4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 30, 2001 ItgANN ARBOR, M l 48109 daily.letters@umich.edu GEOFFREY GAGNON EDITED AND MANAGED BY Editor in Chief I.It, STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MICHAEL GRASS SINCE 1890 NICHOLAS WOOMElR 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 Housewives and other misconceptions GINA HAMADEY CAUGHT 1ROVOING eminism has gone out of vogue. Many times when a woman discusses gen- der issues she prefaces it with, 'I'm not a femi- nist, but ..." That is because of the connota- tions associated with the word: Angry male-bash- ers with hairy armpits. On the other side of the fence lies the stereotypical housewife, who also calls up negative images. One thinks of a pathetic woman in an apron resembling Donna Reed. So what is a feminist reared by a house- wife to do? First, attempt to dispel those definitions. I'm a feminist because I believe in the ideal that women deserve an equal shot as men in practically everything. I don't think a woman should have to apol- ogize for playing hardball with the big boys, or for expecting her opinion to be taken just as seriously. There is nothing hairy or hateful about it. It seems the feminist movement went awry somewhere, because though it failed to depict itself properly to society, it some- how has managed to cast a negative light on the phenomenon it rebelled against: Housewives. Women who stay home have been made to feel inadequate. They have been cast, somehow, as pathetic because they live their lives serving their families. This has something to do with the sub- servient term "housewife." Why not "housemother," or better yet "housepar- ent?" Meanwhile, feminists are considered selfish because they only serve themselves. College is a selfish time, for men and women. And the number of females attend- ing college grows steadily each year. Most college girls I know are not women after finding their husbands, but women prepar- ing for med school, law school and various professions. But some people don't want these careers. Last weekend a friend con- fessed that she is such a person: "I know it sounds horrible butI just want to have kids and raise them." Though this sentiment is not usual at the University, it's not horrible. Most modem, Third Wave feminists of today preach that women can do whatever they want to do. Women do not have to remain docile, sub- mit to their husbands and quietly rear chil- dren if their passion is to say, climb the corporate ladder. But if a woman's true desire is to stay home with her kids once she has them then, finances permitting, so be it. Child rearing is a profession of sorts. And it is nothing to be ashamed of. My mother is a homemaker and she has led a good, selfless life. There has been nothing pathetic about it. She does not eat bon- bons; she does not watch soap operas. I don't remember the last time I saw her in an apron. She has dedicated her time to her children and it is a 24-hour job that involves unlimited rides and pep talks and so much more. Her job entailed making soup for me mid-afternoon when I was home with pneumonia. It included listening to me ramble for ten minutes at three o'clock about what I did that day at school (the information mysteriously forgotten by dinner). Hers is the face I associate w* my childhood. She has given her life to my siblings and I, and it has made her perfect- ly happy. I think we turned out better because of it. In fact, if my mother did not give herself to me as I was growing up, I'm not sure that I would have the confidence to be the person I am. I don't think I would have always pushed myself the way I did. Maybe without the homemaker, there would not be the feminist. That feminist in me cannot wait to gr* uate, grab the proverbial bull by its horns and launch my career. I know that I will never stop writing. I also will eventually want my kids to get the same attention that I got. Every family has to figure details out on their own but I think one parent work- ing at home, freelancing perhaps, with the kids sounds like a good solution. I would ideally like to be that parent. So I want both. I want to have a successful career a be a homemaker. Maybe feminists are se ish after all. Gina Hamadey's column runsevery other Tuesday. She can be reached via e-mailatghamadey@umich.edu. TANG A 9IMTfro CBS LE TS MTwE l ems SPFeAKIM6: IToh1*EYE-% -HELEKDETTRF Q s*Wt Does Sanz know anything about U.S. foreign policy? To THE DAILY:c J After reading Branden Sanz's views about terrorism and how the U.S. should react to it ("It's time to kick some terrorist ass," 1/24/01), 1 wondered whether Sanz understands anything about United States policy in the Middle East (or in the whole of the Muslim world, for that matter) and 4. the effect it has had on its people. Sanz neglected to mention that the pres- ence of American forces in the Middle East is part of U.S. policy on Iraq. The U.S. is able to carry-out its policy remained virtually untouched with the help of its Arab allies in the ing and sanctions, however. 1 region; repressive monarchies or dictator- President Bush encouraged ships that enjoy American support despite Shi'ites in the south and the the U.S. 's supposed commitment to north, then did nothing as' "democracy." sein's forces slaughtered Ordinary Muslims in these countries Schwartzkopf even refuse cannot speak out against their govern- rebelling military officers a ments' support for U.S. policy in Iraq for tured Iraqi arms. fear of imprisonment or execution (or During this time, the Stat worse). And the Iraqi regime the U.S. is refused to have any dealings supposedly trying to punish for invading democratic opposition, pron Kuwait is a former ally, the same one that to question whether Washingt was armed and financed by the U.S. during opposed to military dictatorsh its invasion of Iran. Contrast this with U.S.p Now that Iraq is no longer among the Israel. Despite having viola U.S.'s Arab allies, U.S.