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Page 4-The MichiganDaily- Wednesday, March 31,1993


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420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed
by students at the
University of Michigan

JOSH DUBOw
Editor in Chief
ERIN LIZA EINHORN
OpinionEditor

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.

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10

SHELDON FOR A2 MAYOR
Moderate Republican would openly lead council

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STATE OF general dissatisfaction has per-
meated the perception of Ann Arbor cityi
government. Democratic Mayor Lizt
Brater has been harshly criticized for her seem-c
ingly authoritarian, hard-line approach to run-c
ning city council, formulating
policy decisions, passing legisla-
tion and controlling the scope o
the debate.
Unfortunately,thisdisillusion-
mentwiththemayorandherparty
allies has recently lead to stagna-
tion and a growing sense that thex
council is unresponsive to the
wishes of the people. The time f
has come for incumbent Mayor /.
,Grater to step aside, and allow
Republican Ingrid Sheldon to
take over the helm. Hopefully,
Sheldon will restore the credibil-
ity of local government, lead a
councilinwhichindependentfree- Sheldon
thinking is encouraged andminimalizeneedless1
political bickering.
This does not mean the past mayoral admin-
istration has not accomplished some respect-
able objectives. Brater established the Down-
town Marketing Task Force to facilitate com-1
munication between downtown business lead-
ers and the city government, rehabilitated exist-f
ing parking structures, provided for additional
downtown surface parking, obtained state and
federal funds to reconstruct the Fuller Bridge,t
hnd built a city-owned recycling facility tou
handle Ann Arbor's solid waste. Under Brater's
tutelage, the city erased its budget deficit whilef
keeping taxes at the same level. The mayor has
worked hard to manage the retention of busi-1
"nesses inthe downtown area, recruited business
to fill vacancies and promoted city involvementl
in important human services.
However, ex-councilmember Sheldon hasc
the potential to mold a more open, democratic
council environment. Sheldon maintains that

"the mayor must be the leader ofthe city and stay
above partisan politics. Policy decisions should
be made after obtaining input from citizens,
consulting with experts, and working with the
city council and administrative staff." She is a
. N : natural consensus builder, and will
play an integral part in focusing
the council's agenda on the criti-
cal issues that face the city and the
University community: the lack
of parking, downtown vitality,
taxes, protection of the environ-
ment, public housing and increas-
ing affordable housing stocks.
Libertarianmayoral candidate
y EmilySalvette has some innova-
tive ideas, like reforming restric-
tive occupancy and zoning regu-
lations and empowering city low-
income residents through imme-
diate tenant management and
gradual tenantself-ownership, but
her party holds some frightening views of mas-
sive privatization of all city services and reckless
slashing of city taxes. Salvette believes the only
role of government is to protect citizens from
violence, disorder, fraud and crime, and after
that, to get out of the way.
Although we strongly disagree with Salvette's
economic platform, her candidacy expands the
nature of the political process in Ann Arbor by
forcing themore mainstreamparties to recognize
the concerns of small businesses and to honestly
respond to these views.
Essentially, both Sheldon and Brater are mod-
erates. It must be stressed that Sheldon does not
hold the beliefs of right-leaning conservatives in
the national GOP. She hugs the center of the
political spectrum and will basically follow
Brater's lead on local policy issues. What she
must do is fill a conciliatory role, end the political
division that has paralyzed Ann Arbor and lead a
more efficient management style. Remember,
the Democrats still control the Council.

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BWfFORE

AF TER I


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Editors' note: Unfortunately, sexual assault has become an issue of statistics. We often see so many
numbers, we forget human beings are involved. It is for this reason that the Daily dedicates this
space every Wednesday to sexual assault survivors. Some pieces will be signed. Others will not. All
of them present real situations from survivors who respond in their own way to assault.
Legal system places rape survivors on trial

When I read "In the Greek atmosphere,
rape frequently goes unnoticed" (3/10/93),
an article written by arape victim about her
experience, my reaction was deep sympa-
thy. However, my reaction went beyond
sympathy to empathy. I too am a rape
victim. I felt that it was necessary to convey
my story to the general public because it

naive mind interpreted remarks like this as
flattering. We ended up having sex. After-
wards, I started putting my clothes on. He
told me he would prefer it if I would sleep
naked.
We fell asleep and I awoke to, what I
first thought was him having sex with me.
However, once I became fully awake, I

'My sincere hope is that someday courts and the
general public will not even address the issue of the
victim's sexual history or what they were wearing,
but instead recognize that nobody deserves to be
raped.'

