4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 10, 2000 ghle firtichtgan:43atild Chicken soup for the losers 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109 dailyletters@umich.edu Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan MIKE SPAHN Editor in Chief EMILY ACHENBAUM 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. Profiling persecution Laws needed to combat racial profiling did not have a dream the other night wherein my vote decided the presidential election. This non-dream, not existing as it did not, did not change my dubious opinion of our electoral process. On Tuesday I did not vote. I wanted to vote on Tuesday. I didn't regis- ter in time. For several weeks certain people have criticized my irrevocable impotence- in this matter. They said that for my sake, Al Gore had better not lose. In defense, all Ik was able to do was shrug and look plain- tively toward Nov. 7, which barreled both toward and away from Patrick me at once.K But my position Kley inside the blind eye of Talking n a hurricane has afford- ed me ample time to P consider voting from an empirically rich and practically poor viewpoint. The only solid conclusion I have reached is that democracy purveys for some anguishing compromises. You are my case in point: Right now half of you are reacting as if the post office has finally delivered the rejection letter from the graduate school you esteem. And so, in the same tone in which you might say, "at least I applied," you are now saying, "at least I voted." Or perhaps you are more progressive: "I will keep applying until I get in." Or more reflective: "I truly believed in Ralph Nader." Or bitter: "I'm going to Cuba." Whoever you are, I think now is the time to assess beliefs and test convictions. The new president will soon bend and break whispered promises, but that's part of his job. You are a civilian, purely anonymous and shielded only with the integrity of your con- science. Your vote never existed nearly so much as your opinions. Here, now, tenuous on this fulcrum between teeter and totter, we will see what you really think. Here's what I think: There ought to be either universal health care coverage or else complimentary headstones and eternal flames provided by the government. School vouchers ought to be good only for students that intend to privately pursue Ebonics. A woman's right to choose should extend to include her sexual orientation. We ought to be ruled by philosopher-kings. I'm lucky I have a column. It gives a non- voter the unique opportunity to convey senti- ments that perhaps have no business outside the vacuun of my mind. I do not know if anyone else would find this brief spotlight a sating substitute for the meek voice of a vote, but I do. Neither do I know if the rest of this nation's voters personalize the ideologies and mediated character-images of the candidates so strongly as I am inclined to do. I suspect, from recent observations of impromptu liv- ing-room political debates which are seem- ingly fueled by fist-clenching, bull-headedness in the face of opposin> opinion that the answer is mostly yes anU that emotion is an integral motivator in poli- tics and government. Perhaps a Gore or Bush sticker (to be slapped on the clothed breast, inches above the nucleus of the fiery beating blood that conjoins us with everything demo- cratic) comes at the cost of the objectivity and individuation of our minds. These are impossibly flexible and slippery questions that I am asking. I don't claim to know the answers, if there are any. ButE know that there is something about voting that both attracts and repels us. When you went to vote, was there any tinge of futility or surge of absurdity that spilled onto your ballot? If your guy lost, whom can you damn but yourself? Are you now prepared to loosen your tired tentacles and suction to something new, something that before would have had you wretch with contradiction? I am. In the next election I am going to vote quietly, ponderously. And if my guy loses I will be the first to re-examine opinions under the urgency of a new set o facts. I will be the first to draw up a compro- mise that favors communal improvement over self-righteousness. By now we know who the new president is. He is a white, Christian man. He was cat- apulted into office, a late-birth, by votes from that sun-baked phallus we call Florida. Let'ยง make the best of this. And if this new guy does something that truly insults our integr ty, let's not pout, let's revolt. - Patrick Kilev can be reached bv e-mail at pkiley@umich.edui. D espite the many civil rights victo- ries that have been won in the past 30 years, the discriminatory practices which fuelled the activists of the 1960s are still present in some parts of the American criminal justice system. Racial profiling is an exam- ple of this kind of skin color preju- dice and has been recognized as a practice that needs to be stopped. According to a recent Gallup Poll, 81 percent of Americans believe that racial profiling is problem that needs to be addressed. Many African Amer- icans, including members of Con- gress, prominent business officials and athletes have been stopped on America's highways, guilty only of the offense that has been dubbed "Driving while black." The issue has been nationally recog- nized as one that can- Racial pro not be ignored: Both no einrd ohnational and state leg- problem ti islatures need to pass laws that will help to to the per curb this blatantly dis- criminatory practice. of many i One of the first m tasks of the 107th minorities Congress should be to move the "Traffic S tops Statistics Study Act of 2000," H.R. 1443) from committee to the floor for debate. The Traffic Stops Statistics Act would offer incentives for those police departments that keep a detailed record of all traffic stops, a record that would include the ethnici- ty, age and gender