Opinion SHOHAM GEVA EDITOR IN CHIEF CLAIRE BRYAN AND REGAN DETWILER EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS LAURA SCHINAGLE MANAGING EDITOR 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com 4A — Monday, February 22, 2016 Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Caitlin Heenan, Jeremy Kaplan, Ben Keller, Minsoo Kim, Payton Luokkala, Kit Maher, Madeline Nowicki, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason Rowland, Lauren Schandevel, Melissa Scholke, Kevin Sweitzer, Rebecca Tarnopol, Ashley Tjhung, Stephanie Trierweiler, Hunter Zhao EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS — Pope Francis on Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposed immigration policies. “ NOTABLE QUOTABLE A person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not a Christian. This is not the gospel. FROM THE DAILY Democracy for Detroit schools In response to mass protests by DPS teachers and the Detroit Federation of Teachers lawsuit against DPS, Darnell Earley, the city’s state- appointed emergency manager, announced this February he’ll leave the position Feb. 29. Earley was also the emergency manager for the city of Flint, a position from which he also resigned without issuing any sort of public apology. Furthermore, during his time in Detroit, Earley has consistently not listened to residents. Earley has criticized teachers who participated in sick- outs. After pursuing the lawsuit, DFT has also attempted to bring in its own health inspectors. However, DPS officials stopped these inspectors from entering all but one school building, saying DFT’s inspectors would “complicate the district’s efforts to fully comply with state and local regulations.” Now state lawmakers are considering legislation to provide funding and revitalize the school district. The trend of Snyder concentrating control of the city’s poorest areas in the hands of the unelected is unacceptable. Most alarming is that in recent months, Snyder’s emergency managers have essentially acted with impunity while the populations they governed suffered. That’s not to say that serious financial reform like that which Detroit, Flint and others are undergoing won’t come with sacrifices. However, on the exterior, Detroit seems like a city on the rise. New restaurants and young residents have moved downtown. The riverfront has been revitalized, a new hockey stadium is in the works and the Detroit auto show hit record-high attendance this past January with more than 800,000 visitors, the most it has seen in 12 years. But an apparent contradiction lies in investing whatever it takes to revive Detroit’s urban core while ignoring the buildings crumbling around its most vulnerable residents. DPS teachers are the only ones doing anything constructive to raise awareness, but are being met with serious resistance. It’s easy to see why teachers are frustrated with administrators, especially because administrators are also using funds that could be used to fix schools to sue many of the teachers who have participated in sick-outs. Their reasoning: Sick-out protesters are depriving students of their right to attend school, adversely impacting students’ academic progress, depriving students of their breakfast and lunches, forcing parents and non-striking DPS employees to miss work and wasting taxpayer money. Looking at photographs of the conditions of Detroit schools’ buildings, it is obvious that these conditions existed before the sick- outs, and are only going to get worse unless someone calls attention to them — which is exactly what teachers accomplished in holding sick-outs. Lack of administration funding for instructional materials adversely impacts each student’s right to an education, and it’s not a stretch of reason to conclude that a leaky cafeteria roof might deprive students of safe, healthy breakfasts and lunches. The teachers participating in sick-outs should be applauded for their dedication. Earley and DPS officials should not be acting against the teachers, but instead in conjunction with them and DFT. The demographics of districts with appointed emergency managers must also be called into question. Grosse Pointe, a 93.2-percent white town, is just 10 miles away from the 82.7-percent African-American Detroit, but its schools aren’t crumbling. DPS has failed administratively to provide adequate education for its students, but the implications of socioeconomic status and race cannot be ignored. The inequality between public school systems — not just in Grosse Pointe, but throughout the state — begs the question: Why are some students afforded top-notch instruction while others have to settle for substandard education? Emergency managers in both Flint and Detroit were only accountable to numbers on a spreadsheet, and never to the actual human beings they governed. In the cases of Flint and DPS, it seems Earley is failing to recognize the tangible impacts his decisions are having on human lives. Snyder and the DPS administration need to realize that behind all the debt, behind all the money and behind all the problems are real students who deserve an education. It is possible to make a difference through kindness, empathy and compassion. If the people in power can remember that when they are making decisions, then Detroit will be one step closer to revitalization. Why I stopped listening to Kanye M y hands were raised toward the air, a sign of praise to God. My head was lowered, eyes closed, as I just wanted to soak in the moment. I was not at church, but I felt like I was taken there. I was listening to “Ultralight Beam,” the first track of Kanye West’s new album, The Life of Pablo. West described this new work as a gospel album before its release, and while listening to the first song, I believed him. The choir roared through my speakers and Chance The Rapper’s verse gave me goose bumps. But as I went through the songs in the rest of the album, I found myself thinking, Did Kanye really just say that? Kanye West has always been known for his over-the-top ego and critically acclaimed music style. I am a fan of his and honestly enjoy every song on The Life of Pablo. But some of the lyrics and