4- The Michigan Daily -Wednesday, June 14, 1995
RONNIE GLASSBERG ADRIENNE JANNEY
Editor in Chief JOEL F. KNUTSON
Editorial Page Editors
40MyadUnless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 the Daily's editorial board. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan-necessarily reflect the oinion of the Dail's editorial board.
Senate Majority Leader and presidential can posturing as the moral high ground on the issue
didate Bob Dole (R-Kansas) recently made **of violent and sexually explicit material, claim-
the statement that some movie critics have al- B b D l a n U i eeing that, in the words of Dole, "Sometime you
ready said: "Natural Born Killers" and "True VEhave to remember the impact on children."
Romance,"whichbothcontaingratuitousblood- But Dole's actions hsow no evidence o
bath scenes, were "nightmares of depravity." caring about children. He has shown no resis
Yet, when Dole criticizes Hollywood for awful Doles record gives him no right to blame movies tance to efforts to slash the nutritional program
movies, it becomes a political statement. Women, Infants and Children, school lunch pro-
Politicians have once again taken to blaming grams and Head Start educational prograns, all ol
Hollywood for America's social ills, forgetting "Natural Born Killers" and some transcripts of industry is not the catalyst of this fervor - it is a which get children on the right path in life. If he
where the real problems lie: threadbare schools, offensive material from albums and movies. reaction to it. Canadians and the British have the cared about children he would put education as his
a flood of guns on the streets and a lower class That Dole criticizes albums he has not listened same movies and records as Americans, yetno one number one priority - rather than cutting it.
mired in poverty. to and movies he has not seen and consider it an remembers thatwhen blaming allAmerica's prob- As an example of his double standard, Dole
The Senator maintains that "We must hold important political statement is a disgrace on his lems on the entertainment industry. talks about attacks on "common decency" -
Hollywood and the entire entertainment indus- office and his stature in politics. Another major pointofcontention with those but the very organization he belongs to for
try accountable for putting profit ahead of com- Attacking Hollywood has some political concerned about the levels of sex and violence political reasons, the National Rifle Associ
mon decency." Of course, he did not suggest viability, since many mainstream companies on TV seems to be funding for the Public tion, advocates violence against federal agents.
thathyper-violentmovies with Republicans such like Geffen have shown discomfort with gang- Broadcasting System. Although few children's Hate radio host G. Gordon Liddy suggests that
as Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis or Arnold ster rap and violence. Arguably, groups advo- shows on PBS espouse anything less than fam- his listeners "aim for the head" if agents evet
Schwarzeneggerbe held accountable. Quite the cating violence against women should censure ily values, honesty and education, many hard- approach their doors. Does Dole not have a
opposite. "True Lies," with a body count of themselves and clean up their act. Yet most rap line conservatives want to see its funding cut - problem with that?
more than 100 and graphic depictions of bad artists are simply playing the marketing game. even though studies have repeatedly shown He and his ultra-conservative ilk are hypo-
guys getting picked to pieces with machine Tosuggestthatrecordcompanies shouldimme- children growing up with PBS have signifi- crites forcondemning Hollywood and ignoring
guns, was termed "Friendly to families." Fox diately halt therelease ofobjectionable material cantly higher learning skills at early ages than the real causes of violence. Dole has done
network with its crotch-grabbing show "Mar- is abominable. The factis, if people did not want those watching network TV and cable. How can nothing in his years as a senator to stern the tide
ried withChildren"also avoidedscrutiny. Fox's to hear it, they would not buy it. No one forces Dolejustify calling "True Lies" family-oriented of guns flowing to streets and youth. He nee
owner, Rupert Murdochhappens to be a conser- children to play "Mortal Kombat" or other and then kill "Sesame Street?" to realize that there arefarmoreimportant issues
vative contributor - go figure. video games featuring carnal violence. Society Former Education Secretary and drug czar to concentrate on in the real world than the se
Dole has admitted to seeing only parts of is obsessed with violence. The entertainment William Bennett, Dole and countless others are and violent fiction in Hollywood.
Residence hal crunch
'U' Housing cramming students like sardines
'jhs summer, the record number of new
students coming through Summer Orien-
tation will be living in converted doubles and
triples in East Quad, with some even living in
bunks in what normally would be considered
singles. For only three days, it is justifiable.
Unfortunately, many of these students are
going to be housed into increasingly crowded
converted rooms this fall as well. For these
unlucky students, Orientation will be just a
taste of the more permanent cramped quarters
that await them this fall.
The University is facing a housing crunch.
And right now, its only solution is to pile more
students into dorms than they were designed to
hold. Yet the University continues its aggres-
sive recruitment of second-year and older stu-
dents to rettm to the residence halls, forcing
more reliance on converted triples -arguably
the most uncomfortable situation in housing.
