4A - Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michiganclaily.com
4A - Thursday, November 3, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
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MICHELLE DEWITT
STEPHANIE STEINBERG and EMILY ORLEY NICK SPAR
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS 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.
Imran Syed is the public editor. He can be reached at publiceditor@michigandaily.com.
Stick to your guns
House must not pass bill weakening firearm laws
Anew law proposed by Republicans in the U.S. House of Rep-
resentatives threatens to significantly weaken regulations
on concealed weapons. The National Right-to-Carry Rec-
iprocity Act allows any person with a concealed carry permit to
carry a gun in any other state permitting concealed carry. The act
would take away individual states' rights to form their own gun
control laws and should not pass through the House.
he Blogging Blue: Will Butler takes a look at what it took to derail
the Herman Cain train to the White House.
podium Go to michigandaily.com/blogs/The Podium
Ryan and Josh revisited
Current gun laws give state and local gov-
ernments the power to set rules for gun per-
mits within their jurisdictions. The U.S.
Constitution gives citizens the right to bear
arms, but the specifics of if, how, where and
when concealed weapons are authorized for
use are decisions left up to individual states.
Many states restrict the sale of concealed
weapons to people over age 21, and some
refuse to give concealed carry permits to vio-
lent offenders.
Gun control is a controversial issue, so it's
appropriate that each state can make its own
decisions about gun regulationsowithin its bor-
ders. However, the National Right-to-Carry
Reciprocity Act would negate many of these
rules by forcing states with strict gun regu-
lations to recognize permits from states with
weaker gun laws. All states would be required
to allow visitors to carry concealed handguns
as long as the laws of the visitors' home state
permit them to do so.
The National Rifle Association is a primary
supporter ofthe billbecause it would eliminate
the complications associated with interstate
travel for individuals with concealed carry
permits: Supporters of the-bill-ontend that
current regulations can make travel across
state lines difficult for people who wish to
carry a concealed weapon. But these individu-
als fail to realize the danger that decreased
regulation on concealed carry permits could
cause and also fail to recognize that states
should have the right to decide which permits
from other'states they accept and which they
do not.
Many Republican legislators in the House
who advocate for limited government inter-
vention and maintenance of states' rights are
also pushing for the law. But the passage of
the law would unfairly subject the state resi-
dents to laws that their elected representa-
tives did not create. Arizona, Alaska, Vermont
and Wyoming do not even require a permit to
purchase a rifle, handgun or shotgun. These
lax state laws should not be forced onto other
states that do not agree with them and did not
vote on them.
In the wake of the tragic shooting of Rep.
Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in Tuscon, earlier
this year, it is time to enact tighter regulations
on gun control instead of making concealed
weapons more accessible and easier to trans-
port across state lines. States should be per-
mitted to make their own decisions regarding
gun control and concealed carrying. This law
would completely infringe upon their right to
do so and should be promptly voted down.
S urprised by the different
types of feedback I received
from my last column (A Tale
of Two Students,
10/4/11), I have
decided to con-
tinue my study of
Ryan and Josh.
There are
three main fac-
tors that have
contributed to
who Ryan and ERIK
Josh are today TORENBERG
and where they
will go in the
future.
The first factor is their upbringing.
Though Josh grew up in a house-
hold that stressed the importance
of financial success, he believed
that this wasn't enough. There had
to be more to life than just money.
Whereas growing up his parents had
asked themselves: "How can I make
enough money to live the good life?"
Josh instead asked himself: "What is
the good life?" and then later, "ignor-
ing money, how can I change the
world?" (The great irony, of course, is
that the answer may require making
lots of money.)
Growing up, Josh was a people-
pleaser. He was often "adapting,"
which, in his case, meantbending his
interests and whims to what other
people expected from him. Every-
one liked Josh, but that wasn't the
problem. The problem was why they
liked him. People liked him because
they could easily influence him.
People liked him because they felt
constantly reaffirmed by him. People
didn't like him, however, when he
expressed ideas that went against the
grain, even if he felt he was becoming
more like himself.
Ryan has a different story. Though
his parents had modest incomes, the
rest of his family did not. He's seen
the stress that comes from living
paycheck to paycheck. At an early
age, he vowed to never let money be
a concern. Grades, as a result, were
always of paramount importance.
When adults were hard on him for
achieving anything less than perfect
marks, he was harder on himself. As
long as he can remember, perfection
has been habitual.
Yet his academic achievement
didn't translate to social success. His
lack of a certain indescribable qual-
ity prevented him from having any
social influence. Other people had
that quality and he couldn't figure
out what it was and why he didn't
have it. He didn't dwell over social
dynamics for too long, however,
because soon - for reasons he would
neither know nor question - he too
would have that social influence.
