4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 19, 1998
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Films blur the
line between
6
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
LAURIE MAYK
Editor in Chief
JACK SCHILLACI
Editorial Page Editor
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 T HE DAILY
Hmistorylesson
'U' should acknowledge error of past actions
'Do these politicians have at least an ounce of
creativity and imagination? Must they follow
the warped, misguided path of others?'
- Associate Provost for Academic and Multicural Affairs Lester Monts, on state Rep.
Deborah Whymans attempt to end the use of race-based preferences in Michigan
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ,
he annual "Davis, Markert and
Nickerson Lecture on Academic and
Intellectual Freedom," given at Monday's
faculty Senate Assembly meeting, should
serve as a reminder to the University that an
unfortunate page in its history remains is
not yet officially acknowledged. The
University owes a formal apology to former
professors Chandler Davis, Clement
Markert and Mark Nickerson for the unjust
treatment they received after not cooperat-
ing with former U.S. Sen. Joseph
McCarthy's (R-Wisconsin) infamous com-
munist witch hunt during the 1950s.
In 1954, at the height of the Red Scare,
this trio of University professors refused
to testify about their political beliefs
before Congress. Because of their defiant
actions, the University suspended all
three and fired two of them. At the time,
a misled American public feared that sub-
versive communist groups worked unno-
ticed in a vast conspiracy to overthrow the
government. Led mainly by McCarthy's
wild accusations, Americans thought her
most sensitive institutions were overrun
with communists. Anyone challenging
McCarthy's notions also faced being
labeled a communist. The hearings on the
matter smeared a great number of profes-
sionals who simply chose not to follow
the pathos of the rest of the panic-strick-
en nation.
Being labeled a communist was a very
heavy cross to bear in the 1950s. Suspected
communists often found themselves black-
listed and unable to find work. McCarthy's
hearings turned a great many people into
criminals in the public eye. When America's
most brilliant and influential minds should
have risen to proclaim the folly of these
hearings, too many silently stood and
allowed the monster that was McCarthyism
to grow.
The University chose to be one of those
that remained silent during McCarthy's
reign of terror. As an institution of higher
learning, the University's duty is to expose
its students to many different viewpoints in
all manners of academic contexts. When the
halls of academia seek to silence those voic-
es with the nerve to question the conven-
tional school of thought, the integrity of
education is lost.
An apology would do more than simply
acknowledge the wrongdoing that these
three men endured; it would demostrate that
the University learned from its past mis-
take. New threats to the freedoms guaran-
teed in the U.S. Constitution will continue
to develop in the future. The University
must be ready to stand against those who
challenge the freedom this country so dear-
ly prizes.
University President Lee Bollinger
gave the lecture to the faculty in 1992,
while he was dean of the Law School. Also,
Bollinger recently referred to the
University's actions against the three pro-
fessors as "unjust" before this year's lec-
ture. The president's next action should be
to take the matter to the University Board
of Regents and work to have such an apol-
ogy and statement acknowledging the
mistake granted.
This apology would not make up for the
injustices done during McCarthy's brief rise
to power. But the statement will set a stan-
dard for the University to meet into the next
century - one that could prevent such
basic unconstitutional actions from occur-
ring in the future.
R epresse
AP gives freelance photographers a bad deal
R ecently, there has been renewed inter-
est in monopolistic practices due to
the ruling against Microsoft's inclusion of
its Internet Explorer program with every
copy of Windows '95 it sells. But one
monopoly that is not likely to receive much
negative press is the monopoly of wire ser-
vices in the United States by the Associated
Press. The AP, secure in its almost-unchal-
lenged power, is now taking the misguided
step so frequently taken by large corpora-
tions - taking advantage of the very
employees that assisted it in attaining its
dominance. This is the case in the
Associated Press' forcing of a new, unfair
and harmful contract upon its freelance
photographers.
The new contract the Associated Press
is forcing upon its non-staff photogra-
phers - commonly known as stringers -
is incredibly unfair. The cost of the
expensive equipment of a professional
photographer - cameras, film, develop-
ing and processing equipment, etc. - is,
under the new contract, to be covered
entirely by the photographer. In essence,
each individual photographer is expected
to have the equipment, chemicals and
computer resources of an entire newspa-
per just to do their job. In addition, the AP
claims the right to all of the stringers'
photos and negatives once they are sold.
These unworkable demands of the
Associated Press have led AP stringers to
strike.
Yet it is because the Associated Press
has a monopoly on wire services that
newspapers nationwide cannot take action
maintain the same level of quality and
breadth of coverage if a boycott of the wire
service was initiated. But this type of
unethical behavior is not characteristic of
the organization. The AP provides an
invaluable service to the nation's newspa-
pers, one that cannot be underestimated.
For better or for worse, newspapers rely on
the service's news and photo wires. But
because it is one of the few sources for
news and photos that so many publications
need to stay afloat, the AP is, in many
ways, free to behave in any manner it
desires without fear of retaliation from the
newspapers of the nation.
