4A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 13, 1997
4Iw £rtidgituI lg
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 JOSH WHITE
S~ Editor in Chief
Edited and managed by yERIN MARSH
students at the ..
Editorial Page Editor
University of Michigan .
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 reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
FROM THE DAILY
Breaking the silence
Code does not help accuser or accused
C losed doors, pacts of secrecy and punishment at the University than local, state
excruciatingly long trials without and federal systems because "the University
lawyers or a judge bring to mind some dark has higher standards (of conduct)."
brand of justice that existed only in history Does the University have so little respect
or in the movies. for the American judicial system that it must
It also exists at the University. Not only create this insufficient knockoff? And what
does it exist here, it is the primary mode by should students make of the "higher stan-
which to decide guilt, innocence and pun- dards" of which Antieau speaks? Certainly,
ishment on campus. the standards are not representative of the
The Code of Student Conduct has struck entire University community. The Code res-
again. The Code, implemented by the olution panel consists of five students who
University Board of Regents in 1993, stands act as judge and jury for individual Code
as the University's vastly imperfect judicial cases. Antieau bases her assumption of
system. The Code's panel of five students "higher standards" on the standards and val-
decides cases based on testimony from the ues of those students. When the regents
accused and the accuser, neither of whom are usurped the justice system to implement the
allowed the benefit - and the legal right in Code four years ago, they did it for the
the judicial system - of legal representa- "higher standards" of a measly handful of
tion. Students tried under the Code may not student jurors. Moreover, the student pan-
seek precedent for their cases; all files of elists receive grossly inadequate training for
previous cases are closed to the public. the important decisions they must put forth.
The most recent case brought to light is The creators and enforcers of the Code
known only as "Case 97-39." A female take themselves too seriously to justify the
University student accused a male Code as just another learning experience. The
University student of sexually harassing and secret and arbitrary nature of all the Code's
sexually assaulting her in a fraternity house proceedings mark it as a primitive and under-
last spring. After several hours of testimony, handed way to pursue justice. It robs students
the Code student panel found the male stu- of rights they would have in any court in the
dent not guilty of sexual assault and sexual country: legal representation, access to previ-
harassment, but guilty of battery, harass- ous case decisions and the principle of"inno-
ment and underage alcohol possession. cent until proven guilty" The Code disser-
The University community knows about vices both the accused and the accuser -
the incident only because the two students both are forced to prove their case without the
involved broke the pact of silence and came benefits characteristic of legal trials.
forward with their stories. If it were up to Since its inception in 1993, cases tried
the University, the student population under the Code of Student Conduct have
would still be in the dark about the case. resulted in eight suspensions and three
Mary Lou Antieau, the judicial code expulsions. Eleven cases resulting in severe
adviser in the Office of Conflict Resolution, punishment - and the University communi-
maintains that the Code serves as a valuable ty knows nothing about them. If the
"educational" tool. Through the Code, she University administration is looking to teach
hopes that students will internalize some val- students something about the "real world," it
ues of right and wrong to carry with them should start by abolishing the Code - a sys-
into a successful post-University life. Antieau tem that would never survive in the world
claims that the Code is a better instrument for outside the hallowed halls of the University.
ks th & si Wesson
" NOTABLE QUOTABLE,
'I feel so bad for Steve. He's not a cheater. ... He's a
victim of high-pressure, big-time athletics. Obey the rules,
but you're in trouble if you don't bring home the gold.'
- ESPN basketball analyst Dick Vitale
JORDAN YOUNGGTT NE
HAV'I You HA1 D-ouTz
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Child safety locks may
M ore than one-third of privately owned
handguns - some 22 million - are
kept loaded and unlocked. While most hand-
gun owners store their guns responsibly, the
rest create a dangerous environment for chil-
dren. Gun accidents in the home cause
injuries to nearly 1,500 children every year.
In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling the
Brady Act unconstitutional, President Bill
Clinton met with eight major gun makers
Who promised to install childproof locks on
all new handguns by the end of 1998. The
deal will keep unsuspecting children safe
from the dangers of a loaded, unlocked hand-
gun. The gun makers should be applauded for
their commitment to keeping children safe.
