01
4A - Thursday, April 12, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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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 isthe public editor. He can be reached at publiceditor@michigandaily.com.
Broad language
Arizona cyber-bullying bill isn't specific enough
Arizona residents might have to think twice before they decide
to leave a scathing comment on an inane article they read
online because that comment could soon be considered a form
of cyberbullying. An anti-cyberbullying bill that recently passed in
Arizona is extremely broad and could authorize arrests for those who
write inappropriate comments on social media and news sites. While
it's crucial that lawmakers do as much as possible to end cyberbully-
ing, a line needs to be drawn between personally harassing and emo-
tionally harming an individual and expressing one's beliefs through
digital means.
I can tell you we did not come to this decision lightly.
We do not prosecute by public pressure."
-State Attorney Angela B. Corey said yesterday after announcing that George Zimmerman is facing
charges of second degree murder for the shooting of Trayvon Martin, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The'War on Women'
The Arizona Legislature passed amend-
ments to House Bill 2549 earlier this month,
which revised the state's telephone harass-
ment law. This new language applies to a
wide variety of dialogue transmitted over
"electronic or digital communications." If
"annoying or offending" language is used,
it could send offenders to jail for up to six
months. While the amendment has good
intentions, its language is broad and full of
loopholes, making it potentially harmful to
those who engage in online discussion, limit-
ing First Amendment rights.
Cyberbullying has become increasingly.
prevalent among young people and needs to
be taken seriously. Laws like these are pro-
gressive, and aim to prevent personal harm
from occurring on the Internet. The Internet
is a space less easily controlled by parents,
so some regulations are necessary to protect
children and teenagers. However, this law
goes a step too far.
The language of this amendment contains
many loopholes, making it easy for there to
be frivolous lawsuits against minor occur-
rences. Speech formerly protected by the
Constitution will now be criminalized. For
example, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
recently called President Barack Obama
"stupid" on Twitter. This comment could be
considered offensive and annoying, possibly
making it illegal under Arizona law. If this
law was widespread, millions of comments
like this would be illegal and many visible,
important people could be prosecuted.
This is not the first law in Arizona that is
controversial. This year, Arizona has passed
laws that limit ethnic minorities' rights and
that took overwhelmingly conservative mea-
sures such as banning ethnic studies classes
in schools. A bill was even passed that pro-
hibits medical malpractice lawsuits against
doctors who keep information from a woman
which might convince her to have an abor-
tion. These laws and others represent a prob-
lematic trend of increasingly conservative
laws being passed in Arizona.
Cyberbulling and stalking are extremely
serious issues that must be addressed. The
government has the crucial responsibility to
prevent this type of behavior, as it is hard for
parents and family members to control. How-
ever, this amendment's language is too broad,
and it limits citizens' right to free speech.
Trying to combat the serious problem of
cyberbullying is commendable, but the bill's
vague language seriously oversteps the fine
line between protecting youth from person-
ally offensive language and restraining peo-
ple's ability to express their opinions.
to typical that preceding an
election year we see an array
of national and global issues
surge to the
front of the
United States
political stage.
In the 2012
' election, I had
well anticipat-
ed some of the
issues we have SARAH
seen take prior- ROHAN
ity throughout
the campaign -
issues like healthcare, the Middle
East and the economy. However,
one issue currently dominating the
campaign that I had not foreseen is
women's health rights. Democrats
have dubbed the recent barrage of
reproductive-related laws as a "war
on women," an allegation which
Republicans assert holds as much
water as a "war on caterpillars."
Considering women comprised 53
percent of 2008 presidential elec-
tion voters, and whether or not
the 430 reproduction-related bills
proposed since January constitute
a "war on women," Republicans
should use their discretion and
make peace with women if they
want one of their own as president
in 2012.
Whether it's access to contracep-
tion, abortion or cancer screening,
a significant number of women in
this country feel as though their
rights are being assaulted. Obama
is using this sentiment of viola-
tion of women's rights to bolster
his campaign. "And people say we
should get rid of Planned Parent-
hood," Obama said on Friday to an
audience of women at the White
House. "They're not just talking
about restricting a woman's ability
to make her own health decisions.
They are talking about denying as
a practical matter the preventative
care, like mammograms, that mil-
lions of women rely on."
The message that Republicans
are denying previously guaranteed
rights to women seems to resonate
with independent female voters.
According to a March Gallup poll,
51 percent of independent female
voters in swing states say they
would vote for Obama, while only
37 percent say they would vote for
MitttRomney. Justhfour months
ago. the same poll showed Romney
leading Obama among independent
women voters by five points. So
what has changed since December?
