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Finished Americans breath sigh of relief as slimy election comes to close The election is definitely over, the estimates and projections , Jof the television news people have turned out to be hideously true, and America has to wake up to the nightmare realization ,, that the best man did not win the election for president. >. Most people would also agree that the best man didn't even run, on either ticket. We started out with the seven Democratic dwarfs and the six stntiirplpcc Rpmihliran nnH what rtiH we f?nrt lin with"? Another Republican president and vice president and a Democratic ticket that once again won all the battles except the r- biggest, most important one. The Democrats gained one governorship, maintained a 4-2 superiority in House seats and gained an additional Senate seat, leaving them in control of the U.S. legislature once again. But in their last three attempts, the Democrats have been com'pletely inept and unable to gain control of the executive. / It's real easy to blame the parties and the campaigns, but also remember that it was the people, the mixed-up people of this fine country, that decided to continue to have one party in control of the presidency and one party in control of the legislature. It seems senseless. Everybody got a little crazy after the television news folks went ahead and predicted, based on 14 percent of the precincts reporting, that Bush was the man. Republicans were crazy with joy, Democrats crazy with grief, and the other, incidental parties crazv with their own inadeauacies. The craziness touched all, and even here at The Gamecock some of us staff members were crazy and went ahead and said what a fine campaign this was. And that editorial was true, if you happen to like politics that leave a trail of slime so thick it makes New York City's East River look like a mountain spring. Democrat Michael Dukakis' campaign started out slimy, with his campaign "hatchet man" John Sasso delivering a tape that showed Sen. Joe Biden's plagiarism to the news media. Sasso resigned after that, but was brought back to the campaign after the Duke was nominated. But he didn't pull a dirty trick of the Biden tape's stature on the Bush campaign, even though he certainly is capable enough. As bad as the Biden tape was, it paled beside the Willie Horton strategy of the Republicans. Using a regrettable human tragedy such as that for political gain was the slimiest of political moves. ? But that's all forgotten now, isn't it? Because in the dog-eati *everthing-that-stands-in-your-way world of American politics, it's always been and always will be the end justifying the means. They have different words for inside the game ? Bush campaign manager Lee Atwater said it's "chump or champ. You win, you're the champ, and everything you do is OK. You lose, .yqu're the chump." George Bush has the qualifications to make a good president, but he'll never be a great president, not unless he can show that he is not a shadow, a clone of Ronald Reagan. If he emerges from behind the president's coattails and decides to become a At A - A 1_ _ _ . Tk 1AOA man 01 me stature ne was wnen ne ran against Keagan in iyou, :then the American people will be in for a pleasant surprise. And, after an election that can only have left a collective bad taste in the mouths of all Americans, it would be nice. -J 1??? ____________________________ I ZZZT * j 1 he Gamecock ? 11 itetf Non-daily Collegiate Newspaper, Southeastern Region ? Society of Professional Journalists, 1987-88 f 5 Editor in Chief Datebook Editor ? STEPHEN GUILFOYLE JENNY SHARPE J Copy Desk Chief Graphics Editor t WAYNE YANG MICHAEL SHARP I Assistant Copy Desk Chief Comics Editor * KATHY BLACKWELL TRACY MIXSON o News Editor Adviser S HAL MILLARD PAT MCNEELY J Assistant News Editor J MARY PEARSON ? KELLY C. THOMAS Director of Student Media * Features Editor ED BONZA ? SUSAN NESBITT Advertising Manager t Assistant Features Editor marp.arft MirwFT q * TOM JOYNER Production Manager t Sports Editor LAURA DAY * KEVIN ADAMS Assistant Production Manager ' Assistant Sports Editor RAY BURGOS J CHRIS SILVESTRI Assistant Advertising Manager Photography Editors BARBARA BROWN J BRIAN SAULS ' ! TEDDY LEPP i* t , , Letters Policy: The Gamecock will try to 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. (Y]fif^ U?#W/XA a*Gmr?AJ "VOUHN, Be all you ca As I'm writing this, it's raining outside. That wouldn't be such a bad thing if I wasn't in a tent. Ah, National Guard duty, you've gotta love it. And that's an order, Private Sengstacken. It could be worse, I suppose. I could have had plans for fall break, but those way-cool guys in the S.C. Nasty Guard did my planning for me. "Just think Bill," my section chief told me over the phone, "while all of your long-haired hippietype friends are drinking beer and God knows what else, you'll be filling your lungs with the clean, oricr> oir fr\nr?