4 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, July 26, 1999 Edited and managed by Emily AcHENBAUM NICK WOOEILR students at the 4ro Editor in Chief Editorial Page Editor University of Michigan Arf Unles nherw ise noned' un sn i e ditorials nellect the ni nwn"! o/t 420 Maynard Streetmaj of he Daili 5sdrialboardI. All other "ari tand Ann Arbor, MI 48109 a 700115 dot17 eCessariv/ti'tiniof The ilian J~aulr. W hile proof of their success has come late, the students who protested the University's involvement with manufac- turers' unethical use of sweatshop labor have shown that civil disobedience in Ann Arbor can benefit someone on the other side of the world. Despite some foot dragging, the University has made it clear that it under- stands the need to establish high standards for working conditions at sites where goods associated with it are manufactured and that it is committed to holding its licensees to those standards. It is regret- table the University did not fully demon- strate its commitments earlier, but it has come through on its promises and as long as its efforts are sustained into the future, woikers throughout the world will enefit. Last week, Athletic Director Tom C(oss sent a letter to the Unix ersity's ieyes who produce apparel ard other goods bearing University logos. The letter informed manufacturers that their licens- 'U' letter shows commitment to workers' rights ing agreements will require them to dis- close all manufacturing sites by Jan. 1, 2000. The move came more than four months after University President Lee Bollinger presented a Human Rights Policy state- ment at the March Board of Regents meeting. The statement announced, amongoother things, the University's corn- miment to establist ug an Anti- Sweatshop Advisory ommitee. The cumminre of students, f aculty and stafT was Iler appointed in June Somei apparel comp snies most nimably Nike cisc already resondd to pubic outrage and say they Irase implemmed policv changes aimed at protecting work- ers' rights. But the need for better regula- Brthel sing estio Brot-hel cloingraises tug uestions I n a move that will sadden almost no one, it was announced a little over two weeks ago that the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada will be shut down and its properties turned over to the federal government. While the majority of Americans will understandably be more excited than upset about this decision, they should realize the important national issues that contributed to the closing of the Mustang Ranch. It is not upsetting that the Mustang Ranch will be closed, but it is a little disconcerting that the federal government can impose its morality on the states and take knee-jerk reactions on taboo subjects like prostitution. Technically, the Mustang Ranch will not be shut down because it is a brothel. In Nevada, prostitution is legal, and the federal government has no right to step in for moralistic reasons. That, of course, is why the government went after the bordello on corruption charges. According to The New York Times, "Federal prosecutors maintain that they had to do something about the Mustang Ranch flouting the law and giving hous- es of prostitution a bad name." It is entirely possible - even likely - that owners and managers at the Mustang Ranch were guilty of tax eva- sion and corruption as alleged. But it is also very hard to believe that the federal government took the initia- tive to bring suit against the brothel because it was "giving houses of prosti- tution a bad name." A more likely sce- nario is that the federal government took action against the Mustang Ranch, at least in part, because it feels houses of prostitution give Nevada a bad name. That is not the federal governrent's decision to make. While the closing of a brothel may not be an issue that sparks the nation's concern, it should at least be noticed when the federal government imposes its will on the states for blatant- ly moralistic reasons. The closing of the Mustang Ranch also demonstrates the nation's reluc- tance to even consider the possible advantages to legalizing prostitution. While there is little dispute that prostitu- tion is appalling, there is also little dis- pute that it still goes on, and very dan- gerously. Obviously, outside of Nevada, prostitutes are unregulated because prostitution is illegal. Disease among prostitutes is ram- pant, as is abuse. In places like Nevada and the Netherlands, where prostitution is regulated, the practice has consistent- ly proven itself to be far safer for both prostitutes and their customers. This is not to say that legalizing pros- titution is the only solution. But prosti- tution is a problem that needs to be addressed. Often, taboo subjects like prostitution are left undiscussed, simply because people wish they would just go away. Prostitution will continue, legal or not. The federal government needs rec- ognize this reality and look into ways to make it as safe as possible. In a situation like this, the issues need to be detached from the principles. Physical safety and