4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 19, 2003 OP/ED able and7v 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 letters@michigandaily.com EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 LOUIE MEIZLISH Editor in Chief AUBREY HENRETTY ZAC PESKOWITZ 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. 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. U' G3 = aon'- - knou abov C OJ Qc esSioh S 0 _ ,..~ !^ . 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? TmC .- an.AJhhJrR% A:V - -t . THR BOONDOCKS i A R Ca~.~A~~I : Fi V