4A - Monday, January 24, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com.
4A - Monday, January 24, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
s
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
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E-MAIL DANIEL AT DWGOLD@UMICH.EDU
DANIEL GOLD
STEPHANIE STEINBERG
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MICHELLE DEWITT
and EMILY ORLEY
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
KYLE SWANSON
MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FRiM T H E kl
Bridging the gap
State legislators need to support the DRIC
L ast Wednesday, Republican Gov. Rick Snyder became the
most prominent Michigan lawmaker to express support for
the proposed Detroit River International Crossing - a second
bridge that would connect Michigan and Ontario, Canada. By almost
every estimate, the bridge would be a boon to the state's lagging econ-
omy, and the benefits of the bridge would also help the province of
Ontario. The Canadian government has even offered to cover Michi-
gan's share of the construction costs in the form of a $550 million
loan. Thousands of jobs and billions of dollars depend on this pro-
posal. The state legislature should take advantage of Canada's offer
and authorize the construction of a new bridge.
That Michele T-Mis 52
Bachmann Is pretty mnutes untill1
cute, for a Whack Job. Icannot believe, caihave a ecktalL
have to work with
theeidiots
THE STATE OF THE UNION
The prison state
I her final days in office, for- One result of this mentality was pris- And so it's that prisons are filled
mer Democratic Gov. Jennifer onsbecomingovercrowded bymostly with people serving life sentences
Granholm considered the final nonviolent offenders who would have regardless of whether they are cold-
few commuta- been better off in rehabilitation. But, blooded killers, or something far less
tion and pardon there's an even bigger problem here: culpable than that. Put that together
petitions that Michigan's penal system over time with the hundreds of thousands of
remained on her has abandoned lines of demarcation people imprisoned for petty, non-
desk. between different crimes based on violent drug offenses, and you have
As a student different levels of culpability. an unfair system and very crowded
attorney in the consider the following: Amanda prisons costing acaah-strapped state
University Law Knox, the American woman convict- far more than it can afford to spend.
School's Inno- ed in December 2009 of a gruesome
cence Clinic, I IMRAN murder and sexual assault in Italy,
nervously await- SYED received 26 years in prison. (Knox
ed her decision insists she's innocent, and if so, even Executive pardons
on our client, adayinprisonistoo much.)The Ital-
Thomas Cress - an innocent man ian system, while concluding that are not the
of limited mental capacity who was Knox is a killer of the most unspeak- only 1-si
wrongfully convicted of murder in able sort, still only sentenced her to prOlef.
1986. But it seemed that I was among 26 years. Thus, even stone-cold kill-
the few worried about the innocent ers have the chance to reform them-
lives that could be saved by Gran- selves in prison and emerge one day In light of all that, to criticize Gra-
holm's last-minute decisions. to reclaim their lives. nholm's pardons and commutations
The story in the local press was On the other hand, in Michigan, a isnto miss the point entirely. Perhaps
much different. When the Detroit person can be sentenced the same as a handful ofher 179 plus pardons and
Free Press reported that Gran- a first-degree murderer - automatic commutations were questionable on
holm was more liberal with the life in prison without parole - even some level. But she took seriously the
use of her pardon power than her if he was not the murderer. Accom small role she can play in correcting
recent predecessors (179 commuta- plices, even those who weren't at the a vastly flawed system, and I applaud
tions and counting: Granholm exits crime scene, can receive the same her for that.
as most merciful Michigan governor sentence as the personwho pulled the A real solution can come only
in decades, 12/20/2010), she was trigger. A robber, who may not even from the legislature, which must
criticized for politicizing and short- have been armed, can be charged amend the criminal code to reflecta
circuiting the system. People were withfelony murder (and sentenced to logical understanding of crime, not
outraged, but that's because they life without parole) if the person he just a blatantly political system that
weren't told the whole story. was robbing incidentally dies. This is throws people away. Above all, judg-
There's certainly something all quite problematic. es must have the freedom to decree
icky about executive pardons: Why I'm not saying that accomplices individual sentences for individual
should any one person, beit a gover- and robbers are not culpable: They people, as opposed to having their
nor (state convictions) or the presi- deserve to pay for their crimes. hands tiedbymandatory minimums.
dent (federal convictions), be able to What I am saying is that they are All this doesn't even begin to
play God by setting aside (commuta- less culpable than those who actu- address the innocent people who are
tion) or erasing entirely (pardon) a ally pull the trigger intending to kill, imprisoned and are denied mean-
judicial determination of guilt? But and it's crucial that our justice sys- ingful recourse, but such serious
the problem is that Michigan's penal tem recognize that. One of the most reconsiderations of policy and phi-
system, like many other states across basic tenets of criminal legal theory losophy are the first step. Short of
the country, is much more "icky" is that different levels of culpability that, Michigan is just a prison state,
and necessitates back-door solutions must be punished differently, or else whose leaders can't be bothered to
like executive pardons. we risk incentivizing the worst in do what's best for all of us.
