0 Page 4-The Michigan Daily- Monday, February 8, 1993 k . e ttl rgtttt tttl -r- IJ / lici- 2 : :. .. :: ' y. ' + ':;,r.. ?:1. " . . , t 420 Maynard Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Josii DuBow Editor in Chief YAEL M. CITRO s ERIN LIZA EINIIORN Opinion Editors i. i Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily editorial board. All other cartoons, signed articles and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily. TOWN MEETING Clinton may actually listen to constituents t, ..-)- ' _4 _.v:~k4 41- --,:- jAj, 9 r W14YYo MrG TA1NL-/AIP' Y HELP iMci Ac~oS.' mHCESTFEE7.P YoU KNW T' Soy NICE To SE ' -rHA 7T YaUIVG7Esr kU k'Yo uRs'Et F - C7 HA V Fir' 7T F6o.7yNF14AT r/7TMEANS' RFPCSYU DR. 01 , 9 .rT -f-, f (t _. I ( tip + i P ESIDENT BILL CLINTON, keeping true to his campaign promise, announced inten- ions last week to hold his first town meeting in Southfield, Michigan. The meeting willbeheldthis Wednesday, Feb.10, 1993.This is one of many proposed meetings scheduled to occur throughout Clinton's presidential term. By creating town meetings, Clinton sends a message to the "average" citizen that his admin- istration is committed to responding to this nation's voices and concerns. The hour-long meeting will be televised throughout the metro Detroit area and also in the cities of Atlanta, Miami and Seattle. Small audi- ences at all these locations will have the oppor- tunity to personally ask the President questions about their concerns regarding the government. Clinton hopes the town meetings and subse- quent dialogue with the public will prove as successful as it did during his campaign. It is highly significant that Clinton chose Michigan as his first site for meetings. Not only was Michigan a major swing state in the Presi- dential election, but due to its reliance on the automotive industry, the state of Michigan has come to symbolize the nation's economic and unemployment difficulties. Detroit is home to Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. Few indus- tries impact the national economy and employ- ment rates like the automotive industry.. By establishing this meeting in the Motor City, Clinton is expressing his concern for the job and money woes deeply hurting our nation. "The President wants to go back to continue the dialogue about how best to create jobs," said Clinton'spress secretary Dee Dee Myers. Hope- fully, the town meeting will give the issue of unemployment the attention it deserves. Moreover, after a rough first few weeks in office, Clinton needs to turn his attention to the real reason he was elected - the economy. Clinton's town meeting should help demon- strate that he will indeed "focus like a laser beam" on the economy. By incorporating the average citizen's views into his agenda, Clinton recognizes those who elected him. The public has already expressed high disapproval ratings for the President, and any contact with the elec- torate will help both Clinton and the nation's optimism. However, President Clinton must remember that the town meeting in Michigan is only a beginning. By representing the concerns of Americans through actual policy changes, Clinton can solidify his commitment to the American people and their priorities. Further- more, Clinton must not turn the town meetings into meaningless publicity stunts - they must be productive for the government and for the people. Unlike recent politicians, it appears that President Clinton may actually listen to his con- stituents. 1 Mic"I f' . 1 K j I - ~ .- Y " , ... . r !r 'M / r fJ ' . r , ''rspotis, U repns xlissac rcs Em 01 HEALTH CARE National vaccines project long overdue O tNLY 40 TO 60 percent of preschool chil- dren currently receive essential vaccines. In light of this situation, the Clinton ad- ministration has taken a humanitarian step, proposing the federal government make vac- cines available to all children in the United States. These vaccines would be distributed atno cost to private and public clinics. The cost to private doctors for recommended vaccines rose from $23 in 1982 to $244 in 1992. As the cost of these vaccines increased, their accessibility to the general public fell. In fact, only 10 percent of all inner-city children receive these vaccines. The situation endangers those who cannot afford a doctor's care. Preventable diseases such as diptheria, measles and mumps have increased in recent years. One of the primary steps to effective health care is prevention. By stopping diseases before they hit, people can avoid the pain and high costs related to curing the disease. Though the new proposal will cost the government an additional 300to $500 million a year, studies show that for every dollar spent on vaccines, $10 is saved in latermedical costs. Clinton is currently working on a plan to nationalize health care, and this preventative measure will be a effective first step. Under this plan, the government would ne- gotiate a reasonable price for vaccines with manufacturers and buy the whole amount in bulk. This move has angered the manufacturers who currently make a large profit off vaccines. They claim limiting profits would reduce their ability to do effective research and to innovate new or improved vaccines. However, the gov- ernment can respond with grants or incentive tax credits for research. Complaints of this sort appear to be a guise for greed. Clinton's health care proposal which includes caps on many of the country's dispro- portionate medical costs has been met with similar opposition. Standing firm on this pro- posal will set the stage for stringent cost-cutting measuresin the future. Clinton's proposal, supported by the Children's Defense Fund and Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, responds to a 1986 law which requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a na- tional plan to immunize children. Although the law was supposed to take effect in 1987, the Bush and Reagan administrations allowed