4A - Tuesday, September 4, 2007
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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
it Y420 Msynsrd St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@umich.edu
KARL STAMPFL IMRAN SYED JEFFREY BLOOMER
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position oftthe Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles
and illustrations represent solely the views ofttheir authors.
Summer catch-up
From Washington to Ann Arbor, it's the same old story
While you were away this summer building up that resu-
me or perhaps getting a jump-start on changing the
world, the Daily editorial page was still active. After
all, this crazy world of bitter wars, broken promises and failed
leadership doesn't take a breather in the summer, so how can we?
We understand though that some of you might have had better
things to do this summer than follow events in Washington, Lan-
sing or even Ann Arbor. Here it is then, a quick rundown of what
we saw and what is to come.
Surprising no one in particular, the Bush-
ies were busy destroying the world in order
to save it. That president of ours, when he's
not on vacation (and he's been on vacation
a record number of days) likes to do things
like read your e-mails or veto bills to end
unnecessary wars. And that much-touted
Democratic Congress that was supposed
to be holding him accountable? It seems it's
happy to pass weak legislation and stand
down in the face of vetoes, or worse yet,
actually grant Bush powers that he had
previously occasioned to use only with pos-
sible consequences that legitimately includ-
ed impeachment.
By passing the "Protect America Act"
early last month, the Congress granted the
Executive unprecedented and unwarranted
powers to intercept just about any commu-
nication between a person in America and
a person in another country. The Fourth
Amendment, understandably disturbed,
could not be reached for comment.
While Congress maybe all appeasement,
the judiciary at least showed streaks of
competence. Despite the overabundance in
the Supreme Court of 5-4 decisions (many
going the wrong way) on the most impor-
tant issues of the day - global warming,
campaign finance reform, wage discrimi-
nation and diversity in public schools - the
federal judiciary did at least reprimand
the administration's treatment of prison-
ers at Guantanamo Bay. But the judiciary
can only go so far: Congress must step in
and actually pass appropriate laws. With
leading congressional Republicans and
Democrats locked in a never-ending and
increasingly reductive presidential cam-
paign, real debate and progress will just
have to wait in line.
But you don't have to go all the way
to Washington to revel in the madness.
Though most people certainly ignored
them, state lawmakers were busy this sum-
mer doing things like taking money away
from public universities (thank them for the
extra tuition you paid this year). While cuts
to education are nothing new in Lansing,
this one especially hurts because it comes
even as every single lawmaker stands atop
the state House screaming into the night
about his commitment to higher education
and protecting Michigan's future. If only
empty words mattered.
And the fun doesn't stop here at the Uni-
versity, either. The University Board of
Regents gave final approval to plans that
will add luxury boxes to the Big House,
despite continuing outrage from fans,
alums and the Michigan Paralyzed veter-
ans of America, who contend that the reno-
vation plan does not meet standards set in
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Let us just say that this sort of thing would
not happen at Appalachian State. Speak-
ing of which, is the University still sure it
can sell out those expensive luxury boxes,
game in and game out?
The Athletic Department signed a new
contract with Adidas, which will now
replace Nike as producer of the venerated
maize and blue jerseys. Aside from the fact
they'll be much less venerated after last
weekend, the contract offers the Univer-
sity no incentive to ensure that Adidas isn't
engaging in shady labor practices that were
a recurrent theme with Nike.
There were many other things of course.
From shady practices in financial aid to
continuing ramifications of the banning of
affirmative action (admittance of underrep-
resented minority applicants fell by 7.4 per-
cent) to an Ann Arbor City Council primary
election that we know none of you voted in,
there was a lot going on.
And the effects of all of this will contin-
ue to be felt. While we will spend the term
expanding on the bitching presented above,
whynot do somethingyourself. Registering
to vote in Ann Arbor would be a great start.
Throwing your thoughts back at us in the
form of letters to the editor, or better yet, to
lawmakers and University officials, is a way
to shape solutions to problems that are your
own as much as anyone else's.
Too many conversations go one-sided.
But we all lose if those in Washington, Lan-
sing, at the Fleming Building or even here
on this page go that way.
