4A - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 22, 2006

-OPINION


NOTABLE
QUOTABLE

RYAN JABER 1VrSTMAKS. M[

A

DONN M. FRESARD
Editor in Chief

EMILY BEAM J
CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK JEFFREY BLOOMER
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

It's an energy eS
drink and it's a fun
name. As soon as
people look at the =
can, they smile.'
-Jamie Kirby, the inventor of the new
energy drink Cocaine, which is 350 per-
cent stronger than Red Bull, as reported
yesterday by thedailymail.co.uk.
Welcome to the PRAA
JARED GOLDBERG

Representing themselves
State legislators put re-election before public interest

ith Election Day less than two
months away, the campaigns
of state Democrats and Repub-
licans are in full swing with TV com-
mercial spots, promotional tours - and
renewed attention to hot-button issues that
are likely to draw voter support. In the
last two weeks, the Republican-led state
House passed five bills encouraging the
development of umbilical cord and adult
stem cell banks, while House Democrats
pushed a series of bills that would give
interest-free loans to students who plan
to work high-tech jobs in Michigan upon
graduation. To all appearances, however,
both sets of bills have little chance of
passing through the state Senate. This is
an election year, after all, and state legis-
lators seem more concerned with winning
through empty posturing than focusing on
real policy issues.
House Democrats - especially Rep.
Gary McDowell (D-Rudyard), the main
supporter of the interest-free loan pro-
posal - deny that it is only a last-minute
tactic to win votes. Due to the influx of
last-minute bills flooding the Legislature,
however, it appears that this series of bills
is only thoughtless maneuvering by wor-
ried state legislators. They also reveal an
unhappy truth of election season - that
candidates are more interested in winning
than actually in carrying through with
beneficial public policy.
If the measures, as predicted, don't pass
the state Senate, they can be reintroduced
next year. They can't, however, be auto-
matically carried over to the next session,
making it seem more likely that the legisla-
ture will drop the issues after the election.
It is unfortunate that these student loan
bills are not getting the attention and real
support in the Legislature they deserve.
Giving financial assistance to students
who intend to stay in Michigan after col-
lege will only help the state's economy by
retaining a more educated workforce.

Similarly, the Republican-backed stem-
cell bills appear to be motivated more by
political than medical concerns. Repub-
lican support for the new bills, which
would encourage research on umbilical
cord and adult stem cells, appears to be
a primarily a cynical move to mitigate
political risk. Republicans both nationally
and locally have been taking heat for their
party's opposition to embryonic stem-cell
research. Rather than genuinely support-
ing the creation of stem cell banks to cre-
ate more jobs and encourage research on
the topic within the state, it seems more
likely that state Republicans are hoping
to snow over their constituents, confus-
ing voters into thinking that the Repub-
lican-led Legislature supports stem-cell
research without angering pro-life activ-
ists deeply opposed to research using
embryonic stem cells.
A recently created non-profit group,
Michigan Citizens for Stem Cell Research
and Cures, aims to educate Michigan
residents about the research benefits and
economic payoffs of embryonic stem-
cell research in the state. While grass-
roots organizations like this one will
certainly aid Michigan by raising public
awareness about stem-cell research, such
efforts may bear little fruit until the state
has legislators who are less concerned
with their re-election campaigns and
more focused on the future of the state.
Michigan's auto industry is flounder-
ing, its manufacturing jobs are being
outsourced and its college graduates are
fleeing. The state needs to take advantage
of any opportunity it can find to increase
the education of its workforce and attract
jobs. Under any other circumstances, it
would be merely disappointing that its
legislators have their put re-election cam-
paigns before the well being of the state's
residents. But with Michigan's unemploy-
ment rate tied for the highest in the coun-
try, it is simply shameful.

