4A-- The Michigan Daily - Monday, April 12, 1999
Utie £idtga atig
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
daily. letters@umich.edu
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan
HEATHER KAMINS
Editor in Chief
JEFFREY KOSSEFF
DAVID WALLACE
Editorial Page Editors
Hilarity, Hypocr
o before we say our goodbyes, before we
pretend to care about all of those random
people we have deemed friends but we only
see at the bar or run into around campus, and
before every Daily columnist (including
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.
Locked and Loaded)
pretends to be pro-
found, I've decided to
bite the hands that feed
me. It's almost over, we
seniors our almost out
of here, and yes,
Locked and Loaded is
almost gone - much
to the joy of many,
many students. Yeah,
L&L has pissed some
of you off. So let's cel-
ebrate all of those let-
ters, all of those empty
and ill-phrased para-
graphs and let's have
some fun, and for a
change, at the expense
of this column.
isy and
'Ritter All Night'
Ac aemicmpetition
'U' must maintain Inteflex program
Sarah
Lockyer
Locked and
Loaded
column, if you're made fun of and ridiculed,
chances are you're not liked, you're found
annoying and insufferable and, clearly, not
wanted to be heard from, however nice the
compliments might be.
But it was the advent of Studio 624 that real-
ly got some attention. All of a sudden, L&L
was a drugged-out whore who just wanted
some action - and I mean, why not? Studio
624 was to be a place of drugs, sex and disco.
E-mails flooded in from lonely engineers and
even lonelier old men, well, not that much
lonelier. Each letter tried to be subtle, but mis-
erably failed: "I'm sure you're getting lots of
letters from other guys, but Ijust wanted to say
you're funny. Maybe you shouldn't publish
your picture next to your column, you're cute,
and guys will just harass you. If you ever want
to hang out with a guy who can make a mean
Long Island, just let me know." Umm, is a
comment really necessary? Maybe you're
harassing me and maybe Long Islands are
served at every bar on campus, regardless of
whether or not they're "mean" - you're not
original, so give it up. Hilarity.
But let's get to the real deal. We all know
that "Women really do have it all" and the sub-
sequent "20-something guys aren't that bad,
just ask Sarah and Susan" hit some sort of
funny bone on the campus elbow.
Letters upon letters came into the Daily, and
believe it; every single one was read. And my
god, the ridiculousness was astounding! First,
guys loved the fact that a woman was bashing
feminism and women were about to kill the
self-ascribed siren of sarcasm. Clearly, that
column aided and encouraged the sexualiza-
tion of women, it glamorized rape culture and
even objectified the objectification of women.
Never mind the tongue-in-cheek nature, forget
sarcasm, this bitch has got to go. Calls were
even made for L&L to be fired! AHH! But the
best part was not one of those letters were well
written, not one offered a valid point and not
one made a dent of an impression upon the
feminist-hating, women-bashing columnist.
Here's a hint: If you want to make a point, try
to get one first.
But while making fun of women is fine,
don't touch the guys. Next thing you know
guys were screaming libel, slander and offen-
siveness because L&L dared to turn the tables.
At least women were now excited to see guys
take the fall. Hypocrisy. Hold the mirror a little
too close and look how the tide turns. This
campus is great! But thanks to a law student
with a little too much time on his hands, the let-
ter stating that L&L should be sued for slander
was revoked. Apparently there are good uses
for lawyers after all. Guys: Give me a fucking
break, you're offended? I'm sony, really. I did-
n't mean to make fun of your fragile egos, I
know that you're all really good in bed and cun-
ning conversationalists, really, I do.
But the crowning jewel came on the WOLV-
TV show, "Ritter All Night." Hosted by two
less-than-stellar students, Jeff and Mike or
Matt, I'm not really sure, this David Letterman
wannabe is almost as insipid as this Maureen
Dowd wannabe. Asked to appear, L&L
agreed, pleading ignorance to the idiocy and
not-even-close-to-being-funny humor offered
by a Kinesiology major. Hint: If you're hosting
a comedy talk show, comedy is usually
required.
