4- The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 22, 1996
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420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
RONNIE GLASSBERG
Editor in Chief
ADRIENNE JANNEY
ZACHARY M. RAIMI
Editorial Page Editors
Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily s editorial board. All
other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily refleci the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
FROM THE DAILY
Shedding some gIIIt
is
NOTABLE QUOTABLE,
' voted mostly because of name recognition
from the fliers I have seen.'
- LSA sophomore Rachel Goldner on yesterday and today ' MSA elections
JIM LASSER SHARP AS TOAST
E'V~ NEVE HAD 'FHE PASENERS TAK1IC-, NOTE S BEfFoR
~-r~I
(E- I
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
SHAKING THE TREE
Monogamy?
Not for this
college crowd
Winters' case brings
O n Nov. 12, University football player
Chuck Winters was arrested for beat-
ing his ex-stepfather, Horace Davis, uncon-
scious with a baseball bat. According to
divorce documents, Davis threatened to kill
Winter's mother while the two were mar-
ried, and he made numerous other threats.
Members of the Winters family have told
reporters that Davis had abusive tendencies.
hile acting violently toward another is not
a good way to solve problems, Winters may
have been reacting to a volatile family situ-
'tion.
Although the case has already received a
lot of media attention, it is by no means an
isolated event in the University community.
Many University students and faculty are
not strangers to domestic violence in their
families. The University and Ann Arbor
vommunities have created some vital
resources for survivors.
YAbuse, which can be physical, sexual,
emotiohal or a combination of the three, is
a tactic to create and maintain power over a
partner. Ignorance has led to several stereo-
types and misconceptions about the abuse
- for example, some believe domestic vio-
lence is more likely to occur in lower-class
families, while in actuality, it occurs at all
class levels. However, abuse occurs fre-
quently in all levels of society; it can affect
people of any sex, race, socioeconomic
class and sexual orientation.
Although some people may believe that
domestic violence does not happen often,
statistics prove otherwise. In 1990, the FBI
reported that half of all female homicide
victims were killed by their ex-partners.
Despite startling statistics, domestic vio-
lence does not receive the attention it
deserves in order to help stop the problem.
But many in the University and Ann
Arbor communities are working to dispel
these and other myths - as well as encour-
i
abuse issue to front
age the community to become involved. For
example, the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual
Programs Office and the Sexual Assault
Prevention and Awareness Center spon-
sored a discussion on violence in same-sex
relationships Monday. Violence in same-sex
relationships is a very real issue, but often
overlooked - society not only chooses to
ignore domestic violence, but is unsupport-
ive of the gay and lesbian partnerships.
Many same-sex partners do not report part-
ner assaults against them because they fear
- legitimately - they will not be taken as
seriously as survivors in opposite-sex cou-
ples.
The University and Ann Arbor provide
survivors with many resources. SAPAC, a
University program, and Safehouse, a bat-
tered women's shelter in Ann Arbor, both
offer counseling, drop-in support and/or
discussion groups and 24-hour crisis hot-
lines. Safehouse has an excellent facility
dedicated to sheltering women who seek
protection. It also has programs for children
who escaped abusive households with their
mothers. The Assault Crisis Center of
Washtenaw County is another place to turn
for help. University Counseling services
and LGBPO both offer another outlet for
counseling.
Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti have taken
tough stances on domestic violence -
police officers are required by law to arrest,
without a warrant, a suspect if the officer
has "probable cause" that an assault has
taken place. Officers are then supposed to
give the survivor information on shelters
and community programs.
Despite all of the programs, prevention
and enforcement, the group that really
needs to get tough on domestic violence is
society as a whole. A majority of society
still accepts abuse as a way of life - even
for themselves or someone they know.
Accessing the Internet
FCC proposals would benefit young students
T hroughout his presidential campaign,
Bill Clinton touted an educational pro-
gram that would have all children logging
on to the Internet by age 12. Under the aus-
pices of the massive Telecommunications
Act of 1996, he may be able to keep that
campaign promise. Last week, in accor-
dance with "universal service" mandates
included in the act, a special panel of the
Federal Communications Commission and
utility officials revealed a proposal for
$2.25 billion in telecommunication service
discounts for schools and libraries. The
chief component of these services would
come in the form of getting schools wired
for Internet access, and to provide discounts
in access rates once that is achieved.
A panel composed of four FCC officials,
four utilities officials and one consumer
advocate drafted these proposals. The pro-
posals would benefit the youth and U.S.
educational institutions. These plans would
help spread computer use throughout the
nation's schools. By extending the opportu-
nity to access the Internet at a young age,
the proposals could start children on the
road to technological literacy - a skill that
is becoming increasingly important.
Another benefit of the proposals is
found in their language, which call for 20-
to 90-percent discounts on the costs of
telecommunication services. The actual dis-
count awarded to any district would be con-
tingent upon the financial status of its stu-
dents - the more students eligible for the
free lunch program, the greater the discount
help poorer districts most, allowing them to
narrow the technological gap between
themselves and financially healthy districts.
