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/ JjB Viewpoint J 2 ^ Wednesday, July 15. 1987 Vpg Aides North's 'secret government' violates tenets of democracy The atrocities that Lt. Col. Oliver North and other aicies oi tne Keagan aummisuauon aic accu^cu ui jum don't seem to end. This oast week, it was reported that North and other officials ? in addition to giving arms to Iran, a country the United States is supposedly at odds with, and funding the Contras in Nicaragua, which Congress has forbidden and the World Court has declared illegal ? also perpetuated a "secret government." North and other administration officials created a plan in 1984 to run the United States in a time of crisis. Events that would constitute a crisis to them include nuclear war, widespread internal dissent or national opposition to an American military invasion abroad. The latter two constitute broadly defined conditions. * ? i .1 i .i i t p in accordance wiin inc pian, me u.^. v^uiisiuuuuu would be revoked. The government would be controlled by the little known Federal Emergency Management Agency. Military commanders would run state and local government, and martial law would be imposed. This plan could be enacted for as simple a reason as the Mobilization for Justice and Peace march in Washington, D.C. this past April 25. Bluntly put, if Americans opposed their country's invasions of other ^ * i 1 j 1. a: ?. i countries ror any reason, civn rignis cuuiu uc ciauitaicu nationwide. In a country as famous for freedom as the United States, which is celebrating the bicentennial of its Constitution this year, such a hypocrisy hardly seems fitting. These aides also reportedly created the 4'October Surprise Group," whose purpose was to negotiate with Iranians and ensure that then-President Jimmy Carter did not arrange the release of the 52 American hostages before Ronald Reagan took office. This kind of manipulation of diplomacy could certainly not be called democratic. In addition to these plans, the group is accused of stealing confidential briefing materials from Carter's campaign headquarters in 1980. Isn't this what Watergate was about? By allowing too few people to have too much free reign, the Reagan administration has proven time and time again how self-serving and undemocratic it can be. If Americans truly care for freedom and want to see justice served, then the time to show it is now ? by viewing North and other untrustworthy Reagan aides as egoistic zealots, not heroes. Silence U.S. government shouldn't keep (whist leblo wers' quiet Silcnccrs don't just apply to handguns any more. The federal government is now trying to silence employees who could report governmental mistakes. Veteran "whistleblower" and Air Force official A. Ernest Fitzgerald, among others, is faced with signing the Reagan administration's "Classified Information Non-disclosure Form No. 189." Fitzgerald, who called the form a "gag order," has been warned that if he does not sign within 30 days, he will no longer be cleared for classified information in The Pentagon, where he has worked for years. An infamous $2 billion cost overrun of the C-5A cargo plane was revealed by Fitzgerald in 1969, and he has good reason not to sign. The form allows the federal government to classify any military material it likes, even after it has been released to the media and the public. Those who disclose the information would be prosecuted without appeal. In an age of bureaucratic double-talk and significant military spending, The Pentagon and the Reagan administration are obviously trying to stifle all information of their mistakes and cost overruns ? errors a concerned military official or politician such as Fitzgerald might Irind. To think the media and public could be kept in the dark about some of the government's errors is frightening. One of the American media's roles is to be a watchdog for the public, reporting governmental triumphs and errors to maintain a balance of power and information. To silence concerned people with important information for the government's good undermines that balance, not to mention being unconstitutional. Let us know what's on your mind. Letters must Names will not I he typed, double-spaced and no longer than 300 will not he acceptc words. Guest editorials must he no longer (han 500 editorials per montl .