The stringer strike, forced by the unfair
practices of the misguided Associated
Press' management, will inevitably have a
negative impact on journalism nationwide.
AP photos and wire articles appear in
newspapers every day, and while there will
inevitably be college students and new
photographers willing to sacrifice their
principles and their colleagues for the
opportunity to gain valuable experience
working for the AP, the years of experience
that the striking photographers possess
cannot be replaced. The workers hired to
replace the striking workers will be young
and relatively inexperienced photogra-
phers for whom this strike will be a great
opportunity and who will be willing to
work for a smaller salary than more expe-
rienced workers would demand. But the
striking stringers, who may have families
to support and mortgages to pay off, can-
not afford this new contract. The
Associated Press should reform its newly
A student
regent would
bring tuition
under control
To THE DAILY:
If students are seriously
interested in having a direct
say about the rate of tuition
increases, they'll vote "yes"
on the student regent ballot
question. A temporary fee
increase will allow the
Michigan Student Assembly
to hire a firm to collect the
400,000 signatures necessary
to put the constitutional
change for a student range on
a statewide ballot. With 73-
percent statewide support,
according to a poll, we know
that the measure will pass -
the first hurdle is getting the
funds to get the initiative on
the ballot.
There is no way to get a
student regent without a state
constitutional change. It's that
simple. A student regent
means direct, unimpeded
access to the University Board
of Regents, a student voice at
every meeting behind closed
doors. At other schools with
student regents (including
every public school in the Big
Ten except for us), they have
low tuition increases and
improved student lobbying
efforts. Five dollars per
semester for three semesters is
a small investment for the
most direct form of student
representation we can possibly
have - a student who can
speak at the table without bar,
a student who can vote on
regental decisions.
We are pleased to see that
the Daily supports the idea of
a student regent. We would
like to emphasize that the
legislative route of getting
the constitutional change on
the ballot is extremely diffi-
cult. Frankly, there is not
much hope for success by
waiting for the state Senate to
act - now or in the future.
The bottom line is that our
only real option is getting the
measure on the statewide bal-
lot ourselves through a peti-
tion drive. If we want a stu-
dent regent, the only way we
will get one is by voting
"yes" on the temporary fee
increases.
MIKE NAGRANT
LSA SENIOR
MSA PRESIDENT
OLGA SAVIC
RACKHAM
MSA VICE PRESIDENT
Funding
groups is one
of MSA's jobs
TO THE DAILY:
Ac chir rnfthe.? Michman
mittee to any inspection. We
receive requests from more
than 150 studentgroups
every term, and in turn are
forced to fund only those
events with the most direct
impact on our campus.
Specifically, no funds are
allocated for the purchase of
food, capital goods or any
other expenditure which
would solely help the mem-
bers of a group. Furthermore,
we do not fund attempts by
any group to proselytize or
otherwise push their political
or religious beliefs on others.
I would ask that any stu-
dent who wishes to end
MSA's distribution of student
fees first talk with me about
how they are used (my e-mail
is dburden engin.umich.edu).
I am certainly a conservative
both fiscally and otherwise,
and I still believe our support
of campus life to be govern-
ment at its best.
At least in my opinion.
those who wish to crusade
against excessive government
would be better served in
reforming social engineering
projects such as afirmative
action than in wasting their
time over $5 a term.
DAvID BURDEN
ENGINEERING SENIOR
Representation
on board
would benefit
'U' students
To THE DAILY:
I have thought a lot about
the student regent issue.
After much research, I real-
ize now that there is reason-
able ground to support this
cause. As the University
Board of Regents make very
important decisions affecting
all students and the
University as a whole, the
inclusion of a student on this
powerful board introduces
added advantage and voice to
the student body. Many stu-
dents may not be as caring
about this issue partly, I
believe, due to the gradual
weakening and ineffective-
ness of the Michigan Student
Assembly, which, oddly
enough, is supposed to be
the epitome of student repre-
sentation. But a student seat
on the board would guaran-
tee the strongest and most
direct vehicle at students'
disposal, a power for the
regents and University presi-
dents to reckon with.
Students will be listened to
by the very administration
that has shown some level of
insensitivity at times to the
population it is to serve.
Another advantage is fur-
ther student representation at
the state and national level.
Tuition will increase by up to
9 percent far beond the
the following generations of
students.
AFSHIN JADIDNOURI
LSA SENIOR
CANDIDATE FOR
MSA REPRESENTATIVE
Sex offenders
do not deserve
a second
chance
TO THE DAILY:
We were very, very disap-
pointed when we read the
Daily's editorial saying that
sex offenders have rights
("Injustice upheld," 3/9/98).
Any law saying that a person
who does something as horri-
ble and scarring to an inno-
cent child such as molesting
them sexually should suffer
for it for the rest of their lives
is wonderful. If someone does
something this awful and
cruel to a child, they don't
deserve a second chance at a
normal life. Why should the
offender be allowed to move
on after a few short years
when the child has to live
with what was done to him or
her for the rest of their life?
