Page 4 -The Michigan Daily- Wednesday, December 11, 1991 EleMiigant '& lly -U 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 Edited and Managed by Students at the University of Michigan ANDREW K. GOTTESMAN Editor in Chief STEPHEN HENDERSON Opinion Editor I____t' A-r ""A -riJ2 4F T (T Y C4 /r-~~b i cG1 CA R-sn C7 5N i F T5 -T-H E _ ", L 'P .+ A 4% 1I T r- L--- f1F-T/4 I Unsigned ediiorfdls 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. f.. r:. r. r.. r: "}:tip v:"}:".":":". :: :: :.:i":. .4: " 1 J 'r "rf ..a. J. r ".::"r: rr.'rr::::. : J }:%} 'r ..J ................................. YN ":r tudents for council L l: I %, - - w ." 1(2 ., -5 -Z Bos ,Ir 6, . 1)ATF~ OF -1rI. ATLAS Ie Voters should consider electing In recent weeks, two University students have announced their intentions to run for Ann Arbor City Council seats in the upcoming spring election. Peter Nicholas, a Rackham graduate student, and Jeff Muir, an LSA senior and Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) representative, have each an- nounced their bids to run for the 4th and 5th Wards, respectively. While these cadidates are not without weaknesses, it is encouraging to see students run- ning for office in a city that consistently neglects student views. City Council politics have become increasingly isolated from student views in past years. The city's recent conflicts with Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and Sigma Kappa Sorority demonstrates how unsympathetic the City council is to group student housing. This term's crackdown on student partying by the Ann Arbor police is another example of a city government out of touch with the student part of this community. The City Council's neglect of the city's growing homeless problem - an issue of concern to students - is further proof of this. Having a student or two on the council might help to rectify some of these problems. Peter Nicholas, a Democrat and Rackham stu- deni running for the 4th Ward seat has stressed his Yugoslavia students to City Council ability to think independently. From what we've seen of his platform, we feel he would bring an important voice to the Council. Muir, on the other hand, offers less promising attributes. In his stints as an MSA representative and as a columnist for the Michigan Review, he has tended to be a reactionary - to concentrate more on tearing down opposing arguments than on stating and defending his own. We can only hope that his upcoming campaign will take a more positive tum. But at issue right now is the fact that both of these candidates are students. If the City Council is unresponsive to student views, what better way to strengthen those views than to put at least one student on the City Council. In addition to these two candidates, it would be encouraging to see more students running for City Council seats this spring. And if students truly want to increase their collective voice in Ann Arbor politics, they must take it upon themselves to register to vote in Ann Arbor before election time. As election-time ap- proaches, students should scrutinize local issues, and evaluate for themselves whether they are benefiting from representation. If they conclude that they are not, it is time to elect a student to the City Council. i2 - j 2 RooKS< AissoL ,EV 1r I r I I ::V}}}}:ti": '"}:V V:: }:tii.:V: ::V} ::V}: 1}}{.}} ti:"^ViT}}::' }-{V ::ti": }}.^'}:ti"}}}: 'L }::".Y.+:{ :{ }} a x" a .': V .=::5°, .I.Yr.Y".Y: a.,...; .. i ..Y..: } X4.1.. fi2r. Y x1" },o- 1rxr a '}tir+a .s:x xsx4+ n-. ..w:rr}:} .t".v:tiv . .".:4 .j::":Y":r":1"s":11...:ti4w.1".}.'.Yt.".':%. 11}.r.{"....YL.Jn "11k'r ig.{L.A01A.4 rJ.1Yh11 ti:".1"... "L"A . " .."1.,?''."+." . .'$ ..................................... 1 ..................... ... .....1: J.".}:..' 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A l .d. }:'}.: "::" ^..1.11111 .1..1 ":.Y ...1 ....% ..1.. .{..Y .:.1 ".":.1 :41{1. :1.:.'.11.1." .. J7 Q' "' " "l 1ti " . 1 hLI : .}{.1 " if}rJ.'rJ.1".....Y1:1"lJ "r.": N.Y }. ':" . r Y: r: J}."AL I..... :"."r." " " Y h':1" "J N. ...... : The time has come for United Nations to intervene for peace V ukovar;once a thriving Croatian city, is now a recognition of the Baltic republics when they sc- . virtual ghost town. The victim of a weeks- ceded from the Soviet Union. Through his refusal lorg siege by the Serbian-dominated Yugoslav to recognize newly-independent nations, he has federal army, the.only thing left to this city is shown more of a commitment to the status quo than devastation. Meanwhile, some 800,000 Serbs liv- to the self-determination rhetoric he has mothballed ing in Croatia fear persecution. since the end of the Gulf War. Vukovar is the most poignant symbol yet of Furthermore, the United Nations should dispatch Yugoslavia's crippling civil war, now months old a multinational peacekeeping force immediately and with a death toll amounting to tens of thou- to the region. Many nations have already agreed to sands. And as the situation in Yugoslavia deterio- commit troops to such a force, and they will be rates, it becomes clearer that outside help is neces- needed to maintain the integrity of any cease-fire sary. that is signed by the republics of Croatia and Thus far, the United Nations has refused to step Serbia. in with a peacekeeping force until there is already Finally, the