Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Editorial vnine fteponrs May Mislead A young man "doesn't know" why he shot and killed a motel clerk. A teenager says "I just felt like it" after shooting a fellow student on the school yard. A soldier stares vacantly when asked why he gunned down two strangers. Is violent crime really at epidemic proportions in South Carolina as some suggest, or is it simply getting undue attention in the news media? According to a statewide public opinion poll conducted earlier this year by the College of Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina, citizens of the state perceive crime ? particularly violence ? to be an increasingly serious problem. Sixty-three percent think serious crime has increased in their area in the past year, while 83 percent are more concerned about their personal safety than they were fitm vaorc oOa A T\ nnxnnnt ?; 1 - >itv jvuto agu. nuu ? x ja:i v-ciii icci uic uruiiiiicii lb mure violent than he/she was five years ago. FBI STATISTICS INDICATE reported South Carolina incidents of serious violent crime-homicide, rape, assault, and robbery ? are 25 percent higher than the national average. If robbery ? which is 50 percent lower in South Carolina than in the nation as a whole ? is removed, reported violent crime in South Carolina consistently has been first or second among the states over the past decade. Still, the annual violent crime rate in South Carolina is slightly below 600 incidents per 100,000 population, meaning the individual's chance of being victimized is about one in 167. The murder rate is slightly over 13 per 100,000 of or slightly below one in 8,000, while rape is about 30 per 100,000 or one in 3.300. Of course, in realitv npnnlp livina in hicrh _ , ? ^ i i r-~ -- * ? * * '"b" crime areas stand a much greater chance of being victimized, while people in low crime areas have a much lesser chance. ; But much crime is not reported to police, and thus not to the FBI, and if there is any bright spot in this otherwise grim if Jo thof ?1 : * C * ? pivi.ui v., n 10 uiqi uni cjwi icu iiiLiucuia ui viuieni crime may be lower in South Carolina than in other states. IN MOST STATES it has been found through self-report studies that almost half of the crime incidents are not reported to police. This occurs for a variety of reasons, the most common of which are that victims don't feel anything can or will be done, that the crime is too personal for the victim to report (for example, rape or assault by a relative or friend), or that the victim felt it was too much trouble to report the crime or feared reprisals by the offender. But according to the USC College of Criminal Justice poll, nnltr O Knilf oiv ru\??/innf ?rt C/\*?4U VIIIJ UI^VUl OlA pui LClll W1 ti 11I1C 111 OUUlll VyCtlUlillCt unreported, indicating that while the state may have more reported crime, there may not be more actual incidents of violence. nunci ITHilArial lit/ Hi* flDtiA *4 ArtltV TC/"1 r'/vllArfA Af x^??va*r &jUa%va IUI vav^aiv UiVJ/IIVUiJ^ CtJV V/UlltgC VI Criminal Justice. gamecockI j] University of South Carolina. Columbia. S.C. Founded 1908 Newsroom: 777-71B1 Advertising: 777-4249 ; Business Office: 777-3888 Production: 777-28.13 Jeannie Rakton Acting Editor Tracy Helms Sports Editor Mark Watte Editor |im Corbett Asst. Sports Editor liU Hancock Copy Desk Chief Mike Eisher Graphics Editor David Corvette Newt Editor lerrv Brewer r.*iw?iu>n>... , - Tom Coyne Am?. News Editor l' ** Haine* Advertising Manner Don Weatherbee Editorial Page Editor MariMcEwan Production Manner M&e Ronvatomki Entertainment Editor Hatched Butineu Manager John Vaughan AmI. Ent. Editor * Ethridge |r Advker tow iqnuuuimn ngms K"nl7D ,u ,nr "Jwcuiea rress. All other mittiul conUioed hereto may not be reproduced without the permission of the editor. Opinions expressed in the Gamecock are those, H signed, of the writer and, if un[ signed, of the editor. i The Gamecock welcomes letters and columns. All letters and columns must be typewritten, triple-spaced on a 65 space lir.e. Letter* should be no longer than 300 words, and columns should be limited to one I newsworthy subject no longer than four typed pages. Letters and columns must be ( u/Itk ftiA u<riUA rArkA r-f njm# l#l#nknn* ntimK<?f m +A... :-j standing or faculty position and major. Pseudonyms are unacceptable, but the writer's | Ij name may be withheld on letter, upon request, if the circumstances warrant it. We reserve the right to edit columns and letters (or space and style, and we reserve the right to reject any column for any reason. ;] Address letters and columns to: Editorial Page Editor, Gamecock, Drawer A, USC, I Columbia, S C. 29206 I - FIRST you MAKe OH yow " AND FINALLY HIT? A wry PeRcetf HIKe.