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February 10, 1992 - Image 4

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Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 1992-02-10

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Page 4-The Michigan Daily- Monday, February 10, 1992
r ic Lirbigan ailu
Fditor im Chief

420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
764 - 0552

MA'f'IIEW 17. RENNIE
Opinion Editors
YAEL CITRO
GEOFFREY EARLE
AMITAVA MAZUMDAR

Edited and Managed
by Students at the
University of Michigan

/

1--7 ._'-

Unsigned editorials represent a majority cf the Daily's Editorial Board.
All other cartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily.
Sending out an S.O.S. to Bullard

As the deputization hearings approach, it
is becoming increasingly clear that the
,."i " :~tt :i : students stand alone in the fight to pro-
) tect the campus from an armed militia.
"" The possibility of any organized campus
movement effectively countering the mo-
mentum of the deputization process alone seems
slim. Clearly, students need help from outside the
campus, specifically state Rep. Perry Bullard (D-
Ann Arbor).
Bullard has historically supported students'
rights. In fact, Public Act 120, which Bullard
authored, is a bill that bolsters the position of the
students. The act mandates the creation of an
oversight board consisting of two students, two
staffers, and two administrators. The board will be
responsible for overseeing the activities of the
University police. The bill also mandates public
hearings to ensure at least some community input
in the deputization process.
The hearings, as they have been scheduled,
violate the spirit of the legislation. The two meet-
ings were scheduled back to back, leaving little

time for the regents to consider public suggestions.
Additionally, the regents allotted only three hours
of public speaking time. Students must sign up
beforehand in order to speak, and are limited to
only five minutes speaking time.
Since Bullard wrote the law, he is in the best
position to step in and guarantee that the adminis-
tration adheres to the spirit of the law. At the very
least, he could publicly challenge the administra-
tion, through a press release or by other means, by
insisting that the law not be ignored.
Bullard's work to help protect the community
through Public Act 120 is appreciated, but today,
he is needed to take a very forceful and public
stance against the tyrannical policies of the admin-
istration. In fact, Bullard would do the University
community a great service if he were to appear at
the hearings and ensure that the regents comply
with the law.
Now is not the time for Bullard to take a back
seat. Students' rights are being ignored and ne-
glected. If Bullard does not step in now, things will
only get worse.

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Chalk-in begins fight against cops

It was a nostalgic and reassuring sign to
see students chalking on the Diag last
Wednesday and taking an active stance
against the upcoming deputization of the
University police force under the Uni-
versity Board of Regents. Chalking be-
came a symbol of last year's anti-deputization
r movement. It is encouraging to see students work-
ing to educate and to increase awareness about the
wdangers of a deputized police force, and the hasty
manner in which the University is rushing through
the process. An organization called SHIT Happens
(Students Halting Institutionalized Terrorism), has
recently formed to warn students of the impending
threat of an armed police force. SHIT Happens is
focusing on the upcoming public hearings con-
cerning deputization.
As the chalk on the Diag tells us, the regents
have ordered a prodigious 40,000 rounds of am-
munition and 5,000 rounds of silver hollow tipped
bullets to stock the University arsenal. SHIT Hap-
pens asserts that the issue is not just about this
-. unnecessary and dangerous purchase. More im-
portantly, it is about the massive implications that
regental deputization will have on police account-
ability. The University police are presently ac-

countable to the sheriff of Washtenaw County, who
is in turn accountable to the Washtenaw County
voters.
If the proposed deputization goes through, the
University police will be accountable to the re-
gents, who are effectively accountable to no one
but themselves.
Perhaps the most outrageous action taken by
the administration is the decision to schedule time
in a manner allowing only a few dozen students to
speak at the upcoming deputization hearings. Those
without an opportunity to speak have little hope of
exerting influence beyond showing up in large
numbers and writing letters - which may or may
not be read.
Everyone connected with the University has a
right to be heard. An alternative to the current
token hearings would be hearings at which all
concerned could voice their opinions about cam-
pus safety. In this way, the University might even-
tually have a security force suited to the commu-
nity.
The chalk-in was the first deputization protest
of the year. Such agitation is a necessary part of the
movement to see the police force disarmed, dis-
solved, or at least under community control.

