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Real elections Public broadcasting may have solution to U.S. election woes Anyone who remembers the 1988 presidential campaign will remember Willie Horton, the convicted killer who committed several horrible crimes while on furlough from a Massachusetts peA liirlrinn- tfl tVlP H QrVnOCC \I70C iiucuuciy. rui /\inciicaiia, ins apc^uc. luuvmg uumnvoo *?uo a constant social nightmare. For Mike Dukakis, he was the worst of political nightmares. Taken out of context and thrust into the campaign arena, the entire Horton incident has come to symbolize the level to which U.S. politicians sank to try and win the 1988 election. Issues were completely avoided in favor of meaningless rhetoric and demonstrations of immaturity from both sides, resulting in a trivialization of democracy itself. And we have the television networks to partially thank for this embarrassing situation. Their emphasis on tight, punchy sound bites and interesting photo opportunities that fit well into the 23 minute evening news format has, in part, encouraged political consultants to reduce their candidates to faces behind vapid slogans. In response, public broadcasting, which has long held up the cultural end of American television, is now proposing to hold up the political end as well. The Voters Channel, as PBS would call its new service, would provide 15 minute blocks of free airtime for politicians to speak B their piece, and perhaps even call-in shows for viewers to quiz candidates and critique their commercials that run on network television. Considering that the U.S. is one of the only Western democracies that does not inform its citizens in this way and still claims to be the leader of the free world, PBS should take this opportunity to show America that it can have a presidential campaign run by and for the people, instead of the political consultants. Even if no one was watching, the very fact of such a program's existence would help to pressure those who are responsible for leading America into no longer misleading America. What the U.S. political scene needs is substance. Americans want to know about whether the homeless will be helped, if taxes will be raised, and what the country is going to do with itself for - next four years, not whether the flag will be protected. Issues, not physical attractiveness, witty sound bites or meaningless video, will win the next presidential election. "NEVER MINP - GOME BACK ANP61VE EXAMINATION TO NASA* mmsLM ^y^y Artf&J/M The Gamecock Scott Pruden Robyn Thompson Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor, Copy Desk Chief R n\T T? r?n?T?rrr. n OAKER X/EiTNINlS 5HEAJLY News Editor Carolina Life Editor Fred Gonzalez Nick Leoncavallo Sports Editor Photo Editor Kristin Francis Erik Collins Graduate Assistant Faculty Adviser Ed Bonza Laura s. Day ^r 'ector of Student Media Production Manager i ^ay Burgos renee Gibson assistant Production Manager Advertising Manager Kyle Berry Carolyn Griffin Assistant Advertising Manager Business Manager Latter# Policy: The Gamecock will try to print all letters received. Letters should b?, at maximum, 250 to 300 words long. The writer must include full name, professional title if a USC employee or South Carolina resident, or year and major if a student. An address and phone number are required with all letters sent. The B Gamecock reserves the right to edit letters for style, possible libel or in case of ?Pace limitations. The newspaper will not withhold names under any ^rcumstance. Recycling was Someone I was talking to last week (who, for his protection, shall remain nameless) gave me the worst (and dumbest) reason I've ever heard for not recycling waste paper. "I don't see why I should," he said, "it takes so much time and I Hnn't apt ? thina r?nt r?f it " WV" * M VUW VI 11. Say, what? Think again, mister. Let's pick a minor human function ? say, breathing, for example ? and see how it can benefit from recycling. Humans (and other animals) need oxygen to breathe. (Remember this from fourth grade?) Some oxygen is found naturally in the air ? however, this is a very small amount when viewed in contrast to the multi-trillion lungs that are using it. When air is inhaled, the new oxygen that comes in with it goes into our blood streams and nourishes our bodies, while old air is exhaled. This old air, however, is not oxygen, but carbon dioxide, which is not beneficial for human to breath in. Lucky for us, we have plants (TREES included) that work in the opposite way ? they need carbon dioxide and expel oxygen, (kind of neat, eh?) Trees also provide shade and vital protection for the earth (and its people) from the sun, as well as being a natural habitat for animals (including many rare species). Grade-school lesson number two: paper and paper products are made from trees. Thus, tree + axe equals