The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 21, 1986, Page 4, Image 5

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Viewpoint 4 Friday, February 21, 1986 The Philip 0 Paper shouldn't suppress debate To the editor: Does The Gamecock wish to limit or stifle debate on important issues? Though The Gamecock has not done so (or seemed to do so) in the past, a recent editorial comment seemed to imply that certain issues such as abortion, apartheid and "Star Wars" should not be addressed unless certain "new" events arise concerning them. The problem is these issues often concern people who are dissatisfied with the status quo. Must those who are dissatisfied with the status quo always wait for some "event" to occur before they may voice their opinions? It seems that those in favor of maintaining the status quo arc least in favor of entertaining debate. A case in point would be Lesly The Gamecock needs youi press your likes and dislikes 1 ter to the editor. Letters must be typed, douh a maximum length of 30() wo include the writer's name, adc number and where the writer for verification. Letters should also includ writer is a student, staff i member. Guest editorials mu.< j drnt arthily fee*. , pines: One m '^ISSULTS GONTItfU -x 0 \ i-1 v I lib?iiiniium i Adam's c. "plaint "Abortion, abortion, abortion! It seems everyone has an opinion on abor??/!_.. _r i-_l. HUM HUWrtUdyS. V'CllCI Ul I'CU. 10). Her argument for maintaining the status quo seems to be based on the idea that legal abortion may "endanger" the life of a baby, but making abortion illegal would "endanger" both the mother's and the baby's lives. Many people feel, however, that making abortions illegal not only could reduce the number of abortions (that "endanger" the lives of babies as Ms. Adams puts it), but would remove this society's approval (and funding) that the denies the right to life of an innocent human being. I state this to suggest to Ms. Adams possible reasons lor people having "an opinion on abortion nowadays." If The Gamecock wishes to limit discussion only to events as mcy arise, men mose wno wish to write should be informed of that. Personally, I hope The Gamecock will continue to pre opinions. Ex- 500 words and >y writing a let- ture. Photos cai The Gamecoc >le-spaced, with letters a month rds. They must will only be w i *^1 i 1 j 11 t icicpnuiic itnu pseuuonym can be readied The Gamecot letters and guest e whether the returned. Send :>r community Gamecock, Dra .t be limited to umbia, S.C. 291 | i ; 933 Main cartoonist'.' > " .* jt-' ETDPRI0WEIN... sent the letters received regardless ot perceived issue relevance. Jon Ensminger Music, graduate student Parking problem can be solved To the editor: I think enough has been said on both sides of the SDI issue, therefore, this piece of "kraftespondence" will deal with a more pressing issue ? parking at USC. I am confident that all students will agree that there are far too many parking meters on campus. 1, like many other students, pay $20 per year for a parking sticker, only to find that there are no spaces available in student lots near my dorm. Bates anu v^uiiscum iois uon i uo mc any good, since as a nursing student, I sometimes leave for the hospital as early as 6:30 a.m. Shuttlecocks don't run that early and it is quite dangerous to walk m by the same writer. Names \ ithheld by special exception s are not allowed. ?k reserves the right to edit editorials. Letters will not be I letters to: Editor, The wer A, Russel! House, Col',08. Street | f . U fj v ./.,. /% xMzMl ' z. ' *+. m. I pi CM2P HIT EhISM ftn AND T QFTFh long distances alone to get to my car. On days that I don't have clinical, 1 sometimes leave my car in one space for a day or two at a time. This is extremely inconvenient when there is a meter to feed every two or five hours. I also like to park my car close by, so that I can check it each day. There are several solutions that cmilH hf* cmnlr\u(>H' 1. Allow campus residents to park free at meters. 2. Eliminate meters in lots primarily used by resident students. a. Capstone lot (Columbia Flail lot is usually lull) u. Bull Street (Women's Quad has no nearby student lot) 3. Eliminate all meters and designate specific lots for students, faculty and open/visitor parking. Also, eliminating meters would free the university police to attend to more serious crimes, rather than parking violations. Janice Kraft Nursing, junior hdltor In Chief Martsa J. Porto Munuging fcditor Jeri Rowe /'LI-* vupy i/im \ njfi Linda Taylor Assistant Copy Desk Chief Buddy Moore News hditor Juliet Nader Assistum News hdltors Curl Dawson Hob Kudelka Libhhmhhhhmbb Democrac It's students' they owe it i Every semester students are given the chance to choose those whom they want to represent them on campus. The process is called 'elections,' and it is the main point of every democracy. Yet, this process is often taken for granted, generating apathy and