4A - Thursday, October 28, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Jfi id ligan 0aU''I Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu The percentage of voters under the age of 30 who cast ballots in the November 2008 election. -According to August 2009 figures from The Center for in r and nan*, Research on Civic Learning and'Engagerhent. 6 JACOB SMILOVITZ EDITOR IN CHIEF RACHEL VAN GILDER EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MATT AARONSON MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflectthe official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. Yes on 1, no on 2 State needs ConCon, voters need freedom allot proposals can lead to big change and Michigan resi- dents have seen firsthand the difference they can make - both positive and negative. This year's proposals aren't quite as divisive as hot-button issues like same-sex marriage, affir- mative action and medical marijuana, but they could still have a noticeable effect on the state's government. This election cycle, the there are two ballot proposals being considered statewide. Proposal 1 asks voters if Michigan should hold a constitutional convention. Proposal 2 would create a constitutional amendment forbidding people convicted of a violation of public trust from holding public office. Students should head to the polls to cast their vote on Michi- gan's ballot initiatives. Don't ear oreign trade hings have gotten so bad for Democrats this election cycle that President Barack Obama is picking fights and swinging at the air. Desperate to resist an onslaught of Republican vic- tories next week, Democrats are pull- ing out the "fear of foreigners" card, criticizing trade policies and lobby- ALEX ing for protectionist BILES measures in hopes of salvaging the upcoming elections. Disdain for foreigners or things non-American bares its ugly face in cycles. Republican politicians and their supporters have had a tendency to scapegoat foreigners to capital- ize on the fears of Americans. But recently, Democratic candidates have also utilized race-baiting while attack- ing trade with China in a last-ditch attempt to appeal to working-class voters. Take Mark Schauer (D-Mich.), who has run advertisements criticizing what he calls unfair trade with foreign countries. In one segment, Schauer is pictured speaking with homogenous groups of middle-aged, working-class white people. In the ad, he explicitly attacks trade with China not once, but twice. He emphasizes hi' position by highlighting the words "pgainst" and "jobs in China" inbold yellow. Citing the trade deficit, Congressio- nal Democrats have pushed for tariffs and import restrictions on Chinese goods. Apparently, they learned noth- ing from the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which raised tariffs on more than 20,000 imported goods and is widely considered one of the worst economic decisions in American history. Take for example, Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO - the nation's largest labor union and a major finan- cier of the Democratic Party - who invoked notions of a "trade war with China" in a Sept. 30 USA Today article. Trumka calls for the U.S. to forcefully stop the Chinese from manipulat- ing their currency's value. These calls haven't rang hollow. Democrats have recently introduced numerous pieces of trade-restricting legislation, and on Sept. 28, a New York Times article by Yale University economist Stephen Roach stated that Obama is "prepared to take forceful actions if China doesn't budge" on the issue of its currency manipulation and the trade deficit. There's a fundamental misconcep- tion that a trade deficit is bad. The trade deficit is the difference between the value of imports and exports betweeneconomies. Some worry about our annual trade deficit to China, which reached $226 billion in 2009, but they're incorrect in thinking that's a bad thing. A trade deficit with China means that the value of Chinese goods that we're purchasing is greater than the value of American goods pur- chased by the Chinese. We can illustrate that concerns over mass importation of Chinese goods are irrational by utilizing the trade relationship between you (an average consumer) and Meijer as an example. Assume you regularly shop at Meijer, importing goods sold by the store into your home. Meijer has likely never purchased anything from you. From your perspective, the trade deficit between you and Meijer is enormous. But this trade deficit has never harmed you. On the contrary, Meijer's specialization provides easy access to goods that would other- wise take a great deal of effort and resources to acquire. The accessibili- ty, affordability and efficiency are the same reasons for trading with China. Both parties benefit. The Obama administration and Congressional Democrats want to forcefully stop China from manipu- lating its currency to export goods at affordable prices. But as Roach points out, "forcing such a currency realignment would be a blunder of historic proportions." Advocates of trade restrictions claim they want the pie sliced equally between the United States and China, but these threats only amount to higher prices for American consumers as a result of tariffs and protection from competi- tion for politically-connected Ameri- can manufacturers. Not surprisingly, beneficiaries include labor unions and special interests that provide millions to the Democratic Party. The trade deficit with China is good. 0' Ballot initiatives are an inherently flawed phenomenon. Inevitably, they lead to poorly-worded and inadequately thought-out legislation. Case in point: the ballot proposal that in 2008 