Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Crisis U.S. lacking homefront support for Middle East confrontation Iraq, Saddam Hussein, the Middle East crisis ? during the ] several weeks, these words have become a part of daily life many Americans. For some, the situation means good dinner-ti chit-chat and political bantering. Others worry about fuel pr and the cost of sustaining thousands of American troops in Middle East. Families of military men worry about their lo\ ones* well-being in such an unstable atmosphere, and many re vists are nervously dreading the phone call that will ship them < too. Thinw flfp. hoainnincr tn titt Hoca tn VmmA ot*a VW Ail b V1VOV IV UVlllV) (U1U Ulb 1HU1XI of discontent are getting louder. When President Bush first decided to send U.S. troops to Ss Arabia in an effort to ward off an Iraqi attack, many touted decision as proof of the president's good sense and responsi leadership. The first troops were dispatched, a few grumblings were he. but most Americans felt we'd done the right thing. Soon, more troops were being sent, now the reserves are be notified to be ready to go within 30 minutes at any time, and p pie are beginning to complain. The problem is, it is necessary for U.S. troops to be in Sa Arabia at this time, if for no other reason than to make good o promise to protect that country in the face of possible war. The United States may have jumped in a little too early, giv other military powers the chance to sit back and watch the sit tion before deciding to mobilize their own troops. The Uni States may have more troops than is really necessary in Middle East right now. But Saddam has a large military; i while the Iraqi troops are not quite as technologically equipped our forces, they do have advanced weapons, European miliL training, an immense pool of manpower and a strong determii tion ? as well as a strong hatred for the United States. Right now, the United States is committed to fulfilling a pro ise. As in all things, many decisions will be made ? some rig SfiTtlP u/mnrr onH nannlo Vioiro at~ 11? ?* ? ttavu^ iuivi imTv V/v^1 y iijb^iiL iu uuutiic me ng ness or wrongness of those decisions. But, as a nation, we cam back down simply because people we love might get hurt. A second misconception that is revolving around the situation the idea that U.S. troops are there to overrun Saddam and proti "our" oil. The United States does get much of its oil from t Middle East, but that does not make it "ours." We are not prote ing our oil, but our oil interests. If Saddam had his way, ht monopolize on Middle East oil and the U.S. economy could spi into an even deeper financial hole than it's in now. U.S. troops need to be in the Middle East. U.S. financial inn ests in Middle Eastern oil must be protected. The United Stal must honor its promise of support for Saudi Arabia. And to these things, many U.S. military personnel must go to the Midc East. We at home should not be complaining about, condemning ai denouncing the U.S. military movements in the Middle East. V should, instead, offer support to those already there, and pray f their safe return. JPdMjn/fmwL? Wfl GLOSSARY OP TERMS "die current J&rSisuiGutf unpleasantneasr ' ~ ' IR/Y3 . ' FRATERNITY BROTHERS' * ***** *** ?lKCt * 'AIR The Gamecock News: 777-7726 Advertising: 777-4249 Jeff Wilson Sharon Willamson w r?J-V. ? ' * jumiiui ui y^rucj managing c*auori^opy uesK cmej Lynn Gibson Elizabeth Lynch News Editor Carolina Life Editor Doug aube renee Meyer Sports Editor Photography Editor Kelly C. Thomas Viewpoints Editor Elizabeth Fox Sherri Tillman Assistant News Editor Assistant News Editor David Bowden Kathy Heberger Assistant Carolina Life Editor Assistant Carolina Life Editor Fred Gonzales Brant Long Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor Julie bouchillon Octavia Wright Assistant Photography Editor Assistant to the Editors Kristin Francis Erik Collins Graduate Assistant Faculty Adviser Ed bonza Laura s. Day Director of Student Media Production Manager Ray Burgos renee Gibson Assistant Production Manager Advertising Manager Kyle berry Carolyn Griffin Assistant Advertising Manager Business Manager Letters Policy: The Gamecock will try to print all letters received. Letters should be, 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 Gamecock reserves the right to so\t letters for style, possible libel or in case of space limitations. The newspaper will not withhold names under any circumstance. rnd as 2 Racial prejudi So many people have congratulated me on *11' becoming editor in chief of The Gamecock. hi- Many black people that I don't even know very lot well have