The second factorpertains totheir
natural talents and interests.
Josh is and always has been
strongly affected more by his own
thoughts and feelings rather than
with external things. Though he
loves to connect with people, to delve
deeply into why others do what they
do and why they think what they
think, he is at his best alone - where
he can contemplate and make mean-
ing through analyzing memories.
Whereas Josh is at his best one-
on-one, Ryan is at his best in large
group settings. Though he enjoys
meeting and mentoring individual
peers, he feeds off the energy creat-
ed by a collective, whether through
laughs at a party or brainstorming
sessions for a project.
The third factor deals with per-
ceptions of success.
If Josh had any doubts about bas-
ing life decisions on his conscience
and intuition, Steve Jobs's words -
"They somehow already know what
you truly want to become" - elimi-
nated any remnants.
Ryan read biographies of Abraham
Lincoln, Bill Gates and Warren Buf-
fet and craves a similar type of influ-
ence, of legacy.
So it's no wonder that Josh
strived to obtain the internal suc-
cess in college he couldn't find
growing up. Josh grabbed the
opportunity to redefine himself,
encouraging people to understand
him for who he was - or who he
aspired to be - rather than fitting
himself to how others wanted to see
him. He often over did this.
Our future is
determined by
self-perception.
And it's no wonder that Ryan
strived to obtainthe external success
in college he didn't have growing up.
Ryan grabbed the opportunity to
become a campus leader, influencing
and mentoring his peers instead of
shying away from displaying his tal-
ents and abilities. He, too, often over
did this.
Although there certainly is some
overlap between Ryan and Josh,
there are fundamental differences
in these three factors - upbringing,
natural talents and self-perceptions
- that have led each man to where he
is and will indicate where he will go.
Whereas Josh naturally bends
any assignment to himself, to how
he can personally benefit, Ryan nat-
urally bends himself to the assign-
ment, to how he can amaze the
grader. Whereas Josh is rigorous
in his quest for the right balance,
Ryan finds a balance in his rigor-
ous track. Whereas Josh thinks
life is a sculpture to be built from
scratch, uncertain of whether the
final product will stand strong but
confident in his approach, Ryan
thinks life is a sculpture to be built
from looking at other great models.
He has the blueprints of his ideal
life, and he is using the traditional,
provenmedium accordingly.
-Erik Torenberg can be
reached at erikto@umich.edu.
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Aida Ali, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Nirbhay Jain, Patrick Maillet,
Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Teddy Papes, Timothy Rabb,
Vanessa Rychlinski, Caroline Syms, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner
ERIKA MAYER
Looking for a place to write
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A defamer (allegedly) defamed
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Sometime last year I made the crazy deci-
sion to write a political science honors the-
sis - quite possibly the most insane thing I
have ever done. And this year I'm definitely
paying for it. Not because I want to cry when-
ever I think about how much work I have to
do (though that's true too, come to think of it)
but because I can't find a place to write the
stupid thing.
My apartment is great but has all the dis-
tractions of a TV, friends and a comfy bed that
are guaranteed to be much more interesting
than writing about alternative explanations
to American non-ratification of multilateral
treaties. In order to avoid succumbing to the
siren call of a soft pillow and down comforter,
I have to relocate my writing time. The Hon-
ors Commons in Mason Hall is the perfect
place to write - a mixture of activity and
quiet where I can always find a table and an
outlet. Alas, IShave a tendency of working past
4:30p.m. when the Honors Commons closes
every day, and it's not open on weekends,
which leaves me and my computer wandering
campus searching for an outlet.
One day, in some strange parody of an old
Mr. Bean movie, I found myself stopping in at
every possible study location on campus. I'll
be the first to admit, I'm kind of picky when
it comes to a solid place to set up camp for the
day. I know I could go to the Law Quad and
live in the Law Library with all the stressed-
out Law students. It would be quiet, and there
are plenty of outlets on the tables. But frank-
ly, the Law Library is a littletfrightening - I
always feel like the student next to me looks
like he hasn't moved for three days and might
burst into tears at any moment. Plus, it's too
creepy quiet in there, and I get distracted
by its prettiness. Ditto with the Graduate
Library reading room. And I'm pretty sure
people get distracted by all the other people
hooking up in the stacks, so I try to avoid that.
While there are lots of outlets, I got lost in
there for a few hours and might be still suf-
fering PTSD from the experience.
