Page 4.-The Michigan Daily- Thursday, January 21, 1993

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420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
764-0552

Editor in Chief
MATHiIEW D. RENNIE
OpinionEditors
YAEL CITRO
GEOFFREY EARLE
AMITAVA MAZUMDAR

Edited and Managed
by Students at the
University of Michigan

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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.
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Regents should remember students

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When student voters supported candidates
Larry Deitch (D-Bloomfield Hills) and
Rebecca McGowan (D-Ann Arbor) for University
regent last fall, their apparent commitment to
being accessible to students was an important
factor in their favor. Since their Nov. 3 victory,
however, the new regents have been too busy
meeting the administration to arrange contact with
students, faculty or non-administrative staff. At
this date, it might be hasty to criticize the new
regents for inaccessibility, but the importance of
meeting with students should again be stressed.
But the problem extends beyond the initial
introductions. Throughout their terms, regents are
notorious for gaining almost all of their informa-
tion about the University from the administration
alone - often at the expense of student interests.
According to Deitch, President Duderstadt and
the executive officers asked McGowan and him-
self to participate in an extensive orientation,
which included introductions to all of the admin-
istrators and their staffs.
"The University is a very complex place, and in
order to get an understanding of all its facets, we
accepted the invitation," said Deitch. However, it
is specious to assume that regents can understand
student concerns without meeting with any stu-
dents.
Deitch and McGowan have indicated that stu-

dents are welcome to contact them by phone. But
that is not enough. As elected officials whose deci-
sions affect students directly, it is the regents'
responsibility to contact their constituents, not the
other way around.
What should the regents do to keep their cam-
paign promise to seek out opportunities to meet
with students? For one, they might set up MTS
accounts and let students know they are available
on electronic mail. This way, students can contact
the regents at their mutual convenience.
For another, regents should either establish of-
fice hours inAnn Arbor or setup tables in the Union
or the Fishbowl, so that students can drop by to
share their concerns in a setting which is less formal
than regents' meetings. Finally, the regents should
contact student organizations, since different com-
munities of students have different perspectives.
Hopefully, the new regents are committed to
substantive interaction with all of the University
constituencies - not just the administration. It
would be a great disappointment if Deitch and
McGowan followed in the footsteps of their prede-
cessors, by only coming through Ann Arbor once a
month to attend regents' meetings. If this happens,
the regents will only be hearing one side of the
story, and can easily fall into the same old trap of
simply rubber-stamping the decisions of the ad-
ministration.

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Liberals falsely tarnish Reagan-Bush legacy


A blow against Amendment 2

Last Friday, Denver District Judge Jeffrey
Bayless issued a preliminary injunction pre-
venting Colorado Gov. Roy Romer from signing
Amendment 2 into state law. Amendment 2, the
notorious voter initiative approved on election
day, attempts to prohibit state and local govern-
ments from mandating civil rights protections for
homosexuals, thereby dismantling gay-rights leg-
islation in Boulder, Denver and Aspen. Amend-
ment 2 is a viciously intolerant article of mob rule
that shouldbe ruled unconstitutional in the state of
Colorado to ensure the safety and welfare of the
state's gay and lesbian populations.
The initiative drive to wipe out all legislative
'y - safeguards against homosexual discrimination was
crafted by an ultraconservative social group called
Colorado for Family Values. The religious far-
right maintains that Amendment 2 will not open
the door for a rash of homophobic hate crimes and
state-sanctioned prejudice, but will rather take
away "special" extra-rights for gays that they do
not deserve. However, eight homosexuals, a het-
erosexual with AIDS, and three Colorado cities
have challenged the legitimacy ofthe amendment,
testifying that the implementation of the new law
will, in actuality, put homosexuals in grave danger
for their lives - an immediate clear and present
danger created by the abolition of local protec-
tions.
The state constitution bans laws or amend-
ments that have the potential to endanger people
or that place citizens in physical harm. Amend-
ment 2 clearly signals out the state's minority

homosexual population by harshly refuting and
repudiating all current laws that seek to provide
gays and lesbians basic civil rights in the areas of
employment, housing and education. The denial of
equal rights and liberties to homosexuals in Colo-
rado symbolizes the state's indifference towards a
greater social tolerance and acceptance and could
even act as a cruel instrument to subtly endorse
anti-gay violence, like Texas legislation that fines
people only $5 for bludgeoning flag burners.
Moreover, the liberal cities and jurisdictions
that already have enacted gay-rights ordinances
and whom overwhelmingly voted down Amend-
ment 2 (and failed) should not be disallowed by the
state from safeguarding gays and lesbians from
discrimination within their mandated legislative
powers.
It seems almost absurd that the narrow-minded
far right in Colorado, infuriated by the local success
of gay-rights groups, were forced to stoop so low as
resort to a dubious initiative that had little chance of
losing in a statewide popular vote. Political scien-
tists have commented that if the civil rights protec-
tions passed by the Congress and affirmed by the
courts in the 60s were put to a national vote, the
reforms would have most likely lost by a landslide.
Amendment 2 was a disgraceful form of voter
initiative in the first place. Now the state courts
have the opportunity to strike down the hate-in-
spired law. For the sake of an inclusive system of
justice and to provide for the well-being of the state
homosexual population, Amendment 2 must be
ruled unconstitutional.

