4A - Thursday, February 21, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4A - Thursday, February 21, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom *I C 4e Michigan 43alblu CONOR ANDERSON E-MAIL. CONOR Nr CTCA( UMICH.FDU Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com MELANIE KRUVELIS and ADRIENNE ROBERTS MATT SLOVIN EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR ANDREW WEINER EDITOR IN CHIEF Oramge y~ou 9Ad j 6LaNn? ;, Flint is ours, too 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. Racism in disguise Abolish offensive American Indian mascots locally n Feb. 14, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education calling for an end of the continued use of American Indian mas- cots, slogans and imagery in 35 public schools across the state of Michigan. The MDCR cites new evidence revealing the negative effects on the learning environments of students as the reason for requesting federal intervention against these schools. Although intentions of the MDCR are correct, bringing in the federal govern- ment is an overreach. This issue should be dealt with at the commu- nal level to ensure that the education of students, who had no role in choosing which mascot their school uses, is not held in jeopardy. From team names like the Redskins to the Indians, the continued use of American Indi- an imagery in athletics is racist. Elementary and secondary public schools shouldn't be purveyors of racism. Evidence suggests that mascots like these can ostracize American Indian students, making them feel uncom- fortable in their own school. Furthermore, these symbols perpetuate stereotypes, which can to impact academic performance. Com- pared to the larger and more egregious mani- festations of racism throughout the world, these problems may seem small, but this is no reason for inaction. However, at the heart of this issue are indi- vidual communities, and therefore, a solution should come from the local level. The MDCR included Chippewa valley High School as one of the schools who use Native American symbols, requesting they lose federal funding if they don't change their mascot. However, in 2008, the school's mascot, Big Red, was changed from an American Indian's profile to a red bird. This is just one example of Michi- gan schools and communities taking actions to remove these symbols on their own. A rush to make this a federal case without first work- ing with local schools to help ease a transi- tion from traditional mascots to less offensive ones will blunt the focused attention this issue demands. The call to bring in the federal government on this issue has the potential to negatively impact students. Taking federal funds does little to create a positive educational environ- ment for students who have no say in the cre- ation of their mascots. It's up to the communities, who have the option to petition schools, to take a second look at the implications of their local mascots and revise them for the benefit of the com- munity. Should these communities fail to properly remove these base mascots, federal involve- ment could be considered. For now, this should be seen as a local problem that will take time, patience and the collaboration of the community. Rows upon rows of aban- doned houses, buildings and factories. More than one-third of the adult population reads below a third grade level. An average of more than 2,337 crimes per every 100,000 people. And unemploy- ment rates HARSHA reachingup to NAHATA 29.6 percent in July 2009. It's a heartbreaking place to visit. You drive past boarded-up house after boarded-up house. Areas with no grocery stores in sight - yes, that's what a food desert looks like. vacant lots, factories - you name it. It's the arson and murder capital of the country. This is all less than an hour away - in Flint, Mich. When General Motors was at its peak, they employed 80,000 people in Flint. Today, about 7,000. It's the story of the quintessential dying manufacturing city. The entire town functioned around Buick City. seeing the shut doors of the manu- facturing plant today, it's hard not to feel helpless. There are many misconceptions that are perpetuated about poverty. There are those who say a large part of the country is "dependent;" those who claim that "poor people" just need to work harder, that "poor peo- ple deserve tobe poor." No one deserves to live in poverty. It's easy to pass judgment on a dire situation that you're removed from. It's easy to say people in these cities should just work harder, that they should take ownership over their lives. They should go to col- lege or diversify their skill set. That somehow it's their fault. But more often than not, the real- ity is quite different. And it's a real- ity that doesn't sink in until you've seen it with your own eyes. Not everyone has the luxury to pursue his or her own interests. Not everyone has the resources or the opportunity. Sometimes working as