Page 4--The Michigan Daily-Thursday, February 14, 1991 Wbr £idiigau 1aiIQ 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 Edited and Managed by Students at the University of Michigan ANDREW GOTTESMAN Editor in Chief STEPHEN HENDERSON DANIEL POUX Opinion Editors Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board. - All other cartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily. 411": ,"""Yr:{{.:"?:4:!:?J{'"" r 1'r.{?L~'"x"v:?{":"::":?{?"":.t.;.";{N: .":r::."." :"r". " !m^Vl..V.:L".f,. ...Vr. " ..fr' r. . . . .."..r * ......................................................................... Rightr' todi YIiso rir . .} case shows;.°l.,,MY:" }} . contro ersy m stnbereso :rlvedsoon Ii d-~\t3 S 5 S R - FN S (60 ,r JUID-PT 1 SNISI D B .i 104 a M ar i # "Y ."..'" n the state-run Missouri Rehabilitation Center, Christine Busalacchi lies in a vegetative state, sustained only by machinery. A neurologist has diagnosed Busalacchi as having a"one in a billion" chance of recovery. z Her father obtained court authority to move his daughter to a Minneapolis facility that has a less constraining policy on the removal of life-support. But the Missouri Board of Health won an appeal of the decision last month, forcing Busalacchi and her family to further endure her painful existence. Indeed, this is not an unfamiliar situation for the Missouri Rehabilitation Center; the facility has a similar case pending with another patient, Nancy Cruzan - the first to have a "living will" request- ing the removal of life support under certain cir- cpmstances - who has been in a vegetative state since 1983. Across the country, patients' families are wag- ing court battles similar to the Busalacchi and. Cruzan cases - and losing them. Without input from the most important person - the patient - families have little legal precedent on which to plead their case. Someone who knows the patient and cares for their well-being should be allowed to decide whether the patient would consent to the removal of life-supporting devices. Currently, living wills are the best way to ensure that an invalid patient's wishes are carried out. Written in sound mind, this document states a number of conditions under which the patient would consent to the removal of life-support. In addition, these wills absolve the family and medical staff from any legal censure in the execution of the patient's wishes. Living wills are currently legal in 39 states; Michigan just recently legalized these documents. But the matter still sits quite uncomfortably. If one has not written a living will, the government may choose the patient's fate, even if that decision runs counter to the family's wishes. People must have the right to choose the fate of their bodies- whether it concerns abortion, organ donation, or most importantly, the right to live or die. If family members strongly believe that the patient would have wanted to die under certain conditions, the hospital should grant the family's wishes. This controversial issue raises many questions over where the government's responsibilities end and human rights begin, and these concerns must be dealt with now. Until they are resolved, Busalacchi, her family and countless others must wait. :.vJ.w:.v:.^.".v.v.^.v.".v.v1:.v.".".".v."av:.vw.w:: ::": .::"."::.":::.v:.ve1. a ................ ., x". :r". F .. i:;}:ti;'.":": :":: }:v::"::'r:i:::?:ti: tii:titi: i>:v::"}::::}y:;:;:;:: r}?': $:{ lyre, '{VI 5" :f "{ , v:": i::":: ?: v ::-::":{ : i :- :ti :ti:: :: : i:: ::-:ti:ti$y: }::::.v:.::"i. .:ti": ' ::": :"::::v :.v:":::}:"::.".{:s;; ;: ; ;: ; :; ::ti:::": ti::: %ti{:::: : .....:.....} : : i Y":4: :: :ti:;'":;:?;: i:, ..." "JJ JJ"l:lh"X}:{Ifl}"Y.":,}'h .".%}:'J}:1"}}:":{' {"i:" ":"'::':' }: :{ h3 ................ ................................... .... ., ..... ...................... ................... ............................................... ............"i ::'. ivy ,MW Lithuania Moscow's crackdown threatens Baltic's push for freedom Last Saturday,the independence-minded peoples of Lithuania voted overwhelmingly in a non- binding referendum to secede from the Soviet Union. Though Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev declared the balloting invalid, this move by the Lithuanians is anQ even more compelling rea- son to support their effort for independence. 90 percentofLithuania's registered voters turned out fgr the Saturday referen- dum, and 90 percent of them voted to secede. This man- date for secession, even supported by many ethnic Russians and Poles - 17.5 percent of Lithuania's population-makes it even clearer that Gorbachev nor longer can ignore the pleas of the Lithuanians. Recent civil upheavals . in Lithuania and several other Soviet republicsindi- cate that Moscow is losing control of its outlying ter- ritories,just as Gorbachev's power base is eroding. The hard-line Communists gain . more and more powerevery . tray in the Politburo, and the new joint military-po- lice patrols in many major Soviet cities cast an ominous shadow upon Gorbachev's reform ef- forts. As Moscow tightens its grip on the breakaway republics, the