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Education US. government seems to want American students to be Japanese Those who point to the Japanese educational system as a model for the U.S. take note; Japanese education is brutal and dehumanizing. The new book Shogun's Ghost, by Ken Schoolland, debunks the myth of Japanese educational superiority. The aptly-named Schoolland taught in Japan for two years and traveled the country, interviewing Japanese teachers and students about their system. What he found out was that 89 percent of Japanese students report being hit by their teachers; many were hit repeatedly and with such things as baseball bats and kendo CU/OtvlC ofii/ionto V*o*rs\ /I?A^ I- ? - - ? * - ?1 jnviuo. uvjiiio siuuwiio uavt uicu Hum nijuiics) uiey nave receiveu from teachers. The Japanese educational system is totalitarian by American standards. The list of rules is staggering, from not being allowed to fraternize with the opposite sex to not being allowed to see friends after school. Ironically, education in Japan stresses rote memorization, not actual learning. For example, students take English for six years but can hardly speak a word of it. The system has no room for error either. Schoolland tells the story of a student that mistakenly bubbled an answer in the wrong place on his placement exam, had to sit out of college for a year and who had his life ruined as a result. Schoolland's book, and this editorial for that matter, are not meant to bash Japan. The point is that American students shouldn't feel inferior because they don't stay up until two a.m. studying every night. Many federal officials, including former Secretary of Education William Bennett, rake American students over the proverbial coals because they can't recite Shakespeare verbatim. American students do need lots of help, but emulating a repressive system such as Japan's is not the way to go. "THERE'S LOTS OF PRESSURE TO PO MORE FOR THE IRAQI KURPS-WMTABOirr SE0M THEM ALL THOSE B0Vf BMS WE'VE 60T LEFTOVER?" IHAMKCOCK ! l ? 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 Oct a via Wright Patrick Villegas 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 Laura S. Day Ray Burgos Production Manager Assistant Production Manager renee Gibson Kyle berry Advertising Manager Assistant Advertising Manager Carolyn Griffin Business Manager a Letters Policy: The Gamecock will try to print all letters received. Letters should v 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 v Gamecock reserves the right to edit letters for style, possible libel or in case of h space limitations. The newspaper will not withhold names under any 1 circumstance. ^ ??????????J 0 0\ic&$p Tribune.. Editor plei Rav AllT ViAumAinf PO^ttr\n in rratti x-*\jj y V/iU T lvrV|A/llIl OSA'UV/ll Id lar. I guess people just love to read arti bunch of communist, homosexual ni keep up our awful reputation, any fi Limns that get run on this page will meet new guidelines. Articles will have to offend as wid trum of the campus as possible, solicit! many angry Letters to the Editor. From ive will concentrate on the followinj ireas: Articles defending human sexual /arious forms. We will be moving a\ he tame homosexual motif and move nteresting sexual practices. Articles criticizing our nation's w ind proclaiming our individual cowai JL JL J) J Bible intended ; to enlighten I lb the editor: I am writing this letter in re- e ponse to Tige Watts' column v vhich appeared in the April 10 edition of The Gamecock. In his ! :olumn, Mr. Watts, among other hings, made reference to "vague a quotes" in the Bible. True enough. ^ rhere are many parts of the Bible hat I, and others, find confusing. Indeed, I have found that to " ruly understand the Scriptures retires prayer and careful, repeated s< ;tudy of the passages in question. ? however, I do not understand why ( here is so much argument over vhat the Bible says about ho- je nosexuality. One of the clearest, a nost ambiguous Bible verses is ? ?eviticus 18:22, which states: Thou shalt not lie with mankind is with womankind because it is in abomination." Whether you igree with it or not, the Bible's josition on homosexuality is perectly clear. , Mr. Watts did not state which ' jarts of the Bible he found vague >r confusing. Instead, he merely 1 lismissed the entire book (at least >ne translation ot it) by claiming it f s simply the preaching of King ( ames and not the word of God. a ?Vell, Mr. Watts, the scripture \ luoted above was taken from the Catholic Douay Bible. Not only c loes the Douay translation predate t he King James, but it is hardly c ikely that the Roman Catholic p Dhurch would even consider alter- f ng the word of God to suit the ti >ersonal views of a Protestant c ang. In addition, I have compared g everal different translations, both I Catholic and Protestant (including c he New International Version, the a 4ew American Bible, Catholic 1 version and King James), and have a ound no significant difference in h vording or meaning concerning he subiect of homosexualitv or 1< mything else. tl Do not misinterpret this letter, it s< vas not written to pass judgment f< >n Mr. Watts or anybody else. It n vas written merely to inform and a opefully enlighten. Matthew s] 8:15-17 tells us that if we see our r< rother sinning, we should point >ut his faults. If he listens to us, si The Case for 1 iifr. fe^y rl rtnc nniiT Ugca HCYt ng popu- I ^ icles by a JMPK| twits. To Ws%: 0/ iture col- r have to - # ng many, , "1, , i now on, ' spinelessness. Look f I subject week's issue, "The Wai can imperialism." ity in its Articles blasting tl vay from religious works. Salmar to more column next week calle personally will start slai ar policy Articles promotin dice and little lab rats. We will m TT4I7 EFiTT/' i V-/ 111 ti JtilJI 11 ve have gained a brother. If we, i.kn ? ? 