4 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, August 13, 2001
Edited and managed by JACQUELYN NIXON AUBREY HENRETTY
Students at the Editor in Chief Editorial Page Editor
University of Michigan Edtro httdtratanEio
'R rI4r1 Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the
420 Maynard Street majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other articles, letters and
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
The city of Ann Arbor is consider-
ing dropping the United Way as
one of the charities its employees
can designate for payroll deductions.
The City Council is expected to vote
August 20 to remove both the United
Way and the Boy Scouts of America
from its list of payroll deductible chari-
ties.
The City Council has attempted to
persuade the United Way to stop supp-
porting the BSA and its anti-gay poli-
cies by refusing to fund the BSA until
they become more tolerant of homosex-
uals. Since the BSA is not funded by
the federal government, no law pro-
hibits its anti-gay message; pressure to
change has to come from other private
organizations and local governments.
A decision to remove these groups
from the payroll deductions list would
send an important message to both
groups: The City of Ann Arbor does
not endorse intolerance, however indi-
rectly.
Council Member Stephen Hartwell
has said he is also trying to persuade
'U' should not support discrimination
the University, the Ann Arbor School
District, Washtenaw Community Col-
lege and the Washtenaw County Board
to cease supporting these charities. Last
year, City employees gave approximate-
ly $45,000 to the United Way through
the payroll deduction method. Employ-
ees of the University gave $1.1 million
to the United Way in a similar manner.
This was one-eighth of the United
Way's $8.8 million 2000 campaign.
In June of 2000, the Supreme Court
ruled in a 5-4 decision to uphold the
BSA's ban on homosexuals serving as
troop leaders. It justified its decision by
stating that the BSA is a private reli-
gious organization and thus can practice
discriminatory membership selection.
So far, the University seems to be fol-
lowing the guidelines of the ruling in
that it has denied the City Council's
request for dropping the payroll deduc-
tion options for its employees. The Uni-
versity announced that it is not
interested in joining the City's efforts at
persuasion.
Because of the Supreme Court's rul-
ing, the BSA will be allowed propagate
discrimination to one of the most
impressionable demographics of our
society: Young boys.
The federally chartered BSA is an
organization that has positively influ-
enced boys for many decades. Many of
its values are honorable: Respect, pre-
paredness, honesty and good citizen-
ship. It's tragic that such a
well-meaning organization can be so
prejudiced in its hiring practices.
Some chapters of the BSA recently
adopted "don't ask, don't tell" policies
regarding gays, supposedly to affirm
their sympathy and tolerance. Unfortu-
nately, these policies are also by defini-
tion biased against gays. If a straight
scout leader brought is wifeto a troop
event, nobody would blink; but if a gay
scout leader brought his partner, this
would constitute "telling" and he could
be fired.
Thankfully, some hardy souls refuse
to accept the Supreme Court's rulings.
A New Jersey appeals court ruled
recently that the Boy Scouts, as a public
accommodation, couldn't discriminate
on the basis of sexual orientation. Also,
the Chicago Human Relations Commis-
sion has ruled that the BSA's policies
violated the city's anti-discrimination
ordinances.
The University should not remain
apathetic on such an important issue.
As one of the major sources of the
United Way's funding, it possesses a
large voice in this matter and should
use it to help end the BSA's discrimina-
tory practices.
Pl aying the ge
Female basketball coach deserves shot
azel Park High School needs a new
men's basketball coach, and Geral-
dine Fuhr is just the woman for the
job. Unfortunately, the school district will
need to suffer through a legal battle before
it realizes that.
An eight-member all-woman U.S. Dis-
trict Court jury found that district officials
didn't hire Fuhr at least in part because she
was a woman. The jury awarded her
$455,000 in damages - her lawyer only
asked for $200,000. The school is expected
to appeal the decision.
Meanwhile, Fuhr will file a motion ask-
ing the judge to force the school to give her
the boys varsity job.
The crux of Fuhr's case was her resume.
There were two candidates to for the
job: Fuhr and Hazel Park's ninth-grade
boys coach John Barnett. Fuhr had 16 years
of basketball experience, including 10 as
the girls varsitycoach. Barnett, who had
only coached fshman basketball for two
years, was given the job.
The school argued Fuhr was not dis-
criminated against because it considers the
boys and girls varsity teams and coaches as
equals in prestige and pay. It even went as
far as accusing Fuhr of sexual stereotyping
for considering the boys team to be a better
job opportunity.
The jobs may pay the same, but Title IX
cannot legislate equal prestige. The fact
that the school cannot see that difference
may explain its warped view of the candi-
dates' resumes.
If the school were to put its coke-bottle
glasses back on, it would see that the day
where men's and women's sports get equal
time on ESPN or even local news is far
away .
