Page 4--The Michigan Daily - Thursday, April 4, 1991 Wbe Airbijjpn Bailg 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 Edited and Managed by Students at the University of Michigan ANDREW K. GOTTESMAN Editor in Chief STEPHEN HENDERSON DANIEL POUX Opinion Editors The $REAVCRACY ftAll 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. Paper dragon Hash Bash shouldn't pretend to be a political statement The smell of Hash Bash is in the air, the annual event where hordes of people flock to the Diag to suck down hits of marijuana, sending plumes of narcotic smoke billowing over the heart of cam- pus. Many of Hash Bash's defenders purport that their actions are a political statement, and they are exercising their right to smoke pot and push for the legalization of marijuana. A good deal ofUniversity students - along with hundreds of non- students - show up, take a few hits, and then say they're doing* it for the "cause." Most students' reasons for attending Hash Bash are less grandiose than fighting the U.S. government's war on drugs; the average student just wants to get high, and a Diag full of generous pot-smokers makes that fairly easy. Many students think thatjoining this big group- toke is stylish, or"cool." This is somewhat reminiscent of high- school peer pressure. Other reasons for spending the Saturday on the Diag stem from good-old American capitalism, as student entrepreneurs drum out Hash Bash t-shirts right and left - suspiciously proclaiming that all profits are going to the "fight against hemp laws." Other Hash Bashers want to consider them- selves "rebels," fighting the system, and becoming a protestor. They put themselves in the same cat- egory as anti-war demonstrators, pro-choice advo- cates in Washington marchers, and anti-nuclear weapons marchers. However, this Saturday after- noon "protest" is not advocating a worthwhile cause. There are so many more issues that deserve the time, effort, and money that are invested in Hash Bash. The monies that are collected during this event will not be used to help the home- less, not to feed the hungry, not to fight crime. It will be funnelled into the hemp-legal- ization movement. This move- ment is decades old and has not gained any substantial momen- tum in that time, and the cost- effectiveness of any continued efforts is doubtful at best. People unfamiliar with Hash Bash should set their Saturday afternoon aside, and go out to the Diag and see it for them- selves. Students should look at the scores of people lying around on the Diag passing the weed as donations clink into the tattered fundraising cans, and question what their time and money could be better spent on. Students who have already realized the stupidity of this "political event" running under such con- trived pretenses, will do the smart thing- and stay home. %': y:::;: :}Y '.."S1tMtMw , "n e ,11 .tiYA1V. A .}V."v{{{.Y^V.Y{, . .Y A .}Y{ } .}".}}};A""tV L :.}YA"JhY:::1NllAS1WAtLLth "f 4LNL1 .WhY AYAY Y YJAt Yh'. }}}"":{"}}J".7' Y.1"."h .Sn'T.^. i. i:r':'J;". A1"f.4h^r: "."... ."1.. ." S. . .. ". }: .tom". yyy.. }. ^ :"{{.. "^J}..{1. " :{{.V. .:"}:":":'}:{ {{':'"'}}:':'}:{{"}}:":":": :a:":{{".:":"}::,:"}}h .. r"J".J. -f" , ..,+1. "lr...".....".r....r:.YJ'YJA"'.1':"1 rA"rhLr"1}". J.YJ.1'. t.^ :r"111" .h.""."..".S"t."tr:}"."..,.."S.."L."."......"."."^............ Yra "hLti . . r h..Y.Yr.Y:.":r'.Y:::.Y:.'.Y Y.".Y: r:: hYA1":,Yr.Y:.! ^: ^"}r.Y: . 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S. 1. .....".L rLt1YAYA1Yrr: J ...... .............:r^Yr .1Y::!~.r 1^Y:.'Y L11"Y'r'. ... X."...^............'"....J:..:f .. ... ~ . ....................."............... .,n :!.!.,.:....... ..!! :..~.......,...,.~..,..............1... 1~1,}.;.YlA}!.Y: "^: rJ: rf :.Lt1Y: J.YJ.14'.1".;.:.}:.,.;.:":~::,.,.;.;.:. ~^.:;r";:,r.: L:: q.:.:.::.; -,- Out of the rubble Kuwaiti reconstruction must address people's needs, not Emir's In the days leading up to the Gulf War, President Bush and the Allies labelled Saddam Hussein's military build-up as a betrayal of the Iraqi people. Amidst the ruins of a destructive war with Iran, Hussein's personal aspirations concentrated the assets of the country on a military machine that would realize his goals, not the goals of the Iraqi people. While these lectures on the evils of autocracy and its effects on a country continue, President Bush and his advisors would be wise to take a close look at the rebuilding of Kuwait. The entire country. has been razed, and the Kuwaiti citizens -without the financial means to wait out the war in London, Cairo or some resort city in Saudi Arabia, like their leaders - are still suffering from a lack of neces- sities. Instead of addressing the basic needs of the people, the Kuwaiti government has concentrated its reconstruction efforts on the rebuilding of its oppressive infrastructure, and the United States has not only supported these efforts, but is the main contributor to the reconstruction. After fighting an alleged war for freedom and democracy, the United States has betrayed the Kuwaiti people and befriended the autocracy of the Emir. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been the backbone of the rebuilding effort, follow- ing the orders of their Kuwaiti hosts. Rebuilding of Kuwaiti royal palace so that the Emir might have a suitable place to live, while the Kuwaiti people lack electricity shows the misplaced priorities of the decision-makers in both Washington and Ku- wait City . While the United States should not use its occupation to affect democratic reforms in Kuwait, it should not support the singled-minded goals of the Kuwaiti government, concerned only with re- storing its luxuries. If the Kuwaiti government refuses to acknowl- edge such inequity and not allow the vast capa- bilities of the American forces to reestablish basic services across the country, then the United States military and its engineers should leave. President Bush can no longer banter on about the plight of Kuwaiti people under Iraqi domination. The Emir and his cronies are more concerned with restoring the amenities of the Royal Palace than bringing back common services forthe people. If the Kuwaiti government refuses to refocus re- building efforts, then the United States must with- draw its support of the Kuwaiti government's unbalanced plans. Editors need to do their homework To the Daily: The recent editorial (3/26/91) titled "Unhealthy Profits" shows that the editors neglected to engage their brains before opening their mouths. There is no cigarette company named Philip Morris. There is, however, a food company named Phillip Morris (Fortune magazine, April 23, 1990). It sells breakfast cereal, luncheon meats, baked goods, beer, frozen foods, and cigarettes (which accounted for 40 percent of sales in 1989). These are all legal products, and the company is profitable. In 1989, Philip Morris investors, like the University of Michigan, gained $0.69 for each $1.00 invested, and from 1979 to 1989, investors' average annual gain was 30 percent. Since we all bemoan the lack of money for student loans and TA pay, why not maintain investments that can help provide those funds? Come on, editors, think -and research your subject - before you write! Chad Nehrt Doctoral candidate, School of Business Fliering spoiled Hill Aud. concert To the Daily: On the evening of March 21,I had the pleasure of attending the concert at Hill Auditorium given by the Israel Philharmonic. The concert was very good by the evening was marred by one event. As I ascended the steps to Hill, I was accosted by a woman representing the Palestine Aid Society (PAS) who thrust a flier into my hands. The flier was entitled "Enjoy The Concert, But..." and it spoke of the oppression that the Palestinians have subjected to at the hands of Israel. While this type of propaganda may be appropriate for protests on the Diag, it is not appropriate at Hill Auditorium. Even though the PAS urged concert-goers to enjoy the performance, its statement was basically "Enjoy the concert but" remember that these musi- To the Daily: Two articles on your April 2 front page ironically demon- strated why Student Legal Services (SLS) is the best-kept secret on campus. In "Students get, and pay for, the legal aid they need," reporter Becca Donnefeld aptly illustrated the complete array of free legal assistance offered by SLS attorneys. In "Chalker receives $450 for legal fees," it was stated that MSA voted to reimburse a student who chose to hire a private attorney. About 60 percent of the MSA fee, as Donnenfeld noted, is directly returned to the students in the form of SLS. Like Health Services, it is a prepaid insurance plan-you hope you don't need a doctor or lawyer, but when you do, excellent free help is avail- able. Our attorneys have an accumulated 20 years trial experience, civil and criminal. In civil cases, this includes housing, consumer, employment, divorce, custody, probate and bankruptcy. Criminal practices include felonies and misdemeanors. This wide range of proficiency is demanded by the great diversity of University students' legal needs. And it's all free. So if you need an attorney, and you don't want to pay for one (or have MSA reimburse you), come to Student Legal Service, 3409 Michigan Union, 763-9920. No appointment is necessary: walk-in hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon. As the article noted; SLS is contemplating a concerted action against Wolverine Video. Anyone with a complaint about them should contact me. I was slightly misquoted in the article, regarding cleaning fees. The fee in question was $700 yearly-not monthly! While exorbitant, it's not necessarily illegal; but a clean apartment is a tenants right, regardless of any cleaning fee collected. Nicolas Roumel Attorney, Student Legal Services SLS: the best-kept campus secret ; . . I . " R t a ;; cians represent an oppressive and violent nation. I know that I am not alone when I say that this intrusion by the Palestine Aid Society was a most unwelcome occurrence. Theresa Juetten Engineering first-year student GREEKS letter full of stereotypes To the Daily: I wish to make a response to Deon Wagner's and Kristine