Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Unease Voters gun-shy about making mistakes in choosing officials Now is the time to exercise your right to vote. The elections of 1990 come amidst a loud public outcry against corruption, spending, taxes, the huge deficit and numerous other issues ? the people are tired and some politicians will suffer. Unfortunately, that same public political fatigue is setting many potential voters against voting. These are voters who voted the current officials into place in good faith, only to be disappointed by the results. They are voters whose candidates lost the last elections and who have been forced to wonder what might have happened had the elections turned out otherwise. They are discouraged voters who feel forced to choose the lesser of two evils, and they just plain don't want to do it. The truth is, every elected official will, at some point, make some bad decisions. Granted, some are worse than others, but no official will do everything to everyone's satisfaction. The United States has lived through corruption, greed, deficit and trouble before. It's the voters that have helped change that in the past, and it's the voters and only the voters who can change it now. Look at the issues. Decide which are important to you. Listen to one side. Listen to the other side. Make your own judgment, and vote for the person who most closely supports that judgment. Voters are not to blame for their candidate's eventual behavior in office. Candidates for offices are well known to say what the people want to hear. It's the best way to get votes. They're not going to say, "We're not going to make a satisfactory attempt to reduce the deficit," or "We're going to sell our votes," or "I am a potential drug addict." Voters can only vote on what they know or are told. They are not psychic, and are unable to see into the future. Voters make mistakes, but that is no reason not to vote again. If anything, it should spur them on to make changes. Vote. Otherwise, your future lies in the hands of those who do. The Gamecock ixcws: i ii-iizo Advertising: ///-4Z4y 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 Sara Verne Octavia Wright Assistant Copy Desk Chief 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 r circumstance. nwy am nmw?^ LETTERS T( mmmmm m m mmmm mmmr 1 " - -- - People should 'hang out' To the editor: Lately, there has been a question on everyone's mind. Will there be a war in Saudi Arabia? Will I have to go? Will anyone I know become a casualty of war? Tt'o tprrihlp that anvnnp hac tn It J tvillt/iv Miut \/llV "UU even question these possibilities. I am not a "hippie" from the sixties, nor am I a priest, nor am I a total Democrat that believes President Bush is doing a terrible job. All I am is a concerned 19-year-old that still hasn't come to a justifiable answer on why war has to happen. I have a question. Why can't we all just, to put in simple terms, "hang out." This sounds so immature and it sounds a lot easier said than done, but is it really. Think about that next time you watch the news and hear about our little escapade in Saudi Arabia. Why can't this just be one world, rather than a bunch of meglo-maniacs that claim to be the leaders of countries. Leaders and citizens alike all get wrapped up in this idea that we have to crush the enemy. If we all worked together we could make incredible technological advances, we work together to find cures for AIDS, cancer, and other diseases in other countries. We could make advances that you or I have never even thought of. Rather than making more weapons than the other guy, let's all just hang out, help each other and help ourselves in the process. This goes for everyone, hopefully someday we could apply the same idea to racism too. It all sounds so crazy, but really think about it... is it really? Is it really that out of reach, if it is, than we are a terrible world that has some thinking to do. Roger A. Olivieri Sociology sophomore AIDS virus is man-made To the editor: Here are some unknown truths about AIDS. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, the big disease with the little name. When we see this word we get shivers, goose bumps and a cold feeling. Knowing their is no cure, we would rather not discuss it and try to forget about it. Well, I am one who cannot forget what the United States, Canada, Great Britain and West Germany has done. When I and my fellow colleagues first got news about AIDS our belief, from a reliable source sucn as television ana newspapers, was AIDS began with a green monkey interacting in some way with a human. To be exact an African. However, in my research I found a concrete biological law. Examination of the gene structure of the green monkey cells proves that it is not genetically possible to transfer the AIDS virus from monkey to man by natural means. So, what did I conclude from this discovery. AIDS is a man-made disease created in a laboratory. In my research a biological scientist, Dr. Theodore A. Strecker wrote documentary evidence about AIDS. "The Strecker Memorandum." It said that the virus was WNEMM POifTSET D THE ED1T0I created in a laboratory at Fort Derrick, Maryland from smallpox and hepatitis B vaccines. It was said to be a chemical and biological warfare upon enabling the virus to at tack the immune system. It is now certain that the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the vaccines that contaminated east and central Africa, with the AIDS virus. The London Times reported on its front page, May 11, 1987 that WHO triggered the AIDS epidemic of Africa through the WHO smallpox immunization program. It did not make U.S. news until late December 1987. This epidemic hit Africa unlike any weapon ever known, not even the "African Holocaust" (the enslavement of African people by Europeans) had greater magnitude. In my research, I also discovered that this was not the first time the U.S. government has jeopardized the lives of blacks. In the 1960's, the government injected the male population of Tuskegee Institute, (know University) in Alabama with syphillis. This was called "The Tuskegee Experiment." No consent was given to the government by the men. It was said to be a shot for the flu or some other common disease that could be easily cured with a hypodermic needle. The government ran tests, aia researcn, maae evaluations and observations. Women and children were also infected. Some even died. The United States, Canada, Great Britain and West Germany used a chemical and' biological warfare weapon, which was meant to attack and destroy the African civilization. Well, it backfired and now it is attacking the American and European Civilization. Leon J. Johnson, Jr. Astrophysics junior Sport facilities not adequate To the editor: USC does not provide students with adequate facilities for participation in club sports. Why