legalized med- ical marijuana in the state. Though medi- cal marijuana is a valuable treatment for many, the ballot proposal led to a law that's unclear, in some ways contradictory and overall ineffective. And other ballot initia- tives simply reflect people's reactionary bias that damages important civil liber- ties. For example, Michigan's 2004 ban on same-sex marriage. Ballot proposals more often reflect partisanship and a mob men- tality than thoughtful discussion. It's the purpose of the legislature to create useful, clear legislation that reflects the desires of legislators' constituencies. But, despite their inherent flaws, ballot proposals exist and voters must make a decision. roposal 1 offers voters the option to hold a constitutional convention. According to the current constitu- tion, this proposal must be presented to voters every 16 years. A constitutional con- vention would call for delegates to revise the state constitution, which will then be approved or rejected by voters. Michigan's last constitutional convention took place from 1961 to 1962, and we are long over- due for a revision. Voters should vote yes for Proposal 1 in November to modify the Michigan Constitution. It's been a longtime since Michigan took a comprehensive look at its constitution. This isn't the same state it was 50 years ago - the economy and the fall of the automotive industry is proof of that. A new constitution could reflect the needs of today's economy and help define the state's future. one of the concerns about holding a constitutional convention is the expenses involved. That's a valid worry considering Michigan's already-strained budget. But the convention could also raise money for the state if it revamps the tax system. Michi- gan's current flat income tax is disturbingly behind the times. A new, graduated income tax could be included in the revisions and would help increase state revenue. And the convention could clear the constitution of amendments that limit the civil liberties of Michigan's citizens - spe- cifically, the ban on same-sex marriage. A constitutional convention could reverse this policy completely and finally allow members of the LGBT community the equality they deserve. But it's crucial that the constitution isn't modified in any way that threatens the autonomy of the University or its state funding. The freedom that the University enjoys has led - and will lead - to valuable research that will bring jobs to the state and revitalize the economy. And keeping this research and education accessible requires adequate state support. If there is a consti- tutional convention, delegates must respect the University's value to the state. Though these concerns are important to keep in mind, the constitutional conven- tion would ultimately benefit our state. To give Michigan's constitution the update it needs, vote YES on Proposal 1. he other ballot initiative, Proposal 2, is worrisome. The initiative would amend the state constitution so that any person convicted of a felony involving betrayal of public trust would be ineligible for election to public office for 20 years. The proposal attempts to curb corrup- tion, following several instances of decep- tion and fraud in Detroit, including the scandal around former Mayor Kwame Kil- patrick and city council member Monica Conyers. But this very visceral reaction to Detroit's corruption doesn't give voters the credit they deserve and discriminates against people who have already paid for their crimes. The proposal's aim is a little too Orwellian. Michigan voters should have the freedom to vote for whomever they like, regardless of the candidate's past. The proposal seems to assume that voters aren't capable of deciding for themselves which candidates are acceptable. It's a bit insulting to the public's intelligence. But voters can - and should be able to - decide which candidates they can trust and which are most appropriate for a position. In addition to limiting voter freedom, the proposal also seems to ignore one of the central philosophies of the judicial system. The idea of the judicial system should be to help reform and reintegrate back into society those who have broken the law. The stipula- tion that a felon should be ineligible for pub- lic office up to 20 years after their conviction throws the concept of moral reformation out the window. In our society, those who have paid their debt to society following a convic- tion deserve the benefit of the doubt. Ultimately, the citizens of the state of Michigan shouldn't need a law to tell them which candidates they can vote for. Pro- posal 2, though it aims to solve corruption, is misguided. Vote NO on Proposal 2. But focus on trade relations with for- eigners isn't limited to thectrade deficit. Recently, Obama carelessly attacked the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - a lobbying organization that supports free trade. Obama and establishment Democrats accused the group of uti- lizing foreign contributions to support candidates inthe United States, despite no evidence to back up their claims, as Time magazine reported on Oct.14. And in an embarrassing 'blunder for the party, the Center for Respon- sive Politics revealed on Oct. 17 that Democrats have taken $1.02 million this election cycle from foreign-af'll * iated Political Action Committees twice as much as Republicans. Tb Obama administration isn't ha # enough with its role in reducing freedom of individuals to lobby p6l" ticians. They want to be hypocrit6 while they're atit. If the Obama administration a Congressional Democrats were enact trade restrictions or forcef,04 inflate the value of China's currene*, it