Page 4 -The Michigan Daily - Friday, December 7, 1990 GhE 3tdi4hIgul 1Bait EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 Viewpoini NOAH FINKEL Editor in Chief DAVID SCHWARTZ Opinion Editor Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily' s Editorial Board. All other cartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily. From the Daily Animal abuse _ II A IS Ga'1 - Frivolous testing means IN TIMES OF CRISIS, WORLD FO- cus often changes. Today, in a world preoccupied with impending war in the Persian Gulf, hunger in the Third World, and sweeping changes across Eastern Europe, several "smaller" is- sues tend to get lost in the shuffle. One of these issues is the cruel treatment of animals in the name of research. Each year, various animals are used as "guinea pigs" in a variety of tests. Most of these experiments are required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in order to determine the safety of a given new product, and some are necessary for the preservation of hu- man life. But many of them are not, and that presents a problem. The FDA requires that all new drugs and new ingredients in food products be tested on animals, starting with ro- dents and gradually moving up the evo- lutionary scale to primates. And this requirement is generally a good one. But a line must be drawn between what is necessary to humans and what is frivolous. For instance, while testing a new AIDS drug is necessary, the cal- ous testing of new cosmetics on these animals is not. Testing of cosmetics, supposedly regulated by the government, in reality is not. In fact, the guidelines for hu- mane testing often go ignored by re- searchers. Often, the method of testing unnecessary cruelty a new chemical for use in a cosmetic product consists of injecting doses of the chemical into the animals until a dose proves fatal. Or, in one example, while testing for a given chemical's effect on the eye, the chemical was in- jected directly into the eyeball until a lethal does was achieved. This is frivolous, inhumane, and unnecessary. The treatment of these animals is all the more heinous in light of new tech- nology that can simulate all of the known functions of the human body. Computers can mimic each and every reaction and chemical response that oc- curs within the body. Life-like recre- ations of animals, such as Cornell Uni- versity's "Resusci-Dog," can actually bleed, cough, and respond to outside stimuli. While not yet perfected, there is virtually no reason that these new technologies cannot be phased in to re- duce the number of unnecessary animal deaths. It is not right, as many animal rights groups do; to engage in publicity stunts such as inking furs and threatening testing sites and the researchers them- selves. These people only damage the argument against animal testing. Only when the public sends a mes- sage to companies that sponsor re- search, by not buying their products, will this cruelty end. yN LATIN t 1 CT- -'t' -, zvio ( t V ' . Kt,'rp. "r New city law limits tenant privacy Immigration Act Easing entry restrictions will benefit the U.S. By Michael Appel and Jeri Schneider Beginning tomorrow, tenants can write a letter to their landlord demanding that they receive three days written notice be- fore the landlord or maintenance workers enter the tenants' home. The new city "privacy" ordinance, which provides for this right, was passed by city council Nov. 19. The law also allows tenants to delay proposed entries for up to three days in certain situations. Unfortunately, this ordinance was rammed into law by the Republican cau- cus on a series of 6-5 party-line votes. It is a cynical distortion of the original pri- vacy ordinance proposed by tenant advo- cates more than a year and a half ago. That proposal was structured around a basic right to privacy which includes: 1) notice to tenants before a landlord's entry into the tenant's home and, 2) the tenants' power to refuse entry and negotiate a reasonable alternative entry time. In the original draft, tenants also had the ability to waive the notice or permission requirements if they wanted quicker entry. The law that city council did pass fails to provide tenants with these basic protec- tions. Instead, the landlord-drafted ordi- nance creates a two-tiered structure which is designed to place hurdles in the way of tenants' control over access to their homes. Tenants who want to enforce their rights under this ordinance must follow the required procedures and understand the limitations on their control over landlord entry. The first tier, which applies to all rental housing arrangements throughout the city, offers tenants no more protection Appel works for the Housing Law Reform Project of Student Legal Services. Schneider works at the Ann Arbor Tenants' Union than what current landlord practices pro- vide. In fact, it could prove to be a weaker standard of privacy than current case law establishes, according to tenant attorneys. Landlords are merely required to make a "good faith effort" to notify the tenants and knock on the door before entering. Tenants can refuse entry, in which case the landlord must follow the notification re- quirements of the second tier. However, the real gap in this procedure is for the tenants who receive no notice and are not home when the entry occurs. It will be difficult for such tenants to show in court that a landlord's entry violated their privacy. If such entry occurred, the tenant would have to show that the land- lord intended through "bad faith" not to give notice. If the proposed entry time is problem- atic for the tenants, they may delay the en- try by up to three days by notifying the# owner in writing or by phone no later than, 12 noon on the day prior to the day of the. proposed entry. After that, even if the. tenants have good reason to delay the entry longer - such as final exams, guests, or a death in the household - the tenants lose, control over access to the unit. In addition to the problems highlighted above, the ordinance lacks damages provi-. sions for violations. Tenants can withhold rent for a violation of the Housing Code, but unlike other state tenant protection laws, this local ordinance does not specify., the damages for which a tenant is eligible., Instead, tenants will have to show "actual,,* sdamages" due to the privacy invasion and,: The landlord-drafted ordinance creates a two-tiered structure which is designed