Page 4-The Michigan Daily -Thursday, March 7, 1991
Gbe Midiianiflailg

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

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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.

Middle East peace
United States must adopt 'hands off' policy in Persian Gulf

Throughout the Gulf War, the Allied coalition
refused to link Iraq's invasion of Kuwait to the
situation between Israel and the Palestinians on the
West Bank - and rightfully so. It was clear that
Saddam Hussein made these connections only in a
desperate attempt to gamer Arab support for his
occupation of Kuwait, and any Allied acceptance
of this association would have been misguided.
However, now that the hostilities in the Gulf
have ceased, and a long-term peace proposal for
the region is being discussed, the Palestinian issue
has returned to prominence, and the most oppor-
tune time to establish a viable solution to this age-
old dilemma has presented itself.
The Bush administration has expressed a sur-
prising willingness to address the situation in the
occupied territories - "in a timely manner" -
after Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait. President
Bush, Secretary of State James Bakerand numerous
other officials in Washington have stated that the
stunning U.S. victory overlraqhas presented a true
chance for permanent peace in the region, and
specifically a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
But more important than the administration's
bold move to address the problem is the actual role
that the United States should play in any proposed
solution to Middle East tensions.
Undoubtedly, the $4 billion this country pumps
into Israeli coffers each year is one of the most
ominous stumbling blocks to lasting peace in the
region. Because this unconditional U.S. support
for Israeli policy is systematically linked to the
blatant denial of equal rights to Palestinians in the

occupied territories, any solution to these prob-
lems must include a re-evaluation of the level of
Western economic aid.
The Palestinians on the West Bank and in the
Gaza strip are consistently suppressed by the Israeli
government. They are denied education, the right
to vote, and access to basic human services, and are
constantly expelled from their land by the Israeli
goverment. The annual $4 billion blank check
from the U.S. government only encourages Israel's
strong-arm tactics.
Plans to supply more military aid to Israel are on
the table in Washington, and our government is,
poised to continue its massive intervention in the
very problem it promised to solve. Any positive
solution to this situation must be initiated by, and
worked out among the Arab states and Israel. The
United States, as James Baker so eloquently put it,
"cannot impose a solution" on Israel or the Arabs.
But our blind support of the Israeli government is
nothing less than an imposition, and our interfer-
ence is staggering the peace process.
It is time that the West sat back and allowed the
countries of the Middle East to work out their
differences on their own. Centuries of Western
interference in the region has exacerbated political
strife and led to unnecessary bloodshed. If there is
to be a true solution to the Arab-Israeli problem,
the Bush administration must realize that its role in
the peace process cannot extend beyond Baker's
encouraging rhetoric and the termination of U.S.
economic and military intervention.

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Women 's week
All students should celebrate women's roles, achievements

To the Daily:
As a regular customer and
former two-year employee at
Drake's, I must say that I find the
The Drake's Five boycott
somewhat petty and opportunistic.
Anyone familiar with Drake's and
Truman Tibbals is aware that he
regularly asks people to leave if
he sees no cup or plates on their
table. To claim that he didn't deny
he was kicking them out because
they looked like lesbians is
nothing more than putting words
in an elderly man's mouth -
such finger pointing only discred-
its these women's position.
Drake's does not discriminate
against homosexuals; in fact, it
has employed many bisexuals and
homosexuals through the years.
The Drake's Five are reducing
and polarizing individuals by their
sexual orientation - something
that belittles all human beings,
and damages the gay rights
movement.
Calling for a boycott of
Drake's and attacking Truman
Tibbals only perpetuates oppres-
sive societal definitions -
obviously contrary to these
women's cause. I hope they
reconsider and realize that Tibbals
asked them to leave not because
they were lesbians but because
some were not paying customers.
Stephanie Batcos
LSA senior
Drake's owner
not discriminatory
To the Daily:
The Daily reported that a
number of people are organizing a
boycott of Drake's Sandwich
Shop ("Five women organize
boycott of Drake's Sandwich
Shop," 3/5/91) because the
proprietor called some lesbian
customers "boys" and told them
to leave.

It is irresponsible to organize a
boycott on the basis of one
instance of what may or may not
have been discriminatory behav-
ior. Had the single instance been
more clear-cut, or were there a
pattern of such behavior, a
boycott would leave concerned
customers with no dilemma. But
under the circumstances, it is not
clear why the organizers of the
boycott did not first initiate an
inquiry to find out whether others
had experienced similar problems.
I've seen Tibbals, the propri-
etor, blow up before. He yells if
your feet are on the benches, he
yells if you haven't ordered
anything, and, boy, does he lose it
if you've brought something over
from the overpriced and over-
crowded cafe across the street.
That's rude, but it's not discrimi-
natory.
If others have experienced
discriminatory behavior there, let
them tell the rest of us, let us see
the pattern, and we'll stop giving
Drake's our business. Until then, I
plan on having my tea at the
cheapest place on campus.
Vincent Lima
Rackham graduate student
Support Drake's
during boycott,
To the Daily:
I would like to respond to the
Daily's coverage of the the
incident involving the "Drake's
Five." Besides being biased, the
Daily reporter omitted many facts
about Drake's and the owner,
Truman Tibbals, which would
have clearly shown that this
incident has been grossly misrep-
resented by the Aids Coalition to
Unleash Power (ACT-UP) and the
Daily.
It is common knowledge to all
Drake's employees and regular
customers that Tibbals has a less-

than-friendly temperament. He
has been kicking out non-paying
customers for years - we have
seen him ask people in rags and
people in tuxedos to leave. He has
even kicked employees out. As
stated by the "Drake's Five," only
two of the women had ordered
from the lunch counter. These two
were not kicked out. The women
who had not ordered food or
drinks were the only ones asked
to leave.
The Daily also misrepresented
Mira Geffner as an employee who
had worked at Drake's for long
enough to know the place very
well. In fact, Geffner had worked
at Drake's for barely a month.
The Daily also neglected to
mention that the "Drake's Five"
were all friends of Geffner, which
could certainly explain why, of
the more than 30 employees, she
is the only one who has taken a
stance against Drake's and
Tibbals. The rest of us see this
incident for what it is: business as
usual!
Unfortunately, Tibbals is often
quite rude and tactless when
speaking to both customers and
employees. What needs to be
emphasized is that he does not do
this selectively. As far as he is
concerned, only those who have
purchased food or drink are
welcome to sit down. That the
"Drake's Five" interpreted his
rudeness as homophobia only
shows how willing they are to
take a minor incident and turn it
into something to complain about.
I would like to thank our
customers, especially the gay men
and lesbians, who have continued
to eat at Drake's despite ACT-
UP's ridiculous boycott. I would
also welcome all Drake's support-
ers to come to today's protest at
noon to show ACT-UP how silly
they are ACTing!
Johanna Ouwehand
LSA senior
Drake's manager

pis week marks the 10th annual Ann Arbor
A celebration ofInternational Women's Day with
a comprehensive series of events concerning Sur-
vival, Recovery and Resistance.
The programs, sponsored by
Feminist Women's Union and
the Women's International
League forPeace and Freedom,
include lectures, videos, slides
and information tables, and all
students -female and male -
would do well to attend.a
Celebrations began Sunday
with the opening ceremony and
ends Saturday evening with a
Lesbian and Bisexual Women's
Dance. On Friday, the interna-
tionally-recognized Women's
Day, there will be continuous
events throughout the day at the
Union. That evening, the Black
Folks Arts Collective, an Afri-
can dance troupe, will perform.
Events already this week
have included lectures on
Women and Art, Women and
AIDS, and a talk by well-known feminist Dr. Ruth
Silva who travelled from to Ann Arbor from the
University of Puerto Rico to speak on domestic
violence.
Although International Women's Day is not

widely celebrated in the United States, it has been
an important holiday in other countries for de-
cades. Its international prominence makes sense
when one realizes that the
women's movement has been at
the root of human rights cam-
paigns around the world. The
Russian Women's Day demon-
stration of 1917 was one of the
first sparks of the February
Revolution. International
Women's Day was bor outof
the labor movement as a tribute
to working women and has since
become broad-based. Because
the important roles women play
are often overlooked, it is im-
portant to celebrate the history
of the greatness of women.
We encourage both women
and men to attend the events
and take part in this celebration.
The programs include many
interesting and informative
views about women around the
world. It is not often one gets
the chance to gather in a tribute to women and there
is much we can all learn from these programs.
All the events are wheelchair accessible, and
for more information, call 663-3555.

0

Hollywood's big movies perpetuate female stereotypes

.... . ..'"History repeats itself

In 1979, community activists brandishing pickaxes
marched to People's Park to remove an asphalt lot at the
site after the university announced plans to convert the
space into a paid parking lot for students.
The demonstrators destroyed the pavement, planted
trees, and university plans for the park were once again
placed on hold.
The incident occurred 10 years after riots erupted in
Berkeley after the university placed a fence around
People's park and announcedplans to establish aplaying
field on the lot. The riots left one person dead and a
second blind.
Tuesday night the city council approved the original
five-year $5 city-university joint lease of People's Park
which cedes the border gardens and patch of trees to the
city, leaving the university to develop the grassy middle
into a recreational facility that may include pavement
for tennis or basketball courts.
Other elements of the lease prqvide for security
lighting and bathrooms, but the council revoked a series
of amendments prohibiting paved surfaces in the park

and allowing the community free box and stage to
remain on the lot after UC-Berkeley chancellor Chang-
Lin Tien said the lease would not be approved by the UC
Board of Regents.
The poor short-term memory of both university ad
city officials could very well incite a new round of
clashes over People's Park if community input on the
site is ignored. Regents who reject the lease and support
construction on the lot are dangerously removed from
the social and political realities of Berkeley.
Further negotiations to implement the revoked
amendments are still possible once the lease is signed.
People's Park is not a historical relic - it is a living,
dynamic part of Berkeley with determined and impas-
sioned community support. If the city and university
officials forget this fact, they may re-ignite a powder
keg that brought civil war to the streets of Berkeley two
decades ago.
Feb. 28, 1991, The Daily Californian
University of California at Berkeley

by Mary Beth Barber
Pretty Woman may have been
the "feel-good" movie of 1990,
but I did not feel particularly well
after seeing it. Several of my
friends raved about it, how clever
it was, how romantic, how
endearing. I was not similarly
impressed.
The cute quips by Julia
Roberts were amusing, and I
watched as the long-haired ex-
prostitute descended from her ivy-
covered apartment into the arms
of wealthy Richard Gere, with his
modem white horse - a stretch
limousine - waiting in tow. She
was finally saved from her life of
poverty and despair. But this is
the movie that my feminist friends
have been raving about? This
scenario, where rich man meets
poor woman and gives her credit
cards, is the ideal romance?
There is a disturbing undercur-
rent in today's films: the stereo-
typing of men and.women
characters.
In many of today's movies
women are either peripheral
characters, such as Sophia
Coppola's character in Godfather
III, or symbols of delicateness and
beauty, like Michelle Pfeiffer in
The Russia House.
And if by chance the main
characters are women, the movie
falls into the "woman's movie"
category, concentrating on family
:oo.ao rnm -:ti:i ad amn

young women growing up in a
small resort in Connecticut: a
brain destined for Yale, a vamp
destined to marry into money, and
a homebody destined to stay in
Mystic and raise a family.
The pairs are often times
either best friends, as in Beaches,
or mother and daughter, as in
Postcards from the Edge. Usually
there is an emotional conflict, a
separation, or a death. Terms of
Endearment - the tale of a
mother trying to communicate

not like sentimental movies about
men. Without baseball, Field of
Dreams would have suffered the
same fate as Dad. No one would
have come.
In spite of its cut-out character
descriptions, Mystic Pizza was
one of the first movies to break
conventional stereotypes of
women in American film; the
three women get drunk together
- typical of men but not women
in movies - and it's the man
who withholds sex from his fiance

If the movie-going public only want to see
dependent, emotional women and aggressive,
cold-hearted men on the screen, that is what
it will continue to see.


with her daughter dying of cancer
- featured all three of the
necessary elements of a
"women's movie." In a similar
film, the female characters in
Steel Magnolias weep at the
death of the dear friend, and laugh
at the quips between the rest of
the gang. Only one two-minute
scene dealt with the emotions of a
male character, as if a man's
sentimentality is secondary to a
wnman'c_ Rven the hn Qhanrd's

until she agrees to a commitment,
not the other way around. "I love
you," he tells her, "and all you
love is my dick." Harsh words,
but a welcome relief from the
usual portrayals of frigid women
and virile men.
Prominent actresses including
Meryl Streep have been voicing
their concern about the lack of
quality female roles in Holly-
wood, but if the movie-going
nuhlic nnlv want tosee

Nuts and Bolts
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ASPARAGUS.


by Judd Winick
T. " BLS

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