OPINION 4 Page 6 The Michigan Daily Saturday, May 14, 1983 The Michigan Daily Vol. XCIII, No. 5-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 'Proper places' W HILE SOCIAL mores and antiquated beliefs on the "proper place" for women in education may be tough to change, sexual discrimination on the job is a problem that should never take place at the University. A recent affirmative action report reveals some frightening examples of women's inability to ascend the professional ladder at the University. Many women faculty members feel they must work harder than their male colleagues to gain the same level of recognition. In some cases, women professors feel that attaining tenure is incompatible with raising a family, and are forced to choose between a homelife and successful career. Another example of discrimination, is requiring women to serve on committees which need female representation. The University should be able to control these subtle and unnecessary forms of sexual discrimination. This indirect sexual discrimination may hurt the University's ability to attract and keep qualified women faculty members. As is the case with all minorities on campus, women faculty members must be actively sought after if they are expected to stay. The University must make such a commitment and develop policies which stop unfair treatment of women faculty members. "InHATS THE GOOFOF EING COMMAIIER-IN{HIEF IF YOO CAN'T EVEN HAVE SECRET WARS? C. Central, fuels an, By Perry Bullard In the name of democracy, the Reagan Administration is fostering war and anti-American sentiment in Central America. As covert military actions against the government of Nicaragua spread, an increasing number of Americans are realizing that President Reagan, United Nations Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, and National Security Advisor William Clark have absolutely no understanding of the political realities in Central America. The Administration seems determined to repeat the shameful interventionist policies of the past which have only polarized the people of Central America and fueled their animosity toward Americans. Typically, such animosity has served as a building block of revolution against American- backed regimes. Honduras, currently serving as a base for American-supported Somocista rebels, served a similar purpose nearly 30 years ago in the disgraceful CIA covert effort to overthrow the democratically elected President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala in 1954. Years of repression, violence, and anti- American sentiment have followed in Guatemala, and prospects of avoiding an El Salvador-type civil war there are dim. Likewise, the U.S.-sponsored Bay of Pigs fiasco and the eight known CIA assassination attem- pts against Castro have served only as an impetus for further militarization of Cuban society, increased Cuban animosity toward the United States, and stronger Cuban-Soviet ties. Results of past U.S. interven- America: Reagan ti-A merican ism tions in Nicaragua have been no better. When the United States killed thousands of innocent Nicaraguans in the destruction of Greytown in 1854 in order to "avenge an insult to the American minister of Nicaragua' (Congressional Record, June 23, 1969), it hardly furthered the cause of democracy. Later, when 5,000 American troops occupied Nicaragua for seven years and installed the hated dictator Somoza, Sr., the U.S. planted the seeds of an inevitable revolution. In fact, the Sandinistas take their name from AugustoSandino, who led the fight in the late 1920s against the American oc- cupation. Like that seven-year occupation, U.S. support for the Somocista rebels may accom- plish short-term goals, but such tainted ties will inevitably prove extremely counter-productive to the long-run interests of both the United States and the people of Central America. American harassment of the Sandinista government will only strengthen the political extremes at the expense of more centrist elements in Nicaragua. As the Sandinistas are forced to further militarize their society to counter subversive threats, the possibility of elections will dwin- dle; the treatment of Miskito In- dians along the Honduran border will worsen; and the chances for democracy anywhere in Central America will diminish. 41 The present American policy will also increase external and in- ternal threats to the stability of the government of Honduras. Just four months ago, the Hon- duran army went on "Orange Alert," and for a short period, a Honduran-Nicaraguan border war seemed imminent. Internal opposition to the militaristic policies of the Honduran gover- nment has also been growing in recent months. Honduras, once thought to be exempt from the violence of neighboring states, recently has begun to experience increased numbers of terrorist actions and "death squad" mur- ders of civilians. As one State Department official (quoted in the New York Times) sum- marized it: "Being called a tool of the CIA is not a good way to stay in power in Latin America, especially when the charges are true." As well as being futile and counter-productive, the Reagan policies are blatantly illegal. American support for the Somocista rebels training at bases in Florida and California is a clear violation of the Neutrality Act. Furthermore, aid to rebels operating in Honduras and Costa Rica is a flagrant violation of the Boland Amendment and the Charter of the Organization of American States, which provides that "no state or group of states has the right to intervene, direc- tly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal or ex- ternal affairs of any other state." Moreover, the use of "advisors" in Honduras to train the rebels may well be in contravention of the War Powers Act. Current policy toward Nicaragua is, in sum, counter- productive military adventurism and a detriment to peace and justice in Central America. The United States should seek peace through means consistent with democratic principles and American law. Bullard is Ann Arbor's Representative in the Michigan House of Represen- tatives. 4 4 4 4 4 LETTERS TO THE DAILY: Closing infirmary 'unfair' To the Daily: This letter is prompted by the letter to the Daily by David Gross concerning the Health Services infirmary. As foreign students here at the University we see it as a great misfortune that the in- fimary at the Health Services has been closed. Closing the infir- mary is unfair to all of the students who are assessed a fee every semester for the Health Services. These students will have no alternative to the expen- sive fees at the hospital when in- patient care is necessary. The in- firmary at the Health Services is a special place on this campus where we have received excellent care in our times of illness. We understand that this is a time of budget cuts but the question must be asked: Is this in the best interests of the students? -K. Mariappan Sahari Jantan Azaleha Zainddin Ahmed Fauzi Hasan Shariff Baksh Mohd Rasip Hassan Abdul Hziz Hussein Sazally a Unsigned editorials appearing on the left side of this page represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board. Letters and columns represent the opinions of the individual author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the attitudes or beliefs of the Daily. 4