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Page 6 Friday, July 9, 1982 The Michigan Daily
The Michigan Daily
Vol. XCII, No. 36-S
Ninety-two Years of Editorial Freedom
Edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan
Heavenly bomb
APPARENTLY PHYLLIS Schlafly has
nothing against war, even though she used
the "women in the trenches argument" to
defeat the ERA. Now she is fighting the very
people who are trying to keep this nation out of
war, the nuclear freeze movement.
Schlafly did not win the battle against the
ERA on the merits of her arguments. Women
would be forced out of their homes and into
unisex bathrooms, she said and people blindly
believed her.
If Schlafly twists and distorts the nuclear
freeze issue as she did the ERA, she may well
succeed there, too. Already she has said, "The
atomic bomb is a marvelous gift that was given
to our country by a wise God.".
Yes, we as Americans should be thankful for
this most bountiful gift. Then again, He gave
the same gift to Russians only four years later.
Oh well, good Christians are supposed to fear
the Lord anyway, right? Or maybe Schlafly
should do this country a favor and report to the
nearest looney bin.-,
Embargo fails
NOT SURPRISINGLY, the Soviet Union has
announced it is taking measures to ensure
that construction of the gas pipeline to Western
Europe continues on schedule, despite a U.S.
embargo on equipment.
The Reagan administration's embargo was
doomed the day it was announced. Not only did
the United States alienate some of its closest
allies by interfering in their affairs, it preven-
ted U.S. companies from benefiting from the
huge project.
Of course the pipeline will render Western
Europe more dependent on the Soviets for fuel,
but the embargo has only hampered Allied
solidarity against the Russians. And not other
nations will pick up the slack, while Americans
gain nothing from Reagan's hardline stance.
LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Student voices go unheard
To the Daily: any importance) in
Recently, the Daily reported on Their meetings arec
MSA's 3 step proposal to the minutes are just th
University administration their discussions. T
outlining University community student members. N
involvement in the redirection not even one men
process. My reaction to the Committee who canE
proposal was reported as cynical to bring a student-t3
and somewhat negative. tive to the meetini
Basically, MSA's proposal is a sequently, to the
good one. It is crucial that the reached. The admini
University community of which say students are im
both faculty and students are look at the College s
members, play equal roles in it's obvious they arer
determining the direction our
Univeraity will take. This MSA's proposal isa
proposal is a necessary first step one, yet I have litt
in beginning a dialogue on the administrators do
process of reallocating funds. with student propos
My cynicism, however, stems them away. Two st
from an evergrowing belief that members of the Budi
the administration of the Univer- Committee, which
sity does not take students areas to be reviewed
or their interests in decision- small. Students hadr
making seriously. Ad- formulation oft
ministrators think it's cute that "redirection" plan.
we run off and try to get involved.
Indeed, they smile and think, "I D ead
remember when I was young and
idealistic. They'll soon learn."
I am sick and tired of making To the Daily:
proposals to an administration It has long t
who has students as one of its last Khomeini's regime h
prioritiea inatead of ita firat. flow of all newa fron
Those faculty and administrators peling all foreign cot
who do solicit student input - from the country.
and they are rare - do not often recently when a
make it to positions of great in- American and Eur(
fluence for exactly thia reaaon. tera were allowed ir.
Administrators insist students report solely on the"
are important. But let's look at the regime in its wa
one structure. In the College of Even then, these rep
LSA, there were 6 deanship be cleared by the r
poaitiona. Now there are 5. aorahip.
Guess which one waa eliminated? These measures
That's right, student academic used by Khomeini':
affairs. The position which had block the widesprea
not yet been filled, was the news of its
eliminated this past fall (budget capability in de
cuts). ecomonic and social
But there's more. These 5 The economic s
deans, along with 6 faculty mem- regime is tragic. Th
bers, make up the LSA Executive tion, the only signific
Committee. This committee revenue, has reache
meets once a week, and has 'final low of one million b:
say' over most every decision (of More than 85 percen
the College.
closed; their
e results of
here are no
low, there is
mber of the
even attempt
ype perspec-
gs and con-
decisions
stration may
portant; one
tructure and
not.
an important
le faith that
little more
als than file
udents were
get Priorities
decides the
d. Yet this is
no role in the
the entire
why was a
student included on the BPC?
Because Billy Frye felt pressure
to do so.
It is action that makes the dif-
ference. Students must make
administrators understand that
we are a force not just to be con-
sidered, but to contend with. Our
power is in our number and we
must use it.
Students must insist upon
gaining a meaningful role in
decision-making whether it be on
a departmental, college, or
Univeraity level. MSA'a propoaal
ia the beginning. It ia the respon-
sibility of every student to make
sure the word "community" in-
cludes us. It is our education and
our university too.
-Margaret Talmers
President, LSA
Student Government
June 17, 1982
ly turmoil in Iran
been since
as cut off the
m Iran by ex-
rrespondents
It was only'
group of
pean repor-
nside Iran to
'victories" of
ar with Iraq.
ports were to
egime's cen-
have been
s regime to
d leakage of
virtual in-
aling with
problems.
tate of the
e oil produc-
cant source of
d an all time
arrels a day.
t of all basic
necessities are being imported.
Unable to alleviate the social
and economic problems of the
country, and fearful of growing
opposition, Khomeini's regime
has involved itself in a bloody
campaign to eliminate its
political opponents. So far, the of-
ficial figure of the executions of
dissidents is about 4500. Many
children and some pregnant
women areareported to have been
among those executed.
Furthermore, the opponents of
the regime say that the current
number of political prisoners
reaches 45,000, and that the num-
ber of executions surpasses
15,000. Torture, summary trials
without and due process have
become commonplace. Social
and individual freedoms and
rights have not been permitted
to operate.
It is certain that the regime of
Khomeini which originally took
power by abusing the religious
inclinations of the people, and
their lack of experience in
determining their own destiny
due to twenty seven years of dic-
tatorship under the Shah, will be
able to cope with its present
crises. Khomeini's regime is also
facing the increasing pressure
of the opposition, united under
the National Council of Resistan-
ce of Iran, former president Mr.
Bani Sadr, the Kurdish
Democratic Party, and other
national and democratic
organizationsaand individuals.
Consequently, Khomeini's
regime should be considered as
one of the most fragile and un-
stable regimes of the region,
maintaining its power through
violence and suppression.
-Joseph Marr
July 6, 1982
Editorials appearing on the left side of
the page beneath The Michigan Daily logo
represent a majority opinion of the Daily's
staff.