4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, February 12, 1999 420 Maynard Street HEATHER KAMINS Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Editor in Chief daily.letters@umich.edu Affirmative action is our generation's '60s activism Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan JEFFREY KOSSEFF DAVID WALLACE 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 reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. R7XOM T HE DA ILY' Shared history Black History Month speaks to all students T his past week, thousands of Gen-Xers spent two evenings watching their par- ents' generation come of age in "The '60s," an NBC special about the attitudes and events of one of this century's most outspo- ken decades. That decade is often idolized and idealized by today's youth, who long for the unity and passion the protesters and flower children seemed to exude. Perhaps '90s teen- Y agers and 20-some- things are enamored by the decade because the youth of -Laurie that time played a Mayk staring role in most of h the prominent events. She They were key play- Says So ers in the establish- ment of the Black Panthers, the Democratic National Convention of 1968, the Vietnam War, Woodstock and lively political cam- paigns that ended both in victory and tragedy for their candidates. And today we complain of voter apathy and a general disinterest in politics and social movement. There is no cause around which to rally, we say, and we simply don't have the opportunity to make the same kind of impres- sion our parents made. But we're wrong. The struggle happening right in our own backyard may be the defining issue of our college-age generation. Within a year, we may know the fate of affirmative action in higher education, and by extension in gov- ernment and industry. The issue hasn't been a quiet one on the University's Ann Arbor campus; supporters and opponents have shouted at each other in the Diag and in panel discussions, and debates have brought some students to tears, raised passions in others and even made some afraid to speak their mind. What began as a special interest of those following the progress of affirmative action challenges in California and Texas is slow- ly finding its way into theme semesters, course syllabi, student government and campus and local media. There were jokes when the activism began on this campus about the familiar faces of the protesters and organizers, who seemed to have logged quite a few hours on the picket lines of a variety of causes. The campus chapter of the College Republicans and a conservative state representative were the only symbols of the opposition. Most of the time, students passed the picket lines and read quotes in newspapers with the apa- thy we so despise about ourselves. But in the year and a half since two law- suits challenging the use of affirmative action in the admissions practices of the University's Law School and College of Literature, Science and the Arts were filed, the movement and the campus have changed. Affirmative action and its fate at the University has become an emotional issue on campus. No longer do students have to be publicly vocal about the issue to private- ly express concerns or opinions. We are beginning to realize that we are all affected in some way, and that our backgrounds and experiences play a major role in determin- ing what side of the table we support. Diversity on campus has been in the spot- light. It makes us proud, and it scares us. It's a lot easier to get along when we don't talk about issues that tug at our emotions and values. The movement itself - or perhaps I should say the movement of each side - has expanded as well. The language and the practice of policies in California and Texas have changed. The kind of attention fac- tions are getting has changed. Academics and activists thousands of miles apart are cooperating and organizing, days of action modeled after '60s teach-ins and demonstrations. Will our children talk about Michigan's connection to Jessica Curtin and BAMN the way we talk about Tom Hayden and Students for a Democratic Soeiety? Maybe. But most important, we are recognizing that the lawsuits, protests and admissions policies that we have been reading and talk- ing about for the past two years have the potential to change the way Americans think and act about race, education and hiring practices in the United States. If one or both of the University of Michigan lawsuits reach, the Supreme Court, which seems a definite possibility, the protesters, state lawmakeks and professors giving speeches in our back- yard will make it into history books. Many people on both sides of the issue believe the time has come for the Court to. take a definitive stand on affirmative action. As times, attitudes and workforces have changed, the definition and purpose of the practice has been muddied. Regardless, of whether the Court affirms the need for such policies and sets legal guidelines for the 21st Century or declares the practice unnecessary and unconstitutional, the late W 1990s will be remembered as a pivotal time on college campuses. So if you haven't been paying attention to all the shouting going on in our backyard, start. You just might want to tell your chil- dren you were here when it all happened. - Laurie Mayk can be reached over e-mail at jmayk@umich.edy. GRINDINGTHE NIB February provides scarcely enough time to honor the endless list of accomplish- ments and contributions black people have mnade to American culture, but Black History Month provides an opportunity to reflect on a more inclusive history. Coming just weeks after the national holiday honor- ing Martin Luther King Jr., Black History Month is devoted not only to black people, but people of all cultural backgrounds. Students should make an ! < effort to attend some of the r:{ &T many programs available on $ >< r< campus. Black history is severely :. ::;.:: ®averlooked. Secondary 'I schools provide a narrow and .embarrassingly insufficient F et a. view. American history text- vaAdd books often brief overviews of X}9 O a history that could easily fill a 'ud; library. Black people have A . impacted and shaped American society through countless avenues including ;eta i literature, film, theatre, music, politics and academics. In an attempt to enlighten the University community, numerous educa- tional activities