4A - Thursday, March 20, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

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MEGAN MCDONALD
PETER SHAHIN and DANIEL WANG KATIE BURKE
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.
Prioritizing minors' health
E-cigarette sales to minors should be banned, but not classified as tobacco
M ichigan is poised to take another step topreventunderage smoking
by extending a ban on electronic cigarettes with state Senate Bills
667and668. Under Michigan'spublichealthcode,minorsmaybuy
e-cigarettes because they don't contain tobacco. E-cigarettes are appealing
to minors due to easy accessibility and variety of flavors. The Michigan
legislature should pass this legislation to protect vulnerable minors,however
it should not take further action to classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products.

Israel, BDS and fake balance

'd like to give a round of
applause to the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee,
University of
Michigan Hillel
and all the other
organizations
that have so
masterfully
done their job of
killing any and
all real debate JAMES
about Israel. BRENNAN
From college -
campuses to
the U.S. Congress, we should all
give a big "bravo" to the Israel
lobby for its wonderful work. These
organizations have turned human
rights activists into anti-Semites,
and one-sided forums and panels
into "open and honest discussions."
Tuesday, despite a letter signedby
36 student groups and what, I would
imagine, is the biggest turnout for
a Central Student Government
meeting in years, representatives
from CSG refused to even debate
a resolution. The resolution was
simple: it asked the University
to investigate and remove its
investments in companies benefiting
from possible Israeli abuses of
Palestinians. Yes, this was part of
the wider, controversial Boycott,
Divest and Sanctions movement, but
it did not demand condemnation of
the existence of Israel or Zionism
as a whole. How good are Israel's
lobbyists and PR people? Well, even
a university's student government
- which has no apparent functions
other than philanthropy, fighting
ticket policies and doling out
money to organizations - can't
pass a simple resolution that asks
critical questions.
Much like the hit job that Hillel
students did on Students Allied
for Freedom and Equality after
the #UMMockEviction, CSG

representatives continuously
demanded a "fair debate" on the
measure, ignoring the fact that the
very action they took prevented a
debate from happening. The idea
of fairness presented by many pro-
Israel groups seems to only apply
to themselves.
Hundreds of students show up in
support of a BDS-related resolution?
"We need to have an open and fair
debate, not something so one-sided."
A person asserts that Israel
commits human rights violations?
"There have been atrocities on
both sides."
Students alienated from
returning to their homeland write
viewpoints attacking Israel's
treatment of them? "I feel attacked
for supporting Israel."
But try to get Hillel to host pro-
Palestinian
speakers who '
criticize Israel? Mili
Well, that's itant, a
against their sided rheto
policies.
Fair, right? with other
As I've
repeated to angry, or
Zionist, BDS rhet
and even
moderate'
friends
countless times, and as I've written
in this very publication, I can't take
a side on this issue simply because
I don't know enough about it. I feel
that way about a lot of issues, and I'd
be willing to bet other people do, too.
One thing I cannot stand though is a
skewed, one-sided debate, especially
when one side has far more
resources and influence. CSG had an
opportunity last night to contribute
to a very meaningful, open,
campuswide dialogue on one of the
most divisive and important issues
of our generation. They skirted that
opportunity and further suppressed

debate and dissent at the University.
I don't care what side of the issue
you come down on, you should feel
shame for your representatives for
what they chose to do.
Malcolm X once said, "I'm for
truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for
justice, no matter who it is for or
against." These are principles that
most of us (at least I'd hope) try to
live our lives by. Truth over bias,
justice over politics, fairness over
unfairness. One of the easiest ways
to achieve the goals of truth, justice
and fairness is to fight for open and
free exchanges of ideas. Pushing
them aside, whether through CSG
votes, misleadingnewspaper articles
or loaded panel discussions, is a
disservice to the universal goals of
fairness and truth.
Pro-Israel groups who condemn
so-called one-
sided BDSers
rngry, one- and Palestinian
groups: this
ric is met is what you
get. Militant,
militant, angry, one-
sided rhetoric
ae-sided is met with
ic. other militant,
angry, one-sided
'- rhetoric. The
difference is of
course that groups like SAFE are
fighting for their spot at the table,
whileyou've already takenyours and
condemned them for trying to do the
same. Stop with the fake demands
for fair treatment and honesty. Stop
with the laughable idea of sitting
down for an honest discussion with
all sides when all the action you take
is to the contrary. Instead, let your
actions speak.
Students certainly heard them
Tuesday night.
- James Brennan can be
reached at jmbthree@umich.edu.

The bills are on their way to the Michigan
House of Representatives after both were
adopted unanimously by the state Senate. The
FDA doesn't regulate e-cigarettes or their
advertisements and little significant testing
has been done to show the long-term effects of
e-cigarettes on human health. Furthermore,
there is also little research about the effects
of second hand vapor smoke.
E-cigarettes are much more accessible to
minors than traditional tobacco cigarettes,
but still pose health risks. Nicotine levels
in e-cigarettes are unregulated, and often
provide users with as much or more nicotine
than tobacco products. The availability of
e-cigarettes, combined with flavors such
as bubblegum, chocolate and cherry, leaves
minors susceptible to addiction, which could
lead to future tobacco use. Smoking habits
usually develop at a young age - about 90
percent of smokers began smoking as kids.
According to the American Cancer Society,
men who smoke are about 23 times more
likely to develop lung cancer.
Since e-cigarettes contain no tobacco, it
would be a difficult issue to label them as
such. Organizations such as the American
Heart Association and the American Cancer

society links them to tobacco products, in
order to maintain awareness of the possible
dangers. This would entail extensions of
bans on where they can be used. Some
individuals with health issues report that
the vapor is irritating to the nose and
throat, but until more research supports
these claims, legislation should not restrict
e-cigarette use in the same manner as
tobacco smoking.
Though e-cigarettes may pose a threat to
minors, they can be a useful tool for smokers in
the process of quitting tobacco. More research
on the subject is needed, but currently the
vapor of e-cigarettes is considered to be less
harmful than the smoke of tobacco. Using
an e-cigarette will not break the addiction to
nicotine but it can end dependence on tobacco.
E-cigarette cartridges without nicotine are
available as well - in this case, the smoker
goes through an imitation of smoking without
the nicotine, which could lead to breaking the
addiction. If the state classifies e-cigarettes
as tobacco then smokers will lose incentive
- such as smoking in public - to switch to
the less harmful product. Further research
needs to be conducted before the government
imposes arbitrary rules on e-cigarette users.

The weight of sadness

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Barry Belmont, Nivedita Karki, Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay,
Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble,
Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul
Sherman, Allison Raeck, Linh Vu, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
JARED FRANK
Giving back to the University

Most people on campus will tell you that
the University of Michigan is a truly great
university. But what makes it so great?
Michigan has excellent academics (and the
rankings to match), a wide range of interesting
classes, incredibly accomplished professors
and yes, some pretty great athletics as well. But
while all of these things are truly important,
I'd say they're not the most important factors
in Michigan's success. To my mind, there are
two things that make Michigan truly special:
the bold ideas that are created here at all levels
- by students and faculty - and the desire to
give back to the Michigan community.
When I was in high school, I decided to
come to Michigan for those two reasons. I was
impressed with the exciting and novel work
being done in Ann Arbor, but I was even more
impressed with the Michigan community,
workingtogether to give back to the University
that had educated and supported them. I truly
believe the largest factor for the greatness of
this University is that the community works
together to create bold ideas, which is now one
of the three pillars of the University's Victors
campaign.
Why is support of inventiveness on campus
important? In some ways, it's obvious. These
are things that change the world on a local and
global scale. When a new medicine is created,
when a new technology is introduced, you can
be certain ingenuity was the seed of develop-
ment. Important to University researchers
and scholars, original ideas allow for the real-
ization of goals, the thrill of discovery and the
abilityto help those in need. Bold ideas are the
lifeblood of the University of Michigan. This
creativity helps to maintain our reputation as
one of the world's top universities. But inge-
nuity isn't just for University professors; it's
important for University students too.
Very few students are content to let their
Michigan experience begin and end in the
classroom. In my experience, my fellow class-
mates want to get their hands dirty, working in
the lab, helping out in the world, doing things
that matter. Supporting bold ideas will allow
for students with the drive to make things

happen and get involved here on campus. The
1,200-person Hackathon in the Big House,
sponsored by MHacks, is just one example.
And while Michigan students can make
just about anything happen, there are
certain things, such as laboratory research,
that students can't do on their own. Ideas
fostered by researchers on campus provide
students with an opportunity to volunteer
in labs, work exciting projects, apply their
knowledge to real-world situations and maybe
even contribute to their community and their
world. Basically, bold ideas give students an
opportunity to give back.
I came to the University because I
wanted to be part of the incredible tradition
of excellence in research. I have had the
opportunity to work in a biomedical research
lab, translating bold scientific ideas into
reality. I have already benefited enormously
from being part of that. I want to be able to
say that I gave something back in exchange
for what I've learned..I want to be able to say
that I worked to become part of Michigan's
reputation for research excellence rather
than just benefiting from an association
with it. I want to do something of substance,
something of importance, if not necessarily
of great magnitude. I don't want to leave this
university saying, "I'll give something back
to U of M when I'm older." I want to say that
I did everything in my power to make the
University proud while I was here. There are
many ways to give back to the University. In
my mind, the most important is to give back
with bold ideas, whether by introducing your
own or by supporting the ideas of others.
I consider myself very lucky to be a student
in Ann Arbor, and not a day goes by where I'm
not grateful for being the beneficiary of the
great things the University offers its students.
I could be very successful simply taking all
that this school offers me, grabbing my diplo-
ma and moving on to a career. But if I did that,
while I would be successful, I wouldn't be sat-
isfied. There are other reasons why I'm here.
Jared Frank is an LSA junior.

