4 - Friday, April 8, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com * E-MAIL JEFF AT JEFFDZ@UMICH.EDU Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com JEFF ZUSCHLAG STEPHANIE STEINBERG EDITOR IN CHIEF MICHELLE DEWITT and EMILY ORLEY EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS KYLE SWANSON MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position oftthe Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. Safety is a choice Legislature should pass bill easing helmet laws Motorcyclists may soon be allowed to drive without hel- mets on Michigan roads. Though attempts to repeal Michigan's 42-year-old helmet law were twice vetoed by former Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, the law may be near- ing its end. There are two bills in Michigan's Legislature that are attempting to amend the current law. These bills should be passed to give responsible adults more freedom and to set a precedent that the state shouldn't be overzealous in dictating the safety parameters of Like a kid in Candy Land an individual's life. The proposed law stipulates that motorcy- clists who are 21 years or older and posses a $20,000 insurance policy are exempt from a helmet requirement. There is a prevalent fear in the public mind that in the event of an individual being injured as a result of a motor- cycle accident, society is inevitably going to have to foot the bill. This argument is being used against the new helmet law, suggesting that an increase in injuries will lead to higher societal costs. It's unfitting that economics should affect the legal discussion of personal freedom, especially when those impacted are responsible, insured adults. The new law's insurance policy requirement nullifies the economic issues of the proposed bill and will alleviate the costs that taxpayers may incur due to medical expenses. An obvious concern regarding the easing of state helmet laws is the safety hazard it would pose to motorcyclists. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association recommends hel- mets and says they make motorcycle crashes less severe and highly reduce the likelihood of fatalities. According to an April 4 Detroit News article, some motorcyclists claim that helmets are restrictive and limit vision and hearing, which can potentially increase the likelihood of motorcycle crashes. The NHTSA focuses on statistics that deal with helmet safety in the event of a crash, but these statistics do not con- clude whether or not crashes are more or less likely to occur for people who wear helmets. Helmets give necessary protection in the event of a crash, but that does not mean people should be forced to wear them. Prop- erly educated, insured and experienced adult motorcyclists should not be forced to be safe because other people want them to be. Ciga- rettes and alcohol are universally accepted as detrimental to health and potentially lethal over time,yet they are permittedbecause their consumption is regarded as an exercise of free choice for adults. Like many other potentially harmful personal choices, motorcycling with- out a helmet should be allowed. Motorcycle education and safety infor- mation should be provided for individuals attempting to get motorcycle licenses. Safe driving courses and informative policies should guide people to make the best deci- sions. No one should be forced into an action by an overprotective legal system that does not allow for an individual to make their own decisions. It may be a mistake to ride without a helmet, but it would be a far greater mistake to perpetuate legislation that eliminates per- sonal choice. Ann Arbor is the best place in the world. I mean that. I think the University of Michigan is one of the best Uni- versities that the world has to offer. I'm not alone in that, either. The Uni- versity consis- tently ranks among the top ERIC schools, often SZKARLAT higher than sev- eral Ivy Leagues. It helps to make Ann Arbor the best place in the world. While that makes me proud to go here, it's not the only thing I love about the University. I love all the things the University has to offer. Many of them I will never expe- rience. Many of them I will, and already have. It's no secret that we have an immense number of student groups. Circle K, K-Grams, the Prison Cre- ative Arts Project, Squirrel Club, Michigan Quidditch, Glee Clubs, numerous a cappella groups, the free theater group Basement Arts and many others help this univer- sity offer a multitude of extracur- ricular activities that help students grow as intellectuals, workers, art- ists and people. How many times have you heard the words, "Get involved?" It's a staple of the University, and you're almost peer pressured into doing so. I hate repeating cliches, so I won't. Instead, I want to implore you to live each day of your time here like a kid in Candy Land. If you do that, you can't spend four years here without being involved. Did you ever play that board game growing up? If not, you might want to look it up. It was among my favor- ite games. I just remember the sheer exhilaration I felt while looking at the board. I just marveled at it. Not for any particular reason, but for a sheer and inexplicable love of it. I