The childproof locks come, under criti-
cism from many gun proponents. They
argue the locks threaten personal safety
because of the time necessary to unlock the
trigger in an impending, dangerous situa-
tion. If all handgun owners kept guns out of
childrens' hands, the locks would not be
necessary. But in 1994, 185 children died
from gun accidents in the home. Children
often devise ways of finding things parents
don't intend for them to come across. Given
the possible threat to childrens' lives, there
can be no room for mistakes.
Childproof locks are currently available
for handguns - however, many gun owners
do not bother purchasing them. Their rea-
sons stem from the extra cost of the trigger
locks to the time involved in equipping the
gun. While about 80 percent of handguns
will be sold with the lock intact by the end
of next vear the 66 million uneouinned
help prevent accidents
handguns continue to pose a threat. The fed-
eral government should implement a pro-
gram to subsidize the purchase of the locks.
Parents who own guns must also come to the
call of keeping their children safe - while
purchasing the locks may be inconvenient, a
child's safety is worth the effort.
While the agreement between Clinton
and the gun makers will help keep children
safe in their home, the Supreme Court's
decision could put everyone in danger. The
Brady Act required state and local law
enforcement officers to execute a federal
regulatory program consisting of mandato-
ry background checks on handgun pur-
chasers. The Court ruled that the act unfair-
ly required states to execute a federal pro-
gram.
Twenty-seven states, including Michigan,
have their own laws governing background
checks. But the other 23 states provide an
environment in which a criminal can easily
purchase a handgun. Each state must take the
responsibility to keep guns away from crim-
inals. A second phase of the Brady Bill -
providing a nationwide instant check system
- is slated to go into effect by 1999. Until
then, state lawmakers need to insist upon
background checks to ensure that guns do
not get into the wrong hands.
Not all citizens take the necessary mea-
sures to ensure their families' safety.
Childproof locks should be installed on all
guns to protect children whose parents have
guns in the home. In addition, state officials
need to mandate background checks for all
handgun nnrchases tn ensure neonle's safet
Swastika has
a 'positive
history'
TO THE DAILY:
I am writing in response to
the story "Housing apologizes
for letter" (10/10/97). I don't
understand the reaction to the
part of the letter explaining the
origin of the swastika. I was
concerned when I first began
to see it in depictions of Hindu
deities. But it was enlightening
to find that the swastika had a
lineage going far beyond the
Nazis. I think everyone should
know it has a positive history.
After all, did not the Nazis
also appropriate the cross?
Whilepbeing aware of its gross
misuse, we should appreciate
the knowledge of its true
meaning. Those who are part
of a Hindu tradition should
not have to reject part of the
symbolism of that tradition
because of its horrible misuse.
Those of us not a part of
that tradition should be aware
in case we come across the
swastika in drawings or carv-
ings that have nothing to do
with the corruption of the
Nazi hate machine. Otherwise,
we should reject the U.S. flag
and the Christian cross
because of their use in the
murder, terrorism and continu-
ing hatred inflicted on a large
part of humanity by the Klan
and other supremacist groups.
MusoMI KIMANTHI
RACKHAM
QUP chalking
was not
appropriate
TO THE DAILY:
In "'U' grounds crew
actions were unjust'
(10/10/97) Khoa Huu Nguyen
stated that this is a diverse uni-
versity. In a diverse university,
the environment should repre-
sent the cultures present.
Here's my point: QUP plas-
tered the whole University, top
to bottom, with pro-gay and
lesbian sex graffiti.
The ground from my room
in West Quad to any class on
Central Campus was painted
with "I like my women
butch," "Kiss me I'm gay"
and various other inappropri-
ate gay and lesbian inter-
course comments. I wouldn't
even want to see these com-
ments written all over campus
if they were heterosexual in
nature. These things are a pri-
vate manner, and shouldn't be
graphically described in writ-
ten text all over campus.