his recent tweets have been questionable, to say the least. The nature of his words can’t just be swept under the rug saying, “Oh, that’s just Kanye.” We still listen to the music, but we should no longer view West as a role model or idol. Fans can be caught in an awkward middle ground when a celebrity or anyone they admire messes up or says something they don’t agree with. I grew up a huge fan of Tiger Woods. I wrote a report on him in fifth grade because he paved the way for Black and mixed people in golf and kicked ass while doing it. He runs founda- tions to promote golf with children who live in the inner cities and his Tiger Woods Learning Center has five campuses across the United States that teach college-access class- es to underprivileged kids. But when he announced on Feb. 19, 2010 that he cheated on his wife with multiple women, I was 14. I was upset, but quickly forgave him, prob- ably because I had been a fan since I could remember. I was just 14, and I thought the good he did trumped his mistake that he took ownership for. There obviously is a difference between cheating on your wife and using controversial lyrics, but Woods apologized and some have forgiven him. West, on the other hand, has continued using controversial lyrics time and time again without remorse. In his song “On Sight” from Yeezus, he raps, “Soon as I pull up and park the Benz / We get this bitch shaking like Parkinson’s.” In the song “Blood on the Leaves,” (also from Yeezus) he compares sitting courtside across the court from your wife at a basketball game to apartheid. West hasn’t apologized or owned up to the controversy. He isn’t obli- gated to, but he should. Because he doesn’t take responsibility for what he puts out there, we cannot respect him for anything else but possibly his musical talent. As listeners, we must deliberate whether we want to sup- port an artist who makes outrageous claims or hurtful statements. Much of the uproar about lyrics on The Life of Pablo comes from two separate bars, “I feel like me and Tay- lor might still have sex / Why, I made that bitch famous,” and “Do anybody feel bad for Bill Cosby? Did he forget the names like Steve Harvey?” West defends the first lyric by say- ing in a series of tweets, “First thing is I’m an artist and as an artist I will express how I feel with no censor- ship. 2nd thing I asked my wife for her blessings and she was cool with it. 3rd thing I called Taylor and had an hour long convo with her about the line and she thought it was funny and gave her blessings. 4th bitch is an endearing term in hip hop like the word n****.” But Swift and her representatives deny the claim wholeheartedly say- ing, “She declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message. Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyric, ‘I made that bitch famous.’ ” Because of West’s past use of lyr- ics and the fact that he called Swift “fake ass” backstage on SNL last week, we cannot take his word. And isn’t it weird, though he had his wife’s blessing, that West talks about having sex with another woman while he is married? And no, Kanye, I certainly don’t feel bad for Bill Cosby. Dude, the song was great until you said that. “Facts (Charlie Heat Version)” is such a great song to fire you up before an exam or even to aggressively eat your cereal, but when I heard that line, my face shriveled up and I took out my headphones. West has tweeted, “BILL COSBY INNOCENT !!!!!!!!!!” and Cosby is not. Too many women have bravely stepped forward to say that Cosby had assaulted or raped them for anyone to think Cosby is anything but guilty. We can idolize characters or celeb- rities, like Cosby was adored for his television show and stand-up sets, and when they make a mistake, we may deny it or shrug it off. Of course, depending on the severity of the offense, we can accept apologies, like in the case of Woods, or have our opinions change permanently, like with Cosby. Kanye does not apologize for his antics, but he does remain one step ahead of those who criticize him. In “Feedback,” he raps, “I can’t let these people play me / Name one genius that ain’t crazy.” Even the apostle Paul, a writer of the Bible’s New Testament — who the album is named after according to West — was perceived as more than out there during his time. Kanye West is crazy, but has reached new levels of self-absorption and being com- pletely unapologetic. Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is good and acceptable and perfect.” This verse is difficult to follow for any Christian. But it put me in the mindset that some of the things that West says are unac- ceptable, and should not be taken lightly because he hasn’t publicly apologized for any of them, even if he does internally regret some of the things he has said. Even West’s former songwriting partner, Rhymefest, said that West needs spiritual and mental help. West’s narcissism has reached a boiling point and it can put his fans in a middle ground — at least it has for me. In my opinion, his music is excellent. But I’ve been disappointed with his words. Even if he may be joking, thus far, he hasn’t indicated so. Part of me wants to keep listen- ing to The Life of Pablo, but at the same time, I don’t think I can sup- port West because of his words. The album is great, filled with great production, beats and also lyrics that I enjoy. But the bad has outweighed the good for me, so I ripped off the Band- Aid and I deleted it off my phone. West and I agree on this: Only God can judge him. I just choose not to support his music anymore. Kanye West can take us to church. But his words can’t be taken as triv- ial. — Chris Crowder can be reached at ccrowd@umich.edu. CHRIS CROWDER T oilet water falling from the ceiling, mushrooms sprouting from the walls and black mold infestation are just some of the conditions that students and teachers have had to face on a daily basis in Detroit Public Schools. It is difficult to imagine that any city’s residents would allow their elected officials to treat their children with such indignity. But Detroit residents don’t even have the opportunity to make that choice, because Gov. Rick Snyder (R) has utilized the