/4 Anlir ot f Art Ctaurort '' T-Ia vi lop an iuuuu \jiiij ai i ui i ULVvrai i, vja. iiv paused to take a breath. "Not only that, but we're sending you down a day early, which means you'll have to make up that Journalism 401 exam you were planning to take that day." Oh, joy. So, off I went that Friday morning, reporting to my unit bright and early at 0600. For those not into military time, 0600 is about 300 hours too early for human beings. Just 25 of us lucky folk got the call to go down early. I noticed my section chief was not amongst us. I hopped into my HMMMMV, which has moreor-less replaced the standard army jeep. Quite Letters to the Handicapped !&! - _ a cop-out t spaces abused j?a*b7b< would seer To the editor: to debate I would like to address a parking them, ir: practice that many callous students abstinence use every day. It seems many able- Free South bodied but lazy people continually impression park in handicapped spaces. They ly as they \ feel if they turn on their hazards and nor do thi will only be a minute, this practice is position. 1 all right. However, as we all know, challenged this minute usually turns into five or seems as 10. Africa All I don't want to sound like a correct by preacher, but this issue is of some debate, merit and deserves attention. Nobody has the psychic power to foresee the future, and thus nobody can be sure that that handicapped space won't be needed. So before you TTQ take that spot marked with a llilll wheelchair, think about it and im- . agine that you were the handicapped SiOl^ person that needed the parking place. *" Clyde Ebanks insurance senior To the edit* Group lacks regarding tl # would like t will to debate campus. I To the editor: with a pros There are many groups on campus my car der who claim they strongly believe in disabled, all one position or another. Some even dicap parki go as far as staging protests to show rarely gets their devotion. What I find difficult lucky if I g to understand is why the Free South parking spa Africa Alliance failed to show up to I have ch debate their DroDOsal aeainst divest- the campus ment in South Africa. If they truly often than feel the power of their convictions, block awa why did they not express and defend destination, their position in an open debate at like much t the Athenian Society? I went to the but for me debate hoping to hear how the Free walk. I seet South Africa Alliance defends their dicap spots position on the divestment issue. One handicap would think they would grasp every bumpers, opportunity to persuade people that Even moi their proposal, divestment, is the best see a car pa action to take to help correct the civil with its flas! liberties violations in South Africa. trying to fei Although I am not a member of the trying to ma Athenian Society, I debated for the stalled, and proposal against divestment fully able to pus! hoping and expecting to hear the coming traf other side of the story. The Free I have e\ South Africa Alliance was aware of who at one the debate and consciously chose not those who h to participate, supposedly because sort that ma they felt the person whom they walk great < /? ONE MINUTETO R63BND, 60VERNC n be? Not in th Ia na IK 5 possibly the ugliest military vehicle known to man. on The thing is about 8 feet wide, and about 10 feet Fa: long, leaving the driver with the impression that he ap] is driving a camouflaged shoe box. But, so they say, you can't flip them over. That's thinking for ! you ? tell the Russians that they can't do be: something. rea My assistant driver, not to be confused with a yoi passenger, slept the whole way. Thanks for the po assist, guy. 1 editor i . ? ould be debating against continue to claim a disablilit rrational. This sounds like after they've completely rec o me. If they feel so stong- They have no reason for par heir position, and if they handicap spaces other than t isis for their position, it that they're lazy, n they would be delighted Perhaps being handicapped against anyone opposing has made me more conscious < rational or not. The things, but I don't think these from the debate of the actually realize the consequei t Africa Alliance gives the flicted on others when the ] they do not feel as strong- places are taken unjustly, vould have people believe, seem harmless to stop in a ht ey have a basis for their space for a few seconds, but would have liked to be do the people go who desf in this opinion, but it need those spaces? Woul though the Free South deprive someone for whom iance chose to prove me walk would be extremely diff not participating in the a parking space that rig belongs to them? I don't m perpetuate the argument on p Dee S. Rosser but I feel my opinion must be use student i nope tnose tnat read tnis let take what I've said to heart. ./linofillD/I 'eave handicap spaces to tho JJ vU need them and are entitled. J rpCPrVpH Klancy N< > 1 CSV! Vl* physical therapy frt Return of t Deen reading the letters W|no Kin te parking situation, and I D1U.V :o approach the argument erent perspective. I am a To the editor: d freshman living on The blue-blazered storm tr am a right-leg amputee have overstepped their boui thesis. I have