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June 09, 1989 - Image 6

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Publication:
Michigan Daily Summer Weekly, 1989-06-09

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OPINION

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Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan
Vol. XCIX, NO. 5-S 420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, M 48109
Unsigned editorials represent a majarity of the Daily's Editorial Board. All other
cartaons, signed artidces,and letters da not necessarily represent the apinion
of the Daily.
Remember Stonewall:
Fight homophobia
JUNE IS the 20th anniversary of the and published an editorial telling ev-
Stonewall Rebellion, the event that ery member of the lesbian and gay
sparked the fight for gay rights in population at PCHS that they were
this country. However, during Gay 50% expendable, that their murders
Pride month, which is supposed to wouldn't matter as much as the mur-
be a celebration of lesbian and gay der of a straight person, and that
identity, many lesbians and gay men "with the recent AIDS scare, these
still fight for their basic rights. men were asking for trouble and they
One example of this on-going deserved to be shot."
struggle occurred in this state. On The Lesbian and Gay Men's
January 19, the Plymouth-Canton Rights Organizing Committee
High School (PCHS) newspaper ran (LaGROC) wrote a letter to the
an editorial titled "Homosexuals PCHS administration expressing its
Forfeit Judicial Rights." This edito- concern over this issue. LaGROC's
rial commented on a case in the Oak demands included holding a gay rap,
Lawn section of Dallas, Texas in an educational program in which gay
which a man and his friend got into men and lesbians talk about their
a car with two gay men, drove to a experiences and answer questions
secluded place and shot both of about being gay, and printing an edi-
them. Judge Jack Hampton's ra- torial in response to the school
tionale for handing down alighter 30 newspaper's homophobic piece on
year sentence (instead of the life sen- the Texas incident. The lack of re-
tence requested by the state of Texas) sponse on the part of the PCHS ad-
was because he "didn't much care for ministration and their refusal to ad-
queers cruising the streets picking up dress LaGROC's demands in any
teenage boys." substantive way perpetuates homo-
The author of the PCHS editorial phobia and heterosexism in the
heartily agreed with Judge Hampton classroom and the community.

Lebanon:
The other Israeli occupation
SEVEN YEARS ago this week, the that in the West Bank and Gaza" Mirroring white South Africa's
state of Israel launched a full-scale (Palestine Focus, 5/89-6/89). Israel's use of cheap Black labor from nomi-
invasion of Lebanon which left subjugation of southern Lebanon is nally independent "homelands,"
20,000 Lebanese and Palestinians another graphic demonstration of its Israel's labor policies demonstrate
dead and more than 30,000 civilians expansionist and annexationist poli- that their own version of apartheid is
wounded. The number of Lebanese cies. operating in Lebanon. For the last
left homeless as a result of Israeli These motivations have led fifteen months Israel has been ex-
aggression during the summer of Butterfield to conclude that Israel's ploiting the labor force in southern
1982 has been calculated to be at plan for the territory currently occu- Lebanon in an attempt to replace the
least 300,000. The barbarous inva- pied in Lebanon seems to be "to im- Palestinian laborers who are
sion concluded with the siege of pose a de facto annexation with land presently boycotting Israeli industry
Beirut, during which the Israeli army and water resources diverted to during the intfada.
indiscriminately shelled the city's Israel's use" (Palestine Focus, May-
most populated sectors with phos- June 1989). The forty-one year The conflict in Lebanon is com-
phorus bombs, napalm, and cluster dream of a "greater Israel," espoused plex and Israel is far from the only
bombs. by Israel's Zionist leadership even villian in the region. However, as
After being confronted with thou- before the state's inception, is be- the world community recognizes the
sands of resistance operations, the coming a sad reality. destructive nature of the Syrians and
Israeli army was eventually forced to Since 1967, Israel has periodically the Maronite Phalange regimes in
withdraw from most' of Lebanon. annexed portions of Lebanese terri- the north, Israeli atrocities often go
But today the Israeli Defense Force tory, claiming "minor" border ad- unreported and are rarely seen on the
(IDF) still occupies a large strip of justments were needed to ensure its evening news here.
Lebanon, ranging in width from 10- "security." The danger of southern
30 miles, along the Israeli-Lebanese Lebanon becoming another Golan As the situation in occupied
border. Heights (annexed by Israel in 1981) Palestine and Lebanon worsens for
Since the Israeli invasion, little increases with every day that the both indigenous peoples, the Bush
has been reported in the United Israeli army remains. administration must establish as its
States about Israel's continued pres- Continued Lebanese resistance is goal an end to U.S. financing and
ence in Lebanon. Instead, the mass quickly quelled either by the IDF or support, which makes Israeli occupa-
media has chosen to concentrate on its Christian Lebanese proxies led by tion and oppression possible.
Lebanon's 15 year civil war in a way Antoine Lahad. Entire villages are American taxpayers must make it
that denies Israel's large role in its often collectively punished for indi- known to their elected officials that
perpetuation. vidual acts of resistance, travel is the four billion dollars they supply
According to Middle East scholar limited, and curfews are common. annually to Israel will cease if Israel
Jeanne Butterfield, the Lebanese oc- Presently, more than 600 prisoners continues its blatant forms of ag-
cupation "is every bit as vicious as are being held without trial. gression, expansion and domination.
ONE MILuoIl OWEJ S 3LOOM&N 1TAN A4 M 5UARE.
On June 4, 1989 Chinese sol-
diers armed with bayonets and
assault rifles-some riding in
I .fIIIEi Is1P4 military tanks-stormed
Tiananmeri Square in an obvi-
ous act of aggression, killing
and wounding an unknown
number of peaceful student
demonstrators. Labeling this
incident as "the June 4th
Massacre" Chinese students at
the University held a two hour
memorial service and rally on
the following day in support of
their slain relatives and friends.
Although U.S. intervention is
BUSH W WlIIEtN&M N VJSN(ioN..C. hardly encouraged, the reaction
of the United States govern-
ment has couched this incident
in almost surrealistic terms. In
the distant past and present,
this country is by no means in-
nocent of committing similar
acts of aggression and degra-
""* -ation at home and abroad.
The PCHS administration must respond. LaGROC is organizing a protest at PCHS commencement
exercises. Meet at the fountain by MLB at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 11 to support lesbian and gay
male presence and the objectives of their demands.

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