What Housing has failed to realize is that it is
irrational to keep increasing the number of
students in residence halls when it cannot fit
those who should be guaranteed housing in
decent quarters. The attitude that Housing
seems to have taken on the shortage of housing
is to cram as many students into rooms clearly
not designed for today's college student.
Most of the existing rooms on Central
Campus cannot hold the increasing number of
first-year students, who often arrive complete
with computers, books, furniture and clothing.
Student concerns with personal space have
been trivialized as the concerns of the "many
affluent students who are used to having their
own rooms at home." This is indicative of the
wrong attitude displayed by residence halls.
Ratherthancompensate fordifferencesfrom
students in the 1960s versus students in the
1990s, students are blamed for bringing more
belongings.
If a student is living in cramped quarters
where illnesses and theft are prevalent, it will
have a negative impact on the student's aca-
demic performance. Since there are no plans to
build another residence hall, and the University
will likely increase incoming student sizes to
rake in more money to account for funding
shortfalls, a cut has to be made somewhere.
Right now, first-year students are suffering
in the housingcrunch. This may be alleviated if
the University faces the reality that there is a
definite concern for space that is not solved by
blaming students for being "affluent" with an
abundance of personal belongings. Director of
Public Affairs and Information for the Housing
Division Alan Levy has said that rooms cur-
rently used for office space in WestQuad-the
Lloyd and Winchell houses - may be con-
verted backintorooms for students. This action
must take place before any additional students
are forced to live in converted doubles and
triples. When space is at a premium, students
must get first priority.
Furthermore, first-year students should be
the only ones guaranteed housing. Though up-
perclassmen certainly have the right to live in
the residence halls, they should live in only after
the pressing needs of new students has been met.
TheUniversity,throughOrientation,stresses
its concerns for first-year students' academic
adjustment. These concerns will be proven to be
empty if it continues to put students in rooms
where they cannot live comfortably.
Moving toward safety
Ann Arbor City Council addresses lighting concerns
Jith staggering DNA evidence against pay if any act of violence is averted.
Ervin Dewain Mitchell Sr. mounting in Residents of Ann Arbor who can pay f
the case against the alleged Ann Arbor serial these lights should take the opportunity to not
rapist, residents of Ann Arbor as well as stu- only increase the safety of their own neighbor-
dents may falsely assume a new sense of secu- hoods but should recognize that the more lights
rity. But although it is a major breakthrough purchased will help offset the costs to those who
that a defendant has been brought to trial in the may not be able to afford the lights as easily, and
cases of four rapes and one murder, the perils of who often live in the areas prone to violence.
acquaintance rape, domestic violence and stalk- Students living off campus and their landlords
ers still loom large for many. The fact remains should also take advantage of this opportunity to
that many people still feel unsafe walking increase the safety of not only their own dwe
through the Diag at night, much less venturing ing but the University community as a large.
through city streets. The commission has acknowledged that
In recognition of this, the Ann Arbor City lights alone will not solve all of the problems
Council has taken broad steps in trying to associated with walking alone at night. Part of
increase the safety of its citizens at night by the lighting plan will involve expansion of
initiating a plan of safety lights throughout "eyes and ears" programming which involves
the city. A 20-member Commission on In- local businesses, the Ann Arbor Transit Au-
creasing Safety for Women, organized last thority and community watch programs re-
fall, has initiated the program "There's No porting suspicious activity. Emergency phones
Excuse for Violence Against Women." A are also being planned at locations throughout
major part of the program is the Lighting and the city, with blue lights similar to those g
Physical Environment Subcommittee, which campus. The porch light campaign will be bIT-
has started a cooperative effort between the stered by the use of more community-oriented
city and Detroit Edison in illuminating the policing through bike patrols. Additionally, ef-
streets that many people are scared to ap- forts to extend Ameritech's donation of cellular
proach at night. Detroit Edison has commit- phones - Ameritech currently provides free
ted 5,000 free photocell porch lights to the phones to University groups like Safewalk and
city, which will automatically light up from Northwalk-tolocaldomesticviolenceprojects
dusk until dawn. The commission is improv- are underway. The goal, once all of the pro-
ing on this plan by beginning a campaign for grams are brought together, is an "avenue of
matching funds by recruiting neighborhood light" or "safeway" throughout the city.
groups, the University and local merchants to Ann Arbor has pioneered a promisin
help subsidize another 10,000 additional lights policy against violence by requiring manda-
at the cost of only $3.48 each. The cost to tory arrests in domestic violence cases. With
students or citizens with the lights would be this latest action, the city is back in the fore-
only four cents a night, a minuscule price to front in combating violence in its community.