MondayMay 8, 2000 - The Michigan DaFl - 5
SU 5
*Marijuana
legalization
long overdue
To THE DAILY:
Your editorial for ending
marijuana prohibition was right
Son target. A stop to this
abysmal, failed war on drugs is
long overdue. In 1967, as
Editorial Director of the Daily, I
wrote a similar editorial. Back
then it was national news. ABC
Radio called from New York, as
did various TV interview
shows,
Most of us thought pot
would be legalized within a
very few years. We figured the
big tobacco companies would
just start marketing it them-
selves. Rumor had it they were
already copyrighting brand
names like "Maui Wowee" and
"Panama Red:' We didn't see
Nixon or Reagan coming. Or
Clinton, for that matter.
We also didn't realize that
one of the key reasons pot isn't
legal is that it's too easy to
grow. Corporations can domi-
nate tobacco to feed nicotine
addiction, or booze for alcohol
addicts. But pot, which is not
physically addictive, can be
grown by anyone. There's no
money in it for big corporations
because any consumer can
grow weed in their own closet
or backyard that's just as good
as the big guys'.
It's pretty much the same
reason that we don't have solar
power - if you can power your
house with roof top collectors,
who needs the utilities? Many
people thought they'd jump in.
But how do you charge for
what's otherwise free.
So for the time bein2 the
sun's energy, which Could
power the world, is somehow
"impractical." If it keeps threat-
ening to shut down the nuclear
power industry, maybe it too
will soon be illegal.
In the meantime, keep chip-
ping away. Both major candi-
dates for president have clearly
inhaled. It doesn't seem to have
done much good. But sooner or
later, something will give.
HARVEY WASSERMAN
ALUMNUS
Loss of Nike
will hurt 'U'
TO THE DAILY:
The University of Michigan
was one of the inaugural col-
leges to sign with Nike and was
its biggest university seller in
the nation. I am very upset that
Nike severed ties with UM.
Interim Athletic Director
William Martin made com-
ments along the lines that there
are many Nikes but there is
only one Michigan. While I
agree that Michigan stands
alone, Nike is the premier ath-
letic company in America and
that label, like it or not, brings
in top recruits across the nation
for all of Michigan's athletic
teams.
I can only hope Michigan
eitheraresigns with Nike or
agrees to a deal perhaps with
Adidas, probably the best
remaining company to sign
with. Now I get to wonder what
to do with all my now obsolete
Michigan Nike gear.
BRIAN WALBY
ENGINEERING SOPHOMORE
Pot need not
remain a
gateway drug
To THE DAILY: .
Great editorial on marijuana
reform! The racist history of
marijuana prohibition is a com-
pelling reason for legalization.
However, protecting the children
is an even stronger argument. If
marijuana had been legalized in
the 1970's there would be no
methamphetamine problem in
North America. The crack epi-
demic of the 'os would have
never happened.
Current drug policy is, in
effect, a gateway drug policy.
While there is nothing inherent in
the marijuana plant that compels
users to try harder drugs, its
black market status puts users in
contact with unscrupulous indi-
viduals that push hard drugs.
Equally disturbing is the
manner in which children have
an easier time purchasing mari-
juana than beer. While a liquor
store will refuse to sell alcohol to
a minor to avoid losing its
license, a drug dealer will sell to
anyone with cash. As long as
marijuana remains illegal, the
established criminal distribution
network will ensure that North
America's children can sample
every new poison concocted by
drug pushers.
As counterintuitive as it may
seem, legalizing marijuana
would both limit access and sep-
arate the hard and soft drug mar-
kets which serve to introduce
youth to the truly deadly drugs.
ROBERT SHARPE
STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE
DRUG POLICY, GEORGE
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Field of political dieams
E, vcr since ihe end ofihe Mor League Nashal
strike of 1994 he sport has taken or propor-
tions tihat eveis its hall-of-famers never sav. Two
years ago, the Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa
home run race turned into a lesson in racial and
national tolerance, where people put aside their own
biases and rooted for their favorite athlete or team.
In the New York senatorial cam-
paign, the race between First Lady
Hillary Clinton and Mayor Rudy
Guiliani has come down to baseball alle-
giances rather than political motivations.
Rudy, a life-long New Yorker has always
cheered for the Bronx Bombers (ugh),
while Clinton, spending most of her time
in baseball-less Arkansas and
Washington has no affiliation. She now
claims to be both a fan of the Yanks and
Mets (vote for Hillary; no Yankee fan Aaron
should ever hold an elected office). T(t
In Detroit, Mayor Denny Archer and
his brain trust now hope that a new sta-
dium for the Tigers will bring about a
renaissance in the once-lively downtown. The new
field, Comerica Park (a.k.a the CoPa; a.k.a. the
Commie), has everything from a Ferris wheel to a
beer garden to a fountain that shoots colored water.
Sometimes at night they play baseball.
It seems that considering the game's enormous
power these days, Commissioner Bud "Less
Filling" Selig could step in to the U.S. foreign poli-
cy arena and solve some troubles with a little four-
bager solution. The most important issue to deal
with is of course the Elian Gonzalez custody battle.
