The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 06, 1988, Page 2, Image 2
Iran Air incideni
Vincennes captain will carry the
weight of responsibility always
The downing of an Iran Air jetliner by the U. S. S. Vincennes
has left in its wake much questioning and criticism by leaders all
over the world. Perhaps the most poignant questions are being
asked by the commander of the Vincennes, Capt. William
Rogers III.
One man, acting out of responsibility for the lives of his crew
and the safety of international waters, ordered the launching of
two missiles that caused the destruction of an airbus carrying
290 people. Rogers will live with those deaths on his conscience
no matter what the outcome of official investigations may be.
The information that Rogers had available was far from complete.
But he was acting on behalf of his ship and his country
and probably remembering the attack on the U. S. S. Stark last
summer. Did the information he had available justify his
actions?
First of all, the Vincennes was engaged with three Iranian
gunboats immediately prior to the jetliner's approach. Two
boats were sunk and the third was damaged. It was easily conceivable
that the aDDroachine airnlane was attemntino a
retaliatory strike.
The jetliner was flying four or five miles outside of the commercial
air corridor, on a course that would have taken it directly
over the Vincennes. These facts further support a supposition
that the airbus was on a military mission.
The Vincennes broadcast seven stand-clear warnings - three
on commericial frequencies and four on military - that neither
the airbus nor Iran air traffic controllers responded to. Any sensible
civilian captain should respond to a military broadcast.
Supposedly, the jetliner was not sending a transponder signal
that would have identified it as a commercial flight. A Pentagon
spokesman said Tuesday that it appeared that the transponder
was sending a military identification code.
Rogers acted on the information available - information that
indicated that a military jet was on an intercept course with his
ship. He had to make a decision based on many "ifs," and unfortunately
he made the wrong one. But if the situation were
reversed - an Iranian F-14 attacked a U. S. ship and caused
American deaths - Rogers would probably face the same fate
the captain of the Stark did this past year.
No one may ever know what Rogers felt before and after the
incident. Can anyone justify that an action resulting in an
undesirable outcome is worse than a lack of action resulting in
the same outcome? Let those without sin cast the first answer.
"JUST SAY YES *
np| I
I he Gamecock
Editor in Chief
TOROD NEPTUNE y^"
News Editor
PAMELA HEAD \
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Viewpoint Editor 11\ ? ^~ \ I
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Features Editor I I j \ I
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Sports Editor \ , ?
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Photography Editor
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Comics Editor
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Graphics Editor
RANDY HALL
Advertising Account Executives Acting director of Student
BARBARA BROWN Media/Advertising Manager
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Disposable s
When you are finished perusing this newspapi
you will probably throw it away (unless you need
save 50 copies for your portfolio like I do). A
hopefully, you will follow the advice of Woody t
Owl and countless theater leader screens and "P
litter in its place."
However, litter isn't quite the only thing th
needs to be put it its place these days. T
American system of values is in bad need of i
evaluation and repair.
Today, we live in a society that prides itself <
disposability and temporary gratification. It seei
that people cannot commit to any given product
situation, seeking a short-term use rather than
long-term benefit.
This problem came to my attention through t
T 1
auvgiiisciiiciiL ui 111c liuucsi Japanese piuuu
since the Ginsu knife and the bambc
steamer - the disposable camera. For $10 you c;
buy a camera that you use once (one roll of film
guess it's 24 exposures) and then throw it awa
You give the developer the entire camera and th
keep the body and give you the photos (wl
knows - maybe they send the camera body back
the manufacturer, who reloads the camera and se
it again!)
Why would people want a disposable earner;
For less than the price of two throwaway model
smart shoppers could buy a camera they could u
twice and then throw it away. But Americans lil
the term "disposable;" it gives them the option <
"getting out."
Another product praised for its disposability
the razor. What would John McEnroe do witho
Many freedt
We've come a long way since our ancestc
boarded a British supply ship under the shield
darkness and dumped tea into Boston Harbor.
The United States has proven it can function i
dependently of its former British parent.
* Reflecting upon the recent celebration of our i
dependence and freedoms, I wonder if o
ancestors would approve of our behavior.
We have the freedom of press, speech, religii
and to peacefully assemble as stated in the Co
stitution of the Unites States. - the Bill of Rights
be exact.But, how often do we take advantage
them?
