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Apathy USC students for the most part not concerned about issues It is amazing that a war involving the United States can be pushed to the back of public consciousness, on this campus and nntintmii/la Tf o Vi,ma n/or <-?on'l not mir otiiHontc' ottontinn \17V1 ot iiauuii wiuks. xi a uu?Vs wai van i gv/i v/ui oiuuwuo unvttuvtAf xmt can? A few examples will suffice: the fad of environmental concern has largely blown over. Racism is good for a few letters to the editor, but not much more. Recent surveys show that 80 percent of Americans are "tired" of the homeless issue. This article is not being wistful for the good old days of public activism. It is just interesting that in one of the most volatile, rapid-changing times in world history, the supposed conscience of the country ? our nation's young adults ? cannot seem to get passionate about anything. When less than one-tenth of the students vote in the Student Government elections, what can be said about USC student's concern for their own interests? Evidently, apathy has turned off any motivation to care about elections that can have immediate and lasting effects on the university. It seems that USC's apathy has even spread to its social life. Bates was once declared one of the top 10 party dormitories in the nation in riayooy magazine; inai win never oe agam. This is no flippant observation; those who are old enough remember that USC used to be a far more exciting place on the social scene. Alas, for better or worse, USC has even lost the edge off of its party-school image. v This is not meant to condone drunken debauchery, but one wonders what channels students are putting their energy into. It isn't into protest marches and it isn't into unbridled hedonism. It can be stated with great conviction that USC has gotten more conservative over the past few years. Why have the USC students turned into a bunch of neoreactionary home-bodies? That is a question for sociologists. This trend is not necessarily a bad thing. However, judging from past history, those who would have USC grow into a national source for stimulating intellectual and cultural movements have little to be optimistic about. HOT INCUIPEP IN THE NEW VWttP ORPER The Gamecock xt nnn a mn A^ACt news, ///-//xu auvgiuauig. ///?*x**7 Kathy Blackwell Robyn Thompson Editor in Chief Managing Editor Jennifer Jablonski David Bowden Copy Desk Chief Viewpoint Editor Lucy Soto Kathy Heberger News Editor Carolina Life Editor Steve Johnson Renee Meyer Sports Editor Photography Editor Aaron Sheinin Tige Watts Assistant News Editor Assistant News Editor Octavia Wright Patrick Villegas Assistant Carolina Life Editor Assistant Sports Editor Chris Silvestri Julie Bouchillon Assistant Copy Desk Chief Assistant Photography Editor Eric Glenn Wayne Williams Darkroom Lab Technician Comics Editor Ed Bonza Erik Collins Director of Student Media Faculty Adviser Laura S. Day Ray Burgos Production Manager Assistant Production Manager Renee Gibson Kyle Berry Advertising Manager Assistant Advertising Manager Carolyn Griffin 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. r > iT% d\?cQ... War should War. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ws as a state or period of open and declared fighi ing between states or nations. Nice. Would you like to know what war re ally is? War is an explosion ripping a man's rib-cag apart, leaving him face down in his own guts. War is raping women and killing children be cause both sides have been shooting at 'th enemy' for so long that both sides have forgoi ten the figures in the sights are flesh and bloo human beings. Each side begins to think of 'th enemy' as less than human, so it's all right t hlrvw rvff o little ctpam with nnp r?f thf? lor; girls or to shoot anyone who looks old enoug to pull a trigger. You might not like to think this is true; yo might like to think as a race people are bettt than animals, but then again name an animj that deals in the mass slaughter of its own kind I know the Air Force bombings have mad the war in the Middle East seem clean, like John Wayne movie where the All-American ki gets to come home with a Purple Heart for scratch and only the extras get killed. Th ground war is getting started now, however, an the Red Sea the news is going to be referring t is going to be the one filled with the blood ( Americans, French, Egyptians, Canadians, In qis, Australians . ^ . The point of all of this is that I don't wa any of you to have to face this. And by you = " " "' ! !"u LETTERS TO! jg ? ,1 , . Blind devotion 3? # ment is ! un-democratic monger, ashamed troops 01 To the editor: Sorry Regarding the Jan. 28 lettei nately 1 "Soldiers fight to protect U.S.' your naj from Ms. Alice Branton of the tomac ii USC College Republicans: foreign Ms. Branton states that "regard- t(10se ??j less of how anyone feels about this the ^60 war there is nothing that can be Avenue done to change the events thai st, have already occurred." Of course ietter t0 there is no way to change the past. You < However, through