4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 11, 2006 OPINION catJle wkbiitta n~a11 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 do agree that the Constitution protects a right to privacy." - U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, during confirmation hearings yesterday, as reported by nytimes.com. RYAN JABER JY_. wr MAKLES 41,11 Rt R~I ^3V o\ s '1~ ~- Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their author. er}Ctxn- ce-v)i(- view #c k lcX s its' I DOO 1 . Homecoming in wartime JEFF CRAVENS JAYIHAV,-K BiTES m his winter bre ak, I returned home thankful that my sec- ond-to-last finals week was over and that I could relax with my friends and family. Homecomings have not been so easy for many of the men and women who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Over 2,000 citizens have come home in coffins and urns. Of those returning in good physical health, many bear the emotional scars from their terms of service. At a local bar toward the end of break, I overheard some guys about my age sharing their experiences in Iraq. "I saw my friend go face-down in the dirt," one guy said, and then he repeated himself: "I saw my friend go face- down in the dirt." Those words stunned me, slapped me in the face and have since rung in my ears. About 10 minutes later, I saw one of the other guys, a tall burly man, sobbing in the corner with his face in his hands. When confronted with a situation like this, I could not help but put myself in those guys' shoes. What if I saw my friend go face-down in the dirt? In Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," a soldier describes his friend getting killed in Vietnam: "Like cement, Kiowa whis- pered in the dark. I swear to God - boom, down. Not a word." What if that was your friend? Boom, down, in front of your eyes. I'm not trying to be morbid; I'm trying to be real. I'm trying to make this war - which most of us are sheltered from to the point of apathy in our self-interested college bubbles - even a shred as real for some of us as it is for those who have served and sacrificed in our names. When it stops being real, lives become poker chips in the hands of our leaders, and nobody cares enough to do anything about it. For many of those speaking out against the war, like Cindy Sheehan, who lost her son in Iraq, and Rep. John Murtha (D-Penn.), who spent 37 years in the Marines, this war is real. Instead of calling these people unpatriotic, we should listen to them. In response to criticism from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Murtha said: "Now the military's abil- ity to attract recruits is being hampered by the prospect of prolonged, extended and repeated deployments; inadequate equipment; short- ened home stays; the lack of any connection between Iraq and the brutal attacks of 9/11; and - most importantly - the administra- tion's constantly changing, undefined, open- ended military mission in Iraq." Murtha's statement sums up the administra- tion's reckless handling of this war, in which human lives are tossed around like pawns and poker chips. But sadly, many of us don't need Sheehan or Murtha to tell us about the cost of this war. Many of us know someone, if only indirectly, who has served or is serving. Last winter, one of my high school friends, Mike, got shipped to Iraq. Whenever I heard news about Iraq, I thought about our conversation after he returned from Marine boot camp, a smiley choir-boy-turned-killing-machine. He told me that he didn't necessarily support the war, but he had no choice in the matter. This winter I saw him for the first time since then. He still has many years of duty in which he could get called back to action, but in the meantime he has a job and is thinking about going back to school. Instead of talking about Iraq, we laughed about the stupid things we did at my graduation party and reminded each other how sweet our barbershop quartet was junior year. But behind the laughter and fond memories were the experiences in Iraq that we didn't talk about. These experiences, like the memories of those who were not so fortunate, will follow him for the rest of his life. As other troops like Mike and the guys at the bar begin coming home, we will feel the full cost of this war. The permanent absences of family members and friends have already been felt and will continue to be felt, but so will the stories and emotional scars of those who sur- vived. In both cases, we should put ourselves in the shoes - as much as possible - of those who have suffered and try to feel their pain. Only then will we recognize what's at stake in war and do something the next time our lead- ers rush to put human lives on the line. Cravens can be reached at jjcrave@umich.edu. VIEWPOINT Campus conservatism - in our own words BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD OF and the Coca-Cola controversy. know what Coke has or hasn't done, though, THE MICHIGAN REVIEW The Michigan Review has maintained - and because Coke hasn't acceded to demands for still does - that perhaps the best activism on an independent investigation. Speaking of "whiny, annoying and conde- campus is one that creates tangible benefits for The Review's problem, more than the defama- scending," the Editorial Board of The Michigan people. It's easy to sign a petition for higher tion of Coke, is the knee-jerk reaction of campus Review enjoyed Suhael Momin's column Mon- minimum wages as a way to end poverty, a stop- groups whenever a controversy pops up. Look no day (The politics of Coke, 01/09/2006). In a col- gap policy that neglects the fundamental issues further than the alleged "Asian peeing" incident umn supposedly defending activism, we instead behind structural poverty. But it takes far more of first semester to see how groups at this Univer- saw a piece markedly more concerned with effort to go out and feed the hungry, provide shel- sity will assume the worst