In the wake of state-level cuts
to women's healthcare, Obama has
taken decisive action condemn-
ing these practices. In March,
the Republican-dominated Texas
Legislature announced it would
be cutting state funds to Planned
Parenthood, an organization that
provides screenings and contra-
ception and performs abortions
- which, let us not forget, are still
legal in this country. As a result of
the Texas cuts, the Obama admin-
istration said it would stop funding
Texas' Women's Health Program
if the state continued to neglect
Planned Parenthood. By contrast,
Romney supports funding cuts to
Planned Parenthood, having stated
in a television interview, "Planned
Parenthood, we're going to get rid
of that."
In addition to widespread cuts to
abortion-providing healthcare clin-
its, 15 states proposed bills this year
which would alter abortion require-
ments to discourage the proce-
dure. Most of these bills stipulate a
required ultrasound and subsequent
24-hour waiting period before the
abortion. Anti-abortion groups call
the practice "informed consent."
Those opposing the new bills call
it "a violation of the doctor-patient
relationship" since the bills compel
doctors to behave in a way which,
may not coincide with the doctors'
own professional opinion. So far, ver-
sions of the bill have passed in Texas,
Virginia and Kentucky.
Many females
think their rights
are being abused.
0
0
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Laura Argintar, Kaan Avdan, Eli Cahan, 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
MAX HELLER I
Keep all options on the table
s is a mover
In a speech to the American Israel Pub-
lic Affairs Committee last month, President
Barack Obama emphasized that all options
must remain on the table in order to prevent
Iran from developingnuclear weapons. He has
also continuously stressed that the world must
give economic sanctions a chance to curb Iran's
nuclear ambitions before any potential military
action is discussed. It's critical to recognize
that while American efforts to impose sanc-
tions have been admirable, the idea of sanctions
necessitate full international cooperation in
order to realize their intended impact.
Oftentimes, commentators are critical of
sanction skeptics who doubt that they will
effectively dissuade Iran from developing a
nuclear weapon. It's presumed that these skep-
tics desire an armed military conflict with Iran
and are chastised as beingthe same "hawks that
got the United States into Iraq." That miscon-
ception couldn't be further from the truth. The
reservation thatmany harbor about sanctions is
not that they can't or won't work. Rather, the
lack of cooperation around the implementation
of sanctions means that we may never witness
their intended impact.
This rationale is ever-present in Israeli
Defense Minister Ehud Barak's assessment of
the situation. Barak surmised on CNN that the
"tightest possible sanctions ... should be ratch-
eted in a way thatwilleffectively corner (Iran)."
Barak lacks confidence in the current
level of sanctions, but does believe that with
enough cooperation, sanctions may have
a shot at curbing Iran's nuclear ambition.
Hence, it is increasingly troubling to watch
China and Russia hesitate to adopt the same
type of stiff sanctions imposed by the United
States and embraced by the European Union.
While the U.S. and EU members have taken
steps to prevent businesses based in their
countries from engaging in trade with Iran,
two of the world's largest economic behe-
moths continue to provide a lifeline to Teh-
ran, even though it's increasingly clear that
the Iranian nuclear program poses a signifi-
cant threat to the world community.
Some Chinese and Russian businesses have
decided on their own that it's a wise decision
to halt trade with Iran. Take for example,
China P&I Club, a ship insurer that had, until
recently, provided indemnity cover for tank-
ers carrying Iranian oil exports. Due to the
sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the E.U.,
China P&I Club found that it was one of the
only players left in a market in which operat-
ing as such poses a large amount of financial
risk. Thus, they decided to halt providing
such coverage.
While the example of the China P&I Club
may leave us feeling warm about the potential
for sanctions to realize their intended impact,
imagine how much more effective the effort
would be if such action was mandated by the
Chinese and Russian governments the same
way the U.S. and E.U. have done. All ship insur-
ers would immediately exit the Iranian market,
depriving ships of coverage and thus cutting off
Iranian oil exports.
Unfortunately, such isolation of Iran is
unlikely to be realized due to China and Rus-
sia's refusal to fully adopt sanctions. Thus,
when Israel and the U.S. discuss leaving all
options on the table vis-a-vis Iran, it's not a
position taken by choice. The only reason
they are forced into discussing the possibil-
ity of armed conflict is because other critical
players have already chosen their position:
they would rather allow the development of
a nuclear Iran than participate in a compre-
hensive sanctions process.
Some critics argue that the best way to
handle Iran is to hold diplomatic talks with-
out preconditions in order to dissuade the
Iranians from pursuing a nuclear weapon.
However, people like Clare Lopez, a former
CIA operations officer and presently a senior
fellow at the Center for Security Policy, rec-
ognize that such a tactic plays into the hands
of Iran, as it will enable them to continue
kicking the can down the road and running
out the clock in pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
Lopez is scheduled to visit the University on
April 15 at the Ford School of Public Policy to
discuss the most effective strategies to pre-
vent Iran from going nuclear.
Max Heller is a Business junior.
N o justice!" I called out.
"No peace!" hundreds
of voices shouted
back. We refuse to be silent - now,
more than ever,
we must act.