\ Mj Student I To the Editor: Doug Bell should stick to whatever he was doing before writing film reviews. A critic is supposed to watch the film. While attempting to recount the plot, perceived as "mediocre sci-fi," Mr. Bell says "One such flashback concerns a brutal cabdriver...A woman who owns a miniature version of the evil SDhere...the two are I engaged in (sexual) activities...(and) within minutes they are both dead." If you saw this film, you know there is only one green sphere. It represents and also is pure evil. It was Right To I To the Editor: I have several complaints against the university that I wish to express. The first complaint I have deals with the recent tuition increase. I feel that to have increased ? i uic tuinuii auci we nave already pre-paid our fees is grossly unfair. I am especially distressed because I am an out-of-state student, therefore, I am forced to come up with another $100. I understand that inflation and the recent acts in both federal and state funding make it necessary to do so. What I can't understand is how the school _ t i % * ? * couia nave auowea tne athletic department to build that hideous bubble over the soccer field when that money could have been used to pay some faculty member's or members' salaries. MY SECOND COMPLAINT has to do with parking. I am curious to find a 1H6NVCH b* DM MAR Sjs TWYCA S!R? (kwv - i A~ WH0R6 etsft, Mwrm^ a M xv 'i j/imT Letters To Ba^AmmAi livvVIBIIIIv! the mobster, not the cabbie, who was killed by the sphere. Clearly, the superbly animated love scene which occurred during this flashback has disturbed our critic's concentration. At best, he was inspired to heights of dating courage and abandoned the film altogether. PLOT IS FOR ACTORS, not cartoons. Do Saturday morning cartoons have plot? No! Where was the big-time plot in Fantasia? Nowhere! Heavy Metal is nothing more than a contemporary Complain out why the parking division closed the two small parking lots on Pendleton Street between Henderson and Barnwell Streets to oncampus students. My girlfriend lives in Capstone and she, as well as other girls, sometime need to park there. These lots have been made off-limits to parking from 2p.m. to 5a.m. I feel AU 1-1- - ? ? inese iou? snouia De made available again to the residents of the nearby dorms. Someone may come in late and have to park and walk several blocks. This creates a dangerous situation because someone may get mugged, raped or worse. I think in the best interests of students' safety, these lots should be reopened for night parking, immediately! If something like I described were to happen, this school would be responsible. MIKKGAKRITY Pnlitirnl Srionrn IIinini ICORNfiR THftNH i/ar c/a i <\aov JAv I gu wvyy/ tfT 60 INFIA1 tie PRPPW ssa. iti v ,////R&m\ The Editor nds'Heav cartoon for young adults. As ^ such, it necessarily reflects ( the despair and inherent < violence many people j percieve in their de- ( personalizing, modern { times. The music is ex- j ueineiy consistent wiin these themes. Life can be I cold and alienating, hence 1 the "sense of coldness and j alienation," not to mention * the aliens. Goodness, as represented by one survivor from a dwindling rare of J defenders, does indeed rise J to the occasion and conquer over the evil sphere. The hope and love which is part of us all is re-affirmed. Of supreme importance is the fact that film animation is probably one of the most 1 expensive art forms known * to modern man. The art 1 form receives only a cursory dealing. Be it known the art fi . Aaoihaii> Ti'iu The U.S. C. 8 oOjSiem. IRftSOMe , IS15 ANP CLAIM 10NARY y Metal vork is great, reflecting all hat modern technology, coloring enecis, ana labor ntensive animation has to >ffer. (ie. the same mounain doesn't go by again and ^ igain as people fly). This tind of detail and proficiency as animation represents many millions of ^r\\ 1 arc nf oiof o' I w T* iv/iiui o ui ai 11010 time. It Id ruly fantastic. DON'T MISS HEAVY WPTi r pai vc ? ..u ...u a vrijl?kj* LJViaiglll U1 itoned this film is a roundrip ticket to a 21st century A . antasy land full or schizoid ^ nen (get it!), and images to ove or fear. Go with a member of th#? nnnncito cov ? ? ? v^j/vuiW OVA and enjoy. It is Mr. Bell's eview, not Heavy Metal, vhich is "thematically vapid md empty." JACK KENDKEE Business Grad Student ? ipfJjTi _ ? % .1 ?Ju.l'v> am ^e-6 "> ? -moh for fln'm V lp.r> j- - - m y m m 4|