To the Daily:
I take issue with your unsub-
stantiated and unwarranted attacks
on the President of the United
States and conservatives in
general, ("Bush almost finished
strong ... but then came the
pardons," 1/6/93).
President Bush is a man of the
highest moral and ethical fiber.
To characterize him as a
''realpolitik" who compromises
his beliefs in search of political
victory is absurd and ignorant.
You label his tenure as a
"failed presidency." Granted the
economy was experiencing a
recession, but it was not of his
doing. Liberals, like those on the
editorial staff at the Daily, believe
that Bush (or government for that
matter) should have taken action
at the first sign of economic
downturn. That is opposite to the
conservative ideology of less
government intervention. Bush, as
well as his predecessor President
Ronald Reagan, remained
steadfast in allowing the economy
to work itself out of recession.
Bush's hard-line stance in
opposing Congress's impatient
initiatives for government
"remedies" is to be admired.
As for Bush's pardoning of six
Iran-Contra affair patriots, he
deserves vilification, not harsh
retribution. If for no other reason,
that act saved taxpayers millions
of dollars that would have
otherwise been spent on
Lawrence Walsh's "witch hunt"
investigations.
The liberal editorial staff at the
Daily typifies the liberal media of
the day. You attempt to rewrite
history by distorting facts. Rush
Limaugh articulates this when he
states:

"The effort to destroy
(Reagan) and his administration
persists. (He is) hated because he
demonstrated the folly of
liberalism. He is the conspicuous
symbol of its demise ... Reagan's
presidency, coupled with the
longest sustained economic boom
in modern history, invalidated
almost everything liberals stand
for, believe in, and have been
spouting for decades. Virtually
every important cornerstone of
liberalism was shown for what it
was: wrong. The last thing
liberals want is for you to

understand this."
I am sorry to see the Reagan-
Bush era come to an end.
I wish President Bill Clinton
and his administration the best of
luck in leading this country, but I
am sorry to say that the people of
the United States, despite liberal
editorials like those found in the
Daily, will soon echo the old
adage, "You don't know what
you've got until it's gone."

Partisan oplitics in MSA
To the Daily: forests in Colorado? What if a
I am writing to express my group is part of a research
dismay over the Michigan Student endeavor and their trip is planned
Assembly. At the Tuesday, Jan. 19 in Colorado because of Colorado's
meeting of MSA, an amendment rich mineral deposits?
was introduced to the Budget Many educational benefits, as
Priorities Committee guidelines, well as other benefits, can only be
and then was passed with the found in Colorado. Why punish a
efforts of the Progressive Party student for something he or she
majority of student assembly. This did not do? We are now telling
amendment stated that groups student groups that they really
cannot be given money to go to cannot have a choice, that MSA is
Colorado because of Colorado's in some way on a higher moral
"anti-gay law" - that was passed ground than the students at the
in the past election. This law, of University.
course, is not anti-gay, it just Hopefully, the students at this
treats gays in Colorado as equal, great, diverse university will
not special. remember this amendment when
The problem with passing this voting for new representatives in
amendment is that MSA, which is March.
supposed to be unbiased in giving Please send a message to the
out monetary aid to student Progressive Party to keep their
groups, is now being biased. We political views in check and to
are now telling groups where they protect your rights as a University
can and cannot go, and in addi- student.
tion, we are telling groups how Jacob Stern
they can spend their money. What LSA sophomore
about the environmental engineers MSA representative
that are planning to study the

Matthew Kliber
LSA junior
U-M College Republicans'

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MLK's message found amidst hype

