4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 19, 2006 OPINION f e i t t tti1 DONN M. FRESARD Editor in Chief EMILY BEAM EMILYBEAM JEFFREY BLOOMER CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK MEFFREn EdOOMR Editorial Page Editors Managing Editor EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 413 E. HURON ANN ARBOR, MI 48104 tothedaily@michigandaily.com Contraception legalized Non-prescription Plan B a victory for women The Food and Drug Administra- political pressure, but it is difficult tion's long-awaited approval of to find any other explanation for the Plan B emergency contraceptives delays. In an unprecedented move, the over the summer for non-prescription FDA chose to ignore the advice of two use came as welcome news to scien- FDA panels of scientists that voted in tists and feminists alike. The "morn- favor of making Plan B available for ing-after" pill will now be available to non-prescription use. What should women over the age of 18 without a pre- have been a relatively straightforward scription. Though this is a significant approval dragged on for years, and step toward preventing unplanned preg- those under 18 are still denied unre- nancies, it is unclear why exactly this stricted access. decision needed to take so long. The The role of the FDA is to represent Plan B approval process was caught up the interests of the American people in political meddling, and although the by ensuring that food and medicine are outcome was positive, it may have come safe for consumption. It is worrisome at the cost of the FDA's reputation. that a regulatory body with a history of The proposal to make Plan B avail- independence from political influence able without a prescription was first would now risk damaging that reputa- brought before the FDA in 2003. tion. The politically motivated delay Despite a recommendation from mem- in approving Plan B not only let down bers of the Nonprescription Drugs consumers whom the FDA serves, but Advisory Committee and the Advisory also damaged the FDA's credibility in Committee for Reproductive Health, the eyes of the American public. the FDA found excuse after excuse to The increased availability of Plan B delay Plan B's approval, from concerns is still an important victory for wom- that taking it would be too confusing en's health, but. one that took far too to young adolescents to worries about long to achieve. The FDA has already package labeling. seen effects within its ranks with the The approval is a victory for most resignation of Susan Wood, the for- women, but those under the age of 18 mer director of women's health for the will still be unable to obtain Plan B over FDA, who stepped down in protest of the counter. Girls still in high school the delays. are arguably those with the greatest From a medical perspective, the interest in preventing an unwanted FDA's hesitancy to approve emergency pregnancy, as the burden of raising a contraception in the face of political child is dramatically greater when the pressure could ultimately jeopardize; mother is 16 as opposed to 26. When future drug research and funding. The access to emergency contraception development of certain treatments and requires a prescription, visiting a doc- medicines are more politically sensi- tor or health clinic and then picking tive than others, and if the FDA's judg- up a prescription may be impossible in ment can be influenced by the political the narrow 72-hour window in which debates of the day, medical research the pill is most effective. itself could eventually be stifled - an The FDA denies bowing to any outcome no one should want to see. VIEWPOINT A public service announcement NOTABLE QUOTABLE They don't have hot flashes. They have power surges." -Amos Williams, the Democratic nominee for state attorney general, summing up his experience with Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) at a rally on campus, as reported yesterday by The Michigan Daily. What victory lap? JAMES DAVID DICKSON his the catching-up process that never else's future. What's worse, some year, seems to take more than a few min- people feel justified and don't feel out some utes between true friends. That part of place in airing their assumptions of the people was awesome. I'll miss that. vocally. The problem here is not who've brought But before long, the dreaded ques- that anyone's expectations are, per the biggest tions came rolling in, and the best se, unrealistic or lofty - who cares smiles to my week of the year had me wishing what they think, reallybecause what face are people for April rather than truly enjoy- do they know - it's that such com- to whom I've ing the "victory lap" of a fifth year. ments don't reflect that everyone has never said a Before long, I was answering the his or her own time table. Everyone word. They're my fellow fifth-year questions you expect to be asked as matures differently and discovers seniors, most of whom I remember a fifth-year, but don't feel you should their interests at different points. from living at Markley. For whatever have to explain because anyone who This takes some of us five years. reason, we're still around. Whether needs to ask wasn't told for a reason. Today most people's parents know finishing master's programs or engi- I thought you graduated? Why aren't better than to plan out their child's neering degrees, tying up loose ends you in New York/Chicago/D.C.? Are course, and trust their offspring to or writing for The Michigan Daily you gonna be here forever, or what? make the right decisions for them- - we're still around. Within