Opinion

JENNIFER CALFAS

EDITOR IN CHIEF

AARICA MARSH 

and DEREK WOLFE 

EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS

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MANAGING EDITOR

420 Maynard St. 

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4A — Thursday, September 24, 2015

S

anitary products including tampons, 
pads, panty liners and even the cost-
conscious, eco-friendly DivaCup are 

items taxed in all but five 
U.S. states. Besides Massa-
chusetts, Maryland, Min-
nesota, New Jersey and 
Pennsylvania, the United 
States considers the tam-
pon to be a nonessential item and a luxury (like 
a yacht or Lady Gaga’s dog’s collar). As if being 
a female isn’t costly enough, we pay to have our 
periods like it’s something we enjoy. “Wow, I’m 
sooo looking forward to this new box of pads. 
I can’t wait to get home and try one on!” an 
eager PMSer exclaims. Or, “Girl — could I trade 
you a regular for a super? That’s one rare rag I 
must get for my collection,” because feminine 
hygiene is just that fun.

It’s like we are all in this club, and we keep 

paying the same union dues, but there are no 
visible changes being made to improve our 
group’s experience. Instead, we continue to 
fight for equality, basic rights for our own 
bodies, respect for our existence, health care, 
access to contraception — all the while pay-
ing a tax on something that is considered dis-
pensable by a group of males in power. At this 
point, who wouldn’t jump at the idea of invol-
untary muscle contractions and fluctuating 
hormones? Sign me the “F” up.

This is an essential part of being a woman; 

it isn’t an accident or something we choose 
to have. Females bleed, we have periods, and 
affordable feminine hygiene has always been 
a necessity. This should not even be in ques-

tion. As basic as they are, tampons are expen-
sive (with an average box costing about $6.99). 
What makes an already fundamental need out 
of reach is placing a tax on it, which discrimi-
nates against women for having menstrual 
cycles in the first place. This sanitary tax puts 
women in a position of irregularity (no allu-
sion intended) where we pay to acknowledge 
our biological differences from men. If you can 
agree that our reproductive systems are our 
own business and not the government’s, the 
sooner we can all agree that no gender should 
be taxed. This brings us closer to the necessary 
separation of body and state/body and nation.

Over the course of a lifetime, the amount of 

money we spend on tampons and pads proves 
that having a period isn’t cheap. I mean it’s 
actually ridiculous. Let’s be real. For the sake 
of progress: Canada recently passed a motion 
to drop the tax completely. Yet in the United 
States, the sales tax for sanitary products still 
ranges from 4 to 9 percent. This is a nation-
wide dilemma and I hope these facts motivate 
more petitions and women who fight for rep-
resentation. We have a long way to go, ladies 
— but don’t forget how luxurious periods are 
in the meantime. “WOMEN FOR GLITZ: We 
put the bling-bling in reproductive systems!” 
“Period? MORE LIKE SURPRISE PARTY!” 
“Period? Let’s celebrate with these decorative 
plates. I hope you like them.”

Let’s do something about this.
Gabrielle out.

— Gabrielle DeCaro can be reached 

at gbricker@umich.edu.

Shove it: A rant on tampon taxes

PAYTON 

LUOKKALA

FROM THE DAILY

O

n Friday, the U.S. House voted to defund Planned 
Parenthood (248-177) based upon false beliefs surrounding 
its abortion services. The Center for Medical Progress, 

an anti-abortion group, recently released several videos depicting 
Planned Parenthood workers discussing the sale of fetal tissue for 
profit, an illegal act under federal law. Shortly after their release, the 
videos were criticized for unethical reporting, misleading edits and 
referred to as contributions of a prolonged campaign of deception. 
Unfortunately, the videos were the basis of many Republican 
arguments to defund the organization in their recent House vote. 
Their vote to defund Planned Parenthood is deplorable and we 
strongly encourage the House of Representatives to consider the 
facts and popular opinion before making such rash decisions.

A house misled

Representatives must consider facts, opinions before voting

F

ast and brash, Donald Trump 
has certainly succeeded in 
enrapturing the American 

public with his 
unconventional 
presidential cam-
paign. We have 
watched 
him 

before, 
hosting 

“The 
Appren-

tice” and “Celeb-
rity Apprentice” 
as he cashed in 
for 
providing 

us with raucous 
entertainment 
disguised 
as 

legitimate business. We should ask 
ourselves how he would cash in 
armed with the disguise as the dem-
ocratically elected American presi-
dent. Because he would cash in.

