4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 28, 2003 OP/ED cue ffirtdjitgn Dtig 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 We will not wait until we become the next target." - Syrian President Bashar al-Asad, on fears that coalition forces will attack Syria, as quoted in yesterday's edition of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. SAM BUTLER THE. SOAPBOX Y\oc e oq - / ir Diversity! Where? HUSSAIN RAHIM NARCOLEPTIC INSOMNIA 'm not really sur- prised. There are a few more people against affirmative action than for it, and then there are a select few who either don't know, don't care or are too scared to say. Then we have one study that says diversity as a result of affirmative action is good and another that says it is bad. When you hear about something repeatedly, no matter how germane the topic, it gets boring. But it's here and pret- ty soon it'll be all over, but I still have a feeling of resignation towards it all. The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide on the chimera of whether diversity in higher education is a compelling state interest. However noble that argument may be, it is tantamount to a smokescreen because diversity is not the goal here. Diversity doesn't matter, it wasn't the pur- pose of affirmative action nor should it ever be. JFK didn't authorize affirmative action in 1961 because he wanted a social identity mixer. Affirmative action, regardless of its beneficiary, has always been about oppor- tunity, availability and righting institution- al discrimination. What is desired is a solution to a problem that exists in our society, this being that certain groups of people are disproportionately excluded from benefits and privileges that others have unlimited access to. The way the Uni- versity sees as best to rectify the disparity between the opportunities of lower educa- tion is to offer an admission policy where certain social identities afford you benefits in the process. It worked well enough for women to bring them to a level of equality in higher education where they no longer need it. Diversity, openness, inclusiveness are all political terms to appease the Constitu- tion wavers but they are not feasible goals within a university setting. A few scattered percentages of assorted minorities do not constitute diversity. While there are those that argue diversity may provide inherent educational benefits in a classroom and university setting, I say these benefits are only benevolent side effects. If diversity is improperly recreated as the basis of affir- mative action, - and it seems to have been - when diversity is not found to be of interest to the state, those who changed its purpose must not be confused. Diversity is a faulty goal because it has no real definition or effect in the personal realm. Since the implementation of affir- mative action and the subsequent decades of active pursuit of minorities in higher education, college campuses appear more diverse than ever, but that in no way is a sign of actual connection of students across racial identities. If you have the for- tune of experiencing diversity in your classroom, I guarantee it's not going much further than that. Even in the classroom, the effects are negative - and at best intangible - because many times students can become the sole representative for their entire identity, creating pressure to present an idealized view to the class, and leaving little room for individualism and charging them with the unnecessary bur- den to educate when they should be learn- ing. The worst case being a campus where the racial tension is palpable, and the stu- dent population fragments into ethnic or interest groups. This school is not too hard to imagine. At best there will be a class where the material is purely empirical and personal experiences will have no weight. In biolo- gy it doesn't matter who you are, just as long as you know how many cells are in an electron (four I think). I doubt anyone has walked into a class and said, "One, two, uh, three black people, and a Latino! Sweet dude, I'm staying in this discus- sion!" Why is this? Because people don't care. With the exception of maybe five kids in East Quad, no one associates with people too far from his comfort zone. The way affirmative action is applied, diversity brings in more minorities so that once they are in school everyone can splinter off into their respective groups and meet at class or dance shows. Possibly it is the Universi- ty's responsibility to try to get students to reach out, or maybe it is the students' duty. I don't know. I do know that the country is falling to the right - made evident by Republican control and that things do not look good: In the sum- mer, when the white man, led by Clarence Thomas, shuts down affirmative action (I'm calling 5-4), the backlash will be immeasur- able. When the minority population disap- pears, no one will even notice. The dichotomy between belief and reality will be shown. Do you support diversity? Sure. But who do you hang out with? Indeed. Rahim can be reached at hrahim@umich.edu. Activists win! Bush pulls troops out of Iraq LUKE SMITH THERE IS NO I IN COLUMN D ear Mr. Smith: Times/CBS showed a shift in American The