN is one of only two universities in the country which can boast significant possibilities for study of modem Ar- menian history. The University's pro- gram provides both graduate and un- dergraduate courses in Armenian his- tory, language, and literature, including a summer intensive language program in Soviet Armenia. The University also boasts one of the largest collections of Armenian lan- guage books in the nation. Eight months agQ; six graduate students complained that the University's library system would soon lose its only librar- ian who catalogued Armenian language books. The concerns of the students were never addressed, and the Gradu- ate Library has not catalogued Arme- more to the program nian books since last September. Though the University seems pre- pared to accept millions of dollars in donations from Michigan's Armenian community, which numbers more than 70,000, it is not prepared to make even a minimal commitment to creating an Armenian studies center on campus. The University, at the very least, should hire a librarian with a working knowledge of Armenian in addition to other "mainstream" languages. This issue raises many questions about the University's priorities and commitment to academic excellence. Though Armenian studies may not be the largest program on campus, it cer- tainly merits more attention from the University. To the Daily: The Daily's article concerning Minister Louis Farrakhan's visit to Michigan State University (2/5/90) contained a few major errors that must be addressed. The initial protest by 12 Jewish stu- dents wasn't over the use of public funds for the event but over their desire to just bar Minister Farrakhan from the Univer- sity. The MSU Board of Trustees has since voted tn nimousiy to limit honorar- ium payments to S $,000 and they are try- ing to stop As One from receiving any further hind inc I say that h i not only censorship but rayist A J a 0 tis p1chlim thcsem ves to mnst Ouions where ffree ad open i uon any subject iiay take place. I w lid snture a guess and say that this last Opinio ishared by many students here, seeing how the majority of students are against a Code of Academic Conduct. I would urge all studenis of all races to attend the event at MS' U/s/,'90) and de- cide for yoursef what Minister Louis Far- rakhan is all about. I kn.w you are tired of others making decisions for you. Danny Peterson Engineering graduate student Memory hole U.S. should not forget the INTO THE ORWELLIAN MEMORY hole goes the 1915-1917 Armenian genocide, in which one million Arme- nians perished at the hands of the Young Turk Ottoman government. Be- cause modern Turkey is a NATO ally ;:and a trading partner, it is official U.S. "policy that the event never happened. 4 Sen. Robert Dole, responding to re- quests from constituents, last month :proposed a federal commemoration of the genocide. He had 62 co-signers and the bill was set to sail through the Sen- ate - until lobbyists on behalf of Turkey and the U.S. State Department got wind of what was happening. Deals were made, the Senate floor :'slowly emptied, and Dole watched his - iinncirt fade- Armenian genocide The desire to cover up the atrocities has caused the record of the Armenian genocide to disappear from history books. Fearful of analogies which could be drawn to the present, the Turkish government silences criticism of its past. Amnesty International re- ports that "unpatriotic" scholarship is punishable by five years' imprison- ment. Speaking before an Armenian audi- ence, Reagan swore in 1981 that the Armenian genocide would "never be forgotten." Bush made similar pro- nouncements while campaigning, but Realpolitik took over once he reached office, and he has now thrown his support behind the government's "trusted and value~d" - and.alas. W ,-44-V1' -- -""4'-;a