Monday, August 7, 2000 - The Michigan Daily - 5

LETTERS TO THE EITOR


inorit ies not
beaten and
oppressed'
TO THE DAILY:
After readint the commen-
tary of Mirand Massie regarding
the court ruling on UGA admis-
sions last week. I am compelled
write in response. Is it not
racist by definition to homoge-
tize entire groups of people
based upon their ethnic ancestry?
Is it not also racist to presume
that simple because a person
lives and works it a state that
seceded from the United States
over 130 years ago, that such a
personw ould be somehow linked
to theC onfederacy?
By portraying all people of
for as beaten and oppressed at
time when more opportunities
and support coalitions are avail-
able to people of color than ever
before, defiant supporters of
affirmative action have stereo-
typed all non-whites in a degrad-
ing and insulting manner. The
economic and social costs of
maintaining racially-motivated
onomic opportunity redistribu-
on programs are staggering but
rarely nentioned in the debate
surrounding this dlated practice.
When wc speak of
"oppressed people." let us look at
the situation realistically and
realize that moie opportunities
are available for persons at high-
er economic strata than at lower
lesels. It simply makes more
sense to realize this economic
0 r -lity than to maintamn a philos-
I that seems to rely more and
more on the weak mantra of
"White people just don't get it."

high efficiency, near zero emis-
sions, and/or alternative fuel
vehicles today'?
The basic answer is that 2 to 5
years ago when we were design-
ing today's cars and engines we
didn't have the technology at a
marketable state.
Today we have some of the
required technology; as seen by
Ford Motor Cortpany's recent
announcements concerning the
use of light weight materials, new
engine and newspower train tech-
nologies to improve the fuel effi-
ciency of its sport utility vehicles.
But fuel cell technology, which is
the most promising near zero
emissions technology, is still 5 to
15 years away from being com-
mercially available. A good,

ten children's books don't rely on
predictable stock characters any
more than well-written adult
books do. I suggest your reviewer
become familiar with the many
outstanding children's books
available rather than make such
uninformed comments again.
KATHLEEN ODEAN
AUTHOR, "GREAT BOOKS
FOR GIRLS AND GREAT
BOOKS FOR Boys"
Parties are
corporate
sellouts

Addressing the dilemma
n a world dominated by advertising, consumer
fetishism, manufactured values, media hype,
truth mongers, irrational opinions and dictates
from on high, sometimes the best statement a
writer can make is no statement at all.
We are all inundated with information every day
bombarded. But sometimes
all this created vastity col-
lapses into a straight line.
Our reality is brimming with
technology, proclamations
dominant ideas, gadgets, peo-
ple, the vast intricacies of life
peripheral intelligences, and
SO muich informnation.
Sonmetits the lachinery
is too much.
We are the unfound chil- JOSH
dren of an uninspired future, WICKERHAM
lost and without a set path.
For we live in Plato's cave of
shadows. a world full of
smoke and mirrors.
This white space on your right is not for lack of
ideas to fill newspaper space.
It is a fleeting stab at the postmodern dilemma.
How can we live in a world so full of objects,
ideas and words yet so lacking in seasin !
White noise can be beautiful
I am sounding a clarion call for the reclamation
of the soul.
Try to examine your ow(1n thoughts for a
change, fellow cave dwellers.
Just don't let yourself implode.
-- .Josh Wicker-ham can be reached i-ia c-wail
at jwickerl {zuml~ich .edu.t

Tikn mspace

explanation of
cell technolog
Entgiteering i
zine, March
which is avail,
Uniott.
There is a
between tecin
laboratories a
nology. WhatI
longest bringin
market is findi
be effected by
people. In a wl
ignore warning
misuse produc
eveit purpose
mechanisms a
manufacturer ,
manufacturer 5
know as much
how to peopl
technologs bef
the general Dal

f the state of fuel To THE DAI
y is in 4ttomofivei Peter ('
tternational/ maga- te jump-st
2000 (page 170), for his cat
able in the Media time to stop
m ulaic" 7
geat dIfference While I wO
slogy that sstrks ill oefo o
d marketable tech spote for Co
generally takes the uninspirin
beets recentl
tg a technology to for him, si
tg out how it will record is mo
the real world and Third pa
orld where people the move, r
Js, abuse products. they should
Its. dont use and
ly de'feat safety buelt orntt
(nd then sue tle to corporat
het they get hurt, tis eto de
5 would like to finance issu
Ias possible abIut
e-proof any ness t' But ts
're they place 1it1n1p1ttsat
'Let sit' patty thlat c.
rket plce. for (ore. U
ADAM MULLER party begins
levels (sch
ALUMNUS seats, state r
es of their p
P otter loom emp
! ~More *iml
W as versity town
ous problem
r m ed' candidates tr
force womei
and the poot
the above. C
iewS of the fourth to deal open
r book on lege, aff
originally printed Michigamua
("H tarry does it ters) for the I
n istant classic" housing, leg.
uld like to take marijuana, r
le condescending lack of racial
ere are times that party city w
cters become pre- from me.
is these moments
remind ourselves
cding a children's
pass." Well-writ-

