4 4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 7, 2003 OP/ED ablefotzm fidt* hU 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 I'm able to produce anthrax in my bathroom ...why don't you bomb Sweden?" - Niklas Ergandt, a 25-year-old Swede, questioning British Prime Minister Tony Blair during an MTV-organized forum, as reported by The Associated Press. The forum will air in the United States on March 10. SAM BUTLER TiE S>PAox ..e The next step: turn on to turning off DAVID ENDERS WEIRD SCIENCE B E I R U T , stration in downtown Beirut last month, a would lose its most effective mode of Lebanon - television crew approached myself and delivering pro-war propaganda - the I've been here other international students to request for- unquestioning news channels and net- for more than three eign perspectives on a U.S. invasion of works that deliver whatever they are weeks now, and the Iraq. We weren't hard to identify; a group given. If we all stopped watching, media period of culture shock of Europeans and Americans standing moguls like Rupert Murdoch would be I had expected has yet amongst Pan-Arabists and the local Pro- forced to start paying attention to us even to materialize. I sup- gressive Socialist Party. So some of us if our leaders won't. Is it unfair to target (4f 7 pose the ease with smiled for the camera and explained (pre- them? Of course not. They have political which I've made sumably on behalf of all) why we were agendas, as well as some weight to throw myself at home stems largely from the fact demonstrating against a war. Here in the around. Celebrity journalists like Katie that college students anywhere are, in essence, Middle East, the prevailing view is that an Couric might take a stand against war if college students. Same foibles, bar outings, invasion isn't a fight about how far Sad- no one is watching just to get our attention road trips, late nights, papers, pizza orders, dam's missiles can travel or whatever this back. After Congress has rolled over to dating problems ... you know the drill. week's excuse for aggression is, but the allow Bush to move troops around like a There are little differences. It's strange to first part of a U.S. strategy for indefinite game of Risk, somebody has to do some- be asked for an "American" perspective on global control. Whether people here think thing. I can't think of anyone bigger than matters of culture or geopolitics, especially it's a conspiracy, the next crusade, empire the "independent" American TV media. because I hardly think of myself as an "aver- building or just sensible realpolitik, they're (I'll make an exception for the Public age American." I'm not sure who is an aver- onto it, and the sense of hopelessness in the Broadcasting Service.) age American, so as not to misrepresent face of it all is overwhelming. "If so many I'm not advocating that we should stop anyone, I've carefully explained before people are against it, why is it happening?" paying attention to what's happening. Pick every "American perspective" I present that they ask. "Why does the American govern- up the paper, Pick up a magazine. Read. I'm speaking for myself. Here are some ment ignore the opinions voiced in its Think. Discuss. The print media is by no answers I've given more than once, see if streets and around the world?" I moved means perfect, but it's certainly more thor- you can guess the question: away from the TV crew, not wishing to ough, and you can spend more time search- "No, I don't think George Bush planned have my moppy hair beamed into the ing out information the increasingly September 11." homes of Lebanese viewers as part of a homogenous TV news won't give you. And "No, I don't think the Mossad planned soundbite on the 11 o'clock news, a sound- there could be beautiful side effects. The September11." .bite that for local viewers might seem con- pro-peace movement in America, the "Sure, I guess it's possible either one of tradictory to what most Americans must strongest citizens' campaign since Viet- them could have planned it. They both bene- think as war seems ever more inevitable. nam, has opened a new sense of dialogue. fited from it, anyway." As I watched the crew finish the inter- I've seen people at demonstrations intro- "Shakira is definitely hot." views and leave, I wondered, "How to duce themselves and begin talking to total "Invading Iraq is silly. For the money the show them what Americans really think?" strangers as no one would ever do on cam- U.S. will spend on it, we could buy everyone and it hit me: Turn off your TVs. Keep pus. Turning off the TV and fostering that in Iraq a pony. That's what Saddam Hussein them off until we are assured there will be growing sense of community would be a really wants out of all this. A pony." no war. If there is one, keep them off until great thing for everyone, but most of all it It occurred to me after answering some it ends. Sound crazy? Think about it. It's should be done for the people everywhere of those questions that people here under- the ultimate act of protest. If enough peo- else. Let them know what Americans think. stand us about as well-as we understand pie did it, Nielsen ratings would reflect them. Mass media provides the bulk of drops in viewership and advertising dol- Enders can be reached at their impressions. At a pro-peace demon- lars would slow down. The Bush junta denders@umich.