OPINION

Page 4

Friday, January 19, 1990

D

The Michiaan Daily

.

eibjaufairg
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
420 Maynard St.
Vol. C, No. 75 Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Unsigned editorials'represent a majority of tne Daily's Editorial Board. All other
cartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion
of the Daily.
Israeli government crushes peaceful demonstration:
Entrenched in violence

Who

controls Honduras?

CALLING FOR an end to the occupa-
tion, the Israeli activist organization
Peace Now sponsored an international
demonstration in late December de-
signed to symbolically link East and
West Jerusalem. Over 25,000 people
participated in the demonstration
which, though peaceful, was violently
disrupted by the Israeli military.
Acting without restraint, the military
and the police used tear gas and rubber
bullets to disperse the crowd. An ABC
news camera operator was shot in the
leg and many other intemationals were
beaten and knocked down by soldiers.
Of course, Palestinians were hurt the
most as soldiers indiscriminately beat,
shot and arrested any Palestinian in the
area, regardless of their participation in
the demonstration. Much of this was
recorded by camera crews, and many
of the subsequent news reports were
justifiably critical of the violence with
which the Israelis responded to the
demonstrators.
This demonstration and the Israeli
reaction to it are significant for a couple
of reasons. The first is that it seems
obvious that Israel is truly more
concerned about repressing Palestinian
expression than it is about world
opinion. In spite of the presence of the
international media, the Israelis didn't
hesitate to gas and shoot into the
demonstration as soon as a Palestinian
flag appeared in the crowd. The Iron
Fist policy dictates that-absolutely no
expression of national identity or hu-
manity can be allowed the Palestinians.
This includes crushing a peaceful gath-
ering organized by Israelis.
More importantly is the Israeli policy
toward coalition action by Israelis and

Palestinians. Entrenched in its own
anti-terrorist and racist rhetoric, Israeli
rejectionists refuse to recognize that
there are Israelis who believe in and
want to work for Palestinian self-de-
termination. What this means is that
wherever this kind of organizing hap-
pens, it will be outlawed. The recent
trial and imprisonment of Israeli Jew
Michel Warshawski testify to this.
Warshawski is the head of the Alterna-
tive Information Center, a Palestinian
and Jewish organization located in
West Jerusalem. The Center, which
publishes News From Within and The
Other Front, has a commitment to en-
couraging Israelis and Palestinians to
work together. It has been closed re-
peatedly in the past two years and most
of its equipment has been confiscated.
The demonstration in Jerusalem is an
example of this kind of rejectionism. It
is much more difficult for the Israeli
government to maintain its hard line
position against the Palestinians and
their representative the PLO if its own
people are willing and prepared to
work with the Palestinians.
The fact that an Israeli peace group
organized this demonstration could
symbolize a big step forward in peace
negotiations between Israel and the
Palestinians. Unfortunately, this seems
to be the exception not the rule and the
Israeli military's brutality represents
business as usual in East Jerusalem.
Countries all over the world have
come out in support of Palestinian self-
determination. In spite of this, the Is-
raeli government keeps yelling
"terrorism" and "secure borders" and
the U.S. signs its checks for $4 billion
dollars a day without a second thought.

By Darin Stockdill
The last few months of 1989 were tur-
bulent times for Central America. In El
Salvador, the government increased its re-
pression and the FMLN answered with a
strong offensive. In Nicaragua, the ever
present contras kept killing people and
Ortega called off the unilateral ceasefire. In
Panama, Noriega pissed off the U.S., we
invaded and over 4,000 Panamanian civil-
ians died. In Honduras, though, the Ann
Arbor News reports that the third free elec-
tion in recent years occurred. Alright!
Chalk one up for the good ol' U.S. of A.
At least that is what the media and the
State Department would have you believe.
I myself, after three trips to Honduras,
don't believe it. In fact, I know its not
true. Although it receives little media at-
tention, Honduras is a focal point for U.S.
foreign policy. Bordering on Guatemala,
El Salvador and Nicaragua, it is a geopo-
litical hotspot, and the U.S. has turned
this nation of 4.8 million people into an
armed camp.
Hoping to create a bulwark against the
"Red Menace" of Nicaragua, Reagan and
Bush have sent over 1 billion dollars in
military aid to a country where fifty chil-
dren die daily from preventable diseases
and the annual per capita income is U.S.
$700. This aid has strengthened the Hon-
duran Army tremendously. Wielding veto
power over all cabinet appointments and
major legislation, the military makes elec-
tions superfluous. Receiving millions of