this plan to languish. Universal immunization of children would mean the virtual elimination of several deadly diseases. This proposal is long overdue. by Gilbert Whitaker Vice Presidentfor Academic Afairs Harold Johnson chair, Search Advisory Committee In the Feb. 5,1993 edition of The Michi- gan Daily two editorials("BAM IV: Minor- ity students' rights circumvented ... "U" historically ignores UCAR demands,") and an op-ed piece by Regina Freer ("Univer- sity ignores 1987 UCAR demands.") ques- tioned the process followed in the search which has been conducted during this aca- demic year for a new Vice Provost for Academic and Multicultural Affairs. We recognize and respect the right of individuals to express their opinions in the press. We also recognize that opinions may be viewed as facts, misperceptions may be taken as truths, and silence may be viewed as agreement. The vice provost position is a very sig- nificant academic leadership position at this institution and it is important that the University community understand how this search was conducted. Therefore, we write to clarify the process which was followed for this important search. The initiation of this search was prompted by two factors. The first was the decision by the current Vice ProvostCharles Moody, not to continue in the position beyond his initial five-year term,in favor of focusing on theUniversity'sexpandedSouth African initiatives. He agreed to remain in the position until his successor was se- lected. The second was the completion, in late May 1992, of the Report of the Committee toReview University Programs in Minority Affairs and Services. This University-wide, faculty/student task force, chaired by Dean Harold Johnson, recommended a restruc- turing and broadening of the role of the vice provost as well as the Office of Minority Affairs (OMA). Consistent with other searches for regentally appointedpositions,a committee was appointed to conduct a search and present a slate of qualified candidates to the officer responsible for recommending the successfulcandidatetotheUniversity Board of Regents. For this particular search advisory com- mittee, faculty members were selected from a list nominated by the Senate Advisory CommitteeonUniversity Affairs (SACUA). Student members were selected from a list nominated by student organizations. Among the representative student organizations in- vited to submit nominations were: Michi- gan Student Assembly, Students of Colorof This process resulted in an outstanding committee of thoughtful, dedicated senior faculty and students, committed to academic excellence and to enhancing the multicultural environment to the benefit of all members of our University community. more than 100 candidates, 13 individuals were interviewed personally by the com- mittee. Ultimately, six finalists were invited to the campus for two days of intensive per- sonal interviews by a number of deans, faculty, staff and students. Special arrange- ments were made to involve leaders of a number of interested student organizations in the campus visits. Representative of eight student groups (MSA, BSU, SCOR, NASA, SALSA,PuertoRican Association, United Asian American Organization and Lesbian/Gay Males Programs Office) were Rackham (SCOR), Baker-Mandela Center Board, Asian American Student Coalition, Latino Network and the Asian American Association. The Vice President for Student Affairs, the Directorof the Office of Minor- ity Affairs and the Associate Dean of Rackham were asked to contact student groups that did not have established e-mail message groups (Black Student Union (BSU), Socially Active Latino Student As- sociation(SALSA),Rackham StudentGov- ernment, and the Native American Student Association (NASA). This process resulted in an outstanding committee of thoughtful, dedicated senior faculty and students, committed to aca- demic excellence and to enhancing the multicultural environment to the benefit of all members of our University community. The committee membership also reflected the multicultural composition of our cam- pus. During the Fall term the committee con- ducted an independent, aggressive national search which, with the assistance of a na- tional search consulting firm and extensive advertising, resulted in a large pool of can- didates. After evaluating the credentials of invited to luncheon meetings with the can- didates on both days. And, open forums were scheduled for both students and fac- ulty/staff for each candidate. The search process described above has resulted in a outstanding group of finalists, each of whom would bring unique experi- ences, strong academic credentials and a deep commitment to multicultural issues to the position of Vice Provost for Academic and Multicultural Affairs at the University. We appreciate the efforts of the faculty and student members of the search advisory committee. They did an excellent job. We also appreciate the participation and input (to the committee) of the students, faculty and staff who participated in the lunches, forums and interviews. We hope that this description has clari- fied the process which was followed in this search. We look forward to concluding the search and to working with the successful candidate to continue to expand and en- hance multiculturalism at the University. We hope the entire University commu- nity will join us in welcoming and support- ing ournew viceprovostin this effortwhich is of great importance to us all. 0 Y-ER OUT! Schott's suspension overlooks real issue Last week, Major League Baseball's Execu- tive Council suspended Cincinnati Reds' owner Marge Schott for making racial and ethnic slurs. In so doing, the baseball owners have bowed to public pressure and have delivered a resounding slap in the face to the principle of free speech. No one will dispute the fact that Schott is an obnoxioushumanbeing. Herreferences to "dirty Jews" and "million-dollar niggers" speak elo- quently to her racist