Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Stunner Duel of ideologies provided fine finish to presidential election Another presidential campaign is over. Reporters, analysts and the like have decried the negative campaigns, the lack of substance, the photo opportunities, and on and on. Particularly loud are cries that the candidates are dodging the issues, that the American people have no idea what the candidates stand for. With flag-waving and the Pledge of Allegiance and symbols instead of details, many are asking, "Is this any way to elect a president?" As a matter of fact, yes, it is a good way. Why is there a fixation with the candidates presenting details of what he would do as president? Few believe campaign promises, anyway. Besides, conditions may change that will impel a president to re-adjust his plans. Such things as the unexpected intransigence of South African leaders, the murder of an opposition leader in the Philippines or a breaking of promises made by Sandanistas all require that a nation's policy be flexible. In military policy, especially, a president needs to have all his options open. Telling the United States and the rest of the world what he would do in certain situations greatly limits the effectiveness of his response. Add to this a news media that never forgets, and a tell-all candidate who would be a hands-tied president. Instead, a candidate should be required to present the American public with his ideology, which dictates his approach to situations. Eve* wonder how two arch-conservative presidents ? Ronald Reagan c \d Richard Nixon ? could have warmed relations with communist nations? Because the American public knew that Nixon and Reagan were conservative in ideology and wouldn't give away the farm. People realized that if these two communist?bashers we*-e satisfied with detente, then surely it was safe for America. John F. Kennedy could initiate civil rights legislation because America knew his liberal ideology committed him to equality for all Americans. Franklin Delano Roosevelt created much-needed liberal programs during the Great Depression years. With due respect to Michael Dukakis, he is dead wrong when he says ideology doesn't matter. It is crucial. It dictates how a president will act in a situation, indeed how he will approach the whole world. George Bush has continuously aligned himself with the Reagan administration and has developed into a conservative. Now that Dukakis has said the "L-word," it is official that he is a liberal. Neither candidate has initiated any bold, new programs. But with a clear indication of their philosophies, the American public knows basically what each candidate would do as president and what his approach would be to certain problems. In 1988, Americans have not been deluged with details, but they have been given what they need ? a clear choice between two different candidates (as diverse as American politics will give us). Given the track record, the American public has been trpofp/^ fa o finp nrpctrlpntinl i-i vuivvi lu c*. iiiiv pivoiuviiLiai vanipaigii. The Gamecock Best Non-daily Collegiate Newspaper, Southeastern Region Society of Professional Journalists, 1987-88 Editor in Chief Datebook Editor STEPHEN GUILFOYLE JENNY SHARPE Copy Desk Chief Graphics Editor WAYNE YANG MICHAEL SHARP Assistant Copy Desk Chief Comics Editor KATHY BLACKWELL TRACY MIXSON News Editor Adviser HAL MILLARD PAT MCNEELY Assistant News Editor Graduate Assistant MARY PEARSON PHILLIP MCKENZIE f CT T V n TUOUAC fx: -c m ? * """""J isireciur or siuoem ivieaia Features Editor ED BONZA SUSAN NESBITT Advertising Manager Assistant Features Editor MARGARET MICHELS TOM JOYNER Production Manager Sports Editor LAURA DAY KEVIN ADAMS Assistant Production Manager Assistant Sports Editor RAY BURGOS CHRIS SILVESTRI Assistant Advertising Manager Photography Editors BARBARA BROWN BRIAN SAULS TEDDY LEPP Letters Policy: The Gamecock will try lo print letters received. Letters should be, at a maximum, 250 to 300 words long. Guest editorials should not exceed 500 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for style or possible libel. The Gamecock will not withhold names under any circumstance. If WaW?; -rue tolArrta Cousin / 1 w I BEG( Facilities onb Once in a while there comes an event that strikes you hard enough that you must write about it in hopes that others may learn from it. Prepare to read about one. Last Sunday, I was in my "studio apartment" in Woodrow. I say studio because I have a rack of keyboards and a bass set up to keep myself entertained in some of my less busy times. The windows were open in hopes that the winter breeze would blow the smell of feet outside, and I was practicing a couple of Journey and Chicago charts. As expected, most of the traffic going by my window turned a deaf ear to my musical mayhem. But a guy in a wheelchair stopped for a few minutes, listened quietly and then said, "I don't know what you're playing, but it sure sounds good." I was embarrassed. I usually hate for people to listen to me practice while I'm trying to work out a particularly elusive lick or something. But at the same time, I was flattered. He asked if he could come up and listen; I said sure. But there was no access ramp to my tenement, so he just sat by the window and listened for a while and then HlCOnnoo ra/4 MIOUppVftI V^U . For days I thought about that afternoon. I wanted to meet this person who wanted to appreciate something that I try to do but that he is inCapable of doing himself. Letters to Stereotypes # just as one' sometimes true tain just s about that To the editor: association Deborah Burkard's (The favorite pa Gamecock Nov. 2, letter) assertion foonery as that "judging people based upon amnesia a their social affiliations is just as perience (< discriminating as judging someone sublime re1 based upon one's race, sex, religion day. or party affiliation" is a sophism. In J .K. Yo reaching her conclusion, it seems she defensible I has failed to consider that: a)religion guilty of and party affiliations are to a large understand; extent social affiliations themselves behavior. P and are thus irrelevant to her