It makes me furious when lawyers bring
up the issues of a victim's sexual history or
what the victim was wearing. These issues
are completely irrelevant. Would they ask a
mugging victim how they manage their
finances? Of course not, that's absurd.
Equally absurd is focusing on avictim's sex
life. Rape is an actof violence, not of sexual
desire. The implications of bringing up a
victim's sexual history is that he or she
somehow deserved to be raped. The fact
that I had sex that night with someone else
in no way legitimized my rape. My sincere
hope is that someday courts and the general
public will not even address the issue of the
victim's sexual history or what they were
wearing, but instead recognize that nobody
deserves to be raped.

provides a contrast to hers and raises an
issue that is almost always addressed in
rape trials, specifically the victim's sexual
history.
My incident occurred at another under-
graduate institution my freshman year. At
the time of the rape, I was not an inexperi-
enced virgin. On the contrary, I had been
going through a stageof sexual experimen-
tation that many young people go through at
some point in their lives. My friends and I
had gone out drinking and we met some
football players. At my school, similar to
Michigan, football players were held in
high esteem so I was very flattered to be
receiving a lot of attention from one of
them.
One thing led to another and we eventu-
ally went to his apartment. He fed me a lot
of lines like, "When you're my girlfriend I
don't want you to see anyone else." My

realized that it was not him, but his room-
mate. I began screaming "No" and telling
him to stop. He laughed and continued. I
was physically powerless to do anything as
he weighed at least twice as much as me. I
kept screaming and finally another room-
mate came in and he stopped. Needless to
say, the original guy knew what was going
on and was part of the plan.
Dealing with it afterwards was ex-
tremely painful. While victims typically
feel guilt, I felt even worse because I had
been there by choice, passed out and naked.
To make matters worse, I confided in a
friend and she told me that it was not rape.
In retrospect, I know that it definitely was
rape. Any sex without consent is rape. My
story is significant in thatmy sexual history,
even that night, was not innocent. This does
nothing to invalidate the fact that it was
rape.


SEXUAL ASSAULTS
REPORTED TO SAPAC
IN 1993: 34*
Involving penetration: 18
No penetration: 5
Acquaintance: 22
Stranger: 0
On Campus: 1
Reported to police: 6
* No additional information
available for some reports

10

i-

.r1ST WARD, 2ND WARD
Democrats Hanna-Davies, Bach best for council


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T E CITY CoUNCiLelectionsinthe lst Ward
pit a hippie, left-leaning big-government
Democrat against a fiery free market,indi-
vidualistLibertarian. Democrat council-appoin-
tee Tobi Hanna-Davies is the director of the
Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, and
previously worked as a Peace Corps volunteer
in Micronesia from 1969-
1971. She is a true humani-
tarian. Hanna-Davies is a
strong supporter of preven-
tive drug treatment pro-
grams, protection of woods
and wetlands and low-cost y
city housing. She is a quiet,
liberal politician who unfor-
tunately tends to follow the k
lead of forceful Mayor Liz
Brater. This contributes toHanna-Davies
the problems with city coun-
cil: elected representatives who do not consis-
tently take meaningful stands, say what they
think, or actively voice their concerns. More-
over, as apolitical appointee ofthe Brater politi-
cal machine, Hanna-Davies is apt to disregard
dissenting concerns for intra-party political co-
hesion.
Libertarian candidate David Raaflaub is an
intimidating political figure who has run for a
plethora of public offices. Raafiaub promotes
the idea of temporarily housing the homeless in
makeshift, military-like tents in city parks;
privatizing the city dump and city recycling
services; and eliminating city-enforced housing
regulations. Raaflaub's ideal is a free and pros-
perous society, with the smallest government
possible.'Ihisisindeedcounterto Hanna-Davies,
who said she will spend any amount of money
to ensure everyone in the city is housed.
Raaflaub is not just anti-Brater, anti-council,
or anti-Democratic, but anti-establishment. His

