8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, June 12, 1996 N 'A NEWS State senate: No same-sex marrlag es 1 4 1 j m t t ! I1 4 ^ # A Ethics conference promotes community values, harmony By Katie Wang Daily News Editor Marriages between members of the same sex will not be allowed or recog- nized by the state of Michigan, voted the state Senate last week. In an over- whelming vote of 32-2, the Michigan Senate passed a bill which would deny recognition of gay marriages per- formed in other states. State Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith (D- South Lyon) said she voted against the ban because she thought same-sex marriages did not demonstrate any harmful effects on the public's welfare. "If I thought for one moment that passing a ban would do anything to support the quality of families or lower the divorce rate, then maybe my vote would've been a 'yes' vote," Smith said. "This legislation is designed to be polit- ical and to put people in a difficult political position" Smith and Sen. Jackie Vaughn (D- "This legislation is designed to be politICal.. " - Alma Wheeler Smith Senator (D-South Lyon) Detroit) were the two senators who voted against the ban. Smith said she was not surprised by how easily the bill passed because it can be a very decisive vote in some dis- tricts. "I firmly believe I have a district that is more open-minded and accepting of differences," she said. The next step for both bills is Gov. John Engler's desk where both pieces of legislation are expected to be signed into law by the end of next week. Same-sex marriage has become an increasingly heated topic as the November presidential elections approach. Currently, a House Judiciary Committee in the United States House of Representatives is consider- ing a bill known as the "Defense of Marriage Act." The bill defines marriage as "a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word 'spouse' refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife." Thus far, Hawaii is the only state to legalize same-sex marmages. By Nathan Huebner Daily Staff Reporter Last Thursday, Michael Lerner, edi- tor of Tikkun magazine and author of the book Politics of Meaning, spoke at Washtenaw Community College as part of the Conference on Politics, Ethics and Meaning. The conference was a follow-up to the Summit on Ethics and Meaning in Politics that was held in Washington, D.C. April 14-16. The summit, accord- ing to Lerner, was a "historic event - a huge gathering of people committed to transforming America's public life and private life, rejecting the ethos of selfishness and materialism, and com- mitting themselves to a new ethos of caring and community." The same idea of community was also promoted at Thursday's confer- ence. The goal of the conference, according to organizers, was to "further define the values the existing institu- Are you Grieving An Abortion? Free Confidential Counseling Help when you hurt! 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Bloomfield, Mi 48325 FAX: 1-810-851-5496 call Yahoo for internet number a campus winner by which they can foster caring rela- tionships, sustainable communities, meaningful value-oriented work, and harmony with the environment." "Human beings all are deserving of love and caring," Lerner said. Lerner said the conference is repre- sentative of a nationwide moveme that aims to understand people's ethica and spiritual needs. The "politics of meaning" movement is the liberal answer to the conservative religious right movement, he said. "The politics of meaning is the poli- tics of the image of God," Lerner said. Several workshops were offered to those who attended the conference fol- lowing Lemer's speech. The workshops were designed to promote the idea of community and the politics of meaO ing. Workshop topics included conflict and negotiation, race relations, urban planning, and democracy in a universi- ty. After a vegetarian dinner that evening, attendees were given a chance to "put ideas into action" by forming task forces on issues ranging from "spirituality and religious renewal" to "cynicism and selfishness in thI media." Afterward, Lerner gave a clo ing speech on the topic of "Coming Together," urging cooperation among members of the community. The conference in Ann Arbor was just one of several regional conferences taking place across the country. Regional conferences were held in Seattle, Minneapolis and San Francisco in May, as well as in both Los Angeles and Portland in early June. Join the Summer Daily! Call 76-DAILY for more information. ON A.L MICHIGAN T-SHIRTS, SWEATSHIRTS, AND COTTON HATS. 3045 . State Street OPEN 7 DAYS 4 doos South of lbur A 996-l480 UNTIL LATE I I