4A - Monday, September 8, 2008
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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
It's hard, it's tough, but it's also the
classic example of why we need change
inWashington."
-Republican presidential nominee John McCain, commenting on the federal government's takeover of the
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac yesterday, as reported yesterday by The New York Times.

ANDREW GROSSMAN
EDITOR IN CHIEF

GARY GRACA
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

GABE NELSON
MANAGING EDITOR

Unsigned editorials reflect the official position oftthe Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles
and illustrations represent solely the views oftheir authors.
Sanctuary for all
City Council must make Ann Arbor safe for immigrants
W ith illegal immigration a hot topic this election year,
all eyes are on Immigration and Customs Enforce-
ment. As its policies become gradually less respect-
ful of civil rights, activist groups and cities are taking a stand. But
here in typically progressive Ann Arbor, the City Council is stand-
ing idly by, accommodating ICE and not opposing it. With several
major cities already leading the fight, Ann Arbor has no excuse
for its lack of action. It is time for Ann Arbor to follow the exam-
ple of other progressive cities and take a stand against civil rights
infringement by becoming a sanctuary city.

Natural born killers

ICE is the organization that monitors,
detains and deports illegal immigrants.
Because ICE often deals with non-citi-
zens, it uses certain questionable practices
that other crime enforcement agencies
can't. For example, ICE agents have the
right to question individuals about their
immigration status and even detain them
without a warrant if they are found in the
company of an illegal immigrant for whom
ICE does have a warrant. There have even
been allegations that ICE has broken
down doors and assaulted parents in front
of children, all of which ICE has denied.
In any case, ICE's clear racial profiling and
other questionable exercises are an affront
to the civil rights endowed to all living in
the United States.
In Ann Arbor, the city police accompa-
ny ICE on arrests. The Ann Arbor Police
Department says that it goes alongto moni-
tor ICE activities for civil rights violations,
but the ramifications of ICE's actions are
magnified when local law enforcement
gets involved. When the local police assist
ICE operations, the targets of these raids
can easily assume that the two groups are
connected, thus alienating them from the
AAPD. And when immigrants are afraid of
local police, they are less likely to report
crimes. Soon, there is an entire population
living outside the law. This creates a seri-
ous safety risk for all residents, legal or
otherwise.
In response to growing concerns about
the constitutionality of ICE practices as
well as the ramifications for legal resi-
dents, several major cities including Chica-

go, Los Angeles and Detroit have declared
themselves "sanctuary" cities. They have
enacted policies to protect immigrant resi-
dents and prohibit local police forces from
assisting in ICE operations. Ann Arbor, on
the other hand, has been unclear at best
and meek at worst in its stance against the
unjust treatment of immigrants.
In 2003, the Ann Arbor City Coun-
cil passed a civil liberties resolution in
regards to illegal immigrants - but it was
distressingly feeble. Instead of taking a
firm stance, the resolution declared only
that it "opposes measures that single out
individuals for legal scrutiny or enforce-
ment activity based solely on their country
of origin and/or religion." In fact, the city
threw out a section of the original draft
that would have required AAPD to "refrain
from participating in the enforcement of
federal immigration laws." Instead of tak-
ing a decisive action, the council took the
teeth out of its proposal and stepped away
from its responsibility to its constituents.
By submitting to the federal govern-
ment, the city has forsaken its own resi-
dents. Ann Arbor, usually an opinionated,
progressive town, has been uncharacteris-
tically noncommittal on this vital issue. If
the council continues to postpone action, it
could be an untold amount of time before
immigrants are treated with the respect
they deserve as residents of the United
States and human beings. The City Coun-
cil can and should take an active stance on
this issue before Ann Arbor compromises
its progressive reputation - and, more
importantly, the safety of its residents.

love animals. I keep a tropical
lizard in my room that I abso-
lutely dote on. I find naked mole
rats delightful, and
I routinely rescue
drowning worms
withmybarehands.
My friends know k
me as an encyclo-
pedia of animal fac-
toids (some sharks
give birth to live
young). ELE
Given how fond I EILEEN
am of God's little STAHL
creatures, it shocks
people when they
learn I'm equally fond of eatingthem.
There's a big vegan and vegetar-
ian presence here on campus. Even
small stores tend to have vegan sec-
tions, and I often see people wearing
T-shirts with slogans like "Kiss the
vegan - taste the difference." But
when I expressed interest in joining
a group against animal cruelty and
also mentioned that I love me a burg-
er, two vegans debated me about my
sinfully carnivorous lifestyle. Their
argument boiled down to this: Caus-
ing suffering to innocent creatures
is immoral because we're so much
more advanced than they are, and
they can't protest. It would be like a
certain overzealous president firing a
rocket launcher at a kid in a sandbox.
That's a good-hearted philosophy,
but the problem is that animals are
about as innocent as guerilla warfare.
As someone who's had her own small
menagerie over the last 20 years,
I have seen animals kill for food,
torture for fun and even murder in
cold blood. (Rest in peace, Toby Rat-
tykins. You shouldn't have crossed
onto Houdini's turf.)
Many people have a romanticized
view of nature and animals, but
in the wild, wolves gorge on still-
breathing prey, lion males eat the
cubs of prospective mates and her-
ring gull chicks practice fratricide
while Mommy smiles on. Just to
prove Mother Nature is always look-
ing for new ways to be horrifying, on
the Scottish island of Rum there are
deer that eat the heads and legs of live
baby birds. You read that right: car-
nivorous deer.
So at any given moment, millions

of animals are maiming, killing and
eating the stuffing out of each other
with astounding finesse. When you
consider that, the amount of suffer-
ing eased by dropping the bacon is
pitifully negligible, especially since
humans have the courtesy to make
sure their food isn't twitching before
they chow down. I want to clarify
that I admire people who make it a
personal choice not to contribute to
nature's bloodbath. My beef, so to
speak, is with those who see it as a
universal solution.
Animals are neither good nor evil,
but they kill when it's the best meth-
od for their survival. Humans are
hardly different. Even if the entire
world were weaned onto a vegetarian
diet, consider the practicality: Meat
is cheap in many places; what about
people who can't afford fresh veg-
etables? What about the millions of
people and their families who rely on
the meat industry for income? Would
it be moral to put them out of a job in
an already-miserable economy when
even Bambi is gnawing on Woody
Woodpecker's spinal column? Never
mind that something would have to
be done with all of those animals
we're no longer eating. (I'm imagin-
ing flocks of feral chickens terroriz-
ing the Midwest, pecking the eyes out
of any fool daft enough to stop them
from crossing the road.)
I don't support undue suffering.
In nature it's an ugly reality. Yet as
humans, we can make the lives and
deaths of feed animals as humane as
technology and resources allow. But

we can't escape killing entirely. A
2002 study by Oregon State Universi-
ty revealed that even vegetarian diets
result in the deaths of millions of
small animals, which are slaughtered
when fields are tilled and harvested
by machines. Preparing an alfalfa
field, for example, cut the local vole
population clean in half.
Such techniques are necessary to
create a massive produce supply but
can cause more loss of life than an
equivalent amount of meat. Why is it
Why you can love
animals and love
to eat them, too.
all right to murder rodents for food
and not bovines, especially when
wild animals survive quite nicely on
their own and many livestock species
have been bred for thousands of years
to live alongside humans?
I wish the world were more like a
Disney cartoon. It breaks my heart
every time I see a hapless critter
eaten on Animal Planet. But Alfred
Tennyson's profound observation -
"nature red of tooth and claw" - can't
be denied any more than humans can
claim we're apart from it.
Eileen Stahl can be reached
at efstahl@umich.edu

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Harun Buljina, Emmarie Huetteman, Emily Michels, Kate Peabody, Robert Soave, Imran Syed

The Daily is looking for smart people with an interest in campus issues and excellent
writing skills to be members of its editorial board.
E-MAIL GARY GRACA AT GRACA@MICHIGANDAILY.COM
FOR MORE INFORMATION


SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU

Rodriguez needs to be
more classy with players
TO THE DAILY:
While the football loss to Utah in the first
week of the season was mildly disappoint-
ing, what has happened since the game
has certainly been worse. As a student at
the University, I never missed a Michigan
football game even though I was here dur-
ing losing times - 1963-67. In all the time
since then, I don't remember the coach of
our Wolverines ever publicly calling into
question his players' heart, pride or intel-
ligence.
Yet in all of head football coach Rich
Rodriguez's comments I've read since
the first game, that is basically all Rodri-
guez has done. Not once have I heard him
acknowledge anyresponsibility for the loss.
Rodriguez may not know or care about any
Michigan traditions, but someone should
educate him about an important one: hav-
ing class. I know former head football
coach Lloyd Carr spoiled us on that score.
Maybe it's time for Rodriquez totake alook
at that page of Carr's playbook.
Michigan has invested too much money
in this man to get such pitiful answers.
He is the one damaging our pride, not the
players.
Christine Inch
Alum
Where's Kilpatrick's
party affiliation?
TO THE DAILY:
Simple question: If Detroit Mayor
Kwame Kilpatrick is going to jail and his
party affiliation - Democrat - is rarely,
if ever, noted in the national media, why is
it that when a Republican politician is the
culprit, his party affiliation is duly noted?
Take Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens to name just
one.
Could a person surmise that a media bias
is at work? You bet.
Joe Irving
Alum

Gay men aren't to blame
for spread of AIDS
TO THE DAILY:
I'm writing in regards to Shakira Smil-
er's column Friday about the dangers of gay
and bisexual men dating women but not
revealing their sexual orientation (Under-
cover brother, 09/05/2008). It's safe to say
that Smiler's comments about the fears of
coming out are true. Many gay men and
women dread the reactions they receive
they come out to their families, and I cer-
tainly understand these concerns. How-
ever, this is about all that Smiler seemed
to grasp about the gay community, sex or
love in general.
Smiler opened her piece by suggesting
that allwomenhave a checklistthey go over
before considering any man as a potential
partner. Call me a hopeless romantic, but
I've always thought that most people make
decisions like dating based on intellectual
and physical attraction - not the amount
of money in the other's pocket. To suggest
otherwise is harmful and degrading to
women everywhere.
Moreover, men who choose to remain
"closeted" hurt themselves much more
than the women with which they sleep.
A man's reasons for coming out should be
personal and related to his need to be hon-
est with himself.
But beyond her bizarre notion of rela-
tionships, Smiler showed a total lack of
understanding about the cause of the
HIV/AIDS epidemic. In the United States,
at least, HIV/AIDS spread as a result of
ignorance and denial. Born during a time
of social conservatism and a return to
"traditional family values," funding was
sorely lacking for HIV/AIDS research. It
took the deaths of many Americans for
the president to even take notice. Gay
men aren't to blame for the spread of this
virus.
HIV/AIDS is a serious problem in this
country and, especially, abroad, but blam-
ing it on gay men is unfair. My advice is, if
you want to avoid HIV/AIDS, wear a con-
dom. Even gay semen can't burn through
condoms.
Daniel Pesick
Music senior io hustrat

Coverage of Georgian
conflict reflects U.S. bias

West resents Russia
the West has amass
forces in the region
Bush wants to ene
shield in Poland a

TO THE DAILY: lic - on Russias d
I'm concerned about last week's news protect against Ir
brief onthe conflict in Georgia (U.S. tosend sians not be suspici
$1 billion in aid to Georgia, 09/04/2008). aggressive?
Words attributed to Russia, like "aggres- In his acceptanc
sive" and "invasion," don't take history lican National Con
into account and reflect a broader problem perpetuated Amer
in objective reporting. misunderstandingc
First, the history: Russia has reason called Russia's lea
to be defensive. Russia lost a war against tised them for "rej
Japan in the early 20th century, and in als" and accused t
1941, the Soviet Union was nearly wiped Russian empire and
out by Germany. Thereafter, Russians over the world's oi
lived in suspicion and fear duringthe Cold seems the propag
War. However, their worries didn't end Cold War have fire
with the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Unit- Second, the rep
ed States expanded its NATO clique into joined much of thei
Russia's sphere of influence, giving mem- descriptions of wor
bership to several former Soviet nations the United States.
and pushing for two more to join: Georgia eficial to the Daily
and Ukraine. instead provided h
Now, Rus- objective portrayal
sia is treat- Americans and
ing Georgia in another half-centu
- much the same
way the Unit- Eric Sauck
ed States and Engineeringsenior
NATO treated
Serbia in 1999,a
and yet the Rich Rodna

ia's actions. In response,
ted significant military
a. Moreover, President
;ate a missile defense
nd the Czech Repub-
oorstep - to allegedly
an. Why should Rus-
ous, paranoid and even
e speech at the Repub-
vention, John McCain
ica's own paranoia and
of Eurasian history. He
aders "corrupt," chas-
ecting democratic ide-
hem of expanding the
d gaining"more control
i supply" in Georgia. It
anda machines of the
d up once again.
porting: the Daily has
news media in printing
ld events biased toward
It would be more ben-
's readers if the paper
istorical insight and an
of the news.
Russians can't afford
ry of misinformation.
vermlav

Taking responsibility
for teen pregnancy
TO THE DAILY:
After reading the viewpoint in the Daily
last week about abstinence-only sexual
education programs (The opposite of sex,
09/04/2008), it seems that the author,
Emily Michels, may need to take some time
away fromthis campus's sexual"atmosphere
- which is often more akin to a pen of ani-
mals in heat than a place of higher learning
- and spend more time in the real world.
In the real world, people (teenagers
included) are held responsible for their
conduct, sexual and otherwise. Nowhere
in her article did Michels even mention
the fact that the pregnant teenage mothers
and the fathers of their children might be
the first two culprits in the recent spate of
youthful procreation.
Instead, she makes a blind logical leap,
claiming a completely unsupported corre-
lation between Bush administration policy
and teenage pregnancy. Her massive over-
sight, combined with a lack of any sort of
correlative proof, left her ink rather impo-
tent in regard to producing a convincing
argument.
Maybe she, too, will soon learn that in
the real world people are responsible for
their conduct, bad writing included.
Joshua Birk
Law School
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
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be less than 300 words and must
include the writer's full name and
University affiliation. All submissions
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We do not print anonymous letters.
Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu.

01

mY

lackluster McGuffie
TO THE DAILY:
Head football coach Rich Rodriguez
isn't using the best players on offense.
Every time Rodriguez goes with Sam
McGuffie at running back, negative yards
follow.
Although McGuffie keeps getting a
greater number of snaps, Michael Shaw
and Brandon Minor have been the most
productive backs to date.
Taking your best players off the field
while they are hot makes absolutely no
sense. Michigan will continue to struggle
if Rodriguez keeps treating this season as
practice for McGuffie.
Paul Wright
Alum

zinby Harun Butia