always wanted to be a part of it - to meet Plumpy, Mr. Mint, Queen Frostine and Princess Lolly. I got the same feeling when I played that game growing up that I do every time I walk past the Law Quad - and I really look at the architecture - and every time I learn about how some University alum has made the news or done something significant. Maybe it's pure aesthetic, but to me it's magi- cal. And the best part about it is that it's real. Sometimes, I'm a bit overzealous. (Those who know me well are laugh- ing at the truth in that statement.) But I'm just so overjoyed by the fact that I go here, and not anywhere else. One day, I'd love to teach here. I definitely want it to be the first uni- versity my children consider. I hope that I can help them achieve that goal throughout their childhood and teenage years. School is tough. I don't need to tell anyone that. Exams wear you down. Papers keep you.up all night. But remember that at this university, you have so many opportunities to do something important. Every day I'm motivated by the fact that I was told I wouldn't get in here. I had the grades, I had the extracurricular activities, I had the ACT score, but my high school coun- 0 selor said I wouldn't get in. If I took her advice to give up applying, you wouldn't be reading this. I'd prob- ably be going to Michigan State Uni- versity and majoring in something completely different. (I don't think my dad or grandfather would ever have forgiven me.)Yet here I sit, on a Block M blanket that is draped over the futon in my room. 'U' is one of the best schools in the world. I'm euphoric just to be sitting in my room, surrounded by maize and blue. But maybe Michigan doesn't strike a chord with you as it does with me. That's fine. I wish every- body could be as enchanted by this school as I am, butI understand not all will. And I know it's not perfect. But when a friend of a friend asked me if I liked going here, I found myself speechless. I couldn't express the profound joy I felt. I wanted to say something about everything, to surround her with all the sweet opportunities she would have at her feet if she came here - like a kid in Candy Land. -Eric Szkarlat can be reached at eszkarla@urpich.edu. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Aida Ali, Will Butler, Ellie Chessen, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Melanie Kruvelis, Patrick Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Teddy Papes, Timothy Rabb, Asa Smith, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner -the Happy, Healthy Women: Anny Fang explores the issue of sex verification procedures for female athletes. podium Go to michigandaily.com/blogs/The Podium ANDREW WEINER | Facebook is taking over the world SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM Column's evaluation off religion is startling TO THE DAILY: The language used in Dar-Wei Chen's arti- cle (Religion is becoming extinct, 4/5/2011) is a bit startling. The terms "religious baggage," "religion excuse" and the statement, "The Internet and science are exposing many reli- gious beliefs," offend me for many reasons, yet I only have 300 words, so I will be brief. It is very convenient to be so confident that religion will be "eradicated" when the 21st century has brought relative prosperity to the developed world so far. But what of the dictatorships? Those comrades living under oppression of every variety must no doubt be further purged of their religion as well, am I right? This clearly Stalinist view of bringing the lowly peasant out of his ignorance is truly entertaining, especially when the memory of the millions who have beenkilled in secularist Chen's argument disregards facts and history TO THE DAILY: This is in response to Dar-Wei Chen's col- umn (Religion is becoming extinct, 4/5/2011). I was thinking about responding to his opin- ion with a logical discussion of religion, which is as much a universal constant in mankind as the doubt of religion. I would have mentioned how every person - even an ardent atheist - has a God: something that gives people meaning, something that people worship and somethingfor which people will sacrifice everything. Additionally, I would have made a logical argument that absolutes cannot be proven. purges has been forgotten. I spoke with my grandmother on the phone last night, and we talked of politics, as usual. She spoke of living in communist Romania under mental and religious oppression dur- ing the last century. It is still hard for her to believe that she was once forced to choose between a life of scientific study or religion (she chose science, so the Romanian secret police wouldn't take her away). My point is that people should always be free to choose, with most everything. Christian Orthodoxy, a branch of Christianity I doubt many have heard of, has quite a peaceful and meditative history that brought hope to so many of the Eastern Bloc. I have far too much to say for so little time and 300 words. I have spoken of Christianity, because I know that religion best, and I know that it has followers that have done too much good in the world to be hounded as they are. Alexandru Popescu Engineeringsophomore Since I saw "The Social Network" a