Ifeverybody goes out and loses two games each,
we'll be back in the picture. But what are the
chances of that happening?"
- Michigan senior running back Mike Hart on the prospect of a national championshi:
after Saturday's shocking loss to Appalachian State University
ALEXANDER HONKALA
Tl
OF
Blogged down
J t might be futile at this point news bites, a breakdown of what's from CNN's "Headline News," tab-
to tell you to read a newspaper going on in Hollywood and the Chica- loids or a website's most read articles
every day. Any news-related pub- go bar scene, and some sensationalist list instead of from a print news-
lication, for that matter (Us Weekly local crime stories. paper fails to provide a rounded or
doesn't count). The tabloid is perfect for today's balanced sense of the news. Accord-
Why waste your money on a pile news market because it doesn't bore ing to Nancy Grace, the only news
of newsprint that's cumbersome and readers with slow news or commen- events this summer were a couple of
loaded with unnecessary articles and tary - except for advice columns on starlets going to prison (Paris Hilton
ads when you can get an abridged ver- scoring in Boystown - and it provides and Lindsey Lohan), Michael Vick
sion a whole lot fast- readers enough info on Victoria Beck- destroying the face of football, Hur-
er from an Internet - ham to entertain everyone at the water ricane Dean ravaging her favorite
ticker, blog, 24-hour cooler. With this option, who wants to resort town, and oh yeah, a polyga-
news channel or, pay a dollar for another report on al- mist running for president.
more efficiently, not Qaeda or 2,000-word piece on Chi- Grace clearly has her priorities. By
at all? Newspapers cago public schools? Especially when reporting them every night on her
are too archaic for you can just pick up the information news program, she's attempting to
us, the high-speed later on a blog or television. make them America's priorities. With
information gen- This is why telling you to read a limited access to less sensational sto-
eration. THERESA daily newspaper would only fall on ries, Americans miss out on a lot of
Newspaper Asso- deaf ears. You already know that you news.
ciation of America KENNELLY don't have to - newspapers have
statistics show that made it easy to not buy or read them
the average daily circulation of Amer- - but there's something daunting As bloggers win
ican newspapers has been steadily about the fact that our generation
declining since 1994. In the competi- tends more often to get its informa- more ground, the
tive media market, publishers have tion from TMZ.com or Nancy Grace
long known that consumers are not than from a newspaper. It's difficult debate suffers.
exactly flocking to newspaper stands not to speak up.
for entertainment - unless they're First and foremost, blogs cannot
into Sudoku. But only recently have and should not replace traditional Why have Americans chosen to
publishers had to own up to the fact news and commentary. There is just switch over to such irresponsible
that, thanks to CNN.com and blog- not enough responsibility or sophis- methods ofnews coverage and political
gets, they're no longer the only reli- tication in blogs for them to become commentary?Aren't we smart enough
able sources for breaking news and one's primary source of information. to know the difference between real
political commentary. Satirist Stephen Colbert made a point news and blog lies or sensational-
In facing these realities, many print about blog ethics recently on "The ist drama? If only this country were
journalists have realized they have to Colbert Report," telling the creator so lucky. When blogs satisfy read-
keep up with the pace of Americans of the left-wing blog Daily Kos: "The ers' speculations and news reporters
because Americans aren't going to New York Times has to take respon- entertain watchers, the desire to turn
keep up with them. And today, that sibility for what's on its editorial page to other news sources, like responsible
means expanding blogs and discuss- and who writes its letters to the edi- newspapers, fades.
ing only hot issues and leaving out the tor, you're no different." To that, the The bottom line is that if you avoid
slow news. blog-master replied that he is indeed reading this or any other newspaper,
The Chicago Tribune has been par- different because he provides a demo- just keep in mind that you're doing
ticularly successful in keeping up with cratic, open forum for Americans to yourself thedisserviceofbeingunedu-
the pace of media demands by consis- voice their own opinions, and what cated on important issues and worsen
tently publishing selections from its they say isn't his responsibility, except our journalism industry's disarray.