Parents have the right to pro-
tect their children and if this
means a little inconvenience
for a sex offender then we're
sorry. We think that it is
important information that
needs to be shared with the
community that this person
chooses to reside in. We are
shocked and horrified that a
staff of newspaper reporters
such as the Daily would dis-
agree with laws protecting
children, such as Megan's
Law, is designed to do.
The bottom line is that
most sex offenders are repeat
offenders. They should have to
carry some mark that lets peo-
ple know exactly what they
are and what they have done.
In the Bible, we even see signs
of this thought process. In the
Old Testament, when Cain
killed his brother, hewas
marked so that everyone who
saw him knew he had killed.
"The Scarlet Letter"'s Hester
Prynne was forced to don the
letter A' on her chest so all
knew what she had done.
People that commit such hor-
rifying acts deserve the disre-
spect and any other treatment
they receive. For people such
as sex offenders, jail isn't
enough. Time served is not
enough of a punishment, for
they have given up their right
to a normal life and they don't
deserve the basic human rights
the we believe in here in the
United States such as life, lib-
erty and the pursuit of happi-
ness.-
If someone does some-
thing so awful, then they do
not deserve the right to ever
put it behind them. They
should be forced to live with
political ffiction
and realiy
I 'lladmit, I was one of the people who
wished Harrison Ford really could
have been the president after he stepped
off "Air Force One."
But that doesn't mean I wanted the
president in the
movie.
Unfortunately,
though, that's
approximatate
what happens
when "Primary
Colors" opens
nationwide
tomorrow. Amid
new revelations,
old scandals and MEGAN
renewed denials SCHIMPF
in the real world, .}.:r .0T\,N
a movie about a
"fictional" character named Jack Stanton,
a Southern governor campaigning for the
presidency, comes to theaters. It's the
biggest thing to hit the political scene
since, oh, Monica Lewinsky.
To promote the release, John Travoltas
- who gained 17 pounds and whitened'
his hair to play the starring role - has
been on the cover of news magazines
and interviewed as if his character was
the president.
Yet Travolta isn't playing Clinton,
only a man named Stanton who admit-
tedly bears a striking resemblance to our
real-life president. Magazine photo
comparisons juxtapose actors and real
people from Clinton's 1992 presidential
campaign. As new allegations surfaces
almost daily and rounds of denials circle
upon themselves, somewhere we forgot'
that there is 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, and
then there is the 32-screen multiplex.
Just like that, the presidency has offi-
cially become a movie.
Now showing, and rapidly slipping,
into a farcical cartoon.
Movie presidents used to be strong-
looking, faith-inspiring, presidential
men. .Idyllic conglomerates of voter
dreams and the best traits of those who
have held the office, there never were,
skeletons in their closets. They had,
names like John, James and Robert, and
they commanded respect.
As "Primary Colors" opens, soon,
after "Wag The Dog," we are left with
only a name that separates the real pres-
ident from the movie president - and
even that is remarkably similar.
"Primary Colors" is infamous for name
games - its fame began with the hunt
for the author's name. Joe Klein, who
covered the campaign for Newsweek
and wrote the book, was at first
"Anonymous."
Yet this is not a game. This is not a fea-
ture movie. This is a sitting president
reduced to a movie character. As if he was
starring in a surreal movie of the week
usually reserved for those who hav
already exploited their 15 minutes o
fame three times over. Perhaps Clinton
could go on Jerry Springer to explain.
Except Bill Clinton is not Tonya
Harding or O.J. Simpson, both of whom'
freewheeled into mere caricatures.wHe is
not a three-headed Martian who landed
in your neighbor's backyard and
impregnated their dog. He is one of 42
men who have held the office of
President of the United States.
True, Clinton has reached new level.
of embarrassment for the office. We
have learned more than most care to
know about Clinton's opinions about
adultery technicalities, present-buying
preferences and choice of rooms near
the Oval Office since Jan. 21 when the
Lewinsky hurricane began.
Some f theallegations presented
against Clinton are very serious.
Perjury, obstruction of justice and sexu-
al assault should never be brusher
aside. None of those issues deserves to
be trivialized by this endless stream of
guffawing and exploitation.
He should not be held above criticism
or parody for his actions, as public
scrutiny comes with the job. But there is
a line between that and filming a movie
so closely and deliberately patterned
after the president.
On Friday's "Nightline," printed
excerpts from documents released by
Paula Jones' lawyers were tantalizingte
watch, even without sound. That's the
beautiful part about this latest tour of
Clinton Scandal Land - it involves extra-
money phrases like "Kiss it" and "Could
you feel his erection?" No drab
Whitewater or travel documents here.
We're talking about sex, baby. And power.
The cartooning of Clinton's presiden-
cy will do more damage to the institu-
tion than to him. Already, we'vV
watched his approval ratings skyrocket.
Yet we've also watched several world
leaders virtually ignored at press con-
ferences so Clinton can decline once
more to discuss (insert name here).
Aides reportedly considered the plot of
I