Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Christmas brings reason for hope During the recent Carolighting ceremony in front of the State House, Gov. Dick Riley said despite the economic problems and political upheaval around the world, Americans and South Carolinians have reason to hope for a better future. Riley said South Carolinians should use the Christmas spirit as a source of inner strength in this unpredictable nuclear age. While his remarks may sound like the usual rhetoric of our leaders, eager to find good in their administrations, his speech had some valid considerations. People need to find some reason to hope in a \i/r\ r 1 /~l fi i 11 f ntmn f r oimVi or f V* n? wunu iuu ui tvtiii.3 suv.il as 111c ivuican an initi incident and the deaths of the Marines in Lebanon. Incidents such as these, although tragic, are not all that different from events with which Americans have dealt consistently in the past. Each year as we draw closer to the Christmas season, we begin to think of the future in terms of family and home. Easy as it is to become cynical and disenchanted with the bustle and commercialization associated with the holiday, few people actually want to be a Scrooge. Americans need to believe the future will somehow be brighter. And maybe the future is brighter. The economy aooears to be on the veree of a final recoverv. sparking what stores hope to be the "best Christmas ever" for sales. Unemployment figures are falling, and despite the persistent crises of industry and trade, the dollar is strong. But one heavy shadow remains over our heads, the apparent lack of a viable solution to the nuclear arms debate. ABC's "The Day After" captured the attention of the American viewing public, becoming the most watched television program of our time with more than 100 million people viewing. Perhaps Americans are now willing to take their heads out of the sand on the nuclear issue, and that is the first step towards the eventual goal: ridding our society not only of their possible use but also of their need. The nuclear dilemma cannot be solved in televised panel discussions, but ABC's Viewpoint preformed a valuable service by exposing the Ampriran mihlir* to thp ranop r*f iccnp?c i &1I1V1 1VUI1 puiytiv I. V/ t 1 t V 1 Mll^V \y I As?>JV4V'tJ 111 TV/IT ed in the debate. Only an informed public can make safe decisions about our future leaders and our future policies as a nation. We can only hope for a safe tomorrow. But that hope must be tempered by a willingness to expose ourselves to the real, and often scary, concerns of the imperfect world in which we live. As we approach the year of George Orwell's dire predictions, many may be looking for "Big Brother.'* But most will be wishing the new year to be better than the last. We hope so too. VllVW^n Editor in Chief Johnny Boggs j Copy Desk Chief Curt Cottle Copy Editor Beverly Simmons News Editor Chris Hondal Copy Editor Leigh Jones Asst. News Editor David Hill Copy Editor Alan Seim Opinion Page Editor.. Ellen McCarthy Copy Editor Mark Farmer Entain. Editor........ Leslie Dunson ; Sports Editor Jeff Rogers General Manager Ron Emler Asst. Sports Editor. . Andrew Miller Ad Manager Linda S. Haines Wire Editor Kevin Sullivan Business Manager . . Carolyn Griffin Photo Editor Mary Ann HoHis Production Mgr Mark McEwan Asst. Photo Editor Joe Jackson Graduate Asst Wanda M. Hite Graphics Editor Beth Harrison Adviser Mark Ethridge Jr. Copy Editor Mark Armstrong ' ^ Newsroom 777 7181 Ailvortising 777-4249 Business Office 777-3888 ProdLCtion 7772833 The Gamecock welcomes letters and guest editorials. All letters and guest editorials must be typewritten, triple-spaced on a 65 space-line. Letters should be no longer than 300 words and guest editorials should be limited jj to one newsworthy subject no longer than four typed pages. Letters and guest editorials MUST be signed with the writer's name, telephone number, mailing ad dress, class standing or faculty position and major. Pseudonyms are unacceptable, but the writer's name may be withheld upon request if the circumstances warrant. We reserve the right to edit guest editorials and letters. [Address letters and columns to: Opinion Page Editor, Gamecock, Drawer A, USC, Columbia, S.C. 29208. I OpinioN Let Students criticize add (Editor's note: In addition to the author, 38 chemistry students signed the following letter, including 37 graduate students and one undergraduate.) To the Editor: The board of trustees has recently decided to raise money to upgrade the computer facilities at USC. While I applaud this decision, I object strongly to the way it is being carried out. The students of three colleges, business administration, engineering, and science and mathematics, will be required to pay $50 per semester, starting next semester. This action is terribly unfair. First of all, many