sponsored by various tJniversity and student groups are sched- uled for this month. Almost every resi- dence hall cafeteria is sponsoring a special dinner in honor of Black History Month. On Feb. 18, Amiri Baraka will speak at Chrysler Auditorium on North Campus. On Feb. 20, students will have the oppor- tunity to visit the Museum of African American History in Detroit. These events are only a few of the scheduled activities for the rest of the month. People of all backgrounds should partic- ipate in the activities offered, as black histo- ry concerns more than black students. The scheduled events will enhance awareness of the impact black people have had on this country. By reflecting on the past, Black History Month lends inspiration ' that helps chart a course for future endeavors. In the ongoing fight to defend Affirmative Action at the University, students should also f : seize the opportunity to show their support for diversity. Students have much to learn from the various cultures brought together on campus. j Black History Month fosters respect and understanding of one another. Taking the time to t ' learn about different ethnic and «'l'_ }£s racial groups is an invaluable, sometimes life-altering experi- xdns ence. While the University offers a plethora of courses in the history and culture of numer- ous groups, people should go that extra step and take advantage of what the University has to offer outside the class- room. Black History Month provides students with an important opportunity to celebrate diversity. But Feb. 28 - officially the last day of Black History Month - is no reason to stop seeking knowledge of the efforts of black people, as well as people of other cul- tures, in the ongoing development of this country. CHIP CULLEN Indecentproposal Engler's budget ignores universities T ust when it seemed that Gov. John to "equalize" higher education is a misdi- Engler showed the least possible rected one. All K-12 public schools should amount of respect for higher education, he be on par with one another, and that is how surprised us all by releasing his budget pro- the state can achieve true equal education. posal for the Fiscal Year 2000. Instead of But higher education institutions differ realizing the importance of education to greatly from one another because they serve Michigan's future, Engler recommended different purposes, therefore they require inadequate funding increases for state col- different allocations. If Engler continues to leges and universities. The University of misappropriate money to state universities, Michigan was at the top of his hitlist, with a mediocrity will plague all of the state's recommended increase of 1.5 percent. higher education institutions. Engler has proven that it is impossible to It is important to remember that even teach an old dog new tricks. This is the sec- with the "equalization" proposals, Engler ond year in a row that he has proposed a simply has shafted higher education. While 1.5-percent increase, which is , the University was given a 1.5- lower than the current Under Engler s percent increase, the Consumer Price Index of plan, state univer- Department of Management inflation. This year, however, sities would get and Budget, Engler's bureau- he disguised his contempt for about $85 million cratic arm that helped develop higher education by creating a the fiscal year budget proposal, program in which the most less than the gave itself a 2.8-percent poorly funded state universi- Department of increase and Engler's Executive ties receive an extra increase Corrections Office was given an 8.5 percent of up to 5 percent. This is hike. merely a failed attempt at equalization of Most notable in Engler's plan is the 8.65- educational opportunities. The governor percent increase he gave to the Department of created four "funding floors," which man- Corrections. Sadly, the state's correctional date the minimum amount of funding per facilities would receive $1.566 billion, about resident students a university should be $85 million more than the amount he would appropriated. give to the state's 15 public universities. Contrary to Engler's view, there are Engler has demonstrated yet again that he many valid reasons for the University of ironically cares more about building more Michigan to receive more funding than any prisons than improving educational facilities. other state university. In addition to provid- Last year, the state Legislature was able ing classes for undergraduates and gradu- to move Engler's University funding ates, like the other universities, the increase proposal to 2.5 percent. But unlike University of Michigan plays many other last year, both branches of the Legislature important roles in the state. It has the are Republican controlled, and many legis- largest research expenditures in the country, lators are new due to term limits. So the and many University academic programs members may be less likely to challenge are ranked among the top in the country. Engler due to their own partisanship and All state universities play an important inexperience. The legislators must move role in Michigan. But the University of beyond partisan constraints and do what is Michigan has different funding needs than right for Michigan - give reasonable Grand Valley State University and Lake funding increases to the state's colleges and Superior State University. Engler's attempt universities. HO[Wk~'i TCO AC TE1M Gov. JOHN ENGLER E-MAIL: MIGOV@EXEC.STATE.MI.US PHONE: (517) 335-7858 King Hussein had impact on students' lives TO THE DAILY: The Arab-American Anti- Discrimination Committee Executive Board would like to extend its condolences to the Jordanian students on campus for their loss of King Hussein this week. In the midst of all of the media attention surrounding the King's death, this should be a time of reflec- tion for Jordanians and non-Jordanians alike. King Hussein's reign was marked by many bold decisions, drawing both praise and controversy. Regardless of what one may think of King Hussein's leadership, it is important to remember that he had an unde- niable impact on Middle East politics and the lives of the Jordanian people. His lega- cy leaves us with much to contemplate as the new Jordanian leadership comes to power. BISAN SALHI LSA SENIOR PRESIDENT UM-ADC Affirmative action policies should be changed TO THE