I tried North Quad - might as well take
advantage of the multimillion dollar build-
ing - but I couldn't find an outlet there for
the life of me. So I found myself standing in
front of the UGLi with an unfortunate situ-
ation. Theoretically, it's my library, where
the undergrads go to get work done - or talk,
as the reality is - but since I had my iPod I
was ready to brave it. Really, it should be the
perfect mix of company and isolation. But
as I worked my way up the floors desper-
ately searching for an outlet I realized that
my library was failing me. It wasn't until
I reached the fourth floor that I even found
outlets on the table and getting an open seat
was like a fight to the death.
Needless to say it wasn't a very productive
day, and I'm still on the hunt for a good place
to write. A good table with an outlet so I can
actually use my computer shouldn't be all that
hard to find on this world-class campus, but
it is. In the meantime, I'm using it as a good
excuse to not work - don't tell my adviser
(just kidding, I swear I'm writing).
Erika Mayer is an LSA senior.
The United States legal sys-
tem serves as a testament to
cohesive and fair jurispru-
dence. Our legal codes are among
the most volu-
minous of any
society - from
ancient Greece to
modern day. The
same legal sys-
tem that acquits "
the innocent
and persecutes EAGHAN
criminals leaves DAVIS
a discretionary
gap for civil mat-
ters. I don't need to say that there is a
need for a large canon of civil infrac-
tions that can be brought to the court.
Yet, when citizens use the courts to
propagate their hateful sentiments in
last-ditch attempts to save face, judg-
es must recognize and dismiss these
cases immediately.
An Oct. 31 article in The Michigan
Daily revealed that former Michigan
assistant attorney general Andrew
Shirvell filed alawsuit inthe U.S. Dis-
trict Court for the Eastern District
of Michigan. Shirvell is suing attor-
ney Deborah Gordon for $75,000 in
damages relating to his termination
last November from the Attorney
General's office. Shirvell was fired
after it was shown that he lied dur-
ing a disciplinary hearing about his
actions relating to former Michigan
Student Assembly President Chris
Armstrong. Shirvell claims in his lat-
est press release that Gordon, Arm-
strong's lawyer, engaged in a "year
long campaign of intimidation and
defamation" against him.
Shirvell's public crusade against
Armstrong, the University's first
openly gay student body president,
began after the 2010 MSA election.
Shirvell started a blog, "Chris Arm-
strong Watch," - which no longer
exists - called for action against
Armstrong's "radical homosexual
agenda."
Some people may ask why I've
written extensively about Andrew
Shirvell throughout my time at The
Michigan Daily. The answer is that
I have been involved with the mys-
terious case of Shirvell from the
start. Last fall, the Daily broke the
news of Shirvell's harassment, and I
was a member of the editorial board
that was one of the first groups to
respond to the incident. I remember
sitting in the offices of the Daily and
browsing Shirvell's blog. The first
post contained a photo of Armstrong
with "Resign" written over his face
and a rainbow flag with a swastika in
the middle of it next to him.
Later posts were even more dis-
turbing. As The Michigan Daily
reported in September 2010, Shirvell
labeled Armstrong a liar, an elitist,
a racist, a pervert, and a "viciously
militant homosexual activist." Upon
gaining press attention for his Inter-
net attacks, Shirvell made trips to
Ann Arbor to sit in on MSA meetings
and protest on the Diag. In one case,
Shirvell stalked Chris Armstrong
at a Halloween party, which on his
blog Shirvell equated to a "gay sex
orgy." Since then, Shirvell has made
numerous statements to the Daily
defending his actions.
After Shirvell's review by the
Michigan Attorney General's office
and former Attorney General Mike
Cox, he was dismissed - for good
reason. Shirvell was using Michi-
gan tax dollars - writing many of
his posts from the Attorney Gen-
eral's office, while on the clock -
to conduct very public defamation
against a University student. The
very thought of this man, whose job
was to protect the civil liberties of
Shirvell's legal
license should be
in question.
citizens of the state of Michigan,
not degrade them, is repugnant.
Aside from being bizarre,
Shirvell's actions were deemed
unacceptable by his employer, Mike
Cox - a right-wing politician who
sought to prosecute adultery as a
first-degree case of criminal sexual
conduct. Cox later admitted to com-
mitting adultery against his wife in
2005. During his two terms as Mich-
igan Attorney General, Cox joined
19 other state Attorney Generals in
opposing President Barack Obama's
federal health care legislation.
In simple terms, Shirvell was
dismissed from an office and
administration that was wrought in
controversy and duplicity. I'm fairly
certain if any licensed psychologist
examined Shirvell's actions against
Armstrong, they'd concur that he is
suffering from delusions of gran-
deur. The judge assigned to hear
arguments on Shirvell's latest law-
suit must see it for what it is: A last-
ditch attempt to save face. Shirvell's
license to practice law should be
in question, not his absurd claims
about one of our peers.
- Eaghan Davis can be reached
at daviseas@umich.edu.
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