The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 03, 1991, Page 2, Image 2
1
i
Freedom?
America gears up to celebrate
its freedom, but no one else's
The United States of America will celebrate the two hundred
fifteenth year of its independence tomorrow. Slovenia and Croatia
would like to have something to celebrate too, if they receive our
support. God only knows if they will get it. One can never say
enough about America's selective vision in matters of
independence.
The Thirteen Colonies seceded from the British Empire. That
was fine. The Colonists won. The Confederate States of America
formally seceded from the U.S., but they were wrong. They lost.
Winners write the history books.
More recently, we seem to be saying that Lithuania and other
Soviet republics have the right to secede because they did so
peacefully and democratically. The Kurds were encouraged to secede
from Iraq as long as absolutely no help was given whatsoever.
Slovenia and Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia through a democratic
process just like the Soviet Baltic states, but wait a
minute ...
This is not necessarily to say that America should rush to give
diplomatic recognition to the breakaway Yugoslavian states. What
is needed is consistency. The United States should back all peaceful
independence movements that claim a majority of those involved,
or none at all. We should condemn oppression everywhere,
whether it comes from the Red Army in Lithuania or the
Yugoslavian Army in Slovenia OR we should let secessionist
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Even if the U.S. does end up giving diplomatic support to the
Slovenian and Croatian independence movement; that will be cold
comfort to the Kurdish and Shi'ite rebels that died after President
Bush encouraged their revolt against Iraq.
Anyway you look at it, the U.S. had better get its priorities in
order. Bush and Secretary Baker seem overwhelmed by the pace
of world events, and they need a moral, consistent plan to deal
with future revolts and civil wars. America can't roll dice to decide
its foreign policy.
I .
iBf?an
A MurviriF
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Letter* Policy: The Gamecock will try to print all letters received. Letters should be, at
maximum, 250 to 300 words long. The writer must include ful name, professional title if
a USC employee or South Carolina resident, or year and major If a student. An address
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to edit letters for style, possible libel or in case of space limitations. The newspaper will
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View
iCAMl
American:
Has anybody seen the American
The United States is one of the bes
best) countries in the world, yet Ar
from the ideals set by the Founding
fact, I wonder how many America
lieve in the spirit of individuality ?
of belief that this country was found
The government (federal, state ar
croaches on the rights of individi
time, telling them, among other thin
to do with their own bodies. Goven
ference runs from the relatively m
marijuana to important things like
on abortions.
For example, the Louisiana stafc
passed the most restrictive anti-abo
the nation last June 18. Once again
emment tries to tell its female citiz
do with their bodies. Hopefully tl
preme Court will deem this bill
tional, but since almost all the lib
are gone, don't count on it. By the
new and improved Louisiana, a gi
her father has to report the crime \
Fourth ol
This coming July Fourth means 5
I used to think the United State!
was the best country in the world. 1
don't feel the same way.
On this Independence Day, I ci
think about how disappointed our
fathers would be if they saw us.
These were great men who pre
tioned their government, and belie
selves. When they broke away, the
country veterans of ten later wars v
protect.
When they set up their govemn
tablished a government that prote<
the government
Well, it's time to wake up and s
turds the 1980s released.
The biggest turd of all has to tx
tive nation. It became uncool to be
question the government. It becar
fight for privacy. It became uncoo
criminal rights. It became uncool
ourselves.
It's a sad fact, but almost all
speech judges we used to have
court are gone. Thurgood Marshall
leaves only two liberals on the be
6-2 conservative edge, I'll bet m
BmrntMrnmrnammmmmmmmmmmmimmmmmmmmmmmmm
LETTERS
Drugs aren't
U.S. problem
There were a couple of things in
the April 5 issue of The Gamecock,
which caught my eye, not
the least being an advertisement by
an organization which refers to itself
as the Partnership for a Drug
r? - A
rree America, an uigam-tauuii
which appears to have a, well, let
us say a "cozy" relationship with
Big Business.
The first question that enters the
mind (of one whose mind is not
unaware of the slick nature of
Goebbelian propaganda) is just
who are the "Partners" in this selfappointed
Committee of Salvation
and just where do they get the money
to purchase the barrage of
commercial time on the Letterman
show from which they belch forth
their party line.