argu- he is guilty ment; b)race and sex are unchosen racism is u characteristics which have nothing to muddled th do with one's personal ideology, in- she will gi\ tegrity or lifestyle; c)chosen social af- tion to her filiation has everything in the world to do with one's personal ideology, integrity and lifestyle; and d)in demonstrating her disdain for racism and prejudice, she implicitly con- A ffc* tradicts herself as there are many overtly racist religious groups and ? political parties, the members of llYllfl which she must condemn if she con- ^ demns Mr. J. K. York for his not altogether unfounded opinions of To the edit< fraternity members. Regardle* Now, I acknowledge that the greek cle may app system is not an entirely nafarious see it neces one, and I'm sure that there are a Mr. Yoder' n% ^((y) (nJ| f BED VOU NEVER TO ADMIT PUBLICLY ^ |> " FORTY MORE YEAI r half accessibi Christensen KsftP Tiffi Iwfefi So I went by the TLC (Transitional Living Center) in the other side of Woodrow looking for him, but before I found him, I talked at length with some other guys, John, Bob and Jay ? three of the best people I've ever met, and I've met a lot. You should meet them as well. John and I had many of i the same professors, Bob used to play a 1957 i Fender Telecaster, and Jay is a Cubs fan who i thinks Wrigley Field will live forever (nobody's perfect!). \ Then I went to see the mystery listener, whom i John identified as Bruce. He had just fallen out of ; his wheelchair trying to answer the phone, so I introduced myself and answered his questions as he < editor wonderful people who the Oct. 28 issue of The G> lities every year. However, In his letter, Mr. Yoder said s affiliation with a misan- President George Bush h itical group makes for cer- done anything while servi ind sensible assumptions President Reagan. He ever person, so does one's far as to say that this was with a fraternity whose because Sen. Robert Dole se stimes include such buf- ing the Republican primj drinking to the point of paign. The only reason that nd describing the ex- this was because he was ar absence of it) with against Bush at the time anc Terence on the following ing to stage a come-from-be It may be true that these si rk's opinion of greeks is may sound harsh coming for this reason, and he is fellow Republican, bul nothing r ore than an Dukakis have some barbs t able distaste for such way too from fellow Democ 4s. Burkard's claim that amples that best come to ' of a prejudice akin to Richard Gephardt's biting i infounded, a product of Iowa that said Dukakis had inking. Let us hope that experience in the field of a| 'e more assiduous atten- and illustrated this fact b> arguments in the future. Dukakis as saying that should grow Belgium end Brian McCarter Jesse Jackson's various rem English sophomore hinted Dukakis may not ce the homeless as much as he All \/"0 short, statements such as E ?#ll I finite rnmmnn in nrii-narv r: j during critical times. tunocfl ^r* ^?^er a^s? made' statement that Reagan foreign policy experience b 3r: became president. This >s of the fact that this arti- because it is quite obvious >ear after the election, we knew enough about the fiel sary that we respond to about it and offer solution: s statement that was in when he ran for the Rf " 'w tow WERE A LIBERAL! SJgffe. V 2S/" ility problem regained his seating. We discussed our musical interests, some photography, accessibility, computers, books and much more. Bruce is also a grad student, studying social service. It's probably the only occupation that could take full advantage of his big heart. It strikes me funny, when I think of Sunday afternoon, that there was no ramp access to my side of Woodrow when the other side of the building houses the TLC. As if when the facility planners planned, they said, "Let's just do half." All of my new friends would like to see some improvements made in facilities accessibility, but at the same time they laud the recent renovations for better access to Russell House and other buildings. Yet, there is much work to be done. I find the problem lies not in facilities but in people. Ordinary, non-impaired people need to make themselves accessible. I don't think Bob or John would mind sitting out in the rain, waiting for the back door of Calcott to open, if there were someone there just taking the time to say "hi" and talk about sunnier davs. These guys are just real people that don't get as tired going to class. They study, watch football, go to dances and enjoy life. And they don't bite; well, at least Bruce, John, Bob and Jay don't. Push for more electric doors and ramps around :ampus, but open yourself up as well. - - II amecock. nomination. Dukakis has not even that Vice done that because, as we all know, ad never this is the first national campaign ng under that he has ever embarked upon. In 1 went as short, he has never had the opporthe truth tunity to study and try to understand lid it dur- foreign affairs until a year ago after try cam- he decided to seek the Democratic Dole said nomination for the first time. running The final point of Mr. Yoder's leti was try- ter that should be discussed is where hind win. he attacked certain policies of the tatements Reagan/Bush administration. He from a said that the Cnntra war in t didn't Nicaragua was immoral, when in fact ossed his its purpose is to make Nicaragua :rats? Ex- democratic and prevent the spread of mind are communism. He also said that the emark in Strategic Defense Initiative was a lack of unrealistic. Mr. Yoder, what is jriculture unrealistic about saving American ' quoting lives from Soviet missiles in case of farmers war? Bush can prevent raising taxes live, and without cutting defenses as Yoder arks that said he should. What he should do is ire about cut down on unrealistic liberal prodoes. In grams that Dukakis would surely im>ole's are plement if he was to become presi ampaigns dent. Mr. Yoder, Busn and His beliefs are not as unrealistic as your letter the poor was. had no lefore he D. Troy Mullinax is false press secretary i that he USC College Republicans d to talk s in 1976 Rhonda C. Arant ^publican accounting senior 'k * )