The Michigan Daily -Thursday, October 4, 1990 - Page 3
Protest IWO
opposes
parental 40
Cconsent
by Julie Foster n..
Daily Staff Writer 4
Feminis
women (
backgro
by Vivian Babuts
"Women unite. Stand up and
fight. Safe abortion is our right,"'
chanted approximately 20 people on
the Diag yesterday in protest of
Michigan's parental consent law on
abortion.
The protest was held in honor of
Rosie Jiminez Day. Jiminez is the
first woman known to have died as a
result of an illegal abortion after the
Hyde Amendment was passed in,
1977. The Hyde Amendment gave
states the right to decide whether or
not to provide state-funded abortions.
The rally was co-sponsored by
the Ann Arbor Committee to Defend
Abortion and Reproductive Rights.
(AACDARR) and the Aids Coalition
to Unleash Power (ACT-UP).
Speakers said the new tightening
of abortion laws will restrict
women's options.
"Many (women) will choose to
raise unwanted children, which is
devastating not only to the child but
to the whole country," said LeAnn
Franke, a first-year RC student and
AACDARR member.
Many people who attended the
rally felt that the new abortion law
is racist and sexist. "We believe
Medicaid-funded abortion being cut
is racist against lower socioeco-
nomic classes," said Carolyn Allen,
a first-year RC student and member
of AACDAR.
Rackham graduate student Pat-
AMY FELDMAN/Daily
RC first-year student Carolyn Allen and Rhonda Laur listen to speakers denounce Michigan's Parental
Consent laws as racist and sexist.
trice Maurer agreed. "The same sex-
ist attitudes which are responsible
for anti-abortion laws and parental
consent law are killing women."
Maurice delivered a speech urg-
ing both men and women to practice
safe sex. She told all men on the
Diag to "use a condom or beat it."
"Restricting Medicaid funding is
forcing poor and minority women
away from their rights," Franke
added.
Between speeches, the group
shouted, "Health care is a right." "I've gotten into it (the abortion
The group's goal is to see that issue) since the parental consent
the list of demands given at the rally laws. We can't have adults fighting
is met. Some of the demands were: our battles for us," said Anne
Free safe abortion on demand. Bernardin, a sophomore at Pioneer
Free birth control. High School in Ann Arbor.
No restrictions on abortion. Ann Arbor resident Jim
Fight back against parental O'Donnell came to show his support
consent laws. for women's rights. "I think it's im-
Restore Medicaid funding for portant for men to work on abortion
abortion. rights. Fighting sexism is some-
The rally attracted a few Ann thing everyone should be doing," he
Arbor residents. said.
Two feminist groups on campus
are learning that in order to effec-
tively deal with the issues of femi-
nism they must recognize how dif-
ferent women's backgrounds create
and affect the issues they deal with.
The newly-formed Feminist
Women's Union "wants to encour-
age debate" while addressing issues
concerning women of all back-
grounds, organizing committee
member Debbie Lotstein said.
"Race, class, and sexual orienta-
tion all suppress a woman," she said.
The group was formed last Jan-
uary by women active in other polit-
ical groups who felt the need for a
"broad-based" feminist organization
open to discussions covering topics
ranging from homeless women to
reproductive rights to homophobia
and racism.
"For African-American women
the question of women's liberation
has always been a question of race,
class, and gender," said Barbara
Ransby, one of the founders of
United Coalition Against Racism
and the Ella Baker-Mandela Center
for Anti-Racist Education.
She said that any feminist
movement must address the issue of
racism, but far too few have.
Changes must be made because
women are still seen as less than
human, Lotstein said. "The system
that oppresses doesn't tell you that
you're oppressed."
Dissatisfaction with the roles of
men and women in Jewish tradition
has brought together members of the
Jewish Feminist Group.
Because many Jewish traditions
and rituals are male-oriented, the
members of the group are
"dissatisfied in some way with Ju-
daism's place for women," group
organizer Susan Kane said.
