6 4 - Friday, October 9, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com. E-MAIL BELLA AT BELLZ@UMICH.EDU 74C IWC4igan + BELLA SHAH Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu ROBERT SOAVE COURTNEY RATKOWIAK EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR GARY GRACA EDITOR IN CHIEF A istory of homophobia 0 Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views ofttheir authors. Stigmatized for life States should reconsider flawed sex offender registries There's no question that sexual assault is wrong. But, like other crimes, punishment shouldn't mean the end of the offenders' lives. Highlighting this issue is the case of a Washtenaw County teenager who is fighting to remain off the state sex offender list for a crime he committed when he was 15. State laws that require long-term registration on the sex offender list even after incarceration and parole create a social stigma around these people that ruins their lives. Michigan and other states should reevaluate their laws on sexual offenses and work toward rehabili- tating offenders rather than permanently ostracizing them. Threeyears ago, athen-15-year-oldWasht- enaw County male was convicted of second- degree sexual misconduct after he grabbed a female classmate and touched her breast. The male was put on probation for 18 months, required to complete a sex offender rehabili- tation program, avoid contact with the vic- tim and register his name with a nonpublic sex offender registry for juvenile offenders. At the age of 18, he was legally obligated to reregister on a public adult sex offender list for the next 22 years. But his lawyer was able to successfully petition Family Division Judge Darlene O'Brien to keep his name off the public registry. O'Brien determined that 22 years of registration forbthe relatively mild offense qualified as "cruel and unusual pun- ishment." Washtenaw County prosecutors are appealing the decision. This case aptly demonstrates why the sex offender registry is deeply flawed. This teenager may have committed a crime, but not one that's memory should be shackled to him for much of his adult life. And some even less notable crimes - like public urination and streaking - can also land people on the list for 25 years. Such strict penalties for less serious crimes are patently absurd. But having one's name placed on a public sex offender registry is an unfair burden for more serious offenders, too, and often pre- vents their successful re-entrance to soci- ety. Being placed on a registry constrains the ability of sex offenders to find jobs or places to live. Last winter, a Michigan home- less man froze to death because the law pre- vented him, as a sex offender, from staying at local shelters. According to the Grand Rap- ids News on Jan. 28, the local shelters also housed women and children, meaning that homeless sex offenders can't use them. A more extreme example is Florida, where the law requires convicted sex offenders to live at least 2,500 feet from public places where children gather. On Aug. 5, the Economist reported that due to limited housing options in Miami and the 2,500 feet law, many sex offenders have no choice but to live together under a bridge. The fact that sex offenders are unable to find a home in Michigan and nationwide is a tragic failing of the law. The goal of the corrections system should be to prepare offenders for reintegration into society, not continue to punish them by removing them from society forever. Instead of prohibiting sex offenders from living a normal life after serving their time, sex offenders should participate in rehabilitation programs that prevent further offense and allow them to become productive members of society. Sex, offenses are terrible, but the fact that offenders are forced to live on the streets because of them is equally terrible. Legisla- tures should make rehabilitation the rule, not stigmatization. n Saturday, film writer and producer Tyler Perry admit- ted on his website to being mentally and phys- ically abused in his childhood, the details of which are all too common in the worlds of our black youth. One might think that beingbeaten bloody by one's father, wit- nessing him molest MATTHEW your 12-year-old HUNTER girlfriend *' and being washed with ammonia to eliminate bad germs -better known as asthma - by one's mother might draw sympathy. And it did, to an extent. But many accused Perry of being gay because, one of his experiences included being molested by a man he met at church. Somewhat ashamedly, I scanned through the gutters of black com- munity opinion on bossip.com (black gossip), and, for the first time, I questioned my support of the First Amendment. The majority of over 200 comments on Perry's online con- fession condemned him, assuming he must be a homosexual - a label with which Perry does not iden- tify. For many, Perry's molestation proves that he is gay, which is a bad thing to many blacks. One bossip.com member shared his logic: "Yup, that turned that nigga gay. Children that get molested can sometimes turn out gay and you can look that shit up." On September 7, 2008, four men attacked Tony Hunter, a gay black man, in Washington, D.C. on the way to a gay bar. Hunter died days later. According to a Sept. 18, 2009 article in the Washington Blade, one black man, Robert Hannah, pled guilty to manslaughter. Rev. Abena McCray of D.C.'s Unity Fellowship church led a ceremony where Hunter was attacked after his death to build awareness about black homophobia. McCray is among a minority of outspoken church leaders who endorse gay rights and oppose leaders like Rev. Lester James who condemn equal- ity for gays. James told the New York Times back in 1993 that "He (God) hates the homosexual lifestyle." In understanding the nature of oppression related to the black com- munity, discussions of equality should not only be had about issues in which whites and blacks are at odds, but also those injustices that seem unique to and practiced by the black community. But it isn't as easy as putting blame on blacks. This issue is related to whites to the extent at which all injustices in the black community - from crime to poverty to the education gap - have their roots in the historical relation- ship between blacks and whites. In her book, "We Real Cool," bell hooks describes the process by which the black man's role in the church and at home was one of defensive patriarchy. While she holds the black community responsible for taking on these roles, the roles themselves were learned from the whites who oppressed them. The black patriarch was viewed as important to main- taining a familial stronghold against oppressive white society, and was endorsed as such by the church. The one remaining acceptable image of black men was one of heterosexual patriarchy and gays were considered harmful to the black family unit. Obama's former Trinity pastor, Jeremiah Wright, also supports gay rights. On May 20, 2008, Rick Garcia,, political director of a Chicago-based gay rights group, told The Washing- ton Post, "Trinity has been among the strongest supporters of LGBT rights ... I have the highest regard and admiration for Rev. Wright." Even if these accepting black churches are a minority, acceptance by religious fig- ures speaks to a doctrine of greater acceptance, and works to counteract bigotry elsewhere. But I think those who oppose gay rights today have already lost the battle, as new gay rights triumphs are made every year. Same-sex marriages are now legal in Massachusetts and Connecticut. In the past two years, New York, Oregon, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and other states have made significant progress toward establishing equal rights for gays. But just as slavery existed as discrimination for 100 years after it was banned, discrimina- tion against gays, especially by those who submit to limited definitions of men and women, will continue for a longtime before full acceptance. Black intolerance of gays is rooted in racial history. So while we are waiting on the world to change, we can find some solace in the timeless contributions of numer- ous gay blacks, all of which, to some extent, are widely accepted in the black community. Lee Daniels was the producer of Academy Award-winning film Monster's Ball; Audre Lorde was a prolific poet and activist in the '60s; Octavia Butler was a brilliant fiction writer; James Baldwin is one of the most recognized African-American writers in the world - to name just a few. The more openly gay role models we have, the more we can cherish the representatives of our common strug- gle for equality. Even though Tyler Perry has never identified himself as gay, if he or any other prominent face in the black community (like Kanye West or LeBron James) were gay and publicly and they came out, I think it would be fantastic for further accep- tance in the black community. - Matthew Hunter can be reached at majjam@umich.edu. 0 0 SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU Daily wrong - those against LGBTQ march for equality gay marriage not a minority combats misinformation LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be less than 300 words and must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. Letters are edited for style, length, clarity and accuracy. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu. Skewing the curve a a TO THE DAILY: "The fact that this injustice has been pushed onto most of the country by a hateful, socially conservative minority is fundamentally wrong..." Even in a commentary that consisted of little other than delusion, this particular delusion stood out more glaringly than the rest in the Dai- ly's Thursday editorial condemningthe marriage protection amendments approved by voters so far in 30 states (Taking back marriage, 10/08/2009). For the Daily editorial staff, who obviously aren't majoring in political science, and appar- ently missed even rudimentary eighth grade civ- ics, here's how direct democracy works: State constitutional amendments defin- ing marriage as only between one man and one woman have been enacted because a majority of voters in 30 states - not a minority, "hateful" or otherwise. Infact, the average percentage of the vote in favor of those 30 state amendments has been a super-majority of well over 60 percent. Here in Michigan, our Marriage Protection Amendment was approved by 59 percent of vot- ers, including - according to Detroit Free Press and Detroit News pre-election and election-day exit polls - two-thirds of union households and two-thirds of African-Americans. It passed with majorities in the cities of Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Benton Harbor and multiple others with large African-American populations. Michigan's amendment was also approved by a ten-point margin in Hamtramck, a notable example since four years later, that city voted 87 percent in favor of Barak Obama for president - meaning lots of those "hateful, socially conser- vative" Obama supporters had to have voted for it. Come to think of it, doesn't President Barack Obama say that he too is against redefining mar- riage? Does the Daily's editors think we should sign him up for "hateful, socially conservative minority" as well? If they're pushing mathemati- cal as well as moral relativism, maybe so. What's far more likely is that the Daily's edi- torial writers are so far left and so intractably intolerant of those with a diversity of opinion on this issue that they really do think anyone who dares disagree with them - including most union members, most blacks, even half of all Demo- crats - really are all a bunch of hatemongers. But isn't falsely labeling and maligning people just because you don't agree with them the very defi- nition of prejudice and hate? Sadly, such prejudi- cially hateful stereotyping of any who disagree is a commonly observable tactic of those who sup- port radically redefining marriage and will toler- ate no resistance. In 30 states so far, the minority - who I won't call any names - have been those who voted against constitutionally affirming that marriage is and always should be only between one man and one woman. TO THE DAILY: On Friday around 10:00 p.m., a charter bus will load a group of University students and deposit them in Washington, D.C., for a weekend of grassroots education and activ- ism focused on one thing: full and equal rights under the law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans- gender and queer people. These Wolverines will join thousands of other LGBTQ people and their Allies at the National Equality March; The National Equality March comes at a time where LGBTQ people are on the cusp of gain- ing rights denied to them in a number of areas: the right to serve openly in the armed forces, the right to work without the fear of unjust dismissal and the right to have their social con- tracts recognized by the federal government, to name a few. Never before have Congress and the President been more active in discussing the lives of the LGBTQ community, but discus- sion is not action. The National Equality March is an opportunity to give that extra push - a way for LGBTQ people and their allies to state clearly, "the time is now." Surely, eyes and ears will be on Washington Saturday night, where President Barack Obama will be speaking at the Human Rights Campaign Annual Dinner. It's unclear what statement he will make, but many hope for more than an excuse for inaction and another plea for patience. . The National Equality March moves forward with the weight of history at its back. The actu- al day of the March - Sunday, Oct. 11 - falls on the thirtieth anniversary of the first March on Washington in 1979. This march birthed National Coming Out Day, celebrated every year on Oct. 11. The premise of National Coming Out Day is both simple and infinitely complex - celebrate and embrace your authentic identi- ties and be OUT. National Coming Out Day is a strong vehicle in combating the gads of mis- information about the lives of LGBTQ people. In being OUT in our identities, we boldly state that LGBTQ people are all around - leading healthy and fulfilling lives as your colleagues, neighbors, professors and friends. When we return from the National Equal- ity March, there will be work to do. Organizers of the march expect people to return to their communities and enact change in congressio- nal districts statewide. Even in our own resi- dence halls and classrooms, we need to actively and proactively stand against homophobia, hate and discrimination. If you cannot join us in Washington, then join us when we get back. You can be an important partner in the work for LGBTQ equality through your involvement in programs like the LGBTQ Ally Training Pro- gram or the National Coming Out Week rally. For more information, visit SpectrumCenter. umich.edu. A mong the whispers about midterms, paper deadlines and who's going out at night, one topic sneaks its way into count- less conversations in the supposedly "silent" graduate library - Adderall, s a prescription drug intended to help people with atten- tion-deficit hyper- LEAH activity disorder POTKIN and similar disor- ders concentrate. But with papers to write, tests to ace and bars to frequent, many University students sans ADHD couldn't manage without the help of this friendly and easily available pill. Or at least that's what many think. Adderall increases the flow of neu- rotransmitters in the brain, strength- ening a person's ability to concentrate forextended periodsoftime.Forthose diagnosed with ADHD, Adderall can relieve symptoms and help to per- form daily activities. But many undi- agnosed students wrongly ' assume that Adderall is a safe and innocuous cure-all for poor study habits. And though pulling an alj-nighter without the distraction of snacks and TV shows may boost a student's GPA, the long-term consequences may out- weigh the short-term benefits. Study- hungry students should consider both the physical and mental consequences of taking this drug before popping their first 20mg dose. I have never tried Adderall. I've been tempted, but the cons continu- ally seem to outweigh the pros. I have read all of the warnings, heard all of the praise and ultimately decided the drug isn't for me. But my lack of first- hand experience doesn't discredit my opinions, so hear me out. While the medical literature on Adderall lists the normal litany of pos- her newfound source of income as a sible side effects (difficulty sleeping, study-style drug dealer. dizziness, dry mouth, loss of appetite, Thanks for the offer, but from one nausea, nervousness, restlessness, scattered brain to another, even tak- etc.), these are admittedly infrequent ing something that makes the arduous and not an overriding concern. If any- task of studying more palatable doesn't thing, side effects such as loss of appe- make me want to risk losing confidence tite only encourage students whose in the study habits that have gotten favorite study snacks include cheesy me this far. If I did choose to take it, bread from Pizza House and colliders I might begin to underestimate my from Rod's. natural abilities and become reliant on I am more fearful of the psycho- the drug-. and that scares me. I know logical impact associated with Adder- many users only diagnose themselves all - on those who use it and believe as Adderall-needy during midterms or that success in school might be impos- final exams, but as with many drugs, sible without it, and on non-users dependency is a related concern. The who may harbor resentment over the problem starts when reliance sets in - unfair advantage it could provide. This and itnvery easily can. advantage could pressure students who feel their GPAs are at risk due to the enhanced abilities of classmates Adderall isn't who use the drug. At this point, the e te stakes have been raised, and it's only a matter of time before students feel great study buddy forced to try Adderall simply to keep up with over-stimulated peers. After students think. all, how could they compete with those able to study for hours on end without sneaking a single snack break or Face- book check? Despite my reservations, it's unde- Let's first state the obvious - Adder- niable that the Adderall epidemic is in all is not intended for recreational use. full force. Even my pediatrician was But when used by studiers to get an shocked (thoughrelieved) tohearIhad extra boost, the drug can give undiag- never tried it. It worries me that when nosed users an undeserved leg up. In , I told a friend I was writing an article the same way that steroidsgive athletes about this issue, he was quick and unfair advantages in sports, Adderall unashamed to say that he would read does so for school. We all know how it but it definitely wouldn't change his competitive Wolverines can be both mind or study habits. But in the spirit on the field and in the classroom, and of at least slowing the epidemic, I chal- the Adderall obsession may skew the lenge all the self-prescribed Adderall playing field. addicts out there to set your pills aside Dispensing prescription drugs is and settle down in a quiet room with illegal, yet the buying and selling of a cup of your favorite coffee. If you Adderall has become so commonplace trust yourselves as much as you trust'y that students with true prescriptions an unprescribed dosage, you might be hardly think twice when sharing (or surprised at the results you get. selling) their beloved study buddy with an eager classmate. Just today, - Leah Potkin can be reached one of my classmates boasted about at Ipotkin@umich.edu. 0 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Nina Amilineni, Emad Ansari, Emily Barton, Ben Caleca, Brian Flaherty, Emma Jeszke, Raghu Kainkaryam, Sutha K Kanagasingam, Erika Mayer, Edward McPhee, Harsha Panduranga, Asa Smith, Brittany Smith, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Laura Veith 0 Gary Glenn Gabe Javier The letter-writer is president of the American The letter-writer is assistant director of the Family Association of Michigan. Spectrum Center.