4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 9, 1994
(IteC £ibinitt&ulg
It's like a choice of being shot in the left ventricle or the
right ventricle.'
-Ann Arbor City Councilmember Larry Hunter (D-1st Ward), on Proposal A,
the March 15 school finance ballot proposal
420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed
by students at the
University of Michigan
JESSIE HALLADAY
Editor in Chief
SAM GooDSTEIN
FLIr WANESs
Editorial Page Editors
t4LfTls t.oT LJE At C(>oQMo0 .
1
Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of the Daily's editorial board.
All other articles, letters, and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
A vigi postponed
Diag policy unfairly restricts freedom of expression
/l
-5- ~
FruIN N
I O
7'I-
'A
ast Friday night, the Arab American
t
u
dent Assembly (ARAMSA) held a vigil
in memory of the massacre of Moslems by a
right-wing Jew which occurred last month in
Hebron. ARAMSA had originally hoped to
hold the vigil on the Monday directly follow-
ing the massacre, but due to regulations of the
University's "Diag Policy" the group had to
postpone the vigil until Friday. The Diag
Policy, which was put into effect in January of
1993, requires, among other things, that any
group wishing to hold a demonstration in the
Diag give at least seven days notice before
their event. Because ARAMSA did not give
this notice, they were not allowed to hold their
vigil directly in the wake of the massacre, as
they had hoped. This postponement is a
clear example of how the Diag Policy cur-
tails the opportunities students have to voice
their beliefs.
The reasoning behind the policy, as stated
in the policy's preamble, is to "assure that all
facilities operated by the University are main-
tained in a safe and orderly manner that sup-
ports the basic University functions of teach-
ing, research and service." If the reasoning
behind the policy is to provide a safe and
orderly manner for service at the University,
why would a peaceful night vigil to com-
memorate lost lives be postponed? Is the Diag
so crowdedwithstudents on a Monday evening
that thevigil would have created problems for
"order"? If the University is concerned with
teaching the ideas of safe conduct on its
campus, then what better example is there
than a peaceful remembrance of the lives lost
in Hebron?
According to Walt Harrison, Vice Presi-
dent for University Relations, the University
would not "bust up" vigils or protests that
need to be commenced immediately, and are
Out of line on
Ann Arbor City Councilmember Peter
Nicolas had some errands to do, so he
excused himself from part of a debate on
whether to oppose Proposal A, the school-
financing plan on next Tuesday's ballot.
Councilmember Peter Fink also walked
out of part of the debate, but for different
reasons. "When you guys sort this out, I'll
come back," Fink snapped at council mem-
bers in the middle of an hour-long discussion
Mondaynight onwhether to oppose the ballot
plan.
In the end, Fink and three other council
Republicans voted against the resolution to
urge voters to reject Proposal A. Nicolas did
not vote on the resolution, but his vote would
not have swayed the outcome. The six Demo-
cratswho voted in favor of opposing Proposal
A flexed their political muscles convincingly,
in effect speaking for the whole council while
ignoring many unresolved questions on the
impact of the ballot plan.
The most controversial provision of Pro-
posal A would raise the state sales tax from
four to six percent and trim the income tax rate
from 4.6 to 4.4 percent, using the extra sales
tax revenue to fund the state's schools. Failure
of "A" would cause school funding to revert
to a legislative plan that would raise the in-
come tax to six percent, without changing the
sales tax rate. While the ballot proposal was
conceived by both Democrats and Republi-
cans in the state legislature, it has become
increasingly identified with Gov. John
Engler's re-election campaign. Political wis-
dom holds that approval of "A" would help
carry the Republican governor to a second
term. Councilmember Larry Hunter, who in-
troduced the resolution against Proposal A,
correctly argues that the legislative backup
plan is fairer to low-income taxpayers, who
he says would be most harmed by a sales-tax
hike.
not causing any damage. Fair enough, but
this only reaffirms the inherent problems in
the Diag Policy. First, the University cre-
ated the policy simply in order to rid the
campus of Hash Bash - evidenced by the
selective enforcement of the policy that
Harrison himself alludes to.
Moreover, prior to the implementation of
the policy, there had been no examples of
classes having to close down because of
noisy protests or weekday demonstrations
that were extensively damaging University
property. The Diag has a great history of
peaceful protest; a history that stands endan-
gered by a policy that forces students to
either stay at home, or break the policy and
hope that it is true that their demonstration
won't be broken up.
World events do not conform to a Univer-
sity calendar, nor do emotions fit a seven-day
waiting period. The University has a long
history of student activism and involvement
in the events going on around them. The right
to protest is an integral part of that involve-
ment, and the Diag has always been a place
where students could have their voices heard.
Now the University has taken that right, and
that tradition, away.
