4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, February 25, 2005 OPINION ie ipnil JASON Z. PESICK Editor in Chief SUHAEL MOMIN SAM SINGER Editorial Page Editors ALISON GO Managing Editor EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com NOTABLE QUOTABLE ( The Holy Father is in our thoughts and prayers and we wish him a speedy recovery and return to the service of his church and of all humanity." - President Bush, expressing his sentiments concerning Pope John Paul II's recovery, as reported yesterday by The Associated Press. SAM BUTLER 'E SOAPDON N P t L ; = 7 nCCa c Cr Mme.... Were, cse 44ie5e +G 10 a !2i /1't 4 I I i.fliYiIYYYQKY."'Y'::[/Milt IY TR t]EIMM1AW i"!Af llftfl: /)(l:ffD f Please take away Bill Cosby's microphone JASMINE CLAIR THE MEANING OF PRC}GRESS 4 W~hat do Bill Cosby, Tommy Franks and George Tenet all have in common? President Bush has awarded all of them with Presidential Med- als of Freedom. The four- starred Franks and former CIA Director Tenet played critical roles in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Meanwhile reruns of "The Cosby Show" kept Americans laughing, making it easier to cope with the alleged "War on Terror." In 2002, at the height of war, Bush presented Cosby with this medal, commenting that "(Cosby) used the power of laughter to heal wounds and to build bridges. I don't think you can bring the races together by joking about the differences between them. I'd rather talk about the similarities, about what's universal in their experiences." This was a great political strategy on Bush's part. Through giving Cosby this award, Bush formalized another political alliance between government and the entertainment industry. Cosby now serves as a liaison between the government's racial conservatives and the black community. Cosby uses humor to unite the races - in their disdain for poor blacks. Recently, Cosby has delivered a number of chats addressing the social and educational prob-, lems particular to lower-income urban commu- nities. He just can't understand why inner-city youth are walking around in backwards clothes with their underwear showing, speaking in a sub-standard form of English. Also, he feels that urban youth are praising materialism - spend- ing $500 on a pair of sneakers - rather than focusing on their education. Now we all know people like this (Some- times, I fit this description.) And this is what makes Cosby's messages so appealing to whites and blacks, and especially racial conservatives. Cosby's descriptions give ammunition to the belief that poor blacks just need to get their act together and start pulling their own weight. When I first heard Cosby's statements, I was glad that he was publicizing this very popular private conversation. The expensive Air Jordan brand of gym shoes is a household brand with my family. And I would much rather get a new pair of Guess jeans rather than a book to help me with my Spanish. Because my parents have always given me lectures on how I spend my money, I could definitely relate to Cosby's com- ments. But I quickly snapped back into reality upon remembering that materialism isn't just an urban problem. It's an American problem. Also, my parents might not like my boyfriend's baggy jeans. But my Grammy wasn't too fond of my Daddy's bellbottoms either or his groovy lingo. So who is Cosby to stick his nose up at baggy clothes and hip-hop fashion? Well, he was America's favorite dad, and now he's extend- ing his parenting talks. Cosby has undoubtedly earned his turn at the podium, but someone needs to pull the cord on his microphone. It's already too easy to believe that the prob- lems of the black community are self-inflicted. Now you have Cosby preaching that "when you have a 50 percent graduation rate, and some peo- ple can't put two sentences together, and can't write or spell ... you've got people who have put themselves on a track to failure." How does a student's inability to write or spell translate into "putting themselves on a track to failure?" Students go to school to learn, and it's the responsibility of the school to make sure that this happens. There is no excuse for kid to advance from grade to grade without knowing how to read or write. It's absurd that Cosby would blame the students for the school's failure. Despite Cosby making generous contributions to historically black colleges and universities, he is failing his people. He came from the streets, filled with the same people that he's humiliat- ing. He was in their shoes. Therefore, Dr. Cosby of all people should understand the complexities of the inner-city struggle. Doctor didn't always precede his name. Failing the 10th grade twice, Cosby opted for the good-enough-degree (GED) instead of graduating from high school. Later, he would drop out of undergraduate school. Because he never earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, he used his celebrity status to eventually gain entrance to a doctorate program. Cosby was fortunate enough to overcome his situation. He didn't pull himself up by the boot- straps. He struggled hard, and fortunately his life eventually fell into place. But now that he's made it, he has a respon- sibility to fight the institutions that make it possible for kids to go to school without learning anything. Poor blacks are not the ones failing. It's society that is failing them. If a white "C"-student can become the presi- dent, a black "C"-student should at least be able to live above the poverty level. For Cosby, here's some advice: Be proactive - stop preaching to middle-class blacks about the problems of the lower class. If you want chil- dren of the ghetto to hear you, don't go talk to a crowd of university students - go to the ghetto. Also, put your microphone down and pick- up your cell phone. Unlike the poor blacks that you've been ridiculing, you and your celebrity friends actually have the financial means to bring significant change ... and I'm not talking about a few scholarships. Clair can be reached atjclair@umich.