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Control Lawmakers are leading the U.S. . towards a police-state status Democracy in the United States is being tested and tried all across the country, and it is losing ground against people who feel it is their duty to make sure others live good, clean lives. In the past few years, legislation has been passed in various parts of the country that bans records, books and magazines; that limits smoking to certain, sealed-off areas; that inflicts curfews on young people; and that limits the availability of abortions for teenagers fand nthersV And thpcp an* inct a fipw pvomni^ w - v / - ? Uivuv U1V JUlJV v? wn V/\U1I Proposals for each and every one of these restrictions have been made (and most passed) right here in South Carolina. In addition, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission recently decided it would be a great idea to turn in the names of student offenders to the university administration. And speaking of the university administration, several universities in the United States have begun to control opposite-sex visitation and on-campus parties, as well as maintaining freshman curfews. Some cities have laws (and Columbia is considering a law) that require all people under the age of 18 to be off the streets and in their homes by midnight. Not only does this deny the under-18 people their rights, it also takes control out of the hands of parents, who should be allowed to decide when their children should be home. It is all very control-oriented, and that control goes further than the law should go into people's lives. Legislators (and administrators) are controlling the private lives of the people ? the private lives that should be ruled by conscience, morals, respect and courtesy, but not by the law. Anyone ever read George Orwell's 1984 or Ayn Rand's Anthem! If not, check them out ? they could be more than just paaii iivwun own. Yes, if things keep heading in the direction they've been taking, the United States will eventually evolve into a police state. People will be born when and where the government wants them to be bom, their schooling and profession will be pre-chosen for them, the family as we know it will not exist ? because the government will want to keep the children as far away from "bad influences" as possible. People will work for the state and live for the state and die never knowing any different. But law and order and good, moral values will prevail ? and, after all, isn't that what we all want? THE ELECTRONIC DRUG The Gamecock * News: 777-7726 Adverlising: 777-4249 Jeff Wilson Sharon Willamson Editor in Chief Managing Editor/Copy Desk Chief Lynn Gibson Elizabeth Lynch News Editor Carolina Life Editor Dougaube 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 Brant Long Julie Bouchillon Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Photography Editor Oct a via Wright 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 edit letters for style, possible libel or in case of space limitations. The newspaper will not withhold names under any circumstance. IRAQI DESERT GUIDE r,^r*.\+-*M\m min?W^???tMw.?i^iii>^?*" UTj/VfE &lf Hunters aren' I never knew my father was an ego-manical, homicidal lunatic bent on the complete destruction of all wildlife in America. He always seemed like a pretty decent guy to me. I was informed of my father's darker nature by an article on the American hunter in the October issue ofEsquire. Writer Joy Williams, after much careful research and participation in different hunting practices across the nation as well as interviews with hunters, came to the conclusion they are all murderers as evil as Ted t\ Bundy and Charles Manson and about as bright rc as Elmer Fudd. p; I'd like to make it clear at this point that I do ii not like to hunt. I was dragged out of bed at 4 a.m. in the middle of winter to chase some oi beast that I had little or no interest in killing. I would have preferred to be in bed, and I cer- A tainly wasn't going to ruin the deer's day just M because mine was ruined. ai This of course does not mean I condemn at hunting or anyone who participates in it as long si as they obey the rules set up by wildlife organi- he zations and act responsibly so no one gets hurt. vj In fact, most hunters do. or This is not Williams' opinion though. "Hunters believe that wild animals exist only to satisfy their wish to kill them," she said. t>u "But hunters are piggy," she said. "They just m< can't seem to help it. They're overequipped, ... insatiable, malevolent and vain, qu They maim, mutilate and despoil. And for the res most part, they're inept. Grossly inept." cei If she had presented any other side of the argument it would have been different, but the tio whole slant of her article was along the lines of cie A manifests itself AIM V-x nurtlllg alleled since Be Sa Until Mande Africa litically motiv not result in th To the editor: political grou] The recent wave of violence nance, but inst< sweeping through the townships Africa apart, th and homelands of South Africa re- realizing the d veals just how complex any neeo- Hpm^rQt \n Qrtiii - w UVlHWlUilW UV/UI tiated settlement to South Africa's democratic transition will be. Despite repeated calls by the de Klerk government, Chief Buthelezi, and others to end the senseless vio- Ahoi^l lence, over 350 people have been -tVUUI U killed during the past week alone. ty\1 Evidently, power politics remains dlC fflli the name of the game among South Africa's black majority. To the editor: The root of the problem lies I must res mainly with the African National Brown's Sept. 