4A - Wednesday, September 12, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. < Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu KARL STAMPFL EDITOR IN CHIEF IMRAN SYED EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR JEFFREY BLOOMER MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflectthe official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views ofttheir authors. A different standard Research universities offer more, deserve more in return W ith state lawmakers set to decide on funding for pub- lic universities for fiscal year 2008, the state's Univer- sity Research Corridor - composed of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Michigan State University and Wayne State University - released a report this week that highlights those three institutions' immense contributions to the state. Conducted by the Anderson Economic Group, the study indicates that upwards of 68,000 jobs are generated by the MRC, which also contributed $12.8 billion to the state's struggling economy. This data is hard evidence of the fact that research universities deserve more funding because they help the state in ways the other 12 public universities do not. It's a big blow." - Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos Calderon on the impact drug kingpin Diego Montoya's arrest will have on cocaine traffickers, as reported yesterday by The Washington Post. ALEXANDER HONKALA as-t . & I Primary divisions All public institutions in the state are essential to the recovery of the local economy and will eventually supply well- educated citizens. However, their con- tributions are nowhere near the level of the MRC, which, according to the report, has 133,331 students and 46,398 full-time employees. Despite what the MRC brings to the state, the state and the people of Michigan often unfairly view the big three universities as out of touch, elite or even wasteful. Such a position is unfair consid- ering things like the $832 million federal research dollars those institutions brought to Michigan in 2005. The resources and jobs brought to the table by the major research institu- tions cannot be ignored, especially with a lack of income being raised for the state through other outlets. While total revenue for the MRC has gone up since 2002, state funding has fallen 13 percent. Considering that 77 percent of those enrolled in MRC institutions as of fall 2005 were Michi- gan residents and that doctors trained at MRC institutions are more likely to stay in Michigan than those who didn't, the uni- versities are doing their part to help the people of Michigan. The state must recog- nize their contributions and respond with more funding. Given that the state faces an estimated $1.6 billion shortfall for its 2008 budget, all public universities are understandably worried about what that means for their funding. The MRC's request for a separate set of funds gives some smaller schools the impression that their funds will be cut or allowed to stagnate to benefit the big research institutions. Such an outcome would be unacceptable. The current problems being experienced by the state appropriations committee could easily be remedied and the worries of the smaller state universities alleviated with a standard education fund. Instead of squabbling over how much to give to higher education each year, the legislature should agree to an established education budget for a number of years while at the same time allowing the funding for institutions of higher learning to rise with inflation. Despite the state's budget crunch, it is important for state lawmakers to remember that they cannot ignore the funding needs of state universities, including the special needs of the MRC. If they're still in doubt, they can just look at the numbers. A We're used to seeing chalk- ings all around campus about mass meetings for political groups or protests. We'vej all been tailed through the Diag by student activ- ists determined to get their say. But if you've been fol- lowing the mad- ness of the current IMRAN presidential pri- SYED mary races, know-_ ing that it will soon trickle down to our campus, you know we haven't seen anything yet. We know partisanship brings out the worst in our leaders. Desperate to stem a surging Michael Dukakis in 1988, the campaign of a seemingly mel- low George H. W. Bush turned to despi- cable racist symbolism in its infamous Willie Horton ad. Looking to squash any momentum built up by John Kerry in the 2004 election, George W. Bush's supportersquestionedeverythingfrom Kerry's resolve to his military record. Suddenly the man who won three Pur- ple Hearts in Vietnam had to answer for his military service to an opponent who was lost somewhere in Alabama the whole time he was supposed to be serving his country. This sort of thing is nothing new in America. Dirty partisan politick- ing was alive and well in the 1884 presidential contest between Demo- crat Grover Cleveland and Republi- can James Blane. Even.further back, the wrangling of the Federalists ver- sus the Anti-Federalists, Henry Clay against John C. Calhoun and Andrew Jackson against just about everyone of his era are all examples of political disagreements going just a little too far. The only difference is we no lon- ger throw around the