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4A - Monday, January 28, 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
C7C idiig*an B3a1'*1
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
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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 of the Daily's editorialboard. All other signed articles
and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
The Daily's public editor, Paul H. 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 contact the public editor
with questions and comments. He canbe reached at publiceditor@umich.edu.
F MTH E DA ILY
o F
Taken for a ride
International students hurt by ID law; 'U' must act
Mike Cox did it again. Like his far-reaching interpreta-
tion of the 2004 constitutional amendment banning gay
marriage, in which he barred public institutions from
offering benefits to domestic partners of state employees, last month
the Michigan attorney general reversed a decision made in 1995 by
Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley that allowed anyone to
obtain a state ID like a driver's license regardless of legal citizen
status. It was supposed to be his way of protecting the homeland
by buying into illegal immigration hysteria. But in his shortsighted
xenophobia, Cox forgot about a whole group of legal immigrants
who will be hurt by the new interpretation: international students.
x) 5F5 OVe r3j
When I was mayor of New York I made
certain that Fidel Castro was not invited
to the U.N. 50 celebration."
- Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, courting Cuban-American voters at a
campaign rally in Little Havana, Fla., as reported Friday by The New York Times.
4
Wrnted:A bold goal
t's not easy to be president of
the University of Michigan
these days. The state govern-
ment has stopped
adequately funding
higher education,
affirmative action
is no longer legal
and the Depart-
ment of Justice is
pretty angry that
Michigan Stadium
isn't compliant with
the Americans with
Disabilities Act of STAMPFL
1990.
None of that day-
to-day struggle, though, is an excuse
for not having a bold vision that cam-
pus could rally around.
Covering her as an administration
reporter for this newspaper, I was
impressed by University President
Mary Sue Coleman's intelligence.
She's always been a solid president,
but she's never been a hero. That's
mainly because she hasn't outlined
the grand goal that would set her and
this university apart.
University of Michigan presidents
in the recent past have had such bold
ideas. James Duderstadt, for one, start-
ed the Michigan Mandate, which more
than doubled minority enrollment.
Similarly, Coleman has had her
share of initiatives, but they've been
largely safe and uncontroversial (add-
ing skyboxes to Michigan Stadium
is the exception). She launched the
$2.5-billion Michigan Difference
fundraising plan, and last summer it
succeeded. She has given several state
of the University addresses thick with
moderately difficult goals. She has
voiced innovative commitments to
interdisciplinary research. Yet none
of those are the kinds of goals that get
people talking.
Perhaps her best chance to roll outa
vision came the day after the passage
of Proposal 2, which banned race- or
gender-based affirmative action in
state public institutions. I stood in the
disappointed crowd on the Diag that
day and waited for her to tell campus
something it did not expect to hear.
Instead, she gave a deflated speech
filled with abstractions and the repeat-
ed use of the word "diversity." It didn't
seem like anyone was very inspired
afterward as they trudged back to
their regularly scheduled lives.
Daily writer Gary Graca dubbed her
"the quiet president" in a profile pub-
lished in October, and he was spot-on.
The University is never going to col-
lapse with Coleman at the helm, and
maybe it won't even take a step back-
ward. But it doesn't appear it's going
to do anythingtranscendent either.
That doesn't meandColemanwstill
can't outline a big idea that would
ignite everyone - not just the faculty
or the students or the alumni.
What if Coleman were to propose
that in the next20 years the University
would solve the world's energy crisis?
Or promise to spend more of the
$7.1-billion endowment and make the
University completely free for any
undergraduate whose parents .earn
less than $80,000 a year and any in-
state student whose parents earn less
than $150,000 (in today's dollars)
within 10 years?
Or announce a mandate to cure
AIDS here in 25 years? Or cancer?
Or map a 15-year plan to take the
University completely private so
that it wouldn't have to rely on fickle
state funding and could use affirma-
tive action however and whenever it
wanted (maybe that's what Coleman
should have done on the Diag the day
after Proposal 2 passed)?
There's something to be said for
pie-in-the-sky goals.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy
gave a speech to a crowd at Rice Uni-
versity aboutchis promise to land a man
on the moon before 1970 - a goal near-
ly everyone thought would be impos-
sible to meet. He addressed those who
considered it foolish because they
believed it wouldn't directly improve
the lives of Americans.
"We choose to go to the Moon in
this decade and do the other things,
not because they are easy, but because
they are hard," Kennedy said. His
point was that you set improbable
goals because they "serve to organize
and measure the best of our energies
and skills," and he was right.
Will Coleman
choose to go to
the moon?
Coleman knows that better than
most. Shetoldme in aninterviewthree
years ago that she was inspired to
become a scientistby the Space Race.
In a speech to the National Press
Club in 2006, she said, "I came of age
with Sputnik and the Space Race. I
sometimes find it hard to believe it's
been 45 years since President Kenne-
dy issued his call to put a man on the
moon, because the enthusiasm and
energy it produced in me and so many
others is still so distinct."
President Coleman, now it's your
turn to be the inspiration. When's
your speech?
