Page 4--The Michigan Daily-- Tuesday, January 26,1993
Editor in Chief
MATTHEW D. RENNIE
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
764-0552
Opinion Editors
YAEL CITRO
GEOFFREY EARLE
AMITAVA MAZUMDAR
Edited and Managed
by Students at the
University of Michigan
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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Nestled next to the student family housing on
North Campus, an incinerator burns waste
such as iodine-filled dog carcasses used in Univer-
sity medical research. Does burning such car-
casses pose any sort of a threat to area residents?
Citizens For Waste Disposal, a group of family
housing residents concerned with their families'
health, says yes.
Following complaints from the organization,
the Michigan Department of Natural Recources
(DNR) found the University in violation of two
key components of its permit. The University
admits to the two violations, but says they pose no
threat to residents. Regardless, the University
must comply with DNR orders immediately in
order to protect the safety of the community.
Violations include burning waste at levels be-
low the state-mandated temperatures which in-
sure safety, and burning materials such as plastics
hot allowed in their original permit. Rather than
tight these and other identified wrongs, the Uni-
versity has created a jumble of vague "compliance
programs" and empty promises. Meanwhile, the
incinerator continues to burn.
At a meeting of the DNR and the Air Pollution
Control Commission last week in Lansing, the
University requested permit changes that would
allow it to continue to burn the offending materi-
als. (Joseph Owsley, director of News and Infor-
mation Servicres, dubbled the violations mere
"technical violations.")
According to the University, seperating sec-
ondary materials like plastic bags and other debree
(which are illegal to burn) from the carcasses
themselves, poses a threat to incinerator workers.
If that is the case, it must take greater safety
precautions. But this is no excuse for possibly
endangering local residents. Though the Univer-
sity claimed to have corrected the temperature
violation, the DNR has yet to verify the claim.
The pattern ofdishonesty that the University has
used to cover up its pet incinerator has only in-
creased suspicion of wrongdoing. Disguising the
incinerator by naming it "University Laundry" on
most campus maps constitutes a cynical ploy to
mislead students and residents.
Citizen groups are pressing the University to
shut the incinerator down altogether, and have
expressed concern at the University's sluggish re-
sponse to the charges.
But it appears that the University will be making
no changes soon. Currently, the DNR, the EPA, the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Michi-
gan Department of Public Health are all in various
stages of inspecting the site - and they seem to be
coming to vague and conflicting conclusions. Just
who has jurisdiction over the site is being disputed.
In the meantime, DNR officials only hypoth-
esize that the burning of plastics at the current
temperature poses no danger.
When asked about the possible danger posed by
the chemicals which remain unchanged by incin-
eration, the DNR official who handed down the
violations said, "I guess we could have said that (in
the permit violation.)"
It remains unclear whether the radioactive emis-
sions pose a danger to local residents. But it is clear
that this confusion is allowing the University to
operate its incinerator in potentially dangerous
conditions.
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Marshall sought equality for Blacks
When Thurgood Marshall wanted to go to law
school, the University of Maryland would
not admit him. The nation he knew was one where
segregation was legal and expected; no one could
imagine nor allow a Black man to attend an all-
white school, let alone serve on the Supreme
Court. But Thurgood Marshall was not to be
discouraged. Instead, he devoted his
life and distinguished legal career to
fighting for equality.
If one's efforts are evaluated on
the basis of their vigor and effec-
tiveness, then Justice Marshall's
career was as successful as that of
any leader in our nation's history.
Justice Marshall, who died on Sun-
day, will be sorely missed by all
who value justice and equality.
Thurgood Marshall's career as a
lawyer for the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) was marked by
29 Supreme Court victories - the
mostfamous and influential ofwhich
,was the 1954 Brown v. Board of
Education.
That decision was the beginning of the end for
de jure segregation. It signalled a new commit-
ment on the part of the sluggish federal judiciary
to aid the civil rights movement. At a time when
Congress andthe state legislatures wereunsympa-
'thetic to the needs of African Americans, it took a
brilliant legal mind like Marshall's to effectively
move the struggle into the courts, where segrega-
tion could be ruled a violation of constitutional
rights. When President Lyndon Johnson appointed
him to the Supreme Court, Marshall became the
first Black to serve on the nation's highest court. At
the time, the court had a liberal composition.
After the election of Richard Nixon, however,
the court became more conservative. During this
time Justice Marshall did his most important work
on the Court. He was a passionate
advocate of civil rights issues as the
Court began its swing to the right.
In his dissenting opinions,
Marshall's was an eloquent voice
defending the causes of the civil
rights movement againsttheincreas-
ingly aloof right wing of the court.
As a fighter for the disadvan-
taged everywhere, he was an oppo-
nent of Presidents Reagan and Bush
and wanted to stay on the court until
a Democratic president was in of-
fice.
