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opinion "It is a newspapers duty to print the news,and raise hell." --Wilbur F. Storey, The Chicago Times, 1861 Legislative Basketball? The South Carolina State Legislature has once again introduced legislation which has nothing to do with governmental affairs. This time, the legislation involves a bill which would compel Carolina to play Clemson in basketball. Although the two schools should be playing each other, the state legislature has no business getting involved. The bill was introduced by Sen. Thomas L. Garrison, D Anderson, who said numerous people had come to him asking him to do something which would force the two schools to play each other in basketball. Most of the legislators took the issue as a joke and one even suggested that the score be set at 81-79. The state legislature is not the place for comedians, nor is its function that of making out our athletic schedule. An athletic director is hired specifically for this purpose and like him or not, it is his decision to make, The last time the two schools played each other was March 4, 1972 which resulted in a 77-64 win for Carolina. Clemson Coach Tates Locke was quoted after the game as saying he would never play South Carolina again, but declined to give a reason for this. He changed his mind a few days later and announced he would like to play Carolina the next year. USC Coach Frank McGuire and his assistant, Don Walsh, have indicated they are committed to playing a national schedule and cannot fit Clemson in. Baloney. Carolina plays Clemson in every major sport except basketball. It is obvious that the two schools could play i each other if they so desired. The basketball fan in South Carolina is being deprived of the chance to watch a true grudge match, something which the present "national" schedule sorely lacks. It is hard to really get interested in basketball games with teams such as Toledo, DePauw, Seton Hall, Creighton etc. The fan becomes bored watching a game with such schools if we win by a large margin and disappointed if we have a close game with them. A game with Clemson is exciting to watch regardless of the score. If the real reason behind the two schools not playing each other is treatment of the players by the fans, then why doesn't McGuire admit it? Clemson should be returned to our basketball schedule even if we have to play them on a neutral court. The basketball fan will be better off for it, and the legislators can devote more time to playing cards at the Wade Hampton. Equality At Last Women may get the chance to participate in collegiate sports soon. There is a bill on the President Nixon's desk which when signed will force schools to provide money, facilities, and equipment equally for women's sports as well as men's. It is apalling that there are no women on athletic scholarships at USC. In fact, women's sports are so neglected on this campus that a coed is better known for dating a "football hero" than for ex celling in a sport. This is just one more instance of women's second class citizenship in all areas except the kitchen and diaper pails,. Many misinformed people claim that the fault lies in women's lack of interest in sports. Many claim that women's sports would net attract enough supporters to justify subsidizing them. Both assumptions are false. As children, females eagerly participate and take an interest in many sports. But as teenagers they are convinced that it is a bad idea to have muscles, sense, or anything else that might deflatethe male ego. Spectator crowds at women's olympic events disprove the idea that women's sports wouldn't generate any interest. All women's sports could, if properly funded, find eager participants and in terest. People have been conditioned to equate sports with masculinity. There seems to be the general attitude that sports require brute strength whereas skill, agility, quick thinking and physical fitness are much more important. Well funded and coordinated athletic programs for women will not emasculate men nor deprive them of their scholarships, hero images, cheering crowds or boasts from a proud papa. What they will do is open a new frontier for women and allow them to become skilled and fit participants instead of specitators.. It's about time men stopped thinking a woman is physically fit because she looks good in a tight sweater. bmmmmmmmmmmm.s U Dear Fellow Citizen: The identity of one person responsible for Watergate has never been disclosed.. - That person is you. Yes, you and every other American citizen is to blame. Whether Republican, Democrat, or independent. It doesn't make any difference whom you voted for. Watergate and all the corruption it symbolizes isn't restricted to any party. It reflects an undercurrent of political treachery that has become part of our very system itself. And because we, the people of this country, have tolerated corruption and let it grow to the point where it threatenr our very existence as a democracy--we are all to blame for the consequences. Voting on Election Day isn't enough We've got to do more. T AK ES CLOUT Yes, I know it's impossible for one person to correct what's wrong in our system. To do that takes clout. And clout calls for organized strength. And it seems that everybody but the people has been organized. So no matter how angry you became over what you saw happening in and to our government, chances are that like so many other Americans, you told yourself there was little you could do to stop it. .until now. Now there is Common Cause. Over a quarter of a million people have organized in Common Cause to get govern ment out of the hands of powerful special interests and once more under the control of ordinary citizen:-.. where it belongs. We are fed up with secret deals in politics. We are fed up with hidden power masked by political double-talk. We work too hard for our money to go on paying taxes tat fatten the pockets of special interest groups instead of benefiting our lives. G;ETl TOUGli It's time for the people of this country to get tough. And the way to do that is by combining citizen action with hard-hitting, professional lobbying. Put those two elements together and you've got Common Cause, one of the toughest, most professional, most effective citizens' movements this country has ever benefited from. Legislators in our nation's capital and in city and state legislatures throughout the country know and respect Common Cause. They know. ('ommon Cause represents over a qluarterl of a million con stituenits from all major parties. They know we mean business. We don't just talk. We act. And we get results. VOICES H EARD Through lobbying, through direct contact with lawmakers and .he media, through legal' battles in the courts, if necessary, we make our voices heard and help enact new laws that benefit the people. Common Cause is waking up the people of this country to the fact that Election Day isn't the only time citizens should exercise their power. We cannot--we must not sit back after Election Day and take democracy for granted. When we igoreounar roles as MMMMMMMMMMMu Dur Mail citizens, we repudiate our democratic system of govern n}ent. In the midst of current scandals, I hear occasional rumblings about "corrupt politicians will always be with us." Maybe so. But if we become so cynical about our governmental process that we completely lose confidence in our effectiveness as individuals, then we might just as well kiss democracy good-bye. Common Cause is a prime example of just how effective citizens can be when they work together. When we first formed Common Cause in the fall of 1970, we set the ball rolling on cleaning up government and ridding it of two of the most dangerous threats to democracy: (1) the power of money to buy results and (2) secrecy to hide underhanded dealings from the public. The movement we started has snowballed into a powerful nationwide drive to return this country to the greatness it once had. Money and secrecy in government are finally being recognized as two of the biggest stumbling blocks to our well being. What the volunteers and staff of Common Cause have achieved to "make our system work," and how they did it could fill a large volume--and probably will when the history of this era is written. What is more important now, though, is the work ahead of us to eliminate the plagues of money and secrecy in government. We're on the verge of a new era in Americanpolitics--an era typified by a new honesty and openness in government. You have a choice. Do nothing--and we can slip back into the morass of corruption in government. Or take a strong positive step--join Common Cause--and you help launch that new era. The choice is yours. I urge you to join Common Cause. John Gardner Chairman No Case Smokers To The Editor: The Controversy on whether to smoke or not to smoke seems easily settled. Both the smokers and the non-smokers have valid points concerning their "rights" and the immorality of the other in infringing upon those rights. Our concept of rights are drawn~ not only from the Constitution, but from "natural" laws as well. Each person is entitled to do as he pleases with out fear of having those rights taken from him, providing the exercise of those rights (10 not harm others. In this Letters Although theGAMECC letters received, prefere typed and under 200 s anonymous letters, althol for valid reasons. Whiik letters will be printed, letters will be printed. TMM mm MMm ge mmer however, to take in the most im portant point. Smoking is a voluntary action not necessary to the body functions. If a person has become "dependent" or habit prone in relation to tobacco, he has done so voluntarily and without duress. The non-smoker, however, not only has the right to breathe, but must in order to survive. His actions are not voluntary, his "dependence" vital. Why then should the voluntary and un necessary actions of some in terfere with the involuntary and necessary of others? I see no case for the smokers. Charlie If. Speight Appeal Works To The Editor Mark Morrow's article entitled "Court Gives Students Appeal Rights" in January 28, 1974's edition of The Gamecock deserves some comment. Morrow says, "One student who had been ticketed for a CS violation decided that the appeals court was what it implied; a court. He brought in two law students complete with briefs and evidence which consisted of a list of student names..." First, I would like to say that I, in fact, did know that the USC appeal court was not a 'court of law'. However, the University of South Carolina's Law Center does provide fr"e legal aide to those who request its services. Although many people do not know this, I did. And I took the opportunity to use its resources. I must say that Sally Walker my representative, and the rest of the department's assistance w. .. ach appreciated. Secondly. Mr. Morrow continues to say, "The student looked very happy about getting out of the $5 fine, but the law students looked a pridee embaadme ecuseh iteasquest itoo servas. hwaog an pope dola .fnobt knowthis, a did.tyAndllatookntheAod,ortnt to usesresyources. I must saydeed, Salyalke roeversettve,s andste yousthat the dear tudents amsisutat t h apreiteld ecnly.r. Thy Morro continuere glto seTe touden writted vpery happ habsuch geng pat of thae $ th wapps jttour ea."i t"waive al fiv doar*ine violti"atherhat timet. olrfne n,ltm "hapy"rt avigthpinsp peawld attever, to run also asuel you givet thsent wres ewl not emarusd natI agh se hat wthyoldr quitesga tose things gouarelAfter tallt gla o setaato w enpa