| words. we reserve trie rij. SB Include the following information for verifica- for legal ramificatio tion: name, address and home and work telephone VVe also reserve tin Hes numbers. Indicate whether you are <i USC student, and editorials on 01 ||| staff member or community member in letters and Write to: Viewp editorials. If you are a student, include your school Drawer A, Russell ej year and major. C arolina, Columbia "Birth Dearth' Attention, baby buyers! Your dreams have f been realized ? the "Birth Dearth" is here! Yes, that's right, all you starving people: you're still not having enough kids. Oh, what's that? Not them, just "Westerners?" Oh, OK. As everyone knows, nobody unwillingly starves in America ? at least that's what President Reagan says. According to Ben Wattenberg, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and author of The Birth Dearth, all Western women need to have 2.1 children to keep the population stable. The fact that it is supposed to keep the I population stable with the "Baby Boom," i one of the greatest population explosions in , msiui y, is ic11 um. Wattcnbcrg's theory really entails the demotion of women, again, from the level of human being to the level of simple childbearer. This theory ignores that population growth is a devastating problem all over WA/T 4Nt> f * THEY CAN GFT THOSE BOOTS TO r/r &?fore | - & 11 ry WE )UM P - ' k^i. /N A NO r/\ KE TH? CREt>ir:.. W0mm / "/V Goetz's action . p* uwvuiwvmvr was justifiable wack white men To the Editor: my dear ? With reference to Katherine justice in A Gilbert's July 1 article: who died and made you a Supreme Court Ai justice? It it's so hard tor you to imagine a "rational excuse" for f** Bernhard Cioet/'s actions, then v^Ulil i.i th.? clt.... I 'IV. I U I V. U I I III II1V. >UIIIV. ^ 0 tion: being approached (tor the is ins sake ot argument) by lour young white men on a subway in New To the Fidi York City. It, at that time, you I read did not possess some kind of Jean's Jul} weapon or other means of self- Court taki defense, I would find it \ery hard Jean se< to believe that your facade of writer, anc pretentiousness would not crum- the excite ble around your knocking knees; seen in T and if a .357 re\olver suddenly however, appeared in your hands, that you lack of cd would hand it over to one of your the area h< potential attackers, saying, The Sup " Viii-L' ii/>i flint t'iltliv rhino :ih :H' C "r\n c t i 1111 i ( t UV.H, ....... I* . I.J w... from me." the basis c It is time for you to come from the Consti behind the protective wall of Court wer editorializing and face up to reali- personal \ ty. Tne four "gentlemen" never would the: denied the charges, and one con- Along \ sistently refused to answer the tragic tha defense's and prosecution's ques- military's tions after he confessed to being unable to on the way to rob video games at Jean is m the time of the attack. They were Supreme not innocent pedestrians asking legislative to borrow money tor a pay Jean a phone; these were repeat of- that the Si fenders who have been convicted Catholic i of charges such as rape and arm- employee? ed robbery. 1 believe Goet/ is en- Catholicis titled to a little paranoia since he more or Ic had been mugged before. But I newspape believe anyone who would get on chief to a subway in New York City at Supreme 1 Christmas time on the way to a consistei holiday celebration is hardly render i /InrnrtM m /\f /A f '?n A Ill M I v | | 1}.; VM Itll'V,! VI (411 /\I11V,I1V.4 11M "overly paranoid vigilante." While As for your sincere belief that man'sent this was a case of "double stan- Jean tha dard racism," please refer to the knowledj ic withheld, and pseiidonwns d. A limit of two letters or Kditor in Chid 1 by the same writer exists. Patrick JC(M ;ht to edit letters and editorials ns, grammar, taste and clarity. FNCWS KLallOr r right to stop printing letters I Mary Pearson uu.ucu i?)|)ks. viewpoint r,ui oint I -Alitor. The tiameunk, KnthorinP Ciilh House, University ol South K(Itnirini CillL . SC. 29208. dangerous plai rv x rr* % tv 1 i :he world, now five billion strong. It also ignores that, even in America, people starve. The entire idea brings us back to the pre-"reproduetive rights" era, where women were simply the childbearer, stripped of humanity and dignity. Admittedly, there are still women who do not desire to do anything more than raise their children, which is fine, but, unlike the hints of Wattenberg's theory, Hl 'NS.VVl fAMERICA! PUBLIC m[ }+- tmwmtt -V ?~ ' * ' I Z~"\ i ALT?p/\T/ ue of Time magazine. Thus, I'm constrai 'ersal of this case was monish him as P J, and guess what? Timothy in the Bible man who shot two show yourself appro1 was acquitted! Yes, Until which time . vis. Gilbert, there is course in civics, I suj. . nlv Ilk flrfirifrwirt; .v??. I ? Suzanne Fernandez Frederic Bastiat's Ti dministrative assistant U.S. Constitution, ai USC Writing Center whole of The f'eden at least "Federalist t column ;::,r:c8ardiny scr Unlike the mor accurate members of The Gun Jean is capable of go tor: field. 1 wish him wel with interest Patrick ; 1 column, "Supreme Former ng dangerous turn." Colun :ms to be a talented 1 the column is free of d bombast generally L.A. llOt he Gamecock. 