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Viewpoint ' 6 ^ Wednesday, March 25, 1987 miihiiiiiiiiii m n Poll S. C. residents approve of sex-education in high school For years, political and religious groups in South Carolina have thwarted attempts to enact meaningful and comprehensive sex education in state schools. It has been said that allowing sex education in our schools would amount to telling youngsters it is OK to give in to those "devilish, adolescent temptations." But, surprisingly, a vast majority oi adult South Carolinians want their sex in the schools in addition to behind closed doors. Prudery, which is not only stupid but also HonnprAiic t linen r\ our K r* r. ? ? * - uuiigviuiu inv.iv. ucijifl, iid^ uuviuuMy given way 10 u sense of sexual responsibility parents want their children to acquire. It's high time, too. South Carolina ranks ninth in illegitimate teenage pregnancy, which alone is reason enough to start acting on a sex education program that might very well reverse this trend. Now that the people of the state arc obviously backing sex education heartily, there is no reason to put it off any longer. The poll, conducted by Metromark Market Research Inc., indicated 81 percent of the adults in the state support sex education. This was surprising, especially after hearing for years from opponents of sex education that the decent, right-thinking, church-going folk of this God-fearing state would not stand by and let their children be subjected to the foul and morally offensive objectives of sexual education. South Carolinians are obviously smarter about the implications of sex education than those people who are intent on keeping young people ignorant and naive about a natural human function, which just happens to be potentially dangerous. The respondents, 77 percent of them, felt that the more young people knew about sex the more ?:~.w ?i ? i-i > ^.uuiiuu) 11icy wuwu DC. Also, with all the controversy surrounding condom usage and advertising, there was one very interesting statistic. An overwhelming number of respondents said schools should provide teenagers information on the use of condoms. This information should not only be aimed at diseases such as AIDS, they said, but it should also be used in the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. The people who were polled came from a wide variety of backgrounds. They were white, they were black, they were poor, they were rich, and they comprised a wide age group. Perhaps the most surprising revelation of the polls demographics was the religion factor. You would naturally assume that state's Baptists would be quite vociferous in their ideas toward sex education. The same would seem to go for the state's Catholics. But, the majority of Catholics as well as Baptists support sex education, including condom information. The poll comes at a time when there is a debate in the state on sex education. A gubernatorial task force recommends sex education from kindergarten through grade 12 and additional instruction in family planning, pregnancy and contraception. But, of course, they have their usual lame-brained opposition from the right. The task force is at least trying to alleviate a pregnancy problem. The conservative "right," on the other hand, would like us to live in the dark and let teenagers continue to make the same mistakes in the name of morality. But the people of South Carolina have spoken, and, from all indications, the conservative "right" seems to be verv "wr(v,f." ? o ' f /? \ %t> V? * / // S3? \ \ / // A life, "^S - ~ ?' *- * 4 *~ "" isf<r*r r.t%jnt,Y *?+** < ?'S * Write us a letter^ Tell us what's on your mind. I .otters must There is a limit of t' be typed, double-spaced and no more than the same writer. 250 words. Include name, address and We reserve the righi telephone number for verification. Names on outdated topics t< will not be withheld. Ciuest editorials are topics. limited to 500 words. Indicate whether you Write to: View are a student, IJS( staff member, or com- Gamecock, Drawer A munity member in letters and editorials. Columbia, S.C. 29201 An early goodl There will be an inauguration next week, and someone is leaving the "USC scene" because of it. Someone special. I first saw Amy Houser running meetings of the Student Senate. She had a great grasp of both tact and the rules of order, and she ran a very tight ship that got the job done in an orderly and efficient manner. There were some problems that year ? times when senators did not show up for meetings, and there was no quorum to conduct business ? nrnhlrmc with anathv Hilt the job got done, most of the time quickly and ; some of the time slowly. But for some reason, when 1 heard she was < running for Student Government president, I couldn't believe it. I knew that she could get < things done, but I'd already told someone else < 1 would wear his button. 1 was surprised, I guess, because of a deep- < rooted chauvinism. "A girl? For president? < Arc you kidding?" ; It wasn't an adequate way to judge a can- i didate for a job 1 consider to be important. It ] wasn't the smartest thing for a journalist to < do; make a decision without bothering to check the facts that were right in front of my I face the whole time. I I was wrong. 1 It's not very easy for someone like me to Letters to the Father's part Ms. Whitehi A c a* % conflict bet not 'tiny one parents for child and, tl To the editor: that stemm As a member of the Biology Although in Faculty, I feel it is my duty to would roi educate your editorial staff with custody, m< respect to how babies arc made. giving the Based on the "Baby M" equal weigh editiorial in the March 20, 1987 relevent to t edition of The Gamecock, this if I am not knowledge is sorely lacking. will be con: First of all, humans arc issue, diploid. We have two sets of After car chromosomes. This is a direct credentials ( result of sexual reproduction, editorial sta wherein each half of the genetic Ms. Whitehi material is obtained from parent; tha separate individuals. prerogative. Finally, not just any two in- tion to yo ...III *1/- ? ui?iuuai) win uu, wc arc aiso assumption dimorphic. The population is Mr. Stern 1 segregated into two sexes having contract of distinctive physical traits. Sue- that his con) cessful mating must occur bet- This attitud ween one individual from each sadly outdi group. Therefore, it is clear that father is les: each human has two biological ed to his chi parents: one mother and one the rearing father. Both have made an equal therefore, hi contribution