Unfortunately, poor health forced
o himto retirein 1991 at the age of 83;
he was the last liberal member of the
Warren court to retire.
Once, when arguing in front of
the Supreme Court, a Justice asked Thurgood
Marshall what he meant by "equal." "Equal," said
Marshall, "means getting the same thing, at the
same time, and in the same place." Justice Marshall
was a man who heroically fought to give all Ameri-
cans equality.
His life and work warrant the admiration of all.
Americans and his ideals deserve the devotion of a
new generation.
Critisizms of Israel
ignore important facts
To the Daily:
We are writing in response to
Stephen Sheehi's letter concern-
ing Israel's recent expulsion of
400 Palestinians ("Israel disre-
gards human rights," 1/12/93).
Throughout the article Sheehi
uses a series of half-truths and
generalizations, leaving the reader
with a biased and clouded
perception of the situation as it
exists.
First, Sheehi fails to identify
the exportees, except by the
- general description of "Palestin-
ian." The 400 exportees are
members of the Islamic Funda-
mentalists group, Hamas. Hamas'
beliefs are detailed in its "Cov-
enant," which, among other
things, describes how the Zionists
are in a conspiracy with the
Freemasons, Lions and Rotary
Clubs, to destroy Islam. Hamas
aims to regain Palestine for the
Muslims, by means of Ji'had. The
Covenant clearly opposes,
"initiatives, and so-called peace-
ful solutions and international
conferences" as a means to settle
disputes. It is this group that has
murdered six Israeli soldiers over
this past month, culminating in
the abduction and brutal murder
of an off-duty soldier, Nissim
Toledano, father of two.
The engineers of these brutal
acts against Israeli citizens, sit in
the "no-man's land" today. Their
fate in any nearby Arab state that
is an enemy to Islamic fundamen-
talism (Iraq, Syria, Algeria, to
name a few) would surely be
more severe.
Moreover, Sheehi's attempt toY
equate the Israeli action with that
of Nazi Germany, is nothing short
of disgusting. The partisans
exported by the Germans were
shipped to concentration camps,
where they were most likely
murdered. The 400 terrorists that
Israel has expelled for a period of
To the Daily:
I am writing to respond to the
verbal concerns voiced in a letter
by Representative Jacob Stern
("Partisan politics in MSA," 1/21/
93). I am sorry that Mr. Stern,
newly elected, has already
become disenchanted with the
Michigan Student Assembly. I
would like to clarify some of the
issues he voiced concern about, in
the hope of rekindling his interest
in student government.
Mr. Stern claims that MSA is
"suddenly" being biased by
creating provisions for the
disbursement of funds to student
groups. This is not true. MSA has
always had provisions on how
groups can spend the money
allocated to them, for instance we
have never allowed MSA money
to be used to purchase food.
Maybe this is discriminatory to
food appreciation groups, but it is
a rule which we feel necessary for
the proper direction of student
funds. We are making no attempt
by this legislation to limit the
political convictions of our fellow
students, we are merely sending a
message to the State of Colorado,
a message a majority of the
democratically elected Assembly
agreed upon.
Mr. Stern claimed that
Amendment 2 was not "anti-gay,"
it merely ensured the "equal"
treatment of lesbians, gays and
bisexuals. Were the world perfect
Mr. Stern would have an ex-
tremely valid point. However,
due to close-mindedness and
insensitivity, gays do not enjoy
the status of "equals" in society.
The Colorado legislation destroys
civil rights protection for lesbi-
ans, gays and bisexuals.
I am deeply sorry that certain
educational opportunities must be
infringed upon in this matter. I
must disagree with Mr. Stern's
definition of "fair" however. Is it
"fair" to lesbian, gay and bisexual
students that their money is being
spent in a state which does not
recognize the discrimination they
face. The boycott which we chose
to uphold is national, supported
by many city governments
including Atlanta, Georgia.
The accusation of partisanship
is both trite and incorrect. The
motion to uphold the boycott was
not discussed among the Progres-
sive Party beforehand. What's
more, some Progressives voted
against it while some Indepen-
dents voted for it. Mr. Stern
should realize that in a govern-
ment of MSA's nature partisan-
ship is unavoidable and an
important part of the process. The
U.S. Congress and Michigan
State Legislature are both deeply
partisan bodies, I have heard no
complaint from him about that.
Tobias Zimmerman
LSA representative
MSA justified in recent actions
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one-to-two years were given
money and merely exiled from
the country. This seems like a
moderate measure compared to
the actions of Kuwait which
expelled 300,000 Palestinians in
the aftermath of the Gulf War
(the subject of not even one Daily
editorial.)
While these 400 criminals sit
in Lebanon, with the spotlight of
the world upon them, thousands
are dying under the regimes of
dictatorial governments around
the world, several located quite
close to the "no-man's land."