seconds, happy-to-see-you selves, since their offspring are the Identifying a fellow super-senior becomes nice-seeing-you, and you ones who must live with them. But is gratifying for largely selfish rea- make your move, preferring meeting the Well-Meaning Interrogators of sons - chief among them my joy new people to being second-guessed. the world - relying on little more that there are others of my creed at The typical Welcome Week wel- than a random assortment of facts which to direct the obnoxious ques- come-back/good-to-see-you conver- and truisms about what "people tioning us fifth-years are subject to, sation left me looking for the nearest your age" should be doing - not but gratifying nonetheless. When exit or suddenly in need of a refill, only have your life tracked out. they say that college is the best four Prepared as I was to face such They actually expect answers as years ofyourlifethey aren't kidding. queries, I was nonetheless shocked to what you're doing here and why You really start to realize this around by their sheer volume and the pushi- you're not there - "there" meaning your fifth year at the University. ness of those asking them. Worse wherever it is someone who gradu- Your first lesson comes during than the questions themselves ated high school in 2002 should be Welcome Week, that magical period - which are often innocent if not - yet. The nerve. between arriving in town and start- well-meaning at their base - are the But take heart, fellow superse- ing class. Welcome Week 2006, rampant assumptions behind them: niors. The carping we confront my last as an undergraduate, was that returning for a fifth year is some daily, which will hopefully subside bittersweet, more bitter than sweet sign of failure, of poor planning, of a once the novelty of the new school - the kind of week that made me Peter Pan-like desire to never grow year wears offoften has much more glad to have more promising pros- up and of one's inability to leave col- to do with the person carping than pects than the house party scene. Of lege life for the Real World. with us. You talk to alumni and a lot course there were the great moments While it's a boost to the ego to of them wish they could come back, synonymous with Welcome Week: know that at some level people have and would if they could. Enjoy your cocktails with friends who've been high expectations for you, it does victory lap. gone to New York or D.C. rounding make one wonder why people who out their resumes all summer, the know so little feel completely justi- Dickson can be reached at telling of tall tales that ensues, and fied in presuming to know someone davidjam@umich.edu. VIEWPOINT MSA just wants more politics By BRYAN KELLY But in an interview with Stallings thing to bring enlightenment about in the Fall 2006 issue of Spectrum arguments for the other side, without Which Michigan Student Assem- magazine, she promised "to use guaranteeing anything resembling a bly do you prefer? If you've been (MSAs) resources to encourage stu- fair fight. following what MSA has been prom- dents at large to engage in (MCRI's) I know I don't feel how most of ising regarding its efforts to educate defeat" MSA feels; I know I feel that discrim- the University's student body on the Huh. I really can't see how those inating against anyone on the basis of Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, two promises can be reconciled, race, gender, creed or national origin you're probably a little confused as unless Stallings is talking about is immoral and wrong. And yet, I to which student government will be resources from a different MSA - already feel that I've been spoken for. leading campus this coming fall. one that is notunder federal tax code, This not only makes me want MCRI, or Proposal 2, is a ballot arguably prohibited from taking an to win the fight against racial and proposal that would ban affirmative official stance on MCRI. gender preferences that much more; action programs in Michigan that use It's bad enough that Stallings it also makes me want to call the racial or gender preferences in public vows in the Daily to seek a term not Internal Revenue Service, to see if contracting, public employment and so politically driven as her predeces- it can convince me, and itself, that public education. sors' while simultaneously promising the members of MSA and Stallings In the Daily last week, MSA Peace to support resolutions endorsing the in particular are not politicizing, and Justice Commission co-chair University's policy of using race and not lying, and not - as leaders who Art Reyes promised "an educational gender preferences in order to achieve should Do Their Job and keep their setting where no particular party or "diversity" on this campus - though political statements to themselves vantage point has precedence over I would call this type of diversity, - stabbing me and the rest of the another to make sure students are which is nothing more than state- students in the back. informed before they make a deci- sponsored bigotry, a sham. In short, I'd like to see if MSA sion (on MCRI) in November." MSA But it is even worse when, with ought to be dissolved. President Nicole Stallings says that Stallings speaking from the bully currently in MSA, "the culture is pulpit, MSA blatantly disregards its Kelly is an LSA junior and a different. We're a lot less politically "nonprofit educational organization" member of the Daily's editorial minded." (MSA wants more action, status and politicizes MCRI from the board. He can be reached less politics,09/14/2006). year's outset - without doing