The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 06, 1989, Page 3, Image 3
Flag burning
Flag burning is heinous act,
but a freedom we should have
The Senate approved a ban on burning or otherwise defacing
the American flag Thursday, and this country won't be the same
again.
The ban, previously approved by the House, cleared the Senate
91-9. It was returned to the House for consideration of changes.
Key votes came on two GOP-sponsored changes in wording
V.O* 1-a ~i -* - - - *
tiiat lA^uiuviaid aaiu wuuiu JiKCW U(UC1U1 pnrdSlIlg llldl WclS U6signed
to beat back expected court challenges to the bill's
constitutionality.
Republican critics say the bill already is likely to fail such a
court test. They call for a constitutional amendment as urged by
President Bush after the Supreme Court in June overturned the
criminal conviction on Texas flag-burner Gregory Lee Johnson on
the ground his freedom of speech had been violated.
The skirmishing on the Senate floor, however, was between
Democrats seeking to push their bill through and Republicans hoping
to replace it with the proposed amendment. That measure
comes up later this month.
The bill calls for up to a $1,000 fine and year in jail for anyone
who bums an American flag or defaces it in any one of several
other ways.
Conservative Republicans urge the amendment on grounds that
it would settle the issue once and for all ? it could not be challenged
in court.
But an amendment is far too drastic a measure for this issue. A
law is bad enough, but at least a law can be challenged everywhere.
An amendment can't be so easily challenged.
It is true that burning the flag and defacing our national symbol
is a heinous act worth contempt and scom. But it is an act of
expression no matter how it's viewed.
There should never be a law outlawing one's right to express
himself. Hopefully this law will be struck down by the courts, but
noting tne record 01 the court m power nght now, that could be a
long shot. And that is too bad.
What could be the next mainstay of freedom to bite the legal
dust?
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| 1 he Gamecock
Editor in Chief Assistant Photography Editor
. WAYNE WASHINGTON JULIE BOUCIIILLON
; Managing Editor Viewpoint Editor
J HAL MILLARD JEFF SHREWSBURY
: Copy Desk Chief Datebook Editor
; KATHY BLACKWELL JAN PHILLIPS
; Assistant Copy Desk Chief Coinics/Graphics Editor
ROBYN THOMPSON ROB LANE
; News Editor Graduate Assistant
KELLY C. THOMAS KRISTIN FRANCIS
I Assistant News Editors Gamecock Adviser
: D- R- HAYNES ERIK COLLINS
JEFF WILSON Director of Student Media
' Carolina Life Editor pn ron7a
R0BERT THOMAS Production Manager
; Assistant Carolina Life Editor LAURA S. DAY
' GIBSON Assistant Production Manager
; Sports Editor RAY BURGOS
CHRIS SILVESTRI , , .
Advertising Manager
I Assistant Sports Editor MARGARET MICHELS
BRANT LONG Assistant Advertising Manner
; Photography Editor JEFFREY B. THOMPSON
TEDDY LEPP
^cucrs raacji me uamecocK win try to punt all letters received. Letters should be, at a maximum, 250 to
* 300 words long. The writer should include full name, professional title if an employee with USC or Columbia
, resident, or year and major if a student. An address and phone number are required with all letters sent. 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.
; 'JT
\ ^
Bush's credi
Bush sat there behind I
his desk last month and yill
looked straight into the
camera while holding a V
bag of crack cocaine, f J
the country gasped. * ' Jk '
Every person in the nation
saw that huge bag ^ ^
of "useless chemicals" J ^ggflr jj
and said to themselves, w K M
"Oh my god, the presi- -gdm
dent is holding crack
sold right out in front j ??
of the White House. J Gil
This drug problem Shrewsbury
must really be awful." ^?-?
It was an effective
visual aid. Here is the president sitting in front
of a television camera, with most of the countr
listening to every word to hear how he is goinf
to attack this drug problem, and he holds out
drugs for us to see. We believe what he is saying
is a heartfelt appeal for the entire country fc
rally around his new drug plan. He wants us to
believe in him and what he is doing.