state’s financial emergency law to give a non-elected, state-appointed emergency manager practically complete control over DPS affairs. The events that have unfolded in recent weeks surrounding DPS are a reflection of a larger trend within the state government: Too much power is being concentrated in the hands of non-elected, state-appointed officials to the detriment of Michigan citizens. Lackadaisical language and “progressive” politics T hey might seem like empty political talking points, but the recent skirmishes over who or what is a Democrat or progressive actually offer us the opportunity to expand our political discourse and redefine the spectrum of acceptable political opinion. In a town hall last week, Hill- ary Clinton once again grossly paraphrased Bernie Sanders’ criticisms of President Barack Obama, alleging that Sanders called the president “weak,” “flawed” and so on. (Apparently, criticizing the current president is unbecoming of presidential candidates.) Clinton ultimately suggested that “Senator Sanders wasn’t really a Democrat until he decided to run for president.” The crowd responded with a mix of boos and applause. Though he caucuses with the Democrats and supports many of their legislative initiatives, as a mat- ter of fact, Sanders was not a mem- ber of the Democratic Party until he decided to run for president. I don’t see why Sanders’ status as an inde- pendent or his willingness to criti- cize President Obama should worry us. In fact, it’s the reason many of us support him. If Clinton’s criticism here amounts to saying that Sanders rejects establishment politics, she is just knocking on the open door. But let’s allow ourselves to briefly play this language game of putting names to politicians and policies and see who falls in the categories of Democrat or progressive. In 1963, Sanders was being arrested at civil rights rallies in Chicago. He also participated in marches with Martin Luther King Jr. In 1964, Clinton was supporting Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, avowed opponent to the civil rights move- ment. Clinton would go on to work for other Republicans, such as Ger- ald Ford and Nelson Rockefeller. In terms of partisanship, Clinton plain- ly appears to be the least Democratic (i.e. most Republican) of the two. Though her husband was offi- cially a Democrat, his critics have often pointed out how his presidency blurred the traditional lines between our country’s two dominant par- ties by supporting policies that were highly conservative. For example, Michelle Alexander frequently talks about how the 1994 crime bill extended and intensified Reagan’s war on drugs, by pouring billions of dollars into the destruction of Black communities across the country. These labels (Democrat, Republi- can, progressive, conservative, etc.) don’t literally mean what they used to, as with most other labels in our political discourse. Last I checked, U.S. Republicans don’t believe in the idea of the republic any more than U.S. Democrats do. Liberals don’t believe in open-handedness any more than conservatives believe in conserving anything. Libertarian- ism in this country usually means market fundamentalism (i.e. let- ting a few people who control a vast majority of the nation’s capital deter- mine the lives of the less privileged) instead of what it maybe once meant (i.e. something closer to the Thore- auvian notion that people ought to determine their own destinies free from the constraints of big govern- ment and big commerce). Point being, these terms either don’t denote much of anything substantive, or their cur- rent common usage has perverted their old meaning into its opposite. So let’s not worry too much about how the mainstream media assigns politicians these titles. If the Sanders campaign ultimate- ly does nothing else, it has forced millions of people, who might not otherwise be inclined, to reckon with the true meaning of these terms. The disagreement between Sanders and Clinton over terms like “progres- sive” represents a larger ideological disagreement between the two. It is a disagreement between liberals and the New Left (beautifully embodied in Ms. Nina Simone’s song, “Missis- sippi Goddam”). It is a disagreement today over fundamental political and economic questions, like “Is corrup- tion a symptom of Wall Street when it’s not properly regulated, or is cor- ruption inherent to its very struc- ture?” and “Are health care and college education luxuries, or are they economic rights?” and “Should the government serve the will of the citizens, or just (to borrow a phrase) a handful of billionaires?” This contrast benefits people whom, by watching CNN, ABC nightly news, MSNBC, etc. before the Sanders campaign, might not otherwise have noticed that there are other — and, in my view, more compelling — visions of progress than the liberal, pessimistic Obama- Clinton vision. While the president and Hillary Clinton say to go slow, Sanders and Ms. Simone say that’s what’s the trouble. If we want to reinvest signifiers like “progressive” with meaning and efficacy, we should first avoid adopt- ing their common usage. Instead, we should critique this perverse usage and appropriate these terms according to our own purposes. In other words, after overcoming our cultural speech impediment, we appropriate the term “progressive” according to what we ourselves declare progress to be. In this postmodern era, when the signifier has apparently lost all connection with the signified, it’s tempting to conclude that we have no hope of using language effective- ly (especially political language). But this conclusion overlooks the fact that words have the meaning that we invest in them in order to serve our individual and commu- nal interests and concerns. Inves- tigating the meaning of words not only improves our ability to com- municate; it improves our ability to think, expanding our political hori- zons beyond the binary of liberal and conservative and into a whole field of potential political opinion, which might include socialism, to anarcho-syndicalism, to #Black- LivesMatter. That’d be what I’d call progress. — Zak Witus can be reached at zakwitus@umich.edu. ZAK WITUS