Page 4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 27, 1991 itgn al v}:K"? Y ^ih :K.v}}{ ?}5G}}Ci }:4}}}:ti"YJX"' 'K'}t' "}}: .} v'K"? fJ. l:"T:LV :.V:.L":.1 s }ir 4 V :.V :%ti:" :.Y :.L 1. ".Y .............. '::.44":::::... ....... 4.....4..1.x... h . .................. .y ....... ...... ... . "".1":.1.a........................:.. .a.... ". .. a V:: 1":ti"::i. ......................... .......:: ' ..........................}:".1...:1....{n.1 ..4 ,.....a.... :".:.:}}.1YJ:l}}::}: ::.t{":.1"}. .4"J} ":':".1"J:%14h'J.14':':V:}:}."}:4::::: }}.V:::::ti::::Lt:: }:-::. "':": }:Y L ."4' .:: :144}. 1..........:tY.{4'':' .t:" :": ?:"i................. ti' : : :i{ h .....v 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109. 747-2814 Edited and Managed by Students atthe University of Michigan ANDREW K. GOTTESMAN Editor in Chief STEPHEN HENDERSON 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. ................. . .:: : :: . ::."..:J"M " . 1.:~~'. .".....r J....... .M . :". .}:{{} ........{':}:a 4}.}A;".L;" fr rtYr;.;~rr~~r"v"x"r~r"vr"yy. }v.{r¢;}s+t. }:.. ~f:}"y%{: } . .-...; ..".::::":" ".Y" ::rr : rrl~~~r.":r.vt"r.:: Y"::* 1" CI .f .. . .,.J'.... r.J'.J"""{:{:::::f"}"r. nY":"{T{..Y::.r :::N: r:" : Y " " 1 : r . " " ": X . .Y . . C r ; . ' : : ' . r. Y N + Y r IW. 1 . . . r ."WSs. S - . , ."} : i " - :;{~}f}r" rrrTf:".rr,".} ,"C..Y :} .. .... . . ". r.".r.n...r.t..:"r.....l.::".i::.... :%:%a% s ..tr.n.by"r BYU' .em n'"s".gro.up be .r.:es."genuine.prb.............. want to be able to walk wherever I want, whenever I want, without being attacked," said a member of VOICE, Brigham Young University's Committee to Promote the Status of Women. For that reason, VOICE has proposed a campus-wide male-only curfew. On the puritanical campus that outlaws politi- cal protests as well as drugs - including coffee, the feminist group posted 1,000 fliers calling for the curfew. Under the proposal, which proponents admit is more of a political statement than a real policy initiative, no male would be allowed out after 10 p.m. on Thursdays unless he were accom- panied by two women escorts. The suggestion that the University instate a curfew is offensive: the curfiew, because it would be ineffecive in reducing rape or in reducing women's fears about rape; and the scare tactics used by the group to make their point. Punishing all men for the transgressions of a few is ethically reprehensible. It holds an entire group responsible for the actions of select few. A men-only curfew would also be considered dis- criminatory in a legal sense. If curfews were im- posed on all social groups guilty of committing crimes, the only people allowed to go out at night would be infants and toddlers. Another gaping hole in the men-only curfew proposed by VOICE is that it would do little or nothing to create a safer atmosphere for women. Such a curfew would not significantly reduce the numberof rapes, since most rapes are committed in the home, often by friends and acquaintances of the rape survivors. The proposed curfew does nothing to discourage such assaults. And who is to say that the sexual assaults that are the target of the men-only curfew - those committed by strangers - will decrease because of the curfew? Rape is a societal problem that will not disappear through legislation or the more to- talitarian tactics advocated by VOICE. Almost as foolish as the proposal itself are the methods VOICE is using to make an otherwise legitimate point. The fact that in many areas, Ann Arbor included, women are sometimes not safe in walking alone at night is a tragedy Clearly BYU's administration has ignored this critical problem. Groups like VOICE should be advocating increased security, education, and other safety measures like improved lighting rather than causing a stir on campus and in the media to make their point. While the intentions of VOICE should be ap- plauded, its proposal will not achieve its goal of reducing rape or setting women's fears at ease. Whether VOICE's goal is to make the streets safer or merely to create controversy, their stance should be condemned. i Sununu Bush should find a new Chief of Staff A mong the powers granted to the president is reputation. the ability to choose an advisory staff who Sununu's most notable embarrassment to the serves to assist the president in their duties. The Bush Administration has been his unauthorized Chief of Staff, a post created by President Dwight and unethical use of government facilities for Eisenhower, serves as an executive secretary, or- personal interests. His use of military planes to fly ganizing the president's daily itinerary. The posi- to places unrelated to his duties (a Colorado ski tion is inherently a powerful one, because the Chief