resulting in leadership picked by the few to represent the many. It is a tradition that students should consider ending this semester. Apathy is a wicked cycle perpetuated every semester for the same reasons. People stop caring because they believe the organization in question does not work efficiently. And the organization does not work efficiently because nobody believes in it. But every year students are given the power to end this cyclical trend by voting. If siuaents ao not teel they are being adequately represented they should demand changes. They should be encouraged to stand up for what they want and need. They should not let others deal with the problem. No one else can speak for you. And, student government leaders should make themselves more visible on campus so more people will know about them and their platforms. This will cut down TV worth wat worth paying I thought I would be the first person to walk into the Gamecock newsroom Wednesday morning, but 1 was wrong. When I entered, I saw the TARDIS sitting atop the sports desk, and I knew the Doctor had preceded me. Doctor Who, as fans of the British TV show know, roams time and space in the TARDIS, an acronym for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. It's a strange craft that looks amazingly like a British emergency phone booth and would look at home on any London street corner. It did not look at home on the sports desk. As I approached the door, it swung open and the Doctor poked his head out. He grinned and handed me a sheet of paper. "What does this mean, payment due?" I said. "Did you or did you not phone in a pledge during your local PBS station's last fund-raising drive?" the Doctor asked. "Yes," I said. "Well, then," the Doctor replied, shutting the door between us. A strange noise filled the air, sounding rather like a whooping crane singing a duet with a 20-foot electric fan. "That was for five dollars!" I shouted over the din. "This bill is for five thousand!" But the TARD1S already had vanished. I dismissed the incident as a hallucination brought on by an overdose of space opera and one too many liver pudding, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese sandwiches the night before. I changed my mind Wednesday night, when 1 arrived home to find Julia Child waiting for me in the kitchen. "Helloooo," she said. "I took the liberty of exploring your pantry and making a few entrees Bu?inm Kditor Maria Fraius l/U? ?-* *? ivv>pwim ronor Lynn Cusick Spotlight Kditor Mary Jo Miller Assistant Spotlight Kditor Ed Chambliss Sports Kditor John ttoyette Assistant Sports Kditor Jeff Shrewsbury Photography Kditor Hay Gronberg ? ; y duty to vote; to themselves on the amount of people who vote for a particular candidate strictly on the recommendations of their friends. To prove this point, give yourself a little pop test right now. Can you name all five presidential candidates and their reasons for running? Or, better yet, can you name any of the candidates running for ) the remaining offices? Having the candidates engage in a debate is a good step in the right direction, but it is being held Monday, only two days before the elections. That is cutting it a bit close. Students who do not know by Monday who is running probably do not care. Patriotism is not often mentioned these days because it has become a dirty word of sorts that brings embarrassment upon the speaker. And maybe SGA elections do not exactly inspire people to hum the national anthem. But we should remember that people are dvine in the Philinnines for the right to express their needs. Those people are fighting for something that has become commonplace in this country ? free and fair elections. And history has repeatedly shown that privileges that are taken for granted are often taken away. ching is TV $5,000 for I * K1 ? PW <,v-r ^hP* ^ P^fjM , jMjBKr ],-. ^jl Andy Duncan vTuut wc wuc wailing. WOUICI you like some wine with your liver pudding souffle?" "This is about the money, isn't it?" 1 said. "Ij's all a mistake." She shook her head. "Well, young man, why don't you go talk to Bill about it? He's in the living room." 1 walked slowly down the hall and peered into the darkened room, where a familiar silhouette sat draped across my father's recliner. "1 don't owe PBS any money," 1 told the shape. "Please come in, Mr., uh, Duncan," said a familiar Yale accented voice. William F. Buckley Jr. and I eventually negotiated an agreement whereby PBS renounced immediate claim to my $5,00() in return for my signature on a document promising them my first-born male child 20 years hence. I consider myself lucky. 1 saw what he did to Tom Hayden. The moral is: Don't jack around with public TV. Those boys play rough. Aultlant t'-"' - - ???- ..v?v^i?piij svuiior i Sean Keefer i Adviser Bill Rogers Director Bill Clements Production I*wis Covington Mark Armstrong Advertising Manager Margaret Michels r a Student Advertising Manager * Kelll Freas