student in the College of Science and Mathematics do not use the university computer facilities at all. These students should not be required to pay the fee just because they are enrolled in this college, and not in humanities. Fans should ignore abi To the Editor: After which, h During the USC-UNC Asheville ear-shot to add basketball game, the fans were sub- Carolina school jected to ridicule and name-calling by blind." announcer Gene McKay. The fans' 1 urgC all fan response to a cheer didn't meet with games in Frank f McKay's approval, and his response nore such ridicuN on the public address system was, their own style "What a wimpy sounding crowd." fans are there be Interc ft.. fft ' " un american manipu As a direct descendent of the ineffective League of Nations, the United Nations was never designed to be a cure-all for the ails of war around the globe, or a supreme body able to reverse decisions of sovereign nations. As in the U.S. Constitution, a series of checks and balances was injected to attract members to U.N. principles without threatening their sovereignty. The United Nations was brought forth as a grand forum where most nations in the world could discuss their disagreements with other nations and work out compromises before hostilities erupted. All members joining the United Nations were expected to uphold the ideals and rules of the new league. Fivp natir?nc thp I ^tafpc thp Qnuipt llr?ir?n Phina France and England, became the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and, as such, were expected to be the flagship countries in upholding U.N. principles. Now, almost 40 years after its founding, the United Nations is being reduced to a powerless laughing-stock, receiving little more respect than the original League of Nations. Its two most powerful members, the United States and the Soviet Union, use it only as a sounding board and a megaphone of I-toldyou-so world condemnation of each other's actions. The United States was quick to point to U.N. criticism in the Soviet Union when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and later when it shot down the Korean commercial jetliner. The principles of the United Nations had been violated; we were appalled. The Soviet Union acted with disdain toward the whole proceeding. With the recent invasion of Grenada, however, the shoe was on the other foot. We saw the advantage in shutting down ? budding communist nation in our hemisphere and took it. Th( world community cried foul, and the United Nations issued j bitter condemnation of U.S. interference in the Caribbear island. Only the United States, Israel, El Salvador and the si) island nations near Grenada that had requested our interven tion voted against the censure. y* JPVZL . MR.WALTER"FRITZ*MONPAL? OP REAGANBWT, MINNESOTA, i BECAME SO HOPELESSLY TANGLED IN His rA*9SN? STRING COLLECTION TUAT HE ENPANSEBEPHlS FUTVRE QAR&R M FOltT/CS!! I ?I FerS ed $50 facilities fee Second, students who use the computer little, perhaps only in the introductory course, should not be charged as heav.ly as those who place a larger load on the computer facilities, such as engineering and computer science majors. The fee should be tied to computer use in order to distribute it equitably. My final objection to the action involves its timing. It was announced very shortly before it is to take effect, serving to limit debate on the issue and to eliminate potential objections. The students of the three colleges affected should vigorously protest to the administration over this unfair action. Robert Whiton Graduate student ise, grad student says turned to all within of their institution and the athletic "This is the South program. for the deaf and . , this is why the fans will support ; who attend future their Gamecocks faithfully this season IcGuire Arena to ig- and ln a" the seasons to come' and to respond with Go get 'em, fans! of enthusiasm. The Leeny Foiles :ause they are proud Graduate student arripuS lation of U.N. forum If the United Nations is to survive as an effective forum for debate and negotiation, the United States and the Soviet Union must return to their original commitment of upholding the precepts of the league and the principles of peace. The United States cannot praise the voice of the United Nations on one occasion and turn a deaf ear at another. The United Nations is not a tool created for U.S. or Soviet manipulation, but is rather a unified force directed to keep world peace. If we don't uphold the ideals of the United Nations, we can be sure that in the near future no one else will, either. The Daily Tar Heel University of North Carolina ll-V> 198.1 The Orlando S?nlir>el I f I?ld N?V?>P?P?' Synf).c?l? "I FEEL THAT (T^ PREMATURE TO WSCU96 A CMLg?r?ttnn mr\ ?<r -nil/: <nur i > ir-r t.Ukrr hpw znw inii> Hint-, t WANi *J be tm6 eesr powakher this crr< b?r had'.*