Clinton begins American renewal

Inauguration Day surely pulled at the patriotic
heart strings of all Americans, barring the most
cynical or bitter. Democrats revelled in the glory
of victory; Republicans cut their losses to enjoy
the sunshine and celebration; citizens waved
American flags and stretched to catch a glimpse of
the new First Family; the world watched the
peaceful and dignified transfer of power from the
old president to the new. As William Jefferson
Clinton spoke the words, "... so help me, God," he
became the 42nd
president of the
United States. - T1US. IT 1l5f DUI
For a person OF Ti/E P1E FSIDNIf
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gives only C+A
speeches - often OF ANYUICI TO VIliP
confusing 'I' with 7:TE (P F OYTI TUTIOPL
'me' and vainly
struggling to hide,
his southern drawl
- President
Clinton delivered1
an effective ad-
dress. Clinton
clearly constructed
his speech using
the language of
Presidents John Kennedy and Franklin Roosevelt.
His conscious claim to the liberal legacies of the
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care have already been rethought.
Yesterday was a day for both the new First
Family and the American people. Clinton could get
away with putting his troubles aside. But now, the
real work must begin. Clinton inherited consider-
able trouble both at home and abroad. The gag
order prevents doctors from giving patients honest
advice on abortion. Scientists are still forbidden
from conducting necessary research on fetal tissue.
Despite the welcome upturn in the economy, our
banking and sav-
ings and loans sys-
- tems remain weak.
Unemploymentre-
mains high, while
only a few job-
training programs
help welfarerecipi-
ents find their way
into the workforce.
The national debt
is quickly passing
- $4 trillion.
On the foreign
policy front, the
RICH CHOI/Daily war in Bosnia con-
tinues. The State
Department de-
clared the Bosnia the worst human rights crisis
since the Nazis. Saddam Hussein remains unpre-
dictahe Somalia remains in chaos.

It was 11:00 p.m. last Monday,
and I was leaving the Graduate Li-
brary. It was Martin Luther King Jr.
Day, but I hadn't attended any
events.
I had always feltconflicted about
MLK Day. How could I, as a Jew,.
participate in a celebration of diver-
sity that annually included speakers
from the Nation of Islam - one of
the largest anti-Jewish organizations
in the
country?
The
MLK Day JONA AN
commit- N
tee invited
Khallid
Moharnm
to speak.
I've read
one of his
speeches. Mohammed publicly
stated that he agrees with Louis
Farrakhan's description of Judaism
as a "gutter religion"-- and this is
one of the nicer things he has to say
about my religion. I do not chal-
lenge his nght to freedom of speech.
But to invite a bigot such as this to
a celebration of diversity is to give
him credibility as an advocate of
diversity- which he has done noth-
ing to earn.
Worse, it suggests that anti-
semitism is compatible with the
concept of diversity, while the truth
is that diversity and anti-semitism.
are. mutually exclusive. Some

reverence by Jews as by African
Americans.
So it was more out of frustrated
confusion than moral indignation
that I walked out onto the Diag that
night having forsaken the celebra-
tion of Dr. King's birthday. As I
made my way down the steps,, I
noticed a lone figure standing
jacketless on a cement bench. His
voice rang through the clear night.
"I am happy to join with you
today in what will go down in his-
tory as the greatest demonstration
for freedom in the history of our
nation."
I saw no demonstration. I saw
no people. I moved closer.
"Fivescore years ago, a great
American, in whose symbolic
shadow we stand today, signed the
Emancipation Proclamation. This
momentous decree came as a great
beacon light-of hope to millions of
Negro slaves who had been seared
in the flames of withering injustice.
I came as a joyous daybreak to end
the long night of their captivity.
But 100 years later, the Negro still
is not free."
He looked off into the distance
as he spoke, as if I wasn't there. He
spoke awkwardly, almost
robotically. While he required no
notes, it was clear thathe was notan
accomplished public speaker. But I
stood spellbound, captivated not
by the emotion of the speaker but
by the power of the words them-

"And when we allow freedom to
ring, when we let it ring from every
village and hamlet, from every state
and city, we will be able to speed up
that day when all of God's children
- Black men and white men, Jews
and gentiles, Catholics and Protes-
tants - will be able to join hands
and to sing the words of the old
Negro spiritual, 'Free at last, free at
last; thank God Almighty, we are
free at last."
He stepped down from the bench
and put on his jacket. I asked him
why he didn't recite the speech dur-
ing the day, when morepeople would
hear. "I'm shy," he explained with a
shrug. I asked why he did it.
"Martin Luther King is my hero.
I broke my back playing high school
football. When I lay in the hospital,
the newspaper by my bed had acopy
of the speech. It gave me inspiration
and strength. I read it so many times
that I memorized it. I'm a senior
now. For the last four years, I've
stood here on Martin Luther King
Day and recited the speech."
So many students ignore MLK
Day - perhaps, in part, because it
has been caught up in the same po-
litical entanglements that Dr. King
had to struggle against. While rec-
ognition of the holiday is a noble
cause, attending the events is less a
comihemerance of Dr. King than a
sensitivity litmus test. The empha-
sis seems to lie more with that which
divides us than with that which unites

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