01 4A - Thursday, April 12, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com k b Mi*ndiwgan Ba4ly Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com 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.