University of South Carolina Libraries
* __ . Viewpoint Wednesday, January 24, 1990 The (jcimccock 3 Cracked D.C. mayor Barry after being arreste Marion Barry, the District of Colt last week on charges of buying ani OllKcton^a oKiiPO traofnn OUU^L011VA>~aUU3V UV/aiillQll UClllCl 111 in Monday, and now faces a 30-day ing to focus on his alcoholism. His i in his absence. There are a couple of problems w if he was arrested on cocaine charg ing to focus on his alcoholism? Ale cocaine (especially crack) is by far t program should deal first with the c the alcoholism. Second, why is Barry, in one of t the nation, being allowed to retain 1 has spoken out vehemently against the city. Now, he is one of those ver Washington, D.C. has one of the i the nation. A mayor who condones uses them himself, should resign possible. As yet, however, "... he does n< Administrator Carol Thompson said. Why not? Not resigning shows what Barr] comes to being mayor of D.C. He doesn't care about keeping the by purchasing and using illegal druj the best-known laws in the countr people, as he has shown by support] ous of all criminals (esDeciallv in doesn't care about controlling crime, ing in the names of the dealers he knowing that drugs lead to more doesn't care about sincerity, honest) officials. It would seem that Barry is only ii beef up his image, to hold a positic and get his name in the press. These may not be the real reasons to remain so), but they are the idea h: Barry would be well advised to i there are plenty of people who wc assist him bodily out of office. The Gan Robert D. Thomas Editor-in-Chief Jeff Wilson, News Editor Kelly Scott pruden, Carolina Life Editor Teddy Lepp, photo Editor Robyiv robb lane, Graphics Lynn Gibson Assistant News Editor Elizabeth Lynch Assistant Carolina Life Editor Deborah Ryan Assistant Photo Editor I?r* * iVKlbiir* rKAPNi^ia 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 prinl be, at maximum, 250 to 300 words long. The fessional title if a USC employee or South Cai a student. An address and phone number art Gamecock reserves the right to edit letters fc space limitations. The newspaper will r circumstance. IK{ should resign '14 d for cocaine imbia mayor who was arrested i using crack cocaine, is in a south Florida. Barry checked treatment program that is golides will be managing the city ^ ith this situation. First, why ? / es ? is Barry's treatment go- / . :ohol is a dangerous drug, but | he worst of the two vices. The :ocaine problem and then with he most drug-infested cities in lis position? As mayor, Barry / drug use and drug selling in y people he preached against. c\J top-10 worst drug problems in / the sale and use of drugs, and and be replaced as soon as 7l it intend to resign," D.C. City /T / really cares about when it law, as he has already shown is ? thereby breaking one of /. He doesn't care about the ing some of the most danger- tit D.C.) ? drug dealers. He as he has shown by not turnj bought from; all the while and more crime. In all, he ' and integrity in government i it for personal reasons ? to ?^ >n of power, to make money Barry is in office (and wants is actions are projecting. M0re step down from office, since troops n luld be more than willing to supremo Martin I When \ \ I J \ h weekend A'W7v\\ ~* /\ \ \J xz ? Many \ premacis v ^ /r Ov^ / 4 may be I W ^ Richa lt\ -.r3gfp Moveme ^ rally. "T "j rSMwT) & corpse i! | piSpihES | [ (WST anny, h J I m a ' " Since \ / / I J low Bar _ / / -v I 1 mnnctrai t ' h olina, C ' '' forts toe kept thii |^p some tin Ol My fr] stePs of ing, wh< *l " desk in t 1 We lool 10COCK us about " about ho Kathy blackwell of his fa Managing Editor J? othei hair so si ' C. THOMAS, Viewpoint Editor feat'he Jeff Nichols, sports Editor We (s i Thompson, copy Desk chief toe man< _ . _duty calli 'Comics Editor to WQrk It was Lucy Soto are overl< Assistant News Editor vvho hav< Brant Long through \ Assistant Sports Editor ing of rr Sharon Williamson some ma Assistant Copy Desk Chief takes the Erik Collins Faculty Adviser p^iCg LauraS. Day Production Manager "1A A Renee Atkinson IVir\ Advertising Manager g% Carolyn Griffin S?tl Business Manager t all letters received. Letters should ^0J^e ^ writer must include full name, pro- Please 'olina resident, or year and major if ter to Stu< ) required with all letters sent. The Dear StU( ?r style, possible libel or in case of SDrine iot withhold names under any ,? especially hmhwhi is beautif (TITO 111 1 icism, insensii than 2,500 police and National Guard >ere used Saturday to protect five white ^ :cists demonstrating near the tomb of J* Mther King Jr. I read this sentence in The State this I, I couldn't believe it was 1990. This JBB Dry could have been .written 25 years flj would argue that at least the white suits were only five in number. Yes, that ? true. But five is five too many, rd Barrett, leader of the Nationalist ^y? ^ ;nt from Mississippi led the anti-King as ^ac hat grave (King's) is not a throne. That sociatic > not a king. We are here to bury a tyr- man W1 e said. s^y when was King ever a tyrant? And ^ch cu' i a white supremacist of all people be tion of to judge tyranny? particip bt that many USC students would fol- Month rett's example and have anti-King de- promise tions, but in small ways, South Car- tural ex olumbia and THE USC make few ef- Then counteract such lunacy. f?r 'acJ< vance of King's birthday is a prime ex- bate the )ne student told me that her professor in8- FQI rigs short so that students could have see w^: fie to at least think about King ? even lines, "1 couldn't make it to some worthwhile cause it 3y starting school on Jan. 15, the uni- racist" discouraged observing this national An ai made n lgh the university began classes on this brewinj der people nei iend Susan and I were sitting out on the Wade Hampton dorm yesterday even- i ^ cn an elderly man who works at the he building stepped out to get some air. m ;ed up and smiled at him as he apI, and