0

?0

Don' t blow
the bugle
"There's an old African proverb
which I find most enlightening, which
says that the enemy of my enemy is my
friend. This doesn't mean you always
trust your allies. But as long as they
want to ally themselves against the
same one that you're fighting against,
watch them, and let them go ahead
and fight against it."
-Malcolm X
Let's get one thing straight the
"president" of South Africa, F. W.
de Klerk, is no more of a
president to the people of South
Africa than Lee Iacocca is to the
United States.
He happens to control a large
part of the nation's power
structure, and for that reason
alone he's worth considering -
not because of any legitimacy he's
earned or any right he has to
occupy the spot he's got.
So when de Klerk describes a
new South Africa, as he did last
week, in which "every inhabitant
will enjoy equal rights, treatment
and opportunity in every sphere
of endeavor," you have to
wonder. Who is he to give rights to
anyone?
No one.
And whathas he done, anyway?
He's released some political
prisoners, legalized anti-apartheid
organizations, allowed some
leaders to move freely outside of
their homes. More than any
relinquishing of the power he has
no right to control, de Klerk has
moved to establish a limited

framework for debate and
negotiation before entering into a
dialogue.
His monumental speech last
Friday included a list of
guidelines for negotiations which,
he said, "should be acceptable to
all reasonable South Africans."
These include a "democratic
constitution," and "universal
franchise" but also, "no
domination." Which
means, presumably, that
the Black Africans who
make up the vast majority
of the nation's population
will not be permitted to
"dominate" in the new
"democracy."
Witness democracy as
defined by those in power.
"On the state of
emergency," de Klerkp
added, "I have been
advised that an emergency C
situation, which justifies
these special measures
which have been retained, still
exists."
Out of necessity, then, the
white government will have to
continue to "make provision for
effective control over visual
material pertaining to unrest," as
well as arresting dissidents
without trial or charge, and so on.
So when de Klerk claims, "the
season of violence is over," which
violence does he mean?
"The justification for violence
[against the government] which
was always advanced no longer
exists," he concluded.
Em.
"The same day that he made
this speech," notes Liz Paige,
"the cops were sent out and they
beat people up."
Paige is a member of a newly
re--formed student group
dedicated to addressing the rapid

h
o

changes taking place in de Klerk's
neck of the woods - the Free
Southern Africa Committee
(FSAC). The group is the
descendant of the Free South
Africa Coordinating Committee,
which originally formed in 1985.
They built the first shanty on the
Diag in the spring of 1986 to call
attention to the complicity of u.s.
institutions (including the
University) in
the perpetuation
of the apartheid
system.
Two years
later the United
Coalition
Against Racism
(UCAR) assumed
the lead role in
South Africa
hIp organizing, and
the group has
hen been dormant
since.
"We wanted
to create dialogue and discussion
again," says Paige.
To that end the group offers to
the public a collection of
materials and resources for
information about Southern Africa
(available through the Baker-
Mandela center for anti-racist
education, 936-1809), and will be
sponsoring a number of
educational events in the next
few months.
With de Klerk's heroic effort to
maintain some power in the face
of continuous opposition, and the
potential release of African
National Congress leader Nelson
Mandela from prison, FSAC's
timing is impeccable.
"It is a good thing," says Paige
of de Klerk's latest move. "A
larger step than we thought he
was going to take. But it's not
anything that he wasn't going to

have to do anyway, because in
order to have any type of
negotiations, the ANC has been
saying they need these types of
things."
Like officially desegregating
the beaches - which Black
activists had already done -
legalizing the ANc is more a
reaction to change than a change
itself. The ANC banner, as well as
the banner of the communist
party, has been in evidence at
marches against the government
for the last four months.
Adds Paige: "He's only
negotiating to save his own power
and the power and prestige of his
white constituency."
Eu.
So why make such a hullabaloo
about the announcements last
week?
Because u.s. corporations and
government leaders are champing
at the bit to end economic
sanctions against South Africa and
get back to business as usual with
one of the country's strongest
allies.
President Bush - who never
favored significant economic
action against the South African
government - has already said
he's ready to talk about ending
sanctions.
With the fanfare around de
Klerk, remembering the real
heroes in the struggle for change
is made more important.
In July of 1964, someone asked
Malcolm X how to deal with
white people who make positive
contributions to Black liberation.
"Whatever good they did,
good," replied Malcolm. "But we
don't have to blow the bugle for
any of them. We don't blow any
bugles until the war's over."
the City
dollars a year rather than towing
my car to pay their salaries. Or
even better, the city could fire
these people and use the money
for something worthwhile like
more police to break up "noisy"
parties.
I was caught and I was ready to
take my medicine. A friend drove
me over to city hall so I could
reclaim my car. I found out from a
friendly officer it was going to
cost me $288.00 to get a receipt so
I could go to the towing yard and
pay them $50.00. I was willing
and ready to pay until a clerk
informed me "we don't take out-
of-state checks."
I'd understand not taking out-