ILY:
Unmlfie'S COILIumn Oil
art that Gore needs
paign ("For Gore. its
being safe and for-
31 00) is right on.
as persuaded not to
'e on the merits of his
personality. I have
ly persuaded to vote
ince his day-to-day
tre revealing.
sty candidates are on
raising a ruckus (as
) about the faults of
pty sysets. Indeed.
tparties ate solomt


An open letter to Bill Martin

DAVEHODGE Harry
LSA JUNIOR review
u n i nfc
Green autos
ave a long To THE DAILY:
I read a rev
w ay t o go Harry Potte
Bookwire.com

TO THE DAILY:
During the years I was on
campus, I read numerous arti-
cles, editorials and published let-
ters condemnintg the automotive
industry on its environmental
record. One question that has
n raised directly or indirectly
sttmany times is: why can't we have

in your paper
again; 'lire' at
7/17/00). 1 sko
exception to th
statement, "Tlic
thse stock chtar'a
dictable but iti
that we 1must I
st t we are rea
book, and let it

tons, have no incen- J in.ear Mr. Martin: First and foremost. congratu-
al sith campaign lations. 1s light of your many business accom-
es and won't disrtlpt plishments, the athletic director post at Michigan.
(i too much. nay not look like much, but as I am sure you are
he status quo of each aware, there are ait awful lot
sonvinces me to vote of people out there who live
until the Republican and (especially lately) die by
to diversify on local the prominence of the
ool boards, county Michigan athletic department.
eps, etc.) the promis- The fact that you are refusing
residential candidate a salary for the turbulence you
are inheriting speaks volumes
portantly, in this u111i- about your commitment, for
there are some seri- the goal of any businessman, it
ts with Democratic seems to me, is to make money
ack records that will out of the deal. You've said that RYAN
n, racial minorities, it's all about doing your duty MOLONEY
r to vote for none of for your alma mater - who
andidates who refuse wouldn't like that attitude in
ly with white privi- this day and age?
'irmative action, To be honest, you are a bit of a mystery to me.
, housing (not shel. During our past phone conversations, you've come
poor vs. "affordable" across as the cheerful next-door neighbor, or the
alization of medical uncle everyone looks forward to seeing at the fam-
acial profiling, and ily reunion.
1 diversity within the I've compared notes with other reporters on staff
ide will et no vote here and I am not alone in this sentiment. We've
called you at absurd hours of the day and night and
instead of understandable irritation, we get "gosh
guys, what can I help you with?"
AUDREY JACKSON We college reporters are not PR people, as many
ALUMNUS coaches mistakenly believe - we are searching for
the truth, no matter how unpleasant. Mindful of our
intentions, you still ask us if we enjoy our jobs, if
school is all right and what we plan to do after col-
l ege.
th 'tLK5 NIn spite of our better judgement, most of us are
?kbTiN UFal,Kw
i1 .N wurp wowed by your alarmingly disarming demeanor.
.utol'.-1Such a refreshing change from the athletic depars-
kow ment we normally deal with.
^ C 's A couple of weeks ago, I was working on a story
Tm'1 about Lloyd Carr's contract extension. This story
was open and shut, a space-filler really. I only want-
ed the details of the contract and the length of the
negotiations.
I spoke to one of your mid-level admintistrators

within the department - could he answer a few
questions about Carr's new contract? "Well," he
sniffed, "it depends on what kind of questions you
ask me." I assured him there was no malicious
intent behind the story, to which he referred me to
another department red-taper who was convenieni-
ly out of his office.
From a department that has become less and less
user friendly over the past few years, this experience
is not only unsurprising, but increasingly standard.
It's hard to pinpoint any single reason for such oft-
employed truculence. Perhaps department adminis-
tration are still programmed from the last A.D. -- a
man whose persona with both the media and his
coaches could best be described as "aloof."
Whatever the reason, the changes, as they say,
must start at the top. How appropriate that you are a
businessman, Mr. Martin, because let's be frank -
college sports is a business and quite a lucrative one
when itis run correctly. Going into this new millen-
nium, you have an opportunity to return this athlet-
ic department to the glory days of Canham,
Weidenbach and heck, even Bo.
To start with, most of your coaches are qualified,
excellent leaders of men and women, so the well-
being of your athletes is not as high of a priority in
question. The 2 million dollar debt, which is to
Michigan like a street-scraping muffler dragged in
back of a Mercedes, needs to be almost your singu-
lar concentration,
Once upon a time, the teams at Michigan were
seen as extensions of an at once gracious and con-
fident athletic department. Somewhere along the
line, administrators stopped listening to their voice
mail and Sports Information Directors forgot that
their job is to accommodate the media, not dictate
the way stories should be written.
I sincerely hope last week changed all of that.
Whatever happens - and nothing seems out of the
question anymore - keep that famous kind streak
of yours throughout your tenure. For, it's an arnica-
ble personality, coupled with an acute business
sense, that gets buildings named after you around
here.
S Ruan Moloner can be reached via e-mail
at r o16ne (mich.edar.

L W I

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