-imposed sanctions U.N. resolutions the U.S. cla and bombing campaigns (which continue ishing Iraq for (and many m despite having been forgotten by the being rewarded with military media) have devastated Iraq's population multi-billion dollar aid packat and turned its economy upside-down. Washington merely looks More than 2 million Iraqi civilians have while Israel slaughters Palesti died since 1991 and 5,000 children a and expands Jewish settleme month die of hunger and disease as a direct pied territories (again, the result of the U.S. policy. behavior the U.S. claimed it' Depleted uranium from the bombings Iraq for). has resulted in a dramatic rise in cancer Now Sanz and others w and birth defects. viewpoint are "mad as hell" a The sanctions prevent Iraq from pur- to take it anymore" because chasing essentials such as food, medical world's anger is manifesting supplies and ambulances, resulting in mal- form of terrorist attacks on U nutrition and inadequate health care. one can justify these attacks Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who is attempting to do so. supposedly the target of U.S. policy, has But can Sanz or anyone e a O71 OWOOJ10(SE A GIMMI4CK( 96,~ -loe NICMIGAN PAILY PZESENIS VISIOW' L~K- 1IPWSfj lekIrI3T Soly it EA~rATiVEL'( .4t 9 IsS 1 39 lT 03?IT I 'd3?11i nog , lJ by the bomb- Ten years ago, rebellions by Kurds in the Saddam Hus- them. Gen. ed to permit ccess to cap- e Department with the Iraqi npting people ton was really ip in Iraq. policy toward ted the same ims it is pun- ore), Israel is supplies and ges. the other way inian civilians ent into occu- same type of was punishing ho share his nd "not going & the Muslim g itself in the .S. forces. No and I am not Ise can justify an American foreign policy that has resul ed in the death or displacement of millions of innocent Muslims and thus prompted the seething rage of the entire Muslim world? SABIR IBRAHIM Engineering junior Ashcroft nomination challenges Bush's 0 moderate promises TO THE DAILY: I'm confused by President Bush's nomi- nation of John Ashcroft to the Attorney General position. I thought Bush ran as a moderate, a "compassionate conservative." Then he nominates someone to be the nation's top law-enforcement officia whose politics are so far to the right he practically off the map. Ashcroft opposes civil rights, gay rights, women's rights, gun control and protecting the environment. I can't help but wonder: Did Bush somehow make a mis- take with Ashcroft's nomination or was all his talk of moderation just another cam- paign lie? MELANIE DORS Artand Design graduatestudeT Gujarat response proves an idiot won the election MANISH RAIJI NOTHING CATCH' promised myself not to write more about George W. Bush. I've written about him and my deep loathing of every- thing he stands for enough. I promised myself I was going to write about something involving this campus, something that would strike closer to home. Perhaps some- thing about the BAMN/BSU brawl, but that, and the resulting flurry of mail received was embarrassing enough, without any need for me to add my two cents. So I was at a loss. What to write about? And then I read the paper and saw that Bush has continued his theme of doing everything wrong and my muse jumped up and down on my shoulder, pointing at a column for me to write. On Friday, an earthquake hit India, in my home state of Gujarat. I was filled with relief when I heard from my mother that my grand- parents were fine. Shaken (pardon the pun), but fine. The death toll is expected to reach at least 15,000 (by the most conservative estimates) and may be as high as 30,000 to 40,000. It's the type of disaster that begs for humanitarian relief, especially in a nation plagued with an already disastrous economy. Canada, Switzer- land, Thailand, England ... even China (a nation which has been historical enemies with India) have sent aid, in the form of money, supplies and manpower. And then we turn to George W. His actions (or lack thereof) and words have always been slightly hilarious, slightly upsetting, slightly mediocre. But on this particular issue his actions (or lack thereof) and words aren't sim- ply cause for laughter. His actions (or lack thereof) and words are incredibly indicative of the type of man who is now at the helm of this nation. In the face of incredible need, W. was capable of only this: "I send my condolences and those of the American people to the fami- lies of the many victims in the cities and vil- lages of Gujarat and elsewhere." He probably doesn't even know how to pronounce 'Gujarat.' Condolences? Who the hell needs condo- lences, especially from a man who currently controls one of the wealthiest nations in the world? India doesn't care about his faux-grief, they care about the lives of the thousands of people missing, dying, screaming for help. Not to say that America owes anything to anyone - that's certainly not the case. But this is the type of situation requiring some- thing more than a $25,000 gift certificate from Richard Celeste, U.S. ambassador to India, from a fund specified for disaster relief. $25,000 wasn't enough to buy W.'s admis- sions into Yale; it certainly isn't enough to save the lives of thousands. And what has W. been doing in the mean time? According to The New York Times, he's putting forth efforts (re: money) into a program to fund religious groups, in an over- whelming display of his lack of constitutional knowledge. Separation of church and state, anyone? Speaking as a non-Christian (non-reli- gious, in fact), non-white, non-majority male, I'd like to give W. a swift not-so-non-violent kick in the groin. While he's busy trying to shove religion down the throats of Americans - as if Jesus H. Christ is the answer to this nation's prob- lems - people are dying. Not just dying in the intangible, world-hunger, civil-strife manne People are literally dying from a natural di: ter that should supercede petty governmental policy decisions. Fine, India doesn't produce oil (which is apparently the only thing Bush cares about, or knows about). But one would think that a guy who claims to read the Bible every day of his manufactured life would at least give a damn about the lives of thousands of people. I suppose that the excess melanin in their skin makes them unworthy of that "com- passionate conservatism" talk that W. was 0 fond of. In the face of two major issues, W. has chosen the worst possible route. Offering only condolences when aid is needed is selfish and careless. Offering Christianity as a solution to inner-city violence is horribly naive and is more of an attempt to avoid the real, structural issues that plague the poverty-stricken por- tions of this population. A friend told me a while back that Bush's ascension to the White House is going to prove wondrous for journalists - as long he's in office making all the wrong moves, we'll always have something to write about. I suppose I agree, but that's a heavy price to pay. I would rather be scraping for something to write, instead of being con- stantly faced with yet another George W. Bush misstep. Manish Rafi's column runs eve other Tuesday. He can be reached e-mail at mraiii@umich.e. T