columnists' blogs as well as launching in extreme cases. Bloggers just don't
RedEye - a daily tabloid that's acces- have the sort of accountability that Theresa Kennelly is an associate
sible free throughout Chicago - in traditional journalists do. editorial page editor. She can be
2002. Every issue gives readers quick Second, getting information only reached at thenelly@umich.edu.
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DAWN WOLFE jVlEPNT
Labor Day not for LGBT workers
For over 100 years now, Labor Day has been
about respect and equality for every work-
ing woman and man - unless that worker is
lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. In 30
states, including Michigan, it's still legal to
fire or deny someone a job merely because
that person is LGBT. People can even be dis-
criminated against on the job because their
boss thinks they're lesbian or gay.
On other fronts, Michigan goes above and
beyond when it comes to protecting work-
ers. People of color, women, tall people, short
people, heavy people, thin people, people of
different ethnicities and religions - all have
employment protection under Michigan's
Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act.
And that's how it should be.
So why aren't Michigan's LGBT work-
ers protected under the same law that pro-
tects every other worker in our state? Given
the fact that 89 percent of Americans favor
equal employment protection for all people,
it's pretty difficult to explain the continuing
employment discrimination against LGBT
workers.
Michigan is bleeding talented people at an
astonishing rate, and the best jobs are follow-
ing those people out of the state. Why would
talented lesbian or gay workers stay in a state
like Michigan that doesn't protect their jobs
when 17 other states do?
The movement for employment equality
isn't limited to trendy states like Massachu-
setts, New York and California. Iowa, for
example, recently passed a non-discrimina-
tion law. Equality isn't just for big-city liber-
als anymore.
Our state has a proud history of provid-
ing an equal opportunity work environment.
This history may well be a result of the strong
presence of organized labor here. In fact,
organized labor is once more taking the lead
in working for equality through organiza-
tions like Pride at Work, the AFL-CIO affili-
ate organization for lesbian and gay workers.
We hope state law follows where the unions
are leading.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender peo-
ple don't want more rights than anyone else
have, and neither do we want to take employ-
ment rights away from anyone else. We just
want the same protection against employ-
ment discrimination that so many other peo-
ple - including the extremists who oppose us
- are able to take for granted.
Dawn Wolfe is the director of communications
for the Triangle Foundation, an anti-violence and
advocacy organization that supports the lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender community.
BRUCE AND MELANIE MILLER
Student section off-limits to some
We are writing as angered and
outraged parents of a freshman stu-
dent at the University.
Here's the picture: It's our son's
third day as a University under-
graduate. He calls us on his cell
phone, filled with excitement,
anticipating his first experience
of attending a Division I foot-
ball game in the Mecca of college
football - rooting for his team
while walking with a group of new
friends to the Big House. Howev-
er, when he arrived with his new
friends, to the shock and dismay
of the group, he learned that only
one of them had been assigned
seats in the student section. The
others were dispersed separately
around the stadium.
What a concept: Students (worse
yet, new students) don't get to sit in
the student section. What a warm,
accommodating way to treat your
incoming freshmen - have them sit
alone, separated from their friends
in a humongous stadium. What a
wonderful way to encourage school
spirit. We find this unacceptable
and outrageous.
Even though our son ordered his
tickets as soon as the ticket appli-
cation was released in June, he was
not included in the student section.
It's not like the tickets are given
to students for free. The least the
school can do is assure that all stu-
dents can sit together. Has the Ath-
letic Department ever considered
the novel idea of expanding the
student section if the current allo-
cation isn't large enough to accom-
modate all students? Dare we say
that there may be economic consid-
erations for not making this radical
change?
It's just the first week, but thus
far, we aren't impressed by the
University's policies on athletic
events. Clearly, students aren't the
top priority. Instead, it seems that
a student is treated the same as any
other paying patron - no more and
no less important. Is the Universi-
ty's motto "Show Me the Money"?
Having a student section that is
inclusive for all students is not a
ridiculous expectation, especially
for incoming freshmen.
Bruce and Melanie Miller are
the parents of a freshman. They
reside in New Hyde Park, N.Y.
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