to place hurdles in the way of tenants' control over access to their homes. . , FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, THE "American Dream," be it myth or real- ity, has inspired millions of people from all over the world to seek entry into this country. Influenced by visions of a "Land of Opportunity," immigrants poured onto our shores until the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1924 virtually shut the faucet on the flow of legal immigrants. Now the faucet has finally been re- opened with the passage of the land- mark Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990, signed into law last week by President Bush. The Act allows for 450,000 immigrants annually and re- peals many of the restrictions of the 1924 law, which put quotas on certain nationalities. Although the Act doesn't "open" American borders to all who wish to enter, it is a much more liberal law than the previous legislation. It will allow for many talented people from foreign lands to migrate to the United States. For example, the old restrictions on Asian immigrants have been repealed to a large extent in the new measure, and the talents of many from that region of the world are anticipated. The 1990 Act also reflects world changes occurring in the post-Cold War era. Old immigration legislation once favored refugees from Communist nations and closed others out, but the new law has eradicated such political undertones. Previous immigration laws made it difficult for immigrant-hopefuls with- out family, work, or skills in the United States to gain admission; the 1990 Act is less restrictive. The 450,000 immigrant cap will increase total immigration by more than 30 per- cent and it is hoped that the act will curtail illegal immigration from Mexico and other Latin American nations by allowing those who may have entered the United States illegally to do so le- gally. The ongoing debate over whether America is a diverse "melting pot" or "salad bowl" has continued since im- migrants have been settling here, but whatever the case, the new immigration law will certainly do nothing to dispel that debate. If anything, it might bring some needed diversity back to a society that has finally opened the door after 66 years. ,,. . The second tier can only be initiated by a letter signed by all tenants in a unit. It requires landlords to give written notice prior to entry, but only allows tenants to delay that entry by three days. Tenants who want to receive this notice must write a letter to their landlord invoking the entry restrictions described in subsection (3) of Section 8:529 of the Housing Code. For most tenants, these entry restrictions will then take effect three days after that letter is mailed. After the second tier is initiated, land- lords must "mail a notice of the proposed entry at least five days prior to the date of entry or hand deliver the notice three days prior to the proposed entry." Any tenant in the unit can shorten or eliminate the wait- ing time by giving the owner written permission to enter for a specific purpose. convince a judge of the dollar value of those damages. The ordinance provides a few more pro- c. tections, such as a required lease notice and; notes to be left after entry. However, it' does not include important sections of the. ; original privacy ordinance, such as protec- tions against sexual harassment and the" right to change locks to keep out a land- lord who continually violates tenants' pri-,. vacy. Any tenants interested in using the pro, tections in the law should call Student Le- gal Services (SLS) at 763-9920 or the' Ann Arbor Tenants Union (AATU) at 763-6876. Tenants interested in working to pass a real tenant privacy ordinance should call the AATU or the Housing Law Reform Project of SLS at 936-0836. Support the student effort against Middle East war 4 IRAQI PEACE SETTLEMENT By Daniel Kohns As our government prepares to order university-age youth to die and kill in the Saudi desert, an urgent duty has been bestowed upon students at the University of Michigan and across the country. Many of our contemporaries - the majority people of color and poor - are compelled to enlist in this nation's armed forces in order to feed their families or pursue a higher education. duty it is to represent all citizens of the United States redirect their efforts toward eradicating the horrendous racial, social, economic and sexual inequalities at home and away from domination of the people and countries of the Middle East and the world over. The fact that mandatory conscription into the U.S. armed forces is not yet a re- ality must not detract from our determina- tion to prevent the imminent war. If it is { X I. , 1 ;, r . ' GAS , . - : : . "1:' \t 1m The fact that mandatory conscription into the U.S. armed forces is not yet a reality must not detract from our determination to prevent the imminent war. government officials run counter to -the needs and rights of this nation and its peo- ple. Peace and justice in this country must not and cannot be predicated upon the de- nial of any people's self-determination. With a view to informing our commu- nity of the peril of the looming war, and in the hope of encouraging the expression; of a clear and determined student voice in opposition to U.S. foreign intervention and in affirmation of justice for all citizens of our country, the Michigan Student Assembly Peace and Justice Commission, various student organizations and individ- ual University community members have recently joined to form the U of M Stu- dents Against U.S. Intervention in the Middle East. In its first mass action, this group will hold a rally today at 12 noon on the Diag. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to at- tend and call on Washington to BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW! Those of us who are not forced into such a position must take it upon our- selves to demand that those whose stated Kohns is publicity co-chair of U-M Stu- dents Against U.S. Intervention in the Middle East. our ideal to live and participate in a just society, if this is indeed to become a coun- try "of, by and for the people," then now more than ever is the time to convert our ideals into action and let it be known that the hawkish objectives of a small group of 'Esr .ti '" . .a: . i'. :S ."' '=:i Condemn Zuberi to a life of Houses of the Holy Tn f11n Thily -I- - - - --.- -11 -JC IL----- I