1 am, concerned about his IVIorri i^lckw ucation or research in 1 ^ : chose for his topic. reme Court, under our To the Editor: an, may decide only on I was appalled )f its understanding of narrow-minded edit tution. If the Supreme June 24 issue of Th\ e allowed to inject its tilled "Harsh". / /iews into an issue, it Californian, I was n be a legislative body. the sensationalized vith Jean, 1 think it's the problem of the it the victims of the Los Angeles. Ob\ LSD experiments are Gamecock staff has sue for damages, but Los Angeles. Cor istaken in blaming the Angeles and its horr Court tor what is a uermany ana the Je shortcoming. ridiculous and unsu Iso expressed concern 1 \ isit l.os AngeW jpreme Court allowed a and it is almost li nstitution to require its home to me. The ho > to be representative of city pose a very seri m ? something no and they have indee :ss unfair than a student to the high crime r requiring its editor in assault, murder ant be a student. The only some of the pre Court's ruling is not in- by the homeless. 1 < r\ t mi i ? V> ( r n /I i ( i a n m I t K f J O 1 1 f \\ A m I C i Hi vtllll I I aUIUUIlUl (1114 1 UN I I IV I IV/lilVIVJi n gs of the First in these acts or that ?nt. in L.A. should be I admire the young the homeless. Howe husiasm, 1 must caution ty of the homeless it enthusiasm without volved in some soi ;e breeds fanaticism. offense. t Features Kditor Graph! Andy Bechtel Robb Sports Kditor Comic Richard Breen Tracy tor Photography Editor Advise >er( Nick Leoncavallo Bill Re n tor women " it is not right to forcc this decision on all 18 women. H The idea is a perfect one for all those poor f?r| childless yuppies v.ho do not wish to deal with the trouble of childbirth and want someone ' aelse to do it for them. It re-enforces the pre- i^jH judice that would revoke reproductive rights B of women and protect them from then despicable sexual desires. Of course, as has been shown time and again, the eradication of birth control docs not eradicate sex anu, in turn, causes more babies to be born. This is Byheaven for the yuppie. '-^3 These children, unwanted or unable to be II taken care of by their natural parents, can be sold for extravagant prices ? as the sale of black market babies proves. The whole idea of the'?Birth Dearth' is anti- H: woman and anti-Third World. If more proof ( Kj of this is needed, check into the history of I awards to women for childbearing issued by j. both the modern-day Soviet Union ? and by p Nazi Germany. m I HRL ^ / V ^ I ned to ad- For example, my friend's cat fl aul did to was broken into in broad daylight \ :: "Study to by two homeless women in order ted." to steal his checkbook and lunch, i lean takes a and I was almost chased by a t >gest he sup- homeless man who demanded by reading money from me. Furthermore, i he Law, the they crowd the sidewalks and nd if not the constantly harass innocent people f ilist Papers, passing by. Paner No. 1 commend Los Angeles of- i duration of ficials for trying to clean up the city streets, at least attempting to c excitable provide the homeless with a safe iecock staff, environment. I'm glad to see that j ing far in the they are searched for weapons I 1. and drugs. Claiming that the Jerry Mills homeless are being blamed for " j USC student the crimes of the majority and * ,1 nbia resident that they are "rounded up like ) cattle, forced out of their natural street habitat" only re fleets vour U 1 _ : iiKe ignorancc. Streets are not a 1,1 natural habitat for the homeless ITI?i|F!V ? they end up on the streets. And finally, the homeless problem has been present in I..A. for decades and cannot be blamed on to read the the Reagan, Carter, or any other orial in the recent administration. It is a city e Gamecock, problem, and unless The ^s a native Gamecock knows the real story, offended by it should not be insulting our indepiction of telligence with biased and un- ji homeless in founded editorials. /I /iously, The Michel Frendian - (m never visited Psychology senior - I npanng Los 1 leless to Nazi # # I ws i$ outright initiate duck s; bstantiated. I kc,raqs"!mi addition fee'? tncless in that ous problem, To the Editor: ! d contributed Re: "New ducks may swim rate. Rape, soon in library pond," June 24. 1 robbery are As I read The Gamecock on )blems caused Wednesday, June 24, the thought im not saying occurred to me that a campaign > s are involved slogan ? "Bucks for Ducks" or all the crime "A Buck for a Duck" ? might attributed to be the solution to getting ducks^. J VCJ , cl UlclJUl 1- iui lliv ^unu in 11 v;iii vi niv. have been in- Thomas Cooper Library. . t of criminal Sarah Hurmun \ Office of Admissions ics Editor Director of Student Media Lane Bill Clements k Editor Production < Mixson Chuck Norris ^ I r Son Ha K )gers Advertising Manager Margaret Michels j 4