Wednesday, August 4, 1993 -The Mhg Daiy SummerWeedy-5 ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER VIEWPOINT Do you believe in God? I do. I'm a Christian, I'm Baptist and I I don't believe in God in this society. go to church. I've grown up with The God we all know is being church and I know there is a God. I suppressed and that is why we have don't believe in evolution. so many problems today. - Kim Nan-Hee, 1st year LSA - Grizelda Zriakelbaum, Law school Yes, actually I do, on i most of the time. 1ljus church this morning, I going often. Yes, toda God. - Kris Flautner Yes, I think the only reason to believe in God is not through facts or through science but through things that can't be stated or just spiritual things; looking at nature and looking at art. - Ruth Jeyaveeren, Art senior I believe in something. I'm not sure. I guess it's more or less based on faith. There is so up there, I'm not sure. I don't know what it answer to a big question. - Ryan Essenbur Israeli High Court metes out justice to Demjanjuk By MARC SPINDELMAN Facing overwhelming public opposition, the Israeli Supreme Court last Thursday overturned the conviction and death sentence of John Demjanjuk. Demjanjuk, a 73-year-old native of the Ukraine, hadbeen convictedofhbeing Ivan the Terrible, "the notorious gas chamber operator at the Nazi death camp of Treblinka." The evidence whichpromptedtheIsraelicourt to acquit Demjanjuk was comprised of "state- ments to KGB interrogators by former camp In a case full of surprises, the Israeli high court's ruling was hardly a surprise. Over ayear ago, for example, The Washington Post reported most days, that before the oral arguments in Demjanjuk's t went to appeal ended, Justice Aharon Barak, in an "out- have not been burst'directedattheIsraeliprosecutor,exclaimed: y I believe in "Unless you have proof eyond a reasonable rEngineering doubt that Deijanjuk was at Trebinka, there is no point in proceeding." A number of people have misunderstood just what the ruling meant. Though the high court held that the new evidence created a "reasonable doubt" that Demjanjuk was guilty of being Ivan the Terrible, the court did not entirely exonerate Demjanjuk of that crime. One is tempted to say that Demjanjuk's guilt or innocence was not what was principally at issue in the appeal. In some sense, of course, his guilt or innocence can neverbe truly known. As the court put it: "The complete truth is not the prerogativeof thehumanjudge." TheDemjanjuk appeal presented theIsraeli Supreme Court with an issue much larger than Demjanjuk and (if the two are not the sameman) Ivan the Terrible. The Demjanjuk appeal forced the high court to an- swer the question: Can justice be done inthe state of Israel in a case involving a man accused of committing the worst kind of atrocities against mething the Jewish people and against humanity? In rul- is ... It's a big ing as it did, the Israeli court proved that justice g, LSA Soph. can be done in such a case. For a few short days, it was expected that the court's decision would put an end to the matter. The Ukraine agreed to allow its native (though hardly prodigal) son toretumhome. But, even as scussed in detail on he was preparing to leave Israel, the hands of ctions may in some justice wouldnotloosentheirgriponDemjanjuk. the Task Force felt In a surprising twist, the high court blocked st order of business. Demjanjuk's departure until the Israeli govern- ment could consider whether it would take new I.D., F.R.C.P. (C) legal action against him. Cootrinator The decisionnot toletDemjanjukleave Israel W and Other Drugs temporarily delays the resolution of some ques- tions which the acquittal had raised, such as whether the United States, "which stripped him by complex of his citizenship in 1981 and extradited him to Israel for trial five years later," shouldrestore his citizenship and allow him to return. The decisionthattheIsraeliGovernmentmust erkcountry, physical now make is an extremely sensitive and difficult nhaes oult hsan one. Exactly what crime to charge Demanju k taxes to bulletsand with having committed is an open question. The ntrol man's life, will Israeli Supreme Courtnoted that there was strong tates part of mans evidence that Demjanjuk had been a guard at a unalienable right to Nazi death camp called Sobibor, where aquarter fhappiness. Govern- of amillion Jews wereput to death. But the court rs do not believeinor also cited evidence that Demjanjukserved at two this concept perpetu- other prison ramps as well. Itis reasonable to expect that the Israeli Gov- who understand and ernment will proceed in a new Demjanjuk pros- dvidual rights using ecution. The democratic sentiment in Israel has tercent on objective reached something of a fevered pitch over this a chance to solve the issue. Politiciansfindsuchpblicoutriesnextto m t Clinton can help impossilt ignore. If Demjanjuk is again brought to trial, those losophy to guide our concerned that justice be done may rest assured that he will be dealt with fairly in the state of Paul L Gruchala Israel. That the Israeli Supreme Court will have Inkster, Micha the final say in the matter guarantees as much. Alchohol policy result of 'U' task force To the Daily: In your editorial regarding "Alcohol Policy" on Wednesday, July 14th, a lack of clarity is indicated (sixth paragraph) about why the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs is devel- oping an alcohol policy. The development of the policy is in direct response to the recommenda- tionsof theUniversity ofMichigan TaskForceon Alcohol and OtherDrugs, which were published in May, 1991. The relevant recommendation is: "The Task Force recommends that comprehen- sive and consistent policies concerning alcohol anddruguse be adopted across allunits within the University, and for all groups that are apartof the University" (p. 22). Thus the development of such a policy is not unique to Student Affairs but is part is part of a University-wide effort that has been in progress for more than two years. Many other University units, such as the Medical Center, the Office of Development, the Alumni Association, and the College of Literature, Science and the Arts have already completed their policies. They are de- signed to cover all members of the University community including faculty and staff as well as students. To avoid having multiple policies im- pingeuponundergraduate students(forexample, a housing policy and an LS&A policy) they will be covered by a single policy formulated by Student Affairs, while school, college, and other policies will cover faculty, staff, graduate stu- dents and events. Inkeeping with the decentralized structure of the University, unit policies are by design not uniform but are varied to meet the unique situa- tions and needs of each unit. Students were in- volved in the original Task Force and have been involved in the formulation of all unit policies. There is prominent student representation on the committee that is formulating the policy for the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. Nor should there be any "mystery"about why the policy will cover off-campus drinking at University sponsoredevents.Afundamentalprin- ciple of the Task Force was that "policies insti- tuted with respect to alcohol and other drugs should include all persons on University prop- erty, members of the University community at University-sponsored events and all organiza- tions officially recognizedby the University" (p. 17). The rationale for this recommendation rests upon the Task Force's view of the University as a community, in which the actions of any part of the community significantly effect the commu- nity asa whole (see esp. pp. 23-24). The editorial closes with an expression of concern regarding sanctions. The Task Force recommended that "the usual institutional re- sponse to a person experiencing problems in performanceorconsistency withkeynormsshould bethe provisionofassistance with problems with aclearstatementofproceduresandconsequences should such problems continue" (p. 27). The provision of assistance is dig pp. 41-48 of the report. San instances be necessary, butI that the assistance was the fir Frederick B. Glaser, M UM Initiative on Alcd Balkan war caused problems To the Daily: In the Balkans or any oil force used in any form, frog bombs, in any attempt to co always fail because it vio nature - his desire for his life,liberty and thepursuit o ments whose political leader know of and/or understandi ate the violence. Only Balkan leadersm implement the concept of in a philosophy based 100 p reality and reason will have Balkan's problems; Presid only by using the same phi own country.