On Tuesday,
hundreds of my
peers and com-
munity members
took a stand for
justice as part
of the Million
Hoodie March-
es that have YONAH
been occurring LIEBERMAN
across the coun-
try over the past
six weeks after
George Zimmerman killed Trayvon
Martin on Feb.26.
A lot of things have been writ-
ten about this case. I can't shed new
light on the facts or clarify things
any more clearly than they already
are. This is not a complicated issue
- it's an issue of justice.
Zimmerman - who just yester-
day was finally charged with mur-
der and taken into custody - felt
threatened by Martin because of
the outrageously outdated stereo-
types surrounding young black
men. These stereotypes are per-
petuated by media outlets and our
country's institutions.
I write this as a privileged white
man, who has never been confronted
with such dehumanizing stereo-
types. Patrick Parkinson, an LSA
junior, is a black male who helped
organize the march and spoke after-
wards. He said that each time a white
woman walks by him at night and
clutches her purse closer to her, the
feeling is like a stab to his heart.
I will never feel that pain.
What I can feel is the pain of
a deep injustice. Not just at the
murder itself, but at the police and
state's slow response to the murder.
I do not want my children grow-
ing up ina world where their friends
could be killed based on the color of
their skin. I refuse to leave the fight-
ing just to those who are directly
affected by our society's backwards
value system. I feel compelled to join
in the movement to bring Zimmer-
man to justice and expose the flawed
institutions that our country is built
around for whatthey are.
The march was a great first step.
We walked down major streets with
plenty of onlookers and got plenty
of attention. It was empowering to
walk among the bystanders, know-
ing that we walk for justice.
The most inspiring moment
came near the end of the march. As
we marched through the narrow
walkway between Randall Library
and West Hall, our chants echoed
back at us. "What do we want?"
"Justice!" "When do we want it?"
"Now!" This refrain has been used
thousands of times, around the
world, in many different languag-
es, for decades. With the echo, we
seemed to be engulfed within the
glorious history of activism.
But it does not end here. We
know that a march is just a march
if there is no attempt to make it part
of a movement.
After the equally unjust state-
sponsored assassination of Troy
Davis in Georgia on Sept. 21, 2011,
there were small-scale protests on
campus and across the country. I
now view that time as a crucial les-
son in this work. It taught me the
need for sustainability and targets.
There are three targets at play
here:
First, the laws. Loose gun laws
and supposed "Stand Your Ground"
laws are at the root of the institu-
tional problems that have led to
reckless homicides without cause
all across the country. Like Florida,
Michigan also has a "Stand Your
Ground" law, HB 5143. This law
removes the legal duty to retreat
from a situation and allows people
to use lethal force when feeling
threatened. Because of the loose
interpretations this law permits,
We have also seen media scandals
provoked by right-wing figures like
Rush Limbaugh, who found himself
in hot water after calling a law stu-
dent who advocated for insurance-
covered birth control a "slut" The
incident has undoubtedly contrib-
uted to a sense that there is a "war
on women," among those in favor of
women's reproductive rights.
Although the various attacks on
women's health-related actions have
been a disturbing trend the last few
months, calling these measures a
"war on women" may be pushing
it. However, as long as Democrat-
ic supporters continue to defend
women's rights against the Repub-
lican's alleged "war on women,"
semantics do not matter. Romney,
the presumptive Republican nomi-
nee (especially in light of yesterday's
announcement from the Santorum
campaign), must step in and make a
grand gesture to promote women's
health rights. If he and his party
don't, the Republicans will lose the
war for the White House.
- Sarah Rohan can be reached
at shrohan@umich.edu.
nent
several systematically oppressed
members of society are the likely
victims of these homicides simply
because of the color of their skin
and the clothing they are wearing.
Students and community activists
are already going through the pro-
cess to get a proposition to repeal
the law on the ballot in November.
Real change "
can't happen
overnight.
Second, our campus community.
"Stand Your Ground" laws are made 0
worse by stereotypes that society
holds. These stereotypes - as have
been repeatedly and publicly stated
- continue to be used on this cam-
pus against students of color. We
should hold seminars, trainings and
workshops in order to combat these
stereotypes head on with education
and dialogue.
Third, our administration. The
complete and utter lack of diversity
on this campus contributes to igno-
rance and apathy. The only way to
change this is through the adminis-
tration. Students from the Coalition
for Tuition Equality and eRACism
will once again demonstrate before
the University's Board of Regents at
their monthly meeting. Join us at 2
p.m. on April 19th at the Cube for a
rally before the meeting.
We need a sustainable movement
to create real change. It cannot hap-
pen overnight. These are not the
only targets, but they are at least
a starting point. And we must get
started.
- Yonah Lieberman can be reached
at yonahl@umich.edu. Follow him
on twitter at @YonahLieberman.