Letters to the Editor

Silence does not mean consent

What the lawyer and many other people do not understand is that silence is not a sign to proceed. In other words, just because a woman doesn't say "no," that doesn't mean she's saying "yes."

Annie Tomlin
LSA junior

Make the Klan a joke next time

The Klan calls its Ann Arbor operation a success because it gave the hate group all the public exposure of a Klan riot while having someone else do the rioting. Klan members, because of protesters' violence, took a righteous stance. Some people probably even believe that pose.

As long as the Ku Klux Klan gets to pick its own event, it will come out on top. Conflict will serve its purpose like water suits a fish. So then, what to do about the Klan? Ignoring the Klan probably won't work. But while the Klan needs sincere attention, what they want most of all is to be taken seriously. They will take any serious treatment as encouragement.

Remember that being sincere is not the same thing as being serious. A good belly laugh is sincere, but not at all serious. That's how to target the Klan without giving them the distinction of being treated as if they are important. When you start with a bunch of grown men who wear bed sheets, it's not hard.

Mock the Klan to take away the importance its members rally to receive. Treating them like a bad joke shows them less respect than treating them as an enemy. Rocks and counter-threats give a run of the mill, lunatic fringe group more importance than it could ever manage on its own. Treating Klansmen like a bad joke shows them they aren't worth taking seriously. Remember those are people who judge themselves by the enemies they make. They want an attack. Show them they're such losers they're not worth it, since they don't seem the kind to take a hint.

Now is the time to start planning an effective humiliation project. Make demands that KKK rallies be held on the first of April, which is the official day for fools. Start making white pointed dunce caps, to carry on poles. The Klan members should find their path strewn with whoopee cushions and plastic dog vomit. If you can't manage to laugh at the Klan, look for cheap laugh tracks -- novelty items which can ridicule them for you. Book a mime, if you can find one bold enough.

So if you know someone planning to throw the KKK a riot next year, think about the results. Do we really want just one more riot, when we can be so much more cruel, ruin the Klan's chance for dignity and crush their spirit? Make the event such a circus that if the Klan quit coming, we'll want to stage it without them. Give them what they donŐt want. Make them a joke.

Rick Foster
SNRE senior

06-01-98