What lies beneath the show is the 

quagmire of this campaign. Accu-
sations of associations with the 
Italian-American mafia, running 
an alleged scam known as Trump 
University and shepherding four 
businesses into bankruptcy bring 
about questions regarding how he 
would run the country.

First, if the mob association accu-

sations made by Pulitzer Prize-win-
ning journalist David Cay Johnston 
and journalist Wayne Barrett are 
true, Trump has done business with 
Philadelphia and New York crime 
families. He purchased the future 
site of Atlantic City’s Trump Plaza 
for twice its market value from 
Philadelphia 
mobster 
Salvatore 

Testa and constructed the casino 
using two firms controlled by Phil-
adelphia mob boss “Little Nicky” 
Scarfo. Additionally, Trump Tower 
and other New York City proper-
ties were constructed with con-
crete from a firm owned by NYC 
bosses “Fat Tony” Salerno and “Big 
Paul” Castellano. These ties reveal 
Trump’s resolve to achieve business 

at any cost and a potential presiden-
cy marked by cronyism and corrup-
tion. The price for our country could 
be steep if Mr. Trump facilitated 
organized crime as America’s leader.

Furthermore, Trump ran an 

alleged scam himself. Trump Uni-
versity 
enrolled 
students 
who 

lost up to $35,000 each in fees for 
courses and seminars that failed to 
provide them with degrees or par-
ticipation in an accredited program. 
Trump is accused of overcharging 
former students for services that 
were not delivered.

Trump launched Trump Univer-

sity in 2005, offering courses and 
seminars in real estate. Fees ranged 
from $1,495 for a three-day seminar 
to up to $25,000 for individual coach-
ing. Investors’ software packages 
cost $2,000 and a “Gold Elite” pack-
age for $34,995 promised to provide 
the mentorship necessary for jump-
starting a real-estate business, but 
often the mentors were unreachable.

Controversy began when the 

New York State Bureau of Education 
declared that calling the organiza-
tion a university was possibly illegal 
in 2010, leading to the organization 
to change its name to The Trump 
Entrepreneur Initiative.

The Trump Entrepreneur Initia-

tive lasted until 2013, at which time 
the Office of the New York Attorney 
General had gathered enough evi-
dence from its 2012 investigation 
to file the civil lawsuit. The now 
defunct Trump Entrepreneur Initia-
tive was embroiled in a $40 million 
civil lawsuit filed by New York Attor-
ney General Eric Schneiderman and 
was found guilty of not obtaining 
a license for a for-profit university. 
The organization continues to face a 
class-action suit in California.

The ongoing Trump University 

fiasco indicates that Trump hasn’t 
followed all of our country’s laws and 
has been keen to take advantage of 

the more vulnerable. A Trump presi-
dency could include tax breaks and 
incentives for for-profit vocational 
schools and a reduction in Pell grants 
and government loans for nonprofit 
universities.

As college students, we must ask 

ourselves what a man who ran a for-
profit university into destruction 
would do for us. He has stated on 
numerous occasions that he wants 
to cut the U.S. Department of Educa-
tion down, perhaps as a way to ease 
regulations. He isn’t afraid to leave 
behind his messes.

Additionally, four of Trump’s 

businesses in Atlantic City declared 
bankruptcy, including: Trump’s Taj 
Mahal (1991), Trump Plaza Hotel 
(1992), Trump Hotels and Casino 
Resorts (2004) and Trump Enter-
tainment Resorts (2009). When 
asked about these bankruptcies by 
ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in 
2011, Trump remarked, “I’ve used 
the laws of this country to pare debt 
… We’ll have the company. We’ll 
throw it into a chapter. We’ll nego-
tiate with the banks. We’ll make a 
fantastic deal. You know, it’s like on 
‘The Apprentice.’ It’s not personal. 
It’s just business.”

Well, Mr. Trump, continue to 

use the laws of this country to your 
advantage. It seems to be work-
ing out. The Republican candi-
date has masterfully marketed an 
image of a blunt businessman who 
has achieved “greatness” through 
obtaining an exaggerated amount 
of wealth, but in actuality he is hus-
tling us all. His past of cutting deals 
with the mafia, scamming students 
and running his Atlantic City busi-
nesses to the ground highlight his 
lack of empathy, the most impor-
tant quality for our country’s com-
mander in chief.