would be devastating to our econo- my and a blow to maintaining peace- ful relations with China. But when they're hypocrites using manufactured information in a backfiring smear campaign, their desperate attempts to mitigate. November losses with politi- cal demagoguery are as clear as a slibH of Chinese-imported glass. - Alex Biles can be reachiedI at jabiles@umich.enf., LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be fewer than 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 tothedaily@umich.edu. Embra ce your awkwardness EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Aida Ali, Jordan Birnholtz, Adrianna Bojrab, Will Butler, Eaghan Davis, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Will Grundler, Jeremy Levy, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Tommaso Pavone, Leah Potkin, Asa Smith, Laura Veith ROSE JAFFE E-MAIL ROSE X ROSEJAFF aUMiCH.EDU was a pretty awkward kid. Now, I realize you could say that all kids are awkward - and you may even have a point - childhood is hardly anyone's prime. But if you'd seen me in elemen- tary school, my inelegance might have surprised you. In my earlyL years, I was short and overweight. MATTHEW I hadn't been for- GREEN mally introduced to deodorant, which was a prob- lem because I sweated a lot. That's not to say I played sports or partici- pated vigorously in gym class. I just sweated a lot. In spite of this image, though, I was somehow spirited enough to pursue the same girl tire- lessly, if unsuccessfully, from the fourth grade through the seventh.. My failure at courtship was best summarized in my own words, from a diary entry dated February 10, 2001: "***** will never love me. I:NEVER say the right thing! Ugg. I guess it's just because I'm fat, smelly, gross and Jew- ish." In hindsight, Jewishness prob- ably had nothing to do with it, but it's a common enough scapegoat, I suppose. This first diary entry directly precedes another passage in which I described ripping my pants while bendingtover to pickup apencilthats*****had dropped. This "phase," as my mother liked to call it, never really ended. Upon going through puberty (late, of course), I grew about a foot in just a couple months. Hastily getting used to my taller stature, I routinely tripped and fell wherever I went. And, for what- ever reason, I never really regained my balance. One day in the first few weeks of my freshman year, this gracelessness came to the fore. As I quickly strode through the Diag that day, I looked around to gain a further grasp of my new surroundings. Then, before I real- ized what was happening, I tripped on something oddly cumbersome coming toward me and fell flat on the ground. I was instantly met by the sounds of a baby crying and the shrieks of a moth- er in panic. It didn't take long for me to realize: I had tripped on an oncom- ing stroller. Fortunately, the confused infant was totally unharmed and his mother, rather than filing a lawsuit, just bitterly asked if I were high. To this day, clumsiness continues to pervade my life. I still trip all the time and I still never say the right thing. And if you ever have the rare opportunity to see me dance, my inability tobe cool even on the dance floor will simultaneously amuse, bewilder and disturb you. So, since awkwardness has defined so much of my life, I've recently decided that I ought to embrace it. I just have to try to find the beauty within my ungainliness. It's got to be there somewhere. I've meditated on the words of Diane Arbus, the photographer known for shooting evocative photos of unusual sub- jects in the 1960s. "I work from awk- wardness," she famously said. "If I stand in front of something, instead of arranging it, I arrange myself." Though awkwardness, in this case, is the point of departure for Arbus' s art, it may as well be the springboard for approaching my own life. Rather than attempting to be less awkward as I go forward and "arrange" myself, perhaps I really do just need to appre- ciate the blunders and gaucherie that are omnipresent in my life. While I realize that I'm a sort of caricature of clumsiness, this lessot is relevant for a great many withjin, our campus community. And it isp't just a banal "love who you are" sort of. lesson from a children's book. Appreciate - the blunders and gaucherie. Virtually all of us at the Univer- sity are anxious about our individ'ua appearance in some way. Perhhpt it's important to you to confidently walk down the street, to wear a per- fectly neat outfit and be charming ti, the friends and acquaintances you bump into. But inevitably, you know you're going to miss a social cue, or make a fashion faux pas. Or maybe you obsess about having the perfect portfolio, with the perfect intervi4 skills to match. But no matter how many times you rehearse in front 'sf a mirror, your interview won't always go as planned. Awkwardness is more or less inevitable. So why not embrace said awkwardness? Perhaps doing so could make you stand out - to friends, love interests or employers. That's what I tell myself, at least. And it hasn't led to more tripping or accidentally spraying water on SAyl crotch when I wash my hands. Those gaffes are as frequent as they always- were. But as I accept my awkward,-, ness, I'm much more content in my, day-to-day life - even if I still fear, strollers in the Diag. - Matthew Green can be react e' at greenmatt@umich.edd. Io4C-- O orvlourhand will. look- tike 4+Uies. WANT THE DAILY ON THE GO? Now you can access your favorite Daily opinion content on your phone. Keep up with columnists, read Daily editorials and join in the debate. Check out the Daily's mobile website at m.michigandaily.com.'