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4A - Friday, September 9, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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the University of Michigan since 1890.
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Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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STEPHANIE STEINBERG
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MICHELLE DEWITT
and EMILY ORLEY
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
NICK SPAR
MANAGING EDITOR
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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.
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Printed Sept.12, 2001
4
SEPTEMBER 12, 2001
FR THE DAILY:
SEPTEMBER 13, 2001
There are certain images in history
that stand the test of time: These
include Times Square filled for V-J
Day, mourners gathering outside the Dakota
Apartment on Central Park West to lament
the death of John Lennon and the multi-mile
line to view the body of fallen President John
F. Kennedy lying in state at the U.S. Capitol.
For University students, one of the many
images that will define Sept. 11, 2001 is the
sight of 15,000 people gathered in the Diag
the largest gathering of its kind in University
history. ,
Just as we gathered on
the Diag on Tuesday, our
university must remain
united in the days, weeks,
months and years to come.
Quiet, solemn and respectful, students,
faculty, staff and administrators still in
shock and quite unsure of what the future
holds gathered to comfort one another.
Since most students are away from home,
it is the University community that must
serve as one large family.
Although Tuesday"s attacks on the United
States occurred hundreds of miles away from
Ann Arbor, they were still close to home.
And in the upcoming, uncertain days ahead,
it will be essential to maintain the genu-
inely close-knit University community that
emerged that evening on the Diag. As Michi-
gan Student Assembly Vice President Jessica
Cash said, the University "seemed a whole lot
smaller" Tuesday night.
The University has offered its resourc-
es for students to deal with the stress and
uncertainty of terrorist attacks. Student
should take advantage of counseling services
in the residence halls and in the University
unions.
Thesother promising sign that came out of
Tuesday's events was the fact that so many
student groups of differing backgrounds and
viewpoints came together to organize the
vigil. The organizers, from MSA to Students
Organizing for Labor and Economic Equal-
ity to the Black Student Union to Hillel and
so many others, should be thanked for their
commitment to the University and to the stu-
dent population.
The heated Palestinian-Israeli debate that
has placed great stress on the campus com-
munity this past year, was put aside on Tues-
day. At the vigil, Muslims stood next to Jews,
Palestinians embraced Israelis.
We can only hope that Tuesday"s horrors
in New York and Washington will serve as a
foundation for tolerance. There is no doubt
that the Israeli-Palestinian crisis will be fur-
ther debated and connected to Tuesday"s
terrorist attacks.
Just as we gathered in the Diag on Tues-
day, our university must remain united in the
days, weeks, months and years to come.
FROM THE.
UNIVERSITY
The University of Michigan
prides itself on its longstanding
history of acceptance and
tolerance- of all cultures. These
assets are the cornerstone of our
education, and are integral in
good times, and an utmost
necessity in times of stress and
trying.
Yesterday morning's events have
thrown us into a catastrophe on a
magnitude;never experienced
before. The day has been
tumultuous; we don't know what to
believe; we don't know what to
think.
This crisis is an opportunity
for us to practice what we
preach; it is an opportunity for us
to come together, recognize and
pay proper respect to the tragedy,
and unite behind one another.
We are all in the same boat -
confused.
Things are difficult right now,
and they will be for some time to
come while we try to interpret
what has happened. Let's take
this opportunity to unite behind
our common values of diversity,
tolerance and acceptance.
Terrorism only succeeds when it
forces its victims to change their
practices, and we refuse to let
terrorism succeed.
As noted by President Bollinger,
if you have any questions regarding
counseling, help lines, or anything
else, www.umich.edu will have
continual updates as they occur.
Sincerely,
E. Royster Harper
Vice President for Student Affairs
Matt Nolan
President
Michigan Student Assembly
Jessica Cash
Vice President
Michigan Student Assembly
PRINTED SEPTEMBER 12, 2001
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esterday morning, the col- culate does nothing but fuel
lective sense of American hysteria and promote fear the
security was shattered by United States has been attacked, but
rwhelming terrorist attack the nation is not "at war."
rst of its kind on American The Pearl Harbor analogy should
the face of this catastrophe, also remind us of the horrific con-
rstandable feeling of futility sequences of the mass-hysteria that
ds the people of this nation. A swept the nation after the bombing.
ion toward action is justified, Fearing a Japanese invasion of the
tion must be exercised. The west coast, the United States govern-
hat transpired yesterday are ment (later with the blessing of the
enough, without being exac- U.S. Supreme Court in its Korematsu
by the immediate scramble decision) forced Japanese-American
civilians into internment camps.