— Ashley Austin can be reached 

at agracea@umich.edu

Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Ben Keller, Payton Luokkala, 

Aarica Marsh, Adam Morton, Victoria Noble, Anna Polumbo-Levy, 

Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Steph Trierweiler, 

Mary Kate Winn, Derek Wolfe

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Trumped and scammed 

Though most of the talk surrounding 

Planned Parenthood is based on the abortion 
services that some branches of the organiza-
tion offer, it should be noted that abortions 
only account for 3 percent of the services 
Planned Parenthood provides. In fact, the 
organization is responsible for many other 
basic sexual health services such as contra-
ception, family planning, HIV and STI testing, 
and breast exams, to name a few.

Though much of Planned Parenthood’s 

financial support comes from private dona-
tions, removing federal funding from its bud-
get may hinder access to basic sexual health 
care for those who wouldn’t regularly be able 
to afford it. According to the Guttmacher 
Institute in 2010, “Planned Parenthood pro-
vided about a third of the services to women 
who obtained contraceptive care at federally-
subsidized safety-net centers.”

Lawmakers who support the sudden end of 

federal funding to Planned Parenthood seem 
to have a skewed perception of the nonprofit 
organization. For example, Diane Black (R–
Tenn.) recently said, “Planned Parenthood 
can get their money back if they fully commit 
to what they talk about, women’s healthcare, 
and stop performing abortions for this year.” 

Federal funding given to Planned Parent-

hood is prohibited by Title X to provide abor-
tions to those who are not in medical need or 
in cases of rape or incest. Essentially, those 
who voted to defund Planned Parenthood cut 
money that did not even go toward the issue 
they are trying to stop.

Planned Parenthood dissenters simply are 

not thinking about any of the consequences to 
removing funding for a pivotal, national orga-
nization. While the cause and effect aren’t 
necessarily directly linked, closing Planned 
Parenthood facilities across the country has 

been closely correlated to various HIV out-
breaks. For example, Scott County, Ind., has 
been battling a recent HIV outbreak since the 
closing of its only Planned Parenthood back 
in 2013; the clinic that was closed didn’t even 
provide abortion services.

Aside from the increase in HIV cases, 

unplanned pregnancies will inevitably rise as 
well. Unfortunately, these are only a few of the 
unintended consequences of defunding such 
an important organization. Other repercus-
sions may be more severe.

Furthermore, polls taken by Hart Research 

associates found that 63 percent of registered 
voters are opposed to defunding Planned Par-
enthood, causing one to wonder why the deci-
sion was made in the first place. The recent 
House vote seems like a strategic political 
move with no regard for what the public actu-
ally supports. Basing their argument solely 
on accusations made against Planned Parent-
hood that were proven false further makes the 
Republicans’ case irrational. Any videos made 
by anti-abotion activists posing as Planned 
Parenthood patrons were proven to be heav-
ily edited to contain material that was not in 
fact related to what was actually happening at 
the time.

Investigating leadership within Planned 

Parenthood or any corruption that is hidden 
under the core of the institution is valid. U.S. 
citizens, including those who are registered 
Republicans, are well within their rights to call 
out any wrongdoings of Planned Parenthood 
and demand corrections accordingly. However, 
the move to completely remove federal funding 
from Planned Parenthood was wholly preemp-
tive and brash. The House needs to thorough-
ly rethink such decisions and withhold any 
impulse to make such an ill-advised political 
statement at the expense of millions.

ASHLEY
AUSTIN

Seeing social skills

“Y

ou don’t need peo-
ple,” I told my sister’s 
strained 
self-esteem 

on 
the 
phone 

one 
afternoon. 

“They 
aren’t 

necessary to the 
life we live. We 
are 
indepen-

dent.”

I could hear her processing the 

information on the phone. “But if 
you want some, find the people you 
want to be with; if they are more 
trouble than they are worth, let 
them go.”

I took a few seconds to listen to 

my own advice, “Call Mom and run 
that advice by her, will you? I’m not 
sure that it is healthy.” She mum-
bled she would as I hung up and 
walked to class.

