£tdjmu &~ OPINION EDITOR IN CHIEF 420 Maynard Street James M. Nash Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan. EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS Patrick Javid Unsigned editorials present the opinion of a majority of the Daily's Jason S. Lichtstein editorial board. All other cartoons, signed articles and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Daily. R onni Sanlo has been named the new coordinator of the Lesbian Gay Male Bisexual Programs Office. Sanlo's hiring, and current director Jim Toy's stepping down, should settle some of the contro- versy that has recently engulfed LGMBPO. Sanlo's job experience alone makes her impeccably qualified- she has worked as a counselor, therapist, rehabilitation thera- pist, university instructor, consultant on issues of HIV/AIDS and, significantly, as a statelobbyistforlesbianandgay civilrights. Sanlo and LGMBPO must exert concen- tratedpoliticalpressure, influenceandguid- ance to be an effective voice for lesbians, gay males and bisexuals. Last January, the University eliminated the co-coordinator positions in the LGMBPO office, creating one single, uni- fied directorship. Although the co-coordi- natorpositionshavehistoricallyrepresented the gay and lesbian constituencies indepen- dently, the streamlining has created the position that Sanlo now holds. What is Changing of the Guard LGMBPO needs a strong political voice importantisthatLGMBPOeffectively serve the community in a fair and responsive way -notthat theorganization maintains sepa- rate leadership positions for both genders. The point of procedural justice and meritocracy is to hire responsible and well- qualified people.Andthere can benodoubt that Sanlo will do her job right. If LGMBPO is to be heard, it must become increasingly active and political. True, ACT UP and Queer Action are out- spoken student organizations. But LGMBPO-as a University-funded group - cannot be passive. The change in Re- gents' Bylaw 14.06 - the University's non-discrimination pledge - to include sexual orientation as a human characteris- tic by which no University institution, col- lege or organization can discriminate upon, must be fully implemented, and will pro- vide the first test for Sanlo's leadership. The 14.06 task force has recommended to the regents that medical, housing and educational benefits be extended to gays, lesbians and same-sex couples. It is im- perative that homosexuals be afforded the same rights as heterosexuals in the areas of employment, housing, admissions and scholarships. LGMBPO must be a strong politically-orientated organization to achieve these goals. As an actor in the bureaucracy within the University admin- istration, Sanlo's organization can do no less for LGMBPO to be truly effective. Clearly, Sanlo "will provide excellent leadership and service to both our lesbian, gay and bisexual constituency and our multicultural efforts," This from Richarcm Carter, the associate dean of students, who choose Sanlo from three finalists. The out- come of the search committee's work, and the University's new-found compliance on issues of gay rights, is commendable. We hope that Sanlo's credentials, experience and reputation carry over into a politically powerful LGMBPO. Sanlo's hiring, and the results of the 14.06 task force, prove that - at least in Ann Arbor - the fight for gay rights is heading in the right direction. NRA: On the'retreat 19 semi-automatic weapons to be banned Middle East peace Peace negotiations gain steam Last Thursday, over intense opposition fromtheNational RifleAssociation, the HouseofRepresentativesnarrowlyapproved the Schumer bill that bans the manufacture and sale of 19 of the 650 different types of semi-automatic weapons availableinthe U.S. Unfortunately,the billis mere symbolism- not only will 631 semi-automatic weapons remain legal, but it does not limit numerous other types of weapons that shoot and kill justas quickly as semi-automatic guns. The NRA claims that many assault rifles are used by hunters and believes the bill is an affront to the American liberties. According totheir argument,grenadelaunchers, silenc- ers and flash suppressors are integral to any hunter's stock.The bill bans such features- including the detachable magazine that can fire more than 10 rounds of ammunition at one time - but only when two or more appear on a given weapon. Thus the law simply limits features that make afew men's adolescent fantasies come true, without af- fecting most semi-automatic weapons. TheNRA andthe bill'sopponentsforget that the majority of the country supports the law. Rep. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), the chief sponsor of the bill, described the guns that willnow be banned as "fashioned forno other purpose than to kill." Indeed, law en- forcement statistics show that semi-auto- matic weapons are used disproportionately' in violent crimes. The opposition to gun control appears to come from a minority of vociferous ruralgunconnoisseurs. Many of the supportersofthebill, however, represent America's urban areas and recognize the violence that guns wreak upon their cities. Perhaps anti-gun control proponents should look beyond hunting and into the frightening realities of the inner city. True, the law -after it is sent to confer- ence and signed by President Clinton -will not have a huge impact on crime. The bill does not address the social problems in America's cities that lead toourreputation as the most violent of the industrialized nations. This bill is one step -albeit a minor one - toward the goal of a more peaceful social order. Simple measures can make a difference. The Brady bill makes it more difficult for a convicted felon to legally buy a gun. More- over, programs similar to those in Chicago and Detroit, which are trying to reduce the number of gun dealers and put tighter con- trolsonthosethey sellguns to, canbeimple- mented on anational scale. Michigan alone has 13,000licensedgundealers,themajority of whom sell from their homes, and future legislation should attempt to limit such dif- fuse gun trade. As the death toll from guns increases, there is no justifiable reason for neglecting furtherregulationofunnecessary anddeadly weapons. As the secretary of state reminds us, driving a car is a privilege -not a right. And so gun ownership should be as well. hile skeptics have claimed for de- cades that Jews and Palestinians could never coexist in Palestine, every- thing came together last week to produce one of the most remarkable political agree- ments of the century. Israel is withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank city of Jericho, both of which were captured by Israel in 1967. The Palestinians displaced by this war have been seeking a return to Palestine with their own autonomous gov- ernment ever since but have been denied by Israel and shunned by Arab states. Their time has finally come. At the same time this agreement was finalized in Cairo, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad was contemplating a bold peace plan put forward by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin - which would include Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights in return for peace and diplomatic relations with Syria - proving that Israel is serious about peace. The agreement to withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza and Jericho is a remarkable turn of events that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago. The Israelis' willingness to achieve peace in the region, coupled with Palestine Liberation Organization Chair Yassir Arafat's willingness to recognize the legiti- macy of Israel, madethis momentous agree- ment possible. However, while Palestinians and Israe- lis celebrate - with the notable exception of hard-liners and militants on both sidesq - the international community must be prepared to support the Palestinian state economically and the PLO politically to ensure that economic ruin, civil strife and anti-Israel propaganda do not ravage Pales- tine. The West, including the United States, has already covered the first base - eco- nomic aid. Now the West must be prepared to ensure democratic elections, promote V free system of government and prevent factions from dividing the new quasi-state. The developments between Israel and Syria could do more to promote Middle East peace - in the long run - than anything since the Camp David accords in 1979. Syria remains Israel's most impor- tant security threat, and should the two nations reach accord, comprehensive peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors would become a reality. According to Rabin's visionary plan, Israel would gradu- ally withdraw from the Golan, and aninter- national peacekeeping force would patrol the demilitarized area in return for peace and diplomatic relations. These developments could signal a new era of stability in the war-weary Middle East. With the support of the West an dedication by all parties involved, the Arab- Israeli conflict may be ready to reach a peaceful conclusion that participants and observers alike have only dreamed of for nearly 50 years.