The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 04, 1991, Page 3, Image 3
World
War unfortunately distracted
from other important issues
Now that the Persian Gulf War is over, hopefully the United
States will direct its reiuvenated world respect towards a number
of pressing concerns. The following issues are going to be critical
to world peace and security in the coming years:
Collapse of the Soviet Union. With the evident failure of
Gorbachev to rehabilitate his country, the Soviet Union's situation
is turning desperate. The referendum on the continued union of
Soviet republics scheduled for March 16 is being boycotted by at
least 7 republic leaders.
The growing rift between the republics and the central government
is being exacerbated by a crippled Soviet economy which is
only getting worse. Anarchy in a country of 300 million with
thousands of nuclear missiles must be avoided at all costs.
International trade. The preservation of free trade (or maybe
the creation of free trade) should be a high priority of the Western
powers. If, for example, the European Community starts to set up
more barriers to imports or if protectionist Congressmen decide to
"punish" Japan with tariffs, the resulting trade war could give the
world economy all the fiscal stability of Brazil.
Third World poverty. Speaking of Brazil, the entire Third
XI 7 1 J ^ 1_ 1 _ _ f J A TX .1 A A.t T T o
wonu is on uie onnK 01 disaster, reopie coinpiaui aooui me u.a.
giving aid to poor nations, but it would be in America's interest to
build up the economies of these countries before the fragile democracies
of South America and Africa become new Iraqs.
These issues are obviously going to cost the United States and
the West in general a great deal of money and effort. However, to
bring about President Bush's "New World Order," a huge restructuring
of the world economy is going to be needed. A financial
investment now may mean no human investment later in another
police action in Mexico or Lithuania.
"WE COOLP CLAIM WF WEKE MBQUOIE A6AIN"
InimfM 1. %51
The Gamecock
News: 777-7726 Advertising: 777-4249
Kathy Blackwell robyn Thompson
Editor in Chief Managing Editor
Chris Silvestri 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 vlllegas
Assistant Carolina Life Editor Assistant Sports Editor
jennifer jablonski 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
i aiipa s riav tl.ir n.m/,^0
unvi??? "" ?*?* IY/V I DUKOUS
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.
.Jta-J i
Pro teams no
Watching and talking about sports is my favorite
activity, so I am quite disturbed by the
commercialization of Amercian pro leagues.
The unbelievable salaries of professional athletes
is not the problem as I see it, but rather
the attitude of team owners.
I fully realize that most owners do not run
pro teams as a hobby, but rather as a profitmaking
enterprise. However, the quest for money
is taking the dignity away from the most
popular sports in the nation: football, basketball
and baseball.
A few examples will prove my point. Victor
Kiam, the creepy owner of the New England
Patriots football franchise, has constantly
whined about moving the team to a bigger
market. He was rumored to be making a deal to
111^
ncvtapapci ui
After reading a letter to the editor by three
Preston resident advisors concerning The Gamecock's
"feverish intent to publish negative
news, racially-biased editorials and aggressive
accusations," I felt compelled to respond.
This is not the first time this issue has been
raised, but Preston brought it to the forefront
with its recent letter. Before anyone makes the
accusation that The Gamecock does not cover
the university fully or equally, however, they
must understand the problems of a student
newspaper.
Most student newspapers are small, underfunded
organizations supported by the blood of
a few dedicated staff members and forced to
cover a monstrous leviathan of a campus.
As a newspaper, we have to cover the immense
number of student organizations on campus
ranging from the USC Band to the Preston
Residence Hall Government plus any administrative
actions by the university, any community
events that affect our students and anything
LETTERS TO Th
War editorial ?/
largely correct
To the editor: ^
Congratulations on your sensible ^
editorial of Feb. 25. You were
right on the mark for the most f*pcr>f
part, although it might be a bit *
early to celebrate total victory.
However, it might be wise to To the editc
hedge your bets on Bush a little. I am wri
Two years is a long way to go, and article on "i
the domestic side can go sour in in the Feb.
short order. cally to the
Kuwait may indeed have some Asaro state<
democratic trends, but they will no by the al
doubt occur under a restored mo- demonstrate
narchy. The U.S. may restore its I immed
relations with its Middle East coal- why would
ition partners, but hardly with Jor- The anti-w
dan, Yemen, Algeria, Morocco and peace move
the Sudan. support to
If the U.N., the Saudis, Egypt, Middle Eas
Israel and the coalition are big lieve that 1
HaL?M*ToH?
i IS SWtYs S^NGS**)'
^ a BNlguT/
better than m<
DAVID BOWDEN
.
go to Sacramento, and more recently, to Rhode
Island, where the governor promised the Patriots
a lot of money and a new stadium.