Finally, the authors of the proposals
envision the sum of $2.25 billion as a min-
imum. If this goal were not met in any year,
the surplus funds would carry over to later
years, allowing flexibility in the plan.
However, the recommendations are not
without flaws. These large discounts would
primarily come from the coffers of telecom-
munication companies; they would proba-
bly pass their costs onto customers. More
important, the proposals focus only on tech-
nical costs, such as those of wiring schools
for Internet access. It fails to address the
financial burdens of buying and maintain-
ing computer equipment. The authors also
did not include any provisions for training
teachers about the Internet, a crucial com-
ponent in introducing any new technologies
to the classroom setting. Without the hard-
ware necessary to log onto the Internet, or
the presence of teachers capable of under-
standing that global network, discounted
service fees and a perfect set of Internet-
ready cables would be of no use. (The act
also contains a vague Internet obscenity
clause, designed to censure users.)
Nevertheless, the FCC and utility offi-
cials have taken an important step to bring
schools and libraries fully into the informa-
tion age. Telecommunication companies
should move to implement the funding pro-
posals. Then it is up to other sectors to fol-
low through on their lead, and provide
Daily should
support
Prop. 209
TO THE DAILY:
The Michigan Daily has
long been vigorous in its
condemnation of racial dis-
crimination, for which it is to
be genuinely applauded. In
view of that resistance to dis-
crimination of every kind, the
recent hostility of the editors
of the Daily to California's
Proposition 209 is puzzling.
The operative paragraph of
that proposition, now to
become part of the
Constitution of the state of
California, reads in full as
follows:
"The State shall not dis-
criminate against, or grant
preferential treatment to, any
individual or group on the
basis o race, sex color, eth-
nicity. or national origin in
the operation of public
employment, public educa-
tion, or public contracting."
This wording closely fol-
lows the language of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964,
adding only five words "or
grant preferential treatment
to." I find it difficult to
understand what it is about
this public reaffirmation of
nondiscrimination by the
state that might justify your
angry opposition to it.
CARL COHEN
PROF. OF PHILOSOPHY
'Ground Zero'
lacks humor,
intelligence
TO THE DAILY:
T have been an avid reader
of the Daily this year, and for
the life ofIme I could never
figure out the humor
involved in Yuki Kunyuki's
"Ground Zero."
Finally it dawned on me
while flipping through the
Daily when I spied that Jim
Lasser is both the author of
"Sharp as Toast" on the edi-
torial page. and the
"University V comic strip.
My theory is this: Lasser
is "Kuniyuki" and draws
these horrible cartoons twice
a week to make his own strip
look comparatively better!
Am I right? If Lasser can
draw eight cartoons a week,
why not two more? No sane
cartoonist would find humor
in "Top 10 reasons we knowv
it's winter:" "we need more
bike racks," and some
Refrigerator Perry bear eat-
ing Purdue cupcakes.
If my theor is correct,
this is certainly a piece of
pure propaganda brilliance
on the part of the Daily:
Readers open up to the edito-
rial nae on Tuesdays and
sion, please come clean and
tell the truth about Yuki -
he's the worst.
CLARK SCHIER
LSA SOPHOMORE
Lasser's
illustrations
are 'poignant'
TO THE DAILY:
Editorial comments are
usually reserved for com-
plaints. I would like to offer a
word of congratulations. The
witty and poignant commen-
tary found in Jim Lasser's
"Sharp as Toast" comic strip
deserves high praise.
So much of our daily
news is depressing. Hard-
nosed Associated Press arti-
cles tend to leave the student
feeling lost and helpless.
Lasser sheds a light-hearted
glow upon current issues in a
way that brings clarity and
hope to our generation.
I have read past letters to
the editor with a heavy heart
because they have been criti-
cal of Lasser's work. Lasser's
cartoons have been called
both racist and inappropriate.
I think that comments like
these show the effectiveness
of Lasser's work, and a
humor void amongst certain
members of the student body.
Racism and uniformity
are big issues to University
students. Lasser uses raw wit
and humorous sarcasm, plus
a great deal of artistic ability,
to dissolve differences
between students and high-
light the humor in the dreary
everyday news. Many stu-
dents start their day with a
quick flip to Lasser's cartoon,
a routine that ensures a good
start to the day.
MATTHEW KIRSHNER
LSA SOPHOMORE
Winters is a
'quality' man
TO THE DAILY:
Chuck Winters is one of
the most outstanding individ-
uals I have ever been associ-
ated with at the University.
Being a campus leader, I had
very few opportunities to
meet and interact with varsity
athletes. A mutual friend put
Winters in touch with me
about organizing a public ser-
vice campaign against
domestic violence. When
Winters spoke to me about
his plans, he spoke energeti-
cally, sincerely, and very pas-
sionately about his ideas.
Before I graduated, Winters
already had a detailed plan
and was working to imple-
ment it.
Winters is truly a quality
indiidal-1He nosessece a
Reaction to
cartoon is
overly
sensitive
TO THE DAILY:
I must comment on the
letter by Shawna Lee that
was in the November 14th
issue ("Cartoon was insensi-
tive"), concerning the
Ground Zero cartoon of Nov.
