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Viewpoint Monday, November 25, 1985 m 1 , THE nA"cpnpi/ ? Prejudici While Amer m race relatio An unpleasant incident Philadelphia last week. The police were forced to patr a predominantly white neighbor residents chanted and rallied ag; families who were moving in. "People yelled a lot of slur Carol Fox, a white woman wit band who moved into the neigl her family. "They called us nigg 'You've got it coming."' The two families say they will w ucspuc me protest. "If they don't like us, fin "Don't talk to us; that's OK. \ house, so we're here to stay." The incident is sobering and ill portant point: America is not Is anybody I don't think anybody will be around this joint tomorrow, and I can't be sure that anybody will be here to read this column today. Everybody I talk to is blowing off class on Tuesday, and a lot of nPAnlA ' * aiv muwuig u11 rvionaay for good measure, leading me to believe that I may be a solo act in this week's classes. I'll sit in front of Gambrell Hall as the tumbleweeds skitter past and the winds howl though the crannies of the English department across the way. The campus will look as k eerie and deserted as the setting ' of some post-apocalypse thriller on the Superstation's late movie. Till i ii expect cnariton Heston to round the corner of the BA Building at any moment, chased by a vampiric horde of mutated * Debate article ~ biased for right To the editor: a r. * /\ner attending the debate on the Strategic Defense Initiative between the College Republicans and the Alliance for Peace and reading Sandy Lang's coverage of the discussion in the Nov. 20 > edition of The Gamecock, I have come to the conclusion that Lang and I must have witnessed two separate forums on this crucial topic. In the article, Lang dictates no less than nine paragraphs to the KepuDiicans' viewpoint to just three for the arguments presented by the Alliance for Peace. Futhermore, Lang chose to quote College Republican Don Weaver fully and at length many times, I and Weaver's conservative comrade Cam Crawford was also quoted in full. On the flip side, Lang opted to butcher the comments of the chief speaker for the Alliance for Peace, Ron Palmer, nnrl snlicc th/?m a? illVIII Ul AIV B ivnuiv., In short, Lang's article was a travesty of journalism. Ironically, in an age of continuous criticism and abuse of the socalled liberal press from the far right, Lang's coverage was so biased toward the neoconservative viewpoint that it may as well have been written by Don Weaver himself. As the only student newspaper at USC, The Gamecock has a responsibility to provide fair, non-biased news stories and makf certain that itc frr?r?i nona lc 1?U liVIIV pugv IO not turned into a soapbox for any political ideology, be it right or left. Andy Bechtel Journalism freshman Send as t What do you think about? We'd I ? If you have an opinion you'd lik< h^ f'nrrtlinn fnmmnnitu c ?nA ? vv?iui? avuu a Gamecock. Letters must be typed, double spac> the writer's name and telephone nur writer can be reached for verificatio should include whether the writer is i member or a member of the commu 1 J) icans criticize ns still need w occurred in racial prejudi< think. ol the streets of Although th hood when the '60s are gone, linst two black over. To forgei backward. Ma s at us," said are superior t( h a black hus- their skin, and hborhood with ;ers and yelled, In an age v South Africa a I not move out justice, it is sa< uv.v*ui. /aiiiciic e," Fox said. above racial pi Ve bought this It is fine to c prejudice in Sc ustrates an im- the world it oc yet as free of still work to d< out there rc hotel, restaurant and tourism majors, muttering to himself, "I'm too old for this. I'm getting steady work on 'Dynasty.'" Some of these absentees are spending Thanksgiving at homes in New Jersey, Atlanta and Florida, and I understand their haste to get there before they have to make a U-turn in the driveway and come back. But I know a lot of pessimists who by leaving Sunday are allowing themselves four days to get no further than Six Mile, Moncks Corner and Chester. I had an old car like that once. I wish them well on their journeys, as I wish everyone well who's heading home for Thanksgiving, whether it be cross-country or crosstown. I also extend best wishes to those It. Gen. James Abrahamson, Strategic Defense Initiative Organization director. Abortion is a woman's choice To the editor: The sentiments for the rights of unborn children that Mr. Barry Johnson describes in his letter of Nov. 15 are laudable, if taken at face value. Unfortunately, Mr. Johnson's severe and rabid sex am inwciio anyone irom listening to his tirade, let alone accepting his message. Mr. Johnson implies that all unwanted pregnancies arise out of a woman's free choice, which is "finalized," in a particularly puerile and obnoxious image, "when