Foote's letter, "Greek Week only another hypocrisy" in the March 28 Daily. I regret Wagner's and Foote's disappointment with this year's Greek Week and the week's continued coverage in the Michigan Daily, but I think Greek Week '91 was a boisterous success. Both Wagner and Foote feel that attention should be given to students "for whom volunteering is a routine" and who "want to make a positive contribution to the community." For University Greeks, a philanthropic event like Greek Week is much more than just "routine"- it has been an annual, unbroken traditionat the University since the1970s. We are particularly proud that our organization, one that involves nearly 25 percent of the Univer- sity student population, can successfully utilize its strength each year for local philanthropies and national charities. Our efforts at this year's Greek Week have raised close to $50,000. We totally reject the negative stereotypes sometimes associated with being a Greek. The Greeks were founded on many principles, one of these being mutual assistance and aid. It is therefore only expected that Greeks give time and donation throughout the year to help others in the commu- nity and abroad. g CO)LLEGE. RO UNDUP Pray to your own gods Britt Isaly Public Relations chair, Interfraternity Council For some patriotism has become a religion. The symbolic nature of the flag is no longer some- thing, self-styled patriots carry in their head. For them, the flag is what the flag represents-it is America , not a piece of cloth. As the religious person might fight if the cross - or whatever icon if appropriate - were to be desecrated, a recent protest on UNM's campus has shown that the same is true of the ones who call themselves patriots. This does not mean these folks are wrong. Simply, those people who disagree with this attitude do not understand how these people can think the way they do. Many of those who disagree with how the so-called patriots view the flag still feel strongly about their country. Their devotion to their own cause has the same religious fervor. These different patriots - followers of a different religion, as it were - see the flag as a piece of cloth. - They think it's dangerous to forget that symbols do not exist to the touch - the value attached to a symbol exists only in the mind. Put another way, though a physical manifestation of the flag may ultimately rot away, what it stands for will last long after it is gone. That is why it is not wrong - to those other patriots - to burn a flag. The flag represents a country that does not represent them; they can think of no more emotionally charged way of showing it. This explanation doesn't include those who burn flags because it is cool or those who espouse old- fashioned patriotism because it seems hip. Is either side wrong? Of course. The side opposite the one you believe is always wrong. Yet aside from our emotional attachment to our side of the issue, there is no reason to put one opinion ahead of the other. Freedom to have and hold an opinion. As long as we still have that, we'll never lose America. As long as America has it, we will never lose. Feb. 18, 1991, The Daily Lobo by Geoffrey D. White New Mexico University A cure for the ills of American industry Much of the United States' in- dustrial base has disintegrated in the past two decades. Some econo- mists attribute the decline to poor management and inferior produc- tion. This may be true . to some ex- i n/my tent, but m a n y v e Americans greatly ex- aggerate the disparity between America's Jennifer industry and prod- Knoll uc ts from overseas. Some Americans will buy any foreign product over an American. Mitsubishi sells twice as many Colts come from factories in the United States. Each foreign produced car bought in America comes at the expense of American workers. Al- though foreign cars built in the U.S. supply jobs to American workers, the workers are really only putting the pieces of a puzzle together. The majority of the parts in these cars are produced abroad. of work per day, the hourly wage, and working conditions are all regulated by the government. En- vironmental devastation and ex- ploited workers area travesty in any country. It is hypocritical for Americans to support environmen- tal and workers' rights legislation -making American products more costly - and then buy a foreign- It is hypocritical for Americans to support environmental and workers' rights legislation - making American products more costly - and then buy a foreign-made car because of its lower price. Nuts and Bolts tEs Mtnoa ?wp OWUR INTh IPLE IF - - --ogIy80LZ. SO TELL. ME TVE WJHY THEVAS E VASECTDy? IwpS~IWA\. by Judd Winick "Flit", BENG THE oPDc.," Supply-side economic theory dictates that the majority of the dollars earned by the share holders and employees is reinvested within the United States. And every dollar made car because of its lower price. Free trade is a wonderful con- cept, but it can only work when all of the contributors and recipients have the samerestrictions. President Vnffnn rpriiir-p m n oftha intar_