U.S. dollars, and creating their own bud-
get, whose figures are unknown even to
the president, the Honduran Army does
what it wants. When I passed a large hill-
top house surrounded by a spiked fence,
and saw the shiny black Z-28 inside, I
was not surprised to learn that a general
lived there. And when I met four homeless
drug addicts, ages six to eight, I couldn't
help remembering that wonderful car.
Along with strengthening the Honduran
Army, the U.S. has provided for 9,000
contras to terrorize Honduras when they're
not killing nuns and teachers in Nicaragua.
Since1980, over 90,000 U.S. troops have
passed through Honduras on maneuvers,
and they have left an infrastructure of
airstrips, roads, radar stations and heli-
copter bases so that when the U.S. decides
to invade Nicaragua, we have the "USS
Honduras" as a base. There is also a
"temporary" U.S. headquarters at Soto

programs.
So when we look at all of this together,
and include the fact that prostitution, drug
abuse and rape have all increased around
U.S. bases, we can guess that many Hon-
durans are not happy with the U.S. pres-
ence there. And they're not.
I met with many people who want to
see their nation truly free. Some people
vocally protest the U.S. and contra pres-
ence, and, as this threatens the wallets of
the military, the results are brutal. Over
145 people have disappeared since 1981,
and there have been many more assassina-
tions. Death Squads have appeared in a
country that has been spared the violence
of its neighbors, and torture had become
the norm rather than the exception.
And this is life in a country with "free"
elections and "democracy." I wonder how
Roger Gonzalez Jr. will about our democ-
racy when he grows up. He is a very cute



'Since 1980, over 90,000 U.S. troops have passed
through Honduras on maneuvers, and they have
left an infrastructure of airstrips, roads, radar
stations and helicopter bases so that when the U.S.
decides to invade Nicaragua, we have the "USS
Honduras" as a base.'




Cano base that looked quite permanent to
me, and 1,200 U.S. troops are there. I had
the pleasure of visiting it in November of
1989, and I met the man in charge of the
U.S. Army medical outreach to Hon-
durans. Sadly enough, he was very racist
toward the Honduran people, and insinu-
ated that Hondurans weren't ready for his

one year old boy I met. I never had the
honor of meeting his father, though, be-
cause he disappeared after protesting in
front of the U.S. Embassy. So much for
the good ol' U.S. of A.
Darin Stockdill is an LSA junior, lie will
be speaking on Honduras today at noon at
the Guild House.


ALL W2SE
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U.S. troops in Honduras: white man's burden or manifest destiny? Voice your opinion., Hondurans who do are disappeared.
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Step down Hart

IN DECEMBER the Detroit Free Press
reported that they had found a check
drawn from the Detroit Police Depart-
ment's secret service fund for the sum
of $14,000 by Police Chief William
Hart. The money allegedly was used to
pay the rent on Hart's daughter's home
in Beverly Hills.
Since then the scandal has grown
into a city, state and federal investiga-
tion into the spending policies and
practices of the Detroit Police Depart-
ment.
As of yet, Hart and Mayor Coleman
Young.have not cooperated with the
investigators. Rather they have resisted
attempts of city auditors, who sought
to review the records of the depart-
ment. Considering that Hart is in the
midst of the controversy, he should
step down from his position as police
chief until the investigation.
Also involved in the controversy
over misuse of funds is former Univer-
sity advisor Kenneth Weiner, a security
expert who is also a former deputy
civilian chief of the police department.
As yet, the ties between Hart, Young,

and Weiner are unclear; but with
Weiner now in FBI custody, there is a
possibility that he may strike a deal for
immunity in return for information
about Hart and Young's roles in the
scandal.
A piece of the missing puzzle which
connects Hart, Young and Weiner may
have recently been found with the dis-
closure of Young's position with con-
sulting firm, Detroit Technologies. The
connections between the firm which
Young heads, the police department
and Weiner are under suspicion..
Young's position as head of the firm
does not violate any laws or code of
ethics.
Though at this time it is unclear
whether Mayor Young was involved in
the police scandal, the police corrup-
tion, and the disclosure of potential
links between his private consulting
and the police department are disturb-
ing.
At the very least Police Chief Hart
should step down until the investiga-
tion is over. If Mayor Young is truly
accountable to his constituents he will
act responsibly and publicly.

