The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 19, 1990, Page 3, Image 3
VIEWPOINT
Friday, January 19, 1990 The Gamecock 3
Abused
Children should r
to testify in sexuc
Sometime before July, the U
whether or not young children sh
of defendants in cases where the
ually abused the child. The iudee
or not having taped testimonies f
sit behind a screen where he/she
a defendant's Sixth Amendment
witnesses against him."
Forty-one states have laws th2
screens and one-way mirrors tha
look at the defendant. Child psy
may not be able to testify truth:
face-to-face with their alleged of
children's parents, and children c
ing if mommy or daddy looks at t
The only ruling the Supreme
case was the case of Coy vs. I
decided that having a screen ph
two 13-year-old victims was in v
Amendment right.
But if a decision is made using
? children, not just 13-year-olds, w
old may be psychologically qffec
of his/her offender, he/she will b
tion than a four- or six-year-old. 1
the situation better, and also realh
them. Young children cannot. H
age, should be required to confror
If one looks at the wording ol
that a defendant has the right "to
against him." It is necessary to r
today do not necessarily bear the
the 18th century. In 18th centur
used to mean the information o:
could be translated as "to be confi
sations made against him." It cou
know who accuses him and what 1
But lawyers are always lookin;
translation presented to the couri
the right to confront their accusers
Quite a difference, eh?
Another point that must be con
that surrounded 18th century life
written, topics such as incest and
were simply not discussed. Thus,
have taken into consideration t
forced to testify against offender
serving its purpose, does not c
modem-day issues, simply becai
during the time the Bill of Rights
No child should be put throuj
having to see the person who a
should not be put in a situation w!
to tell the truth or to lie to please <
No child deserves that.
LIFTIN6 OF b
The Ga
Robert D. Thomas
Editor-in-Chief
Jeff Wilson, News Editor Kei
scott pruden. Carolina Life Editt
teddy lepp, Photo Editor ROl
ROBB Lane, Graj.
Lynn Gibson
Assistant News Editor
Elizabeth Lynch
Assistant Carolina Life Editor
Deborah Ryan
Assistant Photo Editor
Kristin Francis
Graduate Assistant
ed bonza
Director of Student Media
Ray Burgos
Assistant Production Manager
jeffrey b. thompson
Assistant Advertsing Manager
Letters Policy: The Gamecock will try to
be, at maximum, 250 to 300 words long,
fessional title if a USC employee or South
a student. An address and phone numbe
Gamecock reserves the right to edit lette
space limitations. The newspaper w
circumstance.
lot be required
il abuse cases
.S. Supreme Court will decide
lould be forced to testify in front
defendant is alleged to have sexs
will have to determine whether
rom the child or having the child
cannot see the defendant violates
right "to be confronted with the
it allow videotaped testimony or
t keep the child from having to
chologists believe small children
fully in a courtroom if they are
fenders. (Many offenders are the
:an easily be intimidated into lyhem
with a stern parental air.)
Court has ever made in such a
owa in 1988, when the justices
iced between the defendant and
iolation of the defendant's Sixth
Coy vs. Iowa as a precedent, all
ill be affected. While a 13-year:ted
by having to testify in front
e better able to handle the situarhirteen-year-olds
can understand
re that their testimony might help
owever, no child, regardless of
it a sex-offender.
' the Sixth Amendment, it reads
be confronted with the witnesses
emember that many words used
same connotations as they did in
y English, "witness" was often
f a witness. Thus, the meaning
ronted (riresentedl with the ami
Jd mean that he has the right to
:hey accuse him of.
g for loopholes, and the current
t indicates that defendants have
isidered is the moral atmosphere
s. When the Bill of Rights was
sexual abuse, while they existed,
the founding fathers would not
he fact that children might be
s. The Bill of Rights, while still
ontain rights alluding to many
ise these issues were not issues
was drafted.
%h the psychological anguish of
msed them so much pain. They
here they have to decide whether
on-looking adults.
1ARTIAL LAW
mecock
KATHY BLACKWELL
Managing Editor
LLY C. THOMAS, Viewpoint Editor
>r jeff nichols, Sports Editor
byn Thompson, copy Desk chief
ihics/Comics Editor
Lucy Soto
Assistant News Editor
Brant Long
Assistant Sports Editor
sharon williamson
Assistant Copy Desk Chief
Erik Collins
Faculty Adviser
Laura S. Day
Production Manager
renee atkinson
Advertising Manager
Carolyn Griffin
Business Manager
print all letters received. Letters should
The writer must include full name, proi
Carolina resident, or year and major if
r are required with all letters sent. The
rs for style, possible libel or in case of
rill not withhold names under any
11^
Fact files on Fai
So father figure Mike Fair had bad grades.
