w. Page 4-The Michigan Daily- Monday, October 14,1991 Wbe aijthgrn &i1 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 Edited and Managed by Students at the University of Michigan ANDREW K. GOTESMAN Editor in Chief STEPHEN HENDERSON Opinion Editor m ,... ;Jd&E rtoMAS, Dvk%.N(6 Ms. HlL.L.'STESTIJ oN"1,WGLL) "Ne 5HE &NOT oNL.1 SW~ORD' HDERoArH HATNr ovFtIrSToNES" SECLvAL-LY( NARA5SED iHER# BT THAT Yda W~T V~EE 0N K E~ R C AR U ?, B u E 4 M H o V 9, DO.a oM D E D G H D R. Ho HC g S WPowr.'/ r Y DSWL.2T~~ IDN'T WATCH fT, r'~te': / /if J / .-" 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. :."rr.:"."."."."N v.vr."." yr " "Jr v: vo " ".4::": y " .".":." ".": : :::.:............. . Y::{{:":"4T":r:: R".",. , .4 ":N ,vNl""4{:4v:.4"J.vrN:"S: N ..,., J h {'.....: Nr :4' :::Y.. .. ..4: ;";NrJ.v : :Jy:..,. . ,. 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J. r ." :.r", 7?: ": 4" .4Y::N:. 4 Thomas hearings Anita Hill, Thomas were both treated unfairly IL- N o one would argue that sexual harassment is a trivial issue, and one that could potentially disqualify a nominee from serving on the Supreme Court of the United States. Professor Anita Hill's charge of sexual harassment, however, should not have been the center of the three-ring circus tele- vised nationwide on five television networks. Clarence Thomas sat stoically during a week of Senate inquiry artfully dodging questions con- cerning every serious civil liberties issue this na- tion will face in the coming years. Abortion rights, affirmative action, and natural law discussions were treated as minor roadblocks to Thomas' confirmation that needed only to be avoided rather than directly addressed. The Democrats in the Senate, including the ardent liberals, let Thomas tap dance all over their silk ties. Now, with the confusing accusations against ClarenceThomas, an ardent and violent opposition has appeared, demanding the public investigation of very torrid, personal, embarrassing and hurtful issues. Hill has had to tell her story to an audience of 100 million people, while Thomas has had to prove his innocence before the jury of American media. Where was the violent opposition a week ago? The people who are prolonging this fiasco should have been screaming on Capitol Hill when the Senate, hourafterhour, was failing to learnanything new about Judge Thomas. It took an illegal leak to get the Senate into action. It took a story of penises, pubic hair, pornographic films and a can of Coke to inspire the American people to oppose what was all along an irresponsible nomination. The primary argument prolonging this Wash- ington tragedy/comedy is the question about how an Associate Supreme Court Justice would func- tion in cases that deal with the rights of women. Why was Thomas'dodging of the abortion issue or his interest in natural law not threatening enough? If the accusations of sexual harassment prove to be truthful, certainly Clarence Thomas' nomination should go the way oftheTitanic. But, the nomination should have been killed long ago. The members of the Judiciary Committee knew long ago about Anita Hill. They saw fit to overlook the incidences of sexual harassment, and must be condemned for failing to treat the allegations as a serious matter. If the issue of harassment were dealt with behind closed doors, in an orderly and responsible fashion, the charges - if proven credible - could have been used to kill the nomination fairly and with little embarrassment to the Senate, Prof. Hill or Thomas. Now, the affair has turned into a circus. The people's distrust of Washington politicos has turned to out-and-out disgust. Even if Thomas is innocent of these charges, his life is permanently scarred. True or not, Prof. Hill was subject to a cruel public spectacle she shouldn't have been a part of. Place the blame where you will. Next time, things need to go differently. -: Q _ a14. ~Ur1. lo _ I 'U' isn't issue ' Research audit 'U' was cleared of formal charges, but isn't totally innocent T he University concluded negotiations with the federal government this week concerning al- leged mis-billings of the government for overhead costs related to research. The government decreased the amount of overhead funds that it would cover from $7.9 million to $1.9 million. The original audit was conducted in part because other univer- sities - notably Stanford - had been counting questionable expenditures as overhead research costs in requests for federal research grants. But the government's dropping of $6 million from the University's requested funds does not totally exonerate the University from blame. Ethical violations certainly took place. Christmas tree bulbs, first-class airplane trips, and a Rose Bowl halftime promotion were all initially billed to the federal government as research. Such practices are still unacceptable. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced that it will begin stringently regulating research costs at Universities nationwide, includ- ing Michigan. The Department of Health and Human Services is also going to place a cap on the total amount of administrative and overhead that universities can charge. The U.S. House of Rep- resentatives, under the leadership of John Dingell (D-Mich.), has also pledged to continue investigat- ing abuses by universities. The State of Michigan announced that it too will audit Michigan for use of state grants and appropriations. The University finds this unnec- essary because it claims to have state auditors here "all of the time anyways." But this isn't true. Auditors have been here twice since 1984 and the last full audit occurred five or six years ago. This state audit is needed to investigate current spend- ing. A pattern of mismanagement of funds at Michigan has emerged. The University may pos- sibly be rocked by financial allegations after the next audit. But all of the audits cry out for sound accounting procedures, which would inevitably expose waste. Unless the University is willing to employ sound accounting procedures itself, then both the State and Federal government must withhold funding. The State of Michigan cannot simply hand over a check for $275 million with no assurance that it will be wisely spent. Only with a threat of losing funding will the University act to prevent waste and mismanagement. To the Daily: It strikes me as though a crucial issue has been left out of the debate regarding University housing and sexual preference! orientation. That issue is, where does this end? The idea of the slippery slope or the snow-balling phenomenon is not unfamiliar to many people, but few at this University seem to realize how it applies to this housing issue. The University must set limits for University-operated housing. Clearly, the easiest limits to set as those recognized by the law of the nation or the state. These laws are recognized by the majority of citizens and provide a clear line to guide the University. To the best of my knowledge, the law does not recognize homosexual couples as legally married. Whether or noth"we are family" is not the issue. The fact remains that the University must have definable terms by which to establish family housing. If the University were to open the family housing to all, regard- less of legality of the marriage, it would no longer be the family housing it was designed to be. Presumably, if non-legally married couples were allowed to live in the Northwood complex, what would stop students who are dating, engaged, just friends, etc. from taking part in trying to obtain family accommodations? There would be no where to end this cycle. In conclusion, the University's policies on marital status are not there to be bigoted restrictions against homosexual couples, but exist to maintain the stability in family housing. There is no slippery slope at present because the University regulates entry into these accommodations on a legal basis. So, I believe that the problem these radicals claim to be fighting is existent on a higher level - the legislative level. The regents of this University are not bigoted toward this cause, but must stop somewhere. And the law provides a concrete and easily recognized point at which to stop. The radicals' problem is not with the policy of this school but with the law of this land. Sarah Carlson RC senior Gays not normal To the Daily: I just wish to express my disgust about all of the publicity the gay and lesbian community has been receiving lately. I have always thought that homosexual- ity is not normal, nor should it be treated as such. Furthermore, I don't think I should be looked down upon as "homophobic" simply because I hold the popular opinion (I should remind the gay community that they are the minority for a reason). May I also be so bold as to suggest that maybe it is the gay people who suffer from "heterophobia," which poses a greater threat to normal family values than homophobia. I don't expect that this letter will ever be printed in the Daily, because experience shows that if a person is not gay, democratic, or does not hold an extremely liberal opinion, the Daily will not have anything to do with him or her. Then again, maybe the Daily will surprise me... Jeff Luther Engineering senior Source misquoted To the Daily: I would like to respond to the Daily article, "Students question police use of weapons on Diag" that appeared in the Oct. 7 issue. I was interviewed by the Daily, and was asked questions about the event and article on black students being harassed by University and Ann Arbor police, Oct. 4, 1991. The Oct. 7 article quoted me incorrectly on two points. The first: "history shows that security agencies like the University and Ann Arbor Police don't know how to deal with Black people ..." The correct statement that was given to the reporter was: "The history of security agencies, from government to local, with relation to Blacks has not been a positive one, but a racist and repressive history. The Univer- sity/Ann Arbor 'connection' seems to be a 'service' no different." The second point was not "that. police don't know how to deal with Blacks," but rather, "We as a people will have to learn to handle and deal with them (the police)." The simple fact is that the issue at hand is the new service and presence of the U- Police, which is a in and of itself, and not the presence of students. They can very well be disbanded as they were formed. That won't and can't happen with students. The University police are first and foremost a "service" that can be utilized or ignored. We, as Black people, are not to be "dealt" with in any matter as though we are objects or animals or outside our own respectful place in society. We will deal accordingly with those who deem to disrespect our Blackness and our basic human rights as we see fit. ~r4 Devlin Ponte LSA senior The Daily encourages reader responses. Letters shold be 150 words or less and include the author's name, year in school and phone number. They should be mailed to:420 Maynard, Ann Arbor 48109. Or they can be sent via MTS to: The Michigan Daily Letters to the Editor. The Daily reserves the right to edit letters for style and space considerations. Gay soldiers Canada has taken a bold step, The Canadian Defense Ministry will end its long-standing policy which bars homosexuals from military service. This is