4- Friday April 6, 2012
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ASHLEY GRIESSHAMMER
JOSEPH LICHTERMAN and ANDREW WEINER JOSH HEALY
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.
Stripping rights
Supreme court decision puts detainees at risk
ichigan is currently one of four states spending more on
prisons and corrections than on education. Now, thanks
to a U.S. Supreme Court decision, Michigan's return on
investment in those incarcerated will increase, by means of greater
access to detainee's physiques. In a 5-4 decision earlier this week, the
Supreme Court upheld jailer's rights to subject any incoming detain-
ees to full body cavity strip searches without probable cause. The strip
searches, legitimized without warranted suspicions, are a violation of
fourth amendment rights and detainees' dignity, and have proven to
be unnecessary to keep contraband out of prison systems.
Take care of each other
A s graduation approaches, it's sociologist Robert N. Bellah writes,
time we talked about people, "therapy was probably more a sup-
not just institutions. If we port for those placed under unprec-
want to make a edented psychic demands than a
difference in the cure for new mental ills." Inthe same
world, we'd bet- way, the development of such pro-
ter understand gramming can offer vital aid, but it's
how everything a symptom of a troubled society that
- from schools pits us against each other while doing
to states to cor- less and less to prepare us for what
porations - is . . matters most.
organized. But It's no surprise that America's top-
remember: they JOEL grossing movie imagines a future
don't organize BATTERMAN nation whose youth are forced to
themselves. Peo- fight to the death. In 1993, when the
ple have priority. USSR was still within recent mem-
You can live without the University ory, Lois Lowry's "The Giver" could
- it can't live without you and tens of still warn of a vaguely socialistdysto-
thousands of other individuals. That pia where apparent harmony masked
means that whatever institutions underlying tyranny. "The Hunger
throw at us - finals, for instance - Games" series may be the young-
we need to take care of each other as adult nightmare more suited to a
people, first. time when open, cutthroat competi-
I confess, I haven't always excelled tion is the global norm.
at this. I'm coming off almost two I'm careful to say "taking care
straight decades of formal schooling, of each other," not just ourselves,
which I've mostly loved, but some- because while we need to do both,
times to the point of abuse. Binging proposed solutions to the latter can
on course overloads never seemed reinforce the radical individualism
to end well, and lately I've benefited that created the problem in the first
from spending more time with living place. Therapeutic calls to "self-
people in addition to the folks in my care," and more New Agey advice
books. to simply "be," may be helpful more
My addiction to institutional often than not. But neither usually
structures may have been more offers more than personalized rem-
extreme than most, but it's not edies to societal discontents.
unique. Our culture of global compe- The most fulfilling action we can
tition and technological miracles is take may involve joining commit-
great at plenty of things, but teaching ments to particular people with a
us to take care of each other isn't one broader social purpose. Last week-
of them. Our generation, most of all, end, other students and I met with
bears witness to the crowding out of longtime area residents who grew up
the human connections that are our in the place we now call Kerrytown,
species' greatest need. but which used to be Ann Arbor's
Over the past 25 years, U.S. stu- black neighborhood before gentrifi-
dents' emotional health has steadily cation in the 1980s. I've studied seg-
declined even as campus counseling regation and metropolitan inequality
services and administered "student for a few years now, but hearing these
life" programs have expanded. As ladies' stories, and considering my
own part in that history, gave more
meaning to things I've known mostly
as abstractions. For all the talk about
people as rational actors, we remain
creatures of feeling as well as reason.
This is why people-scaled institu-
tions, such as Ann Arbor's student
housing co-ops, hold so much prom-
ise, and why those of us attached to
particular communities can often
make more change than those who
mostly stay within the Beltway, or,
for that matter, Ann Arbor's own lit-
tle freewayloop.
Spend time with
living folks in
addition to books.
6
6
The plaintiff in the case, Albert Florence of
New Jersey, was pulled over while en route to
a family celebration. Police sawa warrant was
out for his arrest for an unpaid traffic ticket.
Florence had in fact already paid the fine and
even carried proof that the warrant had been
rescinded, but he was arrested nonetheless.
Florence had not been convicted of any
crime at the time of the incident, nor was there
reason to suspect he was hiding any contra-
band. Yet, he was then taken to county jail
where the jailers conducted a cavity search.
He was transferred to another jail, where he
was subject to a second strip search. Florence's
charges were eventually dropped, and he then
filed suit against the jails for violation of his
Fourth Amendment rights against unreason-
able searches and seizure.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, often the swing
vote between the court's four conservative and
four liberal justices, cast his vote touphold cor-
rectional officials' rightto subject any detainee
to strip searches without probable cause.
In Kennedy's written opinion, he argued
that the randomness of strip searches -
regardless of reasonable suspicion -was used
as an effective deterrent for inmates or detain-
ees against smugglingcontraband into prisons.
Limiting strip searches to only criminals con-
victed of violent or drug related crimes would
give criminals a loophole to bring weapons or
drugs into prisons.
