12 - The Michigan Daily - Orientation Edition 2004
OPINION
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Please give liberals back their liberalism
JASON PESICK ONE SMALL VOCE
Jan. 15, 2004 - digress. In fact, I do not think the label of revolution- ideology similarly opposed to civil liberties.
M aturity and cool-head- ary socialists fits BAMN all that well; I would charac- But besides these differences in woridview, unlike
edness are not words I terize them more as a collection of elitists than civil radical civil rights organizations in the past, BAMN
would use to describe rights advocates. Reading what their members and has been unsuccessful in achieving civil rights victo-
the level of discourse on campus. supporters have written on this page in the last week ries. In Monday's viewpoint in the Daily, BAMN
Universities are supposed to be alone leads me to believe that they feel the state of organizers Kate Stenvig and Cyril Cordor wrote, "We
dedicated to the exploration of Michigan would be better off if certain unsophisticat- won this stunning victory for affirmative action and
ideas, but certain organizations ed whites did not vote. To be fair, BAMN members do civil rights because we mobilized." They actually
do not believe that such discov- not ever articulate this position outright, but the atti- believe BAMN is responsible for last summer's
ery should take place here. Chief tude that they know what's best for the state and that Supreme Court ruling in favor of the University. They
among those groups is BAMN - but bear with me everyone else is a clueless racist lurks just beneath forget that their lawyers were not permitted to argue
for a minute. their "progressive" rhetoric. before the court and that their position that affirmative
I don't mean for this to be another mindless attack University alum Jonathan Chait pointed out in The action is necessary to right historic discrimination has
against the organization, butI also realize that for American Prospect in 1995 that in these radical never been upheld by the courts. But just ask members
what I've already said, I'm going to receive irate e- groups' fight for civil rights, liberal concerns such as of other student groups how they feel about BAMN
mails from BAMN members who will in essence call civil liberties, academic freedom and even the Bill of taking credit for the accomplishments of others.
me a racist (they will, of course, conveniently forget Rights are expendable. In the late 1980s and early More importantly, BAMN focuses exclusively on
to mention that the Black Student Union has had a '90s, the closest parallel to BAMN on campus was the affirmative action and is now leading a boycott
less-than-rosy relationship with their organization). Marxist United Coalition Against Racism. During that against Coors Brewing Co. Stenvig and Cordor
I'll also likely receive complimentary e-mails from time, the UCAR convinced the University to draw up wrote, "In 2003, the critical civil rights issue facing
members of Young Americans for Freedom and writ- speech codes to censor campus debate. One version of the nation was the defense of affirmative action at the
ers for The Michigan Review, thanking me for attack- the codes called for punishment for those displaying Supreme Court in our affirmative action cases." And
ing BAMN's intimidation tactics, and they will use Confederate flags on dorm room doors, and/or mak- surely it was the most prominent issue, but the num-
this column by a liberal editor at the Daily as further ing statements like, "Girls are not as good in this sub- ber of minorities who benefit from affirmative action
proof that all their ideological opponents are crazed ject area as men." The federal courts wasted no time in and a Coors boycott is too small to be at the heart of
hippies. I write this column, however, to challenge the striking down this code, and the U.S. Supreme Court any effective civil rights movement. Why doesn't
most dangerous and vocal opponent of liberalism at later saidthat it wouldnot tolerate such codes. BAMN work to eliminate differences between blacks
the University: BAMN. Liberals on campus now fight to preserve English and whites in homeownership rates, health care quali-
BAMN volunteer Luke Massie, who is known to 317: How to Be Gay, but just over a decade ago, so- ty, pay, unemployment, U.S. drug policy or segrega-
volunteer 60 hours a week for the group despite never called civil rights activists forced the cancellation of tion? These affect millions more people than
being a student at the University, has said that BAMN two sociology courses taught by Prof. Ren Farley, affirmative action.
is a Trotskyite organization, which by definition who merely quoted from material a student found Maybe my main point of contention with BAMN
means that it is not liberal. It has the same mailing offensive in a course on race relations, and Prof. is that I'm still naive enough to think people can dis-
address in Detroit as the Revolutionary Workers David Goldberg, who was bullied into canceling his cuss issues in a civil way before resorting to more
League, which is an openly Trotskyite organization. course without even receiving a hearing. I have been extreme tactics. Or maybe it's just that I'm a liberal.
The RWL in turn, has had an identical membership as unable to confirm any clear connection between
the National Women's Rights Organizing Committee, BAMN and the UCAR, but the former's tendency to Pesick can be reached at
another group with an interesting history. But I interrupt meetings and press conferences reveals an jzpesick@umich.edu.
Pesick's argument against
BAMN unfounded
TO THE DAILY:
Jason Pesick's latest (Give liberals back
their liberalism, 01/15/04), is nothing but
libel against BAMN. Without offering any
evidence, he implies that we are anti-free
speech communist extremists. Despite his
warming that "(he doesn't) mean for this to be
another mindless attack against the organiza-
tion," that's precisely what it is ...
... Pesick concludes that BAMN is too
narrow in its thinking about racism because
we only care about affirmative action - an
outright he. Unlike Pesick and pundits of his
ilk, who posture about caring about "the big
issue,' BAMN has revived the civil rights
movement only to be pooh-poohed for it by
armchair liberals. It was when the civil rights
movement died down that the gap between
whites and blacks stopped closing! It's these
phony liberals who are afraid of radicals
because a unified struggle for peace, justice,
workers' rights, gay rights and freedom of
speech would be a real threat to the economy.
Somehow liberals have sold the idea that
killing affirmative action is fine because it
wasn't enough to close the race gap by itself.
BAMN doesn't hate free speech and
ideas. However, I hate people like Pesick who
need to tell lies and rumors and then say
"Maybe my main point of contention with
BAMN is that I'm still naive enough to think
people can discuss issues ina civil way before
resorting to more extreme tactics.'Yes, Jason,
you're quite naive if you think you can have
equality without fighting for it. - Jan. 20,
2004
ADAM DE ANGELi
LSA senior
0
0
Let the Office of International Programs
show you the A A.& u
* Over 'O programs in 36 countries
* Courses in most fields
* Spend a summer, semester or full year
* Earn UM degree credit
* Use financial aid, scholarships available
* For sophomores, juniors 4 seniors
Start planning NOW!
* Office o Intenantional Programs
oip UnveriyofMichigan
L A4G513 MichiganUnon
" (734) 764-4311
www.umich.edu/-iinet/oip
oip@umich.edu
Featuring: Frozen yogurt 'Ci L~ider&
Sandwiches Pita San wiche&
Central Campus Full Service Grocery
Serving Ann Arbor Since 1970
Fresh Produce, Meat & Dairy
Ice Cream & Frozen Foods
Bottled Waters, Juices & Pop
School & Household Supplies
Magazines & Newspapers
Wine Spirits Beer Cigars & Lots More!!
VILLAGE CORNER
Corner of S. University & S. Forest
995-1818 www.viliagecorner.com
Daily 9am-lam Fri/Sat 9am-2am
0
0
0