So what? I'll tell you what. Facts concerning
Fair's grades and graduate status have been w
fuzzy ? at best.
When I spoke with Fair about the situation,
he said, because of his high profile, people
probably just assumed that he had a degree. He
was referring to the 1986 Alumni Directory, ^Wj
which has Fair as receiving a degree in 1968. It
does not list what the degree was supposed to
be in, though.
that it >
I asked Jack Wilson, associate director of the The All
Alumni Association, how this error could have est files
occurred. He said that they get their information their fil
from the alumni, the registrar and from any in- updating
formation the Alumni Association has com- said. Ai
piled. "The mistake could have been with the error oc
registrar, with us or just simply keyboard er- So s(
rors," he said. Wilson also said the directory mistake
has a disclaimer, stating they are not responsi- But.
ble for the accuracy of the information.
This1
"The buck stops here," USC Registrar T. literatur*
Luther Gunther said. The Alumni Association contain!
rTAtO infrxrmnti/vn fr/\m n-?nf?v?? knf ri
"uuilii^uiwii nuiii uiu itgouai, (Jul vjuiiuiL/i oCilalC c
said if a mistake occurred in the 1986 directory same mi
Change needed i
When my friend Keith got up this morning
his breakfast was ready. Lunch and dinner will
be the same way. He doesn't have to ever M
wony about when or where he eats. In fact,
Keith never has to worry about rent where he's
staying, nor bills or going anyplace. Sound
pretty good? One wouldn't want to be in his
You see, a long time ago Keith sold some co
caine to a state Law Enforcement Division officer
while supporting a habit. The amount sold Joints 1
was enough to turn Keith into what this country over*
calls a "violent criminal." Keith is not violent. resP?nsi
Luckily, he received probation, along with 11 s
fines, public service work and a hefty 25-year
suspended prison sentence. were
wanted
For years, Keith would not go near drugs. He At fii
would be the last person to know where to get worry a
drugs, and he liked it that way. He married a cided t<
beautiful lady, and they were happy. They were pleaded
happy until one day an officer of Richland a few >
County Sheriff's Department thought a little fight it,
pressure on Keith could scare up some cocaine years fr<
names. So the guy shows up at his house after He p
midnight threatening to search. (Take it from him dan
me, a search of your home by our fine sheriff's and nov
department is worse than if old Hugo himself anything
had come in and stayed awhile.) her own
VaiiIi KioH nrvthinrr tr\ t<?11 tha mon ouon cnr\rvr>rt
w??vv 1VV1U1 UUU uvuilll^ W LV11 U1V Iliau, V * v-ll
if he had wanted to, his wife got a couple of He pi
LETTERS TO THE E
Si~^ 1 o**7 I. should know about tli
I<i\V Dsns return to Addam's I
- _ be refunded the tax
tax on books chased a new bookE
To the editor: j
I recently purchased a textbook
at Addam's University Bookstore #
and was charged a sales tax. I V^IC?H11I1?
questioned an employee about the ^
tax, because I thought the state of \I7flF*l?C fl
South Carolina didn't have a tax " UI IVo
on books. I was told that books To the editor:
that were purchased new had a I'm taking time o
sales tax of 5 percent. After I left, schedule to relay my
I called the South Carolina Tax topic so often over
Commission and was told that students and faculty
books, new or used, were not sup- article deals with tl
posed to be assessed a sales tax performance of the
under South Carolina law. The and janitorial crew
commission instructed me to go those working in the
back to Addam's University Book- As a resident of ;
store and demand a refund on the noticed that the cleai
sales tax. I feel that all students not only very friend!
r ambiguous
AMY LOOMIS J
vasn't because of the registrar's office. do<
imni A cenriatinn ffptc rnnipc r?f thf? Int_ nil
???" ?. A kUJWiUUVII gVW VV/p*Vk7 V/l. U1V 1U ! f ?
on students so that they can then update the
es. At the time Fair was at USC, this US
I of files was done manually, Gunther "U
id he speculates that could be how the du;
curred. po:
imebody somewhere somehow made a gu<
up
mi
yery same mistake occurred in other
e as well. In a S.C. Legislative Manual let
ng biographies of members of the state sor
md House of Representatives, the exact
stake is made. lea
in wars that <
f ' t^1C
r~ ?1 Vincent ?
j ? jf HRAIft WPiriUT be
i yP ??