Daily cartoon was
offensive to Latinos
To the Daily:
I found the editorial cartoon
by Greg Stump (2/3/92) to be
very offensive. The portrayal of
Latinos as being non-Americans/
foreigners is blatantly false. Does
Stump realize that people in
Central and South America call
themselves Americans? America
does include all the Americas -
not just the United States.
However, if Stump is referring
to the Latino communities in the
United States as being un-
American or foreign, he is making
an obviously racist statement.
Does he consider them foreign
because they are bilingual? The
United States is made up of many
cultures and races - not just
European descendants.
Ever since the United States
took part of Mexico (California,
Arizona and Texas, just to name a
few), Chicanos have been labeled
as foreigners. It is very sad and
depressing to see that people still
think like that. I think Stump
owes the Latino community an
apology.
Nancy Lee Walker
LSA senior
Stunted students?
To the Daily:
Perhaps a better title for the
"S" piece (2/3/92) is:
"Silly Students Suck, Suffer
Social Stunting."
Todd Beeby
LSA sophomore

Photo was not needed
To the Daily:
While Bennett Seacrist's letter
(1/28/92) warranted the response
it received (2/5/92), was it truly
necessary to include the photo. I
didn't think so.
Kari Upham
LSA first-year student

To the Daily:
I am writing in response to
Ms. Vines' article "What piece of
work is man (2/6/92)." Although I
have known Vines since high
school and value her friendship, I
felt compelled to respond to her
article. Though I do not agree
with the causes of most of the so-
called "men's movements" and I
admit that men are in no way
oppressed (they still dominate
America's political and business
spheres), I feel that Vines' article
was very one-sided and unfair.
First of all, men's movements are
fringe groups; most men are not
obsessed with their places in
society as Vines claims.
Second, Vines unabashedly
reveals her bias throughout the
article. In her section describing
the men's movement, Vines says
that the members of this move-
ment "fenagle" legislation; and
Vines stereotypes the typical
member of the mythopoetic as "a
violent, hate-mongering Gloria
Steinem in a long beard and
loincloth." Vines follows this
section of her article with a
section entitled the "the critics,"
as if she hadn't maligned the
men's movement enough already.

Third, there is a major
contradiction inherent in Vines'
article. While admitting that
society often looks down upon
males who cry openly, she calls
upon men to "let the tears flow."
Yet when Vines is confronted
with societal pressures she finds
her " 'proper' niche in society."
Sounds like a double standard to
me.
Even more offensive than the
article itself, are the accompany-
ing photographs.
First, we see a photograph of a
man looking at a Playboy
magazine. The photo is entitled "
Man reading," as if the man was
some sort of lower primate on
display at a zoo. exhibit. Then we
see a collage of tatoos, guns, beer,
and condoms, thus categorically
reinforcing all of the negative
male stereotypes that one could
think of.
Let's face it: not every man is
a "detached or unemotional lug"
or a "football-cheering, beer-
drinking Al Bundy." Sexist
remarks hurt their victims,
whether male or female.
David Miles
LSA junior

Write the Daily
The Daily encourages its reders
to voice their opinions. Letters
should be 150 words or less.
Op-ed piecesshould be no more
than 3,000 characters. Send all
letters to: The Michigan Daily,
420 Maynard, Ann Arbor,
48109. The editors reserve the
right to edit all contributions for
style and space.

Feature on movement unfair

"

:Administration reneges on pledge

*

C MMUNFITY.... . ISIGIT :_ ................. . m..
BSU declares war on deputization

Throughout the history of the University's
drive toward deputization, the adminis-
tration has earned a reputation for ignor-
ing student concerns. After all, the origi-
nal decision to deputize was made over
the summer, when most students were
not on campus. But now, through irresponsible and
underhanded dealings with the Student Rights
Commission (SRC), the administration has further
cut students out of the process.
This time, the administrative debacle involves
e advertising for the upcoming deputization hear-
"sings. The hearings are required, by law, to precede
deputization through the regents. These hearings
represent the last chance the community will have
to express its fears about deputization, concern
about the oversight board and other key issues.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Mary Ann
Swain agreed in meetings with the SRC that the
administration would take care of advertising for
the hearings. The SRC naively assumed that the
administration, because of its resources, was best
equipped to handle the advertising. Unfortunately
-- but not unpredictably - Swain and the admin-
istration reneged on their promises.
In early January, the administration agreed to
put together and pay for three sets of ads to be
published in the Daily. The first set was to include
two ads. announcing the dates and times of the
hearings.
The second set of ads was supposed to explain