Few student groups on
campus take up more than the
necessary space to make their
point, use graphic sexual
descriptions in getting their
point across, and state that
their beliefs are correct and
that other nnnl shuld h
inappropriate display of First
Amendment Rights.
BEN BAJCZ
ENGINEERING SOPHOMORE
Promise
Keepers are
not political
TO THE DAILY:
I have followed James
Miller's columns for quite
some time and more often
than not, I have enjoyed his
keen observations as well as
witty humor on diverse issues
pertaining to the University
community. However, I must
draw attention to Miller's
piece "Keep God's code at
home - and far away from
legislators" (10/8/97) and how
he has been biased toward the
large misperceptions spurred
by lack of evidence about the
Christian group known as the
Promise Keepers.
Contrary to critics' and
skeptics' opinions, the
Promise Keepers do not have
a political agenda. At the
Stand in the Gap rally held on
the National Mall in
Washington D.C., there were
more than 10 speakers who
delivered powerful messages
to men of all regions and
backgrounds. Yet none of
those speakers were politicians
or represented any special
interest group, including the
Christian Coalition. Their
messages were neither a ploy
to gain support for the reli-
gious right movement nor a
message to influence politi-
cians who attended the rally.
Its sole purpose was to
straighten the hearts of men
before God and to ask for
inner healing through
acknowledging one's own
shortcomings and through rec-
onciliation with others. Yes, I
must agree that good policy is
most often made with deals
and handshakes, but "fire and
brimstone" is not directed
toward good policy-making
but rather directed toward us
and our plan for salvation.
The Promise Keepers do
not advocate that women take
a backseat nor does it push
for male chauvinism. Too
many people have mistaken
the Promise Keepers' plight
for men to take responsibility
and leadership as fathers,
husbands and colleagues.
They believe it is demeaning
the role of women and
returning them to the back-
burners of the kitchen.
On the contrary, the
Promise Keepers are chal-
lenging men to be more nur-
turing and caring, not to
mention more respectful of
their wives and children
through realization of their
God-given responsibility. I
encourage skeptics to ask the
wives and children of those
who attended the Promise
Keepers' conferences and see
what +tbo+hink Or httr
Miller's column and his
insight into it all. What I am
doing is taking a stand,
attempting to clear the misun-
derstandings and allegations
created by the National
Organization for Women. I
realize I cannot influence
everyone's opinion, but so
long as I can get my point
across and reveal God's truth
just a little, I am satisfied.
DAVID SHIN
LSA SENIOR
Bus drivers
keep to their
schedules
To THE DAILY:
I'm writing in response to
the article "Students gripe
about bus delays" (10/8/97).
What I don't quite understand
is the scenario presented by
Mike Spahn when he states
"It's 7:50 p.m. You have wait-
ed half an hour for a
University bus " The
Bursley-Baits buses run every
15 minutes after 7 p.m and
Northwood buses run every 20
minutes after 7 p.m. Neither
has a scheduled break in the
schedule before 8 p.m. Where
do I get this information?
From one of the schedules that
is posted around campus and
available in the buses. Spahn's
scenario is unfair and untrue.
Another thing that caught
my attention is the fact that
Patrick Franklin (as stated in
the article) seemed upset that
he was late for two exams
because "of problems with the
University bus system"'To his
credit, I can understand being
late to one exam. But why was
he late to the second exam? It
seems to me that the previous
experience of lateness on your
part would motivate you to get
out a bit earlier, which you
eventually realized was the
best course of action.
I realize that everyone has
improvements and suggestions
that could be made for the bus
schedule. But please remem-
ber that no system is perfect.
Buses break down, traffic gets
heavy and buses can only hold
so many people. When that
bus takes off with students
running frantically toward it
from 20 yards out, perhaps the
driver is trying to merge into
traffic and can't see them run-
ning. Or perhaps students
think the driver should pay
more attention to them rather
than oncoming traffic. Perhaps
the driver is already late from
waiting for five other runners
and has to draw the line some-
where in deciding to leave.