hard as you possibly can still isn't good enough. And when day-to-day survival is a battle, there's no time to prepare for the future. There's a different dominant narrative at play in Flint - one that most of us can't even begin to understand. Back in the day, the majority of the blue-collar population in Flint made a living from the GM plant. Generations of people grew up being told that GM would take care of them. That if they were good on their feet, clocked in on time and did what they were told, they'd be able to enjoy a comfortable life. They were told to keep their heads down, work hard and not ask ques- tions. They were discouraged from thinking critically or pursuing a life beyond the plant. To this day that mentality per- sists. People in Flint are hanging on because they've been told to hang on. They believe this is just another rough patch. That one day, manu- facturing will come back and it'll be okay. In the rush to industrialize, we completely disregarded human capital. There was a time when it didn't matter what education level people had. We simply need- ed those who had the skills to put things together and the willingness to work in the assembly lines. In fact, we didn't want these people to get a higher education - we wanted an unskilled workforce. We cre- ated the false belief that those jobs would be around forever. Then, the jobs got up and left for another country. Now, we blame these same people for not "working hard enough," for not "adjusting to the times." We cre- ated the situation. And now we're leaving them to fix it on their own. And when I say, "we," yes, I mean all of us. We all acknowledge how bad the circumstances are. We all mourn over the state of the automotive industry and espouse political opinions about outsourcing and American global competitiveness. of course, we do this from the safety of our suburban homes and secure jobs. We talk about these cities and how bad they are, but at the end of the day we continue on with our lives. Or worse, we dis- tance ourselves - we joke about We can't pick and choose the parts of Michigan we care for. So, yes, things are bad. But, at some level, is it really the fault of the people? Or is the fault our own as we stand by and allow this to happen? Not all of you are going to get up and drive to Flint to help out as soon as you finish reading. It's okay - I don't expect you to. The intent isn't to guilt you into doing some- thing, but to show you the reality of the issue in the hopes that it just might inspire a little bit of empathy and compassion. We might not all be able to go make a difference, but the least we can do is support those who are try- ing. We can stop insulting these cit- ies. We can stop making jokes about the crime rate in Flint or the gangs of Detroit. We can stop distancing ourselves from these problems. No, this isn't a "Detroit" thing or a "Flint" thing. They aren't outcast cities that must be avoided at all costs. Statements like these make it that much harder for those who are working day and night toturn the cities around. We can stop disown- ing the cities and the people - for better or for worse, they're ours. Maybe it's time to re-evaluate how we think about these strug- gling cities. There are a lot of prob- lems, and, quite honestly, it's hard to know where to start. But the spirit of the people is still amazing. It's heartwarming to see people who haven't given up - people who continue to take on the problems in the hopes that they'll be able to make it a little better. Flint is still a city of fighters. And the strength and spirit of the people remains unmatched. - Harsha Nahata can be reached at hnahata@umich.edu. the dangers of Detroit or Flint; we talk about getting out of Michigan. We're not living it, and even we don't think there's hope. 0 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, James Brennan, Eli Cahan, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Maura Levine, Patrick Maillet, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Jasmine McNenny, Harsha Nahata, Adrienne Roberts, Paul Sherman, Sarah Skaluba,Michael Spaeth, Luchen Wang, Derek Wolfe LET TE T 11 [01' SENDt U's Coca-Cola contract violates Code of Conduct LETTERS TO: TOTH Investigatior eventually con fact that corpor tered the repor TO THE DAILY: proof that the I'manalumofthe Universityandapastmem- ty's Code of Co ber of Campaign to Kick Coca-Cola off Campus. lion contract w Coke's environmental and human rights abuses After watchi broke international law, which stands against rights in the e the University's Code of Conduct for vendors. 