Does freedom of the press mean the right
humiliate and degrade the image of men ai
women by printing pornography? The Pc
nography Commission created by U.S. Attorn
General Edwin Meese and laws recently passed 1
the state legislature are slowly eliminating this for
of "adult entertainment," saying that this action
in an eriort to protect tne youtn or society, wi
not protect all of humanity by outlawing the pr
duction and distribution of such printed materia
Freedom of religion is not being practiced wi
the intent introducted to the colonists. Th
wanted to break from the Church of England in i
effort to practice their beliefs. However, look at;
the beliefs, sects and religions we have in this n
tion. Each calling the other wrong. Within sou
denominations there are three or four, somethim
five branches. One major denomination, althouj
currently united, is on the verge of splitting, at
Drugs would
The most apparent effects of drug use c
nonusers, such as the breaking in and entering i
their households or being struck on the back <
their heads on dimly lit streets , are w<
documented. What is finally being discovered aft
70 years of drug prohibition has another, far mo
subtle effect.
Drugs tend to cloud the thinking of nonusers i
such an extent that they fail to understand why
drug user would want to steal from them.
When a drug addict violates the person c
residence of a nonuser, the addict is not expectin
to find drugs. He expects to find money - lots c
money - because the drugs he craves are expensiv<
It is the expense of drugs, not the drugs themselves
that leads the addict to victimize the innocent.
But then, as a result of this obvious phenomenj
nonusers suffering from drug-induced econom
amnesia call for stronger drug laws which ultimate
ly raise the price of drugs. A vicious circle
created. The expense of maintaining a habit is ii
creased; more crimes must then be committed.
High on drug hysteria, the well-meaning nonus<
fails to see that drugs obey the same economic lav
as any other commodity on the market. When suj
ply contracts (through government) and deman
W8&~\ "jM
lociety isn't a p
sr, 1
to '
e Christensen i
a 1
1
he his disposable Bic? It must be terrible to carry {
ict around a bag full of plastic razors rather than one 1
>o razor and a small package of replaceable blades, j
an Maybe tennis calluses wear down the razor handle i
, I too quickly.
y. And what about paper plates and Dixie cups? 1
ey They make a lot of sense when you're camping and i
io you want to pack light, but it's wasteful to use i
to them at home. You can reuse even plastic utensils i
lis with only a few seconds washing (if you are into the i
sanitary thing). i
a? Unfortunately, disposable dishware, razors and
is, cameras are far from all of the standard household 1
se garbage output in our non-committal society. Too (
ke often are households broken up as spouses are }
of discarded like disposable razors - one little nick 1
and "bye-bye." {
is What is the divorce rate today, 3 million or 1
ut something like that? It's probably ten or twenty t
)ms are taken 1
>rs ]
of
to _______________________________________
id s
>r- two other denominations have merged some of t
ey their factions within the last two years. The \
oy ^amouc cnurcn nas even suiierea a spilt over tne 1
m church's doctrine. i
is Why can we not all worship under the same roof i
hy however we feel comfortable and accept the worhip 1
o- style of others? The God I believe in considers us ?
1? all brothers and sisters no matter what race, creed, 1
th color or national origin. Why can we not consider
ey ourselves the same? (
in Nothing brings my blood to a boil faster than i
all when protesters abuse the right to assemble i
a- peacefully. My case in point involves the persons 1
ae opposed to the White Train.
