Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Defense Bush, Congress need to make decisions on military spending President George Bush and the Democratic Congress face a monumental task ? controlling the federal budget. Because defense spending makes up more than 25 percent of government exnenditures. the executive and leaislative hranrhec must take a long, hard look at what defense programs are important. One of the primary responsibilities of the government is the defense of the United States and its citizens. The possible threat of war requires that American armed forces be strong and prepared if the unthinkable happens. Congress and the president must work together to ensure that America's defense is properly funded. At the same time, the Pentagon cannot be overwhelmed with dollars, because corruption inevitably results. A prime example of spending gone haywire is the procurement scandal that was exposed this past summer. If the military gets too much money, it spirals out of control, and taxpayers end up funding boondoggles. Bush and Congress must find a compromise ? a balance of funding. To find that delicate balance, specific programs need to be scrutinized and judged for their worth. A typical example of a military program that needs to be analyzed is the stealth bomber, which was unveiled late this past year. Each bomber comes at a cost of $520 million, a hefty price tag even by Pentagon standards. The plane may not be the most cost-effective way to provide for America's defense ? the MX miccilp for pvomnlp ic mn/->Vi pViPQnpr tVion tlio ctooltVi Unmoor Another program that demands attention is the Strategic Defense Initiative, popularly known as "Star Wars." Congress has already spent billions on research for the defensive system, which critics say cannot work. Proponents of SDI should look again; they may be pushing an expensive fiasco. To help reduce military spending, the United States needs to negotiate with the Soviet Union on the issues of nuclear arms and conventional forces in Europe. The Soviets realize that excessive military spending represents a drain on their economy, and they appear willing to make a deal fair to both sides. The United States should work toward a treaty that would reduce forces on both sides and retain parity in Europe. President Bush and Congress must tackle the issue of defense spending with open minds. They cannot allow special-interest groups, conservative or liberal, to steer military expenditures. America's defense is too important to be controlled by such groups. ^ ^ rUV ?fl A?*Ef\ lit JLWOJJL^nWPPiM The Gamecock i? ???. ???? _^^^MI^<<>IM<<< Best Non-daily Collegiate Newspaper, Southeastern Region Society of Professional Journalists, 1987-88 Editor in Chief Dalebook Editor ANDY BECHTEL IAN PHILLIPS Managing Editor Cr!X E^tor JEFF SHREWSBURY MICHAEL SHARP Copy Desk Chief Comics EdUor KATHY BLACKWELL TRACY MIXSON Assistant Copy Desk Chief Graduate Assistant CARYN CRABB ROBERT STEVENSON News Editor Advjser MARY PEARSON Assistant News Editors ha t JVic.iNttLY KELLY C. THOMAS Director of Student Media SUSAN NESBITT ^ BONZA Features Editor Advertising Manager TODD HINES MARGARET M1CHELS Assistant Features Editor Production Manager TOMMY JOYNER LAURA DAY Sports Editor Assistant Production Manager KEVIN ADAMS BURGOS Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Advertising Manager CHRIS SILVESTRI BARBARA BROWN Photography Editor TEDDY LEPP Letters Policy: The Gamecock*ill ?r> print all letters receded. Letters should be-, a. a maximum. 25o 300 words lot*. Guest editorials should not exceed 500 words. We reserve the riKht to edit letters for slxlc or possible libel. The Oamecock will not withhold names under am circumstance. South Carolin Every year the same thing happens. About two weeks after school starts in January ? just about the time when gray clouds, rain and cold have dampened everyone's spirit to the point of asking "Why did I come to this god-forsaken place?" a little warmth and sunshine blows in from the tropics and gives the impression that spring has sprung. And then just as everyone gets happy and begins to tan, WHAMMIE, the real South Carolina winter stands up and lingers until about March. We're in the spring-sprung stage, and people are talking about tans. A woman I know told me today her friends were beginning to take all their winter warm clothes home and replace them with shorts, T-shirts and bathing suits. I am going to get a permanent giggle in about three weeks when it goes sub-freezing, and all these same girls are scurrying around with five T-shirts and two pairs of jeans on asking me if they can borrow my coat. It happens the same way every year. It gets warm for a couple weeks in January; people get tan, and then February (shows up with dark clouds, snow and a bitter disposition. Winter in the South is winter by the technical sense, but even at its worst it still is very mild. I'll NASA plays You would be surprised to find out how little American citizens know about one of the government's most visible agencies, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. For older Americans, NASA represents the Apollo moon landings. Most people today associate NASA with the space shuttle and the Challenger tragedy. Soon we will have a space station and possibly lunar or Mars colonies to think of when theyhear this acronym. Although its primary function is all aspects of manned and unmanned space exploration, many are still unaware of the space agency's broad range of achievements since its formation in 1958. Everyday life would be much different if not for the industries that have benefitted tremendously from NASA's research. Their efforts have helped make air travel affordable for the average person ana mucn saier man ariving arouna in your aaa s Porsche. Communication satellites and computers have had a great impact on our lives in this century. Satellites enable instantaneous communication throughout the world. (Has anyone bothered to notice that there has not been a global conflict since they have been in operation?) You can pick up your telephone and call anywhere in the world through the use of microwaves bounced off these satellites. So calling your friends on vacation in Australia is no longer an all-day dilemma. Computer technology has also enabled establishments to conduct business worldwide, cheaper and more effectively. Secretaries Letters to the Review misses S'tiTe, ? o E orientation, point of play * */ relationship I don't t To the editor: that AIDS i I appreciate the fact that The topic for h Gamecock had the guts to review noted that ii Torch Song Trilogy. I also appreciate the play, the fact that the review was, on the Finally, I whole, fairly positive. Yet there are believes Ari some subtle points of homophobia I could