activists' vigilance really shone I have fol- opinion of our action in Iraq. The through when they decorated themselves lowed your Times/CBS poll (which took place over as if they were injured Iraqis! Did you columns with great the war's opening weekend) showed a 19- hear about that? They dressed themselves interest since you percent decline in American expectation in bandages and toilet paper and red paint, began writing for the of a quick and successful effort against or marker, or whatever activists use for Weekend Etc. Maga- Iraq. simulated blood these days to simulate the zine (it's just Week- I can't believe that people thought this injury of the Iraqi people. end now, right?). It is would be a quick war. When was the last I was particularly impressed with the primarily because of quick war? If it's quick, Luke, it isn't a protesters on H Street in Washington. our continued correspondence that I want- war. But I'm preaching to the choir I'm They ran out and laid in traffic, pretending ed to come to you first with my decision. sure. The Pew Research Center poll to be dead in simulation of the streets of I haven't even told Laura yet, let alone showed Americans who believed the war Iraq, which would make sense were the Donald Rumsfeld. He's going to be so was going very well peaked Friday at 71 streets in Iraq covered with Americans mad. This was his baby. But, I just can't percent. It was easy to get their support laying on the ground breathing. fend off the overwhelming will of the when we were just flying overhead drop- Luke, there are a lot of kids in the army American minority pleading for our troops ping those GPS targeted bombs on mili- named Oil, did you know that? Neither did to come home from Iraq and the surround- tary targets. I. But I keep seeing all of these "No War ing areas. By Monday, that number had slipped to for Oil" signs, and it's befuddling how As a result of the vocal protesters, I've 38 percent. Of course, our numbers drop many soldiers we have named Oil, and decided as commander in chief to pull the as the first U.S. casualty counts come in. how vociferous their parents are. I origi- United States out of Operation Iraqi Free- Gosh, our first casualties were mid-air nally thought about just brining all of the dom. Instead, we will pursue a peaceful helicopters collisions, and I don't even soldiers named Oil back, but decided just means to solve the Iraqi conflict and allow want to talk about when we shot down that to bend to the minority will. Saddam Hussein to continue to defy the British jet with a Patriot missile. But, Anyway, the squeaky wheel gets the United Nations and abuse his people. Plus, Luke, you know that wasn't our fault the oil, right? And the protesters were squeak- this way, we can keep the French happy pilot didn't respond with the friend code ing pretty loud. How can I, the people's and we'll keep getting imports of whatever and the missile launched automatically. president, rebuke such powerful and the French send to us. That's what the Joint Chiefs told me. staunch displays of humanitarianism? I French President Jacques Chirac really Those protesters in San Francisco were can't. So I pulled out early. Iraq will just took a stand back there. He really asserted really effective. I don't mean to jump; I'm have to clean herself off with a rag or France as a world superpower; he must be under some serious pressure here. Did you something, because we're getting out of the second coming of Charles de Gaulle. know that they arrested over 1,600 people there, man. I'd be lying to you, Luke, if I said that in 'Frisco? That's amazing! We've proba- Sincerely yours, I wasn't gravely concerned with my public bly taken out way more Iraqi soldiers than George opinion numbers. I assume you saw the that already, and with virtually no casual- figures from this past weekend? The Pew ties! But, they still protest. (Activism is Smith can be reached at Research Center and The New York stupid - Ed. Luke.) lukems@umich.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 0 Reporting on women's basketball team irresponsible, loss of Guevara a loss to 'U' TO THE DAILY: As a former practice team member and supporter of the women's basketball team, I got to know coach Sue Guevara fairly well. That is why I was very saddened to learn of her dismissal this past week. I was even more saddened by an article entitled What throughout my experiences with athletics. She was very proud of her team and her desire for them to succeed was very evident. For the members of her current - and now final - team to speak out against her under conditions of "anonymity" was appalling. It speaks volumes for the lead- ership - or lack there of - on the current squad. They are all grown women. Why they were unable to approach Coach G woman-to-woman with their problems baf- fles me. Instead, they chose to hide behind their comments under conditions of "anonymity" in an "exclusive" article writ- Coach G, if you happen to read this, know that Scott, Dave, Joe, Matt, Kevin, Russ and Barrett would run through a wall if you told us to. ScOTT OTTOLINI Alumnus Absence of Random Student Interview is disconcerting, ruins Weekend Magazine THE BOONDOCKS A.A R 0N McGRUDER _..---mi,