DALY: Fortunately, due to recent Supreme Court decisions and university law suits, many University students have eagerly come forward to voice either their unwaver- ing support of, or extreme opposition to, affirmative action. I use the term "fortunately" because it's always valuable to learn something about the diverse ideology of the people that you're around all year. Unfortunately, how- ever, something disturbing strikes me about most of the affirmative action literature and speakers that I've encountered on this cam- pus. Many people who regularly address the topic of affirmative action in their articles and speeches seem to neglect the opposing view's good points entirely. It seems to me that affirmative action, at least the way it's applied in most institu- ions, is wrong. University admissions poli- cies clearly favor some applicants over oth- ers solely on the basis of skin color, and in doing so commit an injustice against non- minority students. By encouraging these policies, we are advocating a form of racism. However, despite these views, I am very much opposed to simply abolishing the institution of affirmative action. This is because while our current appli- cation of affirmative action is wrong, it would be more wrong to ban its institution altogether. Affirmative action currently harms some non-minority students, but removing it would cause a greater degree of harm, as it would prove detrimental to not only minority students, but to society asa whole. Banning affirmative action means a dra- matic decline in minority enrollment in most universities, which in turn means University students will have less exposure to and less awareness of differing racial groups. In this type of atmosphere, in which students would have little direct experience to offset untrue dehumanizing stereotypes about minorities, pervasive racist attitudes would likely flourish. And some of history's HMk rAI1PIlU, WIAT W O1flx U4ATHl -rius ~4rUrr T H 5 hoO A A lot4V~t-6 4'a I .SL amw. , greatest moral atrocities should enlighten us as to the possible outcomes of these atti- tudes. So it seems that there are problems with our current application of affirmative action, but there are also problems with simply removing those policies. So instead of ignoring one problem in favor of the other, I suggest we search for solutions that address both problems. One article from a popular journal, for example, suggested that the main disparity between minority and non-minority stu- dents was in their SAT and ACT scores. The article stated that according to recent stud- ies, those test scores do not effectively pre- dict the performance of students in college, and they provide even less insight into the potential occupational success of a student. The article advocated either abolishing those test scores altogether, or placing con- siderably less weight on them as factors in the college admissions process. Perhsaps if admissions committees placed more emphasis on other factors such as lead- ership positions, volunteer efforts or other aspects of an applicant's background that indi- cate motivation and a dedication to excel- lence, there would likely be less of a need - and maybe no need at all - for affirmative action. Obviously, this suggestion may not be feasible for admissions officers, but it's defi- nitely a start to addressing both sides of the affirmative action controversy. MONIQUE WONDERLY LSA SENIOR Reasons Notre Dame did not join the Big Ten TO THE DAILY: So Notre Dame has declined an invitation to enter the Big Ten. Originally, I was a big supporter of the Irish joining the best colle- giate football conference in the country. However, my opinions have since changed. Call it bitterness if you must; I simply call it "wising up." The reasons given for Notre Dame remaining independent in foot- ball were based on three core characteristics - Catholic, private and independent. I donot feel that these are the true rea- sons as to why Notre Dame will not become the newest team in the Big Ten. I now give you the five true reasons that the Irish shied away from joining the Big Ten: 5. Fear of a possible schedule including Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State. 4. A clause in the contract stated that in order to join the Big Ten, Notre Dame first has to ban that stupid dancing leprechals from all football games. 3. In the Big Ten, skirts (or "kilts" as tle Irish call them) are reserved for female stu- dents only. , 2. As an independent, their fight song remains tops among independent schools. In the Big Ten, it would be second fiddle to "The Victors." 1. No one wants to be the red-headed lit tle brother in a family with 11 older, stronger brothers. (Note: I myself am a red-headed Catholic) CHRISTOPHER ZANN LSA SOPHOMORE Gun manufacturer lawsuits are 'flawed' TO THE DAILY: I am writing in response to the Daily's Feb. 9 editorial "Obstruction of justice* The logic behind suing gun makers is flawed. There is no possible way that a man- ufacturer of a product can be held liable for its use by others. Ford Motor Company would now be liable for every incident of road rage. Why not make car manufacturers pay for accidents? Why not make Louisville Slugger pay for every assault with a bat? Reality is that gun manufacturers are not as large as tobacco corporations and these law suits intend to destroy all domestic manufacturers of firearms with legal feesS and large settlements. Second, the Daily failed to mention t&e benefits of firearms to society. It was stated that $3 billion is spent on medical costs due~ra firearms. According to Prof. John Lott of Ott University of Chicago, in the 31 states tit; allow concealed handguns, violent crime; a less likely to occur. This reduction in violsjt. crime saves at least $6.214 billion in thd: states. The $3 billion is more than off set. - Also, it was stated that 34,000 deatlh occur annually from firearms, yet abdul half of that number are suicides. Suicidal are tragic, but it is misleading to throwthii number in with violent crime. - All corporations deserve immunity froan' lawsuits like this. The next step will be su on owners of stolen cars because they allowed their car to be stolen and used in a high spy, chase. These lawsuits go after the wrong party. Maybe the entire nation of China should : sued - for inventing gun powder. * JOSEPH LUKA" LSA JUNIQRl 0 A 1: