4A -- Friday, October 5, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com l e iic[ igan .+ ail9 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu IMRAN SYED JEFFREY BLOOMER TORIAL PAGE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR This is so not me. It wasn't that we were making fun of the Jena 6 incident. " - Kristy Smith, a student at University of Louisiana at Monroe, apologizing for a video re-enactment she and friends made of the beating of a Jena High School student, as reported yesterday on CNN.com. The video was posted on Facebook.com and YouTube.com. Talk that matters KARL STAMPFL EDITOR IN CHIEF Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles andillustrations represent solely the views of their authors. The Daily's public editor, Paul Johnson, acts as the readers' representative and takes a critical look at coverage and content in every section of the paper. Readers are encouraged to contactthe public editor with questions and comments.He canbereachedat: publiceditor@umich.edu Fourteen is not enough University's appeasement woefully short of acceptable L ast week, the University announced that the Athletic Department plans to add at least 14 wheelchair-accessible seats to the Big House for next season. While the Univer- sity claims that the Athletic Department made the decision based on "an ongoing evaluation of fan needs," the announcement's tim- ing makes its intention easy to question. The Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America recently sued the University because the pro- posed renovations to Michigan Stadium do not comply with the American with Disabilities Act 1990. The announcement of the addition of 14 wheelchair-accessible seats reflects either the Uni- versity's ambivalence to the MPVA's concerns or a very poor effort to pacify the many critics of the stadium renovation plan. Either way, the University just doesn't get it. don't care how silly this sounds: Jon Stewart really could be presi- dent. Or, maybe not quite presi- dent, but he could at least be some kind of politician. Or maybe a diplo- mat; that's more his g style anyway. People have been throwing around similar statements about KEVIN Stewart for years now, but it really BUNKLEY hit me hard when Bolivian President Evo Morales gave his first Ameri- can television interview to Stewart on "The Daily Show" late last month. Despite the humor inherent in a "Daily Show" interview, I was distraught on the inside. The fact that a cable television show hosted by a comedian hosts two world leaders our own government can't seemtoget ahandle on - the other was Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf - is alarming. It begs the question: Who is a foreign dignitary more likely to open up to, Jon Stewart or Presi- dent Bush? Bush has ruined America's image in the world to the point where no one but the British take our nation seriously. Stewart and his show repre- sent a different image of America, one that itshould be projectingtothe world mstead of fear. The image of this country that Bush has presented to the world is one of color-coded threat levels and hooded terror suspects, all wrapped around the word "freedom." The image Stew- art is presenting to the world with his interviews is, "We know our govern- ment is incompetent, we don't like it and we like to have foreign leaders come on TV and say it." I would much rather have Bill Clinton on Stewart's stage telling us to change the world instead of Bush asking us to stay the course. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman emphasized this point more bluntly, arguing that he won't, and neither should anyone else, vote for any candidate who pushes Sept. 11. Rather, he will only vote for those who push Sept. 12. A study by the Pew Research Center showed that 21 percent of Americans aged 18 to 29 watch Stewart's show more than any other network news. I don't blame them: the list of guests on his show looks more like the guest list of a White House State dinner than any other show on TV. Morales is just another feather in the show's cap that proves people are tired of seeing America's destroyed image on CNN. America just doesn't look too respectable on the real news. All it shows is how America is destroy- ing the Middle East (partially true) and its own nation (see the 2008 presiden- tial race coverage). What happened to America being the land of the free? It is now the land of the feared. The rest of the world is laughing at Americans because we can't leave Iraq, we can't build good cars and we can't look past political party agendas. America isn't the best at anything any- more, and that won't come back until we start listening to the people talking to Stewart instead of those who talk to the White House Press Corps. President Morales's appearance on "The Daily Show" was eye-opening to me, because the Bush Administra- tion wants Americans to believe that this man is a danger to our country, because he interacts with people like Cuban President Fidel Castro and Ven- ezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Yet, all I saw sitting in a chair across from Stewart was a neatly-dressed Boliv- ian farmer-turned-president who