EC must play a more active role in a lasting cease-fire. The convoluted logic of this brokering a peace accord that brings an end to decision is perplexing. There have been numerous hostilities and establishes the independence of all cease-fires, and none will hold without U.N. assis- the republics who want it. tance. Since the beginning of the crisis, many nations, The European Community's economic sane- the United States included, have hoped the situa- tions against Yugoslavia have had little effect, and tion would resolve itself. The age-old ethnic ten- other EC efforts to secure peace have been futile. sions that exist in the region are difficult to un- Beyond this, few countries have opted to recog- derstand, and make the role of the United States nize the breakaway republics of Croatia and and the U.N. difficult to formulate. Slovenia. Ironically, while the United States has Hopefully, the images of Vukovar will serve to failed to grant these republics legitimacy, Croatia add urgency to this situation. Neglect of the region was first to recognize United States independence can no longer be an option. Unless there is some in the 18th century. . immediate action by the U.N., there will un- Recognition of its independence should be au- doubtedly be more unnecessary bloodshed - and tomatic. George Bush was overly cautious with the no peace. Dsno VOICE's curfew is misunderstood To the Daily: We would like to respond to last week's editorial condemning Brigham Young University's feminist group's proposal for an exclusively male curfew. The author of this editorial clearly misunderstood the intent of the group's suggestion. Though the group's committment to the issue is serious, as is sexual assault, the intent was not to reduce rape or to assuage women's fears. It was simply done to raise awareness. The fact is that most women are painfully aware of their fear of walking on campus at night. Women effectively do have a curfew imposed upon them as long as they feel unsafe. If men were forced to think twice before walking alone at night, evenfor just one night, as women must always do, maybe we would be closer to rectifying the problem. Men need to understand women's fears. Perhaps they will then be moved to work along with them in a significant manner. The author's reference to VOICE's proposal as "foolish" belittles women's efforts to confront sexual assault and perpetuates the problem. It treats women as incompetant and naive. VOICE is using innovative and perhaps shocking tactics to affect. a change. The author's suggestion that VOICE focus on solutions such as increased lighting and security guards is much appreci- ated, but insufficient. By berating the group for "causing a stir on campus," the author misses the point that a "stir" is precisely what VOICE intended to cause. Ryan Golten LSA sophomore Mimi Arnstein LSA sophomore Analogy flawed To the Daily: You liken the position of the Roman Catholic Church, that the distribution of condoms encour- ages sex (12/2/91), to saying that giving bullet-proof vests to police officers encourages the shooting of officers. I think your analogy is flawed. One can, in fact, argue that protective vests encourage officerstto brave the dangers of the street, just as it is argued that condoms encourage teens to ignore the dangers of STDs. Can one really convey the message that teens should not engage in sex, while simulta- neously working to remove everything that might give them pause? Your analogy alsohas some other shortcomings. There is a need for officers on the street which explains vests, but no corresponding need for teens to engage in sex. More so, vests are morally neutral, while the Church does not view condoms as neutral. I am surprised that you would use such a sloppy analogy to declare an opposing position "without merit." Paul J. Kominsky Rackham graduate student Bush is racist To the Daily: In his 12/9/91 letter to the Daily, Professor Carl Cohen chides Daily opinion writers for not being "careful" or "thought- ful" when they referred to Bush administration's "racist tenden- cies." Just how thoughtful do you have to be to see that parading Willie Horton before the Ameri- can people as an example of how Black men rape white women is racist? How much thought does it take to figure out that C. Boyden Gray's last-minute doctoring of civil rights legislation was meant to keep mediocre rich white tobacco heirs like him in positions of power? Professor Cohen can use nice, careful language to justify the elimination of money for Blacks to attend college. The Daily rightfully called it racist. The "distinguishing Black scholars" that Professor Cohen refers to who find affirmative action demeaning are misguided. It's time someone pointed out that the emperor has no clothes and the Daily should be com- mended for doing just that. Joan Lowenstein Lecturer deptnof communication Family housing for those in need To the Daily: I am writing to say that as a Northwood family housing resident and a single monther, I am dismayed by the views and actions of fellow residents Bryan Berry, Karen Braunk, and Reuben Rubio, who appeared before the University Board of Regents with the notion that the University would be "fostering homosexual- ity" by revising eligibility requirements for Family Housing so that non-related individuals