Considering little Elian is from Cuba, it makes
perfect sense that this problem should be solved
with a bat and ball. Judging by last year's Team
Cuba embarrassment of the Baltimore Orioles, a
World-Cup style winner-take-kid tournament would
not be an especially good idea (that is, as long as the
American team is owned by Peter "Idiot"Angelos).
Instead, we must organize an international limit-
ed al-star game. L a cruniry uris tso m i la-
poe (a ptriser and a hiter)ad a puluicaj 9ui-
tary The format of the game is essentially a home-
run derby. The teamr that hits the most homeruns in
nine innings wins the boy. Any hit that does not
clear the fence is considered an out. There are three
outs to an inning. Any player who hits Elian in the
head (a la that Tony Gwynn video game
commercial) gets two bonus runs. If any
dignitary hits a homerun, he gets a cigar to
put where he pleases (behind the ear being
the suggested location).
The teams will be as follows: For the
U.S., Captain Bill Clinton (a cigar man
who is in favor of the new McDonald's at
the CoPa) will lead his squad of pitcher
Randy Johnson and hitter Mark McGuire
against the Cuban club of former Yankee,
n Rich Fidel Castro (of course), current Yankee
Uch f pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez
C1a<. and Devil Dog Jose Canseco. The game
will be played in the new Pacific Bell Park
in San Francisco because it has easy.
access to the water. Considering the Cuban delega-
tion will be forced to arrive in a cardboard dingy,
the right field dock will definitely come in handy.
Little Elian will be the designated batboy and
will be given the day off from school in order to
attend. During the seventh inning stretch, Elian,
along with his dad, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, will play
pickle with Tigers slugger Juan Gonzalez. The
Tiger, hailing from Puerto Rico, will be considered
a U.S. citizen, despite the fact that he pays no feder-
al income taxes in his homeland. This exercise will
have no effect on the outcome of the game, but it
should serve for some creative play-by-play from
color woman Marge Schott.
There's been no comment from Vladimir Putin
and the Chechen leaders on whether they're inter-
ested in taking swings.
-Aaron Rich can be can be reached via
e-mail at arich@umich.edu.
/ \t
LA UTES AND CiENThErtEI'l{ L.ECTZf* ZtOO"w
For the children, whether they like it or not
A sk any self-respecting American what they in college only goes to class as much as they want
think is the most important issue facing the to. There are no troublemakers present because of
country today and "education" is the answer you'll the threat of detention. Everyone you see in your
most frequently hear. Or so pollsters have been nightmare inducing calculus 27 class is there by
telling us. Upon hearing this news, candidates low choice and it's shocking how easy it is to learn
and high have dutifully prepared reams of effica- when everyone around you also wants to.
cious talking points on the subject. The problem with earlier education,
The masters of education sound bites particularly high school, is that probably
are, of course. those candidates gunning half the kids in any class don't need tobe
for the top job. Little George and Al jr. there, either because they know what
are trying to win their way into the hearts they're doing or aren't paying attention
of soccer moms everywhere by throwing anyway and are just screwing around,
out heaps of the most easily explainable making it harder for the teacher to teach
miracle quick-fixes. Most involve peren- and students to learn. Yes, letting students
nial solutions of hiring more teachers and skip class at will would mean a lot more
paying them more along with stripping kids flunking classes, but in order to
them of the protections of tenure. Bush graduate they'd have to buckle down and
also suggests using vouchers because he PETER study eventually.
thinks unconstitutionally channeling CUNNIFFE This may lead to some absurdly old
public money into unregulated schools O-E F students, but oh well. Maybe the shame
with no public accountability is a good 11 Roa of being a high school student in your
idea for some reason. 20's is what's necessary to get some peo-
These plans, short of the vouchers, are decent ple to study.
and deserve implementation, but they're fairly tame Also, to continue driving education costs up,
and uncreative. If we want to truly improve educa- students should be required to finish twelfth grade.
tion in this country, we need to look somewhere Education is becoming more and more important
besides the same old ideas. and its about time we did our country and all its kids
So let me suggesta few radical and costly ideas a big favor by requiring that everyone have a high
to truly improve education. Most importantly, K-12 school education. And while I'm atit, what the hell
teachers should stop taking attendance. Who cares do we still have three-month summer breaks for.
if some kid wants to skip class. Either they'll do Obviously I've only scratched the surface of the
fine anyway and didn't need to attend that class, or . issues facing our educational system, but I'm not
they'll fail and have to take it again, which will con- hearing these ideas coming from anywhere else and
vince them to be studious eventually. I really think forcing more education on kids is the
I'm sure everyone who has gone from high nicest thing we could do for them. I'm sure I've
school to college has noticed that college classes enraged anyone tinder 18 who's reading this, but I
require a lot more work and cover tougher subject hope their parents and our politicians can look
matter And yet, most people make the transition somewhere besides recycled and tired plans from
just fine. Suddenly having enormously higher years past to improve education.
expectations placed on them is completely man- --Peter Cunniffe can be can be reached via
ageable by most students. Why? Because everyone e-mail at pcunniff@umich.edu.