While the situation in the Pacific was
igmatizing any tense and invasion fears could be jus-
tified, the forced internment of Amer-
ican citizens in internment camps
of racially- regardless of how likely an attack
from imperial Japan may have been
eled motives is was a tremendous national disgrace.
excusable and Unfortunately, the race-baiting
experienced by Japanese-Americans
e should come in the wake of Pearl Harbor seems
to have been visited upon Arab- and
'ether to ensure Muslim-Americans following recent
t everyone feels terrorist attacks. In the days imme-
diately following the bombing of the
on this campus Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in
I in Ann Arbor. Oklahoma City, arsonists attacked
mosques and Arab-owned business-
es across the country
Even more disturbingly and closer
fingers. This situation super- to home, in "enlightened" Ann Arbor
olitical ideals, affiliations or reports of harassment and violence
es. Of utmost importance at against Arab and Muslim students
nt is respect for the lost and trickled in yesterday. The harass-
ate action to aid the living. ment caused enough unease in the
a natural human instinct to Arab/Muslim student population
swers to the multitude of that the Muslim Student Associa-
ns involving who is guilty tion distributed an e-mail cautioning
crime. However, the back- Arab/Muslimstudents to, "alwaysbe
this event must be tempered ingroupsoftwo or more," and "never
ncere attempt at rational- be out after dark, unless absolutely
eady, esteemed commenta- necessary." Stigmatizing any group
e attempted to draw parallels because of racially-fueled motives
n yesterday"s tragedy and is inexcusable and we should come
Japanese attack on the U.S. together to ensure that everyone
Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor feels safe on this campus and in Ann
cipitated the United States" Arbor.
to World War It. While this Members of minority groups are
is useful to a degree it defi- not the only people who have to
ommunicates some sense of worry about irrational responses to
gnitude and significance of terrorism. Terrorist acts have been
nt it can also be dangerously used before to promote reckless
ing. crackdowns on civil liberties. The
'eas the attack on Pearl Har- Espionage Act of 1917, for example,
an act of war by one nation exploited World War I to target dis-
the military installation of sentingpoliticalgroupswho opposed
nation, there is no indication American policies during the war.
terday"s attack was anything The perpetrators of yesterday"s
an an elaborate strike perpe- assault have alreadytaken more than
y an independently-financed we can comprehend we should not
t organization. The rhetoric allow their actions to be an excuse to
hawks that continues to cir- take our rights as well.
There also exists the danger of
this event being exploited for parti-
san agendas. The most fearful reac-
tion would be one that validates a
cornerstone of President George W.
Bush"s administration: Increased
militarization..
Bush has been a tireless advocate
for increased defense spending, but
his plans dump billionsofdollarsinto
creating a military state that fails to
offer any real protection in today"s
world. Bush has largely ignored crit-
ics from both major political parties
who point out that his plan ignores
terrorist organizations and other
non-state actors.
Bush"s missile defense plan is
based on an antiquated view of
the international theater. Bush"s
proposed defense plan would have
been wholly ineffective against
yesterday's terrorist attack. The
United States needs to be more
concerned with the allocation of
its defense spending, and not nec-
essarily on beefing up any and all
military programs simply because
they once worked.
The question is not
whether the United
States will react
to the worst act of
terrorism in our
history, but what
sort of reaction
there will be.
These attacks willillicit a response
unheard of in American history. The
question is not whether the United
States will react to the worst act of
terrorism in our history, but what
sort of reaction there willbe.
Our nation needs to temper its
response and avoid knee-jerk reac-
tions to this disaster.
Even as Americans try to com-
prehend the tragedy of yesterday"s
events, the nation must begin to
cope with the harsh prospect of an
insecure tomorrow. Although our
efforts, first and foremost, must be
directed toward helping the victims
of the present calamity, our collec-
tive minds must turn to the preven-
tion of an equally bleak future.
I
4
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I
JOINT STUDENT STATEMENT
n light of yesterday's
tragedy, we stand united in
condemnation of these
heinous attacks. Together, we
must grieve and ultimately
overcome. This crime forces us
to contemplate every held
belief about ourselves, our
community, our nation, and
our world.
This attack could make our
world appear dark and dismal,
or could be an opportunity for
cohesion and growth. It is vital
that we stand together as a
united community, held
together by the bonds of
humanity, love, and compas-
sion.
By virtue of the community
in which we are a part, the
value of diversity has been
deeply embedded within all of
us. The University of Michigan
is unique, special, and a place
which we are proud to call our
home, as a result of this
diversity, but also tolerance.
This tolerance has never been
more crucial than now. The
microcosm that we call our
home can serve as an
international example of
diversity, tolerance, and peace.
It is in our hands.
This statement was co-signed
by the following studentgroups.
CAMPUs RELIGION NETWoRK
PROJECT SERVE
MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY
STUDENT ORGANIZING FOR LABOR
AND IECONOMIC itt" .AITS
In solidarity, ALPHA IOTA OMICRON
AMERICAN CIVn. LIBERTIES UNION
EL TRONSTEIN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
RACH
.,.. President
LSA Student Government
As'AD TARSIN
President
Muslim Students Association
TzEDEK: A JEWISH SOCIAL JUSTICE
CONSORTIUM
BLACK STUDENT UNION
COLLEGE DEMOCRATS
LA Voz
PERSIAN STUDENTS ASSOCIATloN
ISRAELMIcIGAN PUBLIC
ACAIRts COEMrTEr
UNIVERSITY ACTIVITIES CENTER
I
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PRINTED SEPTEMBER 12, 2001