Looking back, it seems that in 

addition to giving poor advice, I 
was right. It isn’t healthy.

Though I pride myself on being 

independent, it’s undeniable that 
social support has a positive impact 
on health. Having people to depend 
on, to relax with, to stop you from 
studying yourself into an early 
grave, lowers your stress, which 
affects every aspect of health, men-
tal and physical. 

A Harvard University study, 

found that a lack of strong rela-
tionships increased the risk of pre-
mature death (by all causes) by 50 
percent. This is to say, even though 
relationships 
may 
take 
effort, 

they’re imperative.

You 
hear 
that, 
Brooke? 
I 
 

was wrong.

She never asked my mom, by 
 

the way.

If you’re not one to care about 

your health, it might persuade you 
if I said fellow human beings are 
also critical in learning. This is 
something I find immensely more 
important than health, but I’ve 
never been quite right that way.

Community, it’s called. While the 

interpretation of the word may be 
the members of the town you grew 

up at, or members of the University 
you now attend, communities are 
much more. My definition of a com-
munity is people who are bonded 
by similar action. Whether paint-
ing, running, learning Spanish or 
embracing a common culture, the 
people with whom you share pas-
sions are important because of how 
you can grow from one another.

As a member of the Lloyd Hall 

Scholars Program, a Michigan 
learning community dedicated to 
writing and the arts, I have been 
exposed to new interests such as 
slam poetry and journalism, things 
I believe have made me a better 
writer. Without community, what 
knowledge am I to cultivate?

I’ve never been all that great at 

making friends. I’m not trying to 
seem pitiful, it just seems that way. 
Independence is my scapegoat, and 
while I love the friends I have, it 
takes the pressure away when I tell 
myself there isn’t a requirement to 
be sociable. But I’ve been wrong 
before.

The other morning I was sitting 

in the dining hall shoveling in some 
watermelon before heading off to 
class. Some boy, oblivious to my 
solitude and my still-sleeping brain, 
sat across from me emitting cheer. 
“How are you doing?” he asks me. I 
breathe out a “good,” my voice still 
adjusting to the sunlight. “How’s 
your first week at U of M?” I didn’t 
tell him I was a sophomore, because 
it didn’t really matter. I tried to 
muster a little enthusiasm, but plain 
pleasantries have a way of bringing 
me down. “Great,” my answer had 
no voice inflection. He wanted more 
from me: “You aren’t convincing.” 
With the same flat sound I replied, 
“That isn’t my job.” I got up and 
walked away in awe of myself, but 
now I cannot stop thinking, some-
day, it will be.

Aside from peer relationships, 

socializing with people has become 
even more crucial to our existence, 
now more so than ever. Network-
ing is necessary for entering many 

career 
fields. 
The 
University’s 

Alumni Association even states, 
“(Eighty) percent of a job-seeker’s 
energy should be focused on net-
working.”

Our futures are held in strangers’ 

hands, and so, if we want to amount 
to anything, we need to impress 
them. Luckily, our dear University 
must sense our newly adult awk-
wardness, because be it Health 
Management and Policy’s Griffith 
Leadership Center or the Tauber 
Institute for Global Operations, 
events are frequently planned to 
meet the important people with 
these strange hands. These events 
are 
decorated 
with 
appealing 

phrases like “informal conversa-
tions with senior executives” and 
“interact in a small-group setting.”

To me, those words are not 

comforting, but intimidating and 
sweaty. Whatever my personal 
comfort level, these opportunities 
are nonetheless important, and stu-
dents should take advantage of the 
generosity by practicing network-
ing at the play dates organized for 
us.

The advice I should have given 

sounds a little more like this: You 
don’t need to be a people person, 
however, you do need some people. 
Remember, though, that no relation-
ship you have should be the same. 
While you may rely on people, you 
don’t need everything from them and 
certainly not everything from one 
person. There should be people you 
rely on for loyalty, others for the pas-
sion of shared interests. Some people 
can only be relied upon when you 
need a good time (a very important 
type, I must add). There will be those 
who teach you, those who help lift 
you and those you just have to sur-
vive being around. All are important, 
but none are all-encompassing.

Life would not be impossible 

without social networking; it would 
just be a lot harder.

— Payton Luokkala can be 

reached at payluokk@umich.edu

GABRIELLE 

DECARO

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