It is this kind of double
standard that Israel confronts daily
in the world media, with irrespon-
sible attempts at journalism such
as Sheehi's merely continuing the
injustice.
Dan Lefkovitz
Aric Jacover
LSA first-year students
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World must embrace Kngsmessage.-
'Damaged' rating system
"No linkage." This wasa phrase
that President George Bush used
during the 1990 Gulf conflict -
Round one.
But the unacknowledged links
between U.S. foreign and domestic
policies continue to undermine at-
tempts to end violence and injus-
tice. As we move into a new era
under President Bill Clinton, what
is needed is more linkage of public
T he recent film "Damage," directed by inde-
pendent filmmaker Louis Malle, is the latest
film to fight an unfair rating by the Motion Picture
Association of America (MPAA). In order to get
his original NC-17 rating removed, Malle simply
re-shot a seven-second sex scene from a different
angle. This particular example is indicative of the
arbitrary nature of the MPAArating system, which
is clearly in need of reform.
The film industry voluntarily established the
rating system presumably to help parents control
what their children see. But, frankly, it serves as a
poor guide to parents when it comes to the lower
ratings. A film like "Kindergarten Cop," with its
scenes of intense gun dueling at the beginning and
end, was clearly not the children's film that Uni-
versal City Studios, Inc. depicted in its commer-
cials. Yet in order to attract younger audiences -
the biggest share of the filmgoing market - the
film successfully attained a kinder, gentler rating
of PG-13.
Moreover, ever since its inception, the MPAA
has failed tn deala denuately with serious films
sponded by creating the NC-17 rating for those
films with adult themes.
However, in only a few years, it has become
obvious that films produced by small, independent
studios rather than major Hollywood companies,
received a disproportionate number of NC-17 rat-
ings. More than half of all the films that have
received the new rating were independently pro-
duced. The implications for failing to get an R
become even more dire when considering the home
video market. Many stores, like Blockbuster Video,
refuse to carry unrated or NC-17 films.
The problem with the MPAA cannot be solved
by making new ratings, but only by making a new
system. Now, a film company presents its film to be
rated by the MPAA, along with a "suggested"
rating. The movie is screened by a randomly chosen
group of about a dozen community members who
decide in a completely arbitrary manner what they
feel the rating should be. These raters are anony-
mous and completely unaccountable for their deci-
sions.
While apneals are oossible. they are costly and
policy issues.
Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
is best known as
a civil rights
leader, but he
was also U.S.
history's fore-
mostadvocateof
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reliance on nonviolent methods of
diplomacy may be more effective
and less damaging than the per-
petual resort to policy by force. The
government says that we only use
force after diplomatic means have
been exhausted. But if that is the
case, then we should ask ourselves
why is U.S. diplomacy so ineffec-
tive?
The right should take for ex-
ample the U.S. concernwith nuclear
nonproliferation. Itis indeed anoble
goal to save the planet from the
menace that nuclear weapons
present to both people and the envi-
ronment. But the United States has
never indicated that it was willing
to give up its own nuclear arsenal
- only that Third World nations
should not be allowed to develop
such weapons. Yet every time the
United States invades or bombs a
Third World country, these nations
become more convinced that no
one is safe from U.S. aggression.
As a result, they press on with their
nuclear development.
This argument might be palat-
able to the left. But the left rejects
pacifism for different reasons.
Concerned with abuses athome,
the left says pacifism is equal to
en..adpr.t nnn- n Ru, w; i
violence perpetrated by our govern-
ment in its foreign policy with the
violence perpetrated by our govern-
ment through police brutality, the
death penalty, and the failure of our
socioeconomic system to meet ba-
sic human needs.
King did nothesitate to link these
forms of official violence with in-
terpersonal violence. The fact that
the United States has the highest
rate of violent crime in the world -
in spite of our overall economic
prosperity and political stability -
mighthave something to do with the
desensitization to violence that is
necessary to live in a country that
cannot let two or three years go by
without bombing some ThirdWorld
nation.
If we don't take King's message
seriously, but continue to celebrate
his accomplishments for African
Americans, the result is hypocrisy.
Do we believe that violence ought
not to be used by people of color to
achieve their liberation, but it's ac-
ceptable for the government? By
extension, do we believe thatbomb-
ing Iraq to help the Kurds and Shi'a
is acting to protect human life?
There are no easy answers to
bringing about the end of the gross
hu.,n ri;ht An.c ..trt..d by
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nonviolent social change. King op-
posed military intervention in Viet-
nam, and he spoke eloquently of the
need for meeting violence and op-
pression with creative and coura-
geous nonviolent resistance.
King's message and methods
were extraordinarily effective in
dismantling segregation, empow-
ering African Americans and rais-
ing the consciousness of a whole
generation to the problem of rac-
ism. Yet today nonviolent activism
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