vacation, for instance) caused much embarrass- of Staff controls who will get to see the president ment for an already-beleaguered Administration. and when. Throughout his tenure as chief of staff, Sununu's John Sununu, President Bush's Chief of Staff, actions have indicated that he is motivated by self- has failed to carry out his duties in good faith. The interest, not the nation's interest. While this is president should considerthe Chief of Staff's past hardly surprising, it is grounds for his dismissal. behavior and boot him out of his White House President Bush has more problems than he suite. Sununu has shown that he no longerdeserves seems to be able to handle without the ones Sununu the president, and the people's trust. creates. Perhaps if Bush got rid of Sununu, he Sununu's latest fiasco involved a comment he could better focus on real problems like the nation's made in an interview, in which he said that Bush stalled economy. Or perhaps he could resolve the ad-libbed his idea about trying to get banks to inherent conflict in trying to eliminate preferential lower the interest they charge on credit cards in hiring practices in the federal government while order to help the economy. White House spokes- the government-appointed Equal Opportunity man Marlin Fitzwater said that Bush had fully Employment Commission exists. planned to speak about the idea, noting that it was Regardless, Sununu is a wrench in the Bush in the president's text. Administration's works. But no matter how rep- The Chief of Staff should not be making the rehensibly Bush's staff or cabinet may act, it is the president look like an idiot. The president seems to president who is ultimately responsible for what be doing that on his own rather well. Perhaps goes on in the White House. This being the case, Sununu is trying to shift some heat onto Bush in a Bush should act now to put his house in order. He desperate attempt to save an already blemished can start by giving a pink slip to John Sununu. Unfair to Germans To the Daily: I am writing in response to the editorial published in the 11/13/91 Daily titled, "Kristallnacht: Germans demonstrate regret for night of anti-Semitism." What a "coincidence" that a piece which basically puts down Germans would be printed soon after the ad denying the Holocaust was run! Being of German descent myself, I found the editorial to be quite offensive. I felt it further perpetuated the stereotype of Germany being a nation of "racism and xenophobia," as the overwhelming anti-Semitism of Germans was emphasized more than the positive protest in 30 German cities against foreigners. Thenauthor fails to see that much progress has been made in German society since Kristallnacht and the fact its anniversary is the same as the fall of the Wall should be illustrative in itself of this progress. The line "... the world can now be hopeful that racism is on its way out, at least in some sectors of German society," I found especially disturbing. This suggests that anti- Semitism exists mainly in Germany. Anti-semitism and racism exist all over the world. Problems like these in society can only be resolved if positive actions are praised - such as the progress of German society. I am not saying that we should forget history and its lessons, but rather, to give Germans a chance by having an open-mind toward their new efforts. It's not constructive to reinforce stereotypes! Lisa Rigg LSA sophomore Cape fear To the Daily: Often, when I read Daily film reviews, I wonder if the reviewer had indeed seen the same movie I had. Such was the case last October when the Daily slammed what was undoubtedly the best film of 1990: Goodfellas. So, it didn't particularly surprise me to read a similarly banal review of what is probably the best film we'll see in 1991: Cape Fear. For Mr. Binelli to call Cape Fear a genre picture is at once inaccurate and misleading. What was a complex study of family dynamics, suppression of female sexuality, ethical dilem- mas within the justice system, and the rape culture, was reduced in Mr. Binelli's review to a cheap thriller. And to liken Max Cady to a generic movie villain is to entirely miss the point of Scorsese's take on the genre that has its villains come back, Rasputin-like, to further torture their victims. Scorsese is quite aware of the horror and thriller genres and he uses them satiri- cally, not for purposes of emula- tion. His parodying of Psycho, The Shining, and so forth are designed to pique the audience's cultural consciousness while the film itself is so beyond the genre, it's like calling Rashomon a murder-or Goodfellas a cheap gangster flick, like the Daily did last year. But by far the most offensive and dangerous remark in Binelli's review was