Page 18- The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, July 19,;1983

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The art fair brings together activists and concerned citizens, giving them an
arena near the West Engineering Arch for discussing political issues. Seven-

Daily Photo by ELIZABETH SCOTT
ty-five non-profit organizations, like Planned Parenthood, have booths
displaying pamphlets and bumper stickers.

Fair political groups offer diverse ideas

By Jackie Young
The area around the West
Engineering Arch should be alive with
activity during the art fair - but not
with painters, sculptors and magicians.
That corner is the spot reserved for 75
non-profit groups who will buttonhole
passers-by with pamphlets, buttons and
bumper stickers.
Putting groups of every political
stripe on the same street corner makes
for some lively debate. "There are
always some people who disagree with
you," said Ruth Graves of the Inter-
national League For Peace and

Freedom. Though sometimes you can
persuade them or educate them, most
of the time they just walk away," she
said.
EASYGOING ART fair crowds are
easy to talk to, Graves said. but they
don't really reflect Middle America.
"You get a skewed group of people
who give you a good feeling about the
mood of the country," Graves said, a
feeling that quickly disappears when
one talks to people outside the area.
Workers for Rep. Perry Bullard (D-
Ann Arbor) will be at the fair handing
out booklets on tenant/landlord laws,
the Freedom of Information Act and

U.S. involvement in Central America.
BOB JOBE, a spokesman for Bullard,
said he enjoys the fair because it gives
his staff a chance to meet other political
groups and discuss strategies.
"Every political group from the Latin
Americans against Solidarity to the Be
Kind to Animals people" comes to ped-
dle their ideas, Jobe said.
At the other end of the political spec-
trum from Bullard is the Lifespan
group which will lobby for its anti-abor-
tion views at the fair.
JOAN BYRNE, a spokeswoman from
the group said, "We get a lot of abuse at
the art fair," but added "people can
learn we are not crazy."
Libertarian Party member Jim
Greenshields said they have been at the'
fair for five years trying to "keep as
high a profile as possible," but still
many people do not know where the
group stands on the political con-
tinuum.
"Many times it is hard for people to
figure out we are neither to the left or to
the right," he said.

GREENSHIELDS SAID that
although groups strongly oppose each
other in the political arena, the battle
does not spill into the Ann Arbor
streets. "We have watched others
groups (booths), while they went away
for a moment, even those with totally
different ideas," he said.
Jeff Ditz of the Michigan Voice
newspaper said they will give away
free issues of the paper to fair goers in
order to increase subscriptions.
The fair is "an effective way to sell
our wares," Ditz said.
"Basically we feel we live in a racist,
sexist society and newspapers in
general are not objective and so we
come out with a feminist viewpoint and
do a lot of investigative work," he said.
Vivian Green, a University public
relations officer said the 75 spots of-
fered to the groups fill up fast and there
is usually a long waiting list of people
who did not sign up soon enough every
year.

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You're Needed
All Over the
World.
Ask Peace Corps volunteers why their ingenuity and flexibility
ore as vital as their degrees. They'll tell you they are helping
the world's poorest peoples attain self sufficiency in the areas
of food production, energy conservation, education, economic
development and health services. And they'll tell you about
the rewords of hands on career experience overseas. They'll
tell you its the roughest job you'll ever love.
See Representatives
during the Ann Arbor
Art Fair.
764-9310
or
1-226-7928, Detroit
PEACE CORPS

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