probi wish to call to your attention. place like C< Don't get me wrong ? I am not he is gay? saying Tommy Joyner is Because he' homophobic. I just believe he has bia is horn fallen victim to the "look how broad- female impe minded I am" syndrome. whom are Case in point: "Although it is ap- some of tl plied to a situation that most of the honest and populous never deals with, Fierstein You are r cleverly has Arnold using lines that is not a pla everybody has or will say and hear." people who The whole point of the play is that and since it: this is not clever ? it is normal. Gay it is for th< la weather up i Shrewsbury tfjr admit when the temperatures go down to about 20 and the wind blows the color right out of your nose, it's cold. But I'm often amazed at the unrealistic attitude people take toward winter when they live in a place that has a shorter cold span. The strange thing about this is that the people who have the most cavalier attitude about the cold are those who have comq from the North. Northerners get an attitude that "hey this isn't cold. I know what cold is." They think they can walk around in jean jackets and sweats the whole time. I don't know the statistics, but I'll bet the important par Guest Column | 1 i m J throughout the world probably would have revolted by now if not for word processors. (How manv of vou would rather tvne and retvne that English paper without your computer?) These are just a few of the conveniences that were brought about by NASA's research. More importantly, weather satellites help us track deadly hurricanes and allow us to evacuate endangered areas, saving billions of dollars in resources and countless lives. Satellites can pinpoint vessels in distress within a three-mile radius to help search and rescue crews. The environment has become a great concern recently. NASA laboratories have even conducted research that has found a way of purifying water using water hyacinths that live on sewage, a method cheaper than existing ones. Plastics, flame-resistant material, laser technology, anti-corrosive paints and many other achievements are attributed to the space agency. editor * just like straight people life. Though Joyner liked (ception of their sexual think he missed the point, and gay relationships are y like heterosexual Michel s. Eng hink I need to mention is not a very appropriate umor, and it should be t is not a topic covered in T pruit don't know why Joyner _ riold is "something that ?*Tin ably never happen in a VllHJO.1 1 O-M. Mumbia." Why? Because Because he is likable? To the editor: s a drag queen? Colum- I just finished watchi e to more than a few Monday broadcast of Cros xsonators, quite a few of cerning the Savannah Riv< quite professional, and am grateful that ETV saw lem are even "sincere, provide this forum for c likable." People need to be informed ight. Torch Song Trilogy dangers of nuclear energj y for everyone. It is for producers of CrossTalk d appreciate good writing, mendable job of providing is semi-autobiographical, tion from both sides of tl ose who appreciate real energy issue. to usual tricks number of people who catch colds in South Carolina is higher among those who ?ome from the North. But I'll also bet the number of people who freeze their noonies off because they don't have warm clothes is higher among Southern natives. Cold is cold. 20 degrees in Connecticut is 20 degrees in South Carolina. We don't alter our thermometers to adjust to the South. I hate predict gloom and doom, and I like the sun as much as the next guy. But 1 don't take my sweaters home until April because 1 know how fickle South Carolina's weather is. Last year is a perfect example. Late in December, it was mighty cold. And then for about the first week or two of January it warmed tremendously. Then ZAP, 10 inches of snow falls and stays for a week. People thought after the snow melted, "great. it's over now and time for spring." Then comes two weeks of warmth, clothes exchanges, and then in the midst of February fun came a cold front and 25-degree weather for weeks. Go ahead and tan, my friends. Use the sun while , you can, because I'd wager my tuition, which by the way chills me more than the weather, that sometime with in the next month it's going to get cold, cold, cold, cold. And 1 don't mean for a night. I mean for a week. t in our lives Many people are under the misconception that NASA is just made up of scientists, engineers and test pilots, but NASA utilizes the same talents as any other effective corporation. Economists, managers, secretaries, office clerks, machinists, student interns, educators and people in many other professions all are integral parts of NASA. Many USC professors and students have done research for and with NASA. NASA is more than a space agency. Important research performed at its facilities promises to help make tomorrow better and brighter for all people around the globe. With the same goal in mind, some USC students formed Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. Founded on the campuses of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton, it is an international organization of students who believe in the nparefnl nee nnH development of the final frontier. Its members major in business, education, science, engineering and international studies. Most are interested in careers in the aerospace industry, and many aspire to become astronauts. Topics of discussion include the militarization of space, the environment, career opportunities, foreign space programs and other aspects of space exploration. Every individual's life has been affected by the research done by our space program. Considering NASA's impact on your tax dollars and future, it's time to get involved and have a voice in vital decisions. After all, isn't the concept of exploration an ingrained part of the American spirit? the play, I I was very disappointed in the conduct of one member of the studio audience, Leconte Cathey of USC's lie Schohn physics department. Not only was lish senior Cathey disruptive, but he seemed misinformed, and when rnnfrnnted with the facts, he became overly defensive and obnoxious. We all sat kCC/tl* patiently and listened to Cathey sing /JSJSUl the praises of SRP, but when other # guests tried to' speak, Cathey inter- , 1 tip rupted and talked over them. 1 am O embarrassed that such an unimpressive faculty member appeared on television representing our ng ETV's university. sTalk con- Yes, we are all entitled to our opi;r Plant. I nions. But Cathey might do well to reason to remember this bit of advice: If you iiscussion. have something to say, say it profes1 about the sionally and tactfully, and people are ', and the more prone to listen to you. id a com\ informa- Gary Stuckey ie nuclear Graduate student, rehabilitation counseling