Kennedy also argues that the seriousness
of an offense is a poor indicator of whether
a detainee is hiding contraband. Therefore,
he says, requiring probable cause shouldn't
restrict strip searches. This logic is paranoid
and further criminalizes people who should be
working toward rehabilitation.
Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the dissent-
ing opinion. He argued that in the records of
a county jail, out of 75,000 inmates that were
strip searched, three were hiding contraband
detectable only througha strip search. Of those
three detainees, all of them had drug or felony
history that would have given probable cause
for the use of a strip search.
The Supreme Court was wrong in its deci-
sion to uphold strip searches without probable
cause. Cavity searches should be limited only
to people rightly suspected of carrying con-
traband. The safety of the prisons can still be
assure as records continue to show that jailers
almost always have probable cause for detain-
ees more likely to smuggle drugs. Americans'
Fourth Amendment rights must be taken seri-
ously, especially in an increasingly violent and
crowded corrections system.
It's not always easy to toe the line
between public and strictly person-
al interests, or what one of former
Detroit Mayor Coleman Young's
left-leaning mentors termed "the
class struggle" and "the ass strug-
gle." Yet, we owe it to ourselves to
take care of each other on scales
both large and small, whether it's
with a friend over coffee or with
crowds on the Capitol steps. To
have hope of transforming our
institutions, we first need to sustain
ourselves as people against all the
pressures they place on our souls.
Our age needs more of the "creative-
ly maladjusted," in the words of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., and we also
need each other for the strength to
take on the world as it is.
-Joel Batterman can be reached at
jomba@umich.edu.
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Life lessons from oIommates
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Aida Ali, Laura Argintar, Kaan Avdan, Ashley Griesshammer, Nirbhay Jain, Jesse Klein,
Patrick Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Harsha Panduranga, Timothy Rabb, Adrienne
Roberts, Vanessa Rychlinski, Sarah Skaluba, Seth Soderborg, Caroline Syms, Andrew Weiner
AHMED HASAN
Boycott, Divest and Sanctions
As we write this piece, more than 5,300 Pal-
estinians are imprisoned in Israeli jails. Zero
Israelis are imprisoned in Palestinian jails. A
total of 24,813 Palestinian homes have been
demolished by Israel since 1967. Zero Israeli
homes have been demolished by Palestinians
since then.' Some 172 Jewish-only settlements
and 101 "outposts" have been erected on confis-
cated Palestinian land. Zero Palestinian settle-
ments exist on any Israeli land. These facts and
many like them make clear that what is happen-
ing in Israel and the Palestinian territories is
not simply a "conflict." It's a decades-long colo-
nial campaign led by the Israeli military that
aims to disenfranchise the indigenous race and
to purify the land of non-Jews by implementing
an apartheid system.
MichiganBDS is a new student organization
that is dedicated to the philosophythat students
have the power to help end apartheid in Israel
and the Palestinian territories. This power is
derived from our ability to hold our University
accountable for its complicit role in injustice:
Our Universityinvests in corporations -such as
weapons manufacturers Northrop Grumman,
Raytheon, among many others - that profit off
the injustices in the Middle East. Our initiative
does this by bringing together a diverse group
of student activists dedicated to responding to
the 2005 global call by Palestinian civil society
for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions. BDS is
defined by a rights-based approach that aims to
launch broad boycotts, implement divestment
initiatives and demand sanctions against the
Israeli government until it meets its obligation
to recognize the Palestinian people's inalien-
able right to self-determination and until it
meets its obligations by:
1. Ending its occupation and colonization of
all Arab lands occupied in June 1967 and dis-
mantling the wall separating the Palestinian
territories.
2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of
the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full
equality.
3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the
rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their
homes and properties as stipulated in UN Reso-
lution 194.
MichiganBDS is not concerned with imple-
menting a particular state solution to the Israe-
li-Palestinian impasse. We are rights activists
who focus on pressuring the Israeli and Ameri-
can governments - since America gives $8 mil-
lion per day in military aid to Israel - to end
racist practices that deny the rights of Palestin-
ian refugees, of Palestinians in Israel proper
and of Palestinians in the occupied territories.
For example, Jewish-only roads and illegal
Israeli checkpoints are located throughout the
West Bank - restricting Palestinian movement
and freedom. Humiliated, Palestinians must
routinely wait hours for access through these
checkpoints as they attempt to live their daily
lives. Furthermore, Palestinians within Israel
are treated as second-class citizens. Israel has
more than 30 main laws that both directly and
indirectly discriminate against their Palestin-
ian citizens. One law passed explicitly outlaws
citizenship to non-Israeli non-Jews who marry
Jews. These realities are too reminiscent of the
institutionalized racism that existed in South
Africa, the United States and elsewhere in the
world not too long ago.
The inspiration for BDS as atool for resisting
the racist policies of the Israeli state comesfrom
the victory of the South African anti-apartheid
movement's boycott call, which pressured firms
that profited from the South African apartheid
regime. The movement empowered masses
in the United States and elsewhere to demand
that institutions boycott the apartheid regime.