T HE BATTLE FOR the 2nd Ward city coun-
cil seat is a heavily contested race between
DemocratBarbaraBach, RepublicanJane
Lumm, and Libertarian William Krebaum. All
three are credible, extremely qualified, experi-
enced and represent probably the most commu-
nity-orientated lot of council candidates in recent
history. But due to her strong
environmental commitment,
broad perspective as a busi-
ness-owner, and interest in
student concerns, the Daily
endorses Democrat Barbara
Bach.
Although Lumm is a
highly knowledgeable sup-
porter of small business and
cost-effective government,
Bach and Krebaum is an experi-
enced founding member of
the area Libertarian Party, Bach seemes most
willing to back up her promises with action. All
candidates said they have an interest in listening
to student concerns, but Bach has already met
repeatedly with student groups and pledged her
intent to keep a consistent open dialogue.
Council-appointee Bach is an assertive, inde-
pendent-minded candidate, who espouses bud-
get cost-cutting and political cooperation. She
managed the SAFEHouse initiative on last
November's ballot and assisted in the implemen-
tation of Title IX, a law that mandates equal
opportunities forboys and girls, inthe Ann Arbor
Public School system. Bach willbring invaluable
hands-on public-policy know-how to the city
budget process, in which she promises to "hold
thelineontaxes andinsistonfiscal responsibility
on council." Bach is sensitive to natural features
protections and to the need for police account-
ability.
Lumm, a self-professed flower child, is a

To the Daily:
It is unfortunate that
Natosha Morris in "Homo-
sexuality is not a nationality"
(3/18/93) feels the need to
assert that "my suffering is
worse than your suffering."
This has the effect of not only
alienating people from her
cause, but also slamming
homosexuals for no apparent
reason.
No, there isn't any
"country" that homosexuals
can call their homeland. Is
this fact relevant? Hardly.
The contention that homo-
sexuality is not a nationality
is both uninteresting and
germane to the main preju-
dices encountered by
homosexuals today. To be a
homosexual in today's
society is to be a member of a
group which could prove
dangerous at any time.
I find it ironic, then, that

in the wake of all the gay-
bashing we've seen in recent
years, Ms. Morris informs us
that "the majority of the
population in this country will
not allow such psychopathol-
ogy" such as torture, degrada-
tion, and dehumanization to
be tolerated. Not only has this
been tolerated, but up until
January 20, 1993, such
behavior has effectively been
encouraged. Can you imagine
a 1993 military ban on
Blacks?
But, as stated above, to
compare traumas has the
effect only of constructing
new boundaries between
groups. Rather, Ms. Morris
would do well to attempt to
empathize with the plight of
homosexuals in our culture.
Misinformed arguments such
as the following one further
detract from the column's
credibility. First Ms. Morris

asserts that people on campus
say that a sign offensive to
African Americans would
never be given this much
attention, then she says
African-American women
were offended by the "Pussie
Rd." sign, therefore, the first
statement does not hold. Give
me a break. When people say
that the reaction to the sign
was different because it
pertained to women rather
than Blacks, they don't mean
that no Blacks could possibly
be offended by the sign.
With all due respect, Ms.
Morris would do well to
study the facts and write a
clear, sensical column - not
an irrational, abrasive piece
which is an underhanded
swipe at another minority.
Loren Shevitz
RC Senior

Morris' column insults homosexuals

Basketball fans
should sing
national anthem
To the Daily:
I have read in the Daily
several times how the crowds
at Crisler Arena are not
enthusiastic enough during
basketball games. One other
thing I noticed is how the
crowd hushes up during the .
playing of the Star-Spangled
Banner. Even though the
announcer invites everybody
to join in the singing of it,
everybody acts as if it were a
moment of silence or some-
thing while the music of the
national anthem blares in the
background.
I, like probably everybody
else in the stands, can not sing
worth anything. But since the
crowd always does a good job
with "Hail to the Victors," I
think it would sound great if
the fans would join in the
singing of the national
anthem. The Star-Spangled
Banner was always meant to
be sung and, who knows,
maybe singing it and the
accompanying feelings of
patriotism it creates might get
the crowds more into the
game.


Teaching Assistants work hard, deserve raise

To the Daily:
I commend Frank DeSanto
for his article that appeared in
The Ann Arbor News,
"Teaching assistants seek
higher wages to make ends
meet."
I took a course fall
semester 1992, "Writing about
Great Books," taught by

each book. Both papers were
considered as final papers -
not drafts - and were
penalized for errors, (e.g.,
spelling, run-on sentences,
dangling modifiers, sentence
fragments, etc.). A student's
grade was determined by the
quality of the revision from
naner one to naner two, and

at least one two-hour lecture
per week.
In addition, the assistants
had office hours and graded
numerous papers. This caused
considerable stress for the
students and the assistants
who were overloaded. All of
the assistants were concur-
rently working on their own

Wayne Chen
neering senior