Thisstate has been run for decades criminal behavior. Michigan's sys-
by a legislature that embraced the old tem, unfortunately, has blurred such -Imra Syed can be reached
school, tough-on-crime mentality, basic lines of demarcation. at galad@mih.edu.
She who must not be named
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Snyder madehisappeal for moving forward on
building the Detroit River International Crossing
- one of the centerpieces of his State of the State
address last week. The construction part of the
project would create 10,000 temporary jobs and
maintenance of the bridge would create 25;000
jobs. According to a Jan. 19 Detroit Free Press
article, the United States Department of Trans-
portation will allow Michigan to use the Cana-
dian loan to leverage another $2 billion in federal
highway funds to fix roads and bridges through-
out the state. Last year, abill authorizing plans for
the bridge failed in the Michigan Senate.
Snyder's support of the DRIC proposal is
encouraging. This project has struggled to gain
support from the Republican Party in the past,
and backing this project solidifies Snyder's com-
mitment to bipartisan politics. He needs to con-
tinue to make a push for this important project
and emphasize that it will not happen on the
taxpayers' dime. The legislature needs to begin
to maleapush for this project to get underway
under the established payment plan.
Creating a new bridge between Michigan
and Canada will have many positive impacts
for people throughout the state. Simply start-
ing construction on the DRIC will create 10,000
jobs right away. Over the longterm, the proposed
bridge will bring an increase in trade and traffic
throughout the statethat could create as many as
40,000 jobs. The bridge will also benefit Michi-
gan businesses. The state government should
recognize all of the positives of this plan and
work to bring it to fruition.
Not only will the bridge help Michigan resi-
dents and businesses, it will also help create state
revenue. Unlike the privately-owned Ambassa-
dor Bridge, toll revenues from the new crossing
will accrue directly to the state government. For
the state, the DRIC is an incredible deal. By cre-
ating jobs, giving the government access to toll
revenues and bringing home billions of dollars in
federal money - all at no cost to taxpayers - the
DRIC is a rare win-win for the state. Michigan
lawmakers have a unique opportunity to invest
in the state's future at almost no risk, and it's
time for them to make it happen.
Snyder has many plans forrevitalizing Michi-
gan's economy, and his support of the DRIC is
one of the most exciting. The state legislature
needs to rally behind this project and give it the
momentumit needsto become a reality.
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6
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Aida Ali, Will Butler, Eaghan Davis, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer,
Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Teddy Papes,
Roger Sauerhaft, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner
BETH COPLOWITZ AND LAURA RAPOPORT I
Start 'U' program in Israel
Many prominent universities around the
country offer official study abroad programs in
Israel. These include Harvard University, Yale
University and the University of Pennsylva-
nia, as well as other Big Ten schools like Penn
State University, UniversityofWisconsin, Ohio
State University, Indiana University and the
University of Minnesota. Michigan State has
recently expanded its program from the sum-
mer semester to the academic term in order to
give more students the opportunity to study in
Israel. Even graduate schools here at the Uni-
versity of Michigan offer such programs. For
example, the Law School allows students to
spend a semester at the University of Tel Aviv
Law School. Yet the University of Michigan's
undergraduate program does not.
By not offering an "official" undergraduate
program - in other words, one in which stu-
dents can seamlessly enroll in an Israeli uni-
versity knowing that their grades and credits
will transfer when they return to Ann Arbor
- the University of Michigan lags behind its
rivals and its own graduate schools. This not
only reflects poorly on the University on acom-
parative level, but also deprives students of a
valuable learning opportunity.
Israel's rich history offers countless unique
academic and cultural opportunities, which
can't be found anywhere else in the world. As
withany study abroad program, the destination
offers many opportunities to enhance the learn-
ing experience outside the classroom. The state
of Israel is known for its rich and diverse histo-
ry. Israel is the birthplace of the three monothe-
ist religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It
was also an epicenter of the Greek and Roman
empires and still has many remnants at archae-
ological sites around the country. Studying in
Israel would allow students who are studying
Hebrew or Arabic at the University to immerse
themselves in a society where these languages
are highly prevalent. A study abroad program
would offer students a taste of the unique and
lively culture of Israel. Given this, students
should be able to study there with an official
University study abroad program.
This University is no stranger to partnering
with institutions in Israel for a wide variety
of programs. In the area of life sciences, the
University of Michigan/Israeli Universities
Partnership for research has made significant
developments in cancer studies at the Tech-
nion School of Medicine in Haifa, as well as
in genomic ancestry of Jewish communities
around the world at both Hebrew University in
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv.
In 2008, Dr. Amnon Rosenthal, a Univer-
sity pediatric cardiologist noted in an article
in the Detroit Jewish News that "[t]his sort of
research between the University of Michigan
and multiple academic institutions in Israel
will be a mutually beneficial and reward-
ing under-taking of cooperation". Research
cooperation is undoubtedly a meaningful first
step in fostering the relationship between the
University and Israeli academia. But research
isn't enough. Given the strength of these pre-
existing ties, offering an official study abroad
program for undergraduates would be a logical
next step for the University.