es The train travels safely and quietly from coast to t
ih coast across the heartland of America carrying 1
id parts for nuclear weapons to the various assembly t
I be lesser prob
m remains constant, prices rise. They learned this in a
af ECON 101, but drugs do make one forgetful. ri
af Drug prices rise when competition is eliminating
;11 (by arrest) or inhibited (by driving the market ii
er underground where consumers are not privy to ac- lc
re curate price price information or advertising). s<
Thus, drugs, which were less expensive than
to alcohol prior to their prohibition in 1914, are now p
a more expensive. And now addicts often feel forced
to resort to theft or even murder to cover that ex- a
>r pense. One rarely hears of alcohol addicts driven to ri
g these depths, because alcohol is cheap and legal. tl
>f So, are drug laws the real problem? Libertarians t<
;. have been saying so for decades and, in light of the
5, excesses and failures of the current war on drugs, R
more and more people are beginning to suspect 0
a, they are right. ai
ic The arguments for drug laws are usually emo- fi
e- tional ones. Almost always the accusatory: Do you b
is want your kids hooked on smack? But the most pi
i- valid of the practical arguments against legaliza- la
tion is the fact that more people will use drugs if
;r they become cheap and legally available. e(
/s This is probably true of milder drugs, such as di
j- marijuana, but it is far less certain the use of hard T
d drugs would follow pot's lead. Most people do not of
<i srffi/w ? //lli^ii
retty picture
:imes what it was 50 years ago. Nowadays, people
?an Q^tnollv pnfpr intA "trial" marriaaoe f*Ar tu;A Ar
^v*? UVIUU11J VUIV1 1111V U1U1 ItiaillUgVJ IV/i I" v/ v/l
three years - retaining the option of annulling the
marriage if it "doesn't work out." What kind of a
foundation for a relationship is that?
Although there isn't really a problem with
"shotgun" weddings any more, couples in general
have problems with commitment. A marriage
means a commitment to each other and your future
together. Divorce is too easy a cop-out for people
vhose relationships need just a little work.
Maybe people getting married too hastily is a
problem. People can grow apart, certainly, but too
many times are couples not actually "together"
vhen they start. Dates and engagements exist not
is a mere formality but as means of learning about
'uture spouses. Taking the time to learn about your
partner's nuances may help keep you from entering
nto a marriage doomed from the beginning.
Disposable society - it doesn't even really have a
ing to it, does it? It means wasting time, money
ind resources. And although we all may lack a lithe
"stick-to-it-ive-ness," many of us treat serious
ssues such as marriage with the same lackadaisical
ndifference as we do throwing out a razor or baling
up a paper cup.
When you do cross the threshold into your
loneymoon suite, why don't you get a clean shave
actually, this is optional) and unpack the Chinette
^ou picked up from registering your wedding at
Wal-Mart. Then grab your 35-millimeter camera
ind start to record the special moments of your
ife. There are some things you just don't want to
hrow away.
?ni* nranfoH
V1 61W,UVW
plants within the U.S. I don't mind when the
"peaceniks" stand along the railroad tracks with
:heir signs or chant peace slogans as the train rolls
ilong. When they throw themselves down on the
[racks and have to be physically removed by law
mforcement officers, I want to not only jail them
but show them the reality of what we face militarily
from other nations. Maybe then, and only then,
will they quit using themselves as human train
wheel stops.
One right we have is to vote. I exercise this right
)ften. I can only complain about a lawmaker if I
lelped put him in office.
People abuse this priviledge. Even local races for
iheriff and school board are important. Many
imes, especially on this campus, we hear of "low
/oter turnout." People have forgotten that voting
s~a duty of the citizens of the United States of
\merica. The founders of this great land of
"reedom deemed it a "Government of the people,
'or the people and by the people." We can't have a
government made up of our own people working
"or us if we don't for it.
Once the students of this university, South
Carolinians and the people of this country wake
lp, they will notice that their government is taking
idvantage of them at the taxpayer's expense,
/oting is a duty as well as a guaranteed privilege.
As we recover from our Fourth of July celebra-.
ions, let us try to remember those freedoms we:
lave and use them in moderation so as not to lose;
hem.
lem if legal j
void heroin because it's illegal, but because thev
ecognize it as addictive and destructive.
The abuse of drugs is certainly a problem for the *
idividual user and will continue to be after
;galizaton. But drug use is mainly an issue of peranal,
not public safety.
In the American legal traditon, it is the issues of
ublic safety which require government action.
Guns and alcohol are both dangerous but are
Iso legal as long as their use does not violate the
ghts of others. Drugs should be no different. It is
te drug laws that transform drugs from personal
) a public safety issue.
Illinios Representative Philip Crane, the only
epublican to vote against the budget-busting 1986
mnibus Drug Bill, was quoted in Notorial Review
5 saying that since drug use "cannot be eliminated
om society," it is bad publicity to "spend $6
illion, cut corners on civil liberties and expand the
owers of government in ways we might regret
iter" in pursuit of an unattainable goal.
He's right. We must all sober up from our
;onomic delusions. The .time has come to legalize
rugs.
he Independent Florida Alligator, The University
? Florida. " '