To the Daily:
I can't believe it, but I'm writing a letter in defense of the Greek system.
Yes, the old boys-and-girls club, whose implicit purpose is the furtherance of social stratification and elitism in society, have come to a point where I feel obligated to speak up for it.
Why? Well, we all know alcohol is a problem on campus. Of course the rites of passage, used by the Greek system to homogenize the thinking and behavior of its pledge classes, make plentiful use of alcohol.
In any case, this time, the Greek system is being preyed upon by the immense power of the Ann Arbor Police Department. I must object.
Of course, alcohol abuse is rampant in the system. Just look at the multitudinous flyers and party announcements slipped under the doors of first-year students during their first weeks in school. You don't have to be a genius to pick up the implication of alcohol on them, but in case you're not, there are often pictures.
In any case, this abuse does happen in private residences where real people live.
The police have neither the right nor the authority to go to such extreme violations of civil liberties to curtail drinking on campus or in town. Individual students' lives are affected, and for what? Holding a plastic cup they waited in a two-hour line to get.
Rather than bringing the all-out power of the police to bear on the heads of these "poor oppressed peoples," if Ann Arbor and the University want to do something to combat the rampant spread of alcohol, work to provide proper social environments where alcohol is not an indicator of one's social status.
Environments like this are scarce at many parties, both Greek and non-Greek.
Of course, we needn't forget - the Greek system makes good people do bad things.
Nationwide, it is an institution geared toward the continuation of social stratification under the rubric of "tradition." Funny, that was the same term which the houses used to exclude people of color from their ranks for years.
Further, we should note the slantedness of the hiring system on account of Greek perpetuation.
It's funny that if your resume says your an Alpha Beta Whatever, you are guaranteed a job if somewhere out there, there's a recruitment officer who is a "brother" or "sister."
It seems a little unfair when we see that programs like affirmative action are under attack for their attempt to empower the "traditionally" disenfranchised.
Anyway, I'm getting off point. My purpose here is not to bash the Greek system. Well, okay, it is. But I should point out that everyone, no matter who they are, has basic civil liberties that must not be abridged. The actions of the AAPD have done just that.
Chad Bailey
School of Public Health
To the Daily:
Joseph Goebbels, minister of propaganda for the Nazi party, once said "Nothing is easier than leading the people on a leash. I just hold up a dazzling campaign poster and they jump right through it." This is exactly what Mumia Abu-Jamal has done to thousands of people internationally.
The evidence against Abu-Jamal during his trial made his conviction a no-brainer. Abu-Jamal was seen by three separate witnesses, all of whom were within 50 feet of the incident and all gave similar testimony within 20 minutes of the crime. Abu-Jamal's gun was found at the scene and the bullets in the back and in the face of the slain officer came from that gun. Abu-Jamal's own brother, who was at the scene, refused to exonerate Abu-Jamal of the crime.
What is Abu-Jamal's defense? He saw a police officer who was shot between the eyes? When he walked up to see if the officer needed any help, the officer's gun mysteriously went off and hit Abu-Jamal in the chest. Abu-Jamal's witnesses include a prostitute who was "high on a half-nickel bag" and two city blocks from the crime, a woman at the top of an apartment building and another witness who was not even near the crime. None of their stories coincide. Furthermore, Abu-Jamal's defense contends that the bullet used to kill the officer was a .44 caliber slug, whereas the gun found at the scene was a .38 caliber. Several ballistics experts, including Abu-Jamal's original defense ballistic expert, however, confirmed that the bullet was .38 caliber and came from the gun at the crime scene.
Abu-Jamal's proponents would like everybody to believe that his death sentence is the silencing of an activist voice. Abu-Jamal has been quoted as saying, "Revolution is my religion." That would seem to go hand in hand with Abu-Jamal's affiliation with the Black Panthers - a group notorious for violence. As for "international support" for Abu-Jamal, it doesn't matter what celebrities support him, or which cities applaud him. These people have all been fooled by a concerted effort by Abu-Jamal and his revolutionary supporters to subvert justice and use popular sentiment as a tool to freedom. If the Daily wants to take a stand, it should take one on the side of the evidence, and thus on the side of justice. To all of the people supporting Abu-Jamal, sit down for a bit and think about who you're supporting and why. And remember - you can fool some of the people all of the time. You can fool all of the people some of the time. But you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
Chris Georgandellis
LSA Senior
To the Daily:
In the Daily's editorial "You've got mail" (12/10/98), the editorial staff missed the point again. Its condemnation of University notification of Code of Student Conduct violations to students receiving minor-in-possession citations is based on blatant self-interest and advocates avoiding personal responsibility.
The idea that it is unfair for the University to send a letter to a student cited for violating the law is ridiculous. Students are here because the University is here. It is the responsibility of the University to respond when its students violate the law. The Daily says, "The University does not ally itself with any particular school of thought and likewise, it should not take or enforce any moral stance." This argument fails by going far beyond the facts of the case.
The University is not "trying to create a morally homogeneous student body," but rather, as stated in the mission statement of the University, to develop "leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future." The law is not just a moral stance. It is the consensus of society on our minimum standards of behavior. This typically means restraints, and the bohemia the Daily advocates is not going to happen here.
So, again I say, change your behavior or change the rules. Stop whining about penalties for getting caught. Finally, accept that the education you are getting at the University may sometimes extend beyond the classroom.
Curt West
Medical School
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Letters Policy
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Letters should be kept to approximately 300 words. The Michigan Daily reserves the right to edit for length, clarity and accuracy. Longer "viewpoints" or "point-counterpoints" may be arranged with an editor. Letters will be run according to order received and the amount of space available.
Letters should be sent over e-mail to daily.letters@umich.edu or mailed to the Daily at 420 Maynard St. Editors can be reached at 764-0552 or by sending e-mail to the above address.
01-06-99
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