T ears dripping. Lips
trembling. Eyelids swelling.
Hands shaking. Shoulders
collapsing.
Pain oozing.
Hopelessness
seeping. These
are strong
students
degraded to pure
rawness.
For far too
many, the
deterioration MIAJA
of one's family TOSIC
brings upon
their own silent
deterioration. From emotional,
mental, physical and financial
abuse to divorce and parental
neglect, these issues are real among
the people around you. They are
omnipresent circumstances that
have become embedded in too
many bloodstreams.
Behind hidden doors quivers a
shadow of being, a sliver of what
used to exist. But in the open, tears
are wiped away and lips are steady.
Eyelids are rested. Hands are
calm. Shoulders are poised. Pain
and hopelessness are invisible, but
never obliterated.
Walls ofsturdy homes are covered
with photographs of perfectly posed
and happy families. Houses are clean
and fresh-cut grass lies as a welcome
mat. At the restaurant table, pleasant
conversations are rotated among the
mouths of smiling faces. But beyond
all this lies another unnamed reality.
What do you call a family emergency
that haunts you every day and every
night behind closed doors?
Immeasurable amounts of
students walk through this campus
with the reality of a traumatic
family and home life lurking too
close for comfort. Although Ann

Arbor is a comm
return to at the end
are still dangerou
other homes. For th
threat of a distress
always within rea
become a parent w
as a child is alwa
many, breaks from
period of relaxatio
is not something lo
For those that surrc
back to school is
healing and recov
physical distance b
and their families,
is always strong en
one's mind with dif
But how do you'
How do you pro;
How do you com
How do you emp
How do you act..
...when you
are hundreds of
miles away?
Such
unanswerable
questions
silently poison
numerous
minds. These
concerns and
troubling
situations are
shunned and
never to be detected
The topic of
painful families
Hurt and concerr
settle densely in
of one's consci
emotions are su
view and barred
into friendly exch:
the truth of one's I
as damaging. We
believe that the wo
"dysfunctional" wi

on home we all of our attributes. We dangerously
of the day, many assume that a seemingly perfect
sly tied to their and happy family extends a positive
ese students, the message of our character. And an
ing phone call is unhappy family must send the
ch. The need to opposite message; one of weakness
vhen you're born and shame.
ys pressing. For Currently, the only perceived
school are not a acceptable place to dwell on such
n. "Family time" topics is at counseling services.
oked forward to. However, danger lies in reserving
und you, coming our honesty and vulnerability for
a time of self- the therapist's couch.
ery. Despite the Conversations with friends often
etween a student remain on a level much higher than
,the attachment the depth of one's pain. Infinite
ough to saturate amounts of courage and trust are
ficult concerns. needed to honestly and vulnerably
worry... talk to friends. The fear of becoming
tect... tainted prevents many from reaching
fort... out to others. And the same fear
ower... also prevents people from entering
the therapist's room. Therefore,
many have
become stuck in
We cannot know how silence. Without
anywhere to turn
to process, empathize to except the
private cornersof
and support each one's existence,
.w.v students are
other when we live in crumbling with
agonizing isolation. too much pain
to bear. The
pressure to
remain silent and
. seemingly content is suffocating.
imperfect and We are denied true human
is unspoken. connection and understanding as
n are forced to we move further into a culture
to the depths that silences and shames our pain.
iousness. True We cannot know how to process,
ippressed from empathize and support each other
from entrance when we live in agonizing isolation.
anges. To reveal Break the silence and become
life is often seen whole again.

have come to
rds "broken" and
ll be a reflection

- Maja Tosic can be reached
at tosimaj@umich.edu.


Time and time again I have been
silenced. We are supposed to be given a
platform in this room and doors are being
shut in our face."
- [SA senior and Students Allied for Freedom and Equality member Suha Najjar in response to the
Central Student Government's indefinite suspension of the divestment of Israel proposal.

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