congratulated me. "It's good to see a brother get the job," or "Don't let us down," i is some have said. set Because I am a minoritv. it is sometimes dif / ' jhe ficult for mc to be involved in the journalism ct_ profession. I hear so many of my black peers ^ talk about the biases of die media and about how the media intentionally portrays minorities, particularly blacks, in a bad light. Sometimes I am a little offended to hear people say such things about my chosen profession, sometimes I tes am embarrassed, and sometimes I have to agree do whole-heartedly with their accusations, lie This summer I worked as an intern at The Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis, which turned out to be a cultural and professional eyei/e opener. I loved the city and I loved the paper, or but both were unsettling at times. Only four percent of Minnesotans are black and I could literally count the number of minority reporters and editors working at The Star Tribune on my hands with fingers to spare. It was unusual walking down the street and seeing only a few people of color. Before coming to USC, I had gone to predominately black schools. Even USC has a large number of minority students, so I never feel like I stand out. But in Minnesota, where I covered some news stories where I was the only black person there, J I certainly did stand out. And I didn't like it. ] This summer, there was a food festival in the Military is for Heard the one about the marine who fought against being sent to Saudi Arabia because he "didn't believe in the cause?" Oh yeah ? that's right... it's not funny. This young man was right ? he didn't be- ? lieve in the cause. But the cause was not the Iran crisis the cause wac hie hiHp KAirkfr nnt r\t\ J ? - ? - ?~uv ITUIJ IUD 1I1UW put UII the line for his job. A very military thing to do, L right? Wrong. The military men and women I know (and, being a Navy brat, I know quite a few) would t be ashamed to deny their country of their ser- 1 vice in a time of need. The military people I s know would be willing to risk everything to c protect the interests of their country, to offer C full and selfless service to the people of the United States and her allies, and to abide by and d support the decisions of the president and other r military officials in any situation, right or ji wrong, because that was what they pledged to do when they joined the military. y The military men and women I know are not p cowards. They entered the military knowing there was always a chance of danger, a chance f; they might be asked to put their lives on the y line, a chance they could be wounded or para- n lyzed and a chance they might die in the line of o duty. And they joined anyway. Pretty doggone d commendable if you ask me. Moral codes censored. V ^1 a l _ (mostly unwi threaten radio can be sent to ^ . pay fines up l o the editor. their radio stal Recently, I had the honor of g0vernmer hostrng the marketing manager of t interest tr the only alternative (format) radio infiuence in station in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. It have recQrds came as no surprise when she be- lions turned 0{ gan to talk about censorship in ra- Thp rrk?ntrv dio broadcasting. the Unded tions of Yugoj Not only are there words and these oppressi< phrases that are forbidden to be J aired, but religious, political, so Stooges of iha Apoca ice rampant, m fjjjli c( A :g&r: wr c, 5V r JEFF WILSON al st Twin Cities called "The Taste of Minnesota." H Some festival-goers were attacked on several w nights of the week-long festival. Several reporters asked the police department to break down the attacks racially, which I found to be a little a? unorthodox. The papers and television stations m then ran stories about the "band" of black di youths that beat up mostly white people. st; he It was important to report that 37 people were attacked. I didn't think it was important to th; say how many of them were white and how a many of the attackers were not, and I certainly th; didn't think that a group of black people should tiv be referred to as a "band" or "pack". It made an them sound like savage animals. I have a lot of w< black friends and we walk together. Does that sh mean we travel in "bands" or "packs?" de po If there had been more blacks attacked than whites, or an equal number of blacks and co whites attacked, I wonder if the media would So have made an issue out of the incident. I don't un know, and that uncertainty scares me. sta This summer the newspaper also ran an ex- fei honorable mei a KELLY C. THOMAS J' adi W. V r "th me The problem with many of the younger mili- rea ary personnel today is