Although the policy directly states that its
purpose is not to deny students their freedom
of speech, the ultimate effect is just that. The
fact that ARAMSA was eventually allowed
to hold its vigil is not the point at hand. The
fact of the matter is that free speech is a right
every single day of the week. While the
University obviously needs to have some sort
of authority on what activities take place on
campus, in situations like these not only is
there no need for the University's interven-
tion, that intervention serves to deny students
basic rights of expression. The University
must abolish this oppressive policy, which
serves only to interfere with the peaceful
monstrations it suppo dly ndones.
shows that the 1st Ward Democrat clearly
does not speak for all of council. And by
making his resolution against "A," Hunter
dragged the council into a debate in which it
has no legitimate part. City Council is an
elected body whose job is to make laws
regarding the City of Ann Arbor, not to tell its
constituents how to vote.
Furthermore, city officials still are in the
dark about the only relevant portion of the
debate - how much either plan would cost
Ann Arbor. This fact, which Hunter refused
to acknowledge when he asserted that Pro-
posal A is worse than its alternative, reduces
the council's debate on the ballot proposal to
nothing more than partisan posturing.
Nicolas and the four council Republicans
urged the city's legislative body not to be
drawn into the fray over Proposal A. They
urged that, as interest groups on both sides of
the issue mount expensive publicity cam-
paigns to win a majority of the vote, the
council should try to clear the smokescreens.
In place of Hunter's resolution to oppose
"A," Nicolas suggested - in a proposal that
was ultimately rejected by the council-that
the city use its cable television service to
provide unbiased information about the pro-
posal. Nicolas' intention is laudable but un-
workable. With less than a week before the
election, and a lack of objective information
about the ballot issue, Ann Arbor officials
would be hard-pressed to inform voters about
an issue that is less a city question than a
statewide controversy.
Hunter - the Democrat who introduced
the resolution in the first place - accused
council Republicans of playing partisan poli-
tics, saying that Fink would not oppose Pro-
posal A regardless of its merits because Gov.
Engler, his fellow Republican, supports it.
Hunter then blasted the debate as "charades"
and a "three-ring circus."
7-
r -
I ________________________
Grad students defend
Prof. Goldberg
To the Daly:
We, the undersigned
graduate students, enrolled in
and completed Prof. David
Goldberg's Fall 1993
introductory statistics course
(Sociology 510). As The
Michigan Daily and other
periodicals have reported, a
year ago a number of students
accused Dr. Goldberg of
creating an uncomfortable
learning environment for
female and minority students
by making racist and sexist
statements in class. The
accusation wasamade
anonymously, and,
apparently, was based upon
hearsay. In contrast, our
comments regarding Dr.
Goldberg are based upon first-
hand experience, and we
choose to publicly identify
ourselves.
Prof. Goldberg impressed
us as a teacher passionately
committed both to social
justice and to cultivation
among his students the skills
and habits of critical thinking.
In the classroom as well as
during office hours, he
consistently solicited and was
receptive to our questions,
patiently and supportively
explained difficult course
concepts, and make the effort
to relate statistical theory to
students' concerns regarding
class, gender and race
inequities. He also brought a
much appreciated element of
playfulness to the learning
process.
In short, Prof. Goldberg
seemed to us not only free of
prejudice, but also deeply and
sincerely caring about
studentsand about teaching.
We have no doubt that he felt
particularly hurt by the
accusations of sexism and
racism. We, of course, have
no way of knowing what
actually was done or said in
his class during the fall of
1992. Based, however, upon
our experience of his
teaching, we can find no
grounds for the accusations
against him. Dr. Goldberg's
class was a valuable part of
our graduate education, and
we unreservedly recommend
his courses to other students.
DAVID SCHWARTZ
SNRE graduate student
CHRISTY LEMAK
HSOP/Public Health
graduatie student
AND OTHERS
Society must treat
death process openly
To the Daily:
Rather than deal with the
controversial subject of
physician-assisted medicide,
society tends to sweep the
controversy under the carpet.
Society has prolonged life
through artificial means. Now,
the terminally ill are
accelerating the process of
death by artificial means. Can
society have it both ways?
If a patient has an
incurable illness, exhausted
all other options, decides on
no further treatment and goes
home, who is liable for the
decision? Permission granted
to go home and wait to die,
but permission denied to
accelerate the inevitable.
Some claim that assisted
medicide violates religious
tenants. Maybe, maybe not.
According to Ronald
Dworkin, a law professor at
Oxford, life is sacred, but is
unbearable pain and suffering
more respectful of the
sacredness of life, or is it more
respectful to assist that person
to end his or her life with
dignity and peace? Which side
of this seesaw is more humane
and compassionate?
By their own actions, the
terminally ill are trying to
establish laws and guidelines
for physician assisted
medicide. Instead, society
confuses the message with the
messenger. What brought this
topic into the limelight was
not Dr. Jack Kevorkian solely
but also those people who
chose to end their lives rather
than live with a terminal
illness.
The state of Michigan has
the opportunity to devise laws
and guidelines for physician
assisted medicide. Michigan
must focus on freedom of
choice. The only thing that
should be swept under the
carpet regarding the death
process is superstition.
VIVIAN WALCZESKY
LSA senior
Ten Myths
About
Vietnam
"Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam,
we'ye all been there" wrote
Michael Herr. and we all have.
For those who lived through it in
their youth, and now for their
kids who see it on the screen,
Vietnam is history - but history
obscured by myths. Myths are
not all that bad, but they are not
all that true, either. As the trade
embargo lifts and we mark an-
other of the many "endings" of
the Vietnam War (Note well: it
will never "end"; human memory
does not work that way), let us
look over some of the myths of
that war. Most were created, were
in fact insisted upon, by our presi-
dents, priests and professors dur-
ing the war; some have grown up
since. None were innocent; all
served somebody's agenda for
power. All were believed at the
time by many Americans, in-
cluding their creators. And none
seem true anymore in the hind-
sight of almost half a century.
Here are my own Top 10 Viet-
nam Myths, roughly in order of
their creation. I used to believe
some of them.
Communism will conquer the
world by force or subversion
unless America stops it, every-
where and anywhere.
The war in French Indochina
is being fought to stop Commu-
nism. The French are losing, it,
and Americans must help them
or watch the dominoes of South-
east Asia fall.
The French lost the war in
Indochina because they are -
well, you know - French: lov-
ers, losers, hated colonialists. But
Communism may still be stopped
if the Americans-fighters, win-
ners, champions of freedom -
intervene in Vietnam to stop it.
There are now two countries
in Vietnam, North/Communist
Vietnam and South/Democratic
Vietnam. The North is an ag-
gressor, and will invade the
South. America must aid and
advise the South.
The government of South
Vietnam works, and its army
fights well against the Commu-
nist invasion from the North.
America must increase its aid
and advice, particularly military
aid and advice, to the South.
The problems of South Viet-
nam can be solved by American
military power. Strategic bomb-
ing of the North and search and
destroy operations in the South
will bring victory.
The problems of South Viet-
nam can be solved by
"Vietnamization" of the war.
America must massively in-
crease its military aid to the South
while withdrawing its own
ground troops. American
airpower will stand by to clob-
ber the North as needed.
American strategic bombing
won the war over Christmas, gain-
ing peace with honor.
We could have won the war,
but "they" tied one hand behind
our back. "They" include the me-
dia, rock and roll, liberals, hippies,
peace creeps, Democrats like LBJ,
Republicans like Kissinger and
traitors like Jane Fonda.
Hundreds of American POWs
were kept in North Vietnam after
thear ndme nthm re sil
i
a4
..
Hebron coverage displays Daily's anti-Semitism
By ARYEH M. CAROLINE
Since my youth, I have
learned to both expect and
accept the double standard
that the media has imposed on
the Jews throughout their
struggle in the Middle East
with their Arab neighbors.
However, prior to recent
events, I attributed it to a
higher moral standard
expected of Jews, a standard
which I impose on myself.
Now, after following the
media coverage since the
Hebron massacre, I am more
inclined to attribute the
double standard to ignorance
and anti-Semitism. In fact, I
can find no other
rationalization for the media's
attempt to extrapolate the
deeds of one mad man and
impose them upon an entire
nation which is so
fundamentally opposed to his
or any other terrorist's
actions.
Most particularly, I am
disturbed by the media's
attempt to equate Jewish and
Arh P.r.mr IT frt th.
disproportionately quoted this
minority, leaving the
impression that Kach
accurately represents popular
Jewish opinion on the matter.
Hamas, which is basically the
Arab version of the Kach
party, represents the views of
over 50 percent of the
Palestinians living on the
West Bank according to
recent polls.
Another basic difference
between the Jews and the
Arabs is the attitude of their
religious leaders. After the
Hebron massacre, a vast
majority of even the most
right-wing rabbis condemned
the act as sacrilegious. On the
other hand, Arab terrorism is
not only accepted but is
promoted by Islamic clerics
from the West Bank to Syria
and even as far as Iran. It is
not uncommon to hear chants
of "Kill the Jews" come from
the loudspeakers of clerics
blasted over the Temple
Mount as well as all over the
Middle East.
Jewish control over any part
of Israel. My Muslim friends
tell me that such violence also
violates the Qur'an. Perhaps
the Arabs have a different
version of the Qur'an than the
other Muslims.
Recent events have led me
to believe that anti-Semitism
in the Daily far surpasses that
of the rest of the media.
During the past week, the
Daily found it important to
have five straight days of
headlines concerning the
repercussions of the Hebron
massacre. However, they did
not consider an attack on
American students, on
American soil, by an Arab
terrorist worthy of as much
mention. (For those of you
who use the Daily as their
source of information, last
Tuesday, a van full of
American Jewish students
returning home from a visit to
their rabbi in the hospital was
attacked on the Brooklyn
Bridge by an Arab terrorist. A
16-year-old boy now lays
i