W elcome,
new stu-
dentsto
the University
of Michigan!
Or as I, the
Minister of
Propaganda,
like to call it,
the Center for
Liberal Re-
Education. The Center is located in
the beautiful People's Republic of
Ann Arbor, Michigan's great liberal
enclave. During your stay here, you
will become accustomed to many
liberal and Communist - they're
the sametermanyway, right? - ritu-
als and issues.
As a propaganda worker at our
own student newspaper,The Michi-
gan Daily (we wanted to title it
the Worker's Vanguard, but that
was already taken), I will try to
acclimate you to life as a comrade
studying in the PRAA. Ann Arbor
is as liberal as they come, so you
won't find any difficulty living as a
student here.
Except, of course, that the entire
student body is gerrymandered. To
top it off, many - although not all
- of the other residents of the PRAA
look upon us as not deserving any
political rights whatsoever. The city
is divided like a pie into five wards.
I'll give you two guesses as to which
demographic is split across the nar-
rowest part of each slice. Attempts
to give students a voice - including
the creation last year of a student-
City Council committee - are often
met with voices of indignation. But,
hey, we're students. We don't need a
voice. We can trust the Ann Arbor
People's Soviet - known colloqui-
ally as the Ann Arbor City Council.
Even though an undergraduate
has not been elected to City Council

since the 1970s, that doesn't mean
council members are apathetic to
student concerns. They've respond-
ed to the landlord-inspired housing
rush that forces freshmen to decide
where and with whom they plan
on living during their sophomore
year less than a month after arriv-
ing at the University. They passed
an ordinance prohibiting landlords
from allowing prospective tenants
to sign leases for a particular rental
unit until one quarter of the previ-
ous lease period was over. Never-
mind the fact landlords could easily
navigate around the ordinance by
either having May to May leases or
by initiating "application periods."
Some landlords even indicated
their intent to break the law to this
paper's reporters.
But the City Council loves stu-
dents. Some of its members even par-
ticipated in the student-City Council
committee to help ease the tensions.
It doesn't matter that this committee,
in addition to having no power, hasn't
done squat since it was created. It's
the principle that matters.
And we shouldn't concern our-
selves with the fact that most major
decisions affecting students are
made during the summer, the part
of the year when none of us are
around. We should just forget about
the council's attempt to ban porch
couches, as well as its decision to
restrict much of the parking in the
neighborhoods south of campus,
among other things. Even the pri-
maries - which for Ann Arbor
are the most important elections
because of the lack of competi-
tion between parties - are held in
August, when the student popula-
tion is mostly out of town. But trust
me: It's all fair in the PRAA.
When it comes to students, the
only thing that truly matters in the

PRAA is how much revenue we
can provide for the city and its busi-
nesses. The Ann Arbor People's
Liberation Army, which you might
know as the Ann Arbor Police
Department, doesn't concern itself
with student safety. We're students.
Mommy and Daddy can take care
of us. So when violent crime rises
in the student neighborhoods, as it
did last year, the AAPD won't be
rushing to stop the perpetrators or
prevent the next rape.
Rather, the city needs to be kept
safe from our drunken debauchery.
After all, many of you new students
are not yet acquainted with the cus-
toms here in the PRAA. The big-
gest offenders? Underage drinkers
and anyone - but mostly students
- who has an open container of
alcohol when walking 10 feet from
one slum tenement to another. Offi-
cers from the AAPD, call this their
own "freshman orientation."
But hey, we're just guests in this
city. Of more than 100,000 resi-
dents of the PRAA, merely one in
three are students. We don't deserve
the same rights that everyone else
in this city is entitled to. No one
remembers that without the Uni-
versity, Ann Arbor would be just
another spot in the map; we've been
the lifeblood of this town since the
first students matriculated in 1841.
The residents of Ann Arbor often
forget that, as should all of you.
As liberal as Ann Arbor or the
University might appear to be, when
it comes to student rights, it can be
as conservative as any other city.
But don't let that discourage you.
Enjoy your time in the PRAA, and
remember: Students of Ann Arbor
unite ... except when it counts.
Goldberg can be reached
atjaredgo@umich.edu.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Send all letters to the editor to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.

