New SAPAC Director Defends Qualifications
by Tony Ghecea the criticism directed at Cain, the 27-3 directed the activities of Help Against anyway." Cain noted that she is "not The hiring of Debra Cain as the new margin by which MSA passed the resolu Violent Encounters Now (HAVEN) (Oak averse to looking at moving to the Ann director of the University of Michigan's tion concerning Cain indicates that ques land County's version of SAP AC) begged Arbor community. But that [Leach's criti Sexual Assault Prevention and Aware tions about her appointment are fairly to differ. "The com cism] is a valid con ness Center (SAP AC) has sparked con widespread. Add to this the fact that ments about counsel cern, and I think it's siderable controversy on campus during little about the matter has actually been ing were interesting to one we can work the past few weeks. Concerns about heard from Cain herself, and one sees me," remarked Cain, around. And obvi Cain's qualifications as well as her ability how cloudy the issue has become. "because it was quite ously the people who to function as a leader in the University The initial criticism of Cain came in a the opposite. I come hired me felt that we community have prompted the publica September 10,1992, article in the Daily. from a very strong could work around tion of a number of critical articles and an According to Leach, "[Cain] has crisis counseling back that." editorial in the Michigan Daily, as well as intervention experience, but she is cer gro~nd. Leach also main the drafting of a resolution by the Michi tainly not a counselor." Insofar as SAP AC ''The heads of both tained that Cain lacks gan Student Assembly (MSA) express performs the service of counseling vic .our sexual assault and experience working ing the Assembly's intent to investigate tims of sexual as~tt, such a charge, domestic violence both with students the criticisms made of Cain' and the pro were it actually trUe, would indicate that .. counseling programs '!lld with people of dif cess by which she was selected. . Cain will be either in~able of or at least [at HAVEN]," Cain ferent ethnic back- While MSA Rackham representative handicapped in dealing with SAP AC' s explained, "were mas- grounds: "As a stu- Colin Leach (who was unavailable for counseling recipients. ters-Ievel counselors "" dent, I wanted some- comment) has been the source of much of Cain, who for the past 15 years has by profession, and SAPAC DireGtvr Debra Cain one who [sic] students they supervIsed ail the counselors under would find approachable. SAP AC mem- them. I supervised those two people, and bers and staff expressed discomfort with I was very involved with them in actu- how [Cain] related to them," he told the CMU Keeps Chippewa Name ally setting up the counseling programs, Daily. in supervising and doing group counsel- While Cain could cite no personal by Karen S. Brinkman logos and mascots by universities and ing with them. Before HAVEN became incidents of friction between herself and Central Michigan University (CMU) high schools. so big, I actually did work in counseling other people on staff, she was able to trustees recently voted unanimously to At the time of the report, nearly 130 services myself. So I feel I've had a sub- comment at length on Leach's accusa- retain the school'sso.:-year-old Chippewa schools, colleges and universities were stantial background in counseling." hons about the sort of people with wh0m nickname. using Native American nicknames or Leach also criticized Cain's likely in- she could realistically work. "HAVEN The September 18 vote followed a logos. Since then, only Eastern Michigan ability to respond to on-campus crises. had a number of student interns and recommendation by CMU President University (EMU) has completely elimi ''The center [SAP AC] is open from 9 to 5 student volunteers, so working with stu- Leonard Plachta to retain the nickname. nated the use of such names and sym weekdays. But at night and on the week- dents in various capacities was not un- Quoting members of a committee formed bols, according to Jacquie Brock of EMU ends, the director as well as the counsel- known to me. I have even supervised to study the issue, he said, "There is Huron Restoration, Inc., a group work ors wear a beeper in case of an emer- student interns myself," she recalled. nothing inherently racist or demeaning ing to re-instate the school's former nick gency. Debra Cain lives 45 minutes away "One of the things that was exciting to in using the name of an ethnic group as name. in West Bloomfield and has no immedi- me about the job [as SAPAC's director] ate plans to move to this area," Leach the nickname for a university - or for a The report, Brock says, was inter Please See Page 10 river or a city." . nally inconsistent: one part of the report argued. Cain's analysis of matters, however, II How 'Chippewa' is used in connec called for an evaluation of logos to en tion with l CMU] is the issue here, not the sure their historical accuracy, while an is again very different. " At HAVEN we very fact that the word is used at all," other part of the report called for discon represented a whole county, so even with INSIDE Plachta continued. Although the mem tinued use of the names and logos alto our first response team going to hospi bers of the committee whom he quoted gether. tals and such, often a worker lived 30 to favored retaining the name, the majority "We look at what happened at CMU 45 minutes away from the hospital where Serpen~s Tooth 2 the survivor would actually be." In short, I favored eliminating its use. as a moral victory, a well-thought out, I Just prior to his recommendation, prudent decision," Brock said. the quality of service rendered to victims U-M Science 3 was in no way diminished by a 45 minute however, elders of the Saginaw The vote by CMU's trustees was the II Chippewa Tribe expressed their prefer final stage in a series of events following response delay. Buy American? 5 ! As for the matter of Ann Arbor resi ! ence for the continued use of the name, the release of the report. A month after Interview: 1 according to Chippewa Chief Ron Fal the report was issued, then-CMU Presi dency, Cain continues, "I said in the in con. dent Edward Jakubauskas appOinted a terview and still feel that one of the things Charles Sykes 6 The controversy over the Chippewa committee including representatives of that my family may do in a year is move name at CMU is part of a statewide re the CMU community"and the Saginaw to Ann Arbor." One reason for her delay Racial Politics 8 evaluation of the use of Native American Chippewa Tribe to study the issue. in making a residency decision, Cain said, names and symbols which began several In March 1989, the committee unani is her ll-year-old son, who is currently Federalist Paper 11 years ago. In 1988, the Michigan Civil mously recommended improvements in in sixth grade. "Next year would be a Rights Commission issued a report on bettQr time for him to switch schools than Music 12 . ~ Please See.I?age)fJ this year, wou14 have tq do that the use of Native ~.e!i~~ !'.i~~ _ _ _ ---"__ _ _ ,_ ._ , _ ...."" __..... _ ,, ___ ~_ .. "'_ ...__ .. """'7 ~_...... , _ _ ,,____ _ w--.:.fj ------~---, ------2 THE MICHIGAN REVIEW September 30, 1992 \; , '\1 ~' THE Serpent's Tooth MICIDGAN REVIEW Edmund Reggie, the father-in-law of of Graduate Maleperverties (Rackham While on the subject of blatantly biased Sen. Ted "Beer/Pork Barrel Polka" School of Graduate Studies); 2) media coverage of the election, we present The Campus Affairs Joumal Kennedy, was recently convicted of de Deconstructed Literature, Feminist Sci this from the "I ta-Ait { taw a puddy tat" of the frauding a savings and loan of $3.9 mil ence, & Postmodern Arts Building (lit file. According to a recent article in t1.,.: University of Michigan lion. Considering that 1) he gave his erature, Science, & Arts Building); 1) Detroit News, "ABC's executive producer daughter permission to marry Ted South Gay Male Field (South Ferry Field). is former press secretary to George Kennedy, 2) his daughter married Ted McGovern; CBS's political editor was a We are the Oppressors Kennedy, 3) he is indirectly related to Our comrades in the People's Republic pollster for Mondale-Ferraro in 1984; Oppressor-in-Chie£ Adam DeVore Ted Kennedy, and 4) his name is Ed, of China now have 7-Eleven stores, in NBC's Washington bureau chief is a which is one letter away from Ted, this addition to McDonald's and Kentucky former aid to Mario Cuomo; and CNN's Benevolent Fascist Karen S. Brinkman comes as no surprise. Fried Chicken. That's one Big Bite for president is a former top aide to Lyndon communism, and one giant Big Gulp for Johnson." I did! I did! I did tee a puddy Vice Dictators . Andrew Bockelman During Sundays speech in Wixom, MI, capitalism! tat! Tony Ghecea President Bush referred to his opponent as "Government Clinton." Honest mis In the September 14, 1992, issue of The Bill Clinton recently stated that he has no Resident Imperialists Joe Coletti take. We understand the slip. N ati on, semi-socialist Alexander plans to "soak the rich" because "[he] JayD. McNeill Tracy Robinson Cockburn had this to say about the abili wouldn't mind being rich [him]self one Stacey L. Walker Top Ten Politically Correct Sites at the ties of Newsweek correspondent Joe Klein d~." Poor William only made $35,UOO U-M: 10) Diversity of Michigan (Univer and New Yorker correspondent Sid last year as the governor of Arkansas, Mighty Ring Leader Chris Peters sity of Michigan); 9) Secular Hall (Angell Blumenthal to report objectively on the while his wife pulled in a cool $223 grand, Chief Authoritarian Adam Garagiola Hall); 8) Severe Appearance Deficit li presidential campaign: "I suppose Klein - placing the Clintons in the top one per brary (UgLi); 7) Vertically Challenged was irked ath~ving been identified in'" cent of American households. With a net Assistant Despots Ryan Boeskool Land Structure Auditorium (Hill Audi these pages as a Cljllton groupie, which worth of $697,000, Bill and Hill rank in Beth Martin Brian Schefke torium); 6) East Quad (East Quad); 5) U is true enough. The only reason he has the top three percent of American fami M Basegonad Field (U-M Baseball Field) not entirely vanished up the Governor's lies. Willie sure is slick; maybe if he thinks Ruthless Monarch Shannon Pfent 4) White Male Power Structure (Power backside is that Blumenthal is already himself poor enough, he can avoid soak- ,., -Oepraved Autocrat Doug Thiese Center); 3) Rackslaughteredpig School occupying half the available space." ing himself, too. .' Tyrannical Overlord Mitch Rohde Capitalist Cronies Peter Daugavietis -----Roving Photographer ---- ChetZarko Should students have a final say, by vote, in the approval of a Random Oppressors code of student rights and responsibilities? Eddie Arner, Christopher Bair, Eric Berg, Michele Brogley, Christina Chiu, P.J. Danhoff, by Mitch Rohde Dan DeMaggio, James E. Elek, Joe Epstein, Frank Grabowski, Nate Jamison, Ken Johnston, Eric Lepard, Aaron Lewicki, Mary the Cat, Michael McCarthy, Bud Mtmcher, Crusty Muncher, Tom Paska, Drew Peters, Renee Rudnicki, Paul Szpunar, Jen Shea, Ed Sloan, Andrea Tawil, TS Taylor, Perry Thomp son, Corey Tobin, Jim Waldecker, Michelle Wietek, Matt Wilk, Tony Woodlief. Elder Patriarchs Brian Jendryka John J. Miller ~ , . " . ...