But whether or not the positions were
equally prestigious is moot. The fact is,
Fuhr was next in line for the position, she
didn't get it and the Court ruled that she
was a victim of sex discrimination. Money
was not the issue when Fuhr sued the
school and it still isn't; it is unacceptable to
practice sex discrimination and no amount
of money should exempt the school from
its responsibility to give positions to the
best qualified candidates.
Some would argue that the male players
would not accept a female coach. They
would say that the women's game is far too
different from the men's. But Fuhr has
coached men's high school basketball
before - in Hazel Park. She served as an
assistant under Charlie Kirkland, the man
she expected to replace. The bottom line is
that Fuhr was more qualified, but was
turned away because of her gender.
If and when a judge orders the school to
make her the men's basketball coach,
things could get very interesting.
Would the team and the fans respect a
coach that the school fought tooth-and-nail
against? How will the fact that the school
spent thousands of dollars to prove her
inadequacy affect her image? "I put it all
on the line because it was wrong," Fuhr
said. It was wrong, but it may not be possi-
ble to make things right again.
Hazel Park could have been a pioneer in
the advancement of women in sports. It had
a qualified candidate that had the support
of the high school's principal, Jim
Meisinger, and outgoing athletic director
Dave Eldred. Instead, they stand to lose
almost half a million dollars, and they have
been exposed to the public as closed-mind-
ed and biased against women.
It has never been considered unusual for
men to coach girls sports, but many nar-
row-minded people simply believe that all
field generals, commanding officers, presi-
dents and C.E.O.s must be men.
The head-coaching job for the men's
basketball team was above the famous
"glass ceiling."
It took strong women to stand up
against corporate America and the world of
athletics will need more Geraldine Fuhrs to
grab the wheel from away from the chau-
vinistic drones and steer the future into
reach for other women.
Clen swe-ep
States prove public can fund elections
ust when the U.S. Congress thought it pays for all of this, making it ea
had finally filibustered its final cam- private donors to further their p
paign finance reform bill, voters in agendas.
Arizona and Massachusetts decided to Another problem this type of
take matters into their own hands. Both tion would eliminate is the glut
states passed ballot initiatives in 1998 politicians have to spend fundr
that altowed for full public financing of Campaigning is expensive; raisit
campaigns for public office, provided quate funds from private sources
that candidates agreed not to accept extremely taxing and tedious. El
money from private donors and to adhere ing this stress factor and tim
to predetermined spending limits. The would allow candidates and of
fruits of these labors at last ripened seeking re-election to focus on th
Wednesday, when all eight Arizona rather than their extensive can
gubernatorial candidates and four out of bills.
seven in Massachusetts said they plan to Using taxpayer money to fun
run their campaigns using only taxpayer tions would also diversify the ca
money. pool, leveling the playing field for
Although the reform bills passed in dates of less privileged financia
Arizona and Massachusetts will not solve grounds. Qualified individuals wh
all of the numerous problems associated otherwise not have been able to
with political campaign financing, they office due to financial constraints
are formidable first steps in correcting a have a chance to enter the race
corrupt system; other states would be most campaign contributions un
wise to follow their example and pass current system come from afflue
similar legislation. dominantly white areas. Because
One reason publicly funded elections dates have to keep their private
are superior to privately funded ones is happy, minority interests are s
that they do not allow for soft money con- underrepresented in most places.]
tributions from corporate sources, funded campaigns would help red
wealthy individuals seeking power and problem.
influence or any other special interest The potential benefits of these 1
group. When candidates can stop catering great, but future efforts to refori
to their elite sponsors' desires, they will paign finance will have to go furth
have more time to spend doing what they For example, elections will n
were elected to do - carrying out the truly fair until there is a uniform sl
will of their constituents. cap for all candidates, whether th
Soft money is perfectly legal provided their campaigns with their own im
it goes to political parties rather than to choose to accept state aid. If ex
specific candidates; the problem is, if it wealthy candidates are allowed
goes to a political party, it subsequently spend their state-aided counterp
goes to the biggest candidate from that millions or even billions of dolla
party. In advertising, for instance, any- will always have the unfair advanta
thing short of "vote for" (or "don't vote Voters in Arizona and Massac
for") this candidate is allowed. Consider - along with the intrepid politicia
the sinister smear campaigns that domi- ing to try this new system -d
nate television ad space during election commendation. Other states shot
years and the infamous "RATS' ad from low their lead and work to make l
the November 2000 election; soft money funded campaigns a reality.
I
sier for
ersonal
legisla-
of time
aising.
rg ade-
can be 4
iminat-
e killer
fficials
e issues
mpaign
d elec-
ndidate
r candi-
.l back-
o might 4
run for
s would
. Also,
der the
nt, pre-
candi-
donors
everely
Publicly
uce this
bills are
'm cam-
er.
ever be
pending
ey fund
eans or
tremely
to out-
arts by
rs, they
age.
chusetts
ns will-
deserve
Auld fol-
publicly