her belt buckle hits the floor." If Mr. Johnson had any great experience with women, i letter like to know. All letters are p ; to share with for space and clai letter to The unless by special returned. ed, and include nber where the Neither the n. Letters also necessarily expre \ student, staff Send your lei nity. Drawer A, Russc South Africa, ork at home :e as Americans would like to e turbulence and upheaval of the the fight for racial equality is not t that would be the same as a step ny people still seem to think they > others because of the color of I that just isn't so. vhen Americans are looking at i J ' * " * " ' nu conueming it tor its racial ini that such incidents continue to a apparently has not yet risen ejudice herself. :ondemn and work against racial )uth Africa, or wherever else in curs, but let's not forget there is } at home. iading this, < landlocked souls who will spend their holiday here on campus, and I'd remind them that the Norman Rockwell version isn't the only way to celebrate Thanksgiving. USC can be a family, too. My mother has already begun cooking for Thursday's dinner, filling the house with scrumptious odors wafting from tantalizing dishes that no one's allowed fr> <?r?t vpt R? ? ? ~ day, every available flat surface in Duncan Plantation will be groaning with forbidden victuals, making my mouth water so much that I'll have to carry around a little cup to save the rugs from saliva. And when lunchtime Wednesday rolls around, and my father and I discreetly inquire about their unfortunate place in ouF " society,' and their relationship? with men, he would perhaps understand more about the ac live, even aggressive, role that men sometimes take in the above "movement." Mr. Johnson has obviously never heard of rape, incest or any of the many other ways that men, throughout history and at present, have forced and persuaded women into sex. In such situations, birth control, even if available, is often irrelevant. He also does not understand that hprailCP nf cimrvlo ~r u.vuujv ui juii^iib iacia ui biology, men have a much easier time escaping the consequences of this act than do women. Were Mr. Johnson forced to face 20 years of sole responsibility for an unwanted child, he might be less ignorant in his opinions, if not more charitable in his language. What Mr. Johnson's letter proves, more than anything else, is that abortion remains a women's issue. Unless men are willing to take equal responsibility for the pregnancies that we often, in one way or another, force or persuade upon women, we especially have no right to call ourselves "moral" and characterize all feminists or liberal women as "promiscuous," or to picture abortion ? a horror, I am sure, for anyone who has ever been forced to face it ? as a casual choice resulting from a casual act. Insulting women will not pre vent abortion. Unless we men accept responsibility for our own acts, we have no right to lecture women on how they should deal with the consequences of these acts. Fortunately for Mr. Johnson, his ^pinions indicate that he is never likely to face this responsibility, this terrible choice, in his irinted, and are subject to editing rity. Names will not be withheld, exception. Letters will not be letters nor the guest editorials ss the views of The Gamecock. Iter to: Editor, The Gamecock, ;11 House, Columbia, S.C. 29225. sr have you what we're going to cat today, not tomorrow, my mother will glance abstractedly about the kitchen and say, "Oh, my," and my father, with stoic resignation before the implacable wheels of eternal Fate, will root through the clutter atop the clothes dryer looking for Hardee's discount coupons. My sister and I usually spend the day after Thanksgiving in Columbia, where our Christmas shopping for other people keeps getting sidetracked by basic Rrecd. as we hint broadlv at other about all the neat stuff we want ourselves. My favorite part of Thanksgiving comes Thursday, when the whole family sits around the dining room table ? over the cratered ruins of the turkey, ham, personal life. The rest of us, however, must continue to struggle with its possibility, our consciences and our responsibilities. When men participate fully in tnis responsibility, we may then have and debate opinions about abortion. Until then, it remains a woman's issue, and a woman's decision. David W. Babson Anthropology graduate Ahnrtinn Isttsr ? - IW??WI chauvinistic To the editor: I am writing in response to Barry Johnson's Nov. 15 letter to the editor demanding the end of access to legal abortions for all women. Mr. Johnson's letter is marked by inaccuracies and chauvinistic and insensitive comments that reflect an attitude that is out of touch with the reality of the issue. Among other things, Mr. Johnson's ill-conceived argument manaees to dismiss th*? fart that there are indeed two people involved when a woman