Karl Stampfl is the Daily's
editor in chief. He can be reached
at kstampfl@umich.edu.
Effective Jan. 22, 2008, only American
citizens or permanent residents are allowed
the "privilege" of obtaining a driver's license
or a state-issued ID. The law still allows
people with drivers' licenses from most
other countries to drive in Michigan, but
doesn't allow them to get a state license. The
decision came from Michigan's Secretary of
State last Monday, but was based on Cox's
opinion last month. Students at the Univer-
sity inexplicably found out about it the day it
went into effect.
Along with banning illegal immigrants
from receiving drivers' licenses, the deci-
sion also bars non-permanent, legal resi-
dents like international students studying
in America on student visas from receiving
drivers' licenses. They are unfortunately
victims of America's hysterical illegal immi-
gration backlash.
For international students who arrive to
the United States without a driver's license
from another country, as many do, the new
law effectively keeps these students from
driving. Even for international students
who arrive with drivers' licenses, many
insurance companies will not sell insurance
to someone without an American driver's
license. Further, driving rules vary signifi-
cantly among countries and the present law
discourages these drivers from taking les-
sons, putting other drivers at risk.
Because of the new requirements, the
new law leaves few choices for international
students besides public transportation. But
good luck finding that in Michigan. There is
no way for University students to travel reli-
ably outside of Ann Arbor, even to Detroit,
which is less than 45 minutes away.
An American driver's license counts as
more than just a pass to drive acar too - it is
a basic form of identification. Taking licens-
es away from legal residents will force them
to use their passports for many ordinary
tasks, from buying cough syrup to finding a
job. It's neither convenient nor safe to carry
a passport in order to go to the bar.
All of these barriers to the normal life of
temporary residents supposedly comes with
the benefit of added security. But interna-
tional students are already put through a
battery of security screenings and applica-
tions. If anything, preventing international
students from getting state IDs is just aban-
doning one more round of checks.
What is even worse that the announce-
ment was simply sprung on students the
day it took effect. Although the University's
International Center claims to have known
about the possibility of this change from
the beginning of January, it made no effort
to warn the students that something of this
nature might happen. It should have saw it
coming since last month, though. If warned
sufficiently ahead of time, many students
could have obtained state ID cards in that
period. Now they are out of luck.
Luckily, bills are already in the state
House and state Senate that would make
exceptions for temporary residents. The
University has an obligation to its students
to make sure that this unjust requirement
is reversed. Out of its own self-interest, the
University should be looking ahead to the
overseas recruitment problems it will have
because of this new requirement.
Drivers' licenses aren't just nice to have.
They are necessities.
HANNAH FISHMAN AND JONATHON KENDALL VWP(iNT
'U' not helping voter registration
GABE NEWLAND
The human right to education
Voter turnout for Michigan's
primary was embarrassing. For
a university that prides itself on
political activism and civic engage-
ment, the apparent lack of interest
was stifling - but more important-
ly, it was representative of a more
complicated problem that needs
to be addressed. The most obvi-
ous scapegoat is the student body
itself. Our generation is constantly
accused of political apathy, and in
some cases this may be warranted.
But more often a lack of a unified
message or organization is bet-
ter representative of the problem,
rather than apathy. Students actu-
ally have an interest in politics, but
we generallylack an understanding
of or belief in the enormous impact
we can have in politics.
But in this year's primary there
was much blame to be shared. The
Democratic National Committee
undeniably decreased the impor-
tance of all Michigan voters by
taking away our delegates to the
Democratic National Convention
- literally taking away the voice
of an entire state. The same can be
said for the Republican National
Committee when it cut the num-
ber of Michigan delegates in half.
The question, "does my vote really
count?" never rang more true than
it did this year. In taking away our
voice, both the DNC and the RNC
eradicated any semblance of moti-
vation and excitement surround-
ing what could have been a highly
influential election.
Outside of national politics,
however, our campus shares in the
responsibility. The e-mail sent out
by the Michigan Student Assembly
and the Voice Your Vote Commis-
sion was inexcusably late because
of a number of extenuating cir-
cumstances. Sending out an e-mail
to 40,000 students is significantly
more complicated than just push-
ing send. We assure the student
body that we had written the e-mail
under the assumption that it would
have reached the student body
much earlier.
This brings us to a much deeper
issue. Since its inception, Voice
Your Vote has been solely responsi-
ble forthe nonpartisan registration,
education and turnout of student
voters. Though in the past this
organization has done a more than
commendable job, every year there
have been insurmountable barriers
to our efforts put in place by differ-
ent parts of the University.
Professors do not grant the
organization access to their class-
es for voter registration, nor do the
department heads urge them to.
University buildings have not yet
allowed Vote Your Vote to place
voter registration drop boxes at
easily accessible locations around
campus. Housing allows Voice
Your Vote access to the dorms once
a year but does not currently have
any self-sustainable voter ,regis4
tration policy. Voice Your Vote is
hoping to train resident advisers
directly, have available registra-
tion forms at all residence hall
front desks and make voter reg-
istration a priority rather than an
afterthought for housing. More-
over, the University's seeming lack
of interest in providing its students
with either information about
voter registration or actual regis-
tration forms is in direct violation
'of the Higher Education Act of
1998, which is a federal law requir-
ing public universities to make a
"good faith effort" to provide voter
registration forms to its students.