and circle the wagons name-calling and belittling than any actual anal- ter for the homeless, or work in a poorly function- for events that may or may not have occurred. ysis of our position - an unjournalistic approach ing school - to provide direct benefits to people More than the so-called "activism" of our stu- if there ever was one. who need it most. Our position simply suggests dent body, The Michigan Review is concerned Let us first cast light on the contradiction that time is better spent on the latter than the for- and dismayed by the "true or not" near-witch- in Momin's column. He writes: "Last year, mer, and that good works are the sine qua non of hunt mentality that pops up anytime a crime is the Review attempted to enlighten misguided basic activism. alleged on this campus. activists with a editorial suggesting students Activism means being "active" in a direct The Michigan Review has now been a should focus on direct action through service way. Getting involved in larger campaigns to campus presence and the intellectual capitol groups." And then paragraphs later, with nary change policy may be well and good when of campus conservatism at the University for a hint of irony, Momin continues: "(R)aising warranted, but such involvement is rarely almost 25 years. In this controversy and oth- these concerns ex post ... begs the question: well considered. Before considering the rea- ers, we have sought to provide an alternative, Why didn't vocal campus conservatives voice son behind activism, or whether their tactics counterweight news and opinion source that these concerns earlier?" This error begs the are on the whole effective, students take to the helps enrich the student body. Above all we question: Can the Daily's editorial page editor Diag with self-righteous indignation, doing believe that truth does matter, even in our tiny even get his facts straight? more harm to their cause than the self-aggran- bubble surrounded by reality. Instead of having Momin distort our views, dizing they've done to their egos. Potentially stories and opinions, we invite the entire campus worthwhile causes are lost in the shouting, and James Dickson is an LSA senior and the to read us, and make up their own mind. Read students are pushed to apathy, finding it prefer- Review's editor in chief. Paul Teske is an LSA our blog (www.michiganreview.com), pick up our able to the with-us-or-against-us mentality of senior and the Review's publisher. Michael paper and write feedback. But for everyone's some groups on campus. O'Brien is an LSA sophomore and the Review's sake, don't read the Review via the center-Left As for the issue itself, if the Coca-Cola Com- campus life editor. Nick Cheolas is an LSA filter that is the Daily's editorial page. Momin's pany is found guilty of the charges that it faces junior and the Review's content editor. Sekou inaccuracy aside, the Review has actually in the court of public opinion, the University Benson is an LSA senior and the Review's expounded a consistent stance on both activism should absolutely cut its contract. We do not recruitment and content editor. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 0 0 Momin distorts ideals of conservative activism TO THE DAILY: In Suhael Momin's column, The Politics of Coke (01/09/2006), Momin claimed that conservative outcry over the victory by the Coalition to Cut the Contract with Coca-Cola is largely based on a "preconceived hostility toward student - and especially liberal - activism." Writing off con- servatives' reaction as a "knee-jerk" and unintel- ligent response, however, is the result of Momin's ignorance of the conservative ideals that produce the mantra he knows so well. Conservatives are clearly not against politi- cal activism - liberals and conservatives alike are overwhelmingly impressed by the ability of conservatives to mobilize voters and constitu- different conclusion than the Coke coalition's members. To suggest otherwise is to repeat the condescending holier-than-thou attitude he accuses conservatives of having. I do not actively spend my time fighting the Coke Coalition, because like Momin I am simply not that interested in their fight - not out of apathy or disinterest, but rather because I feel the Coke coalition's solution is harmful. My ideology demands a differ- ent approach to solving the same problems the Coke coalition wants to stop. After look- ing at the facts, I feel University divestment is harmful and fails to produce the desired outcomes. Rather than whine about liberal activism, I am upset at the decision and the coalition alike because I would like to see comprehensive attempts by the student body at addressing the root issues behind the prob- lems - such as third-world economic dispar- 'U' salaries shouldn't try to compete with Ivy League TO THE DAILY: According to Prof. Koopmann, "faculty sal- aries are inadequate" (Faculty pay can't compete with Ivies, 01/10/2006). Is that really the case? I have two issues with that statement and the slant of the article. First, it assumes that the Ivy League is the University's primary peer group. It is not. The other prestigious public universi- ties, like the University of California at Berke- ley, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Virginia, are our peer group, no matter how much the University wants to com- pare itself to the Ivies. The Ivies are private institutions that don't have the same financial restraints state-supported public institutions have. Second, it is assumed that if salaries Editorial Board Members: Amy Anspach, Andrew Bielak, Reggie Brown, Gabrielle D'Angelo, John Davis, Whitney Dibo, Milly Dick, Sara Eber, Jesse Forester, Mara Gay, Jared Goldberg, Ashwin Jagannathan, Theresa Kennelly, Mark Kuehn, Will Kerridge, Frank Man- ley, Kirsty McNamara, Rajiv Prabhakar, Matt Rose, David Russell, Katherine Seid, Brian r'1 - 1 i 1_- C--- 1, .._-._C__..1 T-- T 1 -- T, . - r -