of those people stopped as well as the reason that the stop was made. The passage of this bill, which has more than 60 co-spon- sors, would be a significant step in addressing an issue that has been rec- ognized across party lines as one of national importance. However, H.R. 1443 does not call for a specific policy regarding the conducting of traffic stops. Legisla- tion needs to be drafted and passed, both on the federal and state levels, which both regulates and sets stan- dards for such traffic stops. In the 1996 decision of the case Whren v. United States, the Supreme Court upheld that a police officer making a r , traffic stop does not need to be moti- vated by a desire to enforce traffic laws that were potentially broken. It is important that there is legislation that ensures that the ability of the police to pull over motorists with minimal reason is curbed to the extent that no person's fourth amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure are infringed. Legislation regarding the problem of racial profiling however should not be limited to the federal government. Every state should also require the collection of traffic stop data, repli- cating the efforts of North Carolina which on April 21, 1999 passed the first law in the United States which makes the collection of such informa- tion mandatory. Although there are filing is a atempts at legislation directed at ending Wa leads racial profili ngat boththe nationa and ecution state levels, individual cities should volun- nocent teer the collection of the kind of data pro- posed by H.R. 1443. In Portland, Oregon and San Diego, the police departments have begun to vol- untarily collect traffic stop data although there are currently no laws requiring them to do so. The ACLU has recommended that the 50 largest U.S. cities follow suit, however there is no reason for this type of action to be limited to areas with high popula- tions. Millions of people across the Unit- ed States have come to recognize that racial profiling is a problem that leads to the persecution of innocent minorities, the compromised integrity of the justice system and distrust of police officers by minorities and therefore also by potential jurors. However, it is not enough to recog- nize that the problem exists, it is nec- essary for lawmaking bodies at both the federal and state levels to pass legislation and for cities and towns to take voluntary action in an effort to end an unwritten policy that is both discriminatory and un-American. It's warfare - Crips and Bloods.' - Engineering sophomore Robert Hampton on th4 presidential voting dispute in Florida. Not enou space Campus parking inadequate for students Reader laments: Daily is 'a bunch of liberal crap' TO THE DAILY: I am writing to the Daily because all I ever read is a bunch of liberal crap. There was no reason that Al Gore should have lost this election. He was the current vice president and the economy is good. With those two reasons alone, he should have won. The only way for him not to win is by presenting himself as someone who couldn't run the country. Gore did just that. The only thing lie did was make promises that he had no proof that he would carry out. That's what lost him the election. Bush presented himself as a leader who could run a country like he ran Texas. You can blame Nader and talk about the votes in Florida, but Bush won and I'm glad he did. NICK SOTO ENGINEERING FIRST-YEAR STUDENT North Campus sidewalk not waste TO THE DAILY: As a long-time student on North Cam- pus, I must comment on a recent letter to the Daily ("University wasting money on N. Campus," I1, 9100) which complains about money being wasted on North Campus. The new sidewalk by the Dow building has been badly needed for a long time. In 1992, when I walked the path from Bursley to the Dow building several times per day, I could either walk the extra distance on the sidewalk and double-back one hundred feet or cut the corner and walk across the grass or, as is more common in Michigan, the mud. By paving that small area, the Uni- versity is actually responding to students' needs. To re-sod the area would have been a waste of money. I have always believed that when the University constructs a building that changes the flow of pedestrian traffic, they should sod the whole area around it and the next spring, pave whatever has been trod- den. I think the real waste of money up here is the bell tower without a clock. MARK STOCK RACKHAM 'Scott' campaign tactics are disturbing TO THE DAILY: As the green T-shirts appear all over cam- pus, it's hard to separate yourself from the "Scott" controversy. Aside from the total van- dalism of the campus, the "Scott" followers have intruded on yet another space, our person- al religious beliefs. Like many other students. I was tricked into Campus Crusade for Christ's little game. I did however emerge from my conversations with the followers a little more educated about their campaign and more strongly aware of why I disagree. For those who do not know, this idea started at Michigan State, where followers wore shirts reading "Do you agree with John." John in this case referring to John the Baptist, a significant t arking at the University is ram- P pant with inadequacy and ineffi- ciency. The amount of parking is woefully minuscule in comparison to the faculty and students who seek to utilize it. Further exacerbating the problem, the mass transit systems available to the University communi- ty are riddled with problems and have been ineffective in relieving the park- ing crisis. While Parking and Transportation Services acknowledges that "parking for students at the University is very limited and we encourage students to leave their vehicles at home," it is not always an option to leave one's vehi- cle at home. As affordable housing near the University remains a scarce commodity, it follows that