couple months ago, I've been terrified. Terrified to go on my comput- er and know that without meaning to, muscle memory will open an Internet tab to Facebook. Terrified when I'm pretending to do work in the Law Library, and I see Facebook open on 13 out of 14 computers. Terrified that Facebook has begun to take over the world and that Mark Zuckerberg and his team don't appear to be stop- ping any time soon. First, let's quickly consider exactly what Facebook is. A fun social network that has changed the way we interact with the world? Yes - but that's what they want you to think. It doesn't take any stretch of the imagina- tion to see Facebook for what it really is: an enormous company that 1 in 13 people in the world entrust with their personal identities, interests and relationships. It's a website on which we say, "Here's what I like, now sell me something." In short, it's the greatest marketing tool ever created. Facebook's power as a personalized advertisement generator may be ingenious, but recent events in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya demonstrate that its history-altering, political power is utterly mind-blowing. While Twit- ter sustained rebellion movements, their beginnings were on Facebook as groups and events. After the his- toric events in Egypt this February, my political science professor even titled a lecture "From Facebook to Tahir Square." Facebook's power terrified the Syrian regime after thousands of users clicked "attending" the Days of Rage protests against the government. Facebook's power to mobilize the masses - especially youth - is clear. I truly believe that Mark Zuckerberg has the power to overthrow an unstable regime. It may sound outlandish, but hear me out. First, Zuckerberg could create a Facebook event, or several events, for protests. Unlike other organizers who can only reach a portion of Facebook users, he could send multiple event invitations to every user in a region or country. Then, he could constantly bombard invitees with messages reminding them to attend protests and encouraging rebellion - including plans for a new Zuckerberg-head- ed government after the current regime is ousted. As unlikely as this is, it wouldn't take Zuckerberg more than a few minutes and mouse clicks to organize. Aside from government-destroying conspiracy theo- ries, recent miniscule changes to Facebook illustrate its ability to dominate. As of recently, Facebook users now simply hit the "enter" key to post comments and other notifications, instead of clicking a "post" button. Also, the picture viewing application now hovers over the user's current page, instead of existing as a separate page. While these changes may seem insignificant, closer examination reveals the motives behind them. Instead of having to move your hands to post a comment, frac- tions of a second are shaved off the action by simply clicking "enter." Multiply these fractions of seconds by Facebook's 500 millionusers, and that equals thousands of added hours of surfing. Being able to see another page underneath the photo application allows Facebook users to return to the profitable pages more quickly. These benefits emphasize Facebook's agenda: to get users on Facebook more frequently, to keep them on for longer and to view as many advertisements on as many pages as possible. A less recent change to Facebook is what I find most troubling. I, like most students, was subjected to friends' constant whining about Facebook's decision to show pictures for its instant message feature instead of list- ing friends' names. At first, I couldn't think of any reason why the change had been made. It was more confusing and less user-friendly - usually the opposite of Face- book's updates. As I thought about it more, however, it was a brilliant move. Though it bothers users, the change forces them to memorize their friend's profile pictures in order to chat efficiently. That way, at some subconscious level, we're basing recognition of a users' presence in terms of their profile picture, not their name. Zuckerberg wants the world to think in terms of Facebook - profile pic- tures and statuses - in lieu of names and voices. However paranoid I may be, along with more than 500 million others, I log on several times a day. Face- book wants to take over our lives, and we continue to help it do so. Andrew Weiner is an assistant editorial page editor. Therefore all systems (even science) must start with a belief that must be assumed and can be doubted, and the best we can hope to do is find one that works and is not self-con- tradictory. Finally, I would have pointed out that differing ideas, doubt and contact with other belief systems is as old as mankind. Therefore, global communication offers nothing new. However, it was obvious from his tone and blatant disregard for facts and history that Dar-Wei Chen was just trying to be childish and arouse bickering. Therefore, I will glad- ly accommodate the level of conversation. Darth Vader chainsaw-joisting a gorilla on motorcycles: Your argument is invalid. Andrew Crow Rackham Ph.D. student 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. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@michigandaily.com 91 A