The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 02, 1989, Page 3, Image 3
Ban
Bush's proposal to eliminate
chemical weapons good idea
A proposal is just a proposal and is not a contract, but in some
cases of international negotiations, a proposal is as good as gold.
And President George Bush has found a nugget.
Bush's plan to begin the elimination of chemical weapons for
the world is a good one. It is a plan that is needed. Chemical
weapons are not only a "scourge" as Bush calls them, but they are
the most heinous invention since nuclear weapons. But unlike nuclear
weapons, which are targeted for military as well as civilian
targets, chemical weapons are solely and exclusively used to take
out large populations of civilians. They are a nightmarish idea and
should never have been developed, but since they were, they
should be banned forever.
Bush's three-point plan is a fine first step in eliminating these
scary weapons. There may be a problem with getting a world-wide
ban, however, because some third world countries neither care
what the United States or Soviet Union say nor heed what would
be good for all.
A 40-nation conference at the United Nations has been trying to
come un with a ban for vears. but it is now finallv looking toward
endorsing Bush's plan. The problem is there is no exact data as to
who has the weapons and how much they have.
Either way, though, the plan should begin the process of convincing
the world to get rid of its chemical weapons.
Bush's proposal to the United Nations calls for a elimination of
80 percent of chemical weapons in the United States and Soviet
Union at the same time. Then if the 40-nation conference signs a
treaty banning chemical weapons, the other 38 countries would
begin destroying weapons in eight years, during which the U.S.
would destroy 98 percent of what it has. And after that eight
years, the U.S. would destroy the rest of its arsenal if every other
country did the same.
This is a bold step for an American president. This is the first
time a president has thought about what is good for the world and
not what his own conservative party thinks is good for the U.S.
Bush should be commended for the idea, and the world should
follow suit. If this kind of spirit of cooperation continues, maybe
one day these countries can discuss destroying nuclear weapons as
well.
*WE MIGHT NOT BE BUILT ALIKE, BUT WE SURE DO
_THRIV^
/~~ ~ T^\ * MnrTi
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,
l|jg[ ALREM!
Students in sexi
I kind of picked up It':
when I saw the story in ""n* you i
The Gamecock Friday. Eil
It seems the majority So
of residents in USC's ^
sexual stalags, Douglas ' agre<
and Burney, have knov
voted that they want %- mS "ighi
the barbed wire fences - sex.
down. It
They sent their vote R 1 sonj
to the Student Senate, ^ caus<
which did something to ch
for a change, and sent Stephen Mik
it to the Student- " It
Trustee Liaison Com- Gllllfoyle frien
mittee, the members of your
which voted to send the d
the proposal to the Board of Trustees, giving it hour
an endorsement aiong ine way. m
They're using the system here to tell state the c
Rep. Mike "The Intolerant" Fair, R-Greenville, oven
that they neither appreciate nor want his intru- havii
sion into their lives. 77
But they are willing to compromise, unlike they
the Board of Trustees last year, or the Ecology 77
Committee. fc
Mike wanted overnight, opposite-sex visita- j
tion gone all over campus immediately. The twQ ^
Ecology Committee said let's just phase it in ft,
slightly. tre?
Either way, some students lose immediately
and all lose down the road. show
_
Board should
care about us
A petition is a
To the editor: ?rotest Gust as
I am glad the Student-Trustee is a form of Prot
Liaison Committee has decided to Through exis
? r_. 1 .?.
approach the Board of Trustees
concerning the visitation policy at 0 ?* Truste
Douglas and Burney dorms. Now hve to the ideas,
what about the other dorms? [?ns , stu<
I also take offense at the insinu- n' currer
ation that the students last year wou not in
were "just protesting." Did we not
attempt to go through the appropriate
channels with petitions and
letter-writing campaigns? Perhaps Cfn#lA|i
students were not made aware of
the more appropriate channels ? m
and is that not the job of the Stu- WflO SC
dent Government president? Protesting
WAS the last resort by a In ^ immoi1
small number of students in an ef- President Rona
fort to get the Board of Trustees to ^
listen to the students' views on - ?
front oaee stor\
morality legislation. c - ? ~ c
Secondly, President Holderman on SaPL 15-acc
says. "The students haven't ^ fmgers
showed any protest or destruction -f0 on^e a?a"
in the dorms, and I think they're ?on
acting responsibly." Imagine that e via m .