paper. However, we don't use naner in such small Quantities. New eaua I LE a . i i have not e Apartheid ^nce con* M Natal and c not abolished something To the editor: really has ( In response to the writer of the gation in s( letter "Apartheid act needs tals, restaui changes" (The Gamecock, June live in som 20), I'd just like to remind the wri- The wri; ter that the Anti-Apartheid act of (abolish) rz 1986 contains certain measures really me; that the South African Government wholly. Bel still has failed to meet i.e. te re- ally be lease of political prisoners, the re- with . . . ap pealing of the Population Registra- ist in Sout tion Act, the repealing of the the writer s Group Areas Act and the repealing would hav of the land acts. Blacks still don't Nelson an have the right of self- have come determination, police shooting still solicit supp : EUPAMGEREp 5PE6IE5 IM PWlMPUN? ite paper is wc L-y m Kelly Thomas tiori. Forest (i. e. many trees) + chain saws + tractors + pulleys + trucks equals paper in large enough quantities to satisfy our daily paper "needs". (Note the BIG difference in the number of trees required.) Now, try this: for one (just ONE) whole day, collect all the paper products you use. This means newspaper, writing paper, letters, scrap paper, cardboard, paper food wrappings, waxed paper, etc. Keep it all in one place and see how much accumulates. Try it at home or at work (or, even better, both) ? I think you'll be surprised to see how much paper you alone use in a day. And was it that difficult to collect? Now, most fire stations and many libraries and schools and other organizations have collection stations ? not too far from where you are right now. The choice is yours. In the next 20 minutes, you could watch half of a sit com re-run, or help save thousands of trees (and the earth in general) from devastation. TTERS TO THE EDIT' ;nded, right-wing vio- apartheid. Mr. Mandel; lues and the fighting in jng theat sanctions ren ither areas goes on. The government of F.W. d :an government tries to vinces those that are c >k like it has abolished Blacks, Coloreds, As but all the government dians etc. that the gov lone is eliminate segre- end its racist policies ime areas such as hopi- reform them. *ants or allow blacks to e white neighborhoods. gjiej ter also used the term journa ither loosely. That term ans to do away with AlhlllTl 1/ lieve me nothing has re- fllUUlH *? i e n done away innrfll lartheid policies still ex- CM II*"* CMM h Africa! And if what aid is true ? then there To the editor: e not been a need for This letter concerns d Winnie Mandela to recent focus on album to the United States to The Gamecock stt xirt for the fight against flint-faced on a collis I ^ ^ PT ? ? * * >rth the effort And so what if not all collection stations are set up to pay you for your recyclables? I'd rather breathe 50 times than have 50- cents (or even $50) ? wouldn't you? As a further incentive, recycling (paper, aluminum, glass and plastic) helps keep dumps and landfills from being tilled so quickly, tnus keeping them away from our homes a little longer. After all, would YOU invest in a house near a grungy, smelly, unhealthy landfill? What if it became necessary in the next 10 years to build a landfill within a few miles of your home? Would you stay or leave? How long could you keep leaving and moving on after that? Or even if you could, could your children or grandchildren also escape? Or do you care? If it happens after your lifetime, it won't affect you anyway, right? Right But don't the people who live on after you end your selfish life have the right to live as well as you did? When it comes right down to it, technology doesn't provide for a better life, only a more entertaining or longer or easier life. Our life in its true, basic, unadulterated form comes from the earth, and the earth is what we have to focus on saving right now. Sure, help the homeless and the dying species and the sick and the underpriveleged, but what good will all that do if none of us have an earth to stand on? ORlfel # "ill? a is demand- reality. Anomie will only bring ablain until the out a rude awakening, guys. Your e Klerk con- finger-pointing at the garbage alippressed i.e. ready on the market does not make ians and In- brand new filth any cleaner, eminent will and not just When you're older and wiser, and understand the certain end of laciviousness, and when your own donW Rice children are riddled with disease licm student and confusion, maybe then you'll drank the label makers for going to itiplc die trouble of previewing obscene material for you. You guys are all 1CG11P die more self-righteous for assumloallC ing that lawlessness does not harm, and that perversion is the offspring of genuine talent. ; your paper's i labelling. iff seems set Jonathan H. Covington ion with grim Electrical engineering senior