What I would appreciate is a
bit of understanding from the
general public. I really think
that most problems stem from
the fact that people do not pay
attention to the schedules. As
a student driver, I can honestly
say that we do the best we can
to arr .n .-ria.. 0 ar.-n
Goodbye Ruby
Tuesday hello
hearing aids
"The generation that dropped acid
to escape realit is now the generation
that takes antacid to cope with it."
- From a late-i 980s
AIka-Seltzer commercial.
Y ou have my sympathies Baby
Boomers of the United States o
America. You
aren't the young,
sex-crazed, dope-
smoking, spend-
thrift activists you
once were. You
aren't as responsi-
ble for setting this
country's popular
trends as you used
to be. You are now
resigned to a banalJOSHUA
life of sport-utility RICH
vehicles, "60 TRICHA
Minutes" reruns RIVIAL
and AARP con-_ PURSUITS
ventions. A life in which Walter
Cronkite can only be found on
Discovery Channel specials.
There's no question that you are
growing older; and William Jefferson
Clinton, the First Baby Boomer, if yo
will, is gracefully taking the lead.
Last week, it was reported that the
President of the United States was
recently fitted for a hearing aid. And
while this wouldn't ordinarily be a
shocking announcement (as a child of
Ronald Reagan's 1980s, I naturally
think that presidents are supposed to
be old and senile), it must have struck
you to the core.
After all, we're talking about a man
who is just like you: He grew up li
tening to Elvis, was greatly affected b
the Vietnam War and Watergate fias-
coes, undoubtedly engaged in a little
sexual dalliance, and puffed on a joint
at one point in time. What American,
other than a cool Baby Boomer, would
have dared play saxophone on "The
Arsenio Hall Show" while campaign-
ing for public office?
He is the handsome president who
embodied the youth of your tremen
dous generation when he last year
defeated a conservative - and just
plain old -- Bob Dole (who was
already a casualty of a world war by
the time young Bill was born in
August 1946, at the very beginning of
the Baby Boom).
Though ignored for the most part,
Clinton's acquisition of a hearing aid
should stand as one of the more mon-
umental events of the 20th century.
is a moment when your very own
poster Boomer is gracefully admitting
to his deficiencies - small inadequa-
cies that come with glorious old age. It
is when you understand that the coun-
try that has until now aged with you is
starting to leave you behind.
Like Bill Clinton, no doubt, you
have your drawbacks in this fast-paced
world: a chronically sore back, arthri-
tis, far-sightedness. Like Bill Clinto
you are discovering the joys - and
loneliness - of the childless empty
nest. But are you prepared to honestly
face these issues?
Now is the relaxed time when you
begin to look forward to grandchil-
dren, retirement golf games and Social
Security checks. You'll anxiously,
await books-of-the-month and ponder
trading in your minivan for an
Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight.
Nevertheless, I know that you wi
try to trick yourselves. You can pay for
all the step aerobics classes and cos-
metic surgery you want, but those will
only'make your skin tighter - they
won't bring back your youth.
You live in a new world of sad truths.
No matter how many times the Rolling
Stones go on tour, it won't be like
Altamont. No matter how easy it is,.
food still tastes better when cooked i
a real oven. No matter how man
movie and TV spin-offs are made, the
original "Star Trek" shows remain the
best. And no matter what they say, the
Corvair really was a nifty little car.
As it did with your parents, from
whom you once rebelled, time is
quickly passing you by and I'm sure
life for you isn't easy. You wake up
everyday to moody teen-agers (who,
despite your better intentions, think
that the Beatles is the group Pau
McCartney was in before Wings), asi-
nine talk shows, clumsy airbags and
mysterious personal computers.
Believe me, I know that the Internet
is a tough highway to navigate and
compact discs just don't have the nat-
ural sound quality to which you're so
accustomed. Still, it's about time you
get on the new bandwagon. Perhaps
Bill Gates had a good idea when he
used one of your favorite old 'Stone
-songs to "start up" his Windows 95
product line two years ago. Did that
familiar ditty help make the instruc-
tion book any clearer to you?
I feel= sorry for you trend-setting
dinosaurs. You are my parents, my
employers, my mentors. To your cha-
arin I'll nrnhahyneve4; hillindar-