The group is "trying to find a
way to fit feminism into their
Judaism," she added.
For coordinator Susan Langnas,
another goal is to vent frustrations
and come up with ideas about recon-
ciling differences in traditions such
as the Seder, the evening ceremony
on Passover.
Because Jewish law is subject to
interpretation, group members can
be creative during rituals like the
Passover Seder to "celebrate
women's role as well" while holding
on to their Jewish identity, Langnas
said.
But Langnas sees many conflicts
that still need to be resolved. One
that is particularly disturbing to her r
n unites
f many
unds
is the reference to God as "King."
Although Kane herself would likq
to see the conflicts she has with re
ligious rituals resolved, she said thq
group is not primarily religious.
Instead, the group focuses on ex
ploring cultural issues and some .
times comes up with ideas that tradi-'
tional Jews find radical. Last
semester discussions ranged from
topics on sexual assault to Jewisl.
women poets.;
Lotstein, who said she does nog
believe that feminism can be defined
by one set of criteria, added that raisi
ing consciousness will get rid of a
lot of the negative stereotypes and
misconceptions associated with tho
word "feminist." Feminists ar
"fighting against the power struc4
ture, not men," she said. I
For Lotstein, feminism means
"empowering ourselves to fight for
change... a political movement to
free all women of oppression includ-
ing women of color."
This year the group was granted;
money from Michigan Student As;i
sembly to work on a women's re-
source guide which would include re-
sources for food and shelter, counsel,
ing, abortion, health care, childcare,
and lesbianism.
Bush violates 'no new taxes' vow
with controversial budget proposal
WASHINGTON (AP) - Presi-
dent Bush today called on congres-
sional skeptics to support a $500
billion package of tax increases and
spending cuts. He said lawmakers
will be "courting disaster" if they do
not pass it.
Bush urged members of Congress
to vote for the package and then
"blame the president" when they talk
to voters.
He called the budget agreement
balanced and fair, although he ac-
knowledged it will hit Americans in
the wallet.
"There's nothing that is without
pain," the president told a group of
journalists from around the country.
However, he said, "It is our last
best chance to try to get this federal
deficit under control."
"There comes a time whin you
have to make tough decisions, give a
little and do what is best for the
country." Bush said.
He said he too, had to compro-
mise to get the deficit-reduction
agreement. "No one got everything
he or she wanted," he said.
Bush broke his "no new taxes"
campaign pledge to get the budget
agreement.
"We linger along and don't get a
deal, we are courting disaster," he
said.
Looking to the congressional de-
bate on the package this week, he
said, "I call upon the Congress, both
House and Senate, to cast their vote
for this plan, an to prove to Ameri-
can people that we can solve prob-
lems, that we can go out and get
something done and put this nation
on the path to long-term economic
growth."
Earlier, White House Press Secre-
tary Marlin Fitzwater said, "We
don't have enough votes yet" to pass
the budget package. He said a Senate
vote will be close, but the House at
this time would defeat the plan
which was worked out by adminis-
tration and congressional
negotiators.
Federal Reserve Chair Alan
Greenspan said today he supports the
deficit-reduction package, giving
Bush a big boost in his efforts to
sell the compromise proposal to
Congress.
Asked about the 12-cent tax in-
crease on gasoline included in the
package, Bush said, "I can't get en-
thusiastic about a tax on the Ameri-
can people. We are not dealing with
the best of all worlds." But, he
added, "we are trying to solve an
enormous problem."
"The tax is fair," he said, noting
that gasoline tax in the United States
is "still substantially below world
markets."
'For African-Americag
women the question :
of women's liberation!
has always been a #
question of race,
class and gender'
-Barbara Ransby4
founder of United
Coalition Against Racis
and the Ella Baker!
Mandela Center for Anti-
Racist Education
The Feminist Women's Union is
also forming coalitions with other
groups like the Homeless Action
Committee and the alliance for
campus childcare.