1 /-II J _ vuvj piuitsa iu uc ^.iiusuaiis, uo lot try to help those around us, hen Mr. Watts is right, we are lypocrites. The Bible is one of God's greatst gifts to us. It contains his holy /ord and we are to use it as our uide. It gives us the answers to ife's problems. True, it is often ifficult to understand, but if we sk him, he will give us know>dge and understanding (Proverbs : 1-11 and John 14:13). The Lord does not hate holosexuals or anybody else. If he id not love us, he would not have jnt his son to die on a cross for ur sins. In choosing God, we gain )rgiveness for our sins and everisting life (John 3:16). If we relet God, we also reject his gifts nd condemn ourselves. The hoice is ours. Mr. Watts, I umbly welcome your reply. Stuart C. Graybeal Criminal justice sophomore Sports writing much better To the editor: I am writing in reference to Gch Taylor's column in The lamernck. As as avid snorts fan md a basketball fanatic, I am overvhelmed with the quality of the Chip Shots" section in The Gameock. For three long years, I have leen reading the second-rate sports olumns in the school's newslaper, only now I am able to look orward to reading the Sports secion, thanks mainly to a new style >f informative journalism. The university has thousands of ;uys who live and breath athletics. Jp until now, reading The Gameock sports section was not acceptble to the readers it addressed. Tiere was no columnist that actully sounded enthused by the work e was producing. With the addition of Rich Tayw's weekly "Chip Shots" article, le stock in The Gamecock Sports ection has tripled. I actually look Drward to reading The Gamecock ow, Taylor combines both wit nd an apparent knowledge of ports to provide truly interesting sading. Let it be noted that Taylor Larted at The Gamecock because Pumber Bombs emphasis ( use of mo nasty, pain WID BOWDEN The' will be oi] we will v. tional insti Inflai prominent or my column in next Sinead am r of 1812: blatant Ameri- ^e Dhal; Theresa ar le Bible and other major 1 Rushdie will do a guest There i id, "The Koran stinks." I Shelley, A turning Druids. offend anc g the slaughter of cute fore the la: also start calling for the of support, 3R ~ with his style and flair, it won't be long before he hits the "big time, baby." To Rich and The Gamecock ? keep up the good work, I only wish you would have found him three years earlier. Thomas Buxton Political science senior 'Favoritism' role in blame To the editor: On Friday, April 6 in one of the residence halls, a private gathering on part of one floor took place. As the night continued, the gathering grew and slightly got out of hand. Although many can be blamed for this incident, only a select few have been chosen to take all the responsibility. Those who have been chosen to take all of the blame were chosen by the residence hall director (RHD) of the hall. Among the people chosen: several hall residents, an RHA Senator and an R.A. Why one R.A. is blamed when others are not is still in question by many of those who reside here. There were two other R.A.s, one on duty at the time who passed through at several different points of the night and failed to take any action. Why is it that a select few should take the blame for many ana now were these tew chosen by the Residence Hall Director? I strongly feel that there is a question of favorites involved. I propose a second, unbiased look at this situation before the wrong people take all the blame. Hal S. Volin Media arts junior Homosexuals not immoral To the editor: I believe Jesus once said that even if we long for something sinful in our hearts, we are still sinning. Jesus is not going to heal homosexuals. This may sound like a bleak, faithless statement, but it is true. What are we to do? I am happy to read no hate in The Gamecock this year. This past year all I read in the editorial section was hate against homosexuals. This year, educated, thoughtful re )n quality re puppies, kittens and baby seals in fill tests. World League of American Football it official charity case. Every week, Tite more drivel defending that naitution. mmatory character assassinations on public figures. We have already done d Jim Holderman; next up, the Pope, ai Llama, Barbara Bush, Mother id Vaclav Havel. sn't much time left. Dennis, Tige, aron and I will have to work hard to 1 alienate the rest of the campus best issue. But with your continued lack , we'll find the resolve. Thanks. sponses have appeared. To these, I would like to respond. To begin with, 1 Corinthians 6:9 does not say anything about homosexuality. It mentions sexual perverts, not homosexuals. Some may equate the labels, but I simply wish to clarify terms. That passage does mention fornicators, however, and says they will not inherit the kingdom of God. I think perhaps the reason homosexuality is accepted by more people today is that they are reading all of these passages people keep spitting out against homosexuality. Having been exposed to this information, they recognize they are no better than those they would accuse. I believe in Jesus and God, and I also have faith in them. I am a homosexual. For 20 years I have begged God and Jesus to make me whole, to make me a heterosexual. Well, while I can never doubt they have the power to do it, I've come to believe they will not. I don't know why. I have resolved that I am unfit to judge. In the matter of sexual relations, I am still uncertain. I've had sex with men. It wasn't anything great, and I may never do it again. I have resolved that if ever feel I truly love someone, that if sex is appropriate, it may occur. I am Catholic, and my priest knows me through confession. It took me years to brave the confessional because I feared what I would hear when I told the priest about myself. To make it brief, the priest told me I would have to unravel the mystery of my own sexuality for myself. Even a priest knew he was unfit to judge. Another priest once said something that really touched me. He said none of us has the right to judge anyone else. More important, he said we do not have the right to judge even ourselves. What I am trvine tn sav here is that there is a great deal of wisdom in the world. We would all do well to seek it instead of toying around with petty moral issues. There are no morals. Morals are just the conveniences of the ages, the means of organizing peoples so we can help each other survive. Seek wisdom, not judgment Judgment will come from one hand only. Evan Moore English sophomore