4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, November 4, 1997

CAE irbigta aig

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

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JosH WHITE
Editor in Chief
ERIN MARSH
Editorial Page Editor

NOTABLE QUOTABLE,
'To see their names there makes me
feel like they're not forgotten.'
-- Michigan Mothers Against Drnik Dviiing w 'ar a diJ CContois,
whose sister Ginn-, and niece Lnd appear <n a ist <f mon
than 120 victims namcs on a new national AIDD advertisement
YUKI KUNIYUKI

Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Dailys editorial board. All
other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
FROM THE DAILY
Penn11y p11nching
'U' support would boost student groups
C ries of discontent echoed through the and women's rugby, and many other club
halls of the Michigan Union last sports. Instead, BPC must fund these
Tuesday, as representatives of more than groups, as student government is the only
100 student groups protested MSA student source of funding. When the allocations
group funding allocations. The Budget come up short, club members must pay
Priorities Committee allocated $70,000 to . exorbitant fees.
student groups in a revitalized effort to Also, BPC funds projects that should be
shorten the exhausting and nerve-wracking funded by the University. For example, BPC
waiting period many students endured in annually funds the Michigan Women's
the past. Despite BPC's efforts to make the Handbook that all women in residence halls
funding process easier, student groups still receive. This handbook discusses pertinent
came out in full force to dispute meager issues for women at the University, and the
allocations. The blame does not lie entirely University endows many similar publica-
with BPC, as it is difficult to manipulate tions, such as the Campus Safety handbook.
such a tight budget. In order to improve stu- Last year, President Lee Bollinger stated
dent group effectiveness and satisfaction, that he wished students would play a more
the University should intervene by provid- active role in campus and world affairs. An
ing supplementary funding to BPC. excellent step for his administration to
Student groups traditionally encounter encourage student activism would be to
numerous problems in their quest for funds. provide additional funds for BPC. Under
First, most student groups are self-support- the current system, BPC receives all funds
ed and must apply for funding for their from the student government fee each stu-
;events. This search for funds leads many to dent pays per semester. By contributing
MSA, which has limited resources as com- funds to BPC, the University would help
pared with its demand. With more than 100 alleviate much of the strain placed on stu-
applications per semester and a mere dent groups and BPC. In addition, added
$70,000 budget, BPC is strapped for cash; it funds could break down many of the barri-
is unable to provide groups with nearly the ers imposed by BPC regulations. For
amount requested. BPC is in a situation that instance, in the past, BPC hesitated to fund
demands strict rules to limit the amount of events that solely benefited the group mem-
money they can allocate. Although there is bers, such as a retreat. This was due, in part,
ho maximum request, BPC is unable to to the lack of funds.
allocate more than a few thousand dollars Student groups should be supported by
even for groups that need more. the University. MSA must retain decision-
'The myriad groups eligible for funding making autonomy, but a boost from the
under BPC's umbrella continues to grow University's coffers would help student
yearly - and many organizations come to groups develop their ideas into plans of
BPC because they have nowhere else to action. This is a crucial opportunity for the
turn. For example, the University does not University to play a vital role in student
fund women's lacrosse, men's crew, men's affairs.
Mdr
Medicaid could reduce dangerous abortions

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awana Ashley, a 19-year-old Florida
K~. resident, shot herself in the stomach
after failing to raise enough money for an
abortion. Doctors delivered her child by an
emlergency Cesarean section, but it died of
organ failure two weeks later. Ashley was
charged with third-degree murder and
manslaughter. Last Thursday, the Florida
Supreme Court struck down both charges,
ruling that a woman cannot be prosecuted
for harming her fetus. While Ashley no
longer fears a life behind bars, her case is a
: grim reminder of abortion's exclusion from
the federal Medicaid program.
T Passed in 1977, the Hyde Amendment
excludes abortion from Medicaid pro-
grams' coverage. Medicaid will only cover
abdrtions required to save a woman's life
and, as of 1994, in cases of rape and incest.
y Congress must repeal the Hyde
Amendment to offer all women their funda-

This financial burden often proves an insur-
mountable obstacle for low-income women.
Because of an inability to exercise the fun-
damental right to choose, these women
often turn to back-alley or self-inflicted
abortions; these unsafe alternatives greatly
endanger their health. The federal govern-
ment must stop putting low-income
women's lives in peril.
Some proponents of the Hyde
Amendment argue that public funds should
not be used for a procedure that many find
"immoral." But to base government's fund-
ing upon taxpayers' personal objections or
moral conflicts is fundamentally skewed.
The government must look at each istue
from a more objective stance.
Medicaid does fund other health care
practices related to pregnancy, and it funds
a vast array of other surgical procedures. By
excluding abortion, low-income women are
singled out and discriminated against.
Women who rely on the government for
their health care needs are at a great disad-
vantage in comparison to middle-class
women whose health care - most often
provided by their employer - covers abor-
tion procedures.
While Congress has taken steps to alle-
viate some of the unequal access to abor-
tions by covering abortion in federal
employees' health benefit plans and revers-u
ing a ruling that forbade the funding of
abortions for women in federal prisons, dis-
crimination still exists. Funding bans, such
as the Hyde Amendment, place women like
Kawana Ashley in a desperate position. By
federally funding abortions through
Medicaid, a woman's choice would no