may live here. In a letter published in Community Focus (11/91), the family housing newsletter, they justify this exclusion of all but married couples and single parents by writing that the purpose of existing "discrimina- tory" policy is to "offer within the University a multi-cultural, multi- religious setting in which families around the world can be fos- tered." We now have an ethical reason for family housing. I had thought that the key reason why a univeristy would provide subsi- dized housing to students would be to facilitate their education by reducing housing costs. This makes sense for student parents as their financial demands are greater and housing costs higher. It seems to make little sense that three bedroom apartments are offered to married couples without children, or that childless marr ied couples, just by the virtue of being married, are eligible for subsidy at all, especially since marriage often reduces financial burdens. Susan Turner Rackham graduate student t 44 I '. 4 - 4 a9 9 44 ,44 y r 44 t. t --t w d "t 1 , ,*, Disintigration of USSR poses problems for nationalities O nce again, the Soviet Union has supposedly have faced increased repression. ceased to exist. Concerns have been expressed by .On Sunday,"Boris Yeltsin, the President of the eluding U.S. Secretary of State James1 Rtesian Republic, along with the leaders of the Gorbachev, concerning an outbreak of c Ulraine and Byelorussia, declared the establish- the region. Gorbachev claimed such ment of the Commonwealth of Independent States would make the Yugoslavian situation 1 as the only tie between those republics. And once Matters are further complicated by the p again, little is known about what form this new nuclear weapons in a number of the repi confederation willtake-provided, of course, that a lack of clarity as to who controls then it still exists in a week, a month, or a year. The instability of the region poses a p ;Since the failed Soviet coup in August, and other countries, including the United Si arguably for some time before that, there have been the size, shape, and scope of the relation a variety of announcements from Moscow (and the republics changing from day to da now Minsk) about what would happen to the tremely difficult to recognize them a different republics of the Soviet Union. These entities. announcements have come from Soviet President The United States should recognize Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin, a variety of news vidual sovereignty. As negotiations o agencies, and leaders of the republics. continue, the republics are functioning :Often these announcements were not entirely dently anyway - regardless of what C thought through, and neglected the interests of the claims. When there is some agreementz rep~ublics themselves.The Soviet Union of today, republics as to what form a union should or whatever it should be called, is an unstable that too should be recognized. region that is facing the re-emergence of 75 years Attempts should be made to workc of suppressed political conflict. conflicts before they degenerate into Already, in the three months since the coup Furthermore, steps should be taken tor attempt, ethnic strife has reached the breaking that the nuclear weapons spread across1 point in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbijan. Por- Union don't fall into the wrong hands. C tions of Russia have expressed a desire to leave the if civil war does ensue, it could be a republic, and ethnic minorities in most republics bloodiest in history. many, in- Baker and civil war in a conflict look petty. presence of ublics, and m. roblem for tates. 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This is especially true of the part of the 1992 Tournament of Roses Parade which will be honoring Columbus and his "discovery of the New World." This celebration is a statement of ignorance - ignorant of the fact that Columbus did not discover the Americas (the Native Ameri- cans were already here); ignorant of the destruction that Columbus and those who followed him caused to the indigenous people, nlante nnr animals nf thic legacy is not forgotten are very proud of the fact that our at 1992 as a time to reflect on our people have survived that complete history, but not as a time devastation. to dwell on the past - we have We have beaten the impos- too much work ahead of us. We sible and now face the future intend to build upon the lessons of with the strength of our ancestors our own history, the ones our leading us onward. While the last Elders passed down to us; to build All Americans need to become aware of the history of this continent to ensure that the devastation that has occurred over the last 500 years will not continue. Nuts and Bolts by Judd Win ick IN O RRFAPPEAKCE: LAPP ( C AN KAH, MERV CfRFt&11AS, ANA A H.APPY Iq YEAR five centuries represent a dark page in our history, it must be understood that those years are truly just one page in an entire book of a long, rich history. We cannot change what happened to our people and the contnlaes thers that alsno gve . upon the upheaval in that history that was caused by European contact; and to build upon all the histories that collectively come together in this place. We want to be united with all people in our desire to build upon all nnt leonns to ereate a hetter