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4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 6, 2002

OP/ED


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420 MAYNARD STREET
ANN ARBOR, MI 48109
letters@michigandaily.com


EDITED AND MANAGED BY
STUDENTS AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
SINCE 1890

JON SCHWARTZ
Editor in Chief
JOHANNA HANINK
Editorial Page Editor

NOTABLE
QUOTABLE
If we leave patriotism
and religion out of
this event, we'd be
reducing the memorial
to a bunch of anti-
American whining."

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.

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- Associated Students of the University
of California Senator Paul LaFata on the
ACUC's deicsion to leave patriotism and
God out of the University of California at
Berekeley's Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony,
as quoted in the California Patriot.

That's not Dick Clark in my matzah ball soup
DAVID HORN OlRNOGRAPHY
year ago I And now, to complicate an already infi- returning to those questions I've asked in the
stood from this nitely complex issue, our cowboy-in-chief past year. What did we do wrong? What are we
soapbox and has decided to wage war in Iraq. He hopes to doing wrong? What can we do better in the
pointed the finger make a pre-emptive strike, possibly without future? I will ask them in both the third and in
backwards. When the the support of Congress, possibly without the first person. It is a coincidence that the
towers fell, we asked the support of the American people, without High Holy days of the Jewish calendar fall (and
6 who was responsible. the support of his father's advisors (includ- will often fall) so closely to Sept. 11. But I am
T In my column that ran ing the current Sec. of State), without the taking that opportunity to create my own hybrid
on Sept. 13, 2001, I support of the United Nations Security holiday; a holiday that examines my own mis-
wrote that while I con- Council and without the support of most takes and shortcomings and also our nation's. It
demned the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, and European powers. is an opportunity to look at the mistakes we've
could not conceive of a greater tragedy to But we'll get to all that another time. made, the flaws we haven't shaken and the
befall a nation, I believed it was important to Because tonight begins the Jewish holiday ways we can improve. And it would do us all a
realize that the United States was at least of Rosh Hashanah, and the 10-day period that lot of good - whether we are Jews or not - to
partly responsible for its fate. follows it in which Jews celebrate the new use Sept. 11 and this period of the year to make
Many had a difficult time swallowing that year, and take time - personal and commu- the same evaluations.
accusation. Voices of opposition among right- nity time - to reflect on the previous year, The High Holy Days are a chance to make
wingers lambasted me for my unpatriotic spir- atone for their sins and look ahead toward the amends - with God, if that's what you need
it. In the weeks and months that followed that coming opportunities and chances for self- to do, or with your friends and enemies, if
column's publication, my own beliefs tumbled improvement that the next year will bring. that's important. The rest of the world (over
about and reshaped, again and again, as I It's an important and uplifting time for Jews 50 percent of Europeans, for example) thinks
imagine yours did as well. But those questions and is not dissimilar from the traditions of we have acted in the wrong. It's out of a
kept coming back to me: What did we do many other faiths. In fact, nearly every major kindergarten teacher's mouth, but we can use
wrong? What are we doing wrong? What can faith tradition has a period of judgment, self- this opportunity to consider how our actions
we do better in the future? reflexivity and empowerment for positive have affected others.
Yesterday Reuters ran a story that reported change built somewhere into its dogma. A year ago I pointed the finger at myself.
that over 50 percent of Europeans believe the America, as a secular nation, has no such During these High Holy Days, it is my
United States is partly responsible for the time. Our New Year's is spent on booze Dick responsibility as a Jew to do the same, and to
events of Sept. 11. Having a majority of Clark, football and booze. You've got to love take personal responsibility to make personal
Europeans on my side may or may not be New Year's in America - it's the best. improvements. We're not all Jews, but we all
something I want to attach to a resum6, but But it does not provide for the kind of per- need a taste of that. Sept. 11 is a good place
the fact remains that in their eyes - and in sonal growth that is encouraged during Rosh to start.
the eyes of many Americans - our foreign Hashanah-Yom Kippur and many other holi-
policy has been, and currently is, at best mis- days from many other faith-traditions. David Horn can be reached
guided, at worst criminal. When I sit in Synagogue tonight I will be at hornd@umich.edu
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Smith's column 'trivializes gists' website. Doesn't Smith think that per- payers party) would also be desirable, if only to
haps school psychologists are qualified to give show the world that you're not a bunch of tree-
the importance of Sept. 11 this advice? Studies have shown that students hugging hippies and that you acknowledge
in the lives of children' need some degree of normalcy in schools, both ends of the spectrum.
especially those whose home life is constantly Admittedly, being optimistic about either of
changing. I'm not advocating that teachers sim- these candidate's prospects of winning is not
ply should perform their usual routine on Sept. very realistic, but the Daily should at least take
TO THE DAILY: 11, but I do believe that after Sept. 11 is some- seriously its role as a source of information to
Luke Smith's article, NEA careful not to how addressed in the classroom, the school day the student body. You're proud of your history
step on feelings or logic, (9/5/02) about the so- must continue as usual.' of editorial freedom; why don't you use it to
called "gentle coddling" of our nation's chil- Emotion is essential to the human experi- break stride with the traditional media? Take
dren in schools on Sept. 11 incensed and ence; it's what sets us apart from the other off those AOL-TimeWarner wanna-be blinders
distressed me on several counts. First of all, species. How, then, can we ignore children's and provide full coverage of such major races:
Smith trivializes the importance of Sept. 11 in feelings? I suggest that, instead of complaining At least a few engineers pause to scan the front
the lives of children around the country. These about the inadequacies of public education page before skipping to the crossword -
children make up the first generation since Smith think about all the teachers he had that somebody might actually learn something.
Pearl Harbor that have experienced a vicious encouraged him to express his emotion through RICHARD MURPHY
attack from another country on American soil. writing, which he does every week in the Engineering
How can we possibly ignore the fact that Daily.
these students will remember for the rest of CHRISTINA VETTRAINO LETTERS POLICY
their lives viewing images - while in school LSA junior
- of planes crashing into the World Trade The Michigan Daily welcomes letters from all
Center? Should we just disregard that a student Dai L d ic d all of its readers. Letters from University students,
sitting in the classroom lost a parent, a relative Difaculty, staff and administrators will be given
or a friend? contenders fom all pa ties priority over others. Letters should include the
Second, did Smith even take more than a writer's name, college and school year or other
cursory look at the Web site? He pointed out in gubernatorial coverage University affiliation. The Daily will not print
two lesson plans amidst the wealth of wonder- any letter containing statements that cannot be
ful and engaging lessons that NEA provides. If verified.
he looked at the lessons that offered teachers TO THE DAILY: Letters should be kept to approximately 300
ways to motivate their students to make a dif- Surely the Daily realizes that it is the sole words. The Michigan Daily reserves the right to
ference in their community, or to learn about source of news for some large portion of the edit for length, clarity and accuracy. Longer
the causes of terrorism, to name a few, I guess student body (I'd estimate about 97 percent of viewpoints may be arranged with an editor. Let-
then he wouldn't have a bitter and cynical arti- the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sci- ters will be run according to order received and
cle to write about "another national tragedy, ence department, in particular). Because of this e amount of space available.
Letters should be sent over e-mail to
public education." exclusive position, I am alarmed that the Daily letters@michigandaily.com or mailed to the Daily at
Third, Smith claims that the NEA suggests seems so myopic on this fall's Michigan guber- 420 Maynard St. Editors can be reached via e-
that students "Maintain (their) normal routine natorial race. Specifically, the Daily's writers mail at editpage.editors@umich.edu. Letters e-
and be constructive." Let me first say that the seem oblivious to the fact that there are four mailed to the Daily will be given priority over
NEA does not recommend this; in fact, this parties running. Perhaps you could see fit to at those dropped off in person or sent via the U.S.
quotation, taken out of context, originates from least mention the Green party? A word about Postal Service.
the National Association of School Psycholo- the Constitution party (formerly the U.S. Tax-
DAILY MAss MEETING: SEPT 17,19,8 P.M.; Z3, 9 P.M. STUDENT Pus. BUILDING, 420 MAYNARD
Take a shot at bin Laden it's anger management
MELISSA FRIED FROM THE UNIVE'RdTITY WIRE

