4A - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005 OPINION c1je £9 irbi'cw &z tIig 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 I don't see what it matters if is a teacher is good looking or not, as long as she is qualified." - Caterina Bonci, a 38-year Italian reli- gion teacher, who claims she was fired for being too sexy and well-dressed, as reported yesterday by MSNBC.com. COLIN DALY TH MIC I-At)t'N D1A Y 9 ~f~O4~ KP~TRlNA... I~FTEg ~ 4. America's failure in New Orleans MARA GAY CoMMO\N SENSE ot here, they say. Ameri- cans struggle to understand how a disas- ter of this magnitude could happen in a coun- try where so many have so much. After all, in the national conscience, float- ing bodies and destroyed lives do not belong to American soil but to far-flung lands where suf- fering is, somehow, more acceptable. When Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans, however, she revealed a city unprepared to help its most needy citizens and a federal government shamefully willing to sit by and allow thousands to die senseless, prevent- able deaths. Those who wonder how such gross inaction could be tolerated in the face of such unparal- leled suffering may be sincere in their disbe- lief. But in truth, there have always been two Americas: the land of the haves and the land of the have-nots. Katrina shows us that we can count on nature to strip us of our facades and reveal the glar- ing inequities of the world in which we live. She is a painful reminder that when the going gets rough, masking those inequities becomes a nearly impossible feat, one that requires the complete disavowal of facts and an unnerving ability to stand by and do nothing while people suffer needlessly. Before last week, few thought a hurricane would spark a national debate over the role of race and class in the distribution of aid and compassion. But 30 percent of the population of New Orleans lives below the poverty level, and the city is 70 percent black, leaving many Americans to wonder if the government's response would have been different if the disaster had happened in a wealthier, whiter area. It is difficult, after all, to imagine scenes of hunger and lawlessness in a West Bloom- field or a Westchester. But really, the New Orleans residents left clinging to rooftops and languishing in sports arenas were abandoned by their government and their country before hurricane Katrina struck. The poverty that characterizes so many of their lives is powerful and ever-present; it destroyed entire communities long before the news cam- eras found a compelling tale in its wrath. In all of the chaos one fact has become increasingly clear: Those who could afford to pack up their SUVs and leave New Orleans did so. Those who could not were left behind and forgotten, a despicable but distinguishing mark of membership to America's invisible poor. And their suffering has gone unacknowl- edged for far too long. The blame game is not conducive for rebuilding shattered lives and communities. But if America is to move forward and deem its democracy ready to export, it must confront some uncomfortable truths. It is time to have an honest and constructive dialogue about the impact of poverty and race in America. In the coming weeks and months every American should think long and hard about the kind of society we want to rebuild. We have been given the chance to address and root out some of our most deep-seeded injus- tices, to create a society where Americans are judged based on what they do with what they have, where there is equal access to resources and equal opportunity regardless of skin color or economic standing. In the end, we will be judged on how we treat the weakest citizen, not only when his suffering is loud and marketable, but when it is present and desperate. If America fails in New Orleans, America fails. Gay can be reached at maracl@umich.edu. 0 *I VIEWPOINT Not everyone is the same BY DAVE RUSSELL Michigan. RBF also won numerous trade asso- also different each year, ranging from political ciation awards, and in 1979 Grandpa was made statements (a call to forgive the terrorists of Sept. Everyone was still on summer vacation a the president of the National Trade Association. 11) to a person's difficult life story (Last year's couple of weeks ago, but perhaps you remember All of this success allowed Grandpa to pursue winner was a story about a woman born out of hearing that televangelist Pat Robertson sug- his other passion: spreading the word of God. In a rape.). gested the U.S. government take out Venezu- particular, he felt that a Christian worldview was The Amy Foundation has continued Grand- elan president Hugo Chavez. Those comments not represented in the secular media and in 1984 pa's work by creating a church writing group received widespread media attention and con- decided to offer financial incentives for people to that helps enable church members to reach out demnation right up until Robertson apologized present the word of the scriptures in secular pub- to their communities, as well as another $10,000 two days later and the story died. Last year if you lications. This idea was formed out of Grandpa's prize for pastors who develop ways to bring their attended a football game at Michigan Stadium belief that the pen is mightier than the sword and congregations closer to God. The prizes awarded you probably saw people outside the stadium that encouraging people to