the comment that every woman except Lange's character was "unbelievably stupid." This misogyny perpetu- ates just the rape culture Scorsese was trying to expose, as the two other women in the film, the fifteen-year-old daughter and the law clerk are both victims of rape or attempted rape. Is Binelli saying they were raped because they were stupid enough to be caught in a situation with Cady? Do they then deserve to be raped? My last question is then, did Binelli see this movie at all? I believe he thinks he did, but I'd suggest he try again. Megan Abbot LSA junior Support report To the Daily: In response to recent criticism of the creation and publication of the report of the University of Michigan Study Committee on the Status of Lesbians and Gay Men: The Civil Liverties Board wishes the University community to know that it strongly endorses the appointment of committees to investigate and report on contro- versial issues of importance to the community. Members of the community should be encouraged to partici- pate in such investigations and to report honestly and frankly what they find. Such efforts are a valuable activity in a free society and are especially appropriate in an academic setting. For this reason, the Board applauds the thorough and serious report, "From Invisibility to Inclusion - Opening the Doors for lesbians and Gay Men at the University of Michigan." Um/ CLB urges the wide dissemina- tion of the report for discussion at both college and unit levels so that the findings of the report may be studied and discussed in depth. Funds should be allocated to facilitate the accessibility of the report to the University commu- nity. Martin Gold Sallie Churchill Co-Chairs, University of Michigan Civil Liberties Board More on the ad To the Daily: Forty-five years after the Holocaust, the most systematic campaign of violent anti-semitism the world has ever known, we Jews at the University have been forced by the editors of the Daily to once again face a dangerous campaign of hatred. The ad advocating Holocaust Revision- ism is nothing less than anti- semitism, and to treat it differ- ently: either as a vehicle for discussion or the free expression of an organization does not change the nature of the beast. Bradley Smith's motivation for espousing Revisionism is clearly one dimensional: to once again make Jews the outsiders, manipu- lators of thought and history, deceivers who cannot be trusted. By consciously choosing to accept the CODOH ad, the editors of the Daily have condoned this anti-semitic message, and have willingly condoned the anti- semitic message, and have willingly created a new group of anti-semites where there need not have been. Further, I have no choice but to conclude that the editors of the Daily are in full compliance with Smith's message of hatred against Jews. How else can one possibly explain the ad being published? That this ad was reviewed and subsequently printed is clearly to say that the Daily either under- stands the message to be other than anti-semitic, or that it encourages this type of bigotry. I want to state clearly that this ad can only be understood as an attack against Jews and the Daily's decision to print it reflects a conscious policy by the editors to propagate anti-semitism. I want the editors of the Daily to understand that I hold them responsible for continuing a legacy of hatred against Jews which begun long ago, that, with your conscious participation, is destined to continue. Andrew C. Snyder Rakham graduate student Homosexuality To the Daily: I imagine that Jeff Luther's letter in today's Daily will provoke some heartfelt emotional responses from the student body. That is all very well and good, but I would like to take an opportu- nity to respond to him on his own "logical" level. Mr. Luther's argument begins with the premise that homosexu- ality is a disease. The psychologi- cal Diagnostic Statistical Manual invalidates this premise by the fact that it no longer lists homo- sexuality as a disorder in its most recent edition. This volume is the authority on such matters, so Mr. Luther's contention is not a matter of recognized scientific evidence, but instead is a matter of personal belief. Mr. Luther's argument concludes with the ludicrous and antiquated idea that biology and reproduction are the only valid reasons to engage in sexual relations. Perhaps thousands of years ago when, because of short lifespans and high infant mortal- ity, humans had to struggle daily just to maintain the level of world population, sex acts which were not performed toward the end of reproduction (including homo- sexual acts as well as masturba- tion, oral sex, and coitus interrup- tus) could logically and reason- ably be conceived of as diseased