The Michigan Daily -Tuesday, March 12,1991- Page Kevorkian calls for protection of patient suicides Parental law 'U hearing begins Minors' access to abortion at stake ° by Laurie Pert The man they call "Dr. Death" spoke to a crowd of about 70 last night at Hutchins Hall. Jack Kevorkian, the famed inventor of he suicide machine, explained by he believes the right to die sfiould be an individual decision. Eight months ago, Alzheimer's patient Janet Adkins chose to die before her disease made life un- bearable. Kevorkian used the ma- chine to assist her suicide. Kevorkian was recently acquit- ted in an Oakland County court on murder charges. Kevorkian said his project has ne goal. "The aim is to extract the maximum benefit from death," he said. "I want to make death positive." He said people should allow themselves to be used for science should they choose to die. "If the law was not insane in this society, Adkins could have saved six or seven others by donating her or- pans," he said. Kevorkian prides himself on be- ing the world's first "Obitiatrist." "I'm qualified in this residency," ite said. "I've trained myself for a long time." By his definition, mercy killing can be mediated by anyone. His practice, "medicide," is administered by a medical doc- tor. He believes if living wills are allowed, his practice should also be permitted. Kevorkian insists that patients take all of the available options before he will do the treatment. For example, he doesn't believe a cancer patient who didn't go through chemotherapy is qualified for his project. Geoffrey Fieger, Kevorkian's counsel, who also spoke last night, explained that the significance of the Kevorkian case was that it was not based on any statute. It was based solely on morality. "The judge would decide what was legal based on morality - it was unheard of," he said. Fieger also stressed the right to die should be a personal decision. He said he couldn't comprehend that anyone in a rational society could make terminally ill individ- uals suffer. "I am convinced that the only people in this society who are op- posed to making a terminally ill person suffer are religious fanatics and lunatics," he said. "There's no other organized opposition." Fieger said the appeal of Jack Kevorkian, inventor of the "suicide machine," and his lawyer Geoffroy Fieger speak at Hutchins Hall yesterday. KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - A two-day court battle over a law requiring minors to have a parent's consent for abortion is less about abortion than about the state con- stitution, lawyers said yesterday. The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood Af- filiates of Michigan will try to per- suade Kalamazoo County Circuit Judge Philip Schaefer to grant an injunction blocking enforcement of the measure in a hearing starting today. While federal courts have up- held parental consent laws under the U.S. Constitution, state courts in Florida and California have tossed them out under state consti- tutions, said Elizabeth Gleicher of Detroit, attorney for the ACLU. "This is not an abortion case. This is a case dealing with consti- tutional issues involving parental rights and responsibilities to guide and protect their minor children," said Jon Curcio of Lansing, attor- ney for Right to Life of Michigan. The parental consent law re- quires girls 17 and under to have a parent's consent for abortion. As an alternative a girl may petition a probate court judge for a waiver permitting the abortion if the judge finds the waiver terests or that enough to make1 sion herself. The measure is slated to take effect March 28. A Feb. 20 Michigan Court of Appeals decision overturning a state law banning Medicaid abor- tions will boost pro-choice forces' chances of success in this case, Gleicher said. But a brief filed for the state by Thomas Casey, assistant solicitor general, and Thomas Nelson, as. sistant attorney general, argues that ruling is wrong. The brief said a 1973 Michigan Supreme Court ruling overturned a state law banning abortion only because of federal court ruling and stated that Michigan's public policy still was to forbid most abortions. ; Gleicher said, "We hope to prove that the statute does not serve any significant or compelling. interest in terms of protecting ei ther adolescents, parents or fami lies and as a corollary of that ac- tually will do much more harm that it will do good." is in her best inT she is mature the abortion deci- Kevorkian's Mercy Machine is control. "Among all of us we need to feel in control. It makes life more worth living," he said. "Fear is loss of control. Kevorkian offers a way that they'll never be out of control." Fieger said those opposed to what Kevorkian is doing do not understand what suffering is all about because they remove them- selves from it. There have never been statutes on assisting suicide, said Fieger,who expressed hope that a congressional bill making Kevorkian's practice illegal will be stopped. He said he believes the only regulatory laws necessary would be those to prevent abuses of the suicide machine. Fieger concluded by saying that Kevorkian has opened the way and that lawyers and doctors will dis- cuss the ramifications of the right to die into the future. "Kevorkian pulled an unwilling word out of the shadows and into the light," he said. "We're living in the legacy." North Campus parking meters annoy stu tv Joshua Meckler - d . .