*

Page 4-The Michigan Daily- Monday, March 23, 1992
Wbe M74i3aUU IOCIIU
EdIitor mn Chief

420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
764 - 0552

MAT'HEW D. RENNIE
Opinion Editors
YAEL CITRO
GEOFFREY EARLE
AMITAVA MAZUiMDAR

Edited and Managed
by Students at the
University of Michigan

IIII - ~MA1F-
/T N O
li-e, -E
~T/MF:. 1

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.
FRMa. THE homeL*::n..A "::".*A.rb : ..r.
Rac~pism-- at home in Ann Arbor


-

0

H ate invaded Ann Arbor this weekend.
Twenty Nazis screamed slogans about their
own superiority forone solid hour._
They proclaimed their right to
dominance because of their race.
They intended to inform the pub-,
lic of the evil that they claim has
polluted America: Blacks and
Jews. They chanted for only an
hour. They chanted only hate.
Saturday was nothing new. The
world has seen hate in every com-
munity and in every civilizationp
since the beginning of time. These
ideas come from fear and from
ignorance. But what they amount
to is hate.
History dictates that during .
times of economic strife, those
most effected often look for a
scapegoat. As residents of a lib-
eral town in a democratic country,
people have a tendency to dismiss
scapegoating as foreign or as
something to be studied.
Many of Ann Arbor residents
who witnessed the demonstration
faced the reality that scapegoating
applies not only to history but
also to Ann Arbor in 1992. While most students
rolled out of bed to a lazy Saturday afternoon,
those who witnessed swastikas emblazoned on
arm bands and on shields wondered if they had

been transported to a different time and a different
place.
To some, the protesters from
Dearborn Heights seemed weird
and obscure. But these blatantly
racist and anti-Semitic attitudes
reflect more subtle ones.
The Nazis demonstrating this
weekend were not the fringe ele-
ments of society. People like this
are the constituents of the Republi-
can presidential candidates Patrick
Buchanan and David Duke.
Both Buchanan and Duke have
expressed a variety of hateful sen-
timents. In one of his columns,
Buchanan asserted that because
children trapped in a school bus
with poisonous gases managed to
escape alive, Nazis could not have
killed hundreds of thousands of
Jews in the gas chambers of
Auschwitz. Duke has based his
presidential campaign on racism,
using welfare as a code word to
single out Blacks for criticism.
Excusing the bigoted statements
expressed by weekend protesters
as those of harmless reactionaries
means ignoring the political parties that have risen
in response to their concerns. Racism and anti-
Semitism are real threats. No one should ignore
them.

WHC-4WfFOiR A
SECONZJt'2-
TH O4 (HTIMY'1'(


TT

NJCAR
10M c L
( r* '0 5 _.

I


.r., i


L2~1 ®Ef ;


h": ::: no| :|1|.jj|: ":Y |r1 |||':::: |:j||t:V:|:||||..|.....|....|..| r|.|.. |:|||::|: r| :|| 1|: |'.1
:.a:.w.:a:.toonist :we ::.-co::n :.:r.::::.y:an a nvolo ::::.1w1 ::v

To the Daily:
It is hard to find the words to
express my disgust and outrage at
the editorial cartoon that appeared
in the Daily on Friday. It was
viciously insensitive and shames
those responsible, the Daily, and
the University. I am appalled that
we have in our midst people
capable of exploiting the terrible
suffering of the people of South
Africa and of purveying ugly
racial stereotypes for their own
sick or sophomoric purposes. It is
an insult to our entire community.
The editors of the Daily are

justly proud of its one hundred
and one years of editorial
freedom. Freedom of the press is
vitally important to all of us. But
with that freedom comes respon-
sibility - a responsibility that
both the cartoonist and the editors
of the opinion page have be-
trayed.
This is the third occasion
during the current academic year
that the Daily has displayed such
insensitivity and irresponsibility:
first with the Holocaust revision-
ist ad, then with a cartoon that
stereotyped Asian students, now

with this outrage against Black
South Africans.
The Daily editors owe this
community an apology. I believe
they also must use this occasion to
reflect on how such things could
possibly happen, and on their
responsibility to make certain they
do not happen again. And I ask
everyone in the University
community to demand higher
standards from a newspaper with a
proud tradition to uphold.
James J. Duderstadt
University president