a decal on againl First, it was snatching loting the fact that I'm balls. Now, it's censoring post< lowing me to use the han- restricting free speech. I was t ng spaces legally, but it out of the football game last used. I consider myself day. My crime was holding up et to park in a handicap promoting presidential cor ce. * Ron Paul. Evidently, this was isses on the other side of fensive statement to the c to which I drive. More Gestapo and their sidekicks not, I end up parking a Pinkerton security, ty from my intended I attempted to hang a banne A block may not seem a railing near the field. They c o an able-bodied person, me to remove it, telling me it v : u means a zu-mmuie to noia tne oanner at my sej he cars parked in the han- reluctantly complied. A few s ;, and they rarely have later, however, the Gestapo cl decals on their rear their tune, and I was ordered render my banner. I refuse re infuriating to me is to retreated into the stands, purs rked in a handicap space about five storm troopers wf hers on. Are these people cibly tore the banner from my gn car trouble? Are they Later, I noticed several large ike it appear that their car ners being hung on railing they just happened to be erected without challenge arou i it out of the way of on- stands. One read, "GO NOLI fic? I could not let this I ren been told of people discriminatory censorship g : time were disabled ? challenged so I scrounged tog< tad an operation of some tiny cardboard placard and a de it difficult for them to ted to raise it in defense of m distances ? and yet they Amendment rights. A pinkc IR L " lis leaky tent We took the scenic route to Fort Stewart, icated south of Hilton Head, and my Guard unit :ated in Georgetown, logic says to drive through larleston. The National Guard says drive west to inning, and then take 1-95. Of course this added o hours to the trip, but such is life. Well, we got there. And now I'm sitting in the n. Well, I'm in a tent, but the tent leaks. Like >st things in the military, this tent has a nifty me. Get a load of this, taken from a small white el on the inside wall of the tent: "Tent, General rpose, Small With Cover, Without Vestibule Or ter, Type I." Fairly wordy for what could best described as a Leaky Tent. The tent comes with a fairly profound warning the outside: "Close Inside Snap And Slide stener Before Erection." I assume the warning plies to the tent itself. So, here I am. One of the Americans at their ?t, in the National Guard. When I joined up, it illy didn't seem like a bad idea. But, the more a beat your head against a wall, the greater the ssiblility of getting brain damage. But at least it helps pay for school. I I I I I I ' M II I y, even chman pounced over the railing and overed. snatched my sign again! Undaunted, king in I found another piece of cardboard he fact and raised yet another Ron Paul sign. A determined campus censor leaped myself over the railing, brutally pulled my sf these arm down and removed my placard a people third time! This time I was escorted ices in- to the gate and exiled from the parking stadium. It may I have not yet begun to fight! indicap Tyranny shall not prevail at USC. I : where plan to raise another free speech >erately placard at this week's Navy game, d you and I encourage all freedom-loving a long Gamecocks to do the same. Let's icult of show the pinkos and blue-blazered fitfully Gestapo that we won't let them lean to stomp out our Constitutional rights, arking, Let Freedom Ring! voiced. ter will Janice M. Kraft Please Libertarians in Exile se who management/marketing senior jrthrup Residents need ;shman more privacy he ,, To the editor: ^ It's their job. That's not the problem. It's when they do it. That's the problem. The "they" I'm refering to oopers are the early morning janitors atids ? tempting to clean the bathroom, beach As far as I can tell, the janitors ;rs and around here (the Towers) seem to be hrown doing a pretty good job. However, Satur- some of them tend to do it at the a sign wrong time. Their normal working itender day starts at 8 a.m. just like everyone an of- else's. Usually at that time, we (the ampus residents) are walking in and out of from the showers, brushing teeth, etc. They just walk in and go about their r along business of dumping out trash and rdered what have you. This would not /as OK bother me in the least except for one at CA I cm oil riat oil ova w/vimam T'w* jv x Lilian uvvuu nivj aiw tt uiiivii . x ill econds not trying to discriminate in any way, tanged it's just that I don't think that you to sur- would like to be stared at by the d and cleaning lady while you were drying ued by off after a shower. 10 for- It may not be the most logical soluhands. tion, but I may have one. They r ban- should start with the outer premises ;s and and then work their way in. By this ind the time the majority of the residents ES." should be finished with their jlatant showers, and the janitors would only o un- have to deal with the stragglers that sther a sleep late, ttempy First Bill Mitrik ) hen- economics freshmen