4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 16, 2005
OPINION
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JASON Z. PESICK
Editor in Chief
SUHAEL MOMIN
SAM SINGER
Editorial Page Editors
ALISON GO
Managing Editor
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT
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ANN ARBOR, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
NOTABLE
QUOTABLE
In England,
we revere him as
one step above God
and one step below
Shakespeare."
-Nicholas Hytner, head of the
National Theatre of Great Britain,
on Arthur Miller, as reported Friday
by The Star-Ledger (New Jersey).
SAM BUTLER E : A PBX
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O OC TOR
Gaud Erie,
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Witches, commies and terrorists
CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK BORN IN THE U.S.A.
V alentine's Day sion and firing of tenured professors at the moral standing, fromsuch confessions. Yet we
found me without University for refusal to testify before mem- are now an allegedly civilized country having
any spectacular bers of the House Committee on Un-Ameri- a national debate over exactly what constitutes
plans, and I meant to go to can Activities - is no longer with us. Replace torture. Think about that.
sleep early, rise Tuesday "communist" with "terrorist," however, and I'm perfectly aware that many people are
morning, and write my the same problems reappear. unimpressed by any of this. There wasn't
4 co column on an entirely dif- Due process? "In an ordinary crime, how much outrage in Salem at first either; as Rev-
ferent topic. For a little does one defend the accused? One calls up wit- erend Parris notes near the end of the play,
reading before bed, how- nesses to prove his innocence. But witchcraft "it were another sort that hanged until now."
ever, I started on "The is, ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an A strong reaction in times of fear is entirely
Crucible." Though I'd invisible crime, is it not?" The easiest way to natural and, indeed, often appropriate. The
cut out of work last Friday to help with the prosecute a terror suspect without divulging sort who are affected by the excesses of our
Daily's coverage of Arthur Miller's passing, any critical information during the trial is to reaction are usually distant enough as to not
I'd somehow never read anything but "Death simply not prosecute him at all - even if, as seem relevant.
of a Salesman." in the case of Jose Padilla, he's an American Problems arise, though, when interpreta-
The play proved impossible to put down, citizen arrested unarmed on American soil. tions are rigid and good and evil seem crystal
however, and four acts later, I was physically Just trust the authorities; they can tell who's clear. Miller sums up the motives of his Puri-
shaking. "But you must understand, sir," Dep- a terrorist without any silly presumption of tan characters: "They believed, in short, that
uty Governor Danforth tells Francis Nurse innocence. they held in their steady hands the candle that
when Nurse presents a petition of 91 names Freedom of thought? John Proctor didn't would light the world. We have inherited this
defending the character of some of those attend church often enough, and his wife didn't belief, and it has helped and hurt us."
accused as witches, including his wife, "that believe in witches. Such suspect behavior aids Bush's second inaugural address carried on
a person is either with this court or he must be the enemy, though, and both were sentenced to this tradition. "America, in this young century,
counted against it, there be no road between." hang. A professor in Colorado writes an essay proclaims liberty throughout all the world, and
"But over time, it's going to be important for that, in calmer times, would be dismissed for to all the inhabitants thereof. Renewed in our
nations to know they will be held accountable the inflammatory, radical nonsense it is, and strength - tested, but not weary - we are
for inactivity," our president said two months instead Bill O'Reilly starts steaming and the ready for the greatest achievements in the his-
after the attacks of Sept. 11. during a joint press governor of the state calls for the man's head. tory of freedom," our infallible president said.
conference with, of all people, French President Torture? This one isn't even allegorical. It would have been honestly inspiring if only I
Jacques Chirac. "You are either with us or you When Giles Corey stood mute at his indict- could make myself believe he'd learned from
are against us in the fight against terror." ment, they piled boulders on his chest until he some of his mistakes over the past four years.
The power of Miller's allegory lies in its finally spoke - "More weight," he said, and As I type this, the sun has risen, and I would
universality, its relevance to any political died. After finishing "The Crucible," I thumbed like to feel optimistic. Though "The Crucible"
atmosphere heated by fear and smoky with through Seymour Hersh's book "Chain of is undeniably a tragedy, the last sentence of
repression. Chinese audiences were surprised Command," which details abuses at Abu the note at the end of the play provides some
to learn the play was not about life under com- Ghraib and Guantanamo grotesque enough I hope: "To all intents and purposes, the power of
munism. Miller intended his works to address don't want to dwell on them. Because I've let theocracy in Massachusetts was broken." With
more general topics: "If my plays were about the book gather dust since October because the Shiite plurality in the Iraqi elections and faith-
the social problems of their day," he once told it's so depressing, however, it's now woefully based government at home, though, theocracy
the playwright and journalist Tony Vellela, out of date, as more "interrogation" prac- seems to be on the upswing right now.
"nobody would keep doing them. The prob- tices continue to come to light. The accused
lems would have changed." witches admitted their "guilt" to spare their Zbrozek can be reached
Surely, the McCarthyite paranoia that lives, and terror suspects do the same. I'm notzbrok uerched
inspired Miller's allegory - and the suspen- sure what we gain, in terms of information or at zbro@umich.edu.
