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