genetically and custody, psychologically. The latter assertion may sur- Franl prise some of your readers, but 1 Assisfa suggest that each ask his or her father about his feelings of love ? ^ and anticipation during his wife's ^ ^ pregnancy. This fact was totally | i? ignored in the "Baby M" CJltlD k editorial, wherein the rights of the father were callously To the editc dismissed. The Moi The C ... , , Keillor In C-hlef A tvo letters per month by R(>tu l)ea Kayne Mnn?Ki?K Kdllor / t to stop printing letters A my DelPo % 3 make room for new ^TphenC^foyte [ AtiltUnl Copy C point Editor, The i>t?k < hi*r y ., Russell House, USC, i'uJy"e'h,el 1 ,N?v*? Kdllor ^ Paula Wethinnton / G5 MPH I (ODD ORNAMENT bye to a very s admit, but I was wrong. Amy Houser is the best SG president I've >een in the three years I've been here. Why? She worked these past two semesters for the students of USC, even though they couldn't :are to be bothered. She alone had the vision and the desire to work to fight to get a voting student member 3n the USC board of trustees. Because of her actions, the SG president is allowed now to sit in on closed executive sessions about matters pertaining to students, when before thev were only allowed to address the board. uecause ot ner, legislation has been f iled in both houses of the state legislature that, if passed, would add a voting student to the board. It was her idea to have a tuition rally and editor ody battle between Club was formed solel ;ad and Mr. Stern is a purpose of represcn ween two biological university at academic legal custody of their tions. We were schci lerefore, is similar to represent the universit ing from a divorce. April at the Nationa i the past the mother United Nations Con Jtinely gain such The country we were as ?re judges today are represent is Bahrain, an father's arguments first time in two ye t. The contract is ir- assigned country is not < his custody fight and, but willing to assist us b< mistaken, its legality research and at the co iiaereti as a separate 1 hey have answered ou but the university has n efully evaluating the we understand the fina )f both parents, your ficulties the university ff may still feel that going through, we had ead would be a better at the beginning of the t is certainly your funds were available. T However, my objec- we registered and be >ur editorial is the research. Before spring I that the only claim were then told the i las on the child is a would not be able to su nebulous legality and We are still trying to ra ribution was "tiny." in an effort to fu e is reflective of the obligations. ated idea that the At a time when mo s emotionally attach- publicity USC rec ildren, has no role in negative, I find it hard t< of the child and, why the adniinistratio as no right to their deny itself positive publ cerning its academic pr< also find it ironic that a i ilyn F. Bolander, Jr. that prides itself on it? nt professor, biology tional studies program to support its delegatio while, Clemson is not "VlIIvS ding its own delegatio 5 request scnding,wodclega,ions >r: Kelh Jel United Nations President lamecock ksiUlnnl News Kdllor* Sporlt Kdllor 'odd Hincs JeJJ Shrewsbury irendu Hlyth A*sl*lanl Sports Kdllor 'Irwpolni Kdllor Wayne Washington /al Millard Photograph) Kdllor loncy Mlior Thomas Humphrey ?undy liarr AuUlanl Photography Kdllor taium Kdllor Nick Leoncavallo rumara Willis (.raphlrs Kdllor mUtant Feature* Kdllor Robb l.ane 'atrick Jean pecial person ; 1 march for full-formula funding. It was her idea to provide students with all the information they need to write letters and talk to their legislators to fight for a full formula. Some others may criticize that the word was J not gotten out enough for either rally, but the idea was sound, and much was accomplished. Maybe the legislators will not change the budget, but they will have a better idea of what they are doing and who they arc hurting. Her appointees got the constitution rewritten, and it is a much better document now; if aj used properly, it will make the government a force to be reckoned with on this campus. These arc just a few of the things Amy Houser has done ? not to get a nice title on her rcsumr hut fnr fhr> ctnHr?ntc at T IQ/"1 mm" though they never once showed the appreciation they should have. Student Government is often criticized for doing nothing. It is not the system that is )4 wrong, but rather, some of the people. If people like Amy Houser were always elected, the administration and the board of trustees would be unnecessary. But the supply of Amy Housers is rather small. But I'm one student who will miss Amy Houser when she is no longer SG president. She's done so much and could do so much more. Thanks, Amy. 1 iingor the N.C. hurt by I competi- # y" during Helms' aUtlCS il Model ipetition. To the editor: signed to Contrary to what people outid for the side of North Carolina might :ars, our think, Jesse Helms is not "good 3nly able, for the state of North Carolina" Dth in our (The Gamecock, March 18). As a nference. North Carolinian, I can say that r requsts, the majority of North Caroliot. While nians I know are just as embarncial dif- rassed by Helms' antics as the system is rest of the nation is, if not more been told so. The only good thing that year that Jesse has done for our state was herefore, his tenure as Chairman of the ;gan our Senate Agriculture Committee break, we and the compromise to save the university Tobacco Price Support Program. pport us. Otherwise, most North Caroline funds nians are just as eager as the rest lfill our of you to get Helms out of the political limelight. He has cast a st of the very backwards view of North ii : ?.'' ? 8 ieves is Carolina's citizens upon this ' _ d imagine country by making us look like 0 8 n would we must have peanuts for brains icity con- for electing him to office this last Dgrarns. 1 time, and let me stress "last" university time. The ultra-conservative interna- minority of North Carolina is unable would probably like to see a n. Mean- President Helms, a scary thought only sen- indeed, but the rest of us normal n. . . it's people who are proud to call North Carolina home won't allow that to happen. V L. Daly Carol Worsham , MUNC Graduate student ^ # ?31 I Ilatebook txlltor Director of Student Media Catherine Gilbert Hill Clements Comic* l-.dllor Production Tracy Mixson Chuck Norris Wirt Kdltor Sort Ha Gillian Smith Advertising Manager Advl??r Margaret Michel* Bill Rogers AitUtant Advertising (Graduate Aulstant Manager Mary Anne llanich Jon Hodges I m I