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OPINION
Page 6
The Michigan Daily
Saturday, June 4, 1983
The Michigan Daily
Vol. XCIII, No. 12-S
93 Years of Editorial Freedom
Managed and Edited by students of
The University of Michigan
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the
Daily Editorial Board
Liuzzo unsettlng
THE DUST has finally settled on Ann Arbor's
most recent cause celebre, the case of the
Liuzzo family vs. the U.S. government, and the
result is a defeat not only for the Liuzzos, but
for all proponents of public access to gover-
nment information.
The case involved the murder of a civil rights
worker, Viola Liuzzo, and the responsibility, or
lack of responsibility, held by the F.B.I whose
informant was present at the murder. Unfor-
tunately, the government quickly gained the
upper hand by refusing to fully release vital
F.B.I. records. Records, which Liuzzo's attor-
neys have argued, could have damaged the
government's case.
Though withholding information of this type
should be a curiosity, the government's attempt
to cover up reads like just another chapter in
the adversarial relationship the federal gover-
nment has created with the American people.
The tumult of Watergate seems to have died
down and the perogative of the public to
question and critically analyze those whom
they employ is once again under fire.
When the director of the F.B.I. William Web-
ster defends electronic surveillance as "a
necessary part of any investigation" to a
packed house of law students, or the president
suggests lie detector tests for all those who
might "leak" information, it is time to
reevaluate the purpose and the direction our
government is taking us.
National security does require that certain
information not be divulged. Too often,
however, this right is wantonly abused soley to
keep the taxpayers in the dark. In the case of
the Liuzzos, the government supplied all
documents requested, first insuring that many
had been edited to such a degree that little use
could be made of them.
To make the government more accountable
several provisions should be made. In cases
such as the Liuzzo's a more equiable verdict
could have been reached in a trial by
jury.Presently, all cases against the U.S. are
decided by a judge who acts without benefit of a
jury.
A second provision is streamlining of
procedures for obtaining information through
the Freedom of Information Act. The procedure
for releasing government documents, such as
those in the Liuzzo case, is slow and contains
too many ways to skirt fulfilling information
requests.
The Liuzzo decision stands as another
blemish in the attempt to keep government in
the hands of the people. A blemish which can
and, should be removed should the Liuzzo
family appeal. ,
Wasserman
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LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Covert war is distasteful
To the Daily:
Despite the automatic "no
comment" response of Reagan
Administration officials
whenever the subject is raised, it
is clear that the United States is
once again engaged in covert war
in Central America - this time
the place is Nicaragua. The Ad-
ministration's militaristic
policies are not, however,
creating any positive results. In-
fact, they are exacerbating the
very problems the president says
he seeks to cure.
As Ronald Reagan bemoans
the miserable existence of the
Miskitu Indians along the Hon-
duran-Nicaraguan border, he ia
supporting a policy which will
only worsen their treatment. As
the CIA continues its attempts to
incite rebellion among the
Miskitus, their freedoms will be
increasingly restricted. When
they no longer serve a purpose,
the Miskitus will be discarded by
the U.S., just as the Montagnard
tribesmen in the Central Viet-
namese highlands were discar-
ded following the war in
Southeast Asia.
While Jeane Kirkpatrick com-
plains about the size of the
Nicaraguan militia and its
destabilizing effect on the region,
she is supporting a policy which
causes the further militarization
of Nicaraguan society, and
greatly increases the instability
of neighboring Honduras. Aside
from pushing military interven-
tion to the edge of all-out war
between Honduras and
Nicaragua, Administration
policies are supplying building
blocks for the development of in-
ternal revolutionary opposition to
the Honduran government.
While William Clark lambastes Nicaraguan border may well be
the Nicaraguans for violating in- in contravention of the War
ternational law, he is supporting Powers Act.
a policy in violation of the United All-citizens should contact their
States Charter, as well as that of Representative in Washington
the Organization of American and express their distaste for
States which provides that "no these CIA military actions
state or group of states has the carried on in our name. Urge our
right to intervene, directly or in- U.S. Senators and members of
directly, for any reason Congress to end aid to the con-
whatever, in the internal affairs Somocista rebels, and support
of any other state." American the development of a foreign
support of the Somocista rebels policy consistent with democratic
training at bases in Florida is, principles and American law.
furthermore, a clear violation of -Perry Bullard
the NeutralityAct, and the use of May 18,1983
"advisors" along the Honduran-
U'policy- ignore military
To the Daily:
The U.S. military
discriminates on the basis of sex,
age and handicap status. The
University normally bans
recruiters from campus who
engage in discrimination on these
grounds, but the University does
not ban military recruiters
because it says such
discrimination in the case of the
military is "legal." If the Univer-
sity decides to include sexual
orientation in its non-
Coming home
To the Daily:
After being away from Ann Ar-
bor for a year, there's nothing
like coming home. Home to the
University, and back to the un-
der-handed policies of our Regen-
ts. Once again the Regents are
voting on crucial, controversial
issues which concern so many:
The fate of the School of
Education, and the University's
policy regarding military resear-
discrimination policies,
presumably the University would
also regard the military's
discrimination against gays as
"legal" and continue to permit
military recruiters on campus.
While we would find this position
on the part of the University
odious, it does render moot the
issue of the University losing
military contracts.
- LaGroc/Lesbian
and Gay Rights on Campus
May25, 1983
to the Regents
ch. They undertake these tasks
while three quarterb of the
students are away. Wouldn't it be
more fair if they were to decide
on such matters when those who
bear the brunt of their decision
are around? I'm asking the
Regents of the University of
Michigan to end this sly policy of
behind-the-back administration,
and to begin playing fair..
- Amos Kornfeld
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