the spread of disease are issues that need to be discussed, regardless of what context they come in. While not pretty, prostitution occurs across the globe, and here in the United States it brings out the struggle between the nation's values and its legal obliga- tions and restraints. Hopefully, there can be a balance between the two. tion of sweatshops becomes quickly obvi- ous upon even the most cursory overview of reports by labor organizations and the testimonials of workers themselves. At the Formosa Textiles plant in El Salvador, where some Nike products are sewn. The National Labor Committee, a New York-based human rights organiza- tion has doc?;;mmuted ca s of physical and serbal rbuse, burmiliatioi of workers, unfair wages aid efforts to root out potential nion orgrnizes. Workers there had never heard "C Nike s (ode of Conduct" that 5s,- supposed to ensure that their workiig coruditions evere s i- faciory. As the most popular institution iii the sale of licensed goods around the world, Programn increases F or many upper-ncome students, it is a virtual given that they will attend college after high school. But for youths who come from low-income families, the lack of financial support and/or ade- quate academic preparation are often insurmountable barriers to a college education. In trying to provide disadvantaged students with a greater opportunity to continue into higher education, the U.S Department of Education has recently given Central Michigan University an $800,000 grant to establish an Upward Bound site at Northern High School in central Detroit. The department's decision is com- mendable, as it will help students who have the potential to excel in collegiate studies, but due to their environment, would otherwise be unable to further their education upon graduating from high school. Upward Bound, a 35 year old nation- al program, aims to encourage disadvan- taged students to continue into higher education and increase the number who enroll in and graduate from colleges and universities. Very often students lack the necessary confidence towards the possi- bility of attending college. The program provides the necessary support for students to succeed academ- ically. Students accepted into Upward Bound at Northern High School will receive daily tutoring on subjects such as mathematics, composition and litera- ture, and attend workshops on time man- agement, test-taking and study skills. In addition to the academic support, another crucial element of this program is the establishment of peer networks. Each summer, students will visit CMU's m the University is in the unique position of being able to force massive changes in the licensed goods industry. Last spring other universities caved in to the urgings of Nike and the American Council on Education to join alliances such as th often-criticized Fair Labor Association, the monitoring arm of the Apparel Industry Partnership. The University instead decided to listen to students and demand that the industry set higher moni- toring standards -- a move that will cer- tainly lead to better working conditions than an alliance with the FLA could have produced. Unfortunately, the prevailing opinion in the deeloped world is that the hurmanc treatment of workers by cor porations is * "perk" rather than a necessity. While it has been slow to do so, the Uniersaty has chosen not only to demand liher moni- toring standards for sweatshops, but it has used the revenue its name genertes and done so on its o r terms. access to higher ed campus in Mt. Pleasant for a six week residential program. This will allow stu- dents to gain a better grasp of the col- lege environment. The establishment of the Upward Bound site in Northern High School would benefit the types of students most in need of aid. Inner-city areas tradition ally lag behind suburban districts i terms of education and financial resources. This often prevents youths from the inner city from competing on the same level as their suburban coun- terparts. Though the final details of the Upward Bound site at Northern High School are still currently being worked out, the tentative plans call for extending the program to benefit as many students as possible. The program has been a silent suc- cess. In the past year alone, 21 such pro- grams were running statewide. This gives a good indication of the level of attention that this program gives to dis- advantaged students. It sheds light on the level of success of the efforts that have been put forth to get more disad- vantaged students to attend a college or university. Attending a college or university is not be as easy as some individuals from privileged background may think. Even though higher education is perceived to be part of the growing up process, there are those who, due to their surroundings, are unable to prepare for continuing their education beyond high school. To effectively combat the cycle of poverty Upward Bound and similar pro grams need to be developed or expanded to provide more educational opportuni- ties for disadvantaged students.