~:;. J,J The Mi chigan RwilW is an independent, stu dent-run journal at the University of Michi Sheetal Patel, LSA freshman: Yes, be David Harris, LSA freshman: I don't Craig Polin, ISA sophomore: o,viously. gan. We neither solicit nor accept any dona cause it is affecting the students. If stu think so, because students would get tions from the University of Michigan. Contri dents must abide by it, then they are the carried away. Things would get a little butions to the Michigan Review are tax-deduct ones who should have the final say. out of hand. ible under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Rev i • enue Code. The Review is not affiliated with '\: . any political party. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board, Signed articles represent ~~ , the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of the Review. We welcome letters and ~~'i articles and encourage comments about the journal and issues discussed in it. SUITE ONE 911 NORTH UNIVERSITY AVENUE ANN ARBOR, MI 48109-1265 James Madison, Founding Father: An Candace Miles, Engineering sopho Tim Knoff, School of Education senior: administrative failure to respect the will more: Definitely. I think the students Yes. There should be a vote, because I'm TEL. (313)662-1909 FPC< (313)936-2505 of the students would be a piteous nega have both a right and a responsibility to not sure that the UniverSity or the stu tion of the very principles of limited gov- participate in decision making that gov dents know the majority opinion, or even Copyright 1992 , ernment and con~nt of the governed. erns Otlr actions on GlJllPus. whether there i~ a majority opinion. ' '''''"'''-.~'''''' '''~''' __nv='' -..<"'*'" ;; :;;;% .< N September 30, 1992 THE MICHIGAN REVIEW 3 ,'?: '\1' Scientifically Speaking ... , $;lA' A Human-Hoisted Helicopter? by Jamea Elek end Brian Schefke develop a helicopter that would win the knowledge does. This is the critical point, draWings of the helicopter's body. These Every Wednesday at 8 p.m., a group Igor Sikorski Award offered by the the thing that we think is going to make diagrams were made possible by an of University of Michigan students meet American Helicopter Society. It is this us able to fly and them [unable to fly]." RS6000 Engineering Workstation worth to further their quest to make history. award, which has gone unclaimed for The team, formed one year and eight $1.25 million which IBM recently do The members of the Human Pow about 12 years, that sets the standards months ago, has both a business and a nated to the team. The design, which has ered HelkopterTeam have taken on the which the helicopter must attain. The technical division. recently been updated to include plans challenge to design and build a human award itself, which includes a $20,000 The business division makes con for the helicopter's drive train, is being powered helicopter. The team's goal is to check, would subsidize only a small frac tacts with suppliers and solicits the funds developed one piece at a time. develop a single-person craft that is ca tion of the materials and manpower ex needed to build the helicopter. Feeling "Only once in a lifetime does an op pable of attaining a peak altitude of three pended on the project. that a final design is needed before the portunity like this come up where you're meters. The only university team can ask for funds, the business divi able to make history and have fun at the Melissa Mercer, a to even come close to sion has only been raising interest in the same time," said Mercer of her experi , fifth-year LSA senior ...., winning the award has helicopter endeavor; the feedback, how ence on the team. and the team's project been California Poly ever, has been positive thus far. The Dav~<.i Zaret" the team's materials manager, said that the technic, whose machine team is attempting to build ties with com manager and' a junior in eng'ineering, ~ ... - , ~.' ~I. '".•..•• . ~ ~.' ' ., team was convened to , . - flew for about seven sec panies that deal in u1tra~light planes as added, "It's a lot more than just a design build the craft "because .," e;". "': i;b. onds. Mercer believes well as large corporations which often project. You learn how to work with it's something that ~ that U-M can do better . philanthropically sponsor independent \ people and you learn the bureaucracy of hao;n't been done before "We have a very broad stientific research and development. business." and when something knowledge base, so we The technical division is currently hasn't been done before, ., ~ ·· I~ ' can ... look at a design . working on the design stage of the heli somebody has to go do ,,6fl<1 talk about its pros", copter. Characterizing the team's James Elek and Brian Schefke were last it." , and cons without hav progress to date, Mercer said that the seen jumping otf the Dennison Build Honex' and prestige, ing-to go anywhere [for design process "is so iterative that we ing while flapping their arms wildly, Melissa Mercer however, are also at information] to do it or can't say whether we're 30 percent done stake. The U-M's team is racing against look anything else up. We have one [con or 80 percent done." Students attending ~ . .,...... , other universities around the country to fidential insight] that no one else to our last Friday's Festifall could see computet" " ~ " "\ Put an end to clouded thinking get the straight dope. Read the Review. Tired of the University administration's clouded visions for U-M's future? Subscribe to the Review and find out where the University is really headed, why that's misguided, and how it can be remedied. Ulrich's carries name brand clothing from - Champion - Jansport - Gear - aeezll - Russell Athletic For a tax-deductible donation of $25 or more, you'll receive a one-year subscription Along with many styles of Imprinted sportwear we carry to the Michigan Review, which includes 27 weekly issues and the 1993 Summer Hats, Caps, Pens, Pennants, Mugs, Bumper Stickers. Rulers, Orientation Issue. History Books, Shoe!aces, Posters. Fishing Lures, Stationary. 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In'5 1117 South University Phone: 313-662-3201 City: State: Zip: _____ Monday-Friday 9:00·6:00 Saturday 9:30-5:00 THAN A BOOKSTORE Sunday Noon to 4:00 Please make check or money order payable to: THE MICHIGAN REVIEW ~~RE 911 North University Avenue, Suite One, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1265 4 THE MICHIGAN REVIEW September 30, 1992 From Suite One: Editorial \ .. l' :li1 /'~' Michigan Mandate Progress Report The University of Michigan recently released" A Four-Year Progress Report" on Another "recruitment highlight" is the 1/21st Century Program" in the Markley the Michigan Mandate, the administration's plan to achieve racial diversity through Residence Hall that seems to be another version of the Residential College, or at least out the student body and faculty. In his introductory letter, U-M President James one for an ethnically diverse crowd.with the additional requirement of out-of-class Duderstadt states, "Success will demand great effort and a considerable investment of workshops. As one might expect, the description of this program in the progress report resources." Duderstadt gravely informs us, ''The fact is that we are trying to overcome was extremely vague. one of the most persistent and damaging flaws of human character: the need to define A curious pOint about the numbers used in the progress report is that the oneself by rejecting others." Therefore the Mandate's objectives are to recruit non enrollment of minority students began climbing in 1984. The Mandate began in 1988, white faculty, students and staff while "improving the environment for diversity." yet enrollment grew at the same constant rate. Furthermore, the percentage of black But is the best way to overcome the "flaw" of personal definition (if we are to call students did not reach the 1976 level again until 1990. The progress report proudly it that) to define people according to race through preferential treatment of scarce, states that, "Twenty-five percent of the 1991 freshman class are students- of though much sought-after minority and senior women faculty? Does the creation and color"[emphasis addedL and then presents a breakdown of the numbers into Native support of special programs for minority students really help others to learn not to American, Hispanic/Latino, and African American students. Oddly enough, al define themselves by rejecting others? though Asian Americans represent 46.8 percent of this figure, they are not included in The U-~'s many special minority programs place an unnecessary emphasis on these listings. When Asian students lost minority status is wholly unclear. the identity of minorities as "the other," and encourage everyone involved to conceive The Mandate's path to creating a diverse yet harmonious community at the of our community as composed of many small groups rather than simply a larger University seems steep for all but the most radical administration-mongers. As number of individuals whose racial, cultural, sexual and other group memberships Duderstadt explained, If America's universities cannot sit by and wait for others to are of no importance. In short, special programs do not help us to judge people by the bring social change. On the contrary, we have an obligation to lead and to provide content of their character, butrather by their membership in a certain group. mo4els for others to follow." How nice - socially redeeming social engineering. The Mandate will supposedly result in a utopic multiracial campus community The very idea of a society that is both multiracial and multicultural may be self that is also multicultural. In 1990-91, the administration established "the Council for defeating, as well. As Oxford professor John Gray wrote in the Natiomll Review, "lA] a Multicultural University to monitor progress of recruitment ~retention efforts in 'Society that is multiracial is likely to enjoy civil peace only if it is not at the same time all academic and non-academic units." The University also/created an "Associate -radically multicultural." This prescription for a peaceful society, where multiple races Dean for Multicultural Affairs to promote multiculturalism and un9-erstanding among need not (indeed, should not) imply multiple cultures is contradicted on campus by students." (The administration is actively purging the term "minority" from its lexicon constant calls for group rights at the same time that many individuals across groups in favor of the term "multicultural.") become more equal. To reach its increased minority faculty goal, the U-M implemented the Target of . ¥,,~~" Opportunity Program. According to the report, "the fact that the program's funds are When administrators stop chanting th~' Duder Sutra of diversity, perhaps they reallocated from the base budget of the entire University makes it increasingly difficult will realize that human relations cannot be Mandated. Then, instead of regulating for Schools and Colleges to continue 'business as usual: Departments that don't students and faculty to "overcome ... persistent and damaging flaws of human compete for this funding will lose out." This program is regarded as a "recruitment nature," they might consider appealing to "the better angels of our nature." highlight" in the Mandate's update. ..