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4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 10, 2003

OP/ED

4


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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
((America should
be governed by
people who have a
clue. I hope he
doesn't win."
- Emily Robinson, of the country band the
Dixie Chicks, on California Republican
gubernatorial candidate Arnold
Schwarzenegger, as quoted in the
German paper Abendzeitung.

STEVE COTNER AND JOEL HOARD OPERATION PUSSYCAT

Hey! David Horowitz,
are you ready for some
football?
fi

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"... my grandchildren (who I
am joining at the Raiders game
next Sunday) are black."

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Brother, can you spare $87 billion?
JOEL HOARD COLD LAMPN'
I never thought I'd find day, when Bush put on his most pained face uation as urgent as this one, idealism must
myself saying this, and argued, in essence, "It's not my fault. yield to pragmatism. We're in too deep, and
but during the presi- The terrorists are the ones causing all the the only way out is through a hefty sum of
dent's speech on Sunday trouble." Needless to say, he's lying; of money (say, $87 billion).
night, in which he course it's his fault. He screwed up and got I'm confident that my brother will return
announced that he would himself into one hell of a mess, but he'll be the money he borrowed from me, because
be requesting $87 billion damned before he admits it. However, I'm he's honest like that. Unfortunately for
from Congress for the willing to overlook that, since my residual George, I'm unable to extend the same trust
continuing effort in Iraq, Christian ethics won't allow me to turn to him. After all, the sum that I loaned my
he reminded me a lot of aside someone in need - especially when brother is paltry compared to the $87 billion
my own brother. I say this with disbelief, he's so pathetic. that George needs. That and George isn't too
because in their normal states, the two are It became evident that over the past two bright. I fully expect the national deficit to
vastly different. George, the slow-witted years, Bush has turned into a pathetic war continue to swell, since the presidential
southerner, has turned out to be a spectacular junkie. He can't get enough of the stuff, and thought process will doubtfully extend
failure, while my brother, an intelligent and now that he's burned all of his cash in beyond "Can't we just send out s'more o'
successful New Yorker, has been a true Afghanistan and Iraq, he's in desperate need them $300 checks?"
source of inspiration. of a fix. He's down and out, but if only we But if the loan is to remain outstanding
But some poor financial decisions have could spot him a little money, he could get and the anti-war activists are to fall silent, I
left both in need of money. My money. After that little boost that would allow him to make would at least like to see a little honesty on
a few setbacks, my brother requested and things all right again. the president's part. Would it kill him to
received a loan. George got himself into a Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was correct say, "Look, I screwed up and now I need
pickle with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, when he told CBS that "It's the United some help." Yeah, it probably would, but I
and now he needs to borrow a bit of cash to States' war. We're the ones that started it. can still hold out hope. In the meantime,
get out of it. It's our responsibility to finish it. We need I'm sure he will stick to emotionally
Earlier this year, when George tried to more troops. We need more money. We need charged Sept. 11 references (there were
convince me that Iraq posed a legitimate it quickly, and time is not on our side." The three in Sunday's speech) intended to
threat to the United States, I scoffed. When conflict in Iraq is in danger of quickly turn- instill a feeling of purpose in the American
the first wave of attacks on Iraq began in ing into another Vietnam, and an absence of public. My call for pragmatism among the
March, I watched in quiet dismay. When adequate funding would only leave Iraq in activists should also extend to the presi-
Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction chaos and the United States embarrassed. . dent, since the time for emotional appeals
never turned up, I went back to scoffing. Hopefully, Congress will find it in its collec- came and went long ago.
Since the president announced in May that tive heart to grant the president whatever he So, to answer your question, of course
the war was over even though U.S. soldiers needs to clean up his mess. you can have the money, George. Just stop
were still facing constant attacks and Saddam Additionally, I hope that Bush's request lying.
Hussein was still missing, I've been bewil- will finally convince the anti-war movement
dered by his overconfidence. that they lost the battle. Four months ago, I " Hoard can be reached
The most recent turning point came Sun- enjoyed their idealism and fervor, but in a sit- atj.ho@umich.edu.
It's oh so quiet
HUSSAIN RAHIM NARCOLEPTIC INSOMNIA
mm. Great pic- for fundraising at the United Nations. Being tan, in an Italian restaurant, repining or in
ture. Anyhoo, very political, their father obviously started Ann Arbor trying to figure out where my
week 2 or maybe discussing politics and with me being some- financial aid went and why four years of
even number 3 has one who stays very aware of politics, but work at my job got me fired (a la failed
kicked into effect for rabidly avoids discussion and discourse of McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuck-
some people out there, all types, found him to be someone with oo's Nest").
while I'm more along the whom these things could be discussed, not Then as in a moment of serendipity, poof,
lines of day 1. For to mention the fact that he has had real the Times disappeared followed by the
whichever magical rea- world experience and could actually impart thought train that came to me. It said to me,
sons, let's just say I upon me some new knowledge. So as we no matter how many vivid accounts of bus
didn't quite make it in time for Welcome went through the current events run through, bombs, U.N. building attacks and accounts of
Week and yet I'm already checking Spirit you know, the fact that things blowing up in job cuts you read the moral of the story is
Airlines for flights back to anywhere. Iraq isn't too good, Euros are better than that, things in the world aren't going so good
What's better yet, even if I were to purchase dollars and Liberia isn't such a fun place to outside of restaurants and people aren't really
said flight ticket I wouldn't know what the visit this time of year, he said something too happy about the direction of the world
hell I would do there. that was strikingly simple yet effective. right now. What is also true is that outside of
Since my return I have attempted to Please allow some paraphrasing due to yelling with people in the newspaper there is
reconnect with the world at large (the dis- wine. He said the world we are leaving you very little as I can do now to effect any real
connect was fueled largely in part by good with now is more complicated than it ever and tangible change in the world. So I'll do
ole' University filtering of all my New York has been and I feel sorry for what you will my Spanish homework, unpack my things
Times daily headlines from my mailbox. Go have to deal with. That seemed like a fairly and worry about college things while I think
Blue.) by scrounging for newspapers, logical and obvious path of reasoning; as about another great night in New York when
checking out some of the Dailys from the time passes, the world will obviously I watched Bjork and her Icelandic friends
first week of classes and reading the opinion increase in complexity and become more attack Brooklyn and watching her skip with
columns here and there. Then I realized complex than it was before, but what I real- fairy-like glee and abandon around the stage
what it was. I don't care. And I realize that ized is that the manner in which we are and regale me with her banshee wails.
this type of attitude can often be typified as going about it today is problematic. Maybe it's early in the year for this kind
a sort of gross laziness and selfish indiffer- Between the increasing diplomatic strains of apathy and I'm pretty sure by next week
ence to the planet and basic global interac- between nations and the inversely required I'll be buried in the Times again, silently
tions but maybe my feeling is fueled by the cooperation and openness needed to fix pre- rambling about world events, but my one
opposite. Sometimes you grow weary of viously initiated nation-building projects I hope is that maybe it really isn't apathy if
being too involved and trying to understand feel a sense of isolationism burgeoning and you care enough to write about it, and then
too much. I say this for a number of reasons. waiting for a chance to take root. Yet we are there's always Bjork.
One of my best nights this summer was all stuck in the same pit together. And
when I was at dinner with my friend, his despite that and hours of conversation and Rahim can be reached
brother and their father, who is responsible political theory we were all just in Manhat- at hrahim@umich.edu.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