Well, it doesn't take a rocket
scientist to figure out (indeed a
rocket scientist might not figure it
out, rocket scientists being quite
concerned with building nuclearpowered
rockets at the present)
that this Committee of Salvation is
quite an efficient little machine,
well "oiled" with big bucks from
industry and government (quite
synonomous terms actually). How
else can it afford the incessant barrage
of commercial time it purchases
on TV?
POINT
mock
s must stop
nerica is far DAVIE
uals all the days or she cannot have an
as what not At the samp, time wnmp
nment inter- over their reproductive sys
inor ban on are being subject to the wh
restrictions protectors, the police. The <
given the police frightenir
; legislature and seizure. A cop can
rtion bill in search your car for illegal
a state gov- rant. Sure the police don't
ens what to they do it to teenagers (th<
le U.S. Su- the better, but white adoles
unconstitu- to police harassment either
eral justices not be a model citizen, but
way, in the try to the very real problem
irl raped by And don't accuse me of
vithin seven saying these things. Believi
f July a holl
jquat to me.
s of America # * _
t's a shame I | ; % TIG
an't help but m
liberal fore- \
(tested, ques
ved in them'y
set forth a Roe v. Wade will be overt
/ould fight to I'll also bet my last c
rights established in the c
lent, they es- ased by the turn of the <
cted us from fair trials.
imell the dog What reaUy yanks my
don't really care either. T1
? a conserva- out their own ^ing t0 lo?l
a liberal and country &11 to tower level;
ne uncool to They don t stop to see ;
110 advocate cans *n White House.
to think for i g0t a call the other v
call Republicans stupid.
of the free base il on with morons 1
on the high nunu- Rea8an, Campbell,
s retirement having P?wer at one
inch. With a 13118 on them next week>"
y last dollar But these morons are c
TO THE EDITO
? i... .J i :
The Committee has continuously
attempted to portray drugs as a j
scapegoat in American society and ]
this it has done with the zeal of a <
Jesuit priest and the shrill voice of i
a Bible thumping street preacher
(Praise God and pass the snake 1
oil!). "Drugs are ruining this countrv!
Drues are a scourge on human i
society! It's the Coleridges, the De I
Quinceys, the Huxleys and the J
Morrisons who are responsible for
human decadence!" cries the Com- <
mittee for Salvation.
I suppose that it is not too surprising
that in a society that still
believes in possession of the body
by an extra-human agency (i.e. the
Devil) that the pipers of industry
find it is easy to pipe the children
of Hamlin into the mountain and
pipe the American dream, along
with other things, out to sea.
The unvarnished truth of the
matter is that it is industry and its
Big Bucks who are the corrupting
influence in our society. It is the
Keatings, the Neil Bushes, the
good ol' boys, their lobbyists over
at the State House and the Jims
(both of them) who are the real
criminals, but there's a witch hunt
on and its the Rodney Kings who
are being burned. "Give us Barabas!"
cry the apologists for Holderman
and Darryl Gates. Well,
Caiphas and Barabas come as a
matching set and the government
we get is the government we
deserve.
limiting fr<
V has the rigl
L_ - anything ti
) BOWDEN rights is no
original inte
ing conservt
that want tc
do.
J The firing
abortion. potentially
n are losing control and "blackn
terns, all Americans Orwell's N
ims of our supposed liberals wot
:rusade on drugs has think racist
ig powers of search equality a h
get a "hunch" and Yes, Am
drugs with no war- Fourth of Ji
do this to rich guys; the United S
i poorer and blacker has never a
cents aren't immune all America
). Rodney King may it would be
he alerted the coun- goals now.
of police brutality. leader of th<
being a "liberal" for tion of nitv
ing that an American records.
low celebr
office, becai
E WATTS SoUwfVg?
barely 10 pe
Well, the
away politic
using it
Where w
urned. Such a shame. War. We fc
lollar all the criminal regime, whi
institution will be er- squeeze a g
:entury. So much for fight for in
Lithuania, v
chain is that people NOTHING,
ley're too worried ab- I wish T
k around and see their here and si
s. the chance i
all the stupid Republi- as a Democi
Tell the c
/eek asking me why I are c^ea^- ^
Well, I have a lot to gJ"eat Prc
ike Bush, Quayle, Su- bre ' u hUI
, Thurmond and Ford T . .