~~t> m "'~VE 00e: OF ~ eeroi ~\TlCAL.\.."( CORt<6GT' \.l~AARle:'I;, IN-rne- COU~TR'(! ]OINorDIE THE MICHIGAl-~i REVIEW INVITES YOU TO JOIN. STAFF MEETINGS SUNDAYS, 7PM 3RD FLOOR, MICIDGAN LEAGUE '_ ~i~ t ~ - .. ~ , ~ ~ '" am CW!"" , ''' , ·.... pw; ,.,.,....m w; Q 4 September 30, 1992 THE MICHIGAN REVIEW 5 ~". Campus Affairs ~.' ~t' ~~ How Patriotic Is "Buy American" Slogan? by Paul Szpunar premise of the ''Buy American" slogan as must subordinate himself to the collec "Buy American" is in fact un-American. "Buy American!" Whether couched that of collectivism - the belief that indi tive interests of the tribe. America was founded on individualism, in the language of all-out protectionism viduals have neither rights nor identities Binswanger offered an alternative to which means capitalism and free trade, or merely sugar-coated with dubious outside of their groups. One must iden this collectivist premise, the source of the he maintained. If an American product allusions to "fair" trade, the ideas which tify with and subordinate oneself to one's moral justification for free trade - indi is inferior to a foreign-made one, then this slogan represents have been blindly particular race, sex, economic class or, as vidualism. He de i those who buy accepted by many politicians and Ameri is the case with protectionism, the par fined individualism If an American product is in the American can citizens, according to Dr. Harry ticular country to which one belongs. as the philosopher product simply Binswanger of the Ayn Rand Institute. In Binswanger noted that the premises Ayn Rand defined it ferior ... those who buy the ... because it is a lecture delivered to apprOximately 250 underlying the "Buy American" slogan in The Virtue of Self product simply because it is made here are U-M students on September 22, entitled contain a "deep-seated animosity to ishness: "Individual made in America are being being unpa "Buy American is UnAmerican," wards [foreigners]" which stems from ism regards man - triotic, Binswanger identified the underpinnings the "tribal" mentality that collectivism every man - as an unpatriotic,. Binswanger as independent, sover- .-______--' of this slogan and offered a defense of fosters: What one's tribe does is auto serted. free trade on both ...------., matically eign entity who possesses an inalienable Binswanger was particularly critical economic and Binswanger identified ... the "Buy right; what right to his own life, a right derived from of conservative support of protection moral grounds. other tribes hilnature as a rational being. individu ism. While conservatives oppose the Binswanger's American" slogan as ... collectiv- do differ alism holds that a civilized society ... can collectivist ideals held by the Left, such economic defense of ism - the belief that individJlftls ently is -. be achieved only on the basis of the rec as communism, they fail to realize the free trade was a wrong and ... ognition of individual rights - and that collectivist premises inherent within pro fairly straightfor have neither rights nor idtiitities is therefore a group, as such, has no rights other than tectionism. Thus, while condemning ward one, in the outside of their groups. ~" a potential the individual rights of its members." communism, Ronald Reagan and George vein of Robert .'______------' threat to Individualism also holds that one should Bush have been hypocrites in supporting ~ ,amuelson, Milton Friedman, and one's own tribe. Collectivism regards buy the highest quality product avail varf(fus protectionist policies, paying only .udwig von MiseS. Unfortunately, since men as brutes whose interests must con able at a competitive price. Whether this'" lip service to the ideal of free trade, ac he l~; a philosopher, not an economist, flict since everyone is presumed to be product is made by American, Japanese, cording to Binswanger. Binswanger tended to oversimplify the biased towards his own group. If there is or German workers is inconsequential, Paul Szpunar is junior in history and After you signon to MTS, type: $source MREV:Forum Weekly meetings for the at the \\ # /I prompt. Michigan Review have begun. The Michigan Review's conferenc.e Is open to MTS users 'of all political persuasions. We encourage members of the University community to Join us Sundays, 7pm sign on to discuss and debate campus, local, national and inte~natlonal . 3rd floor of the Michigan League. L::li::S.J~:N. u.s~ ...... I .' } , . ~ .. •, • ."" ..... "".._~.~.~".,. .... ~ ...._"" .=_ ...,.~_ ._.~""''',_..'''''.... ;w;'"''''''...... u.-,,."""'... ~. _ _ _ • ____" ·.. ·___ _···_~ __"' _ ____ ·.. __ · .m. 6 THE MICHIGAN REVIEW September 30, 1992 \:', Interview: Charles J. Sykes • '11'" Personal Responsibility vs. Victim Politics On September 26,1992, Adam DeVore be defined as disease. Virtually any be egories, or redefining behavior as dis- SYKES: Oh, absolutely. The standard is of the Review interviewed Charles J. havior you can think of today - stealing,. ease and asserting that each of us are frail incndibly shifting. You no longer define Sykes, the author of Profscam: Profes over-work, incompetence, procrastina psychic growths easily blighted and eas- what's permissible in terms of the rights sors lind the Demise of Higher Educa tion, child abuse, gambling, shopping - ily hurt. Political terminology has thus that people have or in terms of justice tion, The Hollow Men: Politics and Cor can now be defined in medical terms. been redefined not in terms of justice but that anybody would understand. If ruption in Higher Education, and most People can say, "Hey, it's not my fault! in terms of therapeutic categories. Third, speech is only as free as the most ag- recently, A Nation ofVictims: The Decay I'm just sick!" And there is the rights grieved or sensitive group on campus of th'e American Character. Sykes is a if you're sick, then revolution - the allows it to be, that means that the stan- senior fellow at the Wisconsin Policy obviously you can't idea that if rights dards will always be relative. Because Research Institute and the editor of WI: be held personally are a good thing, groups can define themselves as victims Wisconsin Interest. responsible for your c • • . then lots of rights and then claim that their feelings are must be an even hurt, we get a "victims olympics" that behavior. =~ 3.. ... ;"! REVIEW: How would you describe the . . ?".. ~. better thing and will determine what is permissible and origins of the "therapeutic culture" and REVIEW: You at that we therefore what is not permiSSible. The only group "politics of victimization" that you dis tack egoism several ought to multiply on campus that cannot apparently claim cuss in A Nation of Victims? times, but you also the number of that their feelings are hurt are conser va- call for a renewed rights infinitely. tive students or students with traditional SYKES: Part of it is the shift in both the sense of personal Fourth, the trend religiOUS beliefs, who are often redefined vocabulary and our other notions of per responsibility to in our society is to as therapeutically dangerous elements sonal responsibility, Over the last cen - overcome thera give out power on campus. tury, we have seen a shift from a para peutic socie~.~ and privilege to digm of personal responsibility' to put How would/ you specific groups, REVIEW: Looking at this from the out- ting the blame on society. At the bottom reconcile an attac~" specifically in rec- side, it might alhppear to be based on of that has been the shift toward thera on egoism with a ognition of their good intentions - the desire to be sen- peutic culture. Instead of dealing in terms call for personal status as victims. sitive and a good participant;n the com- of traditional justice or ethics, society has responsibili ty? When you start saying that certain en;. ,~. -tilUcity. Aside from thofe incentives, become much more comfortable with titlements go to victimized groups, that do you think that there ar, ~ other forces speaking about behavior in meqical SYKES: I don't think that there's any creates an incentive for people to be vic- at work? terms. It's easier for modem Americans conflict. In fact, that used to be the es tims and it is also an incentive for the to describe someone as "sick" rather than sence of the "middle-class ethos," the number of groups of self-proclaimed "bad" or "evil." The growth of the thera equilibrium that we used to have in this victims to proliferate. All of these things, SYKES: It's crucial to dCKnowledge that peutic industry has redefined basic hu society between personal freedom and I think, have come to a head on univer from the outside, those people who say man problems into medical terms and personal responsibility. The opposite of sity campuses. that they are trying to make universities has expanded their scope to cover virtu a culture that emphasizes character and Political correctness can't be under more sensitive have a very strong hand, ally all of human Hfe. Having medicalized personal responsibility is a culture that stood as merely a political phenomenon, because we all want to be sensitive. Sen normal human Pfoblems, psychologists, emphasizes purely selfish motives, where or simply rehashed Marxism, because it sitivity and compassion are marks of a sociologists, and would-be social reform the center of the Universe is the Imperial is so much broader. At least under Marx civilized society and those are certainly ists of virtually every stripe can claim to Self who has no restraint, no obligations. ism you had to be a member of a working legitimate goals. But it's important to see have the cures for them at hand. I don't think that there's a conflict be class to be oppressed. Today, on a uni that those terms have been distorted in , Over the last thirty years or so, prob hveen saying that people should exercise versity campus, all you need to be op order to impose draconian limits on free ably the most dramarlc growth industry personal responsibility and ought to show pressed is a willingness to be aggrieved. speech on campus. In fact, sensitivity has in America has been therapy arising from character, if character is defined as un The politics of sensitivity rely on, and become the banner under which some of the proliferation of various new diseases, derstanding one's responsibilities to oth often use, the language of traditional left the most brutal brow-beating takes place complexes and forms of dysfunction. ers and the need to exercise honesty, wing politics, but in essence they also use on campus. In part, it reflects the inteIIec With the rise of things like co-depen