becomes pregnant. He writes that "she chooses whether or not to engage in sexual activity," whether or not to "take preventive measures," and "When she acts irresponsibly she must accept the consequences." These actions and decisions involve a woman and a man, and thus both ultimately face the same consequences when pregnancy results. Ru C'J\/tnrt UUor final A AVI llliai UCtldlUll was made at the moment her belt buckle hit the floor," Mr. Johnson betrays not only his The LA is ttwwwe cwsis psc^ \ ? _ i rtxwi'lX v T WttffvlS \ A WiHiW Jk Jm mmjW Cotag* Pt?? r ? -1 . !BE gone home cranberry sauce, buttered biscuits, rice. oihW oraw ctrino - . ? o "'"Uft beans, field peas, tomatoes, chocolate pound cake ? to drink a few more gallons of iced tea and talk on through the afternoon before adjourning for Scrabble, the back yard or the sofa, glad that we're all present blatantly chauvinistic viewpoint, but an unrealistic appraisal of the ' situation as wrll One place the burden and the blame on the woman and dismiss the man as an innocent bystander in an unwanted pregnancy, just as one cannot credit the woman alone when pregnancy is a planned-for and happy occasion. Still, the fact remains that it is the woman who becomes pregnant and thus would have more at stake if abortion were no longer legal. It is a credit to this country that women do have the constitutional right to abortion, whirh Vl/QC orontfl/i ?? 1 OT3 U... .....v.. ??mu qihiuvu in i 7 /j uy ilie nine male justices on the Supreme Court and not by the "feminists" Mr. Johnson is so fond of referring to as the power behind the decision. While some unplanned pregnancies are the result of neglect, many couples simply do not have the information, resources or access available to practice responsible birth control. Even so, no birth control method except sterilization is 100 percent effective. People are not perfect and should not be judged as such. Whether it be human error or product failure, accident* happen. Mr. Johnson belittles the term "pro-choice," but choice is the very heart of this issue. When to have a child is one of the most important choices a couple will ever make. It is an extremely personal and private decision. Giving birth and raising a child requires an enormous amount of time, money, sacrifice and love. If the issue of choice were eliminated, then we are saying anyone who can become pregnant is ready to parent, and this is ilict nrvt trna J ??Vfc 11 UV Is Mr. Johnson, who is so ready to deny a woman the right Edhor-hi-cblcf Ann Farmer Editor Tracy Mixson Copy De*k Chkf Andy Duncan > rablMl Copy Desk CUcf Linda Taylor Ntwi/BsilKH Editor Marlsa Porto AMfotaat News Editors Juliet Nader Carl Dawson SpotHgfct Editor Roni Bea Kayne Assistant Spotlight Editor Ed Cham bliss OHTtOUS ? views ''"teipcsn WlUS~~"V| W A ?S!" J \ f ?2?sai 'w-Tfc UlSH PttftwiwiX wsn?iKi)*nott cwm \ Bwtssjwma ?55fe mr ^$6^pu^-." J already? Andy AiTI n yunvmi and accounted for and reasonably satisfied with each other and life in general. Happy holiday, and keep in mind that after our return next week, only three Gamecocks are left in the semester. Talk about thanksgiving. " ?""J to decide when and if she shpuld become a mother, also ready to assume the care and responsibility for every unplanned or unwanted child born to these women? I feel I must address Mr. Johnson's tactless remark of "clinics being staffed with well trained technicians and sophisticated instruments that would make Josef Mengele drool with delight." To equate a trained physician performing a legal medical procedure with a Nazi scientist's brutal experiments and murders is so insensitive it is beneath contempt. Mr. Johnson, I suggest that if you plan to write future letters, you put more thought into the effect such a callous statement might have on your readers. We are all entitled to our personal opinions, and abortion seems to be an issue on which many people have strong feelings Anp U/at/ W* A- LI !i vi>? f>u; \JI IIIV uuivi . I1UWCVCI , 11 is not our place to use personal opinions as the criteria for denying another person their rights, especially when we really have no idea of the hardship or pain that may result. It is likely that abortion will remain in the limelight, with the media attention and grandstanding that accompanies any controversial issue. Thus, unfortunately, what should be in essence a very private matter of personal choice will continue to be manipulated as a matter of public concern. Those who vain* the right of choicc will remain committed to ensuring access to safe, legal abortion for women. Sharyn Finkel Health Education graduate Viewpoint Editor ! Amy DelPo Sports Editor j Gregg Lasky ' A??lstanl Sports Editor Jeff Owens Photography Editor Joseph Garnett A Mist ant Photography Editor Ray Gronberg Advteer Bill Rogers \ Director Bill Clements Production I^wis Covington Mark Armstrong