actively present a bib- from the foundation are not the only examples announcing that we were all destined for Hell. lical worldview would bring Christian ideas out of ,generosity that Grandpa passed on, as he Chances are that when you heard those com- of religious circles and into the mainstream. contributed to various groups that seek to help ments or saw those people you shrugged them off So Grandpa started the Amy Writing Awards people in needl. In fact, his leadership in giving as the attention-seeking radicals that they are. To in 1984, offering a first prize of $10,000 - the time and money was so strong that following his you, these people may represent your reason for largest prize in journalism. Additionally, he funeral one of our family friends decided to get not participating in organized religion. However, offered up 14 other prizes, bringing the total on a plane and head south to help the victims of these people and their hate represent a minority amount awarded each year to $34,000. Like Hurricane Katrina. of the faith-keeping people in this country, and everything Grandpa started, the awards only If there is anything that comes from this today I'd like to tell you about a man who was an grew in their success, and today more than 1,000 column, I hope it's that the media don't always exemplary example of a public religious figure. entries are read and scored by judges before the present the full story. Understandably, the media This person is my grandfather, Jim Russell, $10,000 prize is given out at the annual Michi- and the ratings they pursue are drawn more to who passed away early last Wednesday morning gan Prayer Breakfast in Lansing, which the gov- stories of conflict and struggle than ones of kind- at the age of 80. What he will be most remem- ernor of Michigan regularly attends. The winners ness and goodwill. Next time Pat Robertson runs bered for began in 1964 when he started a small range from well-known media personalities like his mouth or someone condemns you to Hell, business forms company, RBF, out of his own Cal Thomas to journalists just starting their remember that most people devoted to God are home. Grandpa's strong desire to run a business careers. And the papers that the winning articles ones of compassion, not condemnation. built on integrity, hard work and a customer-first are written in range from The New York Times approach became real and caused RBF to expand and Wall Street Journal to The Times of Mun- Russell is a LSA sophomore, and a member of to five offices spread across Georgia, Indiana and ster, in Indiana. The range of winning topics is the Daily's editorial board. VIEWPOINT Racially targeted fraud has no place in Michigan I 0 BY KATE STENVIG Racially targeted fraud pervaded the pro- cess of collecting petition signatures for the so-called Michigan Civil Rights Initia- tive. This anti-affirmative action amend- ment being pushed by California millionaire Ward Connerly must not proceed to the bal- lot on the basis of this far-reaching racial- ized deception. Virtually every black voter who signed the petition was deceived into thinking they were signing a petition for affirmative action, rather than the truth, which is that they were signing a proposal that aims to outlaw all affirmative action for women and minori- ties in Michigan. Even without the growing number of people coming forward, any hon- est person thinking it over would come to the same conclusion that Johnathan Crutcher, a sophomore at Cody High School, came to when he told the state Board of Canvassers, "There's no way you can get black people to sign a petition against affirmative action without lies and deceit." Now judges, jour- nalists, lawyers and trade union officials have come forward to make clear that they were lied to by people petitioning for MCRI. To deceive black parents in Detroit and other Michigan cities into participating in an attack on their children's opportunities for college is both unacceptable and illegal. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in a 1996 case that signatures gathered on the basis of fraud were every bit as invalid as forged signatures. The state Board of Canvassers is charged with safeguarding the ballot initiative pro- cess from fraud. Honesty in elections requires such safeguards. The state attorney general, Mike Cox, a longtime opponent of affirmative action and supporter of MCRI, blocked the state Board of Canvassers from investigating the racially targeted fraud that has marred the MCRI petition effort. The state Board of Canvassers, while barred by the attorney general from investigating the fraud, nevertheless refused to certify the petition for the ballot. The issue is currently headed for a Court of Appeals hearing. Basic fairness and honesty in elections requires that these petitions be thrown out. The state authorities with the responsibility to safeguard Michigan's ballot initiative pro- cess must 'not certify MCRI for the ballot. Outlawing affirmative action by means of fraud and deceit is a simple recipe for long- term bitterness, anger and polarization in our state. Stenvig is a Rackham student and a BAMN organizer. Editorial Board Members: Amy Anspach, Amanda Burns, Whitney Dibo, Jesse For- ester, Mara Gay, Jared Goldberg, Eric Jackson, Brian Kelly, Theresa Kennelly, Rajiv Prabhakar, Matt Rose, David Russell, Dan Skowronski, Brian Slade, Lauren Slough, John Stiglich, Imran Sved, Ben Taylor I