12. Lee says the cartoon
implied "we live in a commu-
nity of only light skinned
people"
Welcome to reality ...
those of Caucasian descent
rarely turn blue from cold.
Why don't you try red,
maybe pink - and if you
suffer from frostbite, you
turn a pale, blue-yellow
color, regardless of your skin
tone.
"Blue" is, and was, meant
as a figure of speech. The
issue was looked at a little
too deeply ... perhaps readers
should not be so quick to
take defense at petty things.
One cannot deny that we,
as Americans, live in an
unjust and racist society, but
overemphasizing and deriv-
ing nonexistent messages
only further separates races
and ethnicities.
CAMILLE NOE
LSA FIRST-YEAR STUDENT
OSU will
trounce 'U' in
big game
TO THE DAILY:
I am originally from
Columbus, Ohio, but I attend
the University of Missouri.
The reason for my letter is an
effort to make Michigan fans
aware of the fact that you all
have no chance when you
play Ohio State University.
Your football team is so
sad! How many games have
you lost now, three or four?
You've lost so many games
that I've lost track! How do
you lose to Purdue? Our vic-
tory this week will clinch the
national championship as our
record will improve to 11-0.
After we win, Michigan
will be lucky to even make a
bowl. Your team flat out
sucks! That thing you call a
defense will never hold our
Buckeye offense.
Dreisbach is the reason
you lost to Purdue; and he'll
be a key factor in your loss to
Ohio State. I mean, how many
interceptions can one team
throw in a game? We are
going to walk all over you.
* And don't get me started
about the rest of your offense
- it goes without saying that
it is horrible.
M4y 36-year-old sister just got a
new boyfriend. For the 45th
time.
Think 36. What comes to mind? Over
the hill? Wrinkles? Varicose vein4
Not even. Not
necessarily. Life
isn't over after
college.
My sister is
Madonna's long-
lost twin. Thin,:
sf-
blond, beautiful, 'P
brilliant. She has
had many mar-
riage proposals in' w s r
her 20 years of
dating, and she's H TIE
turned them all HUTCHINS
down.
So she is not married, and she has no
prospects. But all my sister ever want-
ed was to be a wife and mother. She
thought college was a good way to
meet men.
And it was. She met many men -
even decent, cute ones. But she did4
meet one she thought she could spen
the rest of her life with. And, unfortu-
nately, she got a degree and now she's
a career woman.
And it kind of made mie wonder
whether our generation will be much
different. Particularly because we're
not even looking. Now, unlike in my
sister's generation, many of us feel that
our career comes before family, that a
Ph.D. comes before the two-car, two-
kid, suburban life.
Among all my friends, I know of one
--just one - long-term relationship.
It's a rarity in this town. Because
nobody's lookingtfor long-tem rela-
tionships anymore.
It takes so much effort to look, so I
think many of us have given up trying.
You'd think with all these youn,
attractive smart people crammed
together in one little town with n
much to do, we'd be seeing coup
everywhere.
But the overwhelming amount of
good prospects is precisely the prob-
lem. As a friend of mine put it, it's all
about supply and demand. There's too
big of a supply, so we figure we'll kick
back and they'll come to us.
So we don't actively pursue some-
one unless we really, really want
them. And we don't really, really
want anyone because we don't activ
ly pursue anyone long enough to find
out if they're our soul mate. And even
if we do pursue someone long
enough to find out that we want to
pursue them, they surely don't want
us back because there's too big of a
supply.
Everyone's quite familiar with this
ages-old problem of people not liking
anyone who likes them back. I'
beginning to think it's in our nature.
But the current problem is much big-
ger than that. It's a huge effort to get a
good catch to even call you for a sec-
ond date.
We can afford to be very, very picky,
and we are. So if you screw up just a
little bit, all is lost. Oh, I don't want
him because he smokes. I can't deal
with anyone who doesn't love the
Grateful Dead. I really liked her until I
saw those hideous shoes she wore tl
other day.-
As my 36-year-old sister once said,
men are like buses. If you miss this
one, that's OK because there's always
another one coming along. So why
chase the bus that's halfway down the
street already?
I think the long-term relationship
stage comes sometime after college,
but sometime before we (women) turn
36. Because in the mid-20s, people 4
know start marrying off like crazy, anm
it makes us panic.
And we're no longer in a dorm room
packedwith boys at their sexual peak,
and we're no longer meeting new
young people every day. So a guy who
you once would never look twice at
suddenly becomes your best possible
hope.
Supply and demand is what's killing
my sister right now. There are tons
mid-30s women, who, if they want
have kids, need to get married soon.
And a guy, if he wants to, can wait to
settle down until he's 60. And he
always has the option of dating a much
younger woman, because - according
to sociobiologists - guys just want
cute women and women want rich,
powerful men.
But this whole situation makes col-
lege a little less fun.
I'd like to practice this long-ter
relationship thing once or twice before
it really counts. Because I have no idea
what it's like to be romantically
involved with someone for more than
two weeks.
Rut ;nseaa of ;maning into a rea-
1