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 4 Hoard's biblical agenda is not large enough in scope To THE DAILY: As an avid reader of the' Bible, I was shocked to read Joel Hoard's account of his son seeing homosexuals and not knowing what those abominations were (How the homosexuals stole my child's innocence, 02/24/2005). Additionally, I think he is correct in assess- ing the eternal fate of gays and should continue to push his agenda. My problem with his column is that it is myopic in biblical scope. Hoard should go beyond mere homosexual damnation and speak to his impres- sionable child about how he will sell his future sister into slavery, as Exodus 21:7 advocates. And what about people working on the Sabbath? Shouldn't he tell his son to stone those who would work on the day of rest, as Leviticus 10:10 would advocates? After all, it's Leviticus 18:22 that tells us about the sins of homosexuality. And let's not ignore the elephant in the room - Leviticus 10:10 clearly tells us eating shellfish is an abomination, so it is vital to our nation and religious ideology that we don't let our kids eat lobster or shrimp, and that we tell them to pray for all those who seek nourishment at Red Lobster or worse, the ninth circle of hell called Long John Silver's. Thank you, Joel Hoard, for giving the downtrodden heterosexual white population a voice. The only thing left to do is to make sure nobody has contact with a menstruating woman (Leviticus 15:19-24). Godspeed. Sean Smith Alum Homosexuality is a lifestyle, it should not be condemned To THE DAILY: The remarks made by Joel Hoard (How the homosexuals stole my child's innocence, 02/24/2005) are not only offensive - they are also vile and dis- gusting. We should be accepting of everyone no matter the difference in one's belief or lifestyle. The lifestyle of the homosexual is not an error it is m pxth.r , rf ;ifr The An not sexuality started in the summer of 1967, when the hippies decided to challenge the natural order that God established at the beginning of time." I would strongly advise Hoard to enroll in Women's Studies 345 - an Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Stud- ies. This would open his perspective greatly and allow him to make more informed comments. Homosexuality has existed long before 1967. Hoard further refers to homosexuals as people who have been "stricken with disease and pov- erty." The fact is scientific attempts demonstrat- ing that homosexual attraction is biologically determined have failed time and time again. The way we consider homosexuality in our culture is an ethical and a moral question. Homosexuality is not an illness that one "suffers from." Hoard should not render judgments about human worth or about what constitutes normality or disease. My intentions here are basically two things: One, people should realize that there are huge prejudices unfortunately being carried into future generations. And two, being homosexual is not for people to judge. It is another lifestyle, and we as unprejudiced individuals, should all strive to embrace diversity in our society. Dani Chan LSA sophomore If only Hoard's column was truly satirical TO THE DAILY: Hilarious! Joel Hoard's column (How the homosexuals stole my child's innocence, 02/24/2005) was the one of the best pieces of satire on homophobia that I've ever seen. "Homosexuality started in the summer of 1967, when hippies decided to challenge the natural order that God established at the begin- ning of time." Come on! That's great stuff, this guy should write for the Daily Show! Unfortunately, it appears that Hoard was being serious. And while I laugh at his ludicrous asser- tions about history, I'm saddened by the ignorance he seems to be passing on to his six-year-old son. Hoard writes that he "saw his first homosexu- al" when he was 23. In reality, he's been seeing yav and lehian nennl lall of his life. Hoard points out that Jesus not only loved the most reviled in his day, he also walked among them. Praying that someone changes who they are to fit a narrow interpretation of religious doctrine is hardly an act of love. I invite Hoard to walk among the LGBT community with an open mind and an open heart. He may then come to know his neigh- bors and learn to love his neighbors as himself. Aaron Traxler-Ballew Alum Hoard's column fails to understand real loss of innocence TO THE DAILY: How saddening it was to read Joel Hoard's recent column (How the homosexuals stole my child's innocence, 02/24/2005). The curiosity, wonderment and innocence that children have are truly admirable. It is unfortunate that, as we grow older, some of us lose that innocence and wonderment and are filled instead with hatred and bigotry. Hoard's column clearly indicates that he misunderstands how this happens. It seems he doesn't realize that it wasn't two men holding hands in Chelsea that stole his child's innocence - he did. With curiosity, his son asked a question about the two men, and instead of explain- ing love, courage and the value of tolerance, Hoard chose instead to express hatred, igno- rance and intolerance by telling him the men were sinners that would be "going to hell." Hoard's son's innocence is lost, yes, but "the homosexuals" are not to blame. Jeff A. Souva LSA senior Hoard's satire should be applauded by liberals TO THE DAILY: I would like to thank Joel Hoard for his column (How the homosexuals stole my child's innocence, 02/24/2005). Hoard's caustic humor resonates because of its amazing resemblance to the conservative 4 I ~~~~~.. .....it,~L'f~