A century of editorial freedom
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Vol. Cl, No. 5 Ann Arbor, Michigan - Tuesday, September 11, 1990 The Mihgan ay
Proposed laws-
A yKristinPalm and
nnette Petrusso
Daily Arts Editors
Second in a five-part series
Funding for the National En-
dowment for the Arts and the arrest
of rap group 2 Live Crew are cur-
rently at the forefront of the
arts/obscenity/censorship debate.
Adding to the fray is a package of
bills being debated in the Michigan
legislature that could, if passed,
spark further controversy by allow-
ing increased prosecutions for ob-
scenity charges.
At the center of the debate is
Senate Bill 330 (its House counter-
part is House Bill 4642), proposed
by Sen. Fred Dillingham (R-
Fowlerville). The bills, said their
sponsors, are intended to target the
pornography industry in Michigan.
But the proposed legislation
would also give power to local gov-
ernments to prosecute obscenity
cases based on standards set up in in-
dividual communities, rather than in
accordance with state law. This could
the
" "
Politics
- f
Art
mean a rising number of prosecu-
tions for obscenity, especially in
conservative districts, critics say.
S. 330 is proposed as an amend-
ment to Act No. 343 of the Public
Acts of 1984, which allows the state
arget
to prohibit the possessiont
bution of obscene mater
Senate bill would allow lo
- municipalities, townsh
lages and cities - to set t
standards for obscenity.
The bill also broadens 1
of obscenity standards, cal
prohibition of the dissemi
possession of "hard-core"
scene material, "hard-core"
scene performances and, un
circumstances, sexual dev
sides obscene material, non
items are covered in the cur
In addition, the package
existing provisions which o
guards to booksellers and c
tributors of art who mightc
be subject to such prosecut
In S. 330, the standard
obscene w
or distri- determine obscene materials and per-
ial. The formances are set by the Miller test,
cal units a result of the 1973 U.S. Supreme
hips, vil- Court case Miller v. California.
heir own Current Michigan law uses this
three-pronged test. Using the test,
the scope only material which fits each of the
ling for a following conditions would be
nation or deemed obscene:
and ob- 0 The average individual, apply-
"and ob- ing contemporary community stan-
ider some dards, would find that the material,
ices. Be- taken as a whole, depicts nudity or
e of these sexual conduct in a shameful man-
rent law. ner;
rescinds The material depicts or de-
ffer safe- scribes sexual conduct in an offen-
other dis- sive way, and;
otherwise It lacks serious literary, artis-
ion. tic, political, or scientific value.
The bill does not stipulate that
s used to "hard-core" material and perfor-
mances be subjected to this test.
Rather, said Jim Dana, president
of the Michigan Booksellers Associ-
ation, the bill offers a "laundry list"
of actions which would be illegal to
depict pictorially, in writing or on
stage, regardless of the Miller test.
Included on this list are materials and
performances that depict "actual anal,
oral or genital sexual intercourse be-
tween individuals of the same sex, or
between individuals of the opposite
sex, if penetration is visible."
State Sen. Harmon Cropsey (R-
Decatur), a co-sponsor of S. 330,
and his legislative coordinator Char-
lene McCallum both said they
doubted any local prosecutors, who
would now have power in these
cases, would attempt to convict
booksellers or artists on obscenity
charges.
orks and shows
"Even if a prosecutor takes the
case, then he's got to find 12 people
who agree,"kCropsey said.
"I think it's going to be very
rare... " McCallum said. "(But) there
may be some books out there that
are objectionable."
It is those rare instances that have
the MBA's Dana worried. "We
would be caught either way," he
said. "Defending yourself in cases
like this is extremely expensive,
much more than most independent
booksellers could tolerate and stay in
business.
The Michigan chapter of the
AmericanFamily Association, the
group which on the national level is
pushing for restrictions on the Na-
tional Endowment for the Arts, is
See BILLS, page 5
'U'
may restrict
event attendance
to
ensure
by Daniel Poux
Daily Administration Reporter
In the future, attendance at
Michigan Union events may be re-
stricted to ensure student safety, said
Vice President Mary Ann Swain last
night at a meeting between student
leaders and University officials. The
meeting was held to discuss the Fri-
day night brawl which left seven
people injured.
Swain called the meeting in the
Union's Anderson Room "not to
talk, but to hear what students had to
say," and said her primary concern
was for students to continue spon-
soring their desired events in a safe
environment.
She thanked the members of the
Phi Beta Sigma and Omega Psi Phi
fraternities for their assistance and
cooperation during the brawl that
disrupted a party in the Union Ball-
room Friday night.
The melee spilled out to the
Union steps, and in the ensuing vio-
lence three University security offi-
cers were beaten, four young men
stabbed, and one man rushed to the
hospital with a gunshot wound.
Four of the victims remain hos-
pitalized.
Swain announced that during an
earlier meeting with members of the
Black Greek Association (BGA),
several proposals were debated for
implementation, including possibly
restricting all events in University
buildings to college students show-
ing identification.
Several members of the crowd
Union
disagreed with Swain's suggestion,
saying high school students and non-
students frequently attend Union
events and would be unfairly dis-
criminated against.
