3-News

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Thursday, September 29, 2016 — 3A

rather than what they personally 
perceive to be circumstances 
requiring the use of force.

Implicit racial bias within 

officers and law enforcement 
organizations was a recurring 
theme highlighted by questions 
put forth by members of the 
audience. Clayton noted these 
biases 
are 
major 
barriers 

between 
improving 
trust 

between police and citizens.

“That’s a major part of what 

is wrong with the relationship 
between the community and 
the police department,” Clayton 
said. “It’s the perception of 
unfairness and bias in terms 
of how police officers handle 
their business, how they are 
investigated and that a person in 
the street doesn’t have a chance.”

The presenters also discussed 

the challenges behind addressing 
biases. Clayton noted internal 
biases as problems that cannot 
be addressed with legislation.

“This really is a personal issue 

because we all have implicit bias, 
it’s just whether you recognize 
what they are and whether you 
are willing to admit that you 
have them, and if you understand 
the fact that implicit bias have an 
influence on the decisions that 
you make and the actions that 
you take,” he said. “I think our 
profession is behind because 
we get defensive about these 

things.”

Brian 
Miller, 
a 
special 

investigator 
and 
internal 

investigations expert with the 
sheriff’s office [COPY: can only 
confirm 
special 
investigator 

part], spoke on the importance 
of 
internal 
affairs 
policy 

as a means of holding law 
enforcement offices accountable 
to the public. John Hudson, a 
Superior 
Township 
resident 

and coordinator of his local 
neighborhood watch, said he 
attended the presentation to 
gain information that he would 
be able to take home and put to 
use in his community.

“I didn’t come expecting 

anything specific; I wanted to 
hear how they would address it. I 
think they are doing a good job,” 
he said. “I’d rather hear about 
what’s going on than any kind of 
political things.”

Clayton noted to the Daily 

that he was surprised by the 
lack of youth present at the 
presentation. The vast majority 
of people in attendance were 
older community members.

“We are going to create the 

space for the conversation, and 
we are going to try to provide the 
information and be as open as 
we can, but it is incumbent now 
upon the community to come in 
and be part of it.”

The sheriff’s office has another 

session planned in two weeks in 
Dexter to continue the dialogue 
between law enforcement and 
the 
community, 
specifically 

focusing on new training policies 
and issues with the corrections 
system.

Joan Martin,[COPY: only sort 

of confirmed] another Superior 
Township resident, told the 
Daily she was satisfied with 
the information covered by the 
sheriff and his staff, noting that 
she thought they did a good 
job answering the questions 
that they were answered. She 
said that there should be a 
greater emphasis on how law 
enforcement alone can’t solve 
relations issues.

“One thing I think needs to 

be stressed — I kept hearing the 
sheriff saying, ‘We are reaching 
out to the community, but we 
can’t handle everything and we 
are looking for the community to 
reach back and to do their part.’ 
I would like to see if we don’t 
have a community that we can 
do that,” she said. “I think the 
sheriff has started something 
that the community needs to 
respond to.”

During 
the 
presentation, 

Clayton touched on this and 
mentioned that citizens play 
an equally important role in 
rebuilding 
the 
relationship 

between police and citizens.

“Quite frankly, while law 

enforcement is oftentimes the 
one called, we need to stop 
saying that we can solve all the 
problems. These aren’t just law 
enforcement issues, but also 
community challenges,” he said.

POLICE
From Page 1A

going to be putting a lot of effort 
in the state because the chances 
are going to pretty low for him to 
win it.”

In interviews, students at 

the University cited a diverse 
array of reasons for voting third 
party, with one common theme 
— frustration at the choices 
presented to them in the election.

Engineering junior Andrew 

Hoffman, who is voting for 
Johnson, said he is voting 
third party because he believes 
Johnson best represents his own 
values.

For Hoffman, those values 

include a small government, 
experience and trustworthiness. 
He said he wants a candidate 
who he believes will actually 
fulfill the campaign promises he 
or she makes, which he does not 
see in either Trump or Clinton. 
He also said he takes issue with 
both candidates on an individual 
level.

“Trump is an authoritarian 

demagogue,” Hoffman said. “He 
has basically spoken the opposite 
way I feel on almost every issue. 
The biggest thing with Hillary 
Clinton is that I don’t trust 
her. She is the epitome of the 
establishment. I’ve disagreed 
with everything she’s done in the 
past several years.”

On 
another 
side 
of 
the 

political spectrum, supporters of 
Green Party nominee Jill Stein 
expressed similar feelings, citing 
a lack of representation among 
the two party candidates, though 
their opinions differed on which 
issues were most important to 
them.

University 
alum 
Michael 

Chrzan 
said 
though 
he 
is 

registered as a Democrat, he 
currently supports the Green 
Party because he feels the other 
candidate options do not share 
his values.

“As of right now I do not feel 

like either of the two major 
parties have my interests as a 

citizen as their top priorities,” 
he said. “They aren’t necessarily 
concerned with addressing the 
concerns that I have with the 
parties.”

For Chrzan, the largest factors 

influencing his vote are economic 
policy, social issues and foreign 
policy. The Green Party platform 
is based on 10 key values overall, 
including grassroots democracy, 
social justice and ecological 
wisdom.

Eric Borregard, a candidate 

for state representative for the 
Green Party in the 52nd District 
which 
includes 
Ann 
Arbor, 

said he hopes to alter the way 
the political system runs and 
believes the Green Party is the 
best way to do so.

“I’m very concerned about the 

future,” he said. “I care about the 
environment deeply, and I think 
(Green Party candidates) are 
the best choice if you care about 
those things. They will attempt 
to change things, whereas the 
other parties are not about 
change.”