separatists' resolve increases. Gorbachev must be careful that the tensions between the satellite republics and the central government does not degenerate into anarchy or civil war. The upcoming nationwide referendum on the preservation of the Soviet Union is somewhat encouraging, but it is doubtful that this national referendum will end the push for Baltic indepen- dence. If the Kremlin re- spects the results of the polling, then it willrespond to the problems that threaten to split the Soviet Union - apart. Sending in troops to V E"quell "civil unrest" and barricading buildings are UVAI - not the answers to the Lithuanian peoples' desire for freedom. It is time for the Kremlin to engage in substantive negotiations with the leaders of the vari- ous republics and to dis- cuss the future of the rela- tionship between Moscow and the Baltic states. The Kremlin must respect these republics, and recognize that they deserve to be in- dependent, sovereign states. It is clear that the voices calling for Baltic indepen- dence will not be silenced; the only question is whether AP Photo the rest of the world will allow such a flagrant violation of self-determina- tion to proceed without a response. Hopefully Gorbachev will choose to build bridges with the fledgling governments of the Baltic republics, in- stead of walls. And if not, hopefully the rest of the world will help to tear the walls down. Blood drive organized poorly To the Daily: No matter how we feel about the war, the members of the University community are determined to show our support for servicepeople in the Gulf. This becomes increasingly important as we move closer to a ground offensive, which will surely claim a heavy toll of American lives. Hospitals across the country are emptying their beds and making other preparations for the casualities, and organizations such as the American Red Cross are begging for blood donations. This is why the pitiful understaffing of the Michigan League donation site last Friday was so unfortunate. Potential blood donors waited two to three hours to see a nurse. Many who had sacrificed their afternoons were ineligible to give blood. Finally, the student volunteers had to close the line to newcomers. The most tragic part of the story is that the long line did not mean that record numbers of blood units were being collected for our men and women in uniform. Rather, student organiz- ers doubted that the site would be able to reach its quota for the Washtenaw community that day. With so many of us trying to do our tiny part to alleviate the human suffering caused by this war, the Red Cross' abuse of donor generosity was unconscio- nable. Katherine Metres RC sophomore MSA ignores students' views To the Daily: It was surprising and disap- pointing to see that MSA rejected the idea of a student perception survey. It seems that Corey Dolgon and Jenny Van Valey are in favor of empowering every group except their constituents. Even more unbelievable than the rejection itself, however, were the rationales offered by Corey and Jenny in opposition to this hint of democracy and student input. Corey notes that he's "seen three surveys tried before this one. The surveys have never told us anything that we didn't already know." In addition, he claims that a recurring problem with MSA is that many students don't know the purpose and job of MSA. Jenny suggests that such a survey would be difficult to interpret because "different students want different things." These flimsy explanations represent attempts by Corey and Jenny to run for cover from what the results of such a survey might reveal. Regarding Corey's objections, if MSA surveys report the same problems year after year, the problems are obviously not being adequately addressed; and to argue that many students don't know the purpose and job of Don't li0ke yous Tell our readers what you think. Write to the Michigan Daily at 420 Maynard Street, or send your letters via MTS to "Michigan Daily." MSA is backwards and self- centered. On the contrary, as its constituents, students determine the job and purpose of MSA. Did Corey forget that that's what elections are for? Regarding Jenny's objection, if it's even worth addressing, to argue that because "different students want different things," a survey would not be useful is to invoke a silly truism. In every election held, vote taken, or decision made in the history of humanity, "different people want(ed) different things." So views are solicited, discussions held, and votes taken to determine courses of action. Why all of a sudden does she show such a need for unanimity? It's too bad the survey won't be taken; it could be enlightening for Corey, Jenny, MSA, and the students. I care about student interests being protected. I've been here three and a half years, and every year I've paid skyrocketing tuition, had extortionist rents, and carelessly written To the Daily: I think that "A House Di- vided" (Weekend, 2/8/91) was very poorly written and slander- ous. Once in a while, I feel compelled to write the Daily, but I, have never been so incensed by a Weekend article. Andrew Levy called the division in campus conservatism both a "split" and a "schism." Yet- the tone of his article was very much in favor of one side and against the other. Levy most likely selectively quoted - poorly at that- because he made James Green look like an idiot. For everything Green said, Levy found a re- sponse from either Brian Meadors or Prof. Kimeldorf to refute it. I'm not quite sure what made Levy think that Kimeldorf was an expert on "people like [Green]" to say that Green was cynical and career-minded. It came off as very unprofessional on Levy's part. Also, quotes like "I hate Corey ; Dolgon..." do not belong in articles about the split between conservatives on this campus. Maybe it would be appropriate for an article about why some campus leaders have problems with others. Green may not have the most popular views on the conservative side of the spectrum, but that alone is no reason to let Meadors blow his own horn. Meadors both portrayed himself as the savior of this campus and Green as an embarrassment to the conserva- tive side of this campus. I think that next time an Daily article pits, one leader against another, it ought to be thoroughly reviewedtw. so that people like Green don't have to feel shafted. Joyce Gresco LSA junior:: ft received a declining quality of instruction (including having #} graduate student lecturers for upper-level classes in my major). Where is all the added tuition going? Much seems to pay for hefty administration salary increases and expensive, useless 4 "campus beautification" projects. If the students' representatives credibly addressed these issues, the results could be different. It's worth a try. Jeff Danziger LSA senior, Weekend story : UU. ROTC discrimination It is understandable that the outbreak of fighting in the Middle East has made other campus issues seem insignificant- war has a way of putting other concerns in perspective. But that is no excuse for ignoring what once ap- peared to be Indiana University's (IU) most divisive campus issue. The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) may be forgotten, but it is far from gone. The campaign for the reform or removal of ROTC had stagnated even before peace activists and supporters of U.S. policy began snatching headlines with campus demonstrations and clashes. Both ROTC advocates and opponents of the Defense Department's ban on homosexuals voiced their argu- ments early and then settled into what has become a stalemate. The prohibition of homosexuals from a campus organization is both morally wrong and wrong in the eyes of the IU's sexual orientation clause. ButtheDefenseDepartmentandTUNgoverning bodies are still struggling with the issue. A strong ROTC influence coupled with 'Defense Department grants has prompted bodies of power to opt for the lower road of convenience rather than the high road of justice. IU's activists mustkeep their fighting spirit and dust off the ROTC issue. Even if it no longer grabs headlines, IU officials and the Defense Department must not be allowed to forget this injustice until ROTC has reformed or been banished from IU. Feb. 4, 1991, Indiana Daily Student by Randall Frykberg Indiana University 'A House Divided' by James Green Once again, The Michigan Daily, in an effort to find a sensationalistic angle to a story, has attempted to create a problem where none existed before. I went to sleep last Thursday night, after giving an interview, pleased that the conservative movement on campus was receiving more notice from the Daily, and awoke on Friday to learn of a deep schism or rift among conserva- tives on this campus. Since I am still not aware that any such division exists, I would like to take issue with Weekend Magazine's February 8 article, "A 1nis Trled " However, as a memberc Conservative Coalition, a c, political party involved wit] Michigan Student Assembl (MSA), I did not think it ap I became involved with MS because I believed it did no address student concerns, b instead preoccupied with pr gating a very specific radica wing agenda. Advocating a particular national political philosophy should not be th main preoccupation of a stu assembly such as MSA. Th Conservative Coalition sees main goal of a student asses the adequate representation student concerns on campus .k 1 distorts C.C. of automatically come out against ampus anything this country or this h the University does - a movement y that only the most radical of ropos. people, such as Corey Dolgon and A I suspect Professor Kimeldorf, the- t professor who criticized me, can ut was accept. The conservative move- . opa- ment, on the other hand, is much al left- more positive, and is by no means, defined by the radical left. I find it interesting that what e the Daily seems to be exposing is dent merely a diversity and variety of e issues and opinions that the as the conservative movement deals mbly with on campus. I am proud to be of part of this movement which' S. welcomes debate, dialogue, and a Nuts and Bolts FRUmpyTe s1c-xc.-s PRNCIPAL $ ON 'E HONE - _ __ -THEY'RE PROTESTING FOR ME -To Cr-ae BACK. SO , MCoMr,j&G WHi-ATS VP? By Judd Winick SLEANON V ME.WHEN ..