University students were at the forefront of
that struggle and have long been committed to
divestment as a legitimate method for ensuring
that our University is not complicit in injus-
tice. In 1978, a group of students successfully
convinced the Board of Regents to withdraw
its deposits from and discontinue purchasing
short-term money market instruments from
banks who dealt with the racist South African
regime. This momentous success gives us hope
that one day the University will divest from the
racist practices of the Israeli government as well.
MichiganBDS invites all students to join us
in demanding the University not serve as an
accomplice to apartheid in Israel. Our Univer-
sity needs to divest from companies that profit
off selling equipment to the Israeli government
that is used to oppress Palestinians. We have a
moral obligation to demand that our University
divests from socially irresponsible companies.
MichiganBDS will work tirelessly to make that
happen.
Ahmed Hasan is an LSA senior.
ne bearded professor, 120
credits and countless lec-
tures have definitely taught
me a lot during
my four years at
the University.
And while I've
accumulated
immense knowl-
edge through
my studies, I
would argue that
some of the most LEAH
valuable lessons POTKIN
learned as a col-
lege student are
those stemming from the ups and
downs of living with roommates.
During my time in Ann Arbor, I lived
in a quad (turned triple) in Oxford,
a sorority house with 50 girls and
then a house with six girls - a com-
pilation conducive to encountering
a variety of disagreements growing
into learning experiences, which
ultimately helped me grow and learn
more about others and myself. So,
for anyone who ever has or ever will
live with roommates, I've compiled
a short list, in no particular order, of
some of the most essential lessons
I've learned over these years, some-
times at the price of friendships -
and sanity.
1. Never eat your roommate's food
without their permission.
While it may have been OK to
raid your friends' refrigerators in
high school, tables turn when Mom
and Dad aren't restocking them on
an as-needed basis. If what your
roommate is eating looks good,
feel free to ask to try it, but never
take it without asking - ever. And
if a late-night study session or an
alcohol-induced, momentary lapse
in judgment leads you to steal some
grub, be sure to tell your roommate,
apologize and replace said food
within one business day.
2. Deleting your roommate'sfavor-
ite showfrom the DVR is never okay.
Sure nearly all television shows
can now be easily found on the
Internet, but sometimes the lapse in
time between a new episode airing
and it being posted online is simply
too long. So, never assume that your
roommate has already watched his
or her recorded show. If you need
space on the DVR, be sure to ask all
roommates - e-mails work well for
large groups - before even thinking
about hitting the delete button. And
remember, just because an episode
is old does not mean it is up for dele-
tion - some people take comfort in
knowing their favorite episode of
"Friends" is only a click away.
3. Always clean up after yourself
Though it sounds obvious enough,
this piece of advice is vital. Because
having a roommate involves shar-
ing space, it's essential that people
respect their roommates' space
and clean up after themselves. This
concept may be alien to some who
are used to having someone pick up
after them at home or whose parents
tolerated unkempt rooms through-
out their childhood. When observed
by all roommates, this tip can help
roommates and housemates avoid
potential fights and confrontations,
and maintain a happy and healthy
household. Remember, there are
just as many neat freaks as there are
slobs out there.
4. Know your roommates' sched-
ules.
This is a big one, as it refers to
everything from sleep schedules
and class schedules to eating sched-
ules and shower schedules. After all,
there never are enough bathrooms.
The more you know the better off
you are. But most importantly, never
interrupt a roommate mid-REM
sleep cycle, as this can cause pro-
longed grumpiness and aggravation.
Not to mention it's always good to
know when the stove or shower will
be in use to keep your own schedule
on track.
5. If your roommate is sick, take
precaution - you will get sick too.
I wish this weren't the case, buta
sick roommate always almost means
a sick house. Take precaution: Lysol
all surfaces, open windows to get
fresh air, use a new toothbrush and
keep hand sanitizer within a one
foot radius at all times. If these tac-
tics don't work, resort to mask wear-
ing and quarantine. Such extreme
measures might be necessary to
avoid keeping a virus circulating
among roommates for weeks or even
months.
A variety of
disagreements
helped me grow.
6. Learn to compromise.
When all's said and done, this is
by far the most important thing to
remember. Learning to share space
is never easy, especially considering
everyone has his or her own idea of
what defines a suitable living envi-
ronment. So, when the garbage is
overflowing or your roommate's stuff
is on your side of the room, take one
for the team and fix it yourself. If the
problem persists, talk to your room- 0
mate about the issue and find a way
to compromise that works for both of
you. Bottom line: Failing to compro-
mise is a sure fire way to lose friends.
All in all, living with roommates
is a great learning experience and
makes college all the more fun. How-
ever, sharing space with people is
bound to cause problems now and
again, and it's important that stu-
dents understand how they can best
deal with these situations and ulti-
mately how they can learn to bet-
ter deal with people in the process.
Though not a textbook-defined skill,
the ability to interact with others
to resolve differences and maintain
friendships is one of the most impor-
tant skills students can learn while
attending the University and will
stay with them long after the names
of 18th century English poets are
long forgotten.
So remember, asking is always bet-
ter than taking, waking people up is
never OK and, if all else fails, at least
always remember to lock the front
door.
- Leah Potkin can be reached at
lpotkin@umich.edu.
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