Israel and the Democrats
DAN SHUSTER TIIE VAST RIoG-WING CONSPIRACY
ecently, with the Today, we have leftist groups such as Act Unfortunately, this anti-Israeli venom has
death of Yas- Now to Stop War and End Racism, whose spilled over into the mainstream. Former
ser Arafat and the ultimate goal is to see the dismantling of a President Jimmy Carter, for over 30 years,
election of a new Palestin- Jewish state. During its Washington anti-war has made it his personal agenda to demonize
ian leader, there has been rally, and amidst the waving flag of the ter- Israel, praising Palestinian terrorism: "The
a renewed focus on the rorist organization Hezbollah, signs reading intifada exposed the injustice Palestinians
Middle East. As a Jew, "I Love NYC even more without the World suffered." In 1990, Carter assured the career
Israel's security forms Trade Center," and chants such as "Long terrorist Arafat saying, "I am much more
the basis of my political Live the Intifada" were overwhelmingly harsh with the Israelis." In Oslo, after receiv-
beliefs, and I truly believe evident. Speaker after speaker expressed ing a Nobel Peace Prize, Carter stated, "One
that only the Republicans support for the continued violence against of the key factors that ... arouses intense
support its safety. Why have the Democrats Israel, while recently, ANSWER has host- feelings of animosity in the world is the fes-
seemingly abandoned Israel? Equally alarm- ed rallies in support of fallen Hamas lead- tering problem in the Holy Land, the Israeli
ing, why did 75 percent of Jewish voters sup- ers such as Abdel Aziz Rantisi and Sheikh occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and
port the Democrats during the last election? Ahmed Yassin. the inability of Israel to live in peace with its
Most Jews, myself included, tend to be liber- Regarded as the left wing's most influen- neighbors."
al on social issues, and Jewish loyalty to the tial critic of U.S. policy, Noam Chomsky has When speaking at the Arab American Insti-
Democratic Party has been unwavering since become the most celebrated leftist over his four tute in Michigan, former Democratic Presiden-
former President Franklin Roosevelt's social decades of political commentary. He has stated tial candidate Sen. John Kerry referred to the
reform package of the New Deal. But, is this that Israel is the "number-two -terror power," Israeli security fence as a "barrief to peace."
enough to motivate American Jewry to con- right behind the United States, of course. Fre- Kerry's top foreign policy advisor, Richard Hol-
tinue to support the Democrats? quently, Chomsky's writings have likened brooke, assured voters that Kerry "would put
Certainly, there is an anti-Israeli movement Israel's policies to those of the Nazis, accus- more pressure on Israel." Kerry also suggested
emanating from paleoconservatives on the ing it of "destroying all around it, if it cannot sending the "unbiased" Carter as an envoy to
Right, bordering on anti-Semitism. Pat Buchan- attain its expansionist objectives." This absurd oversee the "peace process."
an has claimed that one of the major causes of view is shared by Michael Moore, an unofficial President Bush will only begin peace negotia-
Sept. 11 was American support for Israel and spokesman for the Left, who dedicated his book tions with the Palestinians when their terrorism
that the Jews have corrupted the conservative "Dude, Where's My Country" to Rachel Cor- stops. He has demonstrated his support for a
movement. Furthermore, he concocts a conspir- rie, a Palestinian Solidarity Movement member, Palestinian state, but only with the assurance of
acy theory that depicts Israel as the sole benefi- who died while trying to defend a tunnel used Israeli security. He has the distinction, amongst
ciary of the War on Terror. In 1977, Buchanan by terrorists to smuggle weapons into Gaza. world leaders, of never having met with Arafat.
even referred to Hitler as "a man of great cour- In 1990, Moore refused to attend a screening Shouldn't more American Jews have supported
age" and a "genius." of "Roger and Me" in Jerusalem, until Israel Bush during our last election?
But even more disturbing to me than this ceased its "occupation." Currently, "Fahrenheit
bigoted attitude of the far Right, Liberals 9/11" is being used to recruit terrorists to kill Shuster can be reached
have abandoned the issue of Israeli security. Jews and Americans. at dshuster@umich.edu.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Animal law should not
be a high priority
TO THE DAILY:
Jaime Olin's viewpoint (Animal rights in
perspective, 02/15/2005) filled me with a
feeling somewhere in between nausea and
despair. There may be a "conclusive link"
between animal and human abuse, but how
does this relate to animal law? Do we want
our 911 lines clogged with calls along the
lines of: "And then he threatened to kick
out there. There are people without places
to stay or anyone to rely on. Sorry to get
all serious, but there are issues in the world
more pressing and important than animal
law. If a building were burning and I had
the choice to save either a dog or a person,
I would save the person at least nine times
out of 10.
However, I do agree with Jamie that there
does indeed need to be a "cohesive body of
law" about animals. In fact, I would like
to advocate the death penalty for anyone
who sends his pet to a pretentious "pet
can do (A welcome addition, 02/14/2005).
PIRGIM has a reputation for advocacy in
the public interest and Students for PIR-
GIM are focused on perhaps the most wide-
ly encountered and problematic experience
in student life - off-campus housing. The
student body could benefit now and in
years to come from a strong Students for
PIRGIM, and I hope that the University
community will rally behind its ideas and
organization.
Why is it that landlords approached stu-
dents in the fall of 2004, just after mov-
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