a momentous step that is long overdue. The policy was clearly dis- criminatory - it punished individuals simply by virtue of their sexual orientation. The United States military should follow Canada's lead and similarly revise its discriminatory regulations barring ho- mosexuals from the military. "Security and decorum," are two typical excuses made by theAmerican military for its discriminatory policies. Military officials have often claimed that allowing homosexuals into the armed forces would undermine their traditional values of order. But they have failed to make a convincing argument that explains why heterosexual and homosexual soldiers could not work side by side. It is absurd to think that gays and heterosexuals - who work together in the rest of the work force - could not do so in the military. Furthermore, allowing homosexuals to enter the military in- creases the number of able-bodied soldiers avail- able. Standards need not be lowered to employ ho- mosexuals in the military. The United States should take this opportunity America should follow to re-evaluate its own policy outlined by Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. Cheney claims, "homo- sexuality is inconsistent with the military." Canada has a much smaller and less active military than our own, but its government still took the time to identify the discrimination and begin steps to re- move it. With one of the largest military establishments in the world, the United States is obligated to reverse its widespread discrimination. With all the thinking the Pentagon is supposed to be doing, some introspection on its discriminatory policy barring homosexuals should be easy. Othernations have taken this step as well. Great Britain's Ministry of Defense said last spring that it plans to do away with the restriction on homo- sexuals, saying that it was losing too many good and able men and women because of the policy. France has no such anti-gay policy, and has had none of the problems that the Pentagon envisions with the admission of homosexual soldiers. If the United States is to be a part of this "new world order," it has created, it must join the rest of the world in ending the discrimination against gays by the military establishment. If the Mounties can do it, so can we. vav.":.": -r." ": r.".".".".-r.".".1v."r.".-'."r. r-::.1 rr " v." "rr ." . v.".".v " r ."r.. .........:.:"r::.-.-.".":.".":. .".: ~ ......... ..1...; ..1.,.. " ".":.".-.".".":::.:".":. .".-:.":o {' 41: it """" --..,....1...; ., ... v.1v::::.1v. :.".":::.". ;.". ..f.... r....X":":vX"::":":rCY. ..".. l.. r..":"i:7. ...rr::.{.17:" . :{S1"r .J. :V.VJ: Vr V."44V.h . 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"' "r::: "::.V .'.1 V:::r:::."::.Vr:::r.Y.Vr.:Vr:rr.Vr.Vrrrrrr""""""rrrrrfrr:.r r4':::::.4'rr: :V:r. ':.SVr: :: :. ::r. Y.4 r. w . . . ....:.:...... Vr r::............ ..................................... "..... ...... .::.Vr:.::. " .. . .. ... :: { i: i:1'' ': J:: i:{:r1iJi . . ..n.........w .............{..{..... ::{ti::tiff::::l:!k:.:.":.".'.s.V.:?ri~{:':!4{:.4:i.::: 5'" ww"rww" w: www" w.!w!w:.ww" w"".1!..w!ww..... ww ;.......r ". ;". "..,.,. ..wwwwy:.w.. ww:www..: ..: w. w.....:.ww..ww. w.. . ...-{.w :.......... ...A.:..........w......... ..w .4w a Anita Hill challengf8s norms by Julie Steiner Thank you, Anita Hill! Thak you from all of us women: women of color, white women, women who work in our country. Women who know in their gut what you have been through when you worked with Clarence Thomas, what you are going through now as you confront the most powerful white men in our country -including the president. And what you will go through in the future, as you continue to tell the truth about not just your experience, but all of our experiences as working women. Thank you for speaking out! Thank you for raising the issue of workplace sexual harassment to a new level of public awareness, in spite of the fact that you knew you might be ignored, and that you surely would be vilified, disbelieved and threatened. All of us who have shared your experi- ence know the pain you are experiencing. their chambers to-talk with them about this issue! Shame on those men who stood on the Senate floor making empassioned speeches about how horrific it was that the Senate embarassed into action. It could not ignore the public outcry of sexism at work in the Senate. Now their challenge as they hold hearings to "get to the bottom of this" will be to be able to hear 'I-l Shame! Shame on the white men in Senate Judiciary Committee who ignored Dr. Hill's statements about the behavior of the Su- preme Court nominee. rules and procedures were not being followed - not about how horrific sexual harassment is. The most shame should be felt by those who set the stage for others in power to ignore, dismiss and deny any woman's charge of sexual harassment. How absurd this "debate" has been. On one side sit these men - who could also be our bosses, the regents here at the University, or any man in power - wonder- ing aloud in emphatic voices, why "this woman" did not come Hill's answers to their questions with the ears of someone who understands the abuse of power that sexual harassment is, as well as someone who understands the position of double jeopardy in which Hill finds herself - not only a woman in the workplace, but an African-American woman. Fighting not only sexism, but racism as well. No, there are not likely to be any witnesses to Clarence Thomas' actions; few sexual harasers are stupid enough to Nuts and Bolts RM ANWSON ARE DRONK... pDON'T YouT MINK ThIS I16 A LITTLE DI~TIC?] by Judd Winick ~NBOW -%0& 4Er:s1ET Cr I HG44 F_ HEHEE Y JlY/ l/fi