So, L&L has been complimented at bars,
chastised in the Daily and even harrassed by
four guys Saturday night who screamed, "Put
us in your column!"
Hint: Everyone on this campus is self-
absorbed, loving of attention in any form and
lacking of any real sense of reality. I mean,
why else would L&L write a column about
herself?
- Sarah Lockyer can be reached over e-
mail at slockyer@umich.edu.
ince March of last year, the Inteflex
program has been under controversy
concerning its future at the University.
Originally designed as an opportunity for
highly motivated students interested in
the medical field to intertwine their
undergraduate and graduate education,
Inteflex committee members are consid-
ering opening it up to students pursuing
careers in a variety of health-related
fields. Ironically, the Medical School has
now decided to end its participation in
this program. Inteflex is a unique oppor-
tunity with many advantages, and should
remain at the University. It should also be
expanded to allow participation from
other health-related fields.
Because Inteflex has been scrutinized
recently with respect to the Medical
School, Inteflex committee representa-
tives from the different colleges have
tried to understand the varying view-
points.
Although the Medical School claims to
have "outgrown" Inteflex on the basis that
its mission has changed since the incep-
tion of the program, the vision and ability
to attract the brightest students is a quali-
ty that other schools within the University
should find very appealing.
Inteflex allows talented and hard-
working students to receive a continuous,
structured and highly concentrated educa-
tion.
An alternative to the usual pre-health
tract students often pursue during their
undergraduate years (a pre-health concen-
tration does not exist at the University),
Inteflex combines advanced training with
superior resources to give prospective
doctors the most advantageous education-
al career possible at the University. Other
schools with health-related concentra-
tions should push for involvement in a
similar program to better suit their stu-
dents.
If the University does not continue to
accommodate these high caliber students
by offering programs to fit their needs,
they may move on to other schools that
better suit them.
It is important to maintain a balance of
dedication and ability in the student body,
and Inteflex or a comparable initiative
would effectively maintain this, as it has
done in the past.
Currently, the committee is investigat-
ing the possibility of reformulating
Inteflex for students interested in den-
tistry, nursing, public health, social work
and pharmacy. Although the current
Medical School students in Inteflex will
not be affected by these changes, incom-
ing students should be aware that the
school has decided against continuing
this valuable program.
Because it would attract prospective
students and be a rewarding experience
for them, Inteflex deserves a chance in
other health-related concentrations. It
would likely bring the success that the
Medical School has enjoyed on its behalf
in previous years, maximize efficiency on
both sides and provide a unique experi-
ence to eager, determined undergradu-
ates.
It all began as a "Translation" and a promise
to never go to class again. A self-ascribed
witty dialogue satirizing the fakeness and utter
contempt for the truth that students can have
for each other when classes begin.
You know, boy meets girl, boy flirts with
girl, boy never goes to class again, boy keeps
flirting with girl and boy gets notes from girl.
This cute but not even close to piercing col-
umn received some attention, but nothing
worth a pat on the back.
But the next two really hit home. A discus-
sion about the rules at the library and a call to
hedonism gathered some mixed reviews.
Exceptions to every rule were met with many
"Oh My God!"s and "That is, like, so true!" -
definitely flattering but needless to say annoy-
ing. Here's a little hint: if you're mocked in a
Leaders don't always practice what they preach
By Jeffrey Kosseff
Daily Editorial Page Editor
Is it possible to despise the messenger
but embrace his message?
I hope it is, because after seeing the
Rev. Jesse Jackson speak on campus
Friday, I heard many ideas and thoughts
that shed new light on why diversity is so
important. Jackson provided me and about
3,000 other students with the strong mes-
sage that the country cannot lose its com-
mitment to attaining multicultural harmo-
ny. The historical and statistical facts he
cited hit home for me, making me realize
the United States was founded by people
of all races; not just a few white guys in
fluffy wigs. He registered millions of
minorities to vote, forever making the
U.S. democratic system more representa-
tive.