As sophomores here at the University, we
are eagerly anticipating the prospects of study-
ing abroad next winter. While we are currently
able to study in Israel through other programs,
we believe our experiences would be greatly
enhanced if we participated in an official Uni-
versity program. Such a program would not only
transfer our grades, but would also allow us to
establish a Wolverine community in Israel. We
believe this will also help the University strength-
en its relationships with the various Israeli insti-
tutionsthat provide so many great opportunities.
We have created a petition to encourage the
University to institute an official study abroad
program.Pleasesignourpetitionat:https://www.
msa.umich.edu/upetition/p/israelstudyabroad/.
Every signature matters in our grassroots effort to
create an official study abroad program in Israel.
Help us show the Michigan Difference.
Beth Coplowitz is an LSA sophomore
and Laura Rapoport is an LSA and
School of Art & Design sophomore.
Typically, February is known
for an array of historically
significant days. It's com-
prised of Black
History Month,
Valentine's Day,
President Abra-
ham Lincoln's
birthday, Presi-
dent George
Washington's
Birthday and
President's Day. EMILY
But according to ORLEY
his column, (I'm
declaring Feb-
ruary a Palin-free month. Join me,
01/21/2011), Washington Post col-
umnist Dana Milbank is trying to
declare a new "holiday" in February:
Sarah Palin-free month.
Milbank - who confessed that
he has written about former Alaska
Governor Sarah Palin in 42 columns
since she was picked to be Ari-
zona Senator John McCain's run-
ning mate in August 2008 - urged
Americans to refrain from speaking
about her for an entire month in an
attempt to finally give her a much
deserved push off the media band-
wagon. His column even has a link
for readers who are willing to pledge
to not write or read coverage about
Palin for the month.
I've got to admit, I completely
agree with Milbank's plea. But I also
think it's harrowing that we have
come to this point. Palin hasn't held
a position in any public office for 547
days. How is it that someone so polit-
ically insignificant has continued to
captivate the media and our society
for this long?
In the 2008 presidential election,
Palin couldn't state one newspaper
she liked to read on a daily basis. She
also explained that being from Alas-
ka gave her an extensive insight into
Russian politics because "(Russia
is) our next door neighbor" - fail-
ing to remember that tiny body of
water separating her and Asia. But
the public seemed to forget these
factual errors when her autobiog-
raphy, "Going Rogue: An American
Life," was released in November
2009. It sold more than 1 million
copies within two weeks and was
placed on many bestseller lists next
to autobiographies by President Bill
Clinton and former President Barack
Obama.
While I no doubt believe in the
impact of political rhetoric, I find
it frightening that Sarah Palin has
been given the assumed authority of
being able to influence a 22-year old
in Tucson, Ariz. Within hours after
the news of the fatal shooting broke,
media outlets across the country
were discussing Palin's "crosshairs
map" and how she impacted this
tragedy. As New York Times col-
umnist Ross Douthat wrote in his
column, (Scenes from a marriage,
01/16/2011), "Forget a nation's grief
and Giffords's struggle to survive:
What America really needed, the
nation's pundits and TV producers
decided, was a noisy debate about
the possible link between Jared Lee
Loughner's crime and Palin's mar-
tial campaign rhetoric." And in true
form, Palin responded at an inappro-
priate time with a speech filled with
improperly used phrases. But the
media still continued its coverage of
her. As Douthat perfectly put it, the
relationship between Palin and the
media is "looking increasingly like
co-dependency."
In some twisted way, the relation-
ship makes sense. Palin is the epit-
ome of what the media craves. She
is definitely unconventional, very
outspoken and prone to beingcaught
looking like an idiot. But Palin needs
the media just as much as their rat-
ings need her. She has claimed that
she wants the media to respect her
right to privacy, but stating that the
paparazzi are being too intrusive on
your realty TV show is a situation
few will be sympathetic about.
Hopefully Palm's
15 minutes of
fame are over.
Perhaps Palin thinks that if she
continues to remain in the spot light
she will actually have a chance in
the 2012 election. But the more we
see of Palin, the more alarming she
appears. Even the Republican Party
is showing little support for her. In
a New Hampshire 2012 presidential
poll held over the weekend, Palin
came in fourth place - securing only
7 percent. And former NewYork City
Mayor Rudy Giuliani said last week
that he is more likely to run in 2012
if Palin announces her candidacy
in order to show "a contrast" to her
overly conservative ideologies.
We all know, regrettably, that
there's no way Palin will volun-
tarily remove herself from the
public eye. She will probably even
attempt to run in 2012. But here's
hoping that in the next year she
can create enough negative press
to diminish her chance of success.
I'd say it's a fairly easy task for her.
It has already been announced that
her reality show wasn't renewed
for another season. Hopefully Palin
will take this friendly hint from
TLC that her 15 minutes of fame are
running out.
Emily Orley is the co-editorial
page editor. She can be reached
ehorley@umich.edu.
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