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_____? ? mi nyiiULuMJuyjiii^ Viewpoint Friday, May 1, 1987 * 5 Murder Contras should be punished for killing innocent American When vou think of Ronald Rpaoan and his administra tion, his one foreign policy objective that immediately rushes to the mind is the policy dealing with international terrorism. Reagan, since he took office at the end of the Iranian hostage crisis in 1980, vowed to be tough with terrorists and to not give an inch in their favor. Reagan's zeal in his attempts to eradicate international terrorism have been well documented, and he has made no bones about his vile feelings for terrorists. Without question, it is atrocious that Libyan and Syrian-backed terrorists kill innocent Americans. It is atrocious that Shiites take American hostages and threaten their lives. They are undoubtedly worthy of our scorn. But what about our sup posea allies.' can tney kill Americans ana get away witn it? "Of course they can't," you say, incredulously. Unless, of course, your a Nicaraguan Contra. An American volunteer who was working in Nicaragua Tuesday was killed execution-style by a band of Nicaraguan rebels or contras, as they are commonly referred to. For the uninitiated, the contras are "freedom fighters" battling against the Sandinista government of Daniel Ortega. The contras are backed tentatively by the Reagan administration and by rank and file conservatives. W But the question is whether the administration and the rank and file conservatives will even pay sincere attention to this tragic incident of utter repulsiveness and stupidity. The answer seems to be an unequivocable "no." This is a shame. But beyond the shame involved in shutting up about the incident, there is the two-faced, hypocritical reasoning of the Reagan administration. The dead man, Benjamin Ernest Lister, may have been working for the Sandinistas. So what? Was he taking arms against the contras or the people of Nicaragua? Was he plotting some diabolical covert American/communist action? No. Linder was there on a humanitarian mission serving as a mechanical engineer on the construction of a small hydroelectric plant for a village. Does that sound subversive? Of course not, and the insane, inept and dastardly stuoid contras should have to nav fnr killina him Thev should have to pay as dearly as a Moammar Gadhafi or any other terrorist that has killed or injured innocent Americans. Punishment cannot be limited to our enemies. The Reagan administration will probably allow the issue to die, and for them the sooner the better. The contras have proven their impotence time and again. This violent ^ incident signals an army on the edge of losing any credibility it might have once had, and Reagan's angst at defending North America from an imaginary communist threat from the south just gets aggravated more in times like these. Reagan needs to address this murder of an innocent man and bring the culprits to justice. If he fails to do this, he loses crediblity in his terrorist stance; he loses credibility as a man of peace and justice; and he loses his credibility as person responsible for the welfare of Americans. There is no difference in a person killed violently in an airport bom?1 bing by a radical religious faction from a foreign country and a man killed needlessly by U.S.-backed contras. Let's hope Reagan and his cronies will realize that also and take action now. r^^mKHrnwiaV J--. < t*JO V(*f lU/fl (,* > /- s. < *DVl?oa<T*t7 ^-a^\ )T*o?S\<AiwMt*i. / /1.21^< ,!?*'LlSriE?f / nfy^w\ I i ' Write us a letter - ' Tell us what's on your mind. Letters must There is a limit o be typed, double-spaced and no more than the same writer. 7^(1 u/nrH? InrlnHe name, address and We reserve the ri telephone number for verification. Names on outdated topic will not be withheld. Guest editorials are topics. limited to 500 words. Indicate whether you Write to: Vi are a student, USC staff member or com- Gamecock, Drawe ^ munity member in letters and editorials. Columbia, S.C. 2S i It's the news Welcome to my version of the new Saturday Night Live news script, localized, a bit, / f r * I. ~ r aL jur i/ol unu ine ouum. What's in the news? Well, in an unexpected move, the United States Treasury Department turned the billions of dollars of outstanding debt the United States is owed by Argentina over to a collection agency. Vito Marcellini of the