probity and self-restraint. Those tend to the techniques and the assumptions of tuallaziness that you often see in higher dency, various definitions have appeared contrast with our modem culture of infi the therapeutic culture. As universities education, where the demand that people which allow nearly everyone to claim to nite self-gratification and the sense that impose gag rules and require sensitivity be sensitive and the allegation that some · be a victim of some kind of dysfunction. the needs of the self come before those of training courses, they're shifting the para are insensitive has sometimes taken the There are people like John Bradshaw who anyone else. Consider men who father digm from the Socratic dialogue, wherein place of genuine political discussion. say that more than 90 percent of all fami children whom they feel no obligation to ideas were meant to be debated and dis Rather than having to discuss with the lies are dysfunctional. In a therapeutic care for. They put their own selfish needs cussed, to something that looks like a Michigan Review, for example, the merits culture, someone who gambles away all first but exercise no responsibility. therapeutic workshop, wherein the goal of its position on affirmative action, it's of his family's earnings is not simply is not to discuss ideas or air differences much easier to label it as insensitive and irresponsible or greedy; he now can daim REVIEW: How would you say that all of but to cure people of unacceptable atti therefore somehow beyond the pale. to be a victim of compulsive gambling this has come to exert influence on the tudes and ideas. That's fundamentally syndrome. Someone who is so irrespon Academe? different and more confining, for it en REVIEW: Might such an effort to focus sible as not to show up at work can now ables critics to dismiss whole categories on groups of people as groups of people claim to be a victim of chronic lateness SYKES: Let me give the broad overview of thought as forms of psychologically impede our ability to see their constitu syndrome. of where I think this comes from. There harmful phenomena unworthy of dis- ents' common humanity? The key to this, of course, is redefin are several strains going on in American cussion. ing behavior as disease. It's easy to say society: first, there's the shift of responsi SYKES: One of the consequences of the that someone who drinks too much is an bility from the person to society; second, REVIEW: It seems as though that modus rise of victim politics is the alcoholic and has a disease. This became we have seen a shift from mxal catego operandi would easily give way to an "Lebanonization" of American society. the model for other forms of behavior to ries for defining people to medical cat- insidious sort of relativism. We no longer focus on our common hu- . n ____ ....'" ., ~'""'~_", ..,"", ...... _ ...... "' .. " ...... _~~ .. <'+~.... " .'"-.•• - --...... ""-'- "'. -'.. ..~ 101'< ~ September 30, 1992 THE MICHIGAN REVIEW 7 man heritage but begin to see one an SYKES: The charge that one is "blaming don't - if you do desert your children, if One point that is very important here other only as members of various groups the victim" has long been a rhetorical you do drop out of school, if you refuse to is that although victim politics is most that define themselves by their victim tool used to fend off attempts even to hint work, and if you engage in criminal ac obvious in dealing with the inner-city, status. So it's inherently divisive. But it that self-proclaimed victims might have tivity - we'll understand, because we these politics reflect a larger societal flight also has a troubling impact on the indi some personal responSibility for their know that we can't really expect any from personal responsibility. Members viduals themselves. If they come to think plight. Unfortunately, if you accept the thing better of you because you're a vic of the white middle class are just as eager of themselves primarily ·in terms of their notion that only victims can understand tim. I think that that fundamentally un to find a therapist who'll say that they're victim status, that ultimately will have a their pain, then you're also denying the dermines the ability of poor communi sick, or a lawyer who will say that their negative effect. It won't be helpful in ability of members of victim groups to ties to pull themselves together and to plight is not their fault. This is a society their efforts to develop self-esteem, find communicate to people who are not vic impose the kind of values that they need wide problem. a common ground with fellow citizens, tims. It threatens to seal us all into sepa to survive. These sorts of attitudes result or work out their problems. Shelby Steele rate prison cells where we can't under in tearing up the moral contract that used REVIEW: What do you think we should has talked about this quite eloquently: in stand one another. That's the important to place a stigma on illegitimacy, crimi do to cure this plague of victimization the short run, ironically, it may seem thing to remember. We also have to note nal activity, and people who refused to and therapeutic culture, aside from great to have all the power and privileges the patronizing, paternalistic attitude that work. We have become so understand reinvigurating the concept of personal that come from being a victim, but ulti is sometimes reflected in that point of ing and so compassionate that by regard responsibility? Are there other solu mately it destroys the victim's power. view, which is that white male students ing people in the inner cities as victims tions, such as a religious or "values" can take being abused, being kidded, we dehumanize them. renaissance? REVIEW; You noted earlier that one and going to a strange and hostile envi cannot explain P.c. solely as a relic of ronment, but certain victim groups, in REVIEW: So more and more people are SYKES: I would"say a values renais Marxism, yet it certainly maintains a cluding minority students, are painted presumed to be victims. Do you think sance. Clearly I think that one of the real Marxist air. Politics of identity could be as incapable of handling that and seen as that that speaks to a new racism that's tragedies of the therapeutic culture is described as an application of Marxism fragile and unable to adapt. That hardly emerging, or a not "racism"". that it ignores the element of the sacred in to groups rather than classes. reflects the sort of respect that many mi human life. It reduces us to economic nority students deserve. It's one ~hing to SYKES: No, I think that it's fundamen and psychological automatons - that's SYKES: That's right. You take the Marx link rights to individuals' ~tafu"s as citi tally racist to say that a group in society the reductionism that I oppose. I would ist insight that the world is divided into zens or people who ought to be respected needs to be regarded as permanent vic probably agree with Harvard psychia oppressed and oppressors and then you as individuals. It's a very different thing tims who do not have the ability to com trist RoberlColes in saying that we need basically say, "Look, you can all be op to create elaborate rights based on per pete or perform at a certain level. That is to restore a recognition that human be pressed. Everyone can be oppressed. ceived disabilities and weaknesses. one of the tragic consequences of com ings are not ~undles of complexes or Women can be oppressed, minorities can passion politics. Once you define a group the sunr~f their economic and social be oppressed, people allergic to perfume REVIEW: In your book you talk about as victimized, you're basically saying that experiences, but that they also have a can be oppressed, the fat can be op the riots of the 1960s in the context of they're always going to be a victim, and spiritual dimension. That)s not my solu- pressed, people who gamble can be op blaming the victims. The heralds of you basically begin to think of them as . tion to this; it's merely a recognition that pressed" - before you know it, you have therapeutic culture were eager to blame incapable of competing onit level play we need to think of ourselves in some a society in which many groups feel that society and exonerate the rioters. How ing field and abiding by the same rules as what more human ways. they are victims. Not very many students do you connect that, if at all, to the others. One of the things that people are It dovetails, however, with my call at Harvard or the University of Michigan recent Los Angeles riots? beginning to recognize now is that the for more common sense. I think that most can claim that they're economically or black community in particular is far more people can distinguish between bad luck SOCially oppressed, as they're all in a SYKES: It is fascinating how quickly conservative than many believed. There and victimization. They understand the privileged environment; they cem't claim people will come forward with excuses are middle class blacks and intact black difference between a bungled past and that they're oppressed becaus~ they're and explanations for behavior that is self families doing better economically, but an act of rape. They know what is re discriminated against, because they've destructive and criminal when you're they also understand the need to main quired of them as people, they know that been admitted to an elite university; they dealing with victim groups. People will tain solid families, get education and fight they have certain obligations, and I think can't claim that they're oppressed be defend and explain the behavior of vic back against crime. And they know that that getting back to that would help a cause they're not allowed to study cer tim groups that they would never toler their efforts are often undermined by the great deal. We need to return to the con tain things, either. So what they claim is ate in their own community or family. So allegedly compassionate explainers who cept of civitas, that we do have social that they are psychologically oppressed, I think that's part of it - that paternalism will find ways to justify failures. obligations to one another and that we that they suffer feelings of exclusion or I was describing and the patronizing tone Here in Milwaukee, we have a black ought to have some compassion - not loss of esteem. The therapeutic culture where compassion blends into contempt superintendent of schools who wanted the compassion that judges programs on makes all of us potentially victims of and the ability to say, "Look, being a to impose a very tough discipline policy how good they make us feel, but on the psychological frailty; anyone can be con victim means never being responsible. If on our schools. A black member of the basis of whether they work. I don't claim verted into a frail creature who is easily you're a victim, we need to suspend nor school board said that he opposed this that I have any solutions, but I think that hurt by an uncongenial gesture, facial mal standards of civility. We need to because it was unfair to expect black the number one thing