2006, it seems University administration banned Coca- embarrassed f Cola products for four months in 2006. This lar. It's ironic t happened one month after the New York recently banne University ban, which preceded a number of cal grounds, in other schools across the world. Coke missed a Tea. Will the A national deadline to comply with an indepen- feel the same dent investigation that was set by United Stu- now that Park dents Against Sweatshops. We were part of a Coca-Cola? Put commission to create a methodology to assess to ask, and wh Coke's business practices. Was Coke busting another campa unions by having paramilitary forces murder Colombian workers? Were they draining and Clara Hardie poisoning water tables in India? 2006Alum EDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM ns in India and Colombia were npleted in 2008. Despite the -ate sponsors of Coke adminis- ts, many viewed the reports as vendor violated the Universi- nduct. However, the $1.2-mil- ith Coke was continued. ing NYU stand up for human ye of international media in as though the University was or not doing something simi- hat a food co-op in New York d Coca-Cola products on ethi- cluding Odwalla and Honest nn Arbor People's Food Co-op pressure the University did Slope Food Coop stood up to a note in their suggestion box ile you're at it, why not start ign here at the University? DALIA ADLER, ISAAC KATZ, JONATHAN MARKOWITZ AND JOHANNA ROTHSEID I More than a Rock CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit viewpoints on a range of topics that are between 500 and 750 words in length. Send the writer's full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com @OSU Fine, take Obama for commencement speaker, but dibs on Tina Fey .""ms #sloppyseconds #LizLemon206 -@michdailyoped This past Saturday night, a large, black swastika was painted on The Rock on the corner of Hill Street and Washtenaw Avenue, along with a series of offensive images and words targeted toward other minority groups. What we saw on Sunday morning was vulgarity. What we felt was disappointment, surprise and confusion. Who did this or what motivated them is beyond us. But, as the Hillel execu- tive board, it seemed natural for us to immediately respond. Spray paint and paintbrushes in hand, we chose to not just mask the hate we saw, but convey a message that was more emblematic of what our campus stands for - a message that deserved to be conveyed to all those that were exposed to The Rock: "Expect Respect." Immediately, we received sup- port from university students, organizations and administration. Both the president of the LSA Stu- dent Government and the president of Central Student Government reached out to us. Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones showed her encouragement and many others demonstrated their commitment to expecting respect on campus. We were pleased, comforted and inspired that campus leaders came together so quickly after this action - an action that impacted more than just our community. The Rock is a source of pride for the University. It's a symbol that unites us, a landmark we guard when Michigan State comes to town, a canvas layered with the dif- ferent beliefs, identities and back- grounds that comprise the student body. It's a symbol that depicts how we live together, how we cooper- ate together and how we express ourselves during the four years we spend on campus. To denigrate The Rock with a swastika isn't simply an act against minority groups associ- ated with the symbol - it's an act against our campus and the beliefs that lie at the core of this institution. Can we attribute the immediacy of our response to the swastika's relevance to us? Sure. But what we felt was a drive to protect not just ourselves, but also other non- Jewish students, 'our campus and Ann Arbor from this message. We weren't solely acting as Jewish stu- dent leaders of Hillel; we were acting as students and individuals desiring to live in a community where we can, quite frankly, expect respect. This is the campus culture we are trying to build and enhance - one where students can feel comfortable to express themselves and build an 4 identity that won't be threatened by a shameful act of misconduct. As we discussed the events together, an essential question emerged: Would we have acted as immediately had the painted sym- bol not been a swastika? In our daily lives, would we say anythingif we walked by other offensive imag- es that didn't directly target us? If we don't speak up, who will? It's concerning that acts like this still happen today. But when they do, it's more important than ever that we take a stance against them. When we painted The Rock with the words "Expect Respect," we made a commitment to honor that phrase, that mentality and to promote it throughout campus. Together, let's begin thinking and talking about how we choose to speak up, how we choose to con- tribute to a community where peo- ple respect each other and how we choose to expect respect. Dalia Adler is a Business junior. Isaac Katz is a Business sophomore. Jonathan Markowitz is an LSA junior. JoHanna Rothseid is an LSA junior. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be fewer than 300 words and must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.