acts against nature. Today, however, there is no problem maintaining the size of the gene pool, so we can turn our sexual attentions toward acts without any reproductive value whatsoever. I do not know about Mr. Luther, but I for one am very glad that every act I engage in has nothing to do with reproduction and everything to do with love and pleasure. Thanks to cultural evolution outrunning biological evolution, sex, much like eating, is no longer a simple biological imperative, but instead can be a wonderful source of pleasure of all orienta- tions and preferences. Jim Pyke LSA graduate and UM Film Projection Services employee Hating evil To the Daily: Yes, Elie Wiesel did advocate "a healthy virile hate." A hatred towards any kind of evil. Evil perpetuated on any innocent victim. Recognizing hatred in this world leads to positive response. By learning to respond, to feel, to learn, to delve deply into an emotional, painful experience - to study it critically and responsi- bly is commendable. To cloak blatant anti-Semitism in historical reinterpretation is wrong. Thomas Marcellus, director of The Institute for Historical Review, in calling Elie Wiesel a certified hate-monger and taking one of his quotes out of context confirmed my cynical disgust regarding so-called "revisionist history." I am disappointed to find blatant irresponsibility in an intellectual "discipline." By twisting facts and quotes, the true hate-mongers in this world are revealed. Jessica Super LSA Sophomore Misquoting Magic To the Daily: It is one thing to promote sexless speech, but it is another to misquote someone. Last Friday, you asserted that Magic Johnson, in his press conference, promised he would become "a spokesper- son for the HIV virus. While the overall meaning is the same, Magic clearly stated he would be a "spokesman." You know better than to mold quotes into acceptable forms." Loren Shevitz RC junior Mortified To the Daily: I am impressed by the creativ- ity of the Daily's excuses for printing Bradley Smith's egre- gious ad (Oct. 25). On the one hand, the Daily printed it "due to an error." Yet, conversely, the paper hid behind the First Amendment's rights to free speech and press. The Daily fails to acknowl- edge that it already has enforced a censorship policy. The Editor in Chief claims that, "he would not print ... a beer ad with a woman holding a beer bottle between her breasts" (Oct. 28). As a Jew, I am mortified that you could print such an advertise- ment. Smith denies the horrors which millions of European Jews, homosexuals, Blacks, and Gypsies suffered. Smith's ignorance and malice cause the genocide which he apparently advocates. By printing this ad, the Daily sorely lacks sensitivity and respect for humankind. Dalia Hoffman LSA senior 41 01 Thankisgivini Enjoy the holidays, enjoy the fo T his weekend is Thanksgiving weekend, the time of year when many students go home to enjoy the holidays with their families. The Daily would like to wish each student a happy and relaxing holiday. We would, however, like to offer some remind- ers. Don't bother bringing the books home. You won't get any work done anyway, and simply carrying books around doesn't effectively relieve the guilt associated with not studying. Eat as much as you possibly can. When family members offer you bags of food to bring home, accept. Try some Daily Thanksgiving recipes. Week- end columnists Daniel Poux and Andrew Levy have offered many helpful recipes in their food column this term. Sure, Thanksgiving is supposed to be the best meal of the year, but why not try some classic Daily "under three ingredients recipes." Don't forget that Thanksgiving dinner doesn't end Thursday night. If you are in need of some good leftover recipes, try consulting University Food Services. They will probably recommend turkey, turkey tetrazini, turkey sandwitches, and turkey on a stick. When you pack, bring dirty laundary, not clean. If you haven't figured out this trick yet, we understand Ohio State has a fine Sociology De- partment. Make sure your pilot is sober if you're flying Northwest Airlines. Don't forget the part about giving thanks. Finally, relax and enjoy, and eat lots of turkey. A recent story in The New York Times documented a dramatic rise in the amount of wild turkeys nationwide. So conservationists need not worry. Take care, and enjoy the holiday. Nuts and Bolts W1.ELL,NOW4 AS WE .ST DOW~N TOTh4ANK5 1VIN& DINNER i1W4 'TE. PAsr, WE WOULD IAY RAM... DAD, ISEAS WE WILL 3u5- tT~rU7H5SMALtLX BE<(A&)SE SOM1EON~E AN NOONcE1D -PAT "CHANE" 1T HATr'EP UHS COUNTRY? INTO THE FES1MNIDS re~OFJa.L-o 'MAT SHOULD BE R9U. by Judd Winick THANKtS 1DW,,z'MSREQ)R GiUEST NHS COMFDR17jA.E. WANNA JUXMP OOTA WAINDOWL 1-0.4' 'T- *T" £WOUta 0I