would be a mora expression, or word. It means that mi suspend normal standards of morality students to abide by white middle class torium on blame. We must stop looking nority students can constantly point to because we can't expect you to behave values by requiring them to obey the for other people to blame for our prob perceived slights (that may be invisible like other people." same behavior policy as whites. He lems and return to common sense in to anyone else) as evidence of victimiza These are the same people who thought that there should be separate recognizing who is a victim and who is tion. What constitutes fair behavior or a would say that to expect the poor to stay disciplinary policies for black and white not a victim. just allocation of resourceS when the vic married and raise their children is blam students. The people who were most tim groups are basically allowed to de ing the victim. If you say that the poor outraged by that were black parents. They REVIEW: If you had to recommend a fine their status by their feelings? ought to be encouraged to work, rather did not want the message going out that book other than your own, what would than be dependent, then you're blaming because they were black, they were some it be? REVIEW: Some would say that such an the victim. This mentality sends a devas how different and couldn't be expected approach simply "blames the victim" tating message to the inner city because it to behave. That's where I think that there's SYKES: Aristotle's Ethics. Once you've because it fails to account for their says that we know we want you to work an intersection between the compassion been exposed to something like that, the unique perceptions of subtle oppres and stay together with your family and of victim politics and a paternalism that rest of this seems very shallow. S1On. your children to go to school, but if you borders on racism. 8 THE MICHIGAN REVIEW. September 30,1992 \ :', Book Review ,,,.,,,,, Racial Classification Impedes Progress The RllClllllutlon of America cial theory was inspired by a naturalistic existence. The solutions to the problem experts are unable to agree on how many Yehudi O. Webster approach to social relations. The classifi of racism advanced by liberationist writ races there are in society, if they exist at St Martin'. Press cation of persons followed patterns es ers vary enormously. all, is a powerful argument in itself. Hardcover, $22.95, 310 pgs. tablished by natural scientists. It was part The liberationist theory has recently Throughout the years, the races have of a biological explanation of regional been adopted by the leftist academic pro become so intermixed that it is difficult to by Eddie Arner disparities in economic development and ponents of multiculturalism. Their argu place most people in anyone category. Heightened racial awareness and its civilizations," writes Webster. ment that all cultures have worthwhile Within each group are massive numbers accompanying interracial tensions are Western European culture was contributions to make to humanity, and of different people who cannot be simply characteristic facets of the contemporary uncritically asserted to be at the pinnacle that they therefore deserve equal study, categOrized as "white people" or "black debate over racial politics. We are del- of a jingoistically conceived cultural hi- is highly laudable. Unfortunately, instead people." uged on an almost daily basis with statis- erarchy and thus the standard against of advocating the objective study of all In addition, the various definitions tics and facts which attempt to prove that which all other civilizations were to be cultures, contemporary proponents of of race make a coherent discussion of the racial differences are a significant ob- judged. Unfortunately, the idea of a bio- multiculturalism cynically seek to invert subject impossible. Race can be defined stade to the goals of equal rights and logical hierarchy of the races was used to the cultural hierarchy which they simul as a set of similar anatomical characteris equal opportunity. justify slavery in America. "By the late taneously accuse Eurocentrism of creat tics, a shared culture, an ethnic group, or The government nineteenth century, ing. Their heavy-handed approach to a mixture of these factors and others. spends billions annually Herbert Spencer's writings incorporating diversity into this nation's The views of a black Baptist from on race-related studies and the 'science' of eugev- universities has spawned resentment and rural Georgia and a black homosexual and programs aimed at ics had created an influen- increased racial tensions on campuses. from New York City are likely to be eradicating racism and tial tradition of biological This result is the same as the one dissimilar, even oppositional, yet most levelling the playing field determinism." Then in which Webster finds to be caused by racial studies would lump them together for all ethnic groups. From 1890, the U.S. CensTJs Bu- racial theories in general society. The as sharing in the ''black experience." the ou tset of T he reau began classifying citi- emphasis placed on racial differences by Through his analysis, Webster con Racialization of America, zens by race. At this time, both schools further divides American cludes that the concept of people being Yehudi Webster argues American Indians were be- society along racial and ethnic liI}.~"" placed into homogeneous groups sim that this money is being ing pushed toward extinc- These divisions poison race relations, ply on the basis of race, ethnicity, culture, squandered, because the tion and Jim Crow laws which in tum spawns more race-based or a mix of the three is ridiculous after general perception of the were being enacted. studies. This self-perpetuating cycle is even a cursory examination of the facts. problem is flawed, and ef- ,' ~ c , v In this way the natu- sanctioned by politicians of all stripes Webster argues that his solution of forts to overcome the c\, I . 1' lO' V1 TJ j ralist tradition of Carl von who exploit racial differences and utilize removing racial classifications will elimi problem are mistaken. JtnU:{11 ", .J {reoote' Linnaeus and Arthur de race-baiting as a campaign issue. nate the discourse which underlies racial Webster, a professor Gobineau, which began as Webster writes that "exposure to divisiveness. This, however, is a rather of Pan-African studies at a tool for scientific research, naturalist and liberationist writings con simplistic solution which will not work California State University at Los Ange- was being perverted by bigots more in- tribute much to the proliferation of racial on its own. Centuries of racially divisive les, challenges the notion that race and terested in spreading the gospel of racial sentiments and the development of ra history and wrong-headed policies are racism art the real problems plaguing superiority than testing the validity of cial identities in the general population. perpetually working against it. Webster's America. ror Webster, a flawed system biological determinism. Indeed, naturalist and liberationist argu idealist solution has appeal as a prin of racial classification deserves the blame The liberationist school was founded ments are aimed precisely at generating ciple, but hypersensitivity to racial/ cul for many of the "racial" problems which in the early twentieth century when Frank racial divisions and organizations." He tural referents is firmly and irrationally America currently faces. Boas rejected biological determinism and goes on to say that claims of racial victim embedded in our collective awareness; In the United States, the "race issue" put forth the idea that the success of a ization and counterclaims of racial inno they will be nearly impossible to eradi is a catch-all phrase which encompasses race was to be judged by the extent to cence, along with remedial suggestions cate completely. racism, ethnicity, cultural identity, racial which it flourishes in its (natural) envi- foster an exaggerated or paranoid racial In addition, the attempt to de--em policies, and racial classification, among rorunent. Boas' school of cultural anthro- consciousness; unfortunately, the result phasize racial and cultural identities others. A myriad of racial studies use pology spawned the liberationist school ing situation is expected to be alleviated could degenerate into a totalitarian at these broad terms in an extremely hap- which gained ascendancy during the civil through more of the same racial analyses tempt to create a uniform society. This is hazard, undefined manner in conduct- rights movement of the 1960s. There are and remedies. not compatible with principles of indi ing research. This lack of regard for well- numerous factions within this school, Webster's line of argument contains vidualism and liberty. The contributions defined terminology, logical methodol- with prominent writers and leaders rep- little that is novel, but his remedy is of separate cultures would surely be lost ogy and the scientific method is a major resenting each. This school spans the almost revolutionary in its implications: in such a process of homogenization. focus of Webster's criticism. political spectrum and includes people he recommends "the abandoning of ra Webster's solution fails to address Webster analyzes current racial such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm cial classification." It has been suggested these concerns. It attacks the theoretical theory and its intellectual and social his- X, Shelby Steele, Walter Williams, Marcus that racial classifications be dropped from basis of the problem, but does nothing tory, and attempts to answer the intrigu- Garvey, and Cheikh Anta Diop. college applications. To Webster, how about the manifestations of it in society. ing question of how the lunacy of racial- Boas' ideas were the starting point ever, this would merely be a first step in A more realistic solution lies in a return ism ever came to be such an integral part for W.E.B. Du Bois' and Marcus Garvey's eliminating all types of racial classjfica to a strong commitment to equal rights of the American psyche. He criticizes writings as well as the "black liberation tions. Under Webster's plan, citizens for all people, a focus on individual em both naturalist and liberationist schools movement." The more contemporary would no longer be grouped into the powerment, and a truly objective evalu of racial theory for contributing to the liberationist thesis is that "white society nominally homogeneous racial groups ation of people's merits and capabilities. current state of race relations. is shot through with racism, racial dis- which, he argues, foster animosity and The naturalist school originated as a crimination, and racial inequalities." separatism. Eddie Arner is a senior in political sci scholarly attempt to determine why the Scores of studies and pages of statistics Webster justifies this shift in policy ence and English and a staff writer for achievements of different cultures vary are used to prove that "institutionalized by systematically exposing racial classi the Review. so greatly. ''The development of th~ ~~- racism': pex;vad~ every ~or ?f human fication as a fallacy. The fact that even , . I - '. - • . ~ . , 1 ",,_ ~': :.=::-....=-=:::: ...... _.. _~. , ~. _ ~~. _. , . __ .ctM ;;;; $ ,tern ber 30, 1992 THEMICHIGAN REVIEW 9 What has Decayed the American Character? at/on of VIctims: The Decay of the bogus claims of victimization depletes To the extent that people can Glascow, for example, would rather erican Character our patience and sympathy for genuine medicalize routine urges or difficulties, blame "rampant street crime among in Irles J. Sykes victims. they may shirk virtually all personal re ner-city black males ... [on their} 'sur '-'artin's Press The first third of Sykes' book diag sponsibility for their actions, vival culture'" (which in turn is ostensi th, $22.95, 289 pgs. noses the politics of sensitivity that un The remainder of Sykes' explanation bly a result of a racist society) than what derlie our growing acceptance of of the evolution of victim politics - from Sykes earlier terms a breakdown of the Adam DeVore victimhood. As people have come to his claim that the protestors of the 1960s social fabric in the black community Charles Sykes' latest effort, A Na- speak of ordinary annoyances and ob- were implementing their parents' ideals, brought on by a "wave of illegitimacy, i of Victims, is dense with evidence of stades in life as victimizing encounters not rebelling against them, to his de desertions by fathers, [and} welfare de Itural paradigm shift away from our with oppression or psychologically dis- scription of how self-proclaimed victims pendency," among other things. The root titional concepts of personal respon- turbing traumas, new groups of self- came to hold a moral high-ground be problem, according to Sykes, is much lity toward an obsession with sensi- proclaimed victims have fonned to capi- yond question or reproach - is an in deeper: liThe abandonment of social yand victimhood , talize on the benefits that our guilt-rid- triguing lesson in modern (anti-)intel nonns and stigmas by the larger society Whether discussing ~ den, hypersensitive society lectual history, The most shocking and left the inner city particularly vulner "Big Nanny" atmo- is eager to confer on them, compelling evidence that Sykes marshals able" precisely because, like all self- regu ere which has de- Sykes offers a detailed for his thesis, however, comes as a del lating communities, it "had been held Ided upon many urU- A A11 ~ N account of the rise of thera- uge of anecdotes peppered throughout together by a moral demand system in the text which demonstrate the level of which 'censoriousness and blame' were ;ities, the eruption of OF V I ~' ~ peutic culture since the suits filed by aspirants } I[r 1950s - a decade charac- absurdity to which contemporary claims the principle weapons in holding the s0- egally certified victim . , terized paradoxically by of victimization have sunk. It is in these ciety together," With the medicalization us, the expansive lists THE DECAY prosperity and anxiety. The exercis~ that Sykes is at his best and the of disfavored activities, however, the lisorders and disabili- OF THE anxiety, Sykes maintains, book at its most jarring. community lost its power to maintain that facilitate people's AHERICAM resulted!tpJl\ a combina- ~Consider the Virginia special-edu them as morally taboo. ns to victimhood, or the CHARACTER tion of .rIsing expectations, ciMion teacher who filed a suit after fail In the realm of psychology, Sykes mately deleterious ef- ,,;~ naIve self-absorption, and ing eight times to pass"a standardized also provides an astonishing litany of national test for teachers that measured disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Sta s of blaming society for LHABll~ 1~ m a Widespread, overwhelm- " 's woes rather than tak- ""'___ ing desire to attain perfect 'listening, reading and writing, and tests tistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third personal responsibility happiness, Sykes tracks the candidates' ability to understand and E4i.titn'l,'Revised (DSM-III-R) which, in them, Sykes forcefully demonstrates America's evolution toward therapeutic use the elements of written or spoken fhe average person's lexicon, describe t our country is suffering from an society through the Civil Rights Move- language.'" She argued, Sykes explains, anyone from raucous jerks to indecisive :?SS, rather than a deficiency, of regu- ment, recalling that by the late 1960s: that the test" did not accommodate her twits; more sensitive observers would )n and sensitivity. In place of appeals to justice and American slowness in understanding written and refer to them as suffering from "Opposi Sykes accurately portrays modem fair play, the move~ent n~w pla~ed upo~ spoken information." tional Defiant Disorder" and "Depen ,erican culture as "therapeutic" in that emoti?05 of fear, PItJ:' g~llt, and Ideologl- Even more disturbing is a Miami dent Personality Disorder," respectively. is increasingly witnessed the replace- ~a1Iy tinged "co~paSSion , m,stead of equal- court's ruling "that a woman would be One could even diagnose a "woman ' t' al ti f al Ity of opportunity, the rhetoric of the move- ilt 0 f t ra d1 Ion no ons 0 person t d ded ' ti' paid forty thousand dollars in worker's who likes to stay at home with her chil 'b'l' d th I __ A t men now eman repara 005, dren, for whom she cares deeply, as a >onsl 1 Ity an e anguage u~ 0 ASk t 't ' d'ff' It t t II compensation benefits after she com 'b 't 'th d' al . d s y es no es, 1 IS 1 lCU 0 e cn e 1 WI me IC Jargon an a plained that she was so afraid of blacks classic sufferer of codependent caretaking ·ti al I' t th t \ 't I whether psychology began to pollute ICC Ima e a perml s near y ev- , , , , that she was unable to work in an inte behavior," Sykes notes. 'ct' f ' politIcs or pohtics psychology, although ~ne t 0 call th emse Ives Vl Ims 0 or- · , grated office." Sykes also attacks the ambiguous lan ' ty "[M}' b h . he suggests that the process was reopro- 15t ance or soae, IS e aVlor can The politics of sensitivity have also guage of various laws governing em oed f' d d' ", h t' cal, Black-power advocates, Sykes ex- , e me as Isease m t erapeu IC I' b t d ' t 11 t al damaged public education: ployers. Observe the FBI agent who was h 't M paIns, egan 0 raw on 10 e ec u fired for embezzling $2,000 from the gov rure, e wn es.. oreover: founts such as the French writer Albert Attributing the continuing failure of urban e ethos of Victimization has an endless M ' h ded th M 't 'd education to lingering racism, critics have ernment (only to lose it in Atlantic City), )acity not only for exculpating one's self emnu, w ~ exp~ e at'XlS I, ea attacked efforts to implement standardized but won reinstatement by claiming that m blame, washing away responsibility of class confhct to mdude the oppresslOn achievement tests or tighten graduation re his fondness for gambling with other a torrent of explanation - racism, sex- of "blacks, Jews, colonials, French Cana- quirements ,,' Efforts to toughen disciplin people's money was a "'handicap' and ary standards have been criticized as insen 1, rotten parents, addiction pnd illness - dians .. , women, and domestic servants" thus protected under federal law ." t also for projecting guilt onto others, '" in the historical dialectic. Memmi's dec- sitive to minority cultures,., Reflecting the ascendancy of therapeutic approaches, self Similar episodes of ridiculousness place of evil, therapeutic society substi- laration that "Everyone, or nearly every- are hardly rare, and Sykes does a master ed "illness"; in place of consequence, it one is an unconscious racist" set the tone esteem rather than analytic thinking has ful job of compiling them into discus therapy and ... , for fue accusatory side of the politics of emerged as urban education's premier ob ~es ~nder~tanding sions on timely issues from race relations Sykes makes It plam that thIS cui- victimization. session, The result has been that teachers do and Afrocentrism to feminism and the al tra?Sformation has had c!~monstra- Sykes expresses the insidious allure not confront students or parents about portrayal of women in the media. d~t~men~al effec~s ?n , ~ety by Ie- of therapeutic mentality with preciSion academic difficulties; rather, they sensi Sykes offers neither immediate nor mtzmg claIms of Vl~ation that 50 in a chapter entitled" Are We All Sick?": facile solutions, but his remedies can be u:s ago would more hkely have been The modern American culture of the sup- tively avoid conflict. Students are thus understood as requiring a renaissance of 'n as signs of hypersensitivity if not port group grew out of a single epiphany: left to wallow in a cynically condoned, virtue, a reaffirmation of ourselves as rchosis. Not only does the "contagion Once the language of disease and addiction ignorance-perpetuating, feel-good mire lew illnesses and disabilities ... [have] could be applied to behavior rather than of self-deception even while their own free, responsible agents, and a morato :ial and economic consequences," merely to biologic,al disorders, alm~st a~y test scores belie their self-evaluations. rium on blame, which, if nothing else, ough its effect on our society's alloca- aspect of human life could be redefined m Sadly, the prophets of tenderness would make people "question how use n of resources, but the posturing of • medl~al terms, .. , More I,mportant, how- continue to do everything in their power ful it is to focus our efforts on self-excul f oclaimed' dims ultimat ly b ck- ever, IS the power of the disease analogy to to avert blame from the victims, even pation and victimist posturing," Until -pr . VI , e a change social norms and attitudes. Almost when their specious rationalizations only people consciously begin to undo the i$ ~y er~mg thel~ self~eem and by definition, disease is caused by agents or cau~ delays and impede ~bstantive re paradigm shift that our country has seen, tenng feelL'lgs altenation and help- forces largely beyond the control of an indi- of however, the prognosis remains bleak. sness. Worse yet, the proliferation of vjdual... form efforts. SoCiologist Douglas .- -'-.....- ..-"" - ..- . -- .,, -,~, ... ~~- '-- '",. - ' -~-' '''''''' ' _m~~ Of' ALA :~~• • __. ______,.. , .. , .