has done amazing things for his country. And it's the perfect symbol of how our government has made us look like the stuck-up bully that doesn't have any friends yet is still trying to keep every- What Jon Stewart can teach President Bush. one in line. Stewart commented that in his first eight months in office, Morales nationalized Bolivia's oil and natural gas, enacted a constitution and started agrarian reform - to which the audi- ence applauded feverishly. If I recall correctly, Bush's first eight months in office were spent at a farm in Texas. I'm crossing my fingers that during his final year in office, Bush really will morph into The Decider - the comic book hero version of Bush that Stew- art immortalized - and improve his legacy by changing the way America looks to the world. It's his fault that the world's perception of this country is so bad, so it's he should fix it. Kevin Bunkley can be reached at kevrbunk@umich.edu. The ADA requires public facilities like the Big House to have at least 1 per- cent of the seating reserved for disabled fans, while providing a variety of seating options. The Big House was exempted from the ADA's purview until now because it was constructed before the act was passed, but the MPVA claims that once the University decides to go ahead with the proposed changes to the stadium, it would have to comply with the act. The Univer- sity, in an asinine game of semantics, says the proposed changes are "repairs" and not "renovations" in an effort to skirt ADA regulations. Richard Bernstein, the attorney for MPVA and a political science profes- sor at the University, blasted last week's announcement of 14 additional wheel- chair-accessible seats as "a joke" and criti- cized the University for approaching the issue with "a level of arrogance never seen before." While the University maintains that the timsing and content of last week's announcement was not related to the law- suit, one cannot help but think that it was merely a half-baked publicity stunt. This could as well be a conciliatory ges- ture toward the MPVA, but if that is what it is, then it's a toothless and disingenuous move on the part of the University. The MPVA is not buying it, and neither would any sane person who realizes that 14 seats don't mean a thing when the University is still 793 seats away from compliance with federal law. In a stadium that regularly seats 110,000 people, it's hardly unreason- able that 1,000 of the seats be wheelchair accessible. From the sellout of tradition that was the decision to add skyboxes to the Big House to blatant denial of the ADA, the University has handled stadium renovations with all the tact of a stubborn 3-year-old who will say and do anything to get his way. That's not healthy for an institution that prides itself in its diversity and spirit of accep- tance. Issues like these cannot be resolved with strong-arming, artificial gestures and ridiculous pacifiers. The solution needs to have a conscious thought process behind it. It needs to be a result of collaboration, not compromise. It needs to meet the require- ments of federal law. SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU M-Flicks diverse in its audience and selection ofmovies ings. Women are b After being abused t by social, legal and c provide equal prote in jails and prisons. Editorial Board Members: Kevin Bunkley, Ben Caleca, Milly Dick, Mike Eber, Brian Flaherty, Gary Graca, Emmarie Huetteman, Theresa Kennelly, Gavin Stern, Jennifer Sussex, Neil Tambe, Matt Trecha, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Wagner JACK DOEH RING 7 7 OWAY '5 O W S9 YO% CAPBoA FIooTrpgIOr TO THE DAILY: The Michigan Wi We were surprised when we saw an article criticiz- ect is trying to hel ing M-Flicks audiences in this week's B-Side (A rush is currently workir of blood to the head, 10/04/2007). Unfortunately, the Michigan's prisons article mischaracterized our organization in several and Clemency Proje ways. Although the article states it "is not a diatribe in Lansing to addre against M-Flicks," it continually uses the phrase "M- state to demand jus Flicks crowds" and insults the people in them. We and to argue for tf value and respect our audiences, and we would never Michigan prisons. ask someone to leave because they feel a certain way about a film or because they enjoy particular genres Lydia Mitchell of film. The article ignores many M-Flicks screenings, LSA junior such as "Knocked Up" and "Stranger than Fiction." Going to our website (www.umich.edu/uac/m-flicks) . . would have corrected many of the mistaken assump- Universities tions about M-Flicks. The article states that M-Flicks shows too many vio- telling the m lent movies. This semester our list of movies includes "The Lives of Others," "Memento" and "The Incredi- TO THE DAILY: bles." We also have several sneak previews this month It will be a scary, including "American Gangster," "Ian in Real Life" are able to have a say and "The Wristcutters." We show a variety of movies (From the Daily: Abc from all genres. charged with the du The article mentions the "base and vulgar bloodlust" have the ability toa of our audience members at "The Kingdom." During this country has