1 Congress' insistence that it alone tor regarding at represents black South Africans, ironies in her 1 Mandela's inability, or unwilling- The first paragi ness, to accept the legitimacy of "democratic so other black organizations, most no- self-governance tably the Inkatha Zulus, has split and anti-choice the black community apart, creat- somehow unafc ing a political intolerance that own decisions s U ^ GHTIotr Loms fafr-wrr/rr^K t all hearties: Dennis Shealy icse quotes. Halfway through the article most waders, whether they agree with her or not, robably begin to think, "Hey, lighten up a ttle. Really, they're not that bad." Her accusations are so one-sided they border a the pathetic. Consider that only seven percent of the merican population hunts. Seven percent. ' lost of the hunters I have come in contact with e not inept. On* the contrary, they are law- < >iding citizens who are concerned about the ate of wildlife areas. In fact, many hunters 1 dp takes censuses, participate in other conser- '< ition programs and support wildlife ' ganizations. { f c I'm not saying there aren't bad ones in the t nch. I've met a few of them too, but for the t 3St part hunters are very responsible people. Take for granted that I'm right and say three r - i r .i- ** ? - ariers 01 me seven percent 01 ail hunters are \ sponsible. This would mean less than two per- c nt of those who hunt are irresponsible. Less than two percent of the entire popula- ? n of America is not enough to destroy a spe- t s as long as certain regulations and organiza- Y p? p% | fin EDITOR in violence unpar- their lives and their familii ;irut. choice groups would rath la realizes that po- these decisions for them, ated violence will to believe that women are ] e coercion of other capable of self-governance 3S to ANC domi- most intimate and pi sad will tear South choices, ere is little hope of She then misuses the wc ream of a unified, ence' and 'medicine' to gi th Africa. sort of credence to her arj Leonard Spencer Scientific and medical groi Columbia, S.C. consistently been pro-choi ing to the fact that they d the world of reality where f|y| pregnancy, rape, mental illi *-*** physical illness occur. clAQ/finrv Am?nS these groups dlCdvllll*^ American Medical Associa American Association of < logists and Obstetricia pona to Lydia American Psychiatric Ass 0 letter to the edi- and the American Psychi >ortion 'facts.' The Association. Their data h letter are startling, reviewed by the Public He< raph discusses our vices under C. Everett Ko ciety ... based on Center for Disease Corn i." Yet, to Brown backed up their findings. ] groups, women are these groups have produ< >le to make their scientific, biomedical or ibout their bodies, logical evidence that indict ' ROLLED OUT THE BARREL/' ' ~i > tf?*r~ ' WfGP^ y /**' s, selfish folk tmnc rnmnin in nrinrn?inn ,> ...?_J ?ff ?L' _i ?f uvjiio ivniaiii n* u|A>ianuu IU Well U UU Ullb SUIT. U1 thing. And for the most part there are many hunters who make sure dial regulations are followed because they do like to hunt and they want to continue being able to do so. They realize if they don't keep their fellow hunters straight, then all hunting privledges might be jeopardized. Williams also said hunters often try to redirect people's attention by saying there are more serious problems facing the environment than a few hunters. She seems to cynically think hunters couldn't really care less, they just don't want people to think of them as killers. A little hard, don't you think? Most hunters really are smart enough to realize the importance of maintaining the environment, even if it is motivated by the selfish desire to continue hunting. Williams is misled in believing most hunters 3o not eat what they have killed. Wrong again. They do. There are a few animals like ducks Jiat are, to a large extent, trophy animals. And i few are predators like cougars that endanger livestock. But for the most part hunters do eat nings iiKe aeer ana most Hunters do not let hit mimals go into the woods to dip. They track hem down, sometimes wasting a whole day hey could have spent hunting. Williams and her kind are very closed ninded. She probably didn't even talk to any turners to get their point of view. She certainly lidn't quote any of them if she did. Hunters, like most kinds of people, aren't all ?Ood or bad. Look at it this way: if they're as >ad at shooting as my dad, the animals don't lave too much to worry about. J es. Anti- abortion should be stopped in the er make United States, let alone legislated I prefer by politicians in the political arena, perfectly in these Where did you obtain your ersonal 'facls>' Ms. Brown? To encourage accuracy from the media is com>rds 'sci- mendable. Yet you've succeeded ve some *n doing exactly what you've critimments. cized, and that is presenting a Kiocr?H ortnimoni A.11 jpS nave >^1UJVU ui^umviii iuu ui vaiut juug" ice, ow- ments, failing to produce your eal with sources, much less the entire truth, teenage I suggest that you research before ness and you speak, particularly since you demand the same from others, are the For those of you that, in tion, the Brown's ironic quote, don't want Gyneco- to "let others choose their beliefs ns, the for (you)," I suggest that you conociation tact pro-choice groups for the other ological side to this argument. We would as been be more than willing to provide ilth Ser- you with information on how you op. The can keep abortion and reliable con;rol has tfaception safe and legal in this None of democratic society. :ed any Heather Buggy psycho- English/ itcs that women's studies sophomore