VIEWPOINT
Protect habeas corpus

BY MILLY DICK
The U.S. military camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
has found its way to the headlines once again. For a
little over a week now, the Senate has been considering
measures that would dictate the future of the hundreds
of "enemy combatants" being held, discussing every-
thing from what interrogation tactics are permissible
to what types of trials, if any, these men will have.
Missing from all proposed legislation, however, is the
ability of detainees to seek a writ of habeas corpus.
Habeas corpus - the rights of the accused to seek a
fair trial through the courts - is ironically the only
option many detainees still have. This partial suspen-
sion of habeas corpus would work a grave injustice
on the Guantanamo detainees, and it is an even more
dramatic departure from our legal traditions.
Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.) is expected to
introduce an amendment that would preserve the
right of those labeled "enemy combatants" to chal-
lenge their detention in a court of law and be repre-
sented by a lawyer. If his amendment is not adopted,
the writ of habeas corpus would be suspended in the
United States for the first time since the Civil War
more than a century ago - a move often regarded
as a mistake driven by fear and racism.
For up to four and a half years, hundreds of men
ranging in age from 15 to 90 have been held at the
Guantanamo Bay military camp. Although Secre-
tary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has called them
the "worst of the worst," the government has only
managed to bring charges against 10 of them so far.
While more may eventually be charged, it seems
clear that the vast majority will never come before
the military tribunals whose procedures Congress
is currently debating. Ironically, they will not
appear before a tribunal because there isn't enough
evidence against them to support charges.
These detainees are allowed an even less compre-
hensive review of their detention than the detainees
who are formally charged. As revealed in transcripts
from military review proceedings made public
through Freedom of Information Act litigation, the
"hearings" these detainees receive consist, for the
most part, of a statement by the detainee - who
hasn't been told what he's charged with - followed
JOHN OQUIST LNE )N YOUR FcET

by some questions from the hearing panel about the
unclassified portion of the government's suspicions.
The detainee is unable to present any evidence in
his defense other than his own testimony. He is pre-
sumed guilty. Habeas corpus is the only meaningful
recourse for the hundreds of detainees who have not
been and will not be brought before military tribu-
nals.
Research suggests some of these detainees are
innocent - they may never have opposed the Unit-
ed States or our allies. The government has repeat-
edly asserted that these men were captured "on the
battlefield," yet following review of transcripts of
the proceedings, researchers at the National Jour-
nal found that nearly half of those being held were
not participating in any violent activity during their
capture. Faculty and students at Seton Hall Law
School came to similar conclusions in their study
"A Report on Guantanamo Detainees." Completed
earlier this year, the report investigated 517 pris-
oners being held at the time, finding that only 8
percent "were characterized (by the military) as al-
Qaida fighters" and only 5 percent "were captured
by United States forces."
Experts have concluded that the extravagant
bounty money often offered by the U.S. govern-
ment is to blame for the capture of innocents.
Considering the extreme poverty and the violent
factionalism in the majority of countries repre-
sented at the prison, it is no wonder a large sum of
money provided the incentive. The opportunity to
make a rival disappear and to do so anonymously
is also not a bad perk.
Habeas corpus was developed centuries ago to
address circumstances like these. Itsis one of our
most basic rights - the safety net when all else
fails. Suspending it, even with respect to foreign-
ers accused of terrorism, is a major curtailment of
our constitutional freedoms. It is in situations like
Guantanamo where habeas corpus and other fun-
damental rights are put to the test. Giving up these
most basic protections is an easy answer when a
threat surfaces, but doing so leads us down a dan-
gerous path we have already traveled too far along.
Dick is an LSA junior.

A need for better
medical records
TO THE DAILY:
Suhael Momin castigates John
Stiglich for failing to quantify
the illegal immigrants among the
uninsured at emergency rooms
in Los Angeles County (Stiglich
can't tell uninsured from illegal,
09/19/2006). In Stiglich's defense,
nobody can.
Questions about immigra-
tion status - however germane
to health, immigration policy
or patient care - have been
deemed impolitic. The conspicu-
ous absence of immigration data
in medical records is a direct
consequence of a de facto "don't
ask, don't tell" policy on the part
of health care administrators and
providers.
In 1994, Californians over-
whelmingly approved Proposition
187, a law that sought to prevent
illegal aliens from accessing
most government services. Fed-
eral and state judges immediately
blocked the governor's attempt to
enforce it, and health care hap-
pily returned to its conspiracy of
silence. Some seek information.
Others seek to ensure certain
questions don't get asked.
Nord Christensen
Rackham
You can't negotiate
with terrorists
TO THE DAILY:
I am disgusted with the com-
ments Paul Abowd makes in his
viewpoint (Another setback on the
road to peace, 09/21/2006). He tries
to give both sides a fair shake,
but falls drastically short by fail-
ing to recognize that negotiations
with terrorist organizations are
nearly impossible. He calls Israel's
offensive "immoral," but Hezbol-
lah continues to use civilians and
public buildings as human shields.
The "democratically elected Pales-
tinian government" he refers to is
controlled by Hamas, a group that
has made it clear that its sole pur-
pose is the destruction of Israel.
How do you negotiate with that?
He compares Israel to the
early American colonists, who
brutally crushed Native Ameri-

cans and drove th
homeland. Israel h
comed Arabs and I
structure and fos
Arabs. Hamas a
want to destroy Is
have no plans to pr
tem of governance
ple. Like many p
conveniently forge
dealing with terro
ent type of enemy.
at his grossly in
ments.