students who, for various reasons, are forced to live farther from the University would seek to drive to cam pus. While the Ann Arbor Transit Authority and the University bus system might pro- vide a means of transportation for some, these are not sufficient for all and often require additional time commuting. Numerous faculty, staff and students commute from signifi- cant distances, which mass transit simply cannot service. And there are often problems regarding the frequen- cy, capacity and reliability of the bus service. There are also problems with the time schedule of mass transit. While the bus system becomes infrequent late at night and on the weekends, student life remains active. Even after the last bus of the night, there are people who need to go across campus and are presented with few readily available options. Even in the midst of an apparent parking shortage, the distribution of what parking exists does not properly meet the needs of students. Currently students are relegated to far-flung lots at the very edges of the University. What "decent" parking that was avail- able for students was quickly snapped up at the initial sale, held on a first come first serve basis. These lots also suffer from the worst bus service. Some students have expressed safety concerns regarding late night treks to these lots. Faculty and staff at the University can currently obtain closer parking at more frequently serviced lots. The ultimate solution to the Uni- versity's parking woes would be the addition of more parking spaces and the improvement of the mass transit systems. Some initiatives have been undertaken on these matters: A new lot has opened on Fuller St. (though it is reserved for staff parking), new parking decks are in the works and various late-night taxi services have been implemented. These initiatives should be expanded, making them more readily apparent and available to the University community. More frequent bus service would be an important improvement. The possible 20 minutes or more between pickups at bus stops is not acceptable. The University's long standing Van- pool practice (car pooling in a Uni- versity vehicle) might be expanded to include students as well as staff. The current situation needs many improvements; There is no reason why students must spend a minor eternity waiting for a parking space to appear or rely upon a bus system which has been known to drive past waiting students. nothing more than the leader of Michigan's Christian Coalition and what he is asking is if we "agree" with him. This is my main reason for disagreeing. I am all for religion. I believe in God, Satan, Heaven and Hell, but I also believe that it is our personal nght to believe whatever we choose without outside influenc1 By flooding the campus with posters and T- shirts and luring in people to hear the "word of Scott," he is trying to influence our beliefs and persuade them to his ideals. He is telling us that what we believe is fundamentally wrong. Now, I must say that I have talked with many Scott followers around campus and dis- cussed my viewpoint with them. I have yet to find someone who has argued their point with me or told me that I'm going'to hell like some previous Diag protesters. However, I find th fact that I was tricked into this in the first placi and the fact that a man has such a huge follow- ing on campus disturbing. Scott has hundreds of people around campus preaching his words to people who under normal circumstances would not stop to listen. Is this an effective campaign? Yes. Is it safe or right for our cam- pus? No. DAVID LEVY 1 C'A cnun A figurehead in Chrnstianity. Scott however is LSA SOPHOMO DANE BARNES DISTURBED SLEEPJ - NOW Vfu T to, SC t- / () rr 1 Scott Week' should be viewed witnout prejudice I By Justin Hamilton Daily Editorial Staff The University is a place which fosters diversity and seeks to expand students' view- points and life experiences. Diversity, of culture, of experience, and of ideology, is an object cherished for its ability to further educate and to encourage personal growth. Parallel with the goal of promoting diversity, several student organizations have asked the question, "Do you agree with Scott?"; and for all who have been wondering Scott believes in God, the Bible, and "basic" Christianity. The burning question behind "Scott week" is not that plastered across the campus; more aptly the question itching in thoughtfully considering his beliefs? It has been said that this University is too liberal and prejudiced against Christianity for any meaningful and evenhanded dialogue to exist; that is an utter blatant banality. The Uni- versity's commitment to diversity and open exchange preclude the overt dismissal of any hope for intelligent dialogue. Only those who fear that they just might be proven wrong would not advocate intelligent contemplation, this is not the diag preacher ranting at you; rather an effort to open lines of communication and allow for free discourse upon the subject of God. Is "Scott week" an evil ploy of a vast right wing conspiracy? No. The stereotypes about Chris- tianity do not reflect the people behind "Scott _.aa ' r,, _ m " .aol haanr an l versation. The challenge raised is to fairly an openly address your beliefs without externl prejudices. As the chalk near Angell Hall ha addressed, "Scott week" does concern evangeli cal Christianity, but rather than being "sketchy it is a sincere effort to promote open exchang on matters of religion, faith, and God. "Religion, morality, and knowledge beni necessary to good government and the hap ness of mankind" an open intercourse on t topics can only further the good of the Universi ty, thus fulfilling another message near Ange Hall, that inscribed into the very masonry of th University.agc The question does remain, "Do you a with Scott?" You are encouraged to find you E 1 I AIAMl II i IIA u