Ro
Now that the editors of this
magazine have foolishly given me
this soapbox to stand on, there are
a few things I'd like to get off my
chest before getting back to the
standard business of entertaining
you people with my subtle and
clever wit. I'm ill and fatigued.
Sick and tired. I'm in the mood to
gripe this week, and I hope I
speak for not just a few of us on
some of these things.
The first thing that has to go is
President Duderstadt's hair. Not
that mine is anything to brag
about, but if The Dude is trying
to improve the image of this
school, the least he could do is
throw on a corduroy baseball cap
when he goes out in public.
Especially on TV. The other day
I saw His Excellency on some
local morning news program. It
was bad enough listening to the
guy from Channel 7 who thinks
he's David Brinkley ramble on
inanely while the reporters from

shares

his-

the News-Free Press asked their
shoes questions, but it was hard to
take our leader seriously when it
looked like his hair was still wet
from the shower.
The second thing that has to go
is the Michigan Review. C'mon
guys, can't you think of anything
better to talk about
than the Daily? If I
want to know terrible
things about the Daily,
I'll read the Daily. And
the Serpent's Tooth
isn't even funny
anymore, it's so
watered down. Nobody
likes wimpy
conservatives, and it
appears the Serpent Rob
has gone vegetarian.
While we're on Ear
media antics, why
doesn't everybody on
the Board for Student
Publications just resign so we can
start over? Everyone who had

heard of or cared about this
organization before recent MSA,
uh, elections raise your hand. I
know things are just starting to.
get interesting now that Prof.
Tanter has come aboard, but if we
really want to see fights over
credentials and parliamentary

e(
le

procedure we can go
to MSA meetings.
Personally, I think
the idea that Board
meetings should be
anything but boring
and routine is
perverse.
Next, we should all
chip in and find
Martin Tury a nice
quiet job somewhere
where he won't
bother anybody. It
used to be you
couldn't find a radio

Battle of the Bands concept. Let's
get Martin out of town, shall we?
And if you're wearing an "I'm
startin' for Martin" T-shirt, you
can leave town, too.
And of course there are just way
too many dangerous people on
bicycles around here, even in the
winter. We may think that the
way to get rid of the rider who
comes up behind you at 30 miles
an hour and yells "BEEP-BEEP"
at you is to shove a stick into his
or her spokes, but the University
has come up with a better way.
Somewhere near Angell Hall
there's a sign that reads

obvic
bicyc
loggia
convi
bikes
to tel
Sorry
again
three
Bike,
don't

beef

BICYCLES
PARKED ON
LOGGIA
OR LAWN
WILL BE IMPOUNDED

sketchpad

f.zinn

station based near Ann Arbor that
wasn't giving Martin a free plug
just to get him out of their face.
First he tried to turn us all into
hippies, then he tried to establish
a long-term working relationship
with the owner of the Heidelberg,
and now he's trying to revive the

Beneath that the sign reads
"Use Racks" and has arrows
pointing in either direction. To
the right are ordinary bicycle
racks. To the left there is nothing
but the art museum, with its
tempting loggia. Those tricksters
at the Plant Department

Edito
We as
you he
Rob I
Howe
in pn
seres
untilr



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Help Alex get his car back( from
I own a car. driveways. I'll even pay at a don't remember, the program Up the street I noticed one of
In many communities this is meter, but I've received tickets allowed you to pay only half the those men in those little blue cars
not a crime, but in our fair town for some of the most ridiculous amount you owed and free with the seal of Ann Arbor on the
the simple act of owning a car reasons. political prisoners. doors. (These are the people who
makes even the most moralistic Did you know it's illegal to park Last week, my luck ran out - give tickets when you're parked


s

IN

do-gooder into a hardened
criminal. Anyone who owns a car
here knows I'm talking about:
parking tickets.
Those little white slips under
the windshield washer are
unavoidable. You probably have a
better chance CRISPing into
Public Speaking as a first-year
student then going an entire
month without receiving a ticket.
I know we have to have some
parking laws. I never park in the
handicapped spots or block

in your drive-vay if
you're blocking
the sidewalk? It's
a $10.00 offense.
In other words I
could get caught
smoking
marijuana twice
and pay the same
fine.
I've always been

Alex
About
Town

my car was towed away
from a legal spot on
State Street in font of
Angell Hall because I
had 15 unpaid tickets.
I was a little
concerned, you can
imagine, when I walked
out of class and my car
was missing. Who'd
want to steal an '84 Olds

illegally in your own driveway.) I
banged on the his window and
asked, "excuse me, did you tow a
station wagon?"
"A station wagon, let's see" he
replied looking through his
clipboard. "Yep, sure did, Illinois
plates!"
Thanks, I'm glad I made your
morning. Now I know why the
city employs all those people, to
target unruly traffic offenders. To
think the city could fire all these
people and save thousands of

-
~
A c.RtG AG 4 G A5 No ONe
t5 1T temo i. uT Ave
lb 1 PLAYING PM 9Mil\
o

THE GREAT WALL____
RESTAURANT
Specializing in - DINNERS & LUNCHES
Szechuan, Hunan - CARRY-OUTS
Rated Ann Arbor's best new restau-
and Cantonese rant of 1988 and best oriental res-
taurant of 1989 by The Michigan
Daily Weekend Magazine.
7477006 Monday-Sunday
1220 S. UNIVERSIT;' - AT S. FOREST --
ANN ARBOR

I

NEXT
F

fairly good with tickets. I even
paid up during the amnesty
program last year. For those who

Firenza mid-sized wagon with a
copy of Joyce's Dubliners on the
front seat?

U



1~

WEEKEND February 9, 1990