intelligent, or- son car ganized protest, events that are themseb currently happening or could hap- can any pen may be changed or prevented. jn himsc No matter how one feels about the tjiat jju war, the approval of apathy toward commit anything is deplorable. an(j chh "Dividing the country now will This serve no purpose." Dividing the helped country now? Like anything in the Iraq's s U.S. was ever agreed upon unani- ^nd he mously before. Isn't the point of hatred democracy to have more than just complet one voice speaking for the nation? so ^espt "President Bush in no way The ans wanted this war any more than any jg ppFj other American." Wrong. Bush adage st wanted this war more than many n0 01 Americans, such as the protesters tunately Ms. Branton so despises. Or evjjs doesn't she consider them 0f theiT] Americans? Mussoli This letter is not intended as a (continu protest (there's that word again) rjans) v against Ms. Branton's hawkish- bargaini ness. What concerns me is her se- victim vere black-and-white extremism. preposte After all, isn't unconditional ap- complet proval of a leader's every action tjons 5, one of the defining characteristics nomic s of a dictatorship ? like the one in Qn a *ra(l? George I'm not trying to slam Bush or ^ DjS| the U.S. military. I am speaking ter be w out about those who have an all- jn or-nothing attitude because, invar- 0f beco iably, nothing is all you get. volved Erik Smith knows Media arts junior b( He, a IT7 1 1 _ui.. war nas 10 De ;uany; in tough times that job To the editor force. Just when you think American And college students are somewhat point, a educated on foreign affairs, stu- you, M dents like electrical engineering to the i sophomore Hope C. Peebles rear one wa; m I ?T/? ^_ CM not be f< \ '" DENf e '' .;. e mean the yous here at US t- lied forces and the yous ir d And when I say I don' e face this I mean two thin; o together to try and get .1 k.,? :f Iaa U pCiK-GlUliy, UUl 11 UUl 1GC h way and try to start a draf The word around the i u versity is that if there is a ar Quaker then you had best il if you don't plan on figh ing to be many places tc le countries involved in this a make sure you leave your d I'm writing this becaus a be saying this, but it's no e I AM NOT GOING T d WAR. 0 I would fight to see it >f to draft me I will not go. i- coward doesn't fight for v in; I would be a coward f< nt This is a political war 1 with the crap that keeps ~LJ CI i r\ tT* s*\ i nd lui i vji ?.??? y heads. Miss Peebles apbelieves the U.S. governsuch a bad guy, such a war that we would should be [ of ourselves and pull our Lit RIGHT NOW! Miss Peebles, but fortu'or so many Americans, vete does not cross the Ponto Washington and U.S. policy, except of course peebles" camping out on 0 block of Pennsylvania proclaiming the same insiitements you made in your the editor on Feb. 4. :annot see how "any per1 find enough hatred in /es to want a war." How person find enough hatred ilf to commit the atrocities ssein's troops have been ting on Kuwaiti women dren? Huh? is a peaceful nation that fund more than half of even year war with Iran! w can anyone find enough in themselves to attempt e genocide, as Hitler tried jrately to do in the 1940's? wer, Miss Peebles: "WAR L." Trite as it sounds, the ill holds true today, rie wants a war, but unforthere are some necessarv this world, and war is one i. To think that Hitler, or ini, or Hirohito or Stalin le with list of other barbafould have reasoned at the ng table, or better yet, fell to economic sanctions is irous. These leaders would ely emaciate their populasfore succumbing to ecoanctions. nother note, Miss Peebles, Herbert Walker Bush won tinguished Flying Cross af'as shot down in the Pacific II, and came within seconds ming a POW. If anyone inin U.S. foreign policy th*> hpll nf war Hnn't vr*n j does? tlong with myself and probrery other sane American, >ur American boys home as possible. But there is a job Dne in the Persian Gulf, and requires the use of military that brings me to my final nd then I will be done with iss Peebles. Your reference diot who said that if everys eligible for the draft, there IRAQI PERSONAL All I UNDEPLOYED ought by i Bush's it ernment IIS SHEALY ! j about va ; dents our out of the ' in Tianar ~ forefathei C, the yous in the Al- sive gov i Iraq. change, t want you to have to The or gs. We should all pull wrapped this conflict solved toasted tl iders don't see it that protest fr t, then don't go. on his lip campus at Duke Uni- I woul draft and you're not a side with have a passport ready democrac ting. There aren't go- for a cau: ) go to with so many As for war, so you had best to fight options open. I'm certs e a lot of people may Saudis w it showing up in print: its "white O FIGHT IN THIS None < armed fc ended, but if they try their job, , I'm not a coward. A they woi /hat he or she believes in the Iv )r fighting. them. Th that has nothing to do Remei falling out of George your opti Nffc. ' \ " I , ' . D v / << *''- * would be no more war implies tha our current military force is the re suit of select "pickings" of th population. The U.S. has not reinstated th draft, and every American servin, in the Armed Forces is a VOLUN TEER! And by volunteering ii Uncle Sam's Army, you subjec yourself to be at Sam's beck ani call. If he says fight, you fight. Wha were they thinking when the signed up? Does the militar travel, a good income and fre dental work for life? I'm off my soap box now, Mis Peebles. But, remember, "if you'r going to San Francisco, be sure t wear some flowers in your hair!" Scott R. Saunder Public relations senio America must set priorities To the editor: America can and will win th war in the Persian Gulf. Our mil tary forces experienced or not wi defeat Saddam Hussein, one wa or the other. The Bible says i Mark 13:7, "There will be wai and rumors of wars." So we as Americans should nc dispute this passage of scripture s< down during the biblical day; There have been wars and there a! ways will be warfare. America's biggest problem i the content of our people's charac ter. We as Americans cannot se the forests for the trees. We do nc have the objectivity to properl deal with the situation. When Americans protest by as sembling in the streets, throwin rocks and glass bottles, in m mind that's war (if one disagree with the government then I sugges you give the government all th grants and federal aid back). W put ourselves in this position whe we elected George Bush as presi dent. We knew how he felt aboi war. Bush is an ex-fighter piloi He is gung-ho at wartime. Not only are we at war in th Middle East, we are at war here ii America. Increasing national debi decreasing job opportunities, in creasing poverty, decreasing gov ernment funding for needed prog rams, racism, mental and physica slavery. This is the war Americ needs to win most, not in Kuwai DEFENSE SYSTEM r5fc^ jjrtJ ^ DEPLOYED \ any person iouth. Over the last ten years the govhas been building a monster and now s to do something about it. 'here was all of his political rhetoric lues and democratic ideals when stu- age were having their guts squeezed :m and their skulls crushed under tanks imen Square for showing the balls our s showed in standing up to a represernment and demanding democratic ily finger raised by Bush then was one around a champagne glass as he le Chinese Communist leaders. All the om him then was like everything else s. d have been willing to fight side by i those young people for the ideal of :y. I don't want to kill or be killed, but se that I believe in, I would fight Kuwait, no offense, but I'm not going for nn nndp.mnrrfltir. flristnrrar.v And rinly not going to fight in defense of hose government refers to the U.S. as > slaves." of this is meant to slight those in the >rces. They are there because that is but I don't want them there and I wish ild all come home. And if the factions fiddle East want to keep fighting, let ey've done it for centuries without us. nber, all the "you"s out there, keep ons open. ' '""m ' " ' I it but the United States. >- In five years, America needs to e produce $500 billion dollars. Can this be accomplished if we are fie nancing a war costing $70 million g a day? Can we accomplish this if this nation continues to be in the n recession we are in now? Can we :t accomplish this if we have home a less ana uniea cnnaren/ Can we accomplish this if we it have white South Africans cony stantly initiating physical and meny tal enslavement on black people, e as well as the physical and mental enslavement in America. As long s as apartheid is alive in South Afe rica, it is alive and kicking in 0 America. To Ms. Wright, (referring to s your article Jan. 21) you stated, r "Blacks have given up and resorted to the world of fast cash drug dealing." Blacks have not and will not ever give up. We did not give up during slavery ? the , worst punishment ever conceived of by a human being ? and we sure as hell are not about to surie render to white supremacy now. i- I do not ever want to hear a 11 black woman utter those remarks y again. Drug dealing! Drug dealing n has been around for centuries. Ev"s ery race on this planet Earth has encountered this. I see the point )t drug dealers make. M If a young child is desperate for >. the necessities of life: clothing, I- food and shelter, I see no harm in selling drugs (however, I know s that this is wrong by law). But then we must ask ourselves the e question: where is the problem? )t Drug dealing or drug usage? y Thirteen- to 19-year-old drug dealers don't fly first class on De> lta airlines to Colombia, South g America, to buy cocaine. Politiy cians and government officials do s that. We as Americans black and ;t white need to stop lying to e ourselves and end this problem, e We bombed Kuwait, so let's bomb n Colombia. Our bodies don't run off oil. You can not get red blood it and plasma from oil. t. America (all nationalities) need e to find our most feasible objective n and execute properly or we will t, suffer another recessive depression . .1 - _ 1 AAA greater man iyzy. - Leon Johnson Jr. il Engineering major a Virgil L. Nixon it Political science major