Voter turnout was a real turnoff

L ast Tuesday, Michigan held its first presiden
tial primary since 1976. The candidates inun-
dated the state with television and radio advertise-
ments, debates, and speaking engagements. Mil-
lions of dollars were spent to convince people who
to chose on the ballot. But the primary was one
party where nobody came. Polls showed that less
than 14 percent of Michigan's voting-age popula-
tion showed up to vote in this presidential primary,
significantly fewer than 1990's gubernatorial elec-
tion.
Many of the obstacles to voting were eased for
this election. Same-day declaration of party prefer-
ence was permitted for Democrats. Republicans
were not required to register a preference. Organi-
zations openly advertised that they would provide
rides to the polls for those who could not get there
otherwise. Students living in many residence halls
had to go no further than the lobby of their building

to cast their ballots.
Between now and the Nov. 3 presidential elec-
tion, there will be four opportunities for students to
vote, including the March 30-31 MSA elections. In
addition, voters will have the opportunity to par-
ticipate in the April 6 city elections and the August
Congressional primaries..
The current trend in U.S. elections is to "throw
the bums out." Americans are increasingly dissat-
isfied with the quality of their elected officials, as
government becomes more and more responsible
to special interests and less and less responsible to
the electorate. Voting-age Americans who do not
exercise their right to vote forfeit their input into
who their elected officials are. Only those who
vote have expressed a true, active interest in the
quality of government. All others, like the Wash-
ington fat cats who ignore those who do vote, are
just full of hot air.

Vote against fee%
To the Daily:
A referendum is scheduled for
March 30-31 1992, on whether or
not the Michigan Student
Assembly fee should be capped.
Of the current MSA fee of $6.27
a semester, more than half
($3.89) supports Student Legal
Services (SLS). Capping the
MSA fee would be catastrophic
for SLS.
SLS is a pre-paid legal
insurance plan that serves the
entire student community. It has
no student party affiliation and its
daily operations are completely
independent of MSA.
Last year almost 3,000
students were served by SLS, in
cases ranging from landlord-
tenant matters to the defense of
criminal charges. SLS employs
three full-time attorneys, one
paralegal, a secretary, a part-time
bookkeeper, and many work-
study students and student
volunteers.
SLS is run under the supervi-
sion of a board of directors,
which is comprised of a faculty
member from the Law School,
the directing attorney of SLS, an
SLS staff representative, an MSA
vice-president, a student services
representative, and four students
who volunteer to serve on the
board. The board's duty is to
ensure that SLS is responsibly
run and that it provides the
highest quality legal representa-
tion to all eligible student-clients.
The board of directors does not
support any student political
party or group.

cap, save SLS
Over the years SLS has been
able to fulfill its mission by
making reasonable budget
requests through MSA. The
program has not grown much
since its inception in 1979, and it
remains smaller than many
similar offices at other universi-
ties.
However, in order to operate
from year to year, and in order to
keep good lawyers and good staff
people in the program, it simply
cannot operate on a fixed budget.
Capping the MSA fee would by
definition freeze the SLS budget
at 1992 levels. No professional
law office can attract good
people, or keep good people, or
offer high-quality representation,
when its budget is frozen in
advance. Such a fiscal policy
would result not only in fewer
legal services, but also in poorer
quality legal services, and
eventually in the disintegration of
the program.
The cost of legal services, like
the cost of medical services, has
risen far faster than the general
cost of living. With a zero-growth
budget at SLS, the office would
soon lose its critical mass of
enthusiastic people willing to
work hard in a small public-
interest practice.
If you want to preserve low-
cost Student Legal Services for
the whole student community,
don't cap the MSA fee.
Doug Lewis
SLS Director
This letter was signed by the
entire SLS Board of Directors

Women have a right
to protect themselves
To the Daily:
I am writing to express my
anger and sheer disgust at Philip
Cohen.'s op-ed piece ("Rape and
women's self-reliance," 1/23/92).
I resent the implication that I
am adding to society's paternal-
ism. Asking for a walk home at
night certainly puts women in no
more danger than walking alone.
Society is structured to protect the
status-quo of men dominating
women.
I do not wish to'contribute to
this, but, hey, I have to look out
for number one. I am not going to
walk alone at night to prove my
self-reliance.
I prove my self-reliance and
self-respect by protecting myself
in the best way I find available. I
will not sacrifice myself, nor
should any other woman, to test
Cohen's irresponsible assertions.
You suggest that women stay
home in seclusion to avoid rape.
Well, I have another idea.
how about imposing a curfew
on men? Surely then the rate of
rape will drop. Then I really will
be able to enjoy my life.
My point is, Mr. Cohen, until
you have to walk with your keys
grasped tightly between your
fingers, heartbeat pulsating above
normal and head perpetually
looking over your shoulder, don't
even infer that I don't have the
right to protect myself.