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
that his colleagues knew him
far better than you do.
shduld not AHMAD RAHMAN
pay for past RACKHAM
TO THE DAILY:
In response to Ulises Goss m akes
Silva's letter to the editor change
("Lawsuit against 'U' is a for
racist," 10/31/97) 1 would just the better
like to make an observation.
Silva labels the lawmakers
and plantiffs, who are bring- To THE DAILY:
ing a discrimination suit It is about time that Tom
against the University, as Goss made a positive decision
"law-spewing bigots." Silva for this University. When
and certain other supporters Goss walked on this campus
of affirmative action claim in early September his head
that racial discrimination began growing exponentially.
against whites is morally jus- He came in with some stupid
tifiable since the "historically scheme to win over the stu-
underprivileged minorities" dent body (his four core
were oppressed for hundreds ideas). Next he made a poor
of years by the white ruling decision in firing Fisher. Not
classes of America. only did have no way of
Silva then states that the knowing Fisher as a man, he
plantiffs in this case are had not been around the pro-
"feeling that they are in the gram enough to know it.
same boat as students of But when I picked up my
color have been for countless Daily last Wednesday, a great
decades now." If Silva real- feeling game about me. Goss
izes that racial discrimination is finally doing something
is painful, why on Earth good. (oss's plan to add
would he support imposing 5,200 seats to Michigan
this suffering on other mem- Stadium is great. It is not just
bers of the human race? This the fact that Goss is attempt-
is a disturbing and insane ing to add these new seats
logic. It would be akin to but why, for the student body.
members of the Jewish com- Tom Goss may have screwed
munity demanding that 6 Fisher, but at least he is tak-
million Germans, including ing care of the student body.
those who may not have been So a few months into his
involved in the Holocaust, be command, Tom Goss has
systematically murdered to finally made a change for the
make up for Nazi war crimes. better.
I admit there are many BRENDAN DAVIS
racists of all races in this BEDNDM
country, but punishing the LSA SOPHOMORE
innocent for the crimes of the
guilty is unfair and inhu-
mane. The people of today Daily left out
are not and should not be
liable for the crimes of the im portant
past.
MARK ADAMS details of rally
ENGINEERING JUNIOR
TO THE DAILY:
I understand that the
t Daily is not a national or
Jaye does no astodnoaoe,
Jaye does not even state-wide newspaper,
deserve all but I feel that does not
excuse its many mistakes.
the attention On"Wednesday, Oct. 29, a
group of students compiled
mainly of ENACT members,
To THE DAILY: had a rally about climate
Last week the Daily print- change and clean air on the
ed on the front page a so- Diag. The Daily's news cov-
called "analysis" of the affir- erage of this event was inac-
mative action issue. There curate. The rally was both for
was no analytical thinking clean air and climate change,
present in this article. It but the title of the article and
mainly repeated previous the opening paragraph spoke
statements of Rep. David of clean air only. These are
Jaye. two different issues that we
The next day, however, combined into one rally
the Daily did not cover the because they are both preva-
important statement that lent issues in Washington,
President Bollinger made in D.C., at this time.
an interview with the Ann However, the article failed
Arbor News. Bollinger stated to mention that President
that if the University loses Clinton is signing an intema-
this important affirmative tional treaty about climate
action case, it could mean the change with perhaps 166 other
"resegregation of America." nations. This event, to be held
He also said that the current in December, has been a huge
lawsuit could be the catalyst deal in the media in the past

activism on campus, I have
been interviewed by the Daily
and have participated in
numerous events with Daily
coverage. I would say the
Daily got its story right about
25 percent of the time. What
kind ofjournalism is this? It's
one thing to spell a name
wrong, but it's not cool when
you can't get the story straight
and miss major points of
events as with Wednesday's
rally! I think the Daily needs
to hire better reporters or at
least put them through a rigor-
ous training program before
they are allowed to cover
news. No, this is not a nation-
al newspaper, but even a col-
lege student newspaper should
be able to get the story
straight at least most of the
time.
AMI GRACE
UNIVERSITY ALUMNA
Pedestrians:
Please look
both ways
TO THE DAILY:
To the student who I near-
ly killed when you stepped in
front of my car from between
two parked vehicles on the
section of State Street in
front of Angell Hall:
I understand that pedestri-
ans have right of way on the
roads and that it scared you
to have a car screech to a halt
so close to you (I'm assum-
ing that was the message of
your single finger salute), but
please understand that while I
want to obey traffic laws, I
have to obey physics. I can't
brake in zero time and I can't
know ahead of time what you
are going to do when I don't
even know you're there.
Pedestrians, please -
meet thesdrivers halfway on
this one. Look both ways
before crossing the street.
CHRIS DWAN
RACKHAM
Jones is not
president of
the ICC
TO THE DAILY:
The article you ran about
the Student Co-ops looking to
purchase Oxford waseexcel-
lent. "There was one error I
wanted to point out. Jim
Jones is not the president of
the ICC; he is the Executive
Director. He is our employee.
His job is mainly to oversee
the staff and follow the direc-
tions of the Board of
Directors (made up entirely
of students). He advises us,
but has no decision making
authority except what the
Board of Directors gives him.