any- at kellybry@umich.edu. LETTER TO THE EDITOR Send all letters to the editor to tothedaily@michigandaily.com. A i BY LAUREL CHARTOW I am writing to the larger University com- munity in the attempt to get everyone to wear helmets. All you have to do is wear helmets and every- thing will be all right. If you don't, then you risk your life walking to class, avoiding people on the Diag, going to the bar - anywhere you can think of, you are unsafe. Trust me. I know. This past weekend, I decided it was a good idea to ride my bike without a helmet. I am now severely injured, jacked on pain medication, socially inept and - the worst part above all - I have incredibly bad breath. I haven't been able to open my swollen mouth to brush my teeth. Oh, and by the way, my two front teeth are knocked out, gone, left on a grassy knoll somewhere on Oakland Street. Wear helmets. They're as fashionable as they are safe, coming in colors like black and gray. Sometimes, if you're lucky, they almost look aerodynamic and have fancy perks like sweat holes and ponytail openings. The best thing about helmets is that you can wear them during class and feel the Styrofoam padding against your hair. It's exhilarating. Though this past weekend's injury was partly the result of a steep hill, a curb in the way and copious amounts of gin, it was also a result of not wearing a helmet. Had I been wearing my helmet to that party, I would have known that I looked so much cooler wearing an aerodynamic pink bike helmet than slamming into a curb, flying off the front of the bike and landing smack on my face in front of a porch full of people. It's a weird feel- ing to not have front teeth anymore and to look at your own hands, covered in your own blood. Oh, and you know what else is severely uncool? Being in the ER and having that up-too-late nurse make snarky comments about the projec- tile blood-and-wine vomit you've just released all over her. "Looks like someone's been drinking strawberry daiquiris ..." Let me finish the cold tomato soup I'm eating, and then I'll continue. I'm sucking it through a straw, because, you know, my teeth are gone, my lips are all cut up and swollen, and I might even grow nasty cold sores too. I want a sandwich right now, but my blender isn't working. Maybe tomorrow I'll get a shake from Tios. Peanut butter. Yes. And oh, I forgot to mention this earlier, regard- ing their stylishness: American Apparel is releas- ing its own line of helmets. They'll come in solid colors and, in a few select locations, striped too. If my PSA cry doesn't spark the trend, good old American Apparel will. Last thing. Wearing helmets everywhere and all the time is the only way to prevent another terrorist attack. If Osama bin Laden catches wind of a nationwide helmet-wearing trend, American Apparel or otherwise, he'll get the point. So in brief, people, people, people, please. Wear helmets. Be safe. They'll make you a big- ger deal than you already are. They'll get you laid. They provide yet another thing to focus on in class besides the words from your professor's mouth. They're patriotic. Oh, and they might prevent severe injuries, from time to time. But who knows? They're only helmets. Chartow is an LSA senior. Stiglichs can't tefl uninsured from ilega l TO THE DAILY: Self-proclaimed proud conser- vatives may not be xenophobic (it's up for debate), but they're blatantly willing to "muddle this important debate" with unfounded stereo- types when convenient. While grumbling about illegal immigra- tion, John Stiglich (Labeling liber- als, 09/18/2006) points out that Los Angeles County's public health infrastructure is crumbling under the weight of the uninsured. He even drops powerful names and cites a top-notch newspaper to lend weight to his claims. But while Stiglich concludes "the most salient effect illegal aliens have on public services is the use of emergency care," that's not what ERIN RUSSELL JOY his sources, or even his viewpoint, are reporting. Read what he wrote carefully: "The crippling cost of the hospital footing the bill for the medically uninsured was a major factor in these closings." The uninsured. Not the illegal. Indeed, UCLA researchers esti- mate that illegal immigrants account for - at most - 20 percent of the uninsured patients showing up in LA County emergency rooms. Twenty percent. It's not uncommon for people to assume a wide range of things about the uninsured: They're unemployed or poor, members of a disadvantaged class, here illegally, lazy. But with 48 million individuals uninsured, the uninsured outnumber the illegal by at least 36 million. And a huge por- tion - 67 percent - come from families where one member is work- ing full-time. Many are white. More than 40 percent of working-age indi- viduals making between $20,000 and $40,000 annually - far, far above minimum wage - were uninsured for part of 2005. The crisis of the uninsured is far more than a side effect of illegal immigration. There's a crisis because various (largely conservative) inter- ests continue to ensure no serious conversation about broadening access to care will ever happen. If Stiglich were truly concerned with America's dying system of safe- ty-net hospitals - though something tells me he's not - he wouldn't be using it as a bat to whack atan unre- lated concern. Suhael Momin Class of 2006 The letter writer is aformer Daily editorial page editor. ALEXANDER HONKALA FETID CHlUMUC KET GENEVA iXMeENTIONP H's COME UP WIT A MORP RUfAL. AMI EEf CTCWAY TO T ORT URE WA ISOVERS. BY OINW A BY PORCIN6 T HEM TO WATCHTHEr ESPERATE, 13TH $EASON OE SL&A'wOR. I " ". 4