U.S. out of
Panama
To the Daily:
We stand opposed to the
U.S. government's brutal inva-
sion of Panama on Dec. 20.
We believe the U.S. has no
right to impose its will on the
people of Panama, Latin Amer-
ica or anywhere in the world.
Without our public condem-
nation of the invasion, which,
according to published reports,
claimed the lives of thousands
of Panamanians, our silence
equals approval. The timing of
the invasion had the effect of
silencing immediate protest.
However, we still can, and
must, voice our opposition. In
opposing the invasion, we
stand in solidarity with people
around the world, as indicated
by the United Nations near
unanimous condemnation.
The U.S. government and
mainstream media justify this
invasion by claiming it was
necessary to remove Gen. Nor-
iega. Noriega was a dictator,
drug lord and tyrant. But he
was all of these things for the
U.S. government. For years he
workedwfor the C.I.A. (under
Bush, when he was director)
and did their dirty work.
Among other things, he orga-
nii i hQ.Pmn D,.,r.riraVCT A

few years ago.
Noriega was one in a long
line of U.S. puppets - he
only became a problem when
he refused to do all the U.S.
government's dirty work. The
break came when Noriega re-
fused to allow the U.S .-backed
contras to train in Panama. It
was only then that plans were
made to oust Noriega.
We do not defend Noriega.
At the same time, the U.S. in-
vasion was not for the libera-
tion of the Panamanian people.
The invasion was to ensure
U.S. dominance in Panama and
the region. The President in-
stalled by the U.S. government
is yet one more of its yes-men.
Refuse to be silent about the
invasion of Panama! A
demonstration organized by
students opposed to the inva-
sion will be held on Friday,
Jan. 19 at noon on the steps of
the Michigan Union. Take a
stand and shout your opposi-
tion to the U.S. invasion of
Panama.
-Nathan Smith
Jeffrey Miller
Trent Clarke
Selina Priestley

Prof should
support
UCAR
To the Daily:
I'd like to address a few
points in Leo McNamara's let-
ter (Daily 1/17/90).
First, McNamara says the 10
percent African-American en-
rollment goal was unrealistic.
Perhaps over one or two years,
but the 20 years since 1970 is
a realistic span, provided the
administration had made the
goal a priority. Speculating
that the administration lied to
the students makes no differ-
ence in holding the administra-
tion accountable for its failure.
Consider McNamara's sen-
tence: "The demand (not for
knowledge and wisdom, which
may always be demanded and
sought) was extorted by bully-
ing." First, to reduce the Black
Action Movement's confronta-
tion with the administration to
"bullying" is inaccurate and de-
grading. In common usage, a
bully is stronger and without
conscience. The Black Action
Movement was the weaker of
the two; the administration had

the money, the staff and the
power. BAM had only the de-
sire for justice, and the ability
to expose the results of admin-
istration policy, i.e. low en-
rollment. BAM tried to hold *
the administration accountable.
Second, BAM was demand-
ing knowledge and wisdom.
That is what the University is
supposed to impart, and if stu-
dents are not admitted becaus.e
of personal and institutional
racism, they are going to get
neither the knowledge and wis-
dom the University has to of-
fer, nor the credentials society
demands. Why does McNamara
think Blacks don't want
knowledge and wisdom?
Lastly, McNamara invites
UCAR "to begin a genuine aC-
tempt to foster justice for all
students, all faculty, all admin-
istrators, of all races." White
administrators have the power
to get their way and their ids
of justice. Students of color
have less. UCAR's responsi-
bility is not to obtain justice
for Dean Peter Steiner or Presi-
dent Duderstadt, but to fight fir
students of color.
McNamara should support
their struggle.


t codou iock th e Presidev~t kvewc, am

-Gus Teschke


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