-.- dents U __ w ,. . w i+r ae ter: ,n. w 1 Many art, architecture and mu- 3uaens complain ofj sic students who use several Uni- versity parking lots on North Cam- roll of quarters in my pocket," said any paid time pus say computerized parking me- Stephanie Milton, an architecture spot. ters are inconvenient, too expen- junior. Maxwell save and should be changed. Milton said that she and other Manager oft The University replaced indi- commuters often spend long days Services, said vidual meters with one or two at the Art and Architecture build- to be a feature computerized mne- w ingt ers per lot during 'In the morning, the line of people waiting to last year's winter pay the parking meter is often long, causing semester. Stu- students to be late to classes or miss dents said this rehearsals" - - itnes, prices and underused staff-only lot left for a particular Smith, Assistant University Parking this was not known of the computerized meters when they were pur- chased. Changing the machines so they could show remaining time would require change created inconvenient lines. "In the morning, the line of people waiting to pay the parking meter is often long, causing'stu- dents to be late to classes or miss rehearsals," said Music Student Council Representative Jeanie Iee, in a recent letter to Parking Operations. Students also said the comput- erized meter parking was too ex- pensive - 30 cents for 50 minutes and was designed for the con- venience of parking enforcement, not commuters. ,&"I'm tired of trying to keep a - Jeane Lee Music Student Council representative ing. Some find it cheaper and eas- ier to take the three dollar ticket than drop coins in the computer- ized meter. Art junior Suzanne Lalonde said, "There's enough to worry about in school without having to deal with parking and getting change." Art senior Colleen O'Rourke, who regularly drives to school, agreed. "I once got a ticket com- ing in to get change." With the computerized meters, it is not possible to tell if there is extensive repro- gramming, Smith said. The key reason for replacing the individual meters with the Parkmaster computerized meters was cost, Smith said. Each indi- vidual meter cost $200 while a Parkmaster went for $8,000. It was much easier to repair a Parkmaster than to spend $200 to replace each damaged individual meter. Smith said Parkmaster meters are actually less convenient for en- forcement officers because they have to use a printout from the central meter to check individual spots. But Smith said the Parkmasters provide "better revenue control," making it easier to keep records of meter collections and to collect the money from the meters. Smith said Parking Operations is a self-sustaining department, and has to set its prices accord- ingly. "The funds are used to build, maintain, and provide parking," Smith said. Parking operations gets about $500,000 a year from the meters, Smith said, and the city of Ann Arbor receives all revenue from 'There's e tickets. without h "The Univer- without l sity gets no ticket getting c money at this time," Smith said. When asked if this situation might change, Smith declined comment. However, with the deputization of Department of Public Safety and Security officers, the Univer- sity may start collecting the fees. Sgt. Vernon Baisden said that when deputization was discussed last June, "the focus was in that direction." Smith said he knew of student complaints about lines, but added that he has never seen a line longer than four people. Meanwhile, the Fuller Lot near Mitchell Field has been converted from free to staff-paid parking. "I think the only reason they changed it was we were parking free," said Stan Harvey, an archi- tecture senior. nough to worry about in aving to deal with parkin hange - Suzanne junior The Fuller lot is now only used by four or five cars each day, sev- eral students said. Smith said the lot is not widely used right now, but said that will change in the future. He said th( lot was converted because change: in the Hospital's parking systen prompted the need for 319 new, spaces. The Fuller lot contains 473 spaces. But the question of student" parking permits for the metered, lots is not being considered, he- said, because lot space is too, scarce to have both student an& visitor parking in the same lot. The Architecture school's Stu- dent Advisory Committee (SAC). brought students' concerns to they school's faculty last Decembers said Architecture chair Kent'" Hubbell. SAC member and architecture junior Michae i school Thue added, "We' ng and decided there's nothing we can B Lalonde do about it." .m oSmith said art mafor North Campus drivers should appreciate what they have. "North Campus students have a hell of a lot better parking situa- tion than Central Campus stu- dents," he said. THE LIST What's happening in Ann Arbor today Leftist coalition favored in El Salvador vote Meetings Recycle U-M, weekly mtg. 1040 Dana, 7 p.m. Kaffeestunde, weekly German con- versations. MLB third floor conference room, 4:30-6. German Club, weekly mtg. MLB, Rm. 2004, 7:00. Anthropology Club, weekly mtg. bominick's, 7:30. Time & Relative Dimensions in Ann Arbor, weekly mtg. Call 971- 2072 for info. 2439 Mason Hall, 8:00. Students Concerned about Animal Rights, weekly mtg. Dominick's, 7:30. Ultimate Frisbee Club, weekly mtg. Coliseum, 4-6. Festival Meeting, weekly mtg. In Fo- cus Filmworks, MUG, 6 p.m. Take Back the Night, weekly mtg. LeagueHenderson Rm, 7:30-9:30. Speakers "Why Modern Intellectuals Deny the Concept of Evil," Dr. Edwin Locke of the Ayn Rand Institute. Union, Kuenzel Rm,n8 p.m. "Early Onset and Considerable Loss of Bone Mass," Stanley Garn. N. Ingalls Bldg, 10th level, rm 1000, noon. "Transistions: From Student to Col- league," Grad Students Brown Bag. Career Planning and Placement, new conf rm, 12:10-1. Hisaye Yamamoto, writer. American Culture Library, 410 Mason, 11:30- 12:30. ECB Peer Writing Tutors available Sunday-Thursday, Angell/Haven Computing Center, 7-11; 611 Church Computing Center 7-11. Free Tax Preparation. Sponsored by VITA until April 15. Union, 3rd floor, 9-5. The Yawp literary magazine. Submissions accepted until 3/22 in the box at 1210 Angell. U of M Women's Rugby Club, Tuesday practice. Call 995-0129 for more info. Sports Coliseum, 8-10 p.m. Study in Africa, Latin America, or the Caribbean: U-M Programs for 1991-92. For info call William Nolt- ing, 764-9310. 111 W. Engineering, 7:30-9. The Status of Women Around the World, panel discussion. E. Quad, Greene Lounge, 6:30. Deciding Your Career. Career Planning and Placement, rm 1, 5:10- 7. Puerto Rican and Chicano/a Stu- dent Dialogue. League, rm C, 5:30. sey, Nobel laureate in physics. 335 West Engineering, noon. "Electrostatic Models and their Application to Energy and Rate Constant Calculation," Malcolm Davis of the University of Houston. Chem Bldg, rm 1640, 4 p.m. Furthermore Safewalk ,nighttime safety walking service. Functions 8-1:30 a.m. Sun.- Thurs. Call 936-1000 or stop by 102 TT TI SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) - For the first time since the civil war began 11 years ago, a leftist coalition appeared to have won a significant share of Sal- vador's legislature, preliminary re- turns showed yesterday. The dramatic gains by the left in Sunday's elections were viewed as favorable to promoting an end to Salvador's internal war. "It is very probable that this was the last wartime election," rebel leader Salvador Samayoa told The Associated Press yester- day. As the vote count proceeded slowly yesterday, it remained un- clear whether Arena, the Republi- can Nationalist Alliance of Presi- dent Alfredo Cristiani, had re- tained its majority in the unicam- eral legislature. Leaders of the rightist party claimed it had. But independent observers said the vote was so._ closely split between Arena and opposition candidates that they were unable to predict the makeup of the new Assembly. No one disputed Arena received more votes than any of the six other political parties or alliances that competed in Sunday's elec- tions. The private TV station Channel 12 said yesterday its projections indicate Arena had received 47 percent of the vote; the Christian Democrats, who ruled from 1984 through 1989, received 28 percent; and the Democratic Convergence, an alliance of three leftist parties, won 17 percent. Arena supporters celebrated at party headquarters. To the accom- paniment of a mariachi band, they sang their party anthem, which says, "El Salvador will be the tomb where the Reds will end up." "It's up in the air who will con- trol the new legislature," said Ruben Zamora, leader of the Con- vergence, which had received only 3.8 percent of the vote in the 1989 presidential election. For the past 11 months, the U.S-backed government and leftist rebels of the Farabundo Marti Na- tional Liberation Front have hejd peace talks under the auspices pf the United Nations. Buinesshii*!III I Theaters beef up security around 'New Jack City' Associated Press Shootings and rioting arrived with the Friday release of "New Jack City," the new Warner Bros. film based on the life of Harlem drug lord Nickie Barnes. A man was killed in New York and distur- bances erupted in Chicago, New Jersey, Nevada and Los Angeles. Warner Bros. spokesperson Robert Friedman said nationwide only one theater in Westwood, California pulled the movie. Some Michigan movie theaters increased security for the showings film, insisted that it doesn't incite violence and in fact is an anti- gang movie. But Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sgt. William Reed dis- agreed: "It's the type of movie that will draw the gangs to it." In New York, a teenager was arrested Saturday for investigation of murder in the Friday shooting death of Gabriel Williams, 19, in frontof a theater showing the movie. The Quality You Deserve at a Price You Can Afford est Preparat ion 996-1500 1100 South University RE TOSHIBA Laptops -