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 0 0 Skipping class to protest war not an effective strategy TO THE DAILY: I was disappointed to see an otherwise eloquent and well-reasoned staff editorial in Wednesday's Daily, Unjust war (03/05/03), tarnished by a statement advocating that stu- dents cut class as a form of protest against possible war in the Middle East. The notion of cutting class as a form of political state- ment is ludicrous. Not only is missing class detrimental to a student's education, the already-nonexistent political impact of cut- ting class is further diluted by the fact that cutting class in protest is indistinguishable from missing class due to illness or skipping class out of laziness. A far more effective way to make a polit- ical statement would be to write to one's elected representatives or to participate in an organized protest, but I suppose these alter- natives would be too much work for some- one who would prefer to make a political statement by cutting class. ELSON Liu Rackham Daily coverage of recent Arab-Israeli skirmish skewed and inaccurate TO THE DAILY: In regard to the Daily's article, Stu- dent's remember bus bombing victims at vigil (03/05/03), it should be noted that 20 students came out in the freezing cold to show dedication to peace. But instead of focusing on those that were lost and mourning with the families that have suf- fered, the headlines read "Missile hits Gaza after suicide bombing." It should be noted that Israeli Defense Force sources say that there is a wave of disinformation regarding the killing of 11 Arabs in the operation. It is being said that the 11 were killed when IDF troops fired at a terrorist engaged in firing a missile at them, but the commander at the scene said that he "knows for sure that the only casu- attack. In trying times, we must focus on the dead and not divert attention from the casual- ties that were lost by such a horrific crime against all humans. DANIEL AGHION LSA junior Protesting certain government actions a patriotic duty TO THE DAILY: Robert DeVore's letter, Student opposition to U.S. government 'a slap in the face' (03/05/03), showed exactly why those stu- dents who choose to protest the current administration should continue their protests and feel proud to do so. First, DeVore makes the mistake of assuming his peers are protesting his "actions." This protest is to try and prevent an invasion of a country that has never committed an aggressive act against the United Stites. Even during direct armed conflict, Iraq wasn't able to inflict more damage on our troops than our "friendly fire" did. The protest is not against containment of Saddam Hussein or even to end the sanctions our government has placed on Iraq. Second- ly, whether or not Saddam remains in power is meaningless to the protection of the Con- stitution. What is most dangerous to the integrity of the Constitution are bills like the PATRIOT Act which effectively rescind guaranteed rights that our president is sworn to uphold. Finally, this protest was not against the U.S. government, as DeVore states, but against U.S. government policy, which will effect every citizen. As a citizen, it is everyone's patriotic duty to speak their mind and act on what they believe is right, regardless of political pressure from those who believe unthinking, blind support of every policy decision a president makes is the American way. To end, I hope that slap in the face wakes DeVore up. ANDREw HALL Alumnus 'Negative reaction' to Finkelstein, SAFE distorts words, facts torted remarks in a letter to the Daily SAFE guest lecturer is insult to Holocaust remem- brances (03/06/03). As the sponsors of the event, we feel that it is our place to provide the University community with what are so frequently lost in emotionally-heated debates (and in the aforementioned letter): the facts. To begin with, the letter writer asserts that Finkelstein will discuss his book, "The Holocaust Industry." This is simply not true, as the title of Finkelstein's lecture as it has been publicized is "Prospects for Peace in Israel/Palestine." Irrespective, the allegations against Finkelstein that he mitigates the Holocaust are patently false and extremely offensive. Finkelstein dedicated his first book to his parents, Holocaust survivors of the Auschwitz and Maidanek concentration camps, as well as the Warsaw Ghetto. His dedication reads: "May I never forgive or forget what was done to them." Indeed, Finkelstein has devoted the majority of his academic career to maintain- ing the integrity of the historical memory of the Nazi Holocaust, which he seeks to pro- tect from manipulation and distortion. Finkelstein's book, "The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering," is an effort to expose those who have disgracefully used the Holocaust for their own gain. In the opening pages of his book, Finkelstein clearly distinguishes between the historical Nazi Holocaust where millions of Jews were killed and the Holo- caust as a public discourse, which is the sub- ject of his study. The book has aroused much controversy among some elements of the Jewish community in America, who have labeled Finkelstein as an "anti-Semite" and a "Holocaust-revisionist." Amidst, the academic community, Finkelstein is highly-regarded, and invited by Middle East studies departments on cam- puses around the country. Furthermore, per- haps the greatest living authority on the Holocaust, Raul Hilberg, has repeatedly praised "The Holocaust Industry," calling it a "breakthrough." Seeking to bring such a renowned and articulate scholar to the Uni- versity, SAFE has invited Finkelstein to dis- cuss the Arab-Israeli conflict. To selectively quote from his book, and place them com- pletely out of context, is a serious attack on his integrity and humanity. SAFE wishes that apologists for Israeli brutality and war crimes, with the mere objective of stifling 0 0 a0 THE BOONDOCKS A .tAARON McGR*[,,"J..)ER 0