Two students representing the lo-
cal chapter of the Revolutionary
Workers' League expressed concern
that attendance restrictions on Union
events would only be selectively en-
forced, specifically to keep young
blacks out of the Union. They ar-
gued that Swain's suggested limita-
tions would be an infringement on
peoples' rights to organize and as-
semble.
safety
the danger in suggesting that events
predominantly attended by minorities
require increased security.
MSA has traditionally taken a
strong stance against deputized and
armed campus security, Van Valey
went on to say, and she expressed
concern that Friday night's incident
may be used by the administration as
another excuse to arm campus offi-
cers.
"We can't let students fall into
the trap of thinking that deputization
is the answer," Van Valey said. "We
need to come together on this cam-
pus as students, and solve this prob-
ANTHONY M. CROLUDaIIy
New recruits
Ben Alliker (left) and Jen Danner spent their day on the Diag yesterday trying to recruit new members for the
Michigan Crew team.
*Hoers free oi to
Third World countries
Move seen as attempt to gain support
'We can't let students fall into the trap of
thinking that deputization is the answer...it
would not have made any difference if the
guards were armed on Friday night except
somebody might have gotten shot and killed'
- Jennifer Van Valey
MSA President
Heather Hart, LSA senior and
president of the Alpha Phi Omega
service fraternity, pointed out that
along with increasing security for
Union events, more security is
needed for the Union's many student
organization offices located on the
upper floors, where there is a serious
theft problem.
LSA junior and Michigan Stu-
dent Assembly (MSA) President
Jennifer Van Valey was one of the
last students to speak. She stressed
lem ourselves."
"It would not have made any dif-
ference if the guards were armed on
Friday night," Van Valey continued,
"except somebody might have gotten
shot and killed."
Swain dismissed Van Valey's
concerns, saying the University's
Board of Regents have already acted
on the deputization issue, and this
incident is irrelevant. However, she
See MEETING, page 2
By the Associated Press
Saddam Hussein offered free oil
to developing nations yesterday in a
bid to win their support and circum-
vent a U.N. trade embargo, and he
got a boost from a former enemy
when Iran agreed to restore full
diplomatic ties.
Secretary of State James Baker
III, briefing NATO ministers on the
weekend U.S.-Soviet summit, asked
the allies to send ground troops into
the Persian Gulf region - even as a
symbolic presence - to increase
pressure on Iraq to withdraw from
Kuwait. There were no immediate
offers.
Baker also announced he would
visit Syria to coordinate opposition
to Iraq with President Hafez Assad.
The United States and Syria have
longstanding differences over human
rights and terrorism but have formed
a makeshift alliance during the gulf
crisis.
Syria beefed up its contribution
to the multinational force facing
Iraq, saying it was sending more
troops to Saudi Arabia at the desert
kingdom's request. Diplomatic
sources estimate that Syria has al-
-ready sent 4-5,000 combat troops to
the kingdom.
In other developments yesterday:
Baker told reporters Saudi Arabia,
the United Arab Emirates and the ex-
iled government of Kuwait would
contribute a combined $12 billion to
help defray the cost of the U.S.
buildup in the gulf and to assist
poorer nations hurt by the U.N. trade
embargo on Iraqi goods.
After seven hours of talks Sun-
day, President Bush and Soviet Pres-
ident Mikhail Gorbachev reiterated
their demand that Iraq withdraw im-
mediately and unconditionally from
Kuwait. They did not rule out the
use f force if a peaceful solution is
not found.
There were reports Hussein has
executed members of his elite Presi-
dential Guard who allegedly were
planning to assassinate him. Two
Egyptian state newspapers, quoting
Western diplomats, said five officers
were ordered executed. Kuwait Radio,
run by the emirate's government-in-
exile, reported Sunday that three
members of the guard already had
been killed. No details were given.
Kuwait's ambassador to the
United Nations said Iraqi occupation
forces have intensified their crack-
down on Kuwaitis, killing civilians
in the streets and rounding up others
in mass arrests.
In his latest televised message,
Hussein addressed Third World coun-
tries but did not name them.
"We hereby declare that we are
prepared to supply all Third World
countries with oil free of charge in
accordance with the needs of each
country," Hussein said.
Under the ihts Mo Co.
hope for a brighter outcome
by David Hyman
DalyFotbllWrte
Liberian president Samuel
For the second straight season,
Michigan and Notre Dame will get
an early jump on the race for the
nation's No. 1 ranking when the two
teams meet this Saturday.
- The game this year will take
place under the lights in South Bend,
Indiana. However, the Wolverines do
not feel any additional pressure
travelling to No.1 Notre Dame or
playing at night.
Several Michigan players have
equated the game against the
Fighting Irish to a high school game
played under the dark sky. It all
sounds like the making of the se-
quel to Tom Cruises' movie All the
Righit Moves in which Cruise's
team competes in a playoff game un-
der the lights on the opposition's
home turf.
"I enjoy playing at night. It
reminds me of high school," said
Doe killed
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) -
President Samuel Doe was reported
yesterday to have died of a gunshot
wound suffered in fighting with
rebels who captured him a day ear-
[by rebel c
that has left more than 5,000 civil-
ians dead.
The National Patriotic Front led
by Charles Taylor yesterday de-
manded withdrawal of the 3,000-
captors
Doe has been toppled by Prince
Johnson... it might help the peace
process in Liberia."
Both Johnson and Taylor had de-
manded that Doe step down.
E
VERNON