Last Monday, University Presi-
dent Mary Sue Coleman's Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day Symposium
introduction emphasized the
power and importance of voting:
"Dr. King said: 'Life's most urgent
question is: what are you doing for
.others?' All of us can answer that
question by stepping into the vot-
ing booth, thoughtfully engaging
in a sacred rite, and shaping our
world." We challenge Coleman to
put her words into action and sup-
port a real, effective, institutional-
ized voter registration policy. One
currently does not exist - but it
must.
More than 100 million children do not have
access to education today. Among those who
do, millions more are deprived of a quality
education in asafe learningenvironment. This
"education" often involves corporal punish-
ment, violence, sexual harassment or political
indoctrination. Even in the United States, con-
sidered by many the most prosperous country
in the world, educational inequity persists
along socioeconomic and racial lines. Half of
the 9-year-olds growing up in America's low-
income communities will not graduate from
high school by the time they are 18 years old.
And it is not because they lack potential.
To deny our fellow human beings access
to a quality education in a safe learning envi-
ronment is to deny them their human right
to education, which is established explic-
itly in the founding documents of the United
Nations. Adopted in 1948, the Universal Dec-
laration of Human Rights states: "Everyone
has the right to education. Education shall
be free, at least in the elementary and funda-
mental stages. Elementary education shall be
compulsory. Technical and professional edu-
cation shall be made generally available and
higher education shall be equally accessible
to all on the basis of merit."
Especially in Western cultures, rights-
based dialogue often focuses on civil and
political rights while ignoring economic
and social rights like the right to health or
the right to education. Positive rights like
the right to education, critics argue, are dif-
ficult to justify because they are financially
difficult to provide and because they require
active provision of entitlements by the state
(as opposed to the state being required only
to prevent the breach of rights). That is, pub-
lic resources mustbe used to improve the sta-
tus of society's have-nots.
But as the civil rights hero Jack Green-
berg argued last January in a lecture at the
University of Michigan Law School: "(We
all) have an interest in a stable and prosper-
ous society. Ifa large part of the population
is subjugated, disenfranchised and not fully
productive, it's not going to be a successful
society." The right to education is not just an
end. It provides a foundation for economic
development and many other improvements
in the quality of life. By enabling children to
gain skills and knowledge, education breaks
generational cycles of poverty. It is linked to
improvements in health and nutrition. Edu-
cation empowers children to be active par-
ticipants in civil and political life. Education
also reduces the chances that children will
come into conflict with the law or become
vulnerable to various forms of child exploi-
tation like child labor or recruitment into
armed forces or gangs.
As noted above, lack of access to quality
education is a large problem. Hundreds of
millions are deprived of this human right,
which has a profoundly negative impact on
our world. But what can we, as students, do
to address this problem? We lack the politi-
cal power of President Bush. We don't have
the financial power of World Bank President
Robert Zoellick or the moral authority of
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. And
we certainly can't influence others through
rhyme like newly appointed University "Vis-
iting Professor" Mos Def.
Demanding education about human rights
is a good place to start. The primary and most
critical responsibility of the University, after
all, is to educate. There are programs for
human rights education underway - both the
international studies minor and the recently
created peace and justice minor allow stu-
dents to focus on human rights.
Butit's OKto wantmore. Limitingdialogue
on human rights to extracurricular groups at
the University has forged an essentially iso-
lated political subculture that is powerless
to bring human rights into the mainstream.
As students, we must demand an academic
approach to human rights at the University.
We need more classroom discussions with
diversity of opinion, facilitated by faculty in
pursuit of solution-oriented debate. This is
the most crucial step in enabling the Univer-
sity to participate in the international system
on behalf of the dispossessed. By approach-
ing human rights as what we are - students
- we can encourage the University to provide
us with the tools and knowledge we need for
the future.
Gabe Newland LSA senior and a member
of Human Rights Through Education. The
group is hosting a free conference Feb. 1-2
at the Michigan Union on the human right to
education. For more information about "The Right
to Education: Challenges and Opportunities"
and HRTE, visit www.umich.edu/~hrte.
Hannah Fishman and Jonathon
Kendall are LSA seniors. They are
co-chairs of Voice Your Vote.
4
ALEXANDER HONKALA
THE E RE S ENT'S
U StN e N
go-f5
v . tv
A \i Y'V '
EDITORIAL BOARD
MEMBERS:
Emad Ansari, Anindya Bhadra,
Kevin Bunkley, Ben Caleca,
Satyajeet Deshmukh,
Milly Dick, Mike Eber,
Gary Graca,
Emmarie Huetteman,
Theresa Kennelly,
Emily Michels, Arikia Millikan,
Kate Peabody, Kate Truesdell,
Robert Soave, Neil Tambe,
Matt Trecha, Radhika Upadhyaya,
Rachel Van Gilder,
Rachel Wagner, Patrick Zabawa.