I The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - Wednesday, September 5, 2001-=13C ,Jack n leads rally on Diag Sy Maria Sprow ail yStaff Reporter -Two days after the Law School's race-conscious admissions policy was struck down by a federal judge, the Rev. Jesse Jackson stood on the steps of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library yesterday and encouraged stu- dents to fight the ruling. "This is another great movement ow. It's Ann Arbor. It's this campus. t's your day. Don't let the confeder- ates turn back the clock. This is the American flag - one America, one people," Jackson said, speaking about U.S. District Judge Bernard Fried- man's opinion handed down Tuesday. "Affirmative action is not a minority issue, it is a majority issue." Jackson, founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, rallied * undreds of students who filled the Diag in support of affirmative action and to show the courts that Friedman's decision will not be accepted by the University. "Keep making America better and better. ... We are a better nation because of this University," he said. "Here you stand multi-racial, multi- cultural. Brother King would be proud of you." He said race should be a deciding factor in admissions because universi- ties use other fundamental factors like legacy. "Legacy is a factor. Gender is a factor. Geography is a factor. ... Let's include all the factors and make American universities look like Amer- ica's future," he said. During the rally, Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary member Erika pwdell addressed Martin Luther ng Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, in which he said, "We have come to cash this check - a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice." Dowdell, an LSA junior, said it is time to fulfill King's dream. "This new movement must demand that that check be cashed. We will fight this case all the way to the Supreme Court and we will not end until we see every *ce being represented in our schools and every institution of education." Dowdell said Friedman admitted NOW and Playboy square off in debate to uncover 'Naked Truth' ABBY ROSENBAUM/Daily Jesse Jackson main-evented a rally held on the Diag to protest a federal judges desision to strike down the Law School's admission policy. By Elizabeth Kassab Daily Staff Reporter Students hoping for bitter con- frontation or free copies of Playboy magazine did not receive either at late March's "Uncovering the Naked Truth;' a debate at Rackham Auditori- um between Patricia Ireland, president of the National Organization for Women, and Asa Baber, a contributing editor for Playboy Magazine. Baber alluded in his opening remarks that there would be no brawls on stage. "You won't find me saying 'Patricia, you ignorant slut,"' he said, admitting her response would be along the lines of "Asa, I'm not ignorant." Before an audience of hundreds, both Ireland and Baber used dry humor to delve into more serious issues including traditional gender roles, abortion and the feminist move- ment. Early on, the debate focused on the perceptions and receptions of the fem- inist movement. Baber addressed misconceptions of the male reaction to feminism, making clear that not all men are violent peo- ple who cheat women out of equal wages. "These little slurs are very troubling," he said. Baber also expressed disapproval of the one-sided presentation of gender relations. "I think there have been excesses in feminism. I don't want to get rid of feminism," Baber said, adding he advocates a more "balanced curricu- lum" on campuses that would include courses such as "Men and War," "Fathering: A How-To Course" and "Males and the Law." "'Men and War' is usually referred to as U.S. and world history" Ireland countered. She argued that a department specif- ically devoted to women's studies is necessary because women are often overlooked in more traditional disci- plines. "'Normal' has been taken as male, and female is the 'other,"' she said. She added that the feminist move- ment does not seek to rob males of what should rightfully be theirs to ensure women receive more than their share. "We are asking men to relinquish privileges," Ireland said. Women are asking for equality, nothing more, she added. Title IX, which provides for equal funding in male and female sports in U.S. schools, has meant sacrifices for men's sports teams, Baber said. "It's the price of equality, and I'm willing to pay it," he added. Ireland labeled the new administra- tion in Washington as a distinct threat to women's rights. President Bush's decision that that formal attire for women in the White House be limited to skirts is trivially troubling, Ireland said. "Maybe he just likes legs," she quipped. What matters is the threat the presi- dent potentially. poses to reproductive freedom, she said. "There is an imminent threat," she said. "I don't want to go back to those times where birth control was not available and abortion was the leading cause of maternal death." Baber and Ireland also debated what Ireland referred to as the danger that lies in popular culture mediums such as music and pornography. Ireland said she finds danger in Eminem's rap, specifically in his por- trayal of violent acts against his wife, sister and mother in his music. Ireland expressed concern over the "normalization of that kind of notion," either through Eminem's lyrics or vio- lent pornographic images. As for Play- boy, she said, "I think there are some things that are distressing." "Playboy has never been judged to be obscene by any court in the land. I don't think it's pornographic," Baber said. On the question of whether sex workers should be legal or not, Baber's response was a simple affirmative, while Ireland's was more complex. Sex workers should be allowed the same basic protections other workers are allowed, such as the right to union- ize, Ireland said. She also expressed dismay at a culture that views sex as something to be bought. Ireland also called attention to the flaws of a culture in which women put in disproportionately higher hours caring for their families than men. She said that men are thanked for the hours they do log with their children instead of being asked to balance the scale and devote 'more time to domestic life. "More and more guys want to be good fathers," Baber said. He added that the problem lies with fathers who are excluded from playing a larger role in their children's lives because of divorce settlements and custody arrangements that allot mothers iore time with their offspring. "I'm not suggesting that fathers are angels ... but I'm suggesting that a rot of them want to see their children," he said. vs10 racism is a part of society but said his decision showed he does not care. "We will not stand for his 'oh well' attitude. We will not have an 'oh well' attitude. We want integration in this society - now," she said. BAMN member Jessica Curtin, a Rackham student, said the decision took her by surprise but she is confi- dent that "one man" is not the decid- ing factor in the fight against affirmative action. "We know that we are right, we know that racism exists in this society and that there must be social pro- grams to offset it. We are going to go to the Supreme Court and win," she said. Miranda Massie, the lead attorney for the student intervenors in the law- suit, called the judge's opinion "dis- honest;' "wretched," "backward" and "regressive." Massie said Friedman's ruling should not hold up in higher courts but urged all students to read the 90-page opinion. "You cannot read that opinion with an open mind and think that Judge Friedman ever had an open mind, before, during or after the trial." Jackson called on students to join the national march in Washington, planned for October, and the national conference on affirmative action planned for April or May that will be held here. "It should be a national conference here to prepare for a major logistical gathering," Jackson told reporters after the rally. "Race is too fundamen- tal to our culture." Curtin later said the point of the rally is to impact the decision of the Supreme Court. Most students supported Jackson's ideas, but not everyone was impressed with what he had to say. "I'm really excited about the initia- tive that the students have taken," said LSA freshman Natoya Coleman. "I have a sense of comfort that every- thing's going to turn out to be okay." "I think he was avoiding a lot of the topic," said John Donovan, an Engi- neering sophomore. Donovan, who said he does not believe taking away affirmative action will lead to resegregation, said Jack- son spent too much time focusing on segregation and not affirmative action. "I think he was just finding something to attack." V 4 Season's Free Tanning!! European-Supernova f 1igh--cssurc inliuj lcd, liiick Comfortable Mattress, Virtually No Buirtutig LNB Rays Filtered Must Experience 'his Powerful i Fast Newer Bed. Not Available in MostSalons. 1 Session FREE! $3 .Value ! 45-YC 40 1 lw-x3 .4cpim* s 1ILt1. 4(" 3$" 413E33-MwAFURM With Anry Purchase of $3.00) or moure *Ncv o stulncrs Onh'. *ByI P AppoiIWILL Only' *Onu Spec.ial PWr crn Ofifer expires 1(/110i 0 0