I

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Student asks for tolerance
of LGBT community
To THE DAILY:
I am writing in response to the letter post-
ed by reader Tammy Bennett expressing her
response to the receiving of an e-mail publi-
cizing a course offered on a topic regarding
sexuality (Gays are having way in schools and
on TV, don't deserve special rights 09/02/03). I
feel like a few of the issues she presents in
her letter cannot go unaddressed.
The rationale behind Bennett's argument
is that those of us with gay proclivities are
violating "our" almighty God's law. Bennett
seems to be overlooking the practice of any

not respectful on any level. To summarize an
entire people as a disgrace is not only disre-
spectful; it's hateful.
In a culture that embraces and indeed
romanticizes practices such as organized
crime and obsessive materialism every day on
our televisions, the attack upon the existence
of homosexuals, a viable and undeniable part
of modern American culture, seems ludicrous
and misdirected. It's unfortunate that Bennett
and those who share her views will never
accept the reality of homosexuality, but it
exists as an identity for many people, and it
will not go away. Eventually those who are
unable to accept and embrace this fact will be
replaced by those who are openminded, for-
ward thinking, and unthreatened by the rise of
a culture that has been historically oppressed

what we have been taught is true as it relates
to what we truly experience. Instead, I will
ask for acceptance and the freedom to live
our lives as our person dictates.
RYAN BABBITT
LSA senior
Marching band asks for
student support on Saturday
To THE DAILY:
The Michigan Marching Band is calling
for all Michigan fans and students to wear
Maize to this weekend's football game
against Notre Dame. As members of the

I A1-, 1~ri~t~vt1Uif'ithr r*~a~;


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