and bigoted views. How- ever, holding racist views is not the same as committing racist acts. Schott's suspension, along with her $25,000 fine, serves as punishment for her words, not her actions -that is wrong. If we begin sanctioning people for expressing their thoughts, it will become increasingly difficult to know where to draw the line. Soon, no one's ideas will be safe; they need only be condemned by a majority of their peers to be stifled into silence. The First Amendmentprinciple of free speech is based on this idea. Since Major League Base- ball is a private organization, it is not bound by the same restrictions as the govemment - the owners had a perfect right to order the suspen- sion. However, this does not mean their action was justified.'They have rejected the spirit, if not the letter, of the First Amendment. a sticky situation without ever confronting the real problem: bigotry in baseball. By suspending Schott, they have painted themselves as high- minded individuals, sensitive to racial concerns and intolerant of any sort of bigotry. Meanwhile, having satisfied the public outcry, they can return to their plush offices and get back to the day-to- day business of baseball - a business which includes countless Black superstars yet no Black general managers. Theowners contend Schott's suspension was warranted based on the bad image she created for baseball. Yet Schott does not represent the entire MajorLeague. By condemning her remarks, and disclaiming any responsibility for them, the owners can distance themselves and the sport from the kind of bigotry she espouses. And if they are truly concerned about baseball's image, they could increase the number of minorities in high-level positions and require workshops on "multiculturalism" for all owners and employ- ees. But these things would have been too diffi- cult. It is much easier just to eliminate Schott, a symptom of the problem, rather than go straight to the cause. By accommodating the public de- mand for Schott's suspension, the owners have shown that public opinion (read: public mon- Clinton will not decide future of abortion alone To the Daily: In the "ClintonPerspectives: Abortion" article (2/2/93) a Daily staffer writes that "only one man will determine the fu- ture of Roe vs. Wade and the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court: President Bill Clinton." While pro-choice activists may view Clinton as a champion of their cause, he alone does not determine the future of abortion in America. The 100 members oftheU.S. Senate will find that surprising - after all, they have to con- firm all Supreme Court nomi- nees. One might argue that the hundreds of Senate aides and reporters will also wield con- siderable influence on the fu- ture of the court. Clinton will need the help of the 535 members of Congress to accomplish that. And even if the protections are placed into law, abortion may become un- available by other means. Abortion is unavailable in three-fourths of U.S. counties hecause there are no nhvsiciang To the Daily: Bruce Bielawa cries "choice"as if women live in a society where free choice is a reality ("Women can make own moral decisions," 2,/2/93). The truth is that women are coerced in every manner pos- sible when it comes toissues of sexual intercourse. Television subtly tells us we aren't real women until we have had sex. Pornography tells us we are two-dimensional objects for men to use and then discard. Advertisements demonstrate that we are only valued for our looks and sexual appeal. Boy- friends forcefully tell us we should have sex with them to show our love. Husbands com- mand sex on their terms as a marital duty. And society tells us everybody is doing it. Does this sound like a fair choice? It is extremely easy to give in to this unrelenting pressure to have sex. And when faced with an unplanned pregnancy, then whatkind of choice are we look- ing at? Certainly no support should be expected from the fa- ther; afterall, contraception, and consequently the babyis solely the woman'sresponsibility. And even if the father admits pater- nity, child support is virtually unenforceable. No government suprt is available, such as free childcare, free medical care for pregnant women, or free infant supplies and check-ups. In addition, little ado ption or foster care support is readily obtainable. It is no sur- prise that, to a woman with an unplanned pregnancy, an abor- Choice or coercion? tion looks like the only viable alternative. So the next time you cry "choice," consider how you have helped to make the op- tions so perversely one-sided. By using pornography, by en- dorsing television and adver- tising messages that objectify women, by measuring love by the yardstick of intercourse, by not supporting strict and-date/ marital rake and anti-prg raphy legislation whic ight truly allow women to control their own lives, and by ignor- ing child care issues, you have perpetuated a society where each day over 4,000 mothers resort to killing their own chil- dren. Sylvia Chen Law student 0 Understand African Americans' feelings To the Daily: I am wrting in answer to Meghan Roekle's response, "Deal with issues of today," (1/ 20/93). In your response to my let- ter, "Ignorance about racism hurts all people," (1/13/93), you argil, that I am not qualified to .1. the nrnnnann "wP" whin re. have suffered, struggled and died in the past. These people struggled as a group in order for all ck people in this country to haverights, not only for indi- vidual purposes. Second, because it is in the original nature of Black Ameri- cans as a people to focus on fami1 the aronn and the fuiture domjudged in this society based on our individual merits. The phrase "you people" is an ex- ample ofthis way of thinking. Since the majority of the Afri- can Americans in this country experience similar treatment as a result of what happened in the past and this "you people" way of thikino- in the nreent. it is