Page 2 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, April 23, 1990 Independence movement may hurt Lithuania VILNIUS, U.S.S.R. (AP) - The Lithuanian independence move- ment is leading the republic to catas- trophe, said a top Communist offi- cial from Moscow yesterday. The of- ficial denied the Kremlin has im- posed a total economic blockade. The Sajudis independence move- ment, whose leaders dominate Lith- uania's government, declared its de- termination to stand by the March 11 declaration of indcpcndence. "The Soviet Union seeks to deal a blow to the daily existence of ev- ery person, hoping that we shall be overpowered by our material inter- ests," the declaration said. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are all trying to restore the independence they lost in 1940 when they were occupied and forcibly annexed to the Soviet Union. Lithuania has declared independence; Estonia has dropped enforcement of the Soviet Constitu- tion; and Latvia is expected to de- clare its freedom from the Soviet Union on May 3. The streets of Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, were calm, with people walking rather than using cars as they coped with stringent ga- soline rationing that permits about seven gallons per month for private cars. Lithuanian Deputy Premier Ro- mualdas Ozolas charged Saturday that the Kremlin was implementing a full economic embargo, halting all rail and truck traffic to the tiny re- public. Lithuanian officials also said numerous shipments of food, met- als, wood, chemicals, and parts had not arrived as scheduled, and pay- ments to Lithuanian businesses have been halted. Ozolas told reporters that Lithua- nian ports have already stopped load- ing goods for exports. Yesterday, the Lithuanian gov- ernment sent a telegram to Soviet Premier Nikolai Ryzhkov saying that the Soviet cut-off of fuel and raw materials would chokefLithua- nian processing and manufacturing of goods meant for export and the Soviet market. The government telegram said production of oil and gas products, chemicals, plastics, compressors, au- tomobile brake systems, television screens, and other components would soon have to be halted. The republic depends entirely on Soviet resources at subsidized prices. Andrei N. Girenko, a secretary of the Soviet Communist Party Central Committee, said yesterday that Lithuania's declaration of indepen- dence March 11 meant a loss of pre- ferred prices and favorable trade con- ditions. "This would sharply, catastrophi- cally affect the republic's affairs and the living standards of its people," he said during a visit to Vilnius. IN BRIEF Compiled from Associated Press and staff reports Nigerian govt. crushes coup LAGOS, Nigeria - Nigeria's military government said it had crushed a coup attempt yesterday after heavy fighting with rebel troops for control of the capital of Lagos. The rebellion in Africa's most populous nation was launched by middle-ranking officers opposed to President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. The rebels said they wanted to break up Nigeria's federation of 19 states to end Moslem domination. "The unfortunate situation in Lagos this morning has been brought under control," Babangida told reporters last night. The general said the fighting had been heavy and his aide, Lt. Col. U.K. Bello, was among those killed during a gunbattle at the military headquarters in Lagos, the official News Agency of Nigeria reported. Official reports did not mention any figures for dead and wounded. However, reporters who observed the fighting said there appeared to be heavy casualties. Senate celebrates chamber's restoration to original form LANSING - The House will step back in time this week as it holds its first session in a newly renovated chamber that mirrors the workplace of legislators 100 years ago. Since.last fall, the lawmakers have been meeting in makeshift quarters north of the Capitol while their chamber has been restored to its original 1879 form. The Senate returned to its own restored chamber early this year. '" .# rt k .; , t i 4 4 A weary-looking Robert Polhill addresses the press in Damascus, Syria after his release yesterday. Polhill was held hostage by the Islamic Jihad for the Palestinian Liberation for 39 months. dom for an American hostage in Le- H OSTAGE banon but said his feeling of satis- Continued from page 1 faction was "substantially tempered" Cdgbecause other U.S. citizens and all the people who spent time on my Westerners are still in captivity. case," Polhill said in a Syrian TV "I'm not making gestures. I don't interview. But he added: "I'm still trade for hostages," he said when deeply concerned about my two asked whether the release of Polhill friends andiothers who are still held would trigger a tangible expression in the conditions I was held in." of his policy of "goodwill begets goodwill." Bush said nothing short President Bush thanked Syria and of the release of all hostages would Iran yesterday for helping win free- satisfy him. VETO Continued from page 1 tion for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Once the council received the official veto, it did not take any ac- tion on it. Birkett said the proposal should have never gone to the voters. "Theoretically, the election should have never been held to begin with, so I think the election is immate- rial," he said. Mayor Gerald Jernigan said he would stand behind the results of the election because City Attorney Bruce Laidlaw believes the city acted in ac- cordance with the law. Laidlaw said that once the results of an election are validated they can't be challenged unless the voters were intentionally deceived. However, Birkett said Proposal B can be challenged either in state court, or by an appeal to Kelly, who has the jurisdiction to rule on admin- istrative matters in the state. Jeane King, a member of the Washtenaw County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said they had not yet had the chance to consider challenging the proposal and would not speculate on the like- lihood of an ACLU-initiated lawsuit. Birkett said he couldn't under- stand how the apparent council blun- der was overlooked. "I guess its just one of those details that everyone overlooked," he said. OUTREACH Continued from page 1 repress them or suppress them, but I don't think it's possible to stop them," he said. Referring to Hope Outreach's theory of unmet needs, Peterson said: "They do not have credible psy- chological or scientific evidence to back up their claims... Gay men on average