- student in college acting like over the s,,ual
adults. Imagir.s if we were treated Ramsdale did n
in the same manner. the best she con
r
I ^
KlM&KOcH
lal stalags sa;
s kind of like a loaded question ? "Do
>till beat your wife?"
ther way, you lose.
me of the students lost.
ell, the residents in these dorms have
A they want Fair's ban out because they
/ what he doesn't ? opposite-sex, over:
visitation has nothing to do with morals or
has to do with studying with the only perrou
know in your English class, who, bej
they weren't smart enough as an embryo
oose the right sex, has to vamoose when
5 Fair says so.
has to do with being able to treat your
ds of the opposite sex just like the rest of
friends, instead of having to shoo them out
lormitory door when Mike Fair's witching
strikes.
his twisted view of the world, students of
ipposite sex who "visit" with each other
light can't be doing anything other than
ig sex.
iese students have told him he's wrong. But
are willing to make a real compromise,
ley've agreed that the students who signed
>r the sexual stalags, knowing of the ban ?
iking it, should not be penalized. One or
floors should be set aside for students who
: at the sight of the opposite sex after dark.
ieir vote and the method of handling it
' a maturity and thoughtfulness that His Su
like to note that tions of options and tii
m of protest, as it ously doubt anyone <
ot support or even have handle the situatioi
it visitation policy. The true sell-out wa
form of peaceful those doing the most o
peaceful assembly plaining right now. If
est.) dents lived off campus,
ting channels and have to sign a lease
, members of the some privileges. No pet
es were not recep- ren and special perm
feelings and opin- large parties are comm
ients. If they had in such leases. When
it visitation policy lease, whether it was y
existence. tutional right or not, y<
Jennifer Layden give up some privileges
Inglish sophomore
USC rents each do
M nn/\U AtujAnf l_a* /\f V
ifcj r\ri aft cam muuuii. j^a^u ui u
Llo l/IlCo is totally independent of
JJ rviii- one 0211 only 258111
fill UUl * the privilege of living <
the student agrees to tl
al words of former the contract. Otherwise
Id Reagan, "Well, have chosen to live <
;ain." Because of a right?
r in The Gamecock
usations are flying, ^ach student was gi
j b i ~ r?.
r.,.u ua^i anu a unuict. c.6
pointing. The subtime"
Therefore' if a studc
tittle if any contra! anf
** ' i ~ ?,? lease and still signed it,
ion. Marie-Louise .... . ,,6 7
dividuals sold out. Il
ot sell out. She did pointless for them to l
ild given the limita- now and point fingers
y no to Fair
preme Morality Fair is lacking.
Finally, they are also using the system to correct
a wrong that the system did them.
The vote should have been one to everyone
else against Fair.
It's not right for any government entity, such
as the board, to control behavior that is not
harmful.
It's O.K. to pass laws against murder, theft,
etc., because those crimes hurt others.
But to stop students from studying together
under the pretext of teaching a moral lesson is
wrong. If you want want to teach us morals,
Rep. Fair, then set an example. I know you disagree,
but rfiorals can't be legislated, because
morals are learned, not forced.
If you want the few students who have sex
on campus to stop, then tell us about how you
were a virgin when you married and about how
wonderful your marriage is now because of it.
Tell us why you are such a healthy guy and
we're such a heathen lot
Tear.h 11s hut don't use the law and the rules
to make us be like you, because I for one don't
like you and don't want to be like you.
Three cheers to the students in Bumey and
Douglas ? you've been put through some
trouble because of this proposal, but you've
kept heads and are acting like the fine young
men and women that Mike Fair and his rules
say you aren't
me. I seri- else when the decision was their
slse could own.
1 better. Ms. Snelson, I address you once
is done by again: do you think it is fair to
f the com- charge a lawsuit against the unithese
stu- versity when the cost of defense
they would will be absorbed by the entire stuforfeiting
dent body? Lawsuits are expensive
s, no child- and often long. Give us a break,
lission for Tuition is high enough already. I'd
ion clauses like to see the money go to betteryou
sign a ing our programs, not to bickering
our consti- with undergraduates. I'm certain it
)u agree to sounds really neat to take a stand
few what you believe in, but who
are you willing to step on?
rmitory to The ^ulion is
nti,rto wrong, but so is slander and suing
the * tonocen!- If y?" wa,nt 1? hun
ne that for u,c university poacy, uun i sign,
3n campus, housing contracts next time. If
le terms of enough students refuse to accept
they would f^e terms of the contract, the houselsewhere,
department will be caught in
the middle. There will be two options
at this point: 1. to change the
ven a con- visitation policy 2. cooperate, takich
student ing a loss of income while dealing
i decision, with the expense of maintenance. *
nt did not The cost should be on housing, not
>ns of their the students. Here I issue a chalthey
as in- lenge to you as individuals ?
: is totally don't sell out next time,
turn around Sharon Simmons
Rucinacc coninr
ai someone uu?,,vm ??.*??#