how students could go about writing letters about
deputization to the SRC. These letters were to be
published in a volume to be distributed to the
regents at the hearings. The third set of ads was to
run immediately before the hearings and publicize
them.
Already, the administration has violated two of
its promises. As of last Tuesday, the day the first ad
was to run, the administration failed to run any sort
announcement. Following complaints from the
SRC, the administration did run one quarter-page
ad in Friday's Daily. The ad encouraged students to
write the SRC and announced the scheduled hear-
ings. But the ad failed to even print the location of
the hearings. Moreover, because the ad ran so late,
few students will be able to write in their concerns.
The original deadline for submissions of student
letters to the SRC was the Sunday, Feb. 9. The
administration's ad provided students with a full
two days to write letters.
But the administration's biggest defense for the
short and token nature of the hearings - they run
a mere three hours - was that student letter-
writing would compensate for this. Swain's tactics
have insured no mass letter-writing will take place.
It was foolish for the SRC to rely on the admin-
istration to publicize and event so crucial as the
hearings in the first place. Even so, the administra-
tion has betrayed both students and the spirit of the
legislation calling for public hearings by trying to
keep the hearings a virtual secret.

by David Marable
Many of us were outraged by
the illegal deputization of the
University campus police. In
particular, we abhorred the lack of
concern expressed by the campus
administration on issues concern-
ing African-American students,
specifically on the subject of our
conflict with the Department of
Public Safety (DPS). Characteris-
tically, the racist administration
has made no efforts to calm the
growing tension between DPS
and Black students. We are now
paying the price for the under-
handed tactics that the Regents of
the University of Michigan used
in order to give campus security
"license to kill," a plan initiated
by President James Duderstadt
and his band of cohorts to keep
the "critical mass" in line.
As African Americans, we can
not submit to these "under-the-
table" dealings. Black students, as
well as other students, were
deliberately excluded from the
decision to deputize the campus
police. For example, the vote for
deputization deceptively occurred
during the summer of 1990, a
time when the majority of the
student body was conveniently
not present.
Duderstadt and his "militia"
are initiating the second phase of
their plan. Public Act 120, as it is
called, is soon to go into action. If
this act goes into effect, the board
of regents will have direct control
over the already threatening
armed campus cops. This act is

have always been of an oppres-
sive and repressive nature.
As Black students, we have a
history of struggle and activism
on this campus. We have defined
it through our own means, goals,
and accomplishments. Set-backs
of those accomplishments have
hit the University level. Examples
to date are the non-student
oriented deputization process, the
implementation and abuse of the
Union policy, and the excessive
armament of DPS officers. These
events are dangerously and
inevitably targeted at African
Americans.
If you have not recognized the
ominous presence of the armed
campus cops, then take a look at
the treatment of African Ameri-
cans during social gatherings.
Most people can agree that armed
campus police do more to
intimidate students than to
improve our comfort and safety.
On Jan. 8, 1992, the Political
Action Committee of the Black
Student Union (BSU) sent a letter
to President Duderstadt to request
a meeting with him. Unfortu- .
nately, we became victims of the
University bureaucracy and were
referred to Associate Vice
President for Student Services
Eunice Royster Harper. If we
wanted a meeting with the
associate vice president, we
would have requested a meeting
with her. In the past two years,
Duderstadt has failed to respond
to a variety of serious events
concerning African Americans.

Couzens and South Quad Resi-
dence Halls (fall 1991).
University Black students
were sprayed with chemical Mace
in South Quad. Duderstadt
refused to meet with concerned
students on this issue.
s A Black student was
stopped and harassed by Ann
Arbor police, DPS, and Housing
Security upon returning video
equipment from a student
program, while a white student
with the same equipment passed
by and was ignored (winter 1991).
We are disappointed and
outraged at President Duderstadt's
blatant disrespect for our organi-
zation and refusal to meet with us,
despite his alleged "commitment
to diversity." He has responded to
other incidents concerning the
Daily and other student groups.
His true colors have become quite
obvious, or let us say, lack of or
dismissal of color in his adminis-
tration, faculty, and student body.
We had hoped that the disrespect
shown to Black students during
incidents such as the South Quad
macing last year would not be
repeated. Obviously, we hoped
for too much.
The historical relationship
between the police and Black
people has been one of abuse and
disrespect. We feel that armed
security will exacerbate hostility
and diminish our quality of life.
We cannot permit the emergence
of another armed threat to our
people. Therefore, the Black
Student Union, BY ANY
iR ANC N'CCARV *wil etnn

Nuts and Bolts
wHAOTCA DooNG? GON
_5_PPENV?

A SALE ON P3KCOATS.

0 .
*b

by Judd Winick
COLD YOO? jj

I

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