Kiam is symptomatic of many team owners
who are scurrying from city to city looking for
the most money. The Brooklyn Dodgers and
New York Giants were early examples of this
ugly trend when they decided California was
the place they ought to be. Since then, the Lakers
went to L.A., the Jazz went to Utah, the
Colts went to Indianapolis and thousands of
ifairly criticize
JP I CHAD BRAY
. Sj
that happens around or to the university.
While attempting to compile everything that
happens on campus during the week, we run
into the problem of trying to squeeze all of
these events into six to 10 pages of newsprint
three times a week. As part of Student Media,
the small amount of money received is divided
from Student Activities Fees between us and
three other student organizations: Portfolio,
Garnet and Black and WUSC-FM. Our portion
plus the small amount from advertisements pays
for the limited space we have weekly to cover
the campus.
HE EDITOR
gree with you that Iraq, supporters feel that it
the Palestinians are the such as "S.M.A.S.H." th
support for the soldiers.
Raymond A. Moore It would be logical u
5C Professor Emeritus if one supports a so
wishes ardently for thei
Bstcrs anc* sa^e return h
would not be banging si
cally upon the war drum
'Vl, someone to war and tell
have your support is in
>r: sad paradox.
ting m response to tne More importantly, it 1
Students show support," see that only a hundre
15 Gamecock, specifi- showed up to march for
paragraph in which Joe the soldiers. A lot of p<
1 that he was surprised do some serious soul-se
isence of counter- this school; we all may I
>rs at the support rally. to go if this war elongate
liately asked myself, or six months of ground
I Asaro be surprised? Finally, I was dismay
ar or better, the pro- that so many people asse
;ment gives our utmost dam to Hitler; Bush h
the soldiers in the good. job. More disheari
t. Matter of fact, I be- a poster with a bomb a<j
nost of the pro-peace Saddam saying "Hapf
jrcenaries
it
fans lost their home teams to the capricious .
whims of owners. ?
FvP.n F.rlrlifi DpRnrtrUn Tr iKa ucnollu lmro
??u IV UJUU11J iUVV/able
owner of the 49ers nodded to the trend
when he changed the logo on the team helmets
from "SF" to "49ers." Luckily he changed his
mind, but as Sports Illustrated pointed out, it
was indicative of the trend away from teams as
hometown heroes to becoming nomadic gunsfor-hire,
looking for the city with the deepest
wallets.
Now I read that NFL games are going to start
being on pay-per-view in 1993. Soon, you
won't be able to see a pro game in any sport
without paying $19.95 to your local cable company.
There is no reason for optimism; professional
sports is becoming just as much an industry
as the phone company.
:d in letter
Another problem is that we Find out about
most student activities weeks after they happen.
Unless we are issued a press release by that student
organization or we have a staTf member
who is in that organization, no one notifies us
about what happened until after it is old and
stale as a news story. Any student can submit a
story to the newspaper. All they have to do is
make the effort.
Finally, as a newspaper, it is our duty to inform
the student body about what happens at
USC: good or bad. We can not ignore a story
simply because it portrays the university in a
bad light. How can we Fix or prevent problems
on campus if they are ignored by the organiza- y
tions that are supposed to highlight them?
I'm sorry that all of Preston's activities were
not covered, but next time I invite Shaun
Heneghan, Mark Fernandez, Steve Coburn or
any other student to submit a story when they
wish their organization to be covered. We are i
not perfect, but we try damn hard.
#
is groups tine's Day." The organizers of
at have no S.M.A.S.H. may want to take note
most people don't support war nor "
) state that the government's extensive in- |
ldier and volvement in this conflict
ir well be- Everybody, though, supports the j
lome, one American men and women who
o emphati- are there right now and who are to .
s. To send be sent in the future. S.M.A.S.H. I
them they may just want to start a pro-war ;
the least a faction on the USC campus, but *
this I think is terribly vain and
was sad to cowardly.
d students '
support of Whynot Join lhe milltary wvv lf >
xjple must war is what you suPPorl' not ?
, nlense Hon'i insult the friends and *
arcning in *- ,
x the next family and supporters of the men *
s into five and women who are being put at \
battle. risk of life and limb in order to le/ed
to see gitimize your pro-war marches. I
iciate Sad- Just as there is a difference beas
done a twecn supporting our soldiers and '
lening was blind militarism and nationalism. /
Idressed to Carl Maas >
)y Valen- Psychology soph or: ore