are loved by their fathers as much as everybody else." Lesbian and Gay Men's Rights Organizing Committee (LaGROC) member Brian Durrance called Fuqua's views "destructive" since he is asking homosexuals to be celibate or "live a lie" by trying to become heterosexual. Durrance finds it "very disturb- ing" that Hope Outreach tries to find a solution to homosexuality. "They frame it as a disease. This is offen- sive and ought to be challenged... We don't feel it's something you can change," he said. He further criticized Hope Outreach because the group encour- ages denying one's homosexuality instead of coming to terms with it. Durrance said that an unhappy les- bian or a gay man should choose "not to fight what can't be fought." Seeking help from Hope Outreach only "delays the inevitable" coming to terms, he said. Durrance said the best way to help unhappy gay men and lesbians is to bring them together in a group to share their feelings. Hope Outreach hopes eventually to be able to hold such group therapy sessions, Fuqua said. Hope Outreach was founded last year after skirmishes between La- GROC and the Christian Corner- stone Fellowship led to tensions be- tween campus homosexuals and born-again Christians. The group is trying to educate homophobic fun- damentalist Christians about homo- sexuality. "I think Christians have gotten a pretty bad rap on campus (for being) gay bashers," Karadsheh said. "A lot of Christians are homo- phobic," said Fuqua, who attributed this fear to ignorance. "We wanted... to educate Christians on campus... to have more compassion (for ho- mosexuals)," he said. Fuqua pointed out that LaGROC also educates peo- ple to rid them of homophobia. Durrance said that members of Hope Outreach are unaware of the causes of homosexuality and serve only to reenforce negative stereo- types of homosexuals. "If they're really attempting to reeducate fundamentalist Christians on homosexuality that's good, but I really doubt they are," Durrance said. Peterson said that members of Hope Outreach are unqualified to fight homophobia because they themselves are homophobic. "We see homosexual desire as just another form of temptation," Fuqua said. "There is nothing wrong with homosexual desires... God isn't going to send you to Hell because of having homosexual desires... it's what you do with those desires that 1 upsets Him." Added Fuqua, "We love homo- sexuals as much as we love anyone. God doesn't love homosexuals less than anyone else. Tomorrow marks opening day of a four-day celebration in the House, which will include numerous receptions and tours for state employees, restoration workers, former legislators, and the public. While the House is tied up in ceremonial activities, it's unlikely much work will be done on issues left unsolved before they adjourned for spring break, such as whether to reinstate a five percent utility tax on Detroit res- idents and how to divvy up tax dollars in the state budget. Congress says trade action possible against Soviets WASHINGTON - Many lawmakers are having second thoughts about Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev because of his stance on Lithuania and may block trade agreements that Moscow wants, two con- gressional leaders said yesterday. Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and House Majority Leader Thomas Foley (D-Wash.) said the United States shouldn't do any eco- nomic favors for Gorbachev as long as he continues to punish the break- away Baltic republic. Dole said there is disillusionment with Gorbachev, who has espoused the Soviet policies of perestroika and glasnost, because of his tactics on Lithuanian issues. Moscow reportedly has shut off oil and gas supplies and intercepted food to Lithuania in an attempt to force Lithuanian officials to rescind their declaration of independence. "I think right now a lot of us have put him on hold... now he is back- tracking on Lithuania," Dole said, "A lot of us are having second thoughts." Porn king may owe as much in taxes as Leona Helmsley FLINT, Mich. - Pornographer Harry Mohney may owe as much in taxes as New York hotel queen Leona Helmsley by the time he is sen- tenced on income-tax evasion charges, prosecutors say. Mohney, like Helmsley, was convicted of tax evasion and faces a prison term and a tax liability. The two cases were compared in pre-sen- tence memorandum filed in U.S. District Court here by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Allen and Richard Delonis, who prosecuted Mohney last year. Allen and Delonis have recommended to U.S. District Judge Stewart Newblatt that Moheny be sentenced to up to six years in prison at his sentencing May 1. He faces a maximum penalty of three years on each of the six counts. Mohney owes an estimated $2,748,113 in taxes, according to calcula- tions and testimony by the IRS. The government is also urging that Mo- hney pay fines totaling $505,000 and $16,191 in prosecution costs. EXTRAS Post office reopens in Hell HELL, Mich. - Some may wonder whether it ever left, but the U.S. Postal Service is back in Hell. The post office on April 1 reopened its branch office in this unincorpo- rated community about 50 miles west of Detroit in Livingston County. It's located in the Devil's Den Souvenir shop, run by Jim and Rose Ley. Mrs. Ley, who doubles as postal clerk, says the office has a special cancellation stamp showing a devil with a three-pronged fork and the words, "Greetings from Hell." She says anybody who sends her a self-ad- dressed, stamped envelope can receive the cancellation at no cost. A deal with the devil? The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. Subscription rates: for fall and winter (2 semesters) $28.00 in-town and $39 out-of-town, for fall only $1800 in-town and $22.00 out-oftown. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and the Student News Service. ADDRESS: The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard, Ann Arbor, M 48109. PHONE NUMBERS: News (313) 764-0552, Opinion 747-2814, Arts 763-0379, Sports 747-3336, Cir- culation 764-0558, Classified advertising 764-0557, Display adverising 764-0554, Billing 764-0550 4 F THERE ARE TWO SIDEST BECOMING A NURSE IN THE ARMY And they're both repre- sented by the insignia you wear as a member of the Army Nurse Corps. The caduceus on the left means you're part of a health care system in which educational and Y~ career advancement are the rule, not the exception. The gold bar on the right means you command respect as an Army officer. 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