The Jewish Feminist Group also
hopes to be more active this
semester. Kane says they are con-
cerned with "doing more creativ
things," such as forming networ
with other feminist related groups
like Pro-choice and Palestinian
groups. On Oct. 24 the Jewish Fem-
inist group is helping SAPAC to
sponsor "Speak Out" at Hillel where
survivals of sexual assault will
speak.
Bush tells GOP to blame him for new taxes
,w
WASHINGTON (AP) - "Blame
me," President Bush invites nervous
Republicans as he searches for votes
to pass an unpopular package of tax
increases and spending cuts. The
budget deal may be painful now but
the alternative probably is a deep re-
cession that could doom Bush's re-
election hopes in 1992.
Bush has put his popularity
squarely on the line for an agreement
that has sent election-minded
congress members diving into fox-
holes. The deal will hurt everyone,
with higher taxes on gasoline,
cigarettes, liquor and wine and in-
creased health care costs for the el-
derly in Medicare.
Maybe so, but Republicans law-
makers have deserted their president
in droves. They are particularly an-
gry over Bush's reversal on his no-
new-taxes pledge, robbing Republi-
cans of the same popular campaign
cry that propelled Bush into the
White House.
To win back the dissidents, Bush
made a televised speech to the nation
asking Americans to take some bit-
ter medicine to restore the health of
America's economy. He warned that
if the agreement does not pass, "our
economy will falter, markets may
tumble and recession will follow."
Presidential warnings of a dire
economic future are only part of a
strategy that also includes arm-twist-
ing sessions with Republicans at the
White House and private appeals in
telephone calls.
"Say the president encouraged
you to do it," Bush said. "Blame me,
because I know what's best for our
country. But I don't suspect it's po-
litically popular."
With his high popularity ratings,
Bush can afford to take a hit. His rat-
ings have been bumping along as
high as 80 percent, buoyed by ap-
proval of his handling of the Persian
Gulf crisis.
"It's, I guess, about as compli-
cated as a period as we've had since
I've been president," Bush said, refer-
ring to the twin problems of the
budget and the gulf.
Both sides in the budget battle are
playing the underdog. For the White
House, that would make a victory
seem to be an even bigger triumph.
From Bush's opponents, it is a mes-
sage that Bush doesn't need every
GOP vote.
Curiously, Bush is not demand-
ing complete Republican loyalty on
what he says is a vote to avoid eco-
nomic catastrophe. There is no threat
of White House retaliation, no warn-
ing of political punishment.
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THE
LIST
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
Meetings
"Women for Guatemala" -
8:00 p.m., 4115 Michigan Union
"Rainforest Action Move-
ment" - 7:00 p.m., 1040 Dana
Building
"Students concerned about
Animal Rights" - 8:00p.m.,
Wolverine Rm., Michigan nion.
Call Mike (761-5043) for more in-
fomation.
InterVarsity Christian Fel-
lowship - To ic: "Personal Wor-
ship of God," East Quad, Rm 126.
In Focus Filmworks - A
new cooperative student-run film
and video production company.
2520 Frieze, 6:00 p.m. Call 662-
8481 for more information.
Speeches
speaker. Anderson Room, The
Union, 7:30-10:30.
"The Crisis in the Persian
Gulf: Political, Economic
and Historical Perspectives''
- Institute of Public Studies, 3:00-
5:00 Rackham Amphitheater.
Furthermore
Internships in Goverment,
Business and Non-Profit
Organizations - Information
available at 1213 Angell Hall and
2520 East Engineering or call 764-
6859.
Impact Dance Theater Audi-
tions for non-dance majors - 6:30
Michigan Ballroom.
The Federal Job Search -
4:10-5:00 CP&P Conference Rm.
COMPLETI N
THE
I
CIRCLE
G
Food Buys
I
I
I
..IVY/f..sOr ur
COOKIES '
! 11.x.--a --r.----
Enriching the African-American Student Experience
I
Featuring: Dr. Frederick G. Sampson
Pastor, Tabernacle Baptist Church in Detroit