Letters to the Editor

KKK rally raises serious questions

To the Daily:
I was disturbed at the framing of the rally against the KKK in Ann Arbor. As an activist I am apparently violent. The police, most of the press and the Peace Team said I should "hug my neighbor" or "turn away" and ignore the KKK. This makes for some very serious questions.

Just who did the Peace Team - so heavily endorsed by the Ann Arbor News and the police department - speak for? They acted as a human barrier between activists and the fence they were bent on taking down. How did this group get carte blanche access to the compound where the KKK was speaking while all others had to be searched before entering? Who paid for their t-shirts? Where did they get their walkie-talkies from? Who were they getting recommendations for action from on these walkie-talkies? Clearly some are committed activists, but do they have crowd riot response training? I doubt it. Maybe more importantly, did they ever look up and see the police laughing at the peace team and the activists as they struggled with the fence? Did they not see that they were played so perfectly, as were the activists, by the police and the city of Ann Arbor - pitting one against the other while they stood on the balconies of city hall and enjoyed the show, took our pictures and taunted us? The police knew full well that if a Peace Team member was injured by an "activist" member, it would be far better press against the "violent" activists than if the police were the front line. The rally would deflect attention from the fact that Ann Arbor spent a considerable amount of money, again, on the KKK's visit to ensure their safety and freedom of speech. This is not a privilege they grant to any other group that visits, so why the KKK? The police, and the city, pitted the good guys against the good guys.

But most fundamental remains the spending of any money and the adaptation of public property to meet the protection needs of the violent bigots that are the KKK - regardless of where that money came from, be it public, city or private. Ann Arbor should be ashamed at such ludicrous concessions. Moving firetrucks, telling businesses that it is dangerous to open and spending thousands on police and other expenses is absurd. This would not be done for any other group.

Andrew Timleck
School of Public Health

Lawsuit comes down to talent

To the Daily:
After much serious thought, I am suing the University for not accepting me into their basketball team. Let me introduce myself. I am a 5-11, 145 pound, skinny-boned, punky-looking Asian student. I played center, averaged 2.6 points and shot about .235 from the field. I believe I can add tons of diversity to the basketball team. I mean, when was the last time the University had a small center like me? Isn't it about time that we have some sort of diversity on the basketball team because I don't see my race being represented? Obviously, if I start at center, we won't even make the NIT. Now the final thought that I would like to pose to everyone; what is more important: diversity or talent?

Manny Wong
LSA Senior

05-18-98

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