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T he Supreme Court is currently being Most people who sign 1.
asked to consider whether shooting at tice are law officials and t
pictures of Osama bin Laden and Sad- learning how to use a gun
dam Hussein during target practice is an purposes. Opponents, how
expression of free speech or a dangerous drill ban shooting at cardboard
that could lead others to kill real people. may lead to killing real pe
With the so-called intelligence that exists in last time a cardboard image
the highest court of this land, we must ask fought back or even showe
ourselves how such a preposterous case being wounded? If anythin
could find its way onto the October docket. the healthiest form of an
Not only is this case com-
pletely unfounded, it raises the THE BATTALION
nuestion of how much political -v ..As. l A AA 4 Im o r

up for target prac-
those interested in
n for self-defense
ever, are trying to
images because it
eople. When is the
e ever talked back,
:d a remote sign of
g, this is probably
nger management
because people
are aiming at a
solitary figure (a

adults because they might harm others.
The First Amendment says government
will not abridge the "freedom of speech, or
of the press; or the right of the people peace-
ably to assemble." However, in the past,
courts have passed rulings where any type of
speech that could potentially harm national
security can be curbed.
Shooting at images of bin Laden and
Hussein pose little threat to our national
security, thereby making this another one
of those harrowing and annoying free
speech cases. It has almost evolved into a

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