to o most scenes of incredible violence, the reaction heard to the best of its abili was an audible gasp. The only time that there clapping When liberal ad was when a protagonist survived a very emotionally refuse to provide op draining scene. We do not believe that our audience serve their countryt should be ashamed of reacting in any way. ing Corps programs, The only thing the article seems to have correctly vide information on reported is that we ask people not to cut in line. over how the Pentag an impediment to th Adam Massarang and Jacqui Schaffert try where these adm The letterwriters are co-presidents of M-Flicks. preach their liberala The government h vate universities. Ifa Britney Spears and her kids don't access to its campus,t . ~ refuse funding. As in belong in the pages of the Dady ly's editorial board h the land. The U.S. Su TO THE DAILY: determining what is The number one thing I should have known on Tues- on the side of our got day was that Britney Spears lost custody of her children and liberal universit (Three things you should know, 10/02/2007)? Seriously? anti-American polici I expect that sort of information in supermarket Instead of wastin tabloids and even on CNN occasionally, but not in The military is "blackma Michigan Daily. The Daily is telling me that the num- be trying to find a w ber one thing that educated University students should in military policy t care about is that some worthless, washed-up starlet kind of change cann who never contributed anything meaningful to soci- and student senates' ety lost custody of her children. Is there nothing more oversight over milit important happening in the world? What's next, news military policy, fix it on Paris Hilton's new handbag or Brad and Angelina's executive branch. Ur most recent feud? and recognize the cr This crap is not news. It does not belong in a newspa- our country. per, especially the one for the University's student popu- lation. Andrew Gaber LSA senior Jake Miller LS~niri W hat you cc Help fight for women's criminal Dog Man in justice rights in Lansing today TO THE DAILY: I would like to ca TO THE DAILY: hero, Hot Dog Man, According to "Prosecutors and Domestic Violence: ment Facilities Man Local Leadership Makes a Difference," One woman dies is illegal in A2, welco every five days in the state of Michigan from domestic free food and donat violence. That is astonishing. I cannot believe that in our as dangerous as thi democracy-touting, human-rights watching, free and touchdown or throv fair society we still face issues like this in our own state. and beach balls. I Many of these horrors are hidden within the walls Man for his selfless of our prisons. Many women are in prison because would like to ask th of charges stemming from duress or abuse by fam- ily members. Women, especially women of color, are Matt MacKinnon denied fair trials, fair sentences and fair parole hear- Engineeringsenior eing victimized in multiple ways. by a partner, ignored or abandoned riminal justice systems that should ction and access, they are dumped tomen's Justice and Clemency Proj- .p such women. The organization ng to free about 50 women from The Michigan Women's Justice ect is holding its annual rally today ss Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the tice for women wrongly convicted she human rights of all women in have no business 7ilitary what to do day when university administrators yin the formulation of military policy ove the law, 10/04/2007). The entity ty of defending our freedom should access the best and brightest minds ffer in order to carry out its objective ity. ministrators at elitist institutions portunities to students who want to through the Reserve Officers Train- or to even allow the military to pro- campuses because of disagreements on operates, they are only serving as e defense of the free and open coun- inistrators and professors are free to and radical ideas and values. has no financial responsibility to pri- a school refuses to allow the military the federal government should rightly 1 the aftermath of Proposal 2, the Dai- as displayed a disregard for the law of preme Court, an entity charged with constitutional and what isn't, ruled vernment and our military. They won, y administrators and their downright es lost. ng time complaining about how the tiling" universities, the Daily should Nay to realistically push for a change oward the LGBT community. This tot come from liberal administrators but rather from people with genuine ary policy. If you have a problem with by getting the people you want in the ntil then, abide by the social contract rucial role that the military serves in a 0 an do to keep the Hot the Big House all on everyone who cares about our , to write a letter to Athletic Depart- nager Rob Rademacher (Hot dog toss 'med at NU, 10/04/2007). Giving out Ling money to charity is certainly not rowing people up in the air after a wing around inflatable killer whales would like to commend Hot Dog charity work, and to Rademacher, I at you please let him stay. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be under 300 words and must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedoily@umich.edu. k