• '- : 10 THE MICHIGAN REvIEW September 30, 1992 \~, O SAPAC Director !':.tI,»,'li Continued from Page 1 that Kata [lssari, who had been SAP AC' s requirements of her new job. Cain's an his fellow members who voted in favor I interim director andwho waS one of the swer, however, is again compelling. of the resolution may have done so for f ' I was the chance to be back in the univer- final two candidates for the job of direc "} believe that, based on my experi legitimate reasons. '1 think a lot of mem sity environment." tor] was the best candidate to hire." Al ence, I have the best of both worlds. It bers are inclined to vote in favor of reso Cain, who received a bachelor's de though Cain herself was "not familiar was very purposeful that I chose to get a lutions of that sort. It's also possible that I gree in psychology from Iowa State Uni with that aspect of the search process," degree in administration. My bachelor's they may have known more about Cain I, versity and a master's degree in business Bruce Namerow, president of the degree is in psychology. The reality is than I did, and therefore had valid rea Interfraternity Council and a member of that the job of director here is not a sons for voting for the resolution," he I administration from Central Michigan , [ University noted that she '"loves the en the committee, disagrees with Leach. counselor's job. It is to a fairly high extent reflected. Given the intent of the resolu I vironment of. the university, the campus H(Associate Vice President of Stu an administrative position, and there tion, namely to "investigate" Cain's hir \. setting, and the energy and the enthusi dent Services} Royster Harper (who made fore you need administrative skills and ing, the suggestion that representatives asm and the passion that students fee!." the final hiring decision) originally background. You need to know how to who supported the resolution "may have t, In response to Leach's comments charged the committee to give her'a list do budgeting and be responsible for known more about Cain" is unlikely. I about her experience with people of other of four or five candidates, rank them, and money, and you need to understand per House was unsure as to why Leach ~ , ethnicities, Cain stated that she was "di!r list the positive and negative aspects of sonnel issues because you're responsible has been so vocal in formenting opposi / appointed that that would be the percep each: But the list we finally gave her did for hiring and firing and evaluating and tion to Cain, but he was willing to ven tion anyone would have of me. I believe not contain a ranking of the candidates. all those kinds of things. ture a guess. "Colin Leach sponsored the in issues of. diversity, and I feel a strong So the committee messed up. Three mem '1 have both job experience with that MSA resolution. He was the main person I commitment to that. bers explicitly wanted Kata, bU!Jhe vote in having worked with a budget of well who spoke on it, and his main supporters ''The Oakland County demograph was by no means unanimous. The three over a million dollars a year (which is were from the Progressive Party. I'm sure ics are such that of its one million-some people in favor of Kata had adl,lally larger than SAP AC' s [and funds] almost he would just love to have a person in people, only about seven percent are con worked with her; it would have peen 50 paid employees, compared to a much there [SAP AC] who would make SAP AC sidered non-white. So there isn't a real difficult for them to vote against her. smaller nUlllber here), but I also have the as political as possible, who would be huge blend, and there isn't the diversity "Royster, however, handle4 ,the mat fonna! training for that So I feel that [my involved in activism, who would deal in that the University of Michigan has here. ter oWfttively," Namerow continued. master's degree) is a strength." politics rather than combat sexual a!r But frankly, again, that was one of the "Since she knew Kata better"'than she The most recent barrage leveled at sault. I ,must admit that since they [Leach i very compelling reasons to me for want knew G].in, she had to overcome her own Cain came in the form of an MSA resolu and the Progressive Party] were so against ' I, ing to be here: personal bias in favor of Kata. Fortu tion which expressed serious doubt about her, maybe she's not going to be as bad as "I have been very involved on both nately, Cain was dearly the better choice. Cain and the process behind her~~ Hormer SAPAC Director] Julie Steiner I the state and national level with issues In my phone interview with Debra, 1 bon. Sponsored by U!CSU.1, U1V-r~lUUon w ...... rut'" maybe that's why they're so up that deal with diversity," Cain explained. found her incredibly articulate, intelli vowed to "investigate the search pfOCe$ in anns about her." \ "} have been considered for various task gent, well-rounded, and very experi and the decision thathas led to the hiring Although it is still too early to evalu (' forces for women of color, lesbian task enced. It's unfortunate that this has be of the new coordinator of SAP AC." ate how effective a director of SAP AC forces, and I've always supported that come an issue of Kata versus Cain. Both Brent House, one of three MSA rep Cain will be, one hopes that she will work. We brought speakers into our of them are very talented, and in the end resentatives who voted against the res0- eschew the political contamination which agency in Oakland County who dealt it was really a choice between a positive lution, justified his vote on the grounds pervaded SAP AC under the leadership specifically with issues like homophobia and a positive." that he had too little information to sup of Steiner and focus instead on finding I and racism. So I was surprised by that A group calling itself the Committee port such a negatively-worded state practical means of dealing with the prob criticism, frankly, and disappointed, be- to Preserve the Integrity of SAPAC voiced ment. '1 didn't know enough about her lem of sexual assault on campus. " cause \ don't feel that's reflective of my yet another criticism of Cain, namely that to condemn her and her selection. I didn't I! ',' track ftlCQrd," Cain said. her masters degree in administration want to go on record as supporting some- Tony Ghecea is a junior in English and Leach finally asserted that ''The com rather than a social science will detract thing I wasn't all that informed about." an executive editor of the Review. mittee [which selected the director) felt from her ability to adequately fulfill the House thought, however, that many of Chippewa Name Retained Continued from Page 1 ists." hibits and programs. Brock said the group's goals are to Plachta said that no matter what his He additionally suggested that CMU restore the Huron name and modify the educational efforts and the elimination recommendation was, he "re-evaluate and improve its logo to be histOrically correct, establish a of related symbols and drumbeats. The would "please some and di!r educational efforts to sensi- cultural center which would highlight committee, however, was divided on the appoint others." Neverthe-- tize its students, faculty and \ the Huron tribe, and create a Huron schol I use of the Chippewa name. less he felt that the majority staff to Native American tra- arship fund. Jakubauskas then announced that for of the CMU communitY ditions and culture" and use ''My imp~OI\" Brock says, "is that t a trial period of three years, the name could be relied on "to work the Chippewa name in a the tribes [with which we have worked} I would be retained, but Native American harder at using the Chippewa broader cooteXl', such as Nap- are disgusted with EMU and feel that the logos; drumbeats and related symbols name with honor and re- plying the Chippewa name university has snubbed them." would be eliminated. CMU has not used sped" to a campus facility, for ex- Asked about the use of Native Ameri a Native American mascot for over 20 Along with his recom- ample." can logos or names for sports teams or years. mendation to maintain the Unlike CMU's decision, schools, Susan Hill of the University of During the trial period, the letter "C" name, Plachta made several EMU President Shelton an- Michigan Native American Students was used as an athletic symbol. Plachta related proposals. He sug- nounced in 1991 that the Association declined to comment. announced with his recommendation gested that CMU "expand University would be chang- that "the university will develop an ap educational assistance programs and ing its Huron nickname to the Eagles. Karen S. Brinkman is the publisher of propriate university athletic symbol with other services to Native Americans" and Since then, Huron Restoration has been the Review. the cooperation of Native American art- increase its sponsorship of cultural ex- working to reverse that decision. eptember 30, 1992 THE MICHIGAN REVIEW 11 -he Fortnightly Federal/st: Paper No.5 '" ., il;! ". Fighting the Intolerance of Faction ,Kurt Schmautz the only black family living in the work which it found to be unacceptable. punish "threats of injury or harm," dis The ideal of tolerance of others has ing class neighborhood where Viktora The Court discerned in the law's crimination on the basis of "race, :cupied a prominent place in American resides. They entered the family's fenced guidelines a pernicious effort to regulate ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orien .inking since the earliest days of the in yard and planted the cross, whidl they the content of ..-______--, tation, creed, na ttion. Many of America's earliest set then proceeded to set ablaze. speech. Moreover, tional origin, an ~rs had experienced intolerance in their Two charges were filed against it declared this cestry, age or ltive lands, while others thought toler Viktora, one of which was the St. Paul , regulation to be un marital status," ICe was necessary to assure that groups Bias-Motivated Crime Ordinance. (The acceptable despite and, perhaps colonists could cohere and coexist to Court's ultimate ruling did not disturb the government's most alarming in 'rm a nation. The First Amendment to the second conviction.) The challenged authority to ban its eye-of-the-b~ le Constitu or di nance fighting words. The holder quality, on, which ..------~ read: Court thus adhered "harassment that larantees the to a rule which tor unreasonably in Whoever eedoms of re pedoed the terferes with an places on i ~ion, speech, public or pri University's in- in d v id ua I' s terim code: the L..-______--J ,d press, is vate property work, educa early di asymbol,ob power to regulate fighting words does tional performance, or living environ- ~cted at the ject, appella not itlclude the power to impose content ment." ~oblem of in tion, charac limitations. The broad generality of these provi ,lerance, es teriza tion or The Court drew an analogy between sions leaves the full nature of the code's graffiti, in ~cially that of 4"- St. Paul's efforts to stamp out offensive prohibitions relatively inscrutable, at least ~,, ),;" " Dlitical intol cluding, but speech and the recent flag burning cases: until the administration starts to enforce not limited 'ance. them. Students should be skeptical of the to, a burning We have long held ... that nonverbal expres -.