-??? a\*
hat she had hidden and handed them re<
he claimed them, intending to take full do
ibility. She was charged, (here is where it <
ticky), and so was Keith,
vife repeatedly admitted that the joints He
ers, but that was not what the men of
to hear. Ev
st, it seemed like Keith had nothing to scl
bout, but our narcotics department de- are
3 put more pressure on Keith. If he in^
guilty to the joints, he would face only by
'ears of actual time, but if he tried to i
they would make sure he got the 25 ma
)m his earlier, suspended sentence. wi
leaded guilty and now you never see vol
icing at rock shows. He pleaded guilty loc
> his wife has to manage bills, rent and of
j any married couple worries about on fro
i ? not to mention that she must now ch;
Keith. coi
eaded guilty and now he doesn't have yoi
DITOR
lis so they can ably efficient, but are al:
iookstore and tremely cooperative. I say cc
if they pur- five because of one insta
which I needed to use a v
cleaner desperately.
Iryan Jeffcoat The Towers office va
history senior cleaner was broken (as it ha
for most of the first semeste
r cfaff was forced t0 ask the cleanir
j JSlitll for permission to use her
Qrr| spankin'new vacuum. I was
Ctl 11 ing to myself that there was
lutely no way she would 1
ut of my busy use itthoughts
on a To my surprise, she not o
looked by the me use the vacuum, she al
at USC. This fered to help me move furni
le outstanding order to do the job right. T
; maintenance markable gesture was well 1
', specifically the call of duty and de:
Towers area. recognition.
Snowden, I've The fact that she was bus)
ning ladies are the vacuum at the time of i
ly and remark- quest and also willingly c
I jr
t!eparfnt< b
i, misleading
[t reads: "FAIR, Michael L. (R) ? (DisL No.
, Greenville Co.) b. June 16, 1946; s.
ill L. and Haze (sic) C. Fair; g. Parker High
liool, 1964; Univ. of S.C., 1968;" The g.
be abbreviation for "graduated."
[ called the State House to find out where
s information comes from. The biographies
ne from the representatives themselves, acding
to the clerk's office. Or in this case,
ke Fair.
When I spoke to Fair about this, he said, "It
jsn't say I graduated ... I guess I'll have to
[1 out my grammar books and find out about
> semicolon." True, the "g." is not in front of
!C as it is with Parker High School, but if
niv. of S.C., 1968" doesn't mean he was gra
ated in that year, then what exactly is it supsed
to mean? "There's no question it's ambious,"
Fair said. Fair also said he didn't call
the newspapers everytime that they made a
stake. "I don't correct it unless it's a gross
or . . . perhaps that's wrong of me."
fes, Mr.1 Fair, perhaps it is wrong of you to
people believe that you have accomplished
nething when you haven't,
rhe fact remains that people have been misd
? whether intentionally or unintentionally.
don't forgive
; privilege to choose when or what he eats or
icn he sleeps. He pleaded guilty, and he was
t guilty.
I fully realize something must be done about
rtain drugs in this country, but every day it
comes more obvious that these drug wars, i
en on a pure economic basis, are failing.
The way things are now, howeverr narcotics
ficers can operate immorally and brush it
'ay unaer tne drug war blanket.
To these guys, people are statistics ? one ar;t,
one conviction, one sentence served. They
n't see Keith or his wife as people. They see
is something to write down on their resume.
Keith is not a criminal, violent or otherwise,
s does not belong in prison any more than any
the people involved in putting him there,
eryone knows our prisons are "crime
tools" with drugs more available than they
; on the outside. So what is the point in send;
Keith there? Who in society is threatened
Keith's release? Make yourself known.
One day, in a more perfect society, drugs like
irijuana will be legal and people like Keith
11 not be persecuted. I demand that you, as
ters, do something about a system that could
:k Keith away. You see, if you are convicted
a drug felony, your right to vote is taken
m you and with that so is your ability to
inge what you disagree with in this free
intry. So vote now, while you can, and watch
jrself out there.
so ex- her assistance at the expense of
>opera- losing valuable work time is truly
nee in outstanding. Furthermore, I have
acuum found that each of the ladies I've
had the pleasure of talking with
icuum were constantly smiling and ald
been ways willing to offer a helping
r), so I hand. I am always impressed with
ig lady their stubborn committment to
brand- cleaning and sterilizing the rethink
stroom area. Even on the worst of
abs0_ days such as Monday, after a delet
me structive weekend, they seem to
leave the halls and restrooms in
nly let immaculate condition,
so of- conclusi?n? the only thing I
ture in can figure out is that the university
his re- is Payin& these workers relatively
xwond high wa8es> ^ if not? il is my
serves opinion that each one deserves a
substantial raise in pay for their
/ using outstanding performances.
my re- Aric Boyles
)ffered Business freshman