em from their
as always wel-
rovides infra-
Ad for Israeli
nd Hezbollah
srael, but they
ovide any sys-
for their peo-
eople, Abowd
Its that we are
rists, a differ-
I am appalled
accurate com-
Jeff Simon
LSA sophomore

Republicans are
Democrat wannabes
TO THE DAILY:
It's ridiculous to say, as Nick
Glauch does in his viewpoint (The
Republican revolt, 09/20/2006),
that Republicans should be proud
of their elected representatives
for standing up to the president.
Democrats have been standing
up to the president as best they
could given their lack of official
power for the past six years, and
"real" Republicans never saluted
them for it.
Instead, they hurled a seem-
ingly endless stream of invec-
tive against those who dared to
question Bush's authority. Back
then, expressing reservations
about torture or unchecked sur-
veillance was tantamount to sup-
porting al-Qaida in the eyes of
conservative commentators and
more than a few elected mem-
bers of the GOP.
Glauch applauds Senators John
McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Gra-
ham (R-S.C.) and John Warner
(R-Va.) for their work to check
the administration, but he makes
no mention of Michigan's own
Carl Levin, the senior Democrat
on the Armed Relations Commit-
tee, a man of deep wisdom and
expertise. Levin, to name just
one Democrat, has been resisting
Bush's overreach from the get-
go. He didn't wait for an election
year and he didn't wait for Bush's
approval rating to drop to 30 per-
cent in the polls. The same can-
not be said for McCain, Graham,
Warner - Glauch.
Ben Beckett
RC sophomore

Here's something for
Daily Arts to hate
TO THE DAILY:
Dear Daily Arts: I don't care
about what you hate (Things Daily
Arts Hates, 09/21/2006). Especial-
ly if it's completely unfounded and
ridiculous. For example, whoever
wrote about Dan Brown writes, "
'Da Vinci Code'? I can't tell if it's
'The Vinci Code' in slang or if it's
Leonardo." If the writer had taken
the time to actually read the title
of the book, "The Da Vinci Code,"
he wouldn't have wasted my time
with his absurd criticism. The
book is right there on the cover of
the B-Side.
Also, "plethora" is an excel-
lent word. It is both fun to say
and appealing to the ear.
Sam Rosenbaum
LSA sophomore
... and another thing
TO THE DAILY:
As an alumna of the Univer-
sity and a current employee, I was
absolutely appalled at the article
titled Do it by the book: How to
have sex in the Grad, (09/21/2006).
I am well aware that writers at the
Daily often push the envelope
when reporting news and offer a
perspective that is far from the
norm. I find nothing wrong with
that. But what Iread in that article
far surpassed pushing the enve-
lope. The article was nothing short
of offensive. I can't believe that
students with enough intelligence
to gain admission to this presti-
gious university can find noth-
ing better to report than the filth
that was in the article. From what
I've been told, similar articles are
printed yearly. How sad. It speaks
volumes about the character - or
lack thereof - of the anonymous
writers. Shame on the editors and
shame on the staff members that
contributed to publishing that soft
porn. I am highly disappointed.
Crystal Lucas
Alumna
... and yet another
TO THE DAILY:
Please stop publishing the B-Side.
Adam Fivenson
LSA senior

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THiS WEEK AT THE UN, PRESIDENT HUGO NOT TO BE OUTDONE, NORTH KOREAN LEADER A BABY SODOMIZER STOOD HERE YESTERDAY.
CHAVEZ CALLED PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH KIM JONG-IL FLEW To NEW YORK TO GIVE AND IT STILL SMELLS LIKE SODOMIZED BABIE
"THE DEVIL," AND SAID THE PODIUM STILL AN IMPROMPTU ADDRESS. HERE'S THE TAPE. TODAYI SERIOUSLY, THIS PODIUM IS DRIPPING.
SMELLED "OF SULFUR" FROM BUSH'S ADDRESS.

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