word "scoun- drel" quite so much. The difference now, however, is that RADHIKA UPADHYAYA not only are we bitterly divided on a partisan basis, but both candidates and voters acceptthetorchingof opponents withreckless abandoninprimaryraces too. Poor George Washington. The man who feared the divisiveness of political parties so much would probably be at a complete loss for words if he saw the firestorm that is on now - between people of the same party. We can rail against the long and vit- riolic primary process, which this time seemed to start the day Kerry conced- ed. We can ask for stricter regulation of attack ads and keep the politicians' accusations of others in perspective, knowing they're nearly always bent beyond recognition. We should do these things, but the most important thing of all for us is to not let ourselves become entangled in this mayhem. We students are different from those vying for the presidency - we have to be. We are a different genera- tion, the leaders of which will accom- plish far more than even dreamers like John Edwards can imagine. Our generation knew community service before it could walk; we recycled, sold lemonade for charity and told our par- ents to cut back on the cholesterol as early as elementary school. The active among us readily understand long- term issues that our country faces while so many of today's politicians need committees, reports and junkets to see the same realities. No doubt we have our differences: I suppose Young Americans for Free- dom will never see eye-to-eye with SOLE. We have come to a point, how- ever, where we are needlessly forging new divisions. Why, for example, must students who want to end the war in Iraq now turn against each other and fight over the supposed superiority of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? If we want the war ended, aren't we better off sticking together as a strong blocAnd what of those who want to see more done to prevent terrorism? The "how many terrorists did you kill today?" infighting at the Republican debates isn't helping anybody. Some will argue that the vicious potshots dished out in the primaries among candidates of the same party will simply be forgotten once a nomi- nee is named. Unfortunately, it seems that the candidates really do believe this absurd idea. Other than making the ultimate party platform look weak and hypocritical, such an approach initiates hostilities that are not eas- ily forgotten. As many Howard Dean supporters - a large percentage of them college students -found out last time around, if you pour your heart Hillary or Obama: Is it really worth fighting over? into a candidate during the primary and that candidate ends up losing, it isn't easy to simply jump on the other guy's bandwagon. We all have preferred candidates in primaries. That's fine. We can even let others know of our preferences and the reasoning behind them. We get into trouble, though, when we start dis- paraging the other candidates, one of whom we will in all likelihood have to vote for at some point. This is the inane, bitter polarity of the general election carried to an evenbleaker level. But the most engaged and aware minds in our generation shouldn't fall for that. We have bigger arguments to partake in than the petty squabbling of the primaries. Imran Syed is the Daily's editorial page editor. He can be reached at galad@umich.edu. A Editorial Board Members: Ben Caleca, Mike Eber, Brian Flaherty, Emmarie Huetteman, Kellyn Jackson, Gavin Stern, Jennifer Sussex, Neil Tambe, Radhika Upadhyaya. PETER VANDER AREND x Puttin, it into perspective A I graduated from the University in 1973. My experience was a five-year educational adventure that provided me with wonderful opportunities. Those five years were also one of the most tumultuous times in my youth, because a war was being waged in Southeast Asia by a president who concealed the truth from our country, violated Americans' con- stitutional rights and fed the war in Vietnam with a military draft. During that time there were also Saturday afternoons at Michigan Stadium, where the Maize and Blue provided a diversion to all of the suffering, strife and anxiety we faced. In Saturday's blowout loss to Oregon, I saw the utter disbelief and despair on the faces of fans at Michigan Stadium for the second con- secutive Saturday. I would like to remind all those people in this state of shock that whatev- er happens inside Michigan Stadium is not the real focus of what is going wrong right now. The real problems are all around us: A dev- astated economy in Michigan that has left so many people out of work, a lack of health care, an erosion of America's middle class and an illegal and immoral war in Iraq waged by a president who has surpassed even Richard Nixon's dastardly conduct three decades ago. In the name of "protecting our nation from terrorists" and "fighting them over there so we don't fight them over here," the Bush administration initiated a war of choice in Iraq, a war sold to Americans using misin- formation and fear to displace reason and rational debate. This conflict has killed nearly 4,000 U.S. servicemen. According to an Octo- ber 2006 report in the British medical journal the Lancet, it has also resulted in the deaths of more than 655,000 