- administration's ability to enforce the The fram cross or Nazi sive activity can be banned because of the 's of the Constitution often referred to swastika, which one knows or has reason action it entails, but not because of the ideas curren.!. code in good faith, espeCially in ltolerance with another term: faction. able grounds to know arouses anger, alarm it expresses - so that burning a flag in <"".ligtttOf the fallibility of prior codes. And ~ lction can serve as a more precise term or resentment in others on the basis of race, violation of an ordinance against outdoor while Hartford has promised that a new I a First Amendment context because it color, creed, religion or gender commits fires could be punishable, whereas burning draft will be forthcoming, students ·cates the problem of intolerance a po disorderly conduct and shall be guilty of a a flag in violation of an ordinance against should not automatically assume that tical phenomenon - an abuse of gov misdemeanor. dishonoring the flag is not. the input the administration has solic 'nmental power - intended to silence St. Paul sought to excuse its ordinance on Simply put, the government cannot ited from students will be incorporated issent for presumably ignoble ends. the grounds that it applied only to "fight use regulation to force people to assent to into it, either fully or accurately. lction captures the idea that an intoler ing words" - invoking an exception to its concept of propriety when it comes to The fight is far from over. Students It govemment corrupted by cabal poses the First Amendment's free speech pro freedom of expression. As R.A. V. con can work to prevent the adoption of the much greater threat to liberty than in tection. Under this exception, states may cluded, "St. Paul has no authority to li code, but even if such efforts fail, those llerant individuals. \ regulate speech which is likely or calcu cense one side of a debate to fight freestyle, punished under its regulation can still This distinction is not obvious to the lated to provoke violence. while requiring the other to follow Mar object to the way in which it is enforced. roponents of hate crime laws and cam R. A. V. demolished this defense quis of Queensbury Rules." As the founding fathers predicted, us conduct codes. Advocates of such through a careful While R.A. V.'s factions, if unchecked, inevitably seek to leasures would support the use of gov examination of st. rule may be good exercise and expand their power at the ~ment power to stamp out the intoler Paul's motives for news for oppo expense of others. With the current code, nce of private individuals. As the fac passing the law. nents of U-M's there is a faction in the administration ons analysis might suggest, however, First, the Court code, it does not slowly encircling the University like the ~ent agitation for hate crime legislation observed that the change the uneven coils of a snake, eagerly awaiting its op 'I )rresponds to the rise in power of cer st. Paul ordinance balance of power at portunity to squeeze out disfavored view un left-leaning political elements in our did not apply to the University. The points. Students have the option of either xiety and on our campuses. all fighting words, new code serves as placing their rights in the hands of the When the Supreme Court overturned but only to those a reminder that the University or continuing the fight to re t. Paul's hate crime ordinance in RA.V. based on "race, commissars of po tain those rights themselves. Given all of . City of St. Paul this summer, it un color, creed, reli litical correctness its actions, past and present, however, oubtedly had a similar historical per gion or gender." still run the show, the administration dearly should not be pective in mind. RA. V. prompted the The law would not and they will not trusted to handle~,.ch an important re Jniversity to draft its proposed State apply, for ex be deterred so eas sponSibility as the preservation of those :lent of Student Rights and Responsibili ample, if Viktora ily. rights entails. ,es because the decision almost certainly had spray painted Although Vice wuld have invalidated the Interim Code anti-homosexual President for Stu Kurt Schmautz is a third-year law stu on Discrimination and Discriminatory epithets on the dent Affairs dent and a member of the U-M Federal :onduct. home of a gay Maureen Hartford ist Society. In RAV., the Court considered the couple, or if he had thrown pig's blood has stated that the "New and Improved ase of Robert Viktora, a teenage on a visiting general in protest of the Gulf Code" will not constrain speech on cam kinhead. On June 21, 1990, Viktora and War, even though these acts could plau pus, the current draft contains language everal of his friends constructed a crude Sibly have led to violence. The Court that could be interpreted to punish the ross made of broken chair legs. They determined that St. Paul intended to is expression of politically incorrect hen went across the street to the home of sue a warning to those who held views thought. The U-M reserves authority to .. "~-'·'~ · ''''''''~ ··'''''''''''''<''''''' ''~~ ft __._ ,_ ___~,> __ 12 THE MICHIGAN REVIEW September 30, 1992 . ~;' ~{~ '* ~ ,, ~", Music Helmet is Tough, Despite Appearance by Joe Epatlen It's obvious that even Nirvana could summer and also recently opened for Barocas' throbbing drums. Robbins So, where have you been all sum learn a thing or two from this "power Faith No More on September 24 at shows off his singing voice, rather than mer? In the fish canning factories of trio." Check them out when they play Detroit's State Theater. indecipherable screams - a very nice Alaska? Following the presidential cam Hill Auditorium on October 20. change. Tracks like "Iinkwork," "Static," paign trail way too clO'lely? Stuck in some Jawbox and "Spit- Bite" allow the DC-based band awful McJob working terrible hours for Helmet Novelty to flex their musical muscles without crummy pay? Have you missed what's In The Meantime Dischord Records seeming gaudy or overbearing. going on in the music world? Well, here Interscope Records Jawbox's sophomore effort shows Of course there is a bit of Ian McKaye is a little snippet of what's been happen I was talking to my friend Ed the real growth. Drummer Zachary Barocas, and his band Fugazi on Nooelty, but on a ing. other day, and the band Helmet came up. bassist Kim Coletta and guiartists/ vo close-knit label like McKaye's Dischord, "Oh, thooe guys are tough," he said. Need- calists Bill Barbot and Jay Robbins high that is to be expected. Sugar less to say this quite an understatement, lighted a tight, sissycore (read poppy, But don' t think Jawbox is in the Copper Blue even coming melodic, yet still hardcore) sound on their shadow of their labelmates. After tour Rykodisc from Ed, Big Ed critically acclaimed 1991 debut Grippe. ing with Helmet and Shudder to Think In the fall of that is, who With Novelty, though, Jawbox be this past spring, they are headlining in 1990, Bob Mould bench presses comes more sonic without losing their Europe this month and are hitting the played the Nec- a b ou t 35' 5 tight sound. They seem to have dropped West Coast later this year. tarine Ballroom pounds and has their sissy-ness without losing their core. and blew me biceps larger Despite Jawbox's guitar-heavy reputa Joe Epstein is a staff writer for the Re away. Armed than my legs. tion, Robbins and Barbot take a back seat VIew. with tracks from Despite to Coletta's masterful bass playing and his booming Bhuk their Richie Sheets of Rain al- Cunningham/ bum and his Potsy Webber softer, introspec- looks, Helmet is tive, acoustic tough. With fe- Safari! 'Well-Bred Workbook, Mould rocious metallic by Drew Peters at work on a solo project, so don't expect proved to be the guitar riffs and Bassist Kim Deal, while on a break to hear from the Pixies for some time. demi-god I fi st-pumping from The Pixies, has picked up a guitar Meanwhile, Deal and her band are thought he was. rhythms, Helmet and gone out on the road with her other out on the road breaking in its new mem Once again, scored big with band, The Breeders. bers: drummer Mike Hunt (fake name, Mould and his their 1990 debut "The Pixies' had to rest," explained say it quickly) and Kim's sister and gui- new trio, Sugar Strap It On, and Deal. . C 1· :;::ZU;~}ftv:-- EQi ,ji.II&!;§R":'}"Y",: f -I tarist (with drummer Hel~t are (I- r) John Stainer, Henry Bogdan, Page were signed to "Tanya, Kelley, Malcom, Travis Harmlton and Peter Mengede. Interscope our guitar who and bassi6t Davis Barbe), come out with Records this past spring. ist, was liv learned to an ethereal slice of post-punk noise, and In the Meantime is more of the same. ing close to play a draw an instant comparison to the leg- John Stanier and Henry Bogdan, drum- me in Bos mere two endary Husker Dii. mer and bassist respectively, may be one ton and we months "I was at every Husker Du show, I of the best rhythm sections in music to- used to before The didn't miss one. It's obvious that there day; they're definitely the loudest. With hang out. Breeders would be some parallels," said Mould. tons of complex arrangements (Stanier We started toured Copper Blue, however, stands on its studied Orchestral Percussion at the Uni- i playing to Europe own. "Changes" and "Helpless" are both versity of Miami) they furiously pound gether, and with Nir throw-backs'to mid-1980s Husker in the out hard core / metal beats that leave the when4AD vana and vein of Wherehouse: Songs and Stories, listener senseless. Meanwhile, Hamilton found out, T eenag e while"A Good Idea" sounds almost Pix- screeches out lyrics as if exorcizing de- they asked Fan Club. ies-ish. Mould comes out of his lyrically mons while Mengede gels the whole fora demo The therapeutic shell with more lighthearted sound with his shredding guitar. tape. At The Breeders are ~l- r) Kelley Deal, Tanya Donelly, Josephine Wiggs, Breeders songs like "If I Can't Change Your Mind." Particularly shining moments are a first we MikeHuntandK"nDeal. will per re-recording of "Un were like, 'You're kidding, right?' but form at St. Andrews with Unrest and Michigan ReviL"'lD T-shirts! sung," Originally a 45 now we're like 'That was a good His Name is Alive this Friday, Single, "Role Model" idea.'" October 2. For a mere $12 tax-deduct and the album's title Recently, The Breeders released an ible donation, you too can track. A few tracks fall EP entitled Safari. The songs contain the Drew Peters in a freshman in LSA and a sport the latest in Review victim to overpr04uc same Pixies fuzz-twang pop, while stress staff writer for the Review. fonnalwear. With November tion, a problem that ing the soft, feminine vocals of such Pix approaching, you'll want to 1\ plagues many bands ies greats as "Into the White" and "Gi 1.------:--,I Crusty MWlcher is "on vacation," but I remind everyone of George's making the indie--ma gantic." Elektra also re--released Pod, a I will allegedly return next week. He is I ~ . "No new taxes" pledge, and ~~ jor switch. full length Breeders album recorded two I rumored to have been unaVOidably I .... that Bill didn't inhale. Call us After their blister :='-- years ago. detained while conducting top-secret, at 662-1909 for more infor ing set at the Blind Pig - - - -_...... The Breeders will go into the studio I high-level negotiations between Iowa I i mation. Bottom caption reads: this past spring, Helmet to record another album in December, I and Nebraska. Nobody knows about I "The Michigan ~vi~ The ~ght 4~ . and tax-deductible too." returned to Detroit this " r and Pixies vocalist Black Francis is hard Lwha~ ______-.l