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Thomas ; " Democrats just wasting time1 trying to sabotage nomination Judge Garence Thomas has his confirmation hearings in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. Judging by the live CNN coverage, all the senators have accomplished is to give longwinded, self-important speeches about Thomas' qualifications without saying anything of substance. The confirmation process is tedious enough in general, but the Clarence Thomas nomination is political flatulation of the highest foim. Although the Republicans are certainly no amateurs in the art of "talking loud and saying nothing," the Democrats' obvious frustration over Thomas is nothing short of silly. Some conservatives have taken cheap shots against liberal senators on the Judiciary Committee, and that is heinous. But the fact is Thomas is a highly intelligent Yale graduate, and there is no good reason to deny him this position. To be sure, many Americans are not happy with Judge Thomas' stand on affirmative action and abortion, but he is hardly the inexperienced zealot some Democrats portray him to be. What these politicians are trying to forget is that President Bush has the right to nominate anyone he chooses to the Supreme Court (as a matter of fact, the nominee need not be a judge or even a lawyer). The Senate should only deny the president's nominee if the person nominated has serious character flaws. Catholicism is not a flaw last time we checked. Bush should keep the American public opinion on matters such as abortion in mind when he nominates a justice, but it is still his prerogative. Even if the Democrats succeed in rejecting Thomas, Bush would only nominate another conservative judge. Liberal senators have to face the facts: the Supreme Court, like it or not, is going to be a bastion of conservative values. i 1 Friday on Viewpoint - A thoughful, heart-wrenching editorial - Columnist Brian McCarter on abortion - Tige gets crucified in Letters section Gripe of the Week Once again lightning strikes the USC football team. After a frustrating tie with Duke, it w;as announced that promising linebacker Lawrence Mitchell will probably Ms$ th'eresf ortfie season with a knee injOTy. ~ The string of disappointments only grows for USC's athletesTThisj^'fio-much the Gripe of the Week'as the Gripe of the Decade. Maybe. Williams-Brice Stadium was built on an Indian burial ground. CARTOONISTS: USC students who like to draw (gopd) . editorial cartoons*should plpase send samples to David Bowden, Vfe^ointTtjJartoons, Drawer A, Russell House, USC?, 29225/We would prefer to run only USC students' work/if possible, so keep the cartoons coming! ,v inrj r?>- ^;. %?$&, *? i gamecock" . ."> -vfe A.-; '?/?- !/." . ? , . > * Crist ' ' - .-ur. ""* ". t '*Wr News: 777-7726 Advertising: 777-4249?>' i fa ;. -.? ... *: ' ; ? iJ 'm i> <i '? "j i i.lj 'n m ?/ Chris Silvestri Editor in Cfaief \ ) . T * 1 ? ^ ~ '*- * ? - ' -i*t *>- > * ' . David Bowden - ; Brant Long vManaging Editor/Viewpoint Editor Copy Desk Chief Tige Watts Octavia Wright News Editor - Carolina Life Editor Aaron Sheinin Teddy Lepp Sports Editor Photography Editor Patrick Villegas Gordon Mantler Asst. News Editor , , Asst. News Editor Tracey Davis Rich Taylor Asst. Carolina Life Editor Asst. Sports Editor Virginia Marshall Greg Rickabaugