Page 4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 16, 1991 EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 I NOAH FINKEL Editor in Chief DAVID SCHWARTZ Opinion Editor 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. S i i I :...:.:..... }.. . Drunk on oil It's time to kick environmentally expensive habit .,p AMERICA IS ADDICTED TO FOR- eign oil. Despite serious and de-stabi- -lizing conflicts in oil-producing coun- tries, the United States continues to merrily consume foreign oil at a glut- tonous pace. In order to support our "freedom" to jump in any gas-guzzling, smoke-belching vehicle we want, we expend fossil fuels, and allow vast quantities of toxic substances to con- taminate environmentally sensitive ar- gas. We must no longer rely on non- degradable petroleum products to fuel ;America's progress. Instead of building on the scant foundation of a real energy policy set up in the Carter years, the Reagan ad- ministration dismantled the program in favor of economic expansion policies. Research into alternative fuel sources and vehicles was left in the hands of 'roups who have vested interests in the status quo (petroleum companies and automakers). This is like keeping the fox in charge of the hen house. There is no shortage of oil. Esti- mates of the current oil supply ensure the consuming public that enough oil ,remains to last another 40-100 years. While there is an abundant supply of oil to burn, there is not enough clean air to burn it in. If we actually use all the oil we have access to, we shall condemn ourselves to environmental suicide. There is only one resource the planet possesses that has the ability to filter poisons injected into the air. That re- source is our forests, the same forests -We insist on chopping down for such things as cardboard packaging and 'amburger boxes. The United States is burning the environmental candle at both ends. In- dustry and government are continu- ously spewing pollutants into the atmo- sphere, while they simultaneously de- stroy our forests, the only things that can clean out the pollutants. A sound energy policy is essential for several reasons. Widespread use of alternative energy sources could put the United States in direct control of its en- ergy lifeline. Dependance on foreign resources enslaves us to regional con- flicts. In addition to economic arguments, the environment has never been more desperately in need of relief. It is still possible to save it. The minimal amount of research that has been made into solar, wind and thermal energy production has yielded encouraging re- sults. BMW recently produced a proto- type automobile that runs on hydrogen; the only exhaust is water vapor! But the highway system itself needs to be examined. Germany and Japan both have highly efficient means of rail transportation. It is cheaper and less environmentally taxing to move several people together in a train, than to move several people separately in cars. Creative research must be conducted into alternative uses of renewable re- sources. Alcohol fuels based on corn, wheat, or (heaven forbid) hemp have shown real promise. Solar, thermal and nuelear sources should be explored. Much of the technology already exists. A sane energy policy must be part of the national agenda. If we had learned from the gas lines of the early '80s, perhaps we would not feel obliged to risk American lives over someone else's gas. 01 War creates a backlash against Arab-Americans By Richard Kysia Anti-Arab sentiment has increased sharply since the onset of the Persian Gulf crisis. The American public's frustration with events in the Middle East has again manifested itself in denigration and scape- goating of Arab-Americans. Rhetorical ex- changes between George Bush and Saddam Hussein, particularly the "Hitlerization" of Hussein, has augmented already-existing anti-Arab feelings, helping to create an atmosphere of open Arab bashing. Following the invasion, the American- Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has registered a number of hate crimes. Incidents of harassment include the beatings of Arab-Americans, hate mail, death threats, vandalism, and harassment from landlords. Further escalation of the crisis in the Gulf will undoubtedly worsen the backlash against Arabs. The killing and maiming of Arabs is not uncommon in popular culture. ADC reports that "Bomb Iraq" has been a recur- ring theme among radio DJs and on but- tons, T-shirts and bumper stickers. In fact, "bomb Iraq" is also a popular theme with military planners, who view it as an op- tion to reduce American casualties. Projec- tions estimate upwards of 100,000 Iraqis could die in the initial weeks of a military confrontation; elements of American pop culture seem to view this with joy rather than shock. A recent T-shirt portrayed an Arab (in traditional garb, riding a camel) in the crosshairs of a gun; the caption reads: "I'd Fly 10,000 Miles to Smoke a Camel." Another T-shirt depicts a U.S. Marine pointing a rifle at an Arab laying at his feet. The caption is: "How much is the oil now?" Institutional racism against Arabs has Kysia is an LSA junior and a member of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee. been a long-standing U.S. policy. In 1972, the Nixon administration instituted Operation Boulder, which involved close FBI monitoring of "ethnic Arab" activities (in practice, this meant the activities of any Arab-American). Extensive records were collected and maintained. Palestinian ancestry alone was sufficient basis for suspicion. FBI agents questioned numer- ous Arab-Americans about their "terrorist. organization" involvement; neighbors and employers were questioned as well. Such FBI questioning of Arab-Americans be- came so common, agents printed their calling cards in Arabic. tiated a significant attack on Arab-Ameri- can civil rights. Following the creation-of a task force on terrorism, headed by Vice President George Bush, the INS drafted a contingency plan for the "control and re- moval of alien terrorists"; up to 5,000 people of Arab descent, viewed as "alie undesirables," could be detained in a fedrF detention center in Oakdale, Louisiana in preparation for deportation. The contingency plan was revealed during the case ADC v. Meese, known as the L.A. 8 case, in which six Palestinians and one Kenyan were arrested and charged Up to 5,000 people of Arab descent, viewed as "alien undesirables," could be detained in a federal detention center in Oakdale, Louisiana in preparation for deportation. Entree Ii New services are encouraging, but not enough 9CHOMP, CHOMP. YUM, YUM. Last Sunday night at the MUG, a bong line stretched from a new cash ,egister at Little Caesar's. The Union 'was ablaze with excited students. For the first time in University history, students could use their Entree Plus :Icounts to pay for meals outside the residence hall cafeterias and snack 7 bars. Now, their Entree Plus accounts can be used to buy food at any of the Union or North Campus Commons restaurants. While the sound of happy students }waiting to take advantage of this new service is heartening, and the new -flexibility brought about by the merger between Entree and the Union is encouraging, the changes do not solve the central problems that exist with the Entree program as a whole. Currently, Entr6e requires students living in the University's residence halls to purchase a 13-meal-per-week plan at an annual cost upward . of $1,800. In addition to this plan, money can be placed in an Entree Plus "account" in increments of $100 (up to $400) to purchase additional meals in the cafeterias, food in the snack bars, and anything available in the restaurants in the Union and North Campus Commons. But the Entree program is still inflexible. No student living in the residence halls has the option to terminate the Entree plan, or to choose an abridged version of the program. There are several alternatives the University could adopt. One of these is to allow students in residence halls to choose a 20-meal or 7-meal plan instead. Another is to adopt an across- the-board Entree Plus-like plan, through which students could pay for each meal, or pay for what they eat on an a la carte basis. Yet another option would be to allow students to purchase a set number of meals, and put them in a "meal account," with the balance refundable at the end of each tern. Most important, of course, is to grant the option to choose not to use the meal plan at all. Any meal reform should include the ability to terminate board altogether. Chomp, chomp. Yum, yum. Under the Reagan administration, the vilification of Arabs as terrorists intensi- fied with the 1985 hijackings of TWA flight 847 and the Achille Lauro (and the murder of American Leon Klinghoffer). During the same time, hate crimes against Arab-Americans increased signifi- cantly. ADC's regional organizer Alex Odeh was killed when a pipe bomb ex- ploded as he entered his California office. An FBI investigation implicated members of Meir Kahane's Jewish Defense League, but the suspects had fled to Israel. To date, the U.S. government is unwilling to ex- tradite the suspects from Israel, stating that it would incur a backlash of protest from the Israeli government. The Odeh murder elicited little media coverage. The case was virtually ignored by the the Reagan administration's "anti- terrorism" efforts. In 1987, amidst an atmosphere of growing anti-Arab sentiment, the INS mi- with violations of the McCarrus Act (an act widely used in the McCarthy era). The alien enemy status of the defendants was designed to strip them of constitutional protection. The charges were opposed by ADC, as the defendants were to be del ported on the basis of their political affili- ations - pro-Palestinian - which the U.S. government asserted was tied to in- ternational communism (groundsfor de- portation under the 1950s McCarrus Act). The ADC won the case; the U.S. govern- ment will appeal the decision. Efforts to obtain an assurance from the government that the internment plan will not be utilized have failed to gain any offi0 cial response. The idea of an internment camp for Arab-Americans is disturbing and insulting to the Arab community. Many in the community immigrated from the Middle East to escape bloody fighting, only to be met by more violence. 'NCAA reform :College presidents finally VOR YEARS, ATHLETIC DEPART- ments around the country turned a' blind eye while intercollegiate athletics became hotbeds of cheating. The term "student-athlete" has be- come a joke as administrators and ath- letes create and then flaunt or exploit -ules designed to expand, not regulate, college sports. It has become com- monplace for athletes to enter college, and graduate, without elementary scholastic skills. And while at school, athletes are insulated from other stu-, dents, which only reinforces the atti- tude that athletes can do whatever they want. exert proper authority large as 10-1. It is encouraging that the presidents of NCAA schools have finally begun to clean up a facet of their universities that has been destroying their credibility. While attracting a handful of presidents at the NCAA convention used to be a major accomplishment, more than 300 attended the Nashville meetings. However, in one respect the land- slide grew to such proportions that the presidents went too far. They cut prac- tice time in all sports to 20 hours per week, which is simply not realistic for all athletes. Athletes in endurance sports, such as cross country and March on Washington To the Daily: As students opposed to a U.S. war in the Persian Gulf, we urge you to consider the following facts: According to Congressional esti- mates 10,000-50,000 Americans would die in the first few weeks of a U.S. offensive in the Gulf, and at least 100,000 Iraqi civilians would be killed in the first few weeks of a U.S. invasion of Iraq. A war in the Gulf would dispropor- tionately affect people of color. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staffs, 40% of the armed forces is made up of people of color. 29%of the armed forces is made up of African-Americans (as opposed to 12% of the U.S. population). In a time of massive federal debt and impending recession, the war build-up is costing the United States approximately $33 million, per day and $1 billion per month. Military analysts believe that in the face of a protracted war, a draft would be necessary to maintain troop rotations - there would be no student deferments. By what we read in the newspapers and see on television, the course of military action taken by the White House may seem irreversible. It's easy to feel power- less to effect change. But we'll never know if we could have made a difference if we don't try. We must send a clear mes- should be dealt with, but one idea unites us: we do not support the use of American troops to resolve the conflict in the Gulf. Therefore, we urge people of all views and backgrounds to join with us in protesting this war. We fervently hope that we can stop this war before it begins. In particular, Saturday, Jan. 19, and Saturday, Jan. 26 have been designated as national days of protest against the war. National mobilizations will take place in Washington, D.C. on both of these dates. Peace activists have chosen these dates not only because of the immediacy of the .CrLtro +AAF / lor crisis but as a way to honor the birthdag of Dr. Martin Luther King. This move- ment owes much of its tactics and its views to King's vision of non-violence and peace. Carpools from Ann Arbor to Washing- ton are being arranged for the Jan. 19 rally. For more information, call 965- 0074. The time to act is now. We'll see you in Washington! Andrea G Andea ager Anne Ra# members of Students Against U. Intervention in the Middle East 0