4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 19, 2003
OP/ED
able and7v
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AUBREY HENRETTY
ZAC PESKOWITZ
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NOTABLE
QUOTABLE
It's the
conservative version
of liberal shibboleths
like 'Make love, not
war'- and equally
hollow."
- New York Times columnist
Nicholas Kristof on "the axis of evil."
Kristof's column appeared in yesterday's
edition of The New York Times.
SAM BUTLER THE SOAPBOX
W.
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= aon'- - knou
abov C OJ
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Zora said 'yes' while the world burned
JESS PISKOR Tis SPACE NOT FOR SALE
lings are bad. Since Sept. 11, important debates about That's what I want. I want the United
Things are really globalization and free-trade have been States as hegemon and I want it now. I'm
bad. ignored. sick of dissent and opinion and threats and
War with Iraq is just Domestically, things aren't any rosier. high gas prices. I don't want to think about
around the corner. Within Our country is in record-breaking debt, anything anymore. My life is just fine,
weeks we will be step- and states are looking at billions of dollars thank you, and as far as I'm concerned, the
ping over the bodies of in budgetary shortfalls. United States can do whatever it damn
Iraqi soldiers lying dead Our economy is in the dumps, jobs are well pleases, so long as I am not personal-
on the burning oil fields scarce and companies are failing. ly bothered.
surrounding Baghdad. Our government opposes affirmative Join me, huddled masses, not in revolu-
Regardless of the meaningless fear- action, abortion, stricter environmental reg- tion, but in anti-revolt. The world is wak-
mongering of the orange alerts and duct- ulations, universal health care, yet supports ing up and shrugging off years of
tape hoarding, I don't doubt that there will the death penalty, tougher sentences for complacency. The American public no
soon be plenty more terrorism in the world. non-violent drug users, tax-cuts for the longer seems apathetic about current
Maybe it'll be copycats of club stampedes wealthy, less regulation of business and events and is taking to the streets to
or firebombs in subways, or maybe the ter- increased espionage on its own citizens. oppose war. We must ignore this awaken-
rorists will bust out their supposed chemi- Yes, things are pretty bad. In fact, it ing and stick to Michael Jackson exposes.
cal and biological arsenal. I wouldn't be seems hard to imagine things getting much World problems have never been so far
surprised to see terrorists use radiological worse. But honestly, think how close we reaching, but fortunately, it is getting easi-
or nuclear weapons in my lifetime. are to the rise of a new golden age. Those er and easier to ignore them.
North Korea is a real threat, and we are problems aren't real problems for me, That's what we all secretly want isn't
looking at an Asian arms race that will because I'm a well-educated white Ameri- it? To not make decisions, to live in bliss
threaten security across the globe and can man living off my parents' dime and and harmony, feeling utter happiness
potentially destabilize China, Japan and practically guaranteed a job out of college. knowing that Joe Millionaire picked Zora
South Korea. And if things are okay for me, then things for love and she said, "yes."
The Israel/Palestine issue isn't getting can't be that bad for anyone else. France? Germany? Russia? China? One-
any closer to a peaceful resolution, and it See, after we topple Saddam, after the hundred-five developing nations?
seems both sides have resorted to violence Korean Peninsula is a radioactive waste- 10,000,000 protesters across the globe? All
and flight from dialogue. land, after Africa is buried with AIDS, opposed to U.S. aggression? Bah, why do
President Bush's newfound compassion after South America is burned, after Jews they even care? Don't they know they can
notwithstanding, AIDS, especially in Africa, and Muslims die in a fiery embrace, after just shutter their doors, crack open a beer,
is raging uncontrollably and in some areas, we lose a couple of U.S. cities to terrorism, turn on the television and trust the United
one in three people are born HIV-positive. after we are too afraid to step outside, after States and everything will be fine?