) or another (more de- P? g
v probably th<
written. But
ontinuously voted into try is nothin
p
IX
To be complicit through silence
is to turn the Constitution and the
Bill of Rights into meaningless documents.
This letter is an attempt
to rectify complicity through
speech, not to sway heads and
hearts, but if it does, then good!
The next time you see a message
from the Committee of Salvation,
ask yourself, "What about the
Kurds?"
Thomas Williams
tra lafn?*n4iaa*A ?ta*0/lllQ#A
ouuipmauTv uiti aiui t auuaiv
student
Campus radio
could improve
I'm writing to air my irritation
with the management of the Grand
Marketplace for subjecting students,
faculty, staff and visitors to
loud commercial radio during their
meals.' During the regular
academic year, the cafeteria provides
not only sustenance but a
place for reading, writing papers
and studying for tests over meals.
As all students know, it is sometimes
necessary to eat with one
hand while turning pages with the
other. This activity is rarely obstructed
by the radio, which is
played at very low volume if at all.
After all, the Grand Marketplace is
not a private restaurant; it is presumably
a service provided by the
I
i ?i
?r ????
\
^
r P
C
, \
Wednesck
s*
eedom
it to say, think, watch, read or ik
lat doesn't interfere with others'
radical ideology. By defending the
>nt of the U.S. Constitution, I'm beative.
it is the radical right and left
> edit what Americans can think or
e left's crusade to purge English of
offensive phrases like "mankind"
tail" is amazingly similar to George
fewspeak from 1984. The superild
have Americans unable to even
thoughts. Psychos like that give
ad name.
ericans should still celebrate the
ly. It symbolizes the ideals which
States has strived to obtain. The U.S.
}me close to individual freedom for
ns, but we are closer than ever, and
unconscionable to throw away our
I want the United States to be a
e Free World, not a pathetic collecvits
squabbling over 2 Live Crew
ation
lse people don't care. A good turnational
election is only 50 percent
xl turnout for USC's elections is
rcent -J ?
Supreme Cour. might as well take
:al speech, because we sure aren't
ere the protesters during the Gulf
rnght for a country with a ruthless
ile folks in Yugoslavia can't even
renade out of us as they start their
dependence. What did we do for
/hen they wanted to be just like us?
homas Jefferson could come back
ap some peofle around. However,
of that happering is about the same
rat beating Btfh in '92.
hildren Democracy and Santa Claus
iey're both convenient lies blown up
- T T 7_ - ? ?
portions, unfortunately, wnen uiey
ts.
for the folks reading this. This is
e most sorrowful column I've ever
what can you say when your coung
like the propaganda says it is.
iii^1'!!11rt"i1'" ' iii!irifi'i11 it i111iTTi'iif i 1
university to further its educational
mission.
Since the jummer session began,
however, this state of affairs has
been disrupted. The radio is now
so loud throughout the cafeteria
that conversation may be possible,
hut focused reading is not One
wonders if IPs disruption reflects a
change in management policy, or
simply the whim of whoever
comes in fir^ in the morning.
Perhaps tie loud radio-playing
is an attemp; to provide ambience
for summer school students; it is
true that thf cafeteria is nearly
empty at tiir?s, and without background
must it might be rather
depressing, if this is the motivation,
however, let us at least hear
real music *nd real, intelligent
news, without commercials ?that's
what ?TV radio is for. The
station we are subjected to,
WSCQ-FM, with its "lite" music
and morning pseudo-interviews, is
offensive to a university audience.
What is the state's ETV station for
if even the state's major university
doesn't want tP hear it?
If there are others out there who
feel as I do about this, why not
drop in at the Grand Marketplace
and let the onager know, as I
have?
Alexis Beltrami
English graduate student