01


Tear down barriers of Apartheid

Those who have been following the metamor-
phosis of South Africa over the past five years
can now say that they have witnessed history in the
making.
Last week, South African President F.W. de
Klerk received approval in a whites-
only referrendum to move forwardv
with his plans of reform in South H
Africa. Hopefully this will mean an
end to Apartheid - the system of ~
segragation in South Africa places'
South Africa's Black majority un-
der white minority rule.
Credit for the victory in South
Africa belongs to the people who
have struggled against Apartheid:
The people who have participated
in the boycotts, spent decades in jail
demanding that their lives are worth
the price of real freedom. These
people are the true soldiers in the
war against Apartheid.
The victory also belongs to F.W.
de Klerk, who realized and accepted
that South Africa's system of legal
racism could not stand. De Klerk
should be commended for pressuring South Africa's
white minority and threatening to resign if he did
not receive their support.
One of the ways that Black South Africans, who
comprise 70 percent of the population, are ex-
cluded is that they are prohibited from voting in
national elections. The fact that there had to be a
whites-only vote to decide the fate of Black South
Africans epitomizes why it is essential that dra-
matic reform take place in South Africa.
Of the 2.8 million whites who voted in the

referendum, 1.9 million (68.7 percent) voted to
support de Klerk's move toward reform. While his
supporters may have been sympathetic with the
plight of their fellow South Africans, there are also
a wide variety of other reasons why Apartheid is
becoming undesirable. International
sanctions, a freeze on their partici-
pation in international sporting
events, and a worldwide reputation
for beign racist has severely hurt
South Africa.
In addition, the internal boycotts
by Blacks, aimed at the economic
and social infrastructures of South
Africa have exhibited the collective
power of Black South Africans.
As de Klerk enters into negotia-
tions with top Black leaders like
Nelson Mandela of the African Na-
tional Congress and Chief
Mangosuthu Gattsha Buthelezi of
the Zulu-based Inkatha movement,
there will be many issues to discuss.
It is important to remember that the
referendum only supported nego-
tiations and did not officially end
Apartheid. Now the real work begins.
Mandela said it best, "Ending Apartheid is not
just announcing the results of a referendum. It
means there should be enough housing, more medi-
cal facilities and better pensions for Blacks. We are
still far from this."
South Africa still has a long way to go before
realizing a state of true equality for all its citizens.
The only acceptable outcome is the complete anni-
hilation of Apartheid. There is no compromising
on this issue.

0

Katherine Rosman
LSA sophomore

... : '.
.
^.....rii..... .. ...............1".
i .
:f 1

Japan bashing: Hiroshima revisited

0

by Mike Fischer
"I'm not Japan-bashing. I'm
defending against America-
bashing." Though Senator Ernest
Hollings (D-S.C.) had just
finished urging American workers
to "draw a mushroom cloud and
put underneath it, 'Made in
America by lazy and illiterate
American workers and tested in
Japan,"' he was, he insisted,
simply defending his country.
Never mind Hiroshima; Pearl
Harbor trumps it every time. In
Hollings' Orwellian logic, the
country that bombed a defenseless
city into oblivion becomes a
defenseless victim of "the yellow
peril." Unfortunately, Hollings is
not alone.Unable to place the
blame where it belongs -- in
Detroit and Washington --
millions of Americans have
decided that Japan is responsible

cars; Honda and Toyota
dealerships throughout Michigan
have been picketed. In Ohio, a
tire dealer refuses to sell to
owners of foreign cars. At a gas
station in Illinois, drivers of
American cars receive a two cent
discount on every gallon of gas
they buy. And in California, a
Japanese businessperson who had
received racist threats was
murdered. All, presumably, in the
name of defending America.
But what gets included in this
"America" that everyone from
Hollings to Chrysler Chair Lee
Iacocca appear so intent on
defending? Does it include the
164,000 Chryslers, Dodges and
Chevrolets built for the American
market in Japan? What about the
Pontiacs, Mercuries and
Plymouths built for the American
market in Mexico? And just what
is it that makes these cars more

goods from the Midwest grew by
a quarter last year, setting a record
high. Japan, in other words, is
creating jobs in the United States
- not stealing them.
Japan is also the world's third
largest importer - and imports
only $150 less per capita than the
United States. Its average tariff on
industrial products (2.6 percent) is
lower than the comparable U.S.
tariffs (2.9 percent). According to
a recent World Bank study, even
Japan's non-tariff barriers (quotas,
licenses and voluntary export
restraints) are lower than the U.S.
equivalents. So much for carica-
tures of Japan as a closed market
and a closed society.
Perhaps what is really closed
in this debate is the American
mind. Japan-bashing racism
doesn't have an economic fig leaf
to hide behind -just as refer-
ences to Pearl Harbor provide no

I


Nuts and Bolts
TOA SC6450R1?iR 00O$
II W PP?5 O OF WFAVORITES.
II&3Y S_ T 1AT HEGOERN-l

by Judd Winick

IfWEN ~ITS 1TWINE T~~
B AN TOYS WWA0evk rr t g Gam
I1EINT 440OLP NUrT WKSc

WEUO CAU.ERyot),RE ON
6 Iris AIR.

CTm SAME V~su O C-
54Y IT ON 'MlE RAD1O, Ste.