Half the countries in South America are uncountable millions are dead and after
on the brink of economic failure, or are power is firmly in the hands of a small Piskor can be reached
already in open revolt. elite, then peace will be at hand. atpiskor@umich.edu
The terror generation
DAVID HORN HORNOGRAP'HY
A re this war in destroyed, or contained. Secretary of State case, means acting sensibly and intelligent-
Iraq and the Colin Powell has pulled some aces from his ly. Your simplistic rhetoric is creating a
so-called War sleeve and he displays an impressive hand. panic and clouding the nation's judgment.
on Terror the defining But it pains me, as it pains the several hun- We may suffer a terrorist attack today, but
events of our genera- dred thousand people who protested across we will not allow for fear to govern our
tion? the globe last weekend, that before there behavior. There is a tyrant who poses a
I will acknowledge was an opportunity in this country for a threat, and of course he must be addressed. I
that these two monu- discourse on peaceful action there was a am not yet convinced that he must be
mental undertakings rush to war and violence. That rush has addressed by firing ammunition at other
will have an extraordi- been spurred by a Texan cowboy and his people in the hopes of puncturing their vital
nary influence on the shape of our futures, rhetoric of fear, and it aims to keep Ameri- organs and torching their cities.
and on our current way of life, but I refuse cans unnecessarily frightened and vindic- These days are defined by fear, and if we
to allow for this generation of Americans tive. Diplomacy is not a dead end. Ask any are not careful they will be defined by more
to be defined by the T-word. man or woman who has seen combat, and violence. "The Terror Generation" will not
I am declaring that we are not The Ter- your answer will be that war is to be avoid- allow itself to be overcome by those painful-
ror Generation. ed at all costs. ly human characteristics. We - whatever
To resign to such a label is to resign to In response to the largest organized we may be called some day - are not agents
futility; it is to resign to fear; it is to resign protests since the Vietnam War, President of war, nor are we perpetrators of suffering.
to violence; it is to resign to lost hope. This Bush asserted defiantly that "(To account We all see the crisis and are gravely con-
graduating class and those that follow it are for the) size of protest, it's like deciding, cerned, but we understand that there are
not being educated so that they can bomb 'Well I'm going to decide policy based paths to peace that don't include war. Presi-
caves in Afghanistan and die in the streets upon a focus group."' dent Bush wants to create The Terror Gener-
of Baghdad. We are scientists and philoso- Maybe so, Mr. President. But when your ation, but we will not let him. However, we
phers and doctors and artists and we will decisions lack the support of your fellow will join with him in finding a peaceful end
do more good for this world than harm. We citizens then they truly lack the full strength to the tyrannical reign of Saddam Hussein.
will not shirk from responsibility when of America. You speak of strength and ask And when this beast is slain and we begin to
action must be taken, but we will not be Americans to join in an era of self-sacrifice, heal rather than to harm, then a clever nick-
overcome by fear and violence. This is not but clearly Americans are not fully behind name can be assigned.
The Battle. It is a battle, which may or may you. I applaud your language but I'm afraid We have nothing to fear but fear itself,
not require combat. the breadth of the request is too narrow. Ris- said Franklin Roosevelt. Smart man - and
There are, from time to time, dire situa- ing to the occasion doesn't always mean he wasn't even being told to duct tape his
tions that call for war. Regarding this threat putting on a chemically retardant suit and windows.
in Iraq, I have found myself growing more shipping off to the Persian Gulf to flex mili-
and more convinced that Saddam Hussein tary muscle, especially without asking a lot Horn can be reached
has a stockpile of weapons that needs to be of questions. Rising to the occasion, in this at hornd@umich.edu.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
0
AATU 'here to serve
campus community'
TO THE DAILY:
The Ann Arbor Tenants Union has had
a simple goal since 1969 - to improve the
housing conditions of Ann Arbor through
counseling, advocacy, programming, and
community outreach. We are not players in
the game of politics or adding to our politi-
cal resum6; we are here to serve the com-
munity. If you have ever paid an illegal
cleaning fee, slept without heat, subleased
or lived without a repair done, you are
someone we can help.
We took our mission to the students last
winter for a ballot initiative and 56 percent
of students agreed to support our mission.
saving you, students, potentially hundreds
of dollars and time.
We receive many thanks for the services
we provide to students and I want to thank
you students that have supported us and
continue to do so.
AMY AMENT
LSA senior
The letter writer is the AATU's
executive director
Former'U'art student asks,
'like, what's happening in
Ann Arbor?'
Tr) L= P e T T v.
to do with the University experience. I
understand you also have a music school, a
literary school and even an underground
filmmaking society. I mean, like, some
people used to make films in Ann Arbor.
What's happened to the Daily? Where's
Milt Cohen? George Manupelli? And the
ghost of Andy Warhol? I read somewhere
that George Lucas first screened "THX
1138" in Ann Arbor. So, has everybody
died in that small berg, or is anybody going
to write about the arts in Ann Arbor?
ARDEN RYNEW
Alumnus
LIKETO WRI'
SURROUNDED BY AMAUURS?
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