And we did. we believed when he spouted
off statistics and rhetoric. We believed him
when he held the drug up to our scrutiny. We
believed him when he said the crack had been
obtained from a drug dealer right across the
street. And we believed him that he was seriously
attacking a serious problem with serious
programs.
But he lied to us. He sat there and looked us
Letters to the
Writer's letter 3S*!
m not dom
was personal was ren
* voice.
I will
were gi
To the editor: understai
Ms. Simmons, a studen
I feel it unnecessary to attack housing
you personally in a public forum, "they a:
as you seem to find it necessary to These si
attack me. Please feel free to get in iMCpr
touch with me, and we can discuss high re;
your difficulties in a more private homeless
manner.
I never claimed that Marie- Ms. Si
Louise Ramsdale "sold out." In priate to
fact, it may interest you to know the univt
that I am working with her in an charging
effort to satisfy the different fac- monetary
tions at USC. Also, what you have fact, my
chosen to call complaining is actu- my posit
ally students exploring all options services
of free expression, including only exp
university-approved protest fense. Al
I feel q
A second point in your most re- legal su
cent letter explains that students such as
who choose off-campus housing going
sign leases and forfeit certain pri- undergrai
vileges in the process. This is true.
However, those policies are out- I will <
lined Dre-sienins. not nost- is hi ah r
1 CP O' I " v
agreement. Your guests or private does nee
activities are not the concern of went up
your landlord (unless those activi- phrase th
ties are damaging). will only
Your next argument is that each more tha
housing contract is totally indepen- Federal N
dent. You are wrong. It is a stan- creased,
dard issue contract outlining the crease we
obligations of both parties. These The d
obligations are outlined in pre- wrong. I
signing. However, with regard to der, nor
visitation, the contracts were Encourag
changed AFTER signing. To para- the housi
phrase section 7 of the general but it doe
housing contract: All changes to
this contract will be held null and
i a __
lunuy is iosi v
right in the face, smiled and lied through his
| teeth.
The crack was not just randomly pickui up i
the park across the street The drug dealer did
not just happen by. The drug deal was a set up
1 so Bush could fit that little political nugget int(
his speech ? for dramatic effect
He lied. HE LIED.
^ Most of the country knows there is a treImendous
problem with drugs in our society.
Most know that indeed crack could probably tx
found within a few blocks of the White House,
if not right across the street. But it is irritating,
if not downright insulting, that our president, ir
an attempt to unify the parties under one common
goal, felt he had to lie to make his point.
~ We would have gotten the point anyway, but hi
* and his speechwriters felt it was necessary to
fabricate an ideal visual example of the
y problem.
' On the large scale of the drug problem and
the way Bush is handling it, the lie was a little
one. It really didn't hurt us that much because
we understand the intent of the effect he was
going for. But for a president to sit there and
boldly lie to the entire country about a problem
we should be trying to be as honest and forthright
about as we can, did great damage to his
credibility.
Who is going to believe him now about anything?
Will the country be now watching his
news conferences waiting to catch him in
another fib?
Maybe, maybe not
editor
ess reduced to writing and TTCJ/^1 i-U! f
)y both parties. This was 111 11
5 ? the students' choice ? I
loved without a student is backw
agree that most students To the editor:
ven an option. I fail to As * junior here at
id your logic that because experienced the go
it did not agree with the judgments of Holderr
contract but signed it, that other decision maker:
5 individuals sold out." three years. Consequ
udents simply chose the finally decided EXAC
' two evils, a home with wrong with this in
strictions or becoming seems the ultra-consc
ers of this state and l
refuse to let USC gro
immons, I do feel it appro- major university that
continue a lawsuit against of any authority has
:rsity at this time. I am not take the first step to <
; the university for any that sheds national lij
r value, or lawyers fees. In USC will NEVER b
lawyers are supportive of USC as long as this
ion and are offering their backward, naive trail
pro-bono. The university's continues.