For 
Democrats 
and 

Republicans on campus, the 
sentiment toward third-party 
voters is mixed.

LSA junior Collin Kelly, chair 

of the University’s chapter of 
College Democrats, wrote in an 
email interview that he thinks 
voting for a third party candidate 
will aid a Trump victory and 
stop 
a 
incredibly 
qualified, 

progressive 
Democratic 

candidate.

“In the two party system of 

American politics, third party 
candidates 
realistically 
can 

do little more than take votes 
from the two major parties,” 
he wrote. “Any vote for Stein or 
Johnson is ostensibly a vote for 
a Donald Trump. As the New 
York Times mentioned in their 
recent endorsement of Clinton, 
this election can’t just be a 
vote against Trump - votes for 
Johnson and Stein would check 
that box — but we need people to 
vote for Clinton.”

In 
an 
email 
interview, 

LSA junior Enrique Zalamea, 

president of the University’s 
chapter of College Republicans, 
echoed Kelly’s sentiment that 
third party votes would aid 
Trump, but wrote that he sees it 
as a positive impact.

“According to (Real Clear 

Politics) 
national 
polling 

averages, third party candidates 
will 
actually 
improve 
the 

possibility of a Trump victory,” 
he 
wrote. 
“This 
increased 

probability 
is 
even 
more 

apparent when looking at swing 
states, such as Ohio that goes 
from a +1.8 Trump lead in a two-
way race to a +2.5 lead in a four-
way race.”

However, 
students 
voting 

third party said they saw Kelly 
and Zalamea’s perspectives as 
an unfair assessment of their 
choices, noting that though they 
understand their sentiment, they 
cannot bring themselves to vote 
for Clinton or Trump.

Chrzan 
said 
though 
he 

understands 
why 
there 
is 

concern about pulling votes 
from the two major parties, he 
believes the basic principles of 
democracy support his right to 
vote for the candidate who best 
represents his interests.

“I think the emotions behind 

the concerns are very valid,” he 
said. “I don’t think the framing 
of them as a vote for one of the 
other candidates is a really 
logical argument. I’m not casting 
my vote for that person. I’m 
casting my vote for a third party 
because that person best fits 
what I want. It’s the precedent of 
democracy.”

Hoffman 
echoed 
his 

sentiments, saying he doesn’t 
believe he should have to choose 
between 
two 
unappealing 

candidates.

“It 
is 
really 
completely 

lacking understanding of how 
the American electorate system 
works,” he said. “I understand 
their line of thinking, but in 
reality — and especially in this 
election — I think both major 
candidates are dumpster fires, 
and I’m not going to choose the 
less burning dumpster fire.”

POLL
From Page 1A

compliment the multitude of 

full length windows.

LSA 
sophomore 
Jackson 

Dumas said in an interview with 
the Daily he is excited to spend 
time at the IM Building after the 
recent renovations.

“I’m absolutely excited, 100 

percent stoked,” Dumas said. “It’s 
a great facility, great people. Just a 
fun place to be.”

Prior 
to 
Wednesday, 
the 

University’s Recreational Sports 
Department had been actively 
campaigning for the reopening 
on their Twitter page, frequently 
posting photos highlighting the 
improvements to the building and 
new equipment.

The IM Building is one of 

three workout facilities available 
to students and University staff, 
alongside the North Campus 
Recreational Building and the 
Central 
Campus 
Recreational 

Building, which will also be 
renovated. The CCRB opened 
in 1976 and lacks many of the 
new features now included in 
the IM Building — including air 
conditioning and social lounges.

LSA junior Hannah Jo Maier, 

who works at the IM Building, 
said she is excited for her fellow 
students to see what the new 
building has to offer.

“We just officially opened today. 

It’s been hectic but nice, being able 
to show people this $21 million 
building,” she said. “I think we’ll 
get a lot more people than the 
CCRB (with the new renovations).”

IM
From Page 1A

Read 
more 
at

michigandaily.com

“Black women have labored 

so much, not just this week, but 
throughout history (in regards to 
organizing),” Smith wrote to the 
Daily. “I felt like it was our turn to 
carry the baton, especially Black 
men, and support them like they 
suppport us. People forget that the 
Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 
for 381 days; it’s about sustained 
effort. And that effort shouldn’t be 
left up to a few.”

Smith added that the group 

is using excerpts from Langston 
Hughes’ poem “I too” to serve 
as a reminder of the historical 
significance of racial prejudice in 

the United States.

The students spent several 

hours chalking and flyering after 
gathering earlier in the night. 
The message and idea was spread 
through word of mouth through 
friend and acquaintances after 
the initial request for help from 
anyone available. 

LSA junior Justin Gordon 

pointed to his chalk phrase, “Black 
love is inclusive.” Looking at the 
dozen 
identities 
surrounding 

him at 2:00 am, he embraced the 
diverse range of individuals who 
were participating in the chalking. 
Gordon emphasized that no one is 
excluded in the Black Lives Matter 
movement.

“I want people to understand 

and witness the demographic 

of who was out here right now,” 
Gordon said. “I’m looking at 
white people; I’m looking at queer, 
transgender, Asian, Arab, Muslim, 
Black — everybody’s out here.”

Gordon said that as people begin 

to understand that this is a human 
issue, globally, the movement will 
continue to gain momentum.

“When 
you 
have 
global, 

human 
issues, 
humans 
from 

across the globe pitch in, so that’s 
the importance of this,” Gordon 
said. “That’s what makes this so 
powerful and alive and so jazzy, 
because we’re all here, we’re all 
here standing together.”

“That’s at the core of it all is just 

supporting and loving one another 
on a personal level.”

CHALK
From Page 1A