Helpful Hand Acceptance Corporation said he didn't think it would be too difficult to collect. "We'll make them an offer they can't refuse, but if not. we'll repossess as is stan dard proceedure." Jim Bakker today said he never was involved in wife swapping, but once told a Henny Youngman joke, which usually ends in "Take my wife ? please" and someone might have misunderstood. The Federal Communications Commission is trying to strengthen penalties for broadcasters who use profane words on television and radio. But the Commission will publish a list of codes for your favorite taboo words. i iic Dig wjic incaiii tuiyuiing iroiu an expression of surprise, anger, alarm, fear or sexual relations. Instead of Almighty damnation, one can say "The Big Guy is mighty peeved." If you want to call someone an SOB, use Joan Collins' bouncing baby boy. Billy Graham has been in town all week long, and, at one of his 'historic' crusades, Tetter's to tht America isn't XT, a 1*1 l game. All turning liberal carina last Nov To the editor: Campbell This may come as a disappoin- My po ting surprise to a certain staff large cro\ member of The Gamecock, but to indicai the entire USC student body has has becor not been suddenly transformed still cool into a reincarnated sixties sub- SFA Live culture. There may be a few wayward hippies roaming around the campus, but the majority of Managen USC students are still patriotic and generally supportive of our nation's policies. The College Republicans have grown this year ? _|i to a membership of over six hun- 03.0J dred, which makes them the J largest student organization on To the ec campus. The Students for After i America, a newly formed conser- article, " vative student organization, is on firmative the rise and growing steadily. edition o Sorry, P.J. compelle* And as for Ronald Reagan, he I foun has no intention of resigning any sided an time soon. Sorry again,P.J. manner. It should also be noted that the fact that number of persons attending the tion exis "march on Washington" was deny " estimated at 75,000. In com- Americ; parison, about 33,000 persons minimiz braved the cold, windy weather business, to attend the first night of the Bil- and educ ly Graham Crusade. If about that I fine same number attend each night, hypocriti that's over 250,000 South Caroli- he say riianc that will he mnhili/ed disrrimin _] Also, over 75,000 enthusiastic and incoi I [The c . , , Kdltor In Chief if two letters per month by Rom Hea Kayne Managing Kdltor ight to stop printing letters An,v Delr>? s to make room for new sieph^uil/ovie AwKtant Cop) ewpoint Editor, The n?k Chief r A, Russell House, USC, T \Iu ' ' Nevyj l-xftlor >208. Paula Wethington fsURtJHtY'REllGDCl lg 0UTYBEGM5Q r folks, and I ai M .... hrm WK. USC President James Holderman welcomed flip pvnnoplict trt fhp I ISP fomilv flraViom'c adoption into this ever-growing house of love has this son of USC grateful, because he thinks he's too shy to offer the Thanksgiving blessing at a table built for 24,000. Billy's used to that stuff. In other campus news, Holderman announced that USC has already reached its goal of becoming internationally renowned, but said the school could go further. Holderman outlined goals for an interstellarly and traris-tempOrally renowned USC, which will add a few teachers to the faculty: Darth Vader will be dropping in to teach us how to use the Dark Side of the Force to cheat on exams and the role of Villains in Galactic culture. Buck Rogers will teach a course for the psychology department on how time travel affects the emotional and mental well-being ? editor - ' - ' ' ' s can be easily mobiliz- taken lightly." He tl ;nd a Carolina football around and says, "grar so, nearly 300,000 South mative action generall voters were mobilized small-scale discnminati ember to elect Carroll white males." You sc I as our governor. taking it rather lightly, >int is that 75,000 is a One should be a^ vd, but not large enough racism and discrimini te that the entire nation two-way street. If a pei ne liberal. Hey man! It's ly against acts of discr to be a conservative. then he is against any :s! solely on race, religion Not against just thos< Janice M. Kraft discrimination that r lent/Marketing, senior day affect him. Whei qualified applicants ? ITin 16 from certain jobs simp lUfilli IS of race by law, all yoi i| tained is state-si ly IMSISCO discrimination. If affirmative < litor: America's only hop reading Samuel Starks' discrimination and ra There is no shame in af- there is great reason I action," in the April 27 Great shame indeed, f The Gamecock, I felt d to respond. Michael d the letter to be one- Criminal justice, i d written in a biased While I cannot deny the iiiiiiig racism and discriminat in America today, I . affirmative action is an extrem a's only hope for :ing inequalities in To the editor: employment practices After reading Patr ation," as Starks states. column on April 27, 1 Starks to be very disappointed and an cal when, in one breath could someone as sup] s, "although the telligent as Jean coi larinn nf tnrlav U snhtle ' marches in Forsvth C nspicuous, it is not to be Washington, D,C. to a Gamecock - ? Assistant New* Editors Sports Editor Todd times Jeff Shrewsbury llrenda Rlyth Assistant Sports Editor Viewpoint Editor Wayne Washing/on Hal Millard Photography Editor Monty Editor Thomas Humphrey Candy Harr Assistant Photography Editor Features Editor Leoncavallo Tamara Willis Graphics Editor Assistant Features Editor Robb Lane Patrick Jean in out of here and a course for Applied Professional Sciences on how time travel affects one's 9 p.m. dinner reservations at Sardi's. USC administrators Chris Vlahoplus and Francis Borkowski were seen walking across the Horseshoe together. There's no news here, folks, I just like saying Vlahoplus and Borkowski. My thanks to Dave Letterman. Generalissimo Franco is still dead. My thanks to Chevy Chase. It was revealed today that Tammy Bakker is really just a sophisticated Muppet that was stolen from one of Jim Henson's studios. I don't know, maybe Henson is slowing down in his old age, 'cause those Muppet things usually look more realistic than Tammy Faye. Hundreds of students assembled in front of the President's House chanting "Come out and play with us." The students were trying out a new game called the lynch mob game, a variation of the assassin's game. The president didn't come out, but instead sent his USC police goon squad out, armed with water pistol UZIs commandeered from students playing the assassin's game. The crowd was dispersed with four casaualties. Mob leader Michael Hogue, one of the dead, had this to say after his death: "Gosh, all we wanted to do was have some fun, which is a positive thing. Aw, he's no fun at all." The president was quick to respond though, "Aw, he's just sore 'cause he lost, don't let him fool 'ya." Guess what folks, that's the news and 1 am outta here. . . : v' . . .. . , nen turns a complete lioerai snut i it is true ited, affir- that the recent Senate elections y involves slowed down the conservative on against movement, but it did not stop it. ;em to be Mr. Jean may find some interest Starks. in learning that two of the new ware that Democratic senators, Shelby of ttion is a Alabama and Graham of son is tru- Florida, are conservative; furimination, thermore, 1986 saw the election act based of eight new Republican or sender. Governors. 5 types of Also, Jean's harsh statements nay some about President Reagan were unn the best called for, and they just managed ire barred to prove that Jean is an extremist, ily because The statements I refer to are: j have ob- "The president is a bad guy" and jonsored "After six years, the Reagan nightmare appears to be over." iction is Those cheap shots were offensive e to end and uncalled for. The president cism, then may have made mistakes, but for shame, what president has not? I hate to tell you, Jean, but John Kennedy made the mistake of the Bay of I D. Morin pjgS an(j Lyndon Johnson got us tophomore bogged down in Vietnam. It took Nixon to get us out. t* I am not an extremist. I just IS feel that a couple of protests do . not signify a complete liberal LISl shift. I am a moderate who can see that liberals make mistakes as often as conservatives. In my opiick Jean's nion, Jean should research his I was very facts more, before putting gry. How himself on such an extremist posedly in- limb. npare the ounty and' D. Troy Mullinax i symbol of Political science, sophomore ii>m. u, 11 1 'i I 1 ammmMM Date book Editor Director of Student Media j Katherine Gilbert Bill Clements j Comic* Editor Production Tracy Mixson Chuck Norris Wire Editor Son Ha Gillian Smith Advertising Manager Advltrr Margaret Michels ' Bill Rogtrs Auktanl Advertising Graduate AitiiUil Manager Mary Anne Banich -fan Hodges