But as Jackson was preaching racial
togetherness, I could not stop thinking
about a remark he made to a reporter in
1983, referring to Jews as "Hymies" and
New York City as "Hymietown." That is
something I would expect to be uttered by
a Ku Klux Klan leader, not by the nation's
foremost champion of diversity.
As a Jew, I have been socialized to dis-
like Jackson. Despite his apology for the
remarks one year later, the damage was
permanently done. It had a strong negative
impact on his presidential campaigns in
1984 and 1988, and I believe it caused a
rift between Jewish and black Democrats.
Throughout Jackson's speech, I tried to
rationalize his anti-semetic comments. It
was 16 years ago. It was a private conver-
sation with a reporter. He was under a lot
of stress. He must have realized that it was
wrong by now - he gave a tearful apolo-
getic speech in 1984.
Unfortunately, these rationalizations
did not help me transcend his past mis-
takes. As he spoke about the need for con-
tinued diversity, I saw an anti-semite with a
deep hatred for Jews.
After the event, I realized that I have
had prejudiced thoughts and made preju-
diced remarks in my 20 years. I'm sure
every person on this campus has had a
racist, sexist or homophobic thought. Most
people move on with their lives, but
Jackson has been forced to repent for this
comment for 16 years. Should he be held
to a higher standard than every one else?
Yes, he should. For someone who
preaches cultural harmony, it is frightening
that he made anti-semetic remarks.
makes me lose faith in humanity. If
Jackson has been hateful, who hasn't?
Jackson's hypocrisy should remind
everyone that we should not place public
figures on such a high pedestal. Ideas
about how society should function must
come from everyone, not just a few well-
groomed demagogues. We should not need
idealogues such as Jackson to come to
campus to realize that we each must fight
to preserve diversity on campus. True co'
mitment to diversity must come from every
student. No single individual is perfect
enough to symbolize an entire cause.
Change comes from within every member
of society.
- Jeffrey Kosseff can be reached over
E e-mail at jkosseff@umich. edu.
GRINDING THE NIB
7
Striving for justice
Investigation of police profiling is necessary
CHIP CULLEN
t appears that it took a death for an
executive initiative to confront the use
of "racial profiling" by law enforcement
agencies throughout the country. Under
pressure from civil rights groups angered
over the recent killing of African immi-
grant Amadou Diallo by police in New
York City, the Clinton administration
announced last week that it would take
steps to end the practice.
In addition to the Diallo shooting, in
which officers fired 41 shots at an
unarmed man, the administration's move
comes in the wake of other high profile
incidents where individuals have been
questioned or harassed by police solely
because of their race.
Last June, a lawsuit was filed in U.S.
District Court by a black family from
Eastpointe, Mich. alleging that young
black males on bicycles were systemati-
cally stopped and questioned by police in
response to bicycle thefts in the area. An
internal memo between now retired Chief
Fred DeWeese and City Manager Wes
McAllister confirmed the charge.
The Justice Department is also carry-
ing out investigations into racial profiling
in New Jersey and Orange County, Fla.
Attorney General Janet Reno said the
department is in the process of establish-
ing standards for appropriate police stops.
But to many, such measures are simply
not enough. John Conyers Jr., (D-Mich) a
senior member of the Congressional Black
Caucus and House Judiciary Committee
hopes the reintroduction of a bill requiring
the Justice Department to collect and study
racial data on motorists stopped will shed
light on the popularity of racial profiling
with police agencies nationwide.
Vehement opposition by police lobbies
killed the bill in the Senate Judiciary
Committee last year, but not all police
organizations oppose racial information
gathering programs. Both the San Jose and
San Diego police forces have pledged to
track the age, gender and ethnicity of peo-
ple stopped. Yet even these two voluntary
initiatives have been attacked by the
California Police Officers Association
who maintain that police must make sub-
jective decisions when they decide to pull
an individual over.