Iraqis. Bush's Middle East crusade has swallowed more than $450 billion in taxpayer money, funding that could have been used to provide better education and infrastructure improvements in Michi- gan and all of America. Our nation, through the actions of an arro- gant administration bent on total control and absolute secrecy and wanton disregard for the rule of law, has dragged our country into a quagmire without an exit plan. The president now demands more money and more lives to prosecute a policy without shame or account- ability. Our Congress has yet to find its moral compass and reclaim its constitutional obliga- tion to check the executive and force a change in policy. This reminds me of what was hap- pening during my many Saturdays at the Big House 30 years ago. Today's college generation will bear the costs and consequences of the Bush admin- istration's poor leadership and divisive poli- cies, just like my generation had to address the subsequent consequences of the John- son and Nixon administrations' failures in Southeast Asia. Many of my peers will recall when more than 40,000 black balloons were released into the air during halftime at Mich- igan Stadium, each representing an American military death. Today, the number of balloons from the war in Iraq would exceed 650,000 if Iraqi civilian deaths of Iraqi were included. Keep the two losses in perspective. Reality is far more depressing, and that's where our concern needs to be focused. Peter Vander Arend is a 1973 graduate of the College of Engineering. 4 The wrong day for a rap war Until six years ago, Sept. 11 used to be just another date on the cal- ender. Starting this year, the day that marked the onset of America's war against terrorism will also be remembered among some as the day that marked the beginning of anoth- er war. Sept.11, 2007 will go down in history as the day 50 Cent and Kanye West both unveiled their new, highly anticipated albums. But whyOn any other day, I would completely immerse myself into this media frenzied battle between two of rap music's biggest names. But why did they pick Sept. 11, a day that has a special meaning to so many people? According to MTV.com, the situa- tion appears to be a result of a many scheduling conflicts. 50 Cent's CD Curtis was set to be released in June, but he didn't like the response he was getting on a few of his tracks and decided to push his release date to Sept. 4. Then, fearing Labor Day would stunt sales, the release date was pushed back one week further to Sept. 11. West's third album, Graduation, was set for a September release, but was pushed up to late August, ironi- cally enough, to avoid competition. He then decided to step up and face 50 Cent in a retail rumble on Sept.11. Now, as if it weren't cocky enough for both artists to release their records on the anniversary of America's worst terrorist attacks, 50 Cent even claimed at one pointhewould endhis career if West outsold him. While he later reneged on that statement, both artists are exploitingthe media spec- tacle of releasing an album on Sept.11 for a sales war that distracts from the true significance of that day. When the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked six years ago, Americans were forced to break out of the bubbles of their happy '90s lifestyle. The country had been enjoying a booming economy and the glory days of bubblegum pop cul- ture. Most Americans didn't concern themselves very much with interna- tional issues. That is until we were brought face to face with the political and social unrest that plagued people all over the world for decades before. We learned we were not invincible. Sept. 11 was the wake-up call that taught us all to be a little more grate- ful and grounded. One would think the attack on our country would have especially affected our revered celebrities, who have so much fame and wealth for which to be thankful. This does not appear to be the case. Celebrity superstardom surround- ing artists like 50 Cent and Kanye West gives these lucky individuals a platformuponwhich they can spread their positive influence. Instead of inspiring fans through some sort of meaningful tribute to Sept. 11, though, they are hosting a petty rap showdown. In addition to mak- ing themselves look foolish, they're revertingus back to the clueless state we lived in before Sept.11. I'm certainly not blaming West and 50 Cent as the sole cause of our social woes. We choose our own role models and we should learn to exer- cise personal responsibility over our choices and actions. Nevertheless, we should still hold Kanye West and SO Centto a higher standard. They're pop-culture icons, and this year it looks like they're too busy prepping for their sales war to pay proper respect to this day. If the only thing on our minds Tuesday was rushing out to sup- port our favorite rapper, we have all missed an extremely important lesson. Radhika Upadhyaya is a Business sophomore and a member of the Daily's editorial board. CHRIS KOSLOWSKI I Did you hear tat some Ys have. Andthinkas a I son Mc Iada godie.'e Gu ht acta meat ,e saansareg,,v. ..g coaetttt, yseavne a sunt ant, Mest hew ta bsies ta 8 s . a tatdeu I *w ca tuyrssea atdi g MORE ONLINE BLOGS * Read more analysis and per- spectives at michigondaily. com/thepodium. 0