he stopped and proceeded tr> tell JiPi * ? pip"* ' his relatives in Greenville. He told us w he could remember five generations Mw mily on one side and three or four on about how one of his relations had Peopl rong three people could grab a handful generatii he'd lift them clear off the ground ? a ^ lin't never seen done before nor since." derly an usan and I) had a good time talking to t0 work: , and really enjoyed his stories. But T^s i sd, and he had to leave us to go back Besid( are pro! then we realized how much the elderly many ol x>ked in our society. These are people t0^ me i seen presidents come and go, lived everythii vars and upheavals and seen the pass- ' lany different lifestyles. They have geons, y< irvelous stories to tell ? if anyone |hey nee< time to listen. if ihey h TTERS TO THE E DD lirppc visit our beaches an< tions. Our cities and : vacation dy t0 welcome y At this time, we w litor: you that while we h< publish the following let- your spring vacation ients. aware of laws in Flc lents: directly affect you. is a great time of year, We ask that you ' in Florida. Our weather "21" age drinking la ul, it's the perfect time to for anyone under a } 0I r X1 Mm - ... ?.| ,,m | in.fi gfl^g-, J- f - .4 , tivity still p *F AMY LOOMIS still claims to be sensitive to such things k History Month. In a flyer from the As>n of Afro-American Students, Holder*ites: "For the past 20 years, the UniverSouth Carolina has participated in this Itural tradition. I, along with the AssociaAfro-American Students, invite you to >ate in the 21st Annual Black History Observance. This year's observance is to be an exciting, educational and experience." 3 are other examples of insensitivity ? : of a better word. Every year people de> Confederate flag over the capital build a long time, I must confess that I didn't at all the fuss was about I bought the It's a part of our heritage," and "Just he's a Confederate flae doesn't mean it's rticle in a University of Texas magazine le reconsider. A similar controversy is 1 at UT, where many students are comed some att kelly c. Thomas mm ... e today tend to push aside the older 3n. They are too busy with their kids, mds, their school or their jobs. The el> seen as a burden ? as people too old and too young to die. s not right. ?s, if you think about it, these people )ably much more accomplished than ' today's scholars. As our new friend last night, "Used to be a man could do lg he needed by himself." People today >e lawyers, politicians, doctors and surst many of them couldn't fix their car if ded to. They couldn't fix a leaky faucet ad to; and, in some cases, couldn't sew DITOR ~ i other attrac- sess, purchase or in an; I residents are tain alcoholic beverages, ou with open It is against the law ii for the driver or passei 'ant to remind motor vehicle to posses }pe you enjoy container of alcohol. Th< , you must be people die each year ii >rida that may related crashes. We do you to become another si i respect our Spring break can be lw. It is illegal vacation filled with s ge 21 to pos- beaches and friends. ilague U.S. plaining about (and legitimately so) what they call the "great white monuments" of Confederates like Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee. They also object to a statue of Woodrow Wilson. who keot blacks out of Princeton IJniver sity when he was president there from 1902 to 1910. Many people in Texas have the same an> swers that South Carolinians do: it's part of our history, heritage and folklore ... . However, George Wright, associate professor of history and director of African and AfroAmerican Studies and Research Center at UT changed opinions that I had had since childhood. Here is what he said: "People try to justify the Confederate as being for a noble cause. Sure, there were other issues (besides slavery) involved, but all the other issues were negotiable. Slavery was not. "I challenge the viewpoint that you can stand for everything the Confederacy stood for besides slavery. That's like wearing a swastika and explaining that you don't stand for the gas chambers .. . that you only stand for the 'good things.' You can't stand for part of it (the Confederacy); you either stand for all of it or you stand for none of it." After reading this, I looked at the university phone book with a beautiful photograph of the capital building at night. Then I saw the three flags. The American flag, the state flag and the Confederate flag. And for the first time I understood. I could stand for all of it or none of it; and I chose the latter. ention, caring a rip in the seat of their pants. People our grandparents' age were doing these things by the time they were out of high school. Somehow, after that, interest in accomplishing "everyday" feats such as these was lost and today's men and women would much prefer to taJce their cars to the garage, call the plumber and buy a new pair of pants. The older people in the world today are often persecuted, tormented and frightened by young people who get "amusement" out of torturing them. When I lived in Florida, teenagers would go up to homes of elderly people, bang on the door and break out the windows and run ? just for fun. What has happened to the days when the older generation was considered wise and worthy of young people's respect? What happened to helping the elderly once they become unable to help themselves? Young Americans need to reinstate these values. Talk to some older people ? listen to their stories . . . and see how much you can learn from these "over-the-hill" individuals. y way ob- times, instead, it turns tragic. Only you can control how your vacation i our state will end. We want you to return to igers of a your schools and families safe and s an open healthy. Please, drive sober and Dusands of don't ride with anyone who has n alcohol- been drinking, not want tatistic. a joyous Susan Larson un, sandy Safe Spring Break Chairman loo many Mothers Against Drunk Driving