LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - The Michigan Daily - 5
MSAs staggering journey toward irrelevance
ZAC PESKOWITZ THE LOWER FREQUENCIES
p Pro-Israel shirts
exacerbate divisions
in 'U community
TO THE DAILY:
I have long felt that public
sentiments concerning the issue
of Mid-East violence on this cam-
pus have been extremely polar-
ized. Given that we are students
of a University that draws from
both large American Jewish and
American Muslim communities,
this is not surprising.
Nonetheless, I cannot help but
feel as though the public gesture
of the "We Stand With Israel" t-
shirt does more to polarize this
already uneasy situation than it
does to open up the venues avail-
able to us for productive dialogue
and action.
I believe that if the organizers
true commitment were to peace
and understanding, they would
not have gone so far out of their
way to promote exactly the kind
of blind nationalism that has
allowed terrorist leaders such as
Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat to
dominate the fate of land that
belongs only partially to their
,people. a
I would have expected much
more from a community that has
so openly committed itself to the
tenets of ethnic diversity. Were
the organizers to reconsider their
actions I imagine that they would
find that all they have done is fur-
ther deepened the already enor-
mous rift that exists between
Jewish and Palestinian students
on this campus.
ANTHONY ROSENTHAL
LSA freshman
SCI for more than
"hippies" and the
"heavily drugged"
TO THE DAILY:
I am writing in response to
Brette Billow's review "Hip String
Cheese Incident rocks . Hill,"
(4/17/02). First of all, I feel that
Billow focused on the audience at
the concert instead of the music,
what a review of a concert should
really be about. Billow basically
implied that in order to have
enjoyed String Cheese Incident's
concert, one had to be high and a
"hippie."
I definitely disagree, as I
doubt Billow would consider me
a "hippie." While I may exhibit
some "hippie" characteristics, I
have never done any illegal drugs
and I don't have dreadlocks. This
was also my first incident so I
know the String Cheese Incident's
music, but have not been a fan for
very long.
Despite the fact that I wasn't
'heavily drugged," I greatly
enjoyed the String Cheese
Incident concert and feel that
Billow did not give them due
credit. Personally, I felt that the
second set was much better than
the first, with the sweet falsetto
harmonies of the reggae influ-
enced song, "Shakin' the Tree"
and a great live version of "Up
the Canyon." I was very sur-
prised that Billow did not men-
tion the incredible encore of
"How Sweet it Is," which I
believe surpassed the version
done by the Jerry Garcia Band
(though it is hard to compare live
music and recordings).
I also feel that Billow did a
disservice to String Cheese
Incident's latest album, "Outside
and Inside." While I agree that
String Cheese Incident is best
live, "Outside and Inside" both
does an excellent job of capturing
the feeling of a jam session, while
it also has the ability to be sung
along to and is packaged into
eleven great tracks.
So for those who may have
been put off of String Cheese
Incident by Billow's review, I can
attest to the fact that String
Cheese Incident can be enjoyed
by more than the "heavily
drugged" and those he labels as
"hippies."
EMILY HILLIARD
LSA freshman
Honest evaluations
needed in Middle
East debate
TO THE DAILY:
Although, as usual, I find
much with which to disagree in
Amer G. Zahr's column, "Honesty
in the Question of Palestine,"
(4/15/02), his honest criticism of
the Palestinian leadership is wel-
come and deserves to be
answered with honesty by sup-
porters of Israel.
While Israel's moral legitima-
cy and right to self-defense are
unassailable, support for Israel
should never translate into
unquestioning support for every
policy of whatever government
wields a majority in the Knesset.
Zahr writes eloquently about the
harm the occupation has done to
the Palestinians. As a Zionist, I
would add that the occupation
undermines Israelis' physical
security, jeopardizes Israel's
political security, and - tragical-
ly - threatens the Jewish peo-
ple's moral security.
American Jews and all friends
of Israel should support the cur-
rent U.S. peace effort, the ulti-
mate goal of which should be an
end to the occupation, indepen-
dence and freedom for
Palestinians, security and recog-
nition for Israel.
JOSHUA BROOK
Law school
The Naked Mile
was a debacle.
The thousands
of University students
who eagerly lined
South University in
anticipation for some-
thing were extremely
disappointed. A few
members of Students
Organizing for Labor and Economic
Equality set an example by stripping down
to their briefs and hoped the crowd would
follow suit. At most 50 students and ran-
dom hangers-on participated. It was an
unimpressive display.
Unlike previous years the Mile came
and went with little advance preparation
from the Michigan Student Assembly. Last
year, Women's Issues Committee Chair
Elizabeth Anderson printed "Naked Mile
Security" T-shirts and MSA organized a
phalanx of student volunteers to prevent
groping and sexual assault. While their
efforts proved to be relatively ineffective
when confronted with the crackdown of
local police agencies, MSA's willingness
to strongly oppose the University contin-
ued in the vibrant tradition of activism that
was once inculcated in MSA.
This year, lack of interest and apathy
dominated MSA's decision-making
process. MSA simply let the Mile end'
with a whimper. There was no concerted
effort to challenge the University's stance.
This malaise is not a recent development.
With the notable exception of last year's
approach to the Naked Mile, MSA has
rapidly moved away from the political dar-
ing and activism that once defined and
motivated MSA.
In November of 1990, the University
erupted in protest and civil disobedience
when the Board of Regents gave DPS offi-
cers the authority to carry firearms. While
students occupied the Fleming Adminis-
tration Building, then-MSA President Jen-
nifer Van Valey stood in support and
voiced her opposition from Fleming. "As
of 9:30 tonight, there is a state of activism
declared on campus," she shouted in sup-
port of a simultaneous sit-in on the lawn of
the President's House. Her presence and
support gave the demonstrators an authori-
ty and importance that only a popularly
elected campus leader can provide.
This tradition of activism continued
into the '90s with MSA's refusal to pas-
sively accept former University President
James Duderstadt's challenges to students
free speech. A 1993 ban that prevented
students from rallying on the Diag during
Martin Luther King Day and prohibited
chalking led to a rally where former MSA
President Ede Fox denounced the restric-
tions, "It's a tradition that a lot of people
really care about, being able to come here
and stand on the steps of the Grad library
and hold a rally." In 1995 MSA President
Flint Wainness secured a position for a
student on the committee that authored the
Student Code of Conduct. These MSA
presidents acted boldly although they
risked alienating student support for their
parties and drew acrid criticism from both
students and University administrators.
Now MSA is content to put on a sympo-
sium and pass half-hearted, meaningless
resolutions. Political concerns and the pos-
sibility of re-election have prevented the
expression of MSA's conscience.
Executives now serve as mediators.
While this role is important, MSA can bet-
ter serve the University community
through representatives proactively dis-
cussing issues. Representatives who serve
as flashpoints for issues, criticism and con-
troversy will reinvigorate a campus strug-
gling with the throes of indifference.
MSA is vested with the authority to
represent the University's students. It is the
best means for student concerns to be
addressed and taken to the administration.
MSA needs to reevaluate its direction and
this process must begin with individual
representatives who are dissatisfied with
MSA's entrenched status quo.
While the future of the Naked Mile is
not the most signficant matter at the Uni-
versity, there are pressing concerns that
will benefit from an infusion of MSA
debate and active involvement. If MSA
representatives and executives assert
themselves, the discussion concerning
the termination of New Era Cap Compa-
ny's contract with the University will be
more robust and fruitful. These issues
shouldn't be constrained to the domain
of narrowly focused student groups, but
should concern every member of the
University.
Zac Peskowisz can be reached at
zpeslrowi@umich.edu.
U.S. taking one for the Global Peace Team
LUKE SMITH CRIS IN THE HoLYLAND
T he game of
hokey pokey
that the United
States has been playing
with Israel should
come to an end. Israel's
insistence of putting
their right foot in the
West Bank and taking
it out when we release
an ominous Darth Vader breath results in lit-
tle more than us and the rest of the world
shaking our heads all about. Sure, the people
of Israel won a war (and winning wars
means entitlement of land and property - it's
the American way) and in this day and age,
theoretically the land should be Israel's soil -
but such is not the case.
Conflict was constant; there was no solu-
tion in sight.
Until now.
Often criticized for meddling in other
nations' affairs, the time has come for the
United States to make a sacrifice for peace
in the Middle East. We will give our
lifeblood, pulsing with platelets trying to fill
a wound that only our sacrifice can heal.
We will give up the Dakotas.
Yes, we will give up both of them.
We will exercise the inexplicable power
that is the United States' will, and flex our
muscle to mobilize the nation of Israel and
move it to North and South Dakota. -
Initially problematic in this modern
exodus is where will the people of the
Dakotas go. Undoubtedly, families are root-
ed deeply in the Dakotas and in the rich his-
tory that comes with being from these
magnanimous two states. First, the United
States will launch its crack team of civil
engineers into the counties of the Dakotas,
drawing county lines and gathering intense
amounts of data about the residents and
their relatives. Then, using these carefully
mapped counties they will analyze the
remaining 48 U.S. states find places to
move the respective counties to.
Oh yes, we will be moving counties.
The county-moving operation will serve
as a fantastic introduction to the eventual
task of nation-moving. These new counties
will be drawn into other counties, moving
county lines and displacing other people all
in the name of Peace in the Middle East.
This nationwide displacement will show us
as the selfless human beings that we are.
Further, it will involve the nation as a whole
rather than the residents of the Dakotas.
To make up for our stark removal of the
fine people of North and South Dakota, we
will award them reparations. Wonderful
reparations will be awarded to the Dakotans
for their sacrifice - we will let them own
casinos. It worked lasttime.
After we've cured the problems in the
homeland, we will be fully prepared to move
the people of Israel into their new home, nes-
tled softly in the bosom of plane states. I've
heard especially wonderful things about the
people of Montana; they will probably have
a large fruit basket waiting for Israel when
she completes her move. Iowans are general-
ly very nice as well.
Should Israel not find this to be a good
idea, we will present a few key arguments
that will undoubtedly change their collective
mind. The combined square mileage of
North and South Dakota is 144,861 square
miles, Israel only has 10,840 square miles of
land to call its own. It is about the size of
Maryland, but when is the last time a mem-
ber of the Terrapin state has gone to the local
Meijer and blown themselves to holy hell?
Not in the last 10 years, at least. There will
be 13.3 times more land in "New Israel," as
the country will be called, than in their previ-
ous home, buried in the middle-eastern field
of hate where the enemies of Israel stand
guard around the nation's border.
If the giant increase in landmass, for
her delightful population isn't enough, we
do have other options to lure Israel into
the magical kingdom formerly known as
the Dakotas. We can build them a better
temple than the one they are rebuilding.
We will use our masterful, unionized con-
struction workers to erect a super temple.
It will be fully furnished and will have
digital cable, or satellite - whichever
Israel deems best.
In case the offer of our incredible
technical know-how isn't enough, we will
also protect their holy temple via our own
Star Wars missile defense plan, turning
the temple of God into a fortress on par
with Cobra's Terror Drome.
We will fly the people of Israel to the
United States on planes outfitted first
class top to bottom and we will fly them
to New Israel alphabetically, so we can be
completely fair and not play favorites.
It is an offer that the United States can
make, you can be a part of and Israel can-
not turn down. It is just too damn good.
LukeSmith can be reached at
lukems@umich.edu.