Police departments are not the only
agencies to draw fire from critics. The
U.S. Customs Service has enlisted the aid
of an independent commission to evaluate
how passengers at international airports
are processed and whether racial minori-
ties are unevenly targeted for strip-search-
es. In Chicago, 100 black women who
claim that they were singled-out due to
racial and gender biases filed a class-
action complaint against the agency.
While the actions of the Justice
Department, Customs Service and indi-
vidual police forces are certainly a step in
the right direction, a national movement is
necessary to address and confirm wide-
spread charges of racial profiling. The
Clinton administration must be held
responsible to follow up on its promise to
ensure that Justice is truly evenhanded
across the nation.
There may be a level of validity to the
protests of police organizations; police
officers, like other people, are bound to
resent laws that call their judgement into
question. But evidence that infringe-
ments upon the fundamental rights of
minorities may be common practice by
law enforcement agencies is too disturb-
ing to ignore.I
Feminist fair did not
represent the true
cause
To THE DAILY:
The recent "Feminist Fair" last week
on the Diag once again illustrated the
death of intelligent discourse on this
campus. The Daily's headline even
called it a "celebration." A celebration
of what? The organizers explained the
fair promoted "female empowerment."
However, whether or not romping
around the Diag with dunktanks, bal-
loons and bean bags promotes "empow-
erment" is debatable.
Instead of presenting an ideology, a
set of goals or a philosophy, today's fem-
inists play silly games and engage in
male-bashing. In fact, the results of this
imbecility are quite clear in a recent sur-
vey of women - only 32 percent of col-
lege women view feminism favorably.
Maybe it is time for these pseudo-femi-
nists to ask themselves: What do we want
to do?
Despite the behavior of the organiz-
ers, there are still sincere feminists out
there who fight against domestic vio-
lence, and promote women's education.
Most likely, original feminists like
Elizabeth Cady Stanton would have
agreed with me: unbiased, open-minded
intelligent discussion will lead to change
in society, not carnivals of clowns.
ScoTr BEHNAN
LSA FIRST-YEAR STUDENT
Intervention is
necessary to stop
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tion to Kosovo Crisis" (4/2/99). The fact
that air strikes against Serbia are just a
mask for the bad policy in Bosnia is
questionable. I agree. However, it can by
no means be considered as an aggression
against the Serbian nation. If you don't
understand anything about the war in
Yugoslavia, you should know that this is
genocide in Bosnia. How many more pic-
tures of murdered, raped, tortured, massa-
cred people do you need to see to stop
this from happening?
The author, Maxim Adelman, says
that air strikes "will not accomplish any-
thing, but give Serbs an excuse to pursue
ethnic cleansing."
In which world does Adelman live, I
ask myself? Does he see that this is sys-
tematic and that Serbs planned to commit
genocide against Albanians for the
"sacred land" with or without air strikes.
Adelman also claims that up until the
air strikes began, "there were no reports
of any considerable civilian casualties
among Albanians, media reported a few
thousand dead."
Albanian nation.
Air strikes are no excuse for Serbs to
kill Albanians.
I understand that we do not see the
results of the strikes in the short-run, but
I am praying that they will diminish
Serbian military power.
At the same time, I am certain that air
strikes alone will not put an end to th*
conflict. Adelman claims that "the inter-
national community has no reason to sup-
port Albanian nationalism over Serbian
nationalism; as long as there is no occur-
rence of genocide; it should be a domes-
tic affair."
First, the Social Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia is history.
The independence of new Yugoslavia
is not internationally recognized: there
fore the problem in Kosovo is not '
domestic problem but rather an interna-
tional problem.
Second, I don't think that Albainians
who are being massacred by the Serbs
could ask them for their human rights.
Therefore, the international community