must students pay fees to use the P. E. Center which has only five intramural fields, four of which are adequately lighted? Why must students pay activity fees which only 1 * -I..L? I ' anuw muuciu ciuus anu urgamzalions to use the P. E. Center's facilities, limited as they are, when other students aren't using them? Students are paying twice for facilities that are not able to serve their needs. Such limited facilities can be detrimental and unfair to the members of some USC clubs. For example, less than a week after joining the SEC, USC gains a victory over an SEC opponent. Sept. 22, at the Southern Ultimate sectionals in Savannnah, Ga., the USC Ultimate Frisbee team, the Dread Cocks, defeated the Iron Horse team from the University of Georgia 15-11. Yes, King Dixon, Carolina's first SEC victory came from a club team, not football, baseball, basketball or any other athletically funded team from USC. Ultimate is funded by student activity funds. The team has a small budget to finance travel for the Spring College National series. The travel and expenses for the fall and the rest of the year are )MEJ! IFYODTWO^P 'TIE POWN, I'M 4 * 13 < ' SS iTiiT---viiiyimiim yimiiir^ paid for out of the players' pock ets. Ultimate at is tne stepchild of the sports clubs, like rugby and lacrosse, which are also products of Student Life. These clubs exist on the fringe of USC's physical education department We have no assigned fields to play on. The P. E. center provides fields for practicing when there are no intramurals or any other organization needs them. Why should USC's Ultimate team, a successful organization, receive last priority when it comes to field assignment? The Ultimate club does not request special privileges not received by the rugby and lacrosse clubs but it should be kept in mind that Ultimate is played intramural ly whereas these other sports are not and Ultimate is a member of the National Intramural and recreational Sports Association. The Ultimate team beat Georgia this weekend which was ranked 16th in the nation last Spring, we have also done USC proud by beating Clemson the last two years in sectionals. Clemson has twice as many fields for intramurals and Lnlf tViA ohi/lanto AffTI 1 Vl Q O O nan uiw diuuuiid. vjwi5m iiuj u field set aside especially for their Ultimate team. Other schools provide some quality facilities for the activities fees paid by the students. Why can't USC follow suit? Don't USC students deserve some quality for the money they pay? Tim Ray President, USC Ultimate GINT student Continuing education Israel lacks diplomacy To the editor: In response to David Cohn's letter concerning the Temple Mount incident, I would like to make a few valid points that he so conveniently failed to mention. First, the killing of "several" Palestinians was indeed slaughtering civilians. There were women and children Palestinians involved and, unfortunately, killed. It is interesting that Israel is the only civilized (?) nation in the world that sees the killing of unarmed women and children proper military procedure. Mr. Cohn goes on to state that the soldiers at the Temple Mount "were not prepared for a clash." He explains that this is the reason that they were using live ammunition as opposed to rubber bullets. Tell me, if trained soldiers carrying loaded guns are not prepared for a clash, what were they doing there? Praying? I think not. Mr. Cohn goes further to suggest that because the Nazis murdered over six million people (mostly Jews), it is appropriate for them to behave in the same manner regarding the Palestinians. I think most reasonable people would disagree with this way of thinking. I agree that a solution to the Palestinian problem is necessary. True, Israel has taken some steps to peacefully settle this dispute. However, a deeper insight to this problem will reveal the fact that it is the general, over-all attitude of the Israelis that causes the majority of these conflicts. Israel is accustomed to dealing with foreign nations with extreme paranoia and ,i?y| selfishness. Case in point, in July of 1989, Israeli commandos abducted Sheik Abdul Karim Obeid, leader ot tne Pro-Iranian Party 01 God. Iran threatened to kill American officer Lt. Col. William Higgins if Obeid was not released. President Bush, the Pope, and several other world leaders appeased to Israel for the release of Obeid, but to no avail. Israel's Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin denied Bush's repeated requests, which led to the brutal hanging of Higgins by the Iranians. Perhaps, Israel forgot who finances their military, campaigns so vigorously for them in the U.N., and freely gives to them millions of dollars in foreign aid each year. Mr. Cohn was right in stating that "negotiation and the willingness to talk seriously and accept compromise is needed from the Israelis and Palestinians." However, it is the Israelis, not the Palestinians, who repeatedly shut out and rebuff all opinions but their own. It should be noted that I am neither pro-Palestinian nor AntiSemetic, but am simply an agitated American who is tired of hearing about all of the injustices committed against the Israelis, when in ac tuality these problems are brought on by their failure to negotiate, refusal to listen to suggestion, and willingness to resort to violence to solve their problems. Cole Parker Biology freshman Amnesty not 4war hawks' To the editor: This letter is in response to Thomas Grant's editorial of Oct. 24, 1990, in which he referred to Amnesty International as "war hawks." Although this is a very creative term, it hardly describes the hard work done by A.I. A.I. is an apolitical world-wide organization of 800,000 members, who work for the protection of human rights, regardless of sex, race, creed, social, political or economic beliefs as long as the case does not practice or advocate violence. A.I. is currently involved in a campaign to help politically oppressed refugees world-wide, which is now focusing on the Middle East in regard to Kuwaiti refugees seeking asylum in the United States. These refugees are mostly professionals who have found themselves in dire economic hardships due to loss of home, financial savings, and basic human rights. The reason A.I. is petitioning the U.S. Congress is to allow these refugees to obtain visas for an indefinite period of time. As of right now the U.S. is providing 6-month visas, which doesn't al low lor long lerm employment necessary for financial security. Obviously, these people are unable to return to Kuwait due to political unrest in their own country and fear for their personal safety. We hope this clears up any confusion about A.I. and our motives for the welfare of Kuwaiti refugees and the U.S. government. Furthermore, we believe war to be abhorrent to the sensibilities of any thinking person. Shannon Baxter and Carl Maas USC A.I. Coordinators