that they have never pes mown a world at war, a nation at war or even a the tate at war. They see reports of war in other 1 ountries, but it's not the same ? they just loy lon't understand exactly how real war is. req War is not just shouting "BanglBang! You're all lead!" War is real guns and real missiles and pos eal blood and real death. Real war heroes never 1 ump up again and cheer, "New man!" or j It is just now dawning on some of these this oung military people that it's very real, very and ossible ? and very scary. I Not all young military people are like this. In fig! ict, it's not even near a majority. I know many for oung service or service-bound people who will lay not like the fact that they could be called no n at any moment, but they'd go with pride and Am ignity if called upon. digi I have friends in the reserves who are on an sior EDITOR iolators of these Restrictions ritten) moral codes m i prison for two years, violate rigni to $20,000 and have ~ ions closed down by . .. it. She added that of- ? e "!Ltlv r(,ciH- ? . ... . I am currently residmg m roups will use their \ . & y .. _ ney, room 208 of the second the community to Jt banned or radio staf On Sunday August 19th, ii 1 she referred to was brought to my attention, ; ates. The radio sta- with that of my hallmates,th jlavia endure none of males were allowed on our fl< ^ns. any time. Considering that \ Yon Wilhelm Resch tion is allowed on the othe Journalism senior floors, we (the girls) of the s< f s ^111 > jyp-s^ isunderstood i # client 12-day series entitled "Issues of Race." fter the series, all the editors were more connous of racial issues, and reporter found more linority sources for news and feature stories. Shortly after the series ran, I got a story as- " gnment about mosquitoes, which was a probm in Minneapolis this summer because of the >ove-average rainfall. When I was writing the ory, my editor asked if I had contacted any mong or black people to see how mosquitoes ere affecting them. He just didn't get it. People of color want fair and accurate cover- * ;e from the news media, but I don't think osquitoes affect Asian or black people any fferently than whites. He just couldn't underand what being racially sensitive meant, and i's not the only one. ; It is a struggle for me to be part of a media at doesn't always accurately portray me. It is struggle for me to be a part of a profession -j , at often is not respected by my peers and relates. I don't think the media should ever hide ything because it might upset minorities or % :>men or anyone else. But I also don't think it ; ould intentionally portray those people in a rogatory manner, without ever portraying the sitive side. ! It is indeed a struggle for me to be racially nscious and involved in the news media, metimes it makes me angry, confused and certain about the future. But instead of conntly complaining, I am trying to make a dif- ; ence, and I guess that's a start a, not wimps \ jr's notice to leave if called! They're nerv3, but they're packed and ready in case y're needed. I have friends who will proby not be called to go, but who would gladly so if asked. These are friends I respect and nire very much. rhey didn't join the service because it was e thing to do." They didn't join to find wort or to get a free ride through college. They lized that the country couldn't always be at ice, that war happens and could happen to m. And they joined anyway. I When you join the military, you pledge to be al to your country, to serve her in any way uested of you and to support her in any and decisions and military acts. And you're suped to mean it rhe military is no place for wimps, cowards | people who suddenly realize they don't like new part of the job. The military is for men 1 _ r i i. i ? - i women or royalty, nonor ana determination, can understand a draftee saying he wouldn't it because he didn't believe in the cause, but a military man who joined of his own free I, I have no admiration. People like that are more than a bad taste in the mouth of erica and should be spat out with as little lity as he has shown to his country, profes- I i and self. | i i floor consider it highly irregular, 1 unfair and unconstitutional to deny l the fellow students of the univertS sity the rights and privileges awarded to all students of this dis_ i tinguished society of academia. Burfloor. D"e to the unpleasant nature of this situation and the general dissatisfaction of the members of the along seconc* floor, we request that an , ! ial no explanation be given. We also neoor at quest that our opinion be risita- considered. sr six Nakisha Frazier ^cond Pre-med freshman