Respect the
military for the
peace of mind it
allows all of us
S ur-ounded in s exscndls andthe
v~aaies of I1990smimlitry strategy,
the United States' armed forces - re
caug~ht in a sranglie and conflusingi tint
seems as if they are seen as social politi-
cal fodder and as an
outmoded vestige
of vesterear's is ars
and peacekeeping
missions.
While our Eser-
vicemen (and,
women) are seem-
ingly taking a '
backseat on the se
political roler
coaster that is JOSH
rumbling through WHOe
issues of how to JU..MPING
deal with homo-Er sN
sexuality and sex-
ual integration, the idea of service to
our country and national pride is get-
ting~ lost between Washington
blowhards and a disillusionment with
the modern day military. It appear a
if this nation is forgetting that these
youns men and women are risking
their lives to protect ourkway of life
these dedicated people may becone of
our last links to nationalism.
Standing at the football game this
past Saturday, it was hard to notice that
the Color Guard stood stoically at the
beginning and the end of the game,
raising and lowering the American
flag. Lost among the 40-somethN
cheerleader throwbacks, Goldy
Gopher and more than a few extra
band members, their work was a mere
formality in what has become a
Saturday rite. Raising the most power-
ful symbol of our nation was reduced
to a quiet mumble that somewhat
resembled our National Anthem and a
few screams of"ao Blue!"
Scary as it was, it was difficult to
make out the words to the 
Spangled Banner" as sung by a crod
of more than 106,000, but fairly easy
to pick out shouts proclaiming that the
refs were blind or that Minnesota was
far from a quality team. Perhaps our
priorities are a bit misdirected.
And that misdirection is often taken
out on the military. Reserve Officer
Training Corps Programs on this cam-
pus take a lot of criticism, not because
they are highly successful program.
because of their political bent,
because people have some sick,
unfounded belief that anything in cam-
ouflage must be inherently bad. People
complain that ROTC members training
in the Arb are getting in their way or
causing them a disturbance. It amazes
me that ROTC didn't hunt these crazies
down and explain to them that these
ambitious students are merely learning
how to protect our freedoms -
every now and then, that protect
relies on heavy weaponry.
Doesn't it make sense to have a pre-
pared and intelligent military as
opposed to the one that haphazardly
sprung our country into existence
more than 220 years ago?
And maybe there is an even more sen-
timental reason why it just doesn't both-
er me that these dedicated men and
women decide to use years of their life
protecting mine. Perhaps it is becau
bel ieve that without some sort of nation-
al pride we would forget what a won-
derful place it is that we have. The mili-
tary is both a symbol of our strength and
of our nationalism - I still miss the

"Be All That You Can Be" slogans of the
1980s - and we need those officers to
raise the flag on Saturday, we need
someone to care about things like that.
Lest we fall prey to thinking that the
national anthem is merely a sport
event opener, we need to have those
who will protect our pride.
In a country that is quickly dividing
on the issue of race and equality, I
think that we need to step back and
appreciate the fact that we can even
have that argument out. In a country
that is becoming obsessed with differ-
ences, there are few things around
which we can rally without fear of
becoming divisive or offensi
Political correctness has given way
a careful trepidation that doesn't allow
us to speak our minds without a law-
suit or a rallying cry. And as we tip-toe
around our more sensitive issues, gath-
ering in corners and surrounding our-
selves with like-minded fellows, we
forget that we all have one thing in
common: We are all Americans.
The military, with all of its draw-
backs and current sexually rela4
quandaries, is the only place where a
that matters is that you are an
American. That protecting our rightsis
a priority for this small cadre of our
nation's citizenry makes me proud, and
I wish that there were more people who
understood that serving this country is
more than learning how to use a gun

mental right to choose.
As the Hyde Amendment stands, mil-
lions of women are denied safe and legal
abortions simply because of their low-
income status. Oftentimes these women
cannot raise the necessary funds for an
abortion until later in the pregnancy, at
which time the cost is significantly higher.
Vbo, after eight weeks of pregnancy, the
3ijigs involved with the abortion procedure
featly increase. In Ashley's case, by the
: ims she pulled together enough money for
h- e1 procedure, she was into her second
:r Iester and the price went up.
:According to the National Abortion
ghts Action League, approximately 50
Percent of women who obtain abortions
A4er 16 weeks of pregnancy are delayed by