...:n
1/I13W Will UC 1U WWII uc:
an institution of this size, For a perfect exam]
uite sure that there is a am writing about, lool
iff that handles matters lutely sacred opportu
this. Your money is not versity could have ha<
to bickering with ing Stones had pe
duates. Williams-Brice Stadi
the largest stadiums ii
igree with you that tuition east Mr. King Dixon j
nough, and the university sion making staff ma
d full funding. Housing blunder, and a selfish
6 percent To again para- denying the use of th
e contract; Housing costs the Stones,
go up 1.5 percent and no
n 2 percent only if the This concert, were
linimum Wage Law is in- occurred, would have
The conditions for in- lions of dollars in re^
:re not met. university, and to the
ictation of morality is umbia metropolitan i
am not engaging in slan- this area will never ki
am I suing the innocent decision makers in citi<
ing students not to sign lotte, Raleigh and ,
ng contract is an option, smart enough to seize
s not solve the problem. opportunity. So long
Laurie Kay Snelson mains passive and ign
English junior fact, USC and Coluir
rith crack lie
But either way, the country will always have
that in the back of its mind and will always be
skeptical of anything he proposes.
Bush has hurt himself badly on this one.
It's one thing to say things you thought were
correct and be wrong. People can understand
that from their elected officials. They're human
too.
But when one of them gets on the tube and
outright distorts the truth, people are going to
be offended. Did Bush think we're all too stupid
to ever find out? Obviously so.
This kind of tactic is typical of Bush and his
political hootenanny. They've been presenting
this kind of staged political event since he ran
for the Republican primary.
5 First, it was a flag in every shot, now it's
crack from a bogus drug deal. What's next? A
computer-generated picture of Gorbachev burning
babies?
Bush didn't have to lie about this. He could
have just held the crack aloft and told where it
really came from, but he chose not to. He chose
to go for the effect and damn the truth. Whether
it was all his doing, or none of his doing, or all
his staffs idea or just something they kicked around
the office, it doesn't matter.
A trust has been compromised, and the country
won't forget it
He's really hurt himself and us bv treating
* w
such a terrible problem with such awful
judgment
And how long will it be before anyone trusts
his judgment again?
'
J main a nothing. Gee, maybe after a .
IKing few concerts, USC would have
m enough money to better the parkar
CI ing situation, or buy a new computer,
or go a year without a tuition
hike. Wouldn't that be nice?
USC, I have Why was this decision made?
od and bad Perhaps old blood and guts Dixon
nan, Fair and thinks only football should be
s at USC for played in football stadiums. Giant
ently, I have Stadium? RFK? L.A. Coliseum?
-TLY what is Hoosierdome? Measly Carterstitution.
It Finley Stadium? . . . ? I saw the
trvative lead- Stones at RFK stadium in
he university Washington, D.C., last week. The
w up into the security force was minimal, and in
it is. No one fact was never even needed,
the guts to What's more, I am quite certain
Io something that the Redskins will be able to
ght on USC. play there next week.
>ecome THE Perhaps officials are understancmsll.tnu/n
/loKK, n>l>i/>t?n? Untd ? ?
uaui; iwuv/iaui iu uuiu a wuiiu^il Od
i of thought immense as the Stones' tour for
the maiden performance in the stadium.
But what excuse will offiple
of what I cials use when they turn down
c at the abso- another smaller show?
nity the uni- Columbia and USC stand on the
J if the Roll- verge of being propelled into a
rformed in multi-million dollar concert
urn, one of market, and unless someone takes
n the South- the initiative to allow something
and his deci- like this to come to USC, Columde
a crucial bia and the university will continue
decision, by to play subservient roles to the
e stadium to likes of Charlotte, Raleigh (N.C.
State), Durham (Duke and UNC)
and Atlanta (Georgia Tech).
? it to have The naivete, the backward thinkbrought
mil- ing, and the small town attitudes of
'enue to the USC's decision makers must
entire Col- change. Students, local residents
irea, money and Columbia merchants are all
iow because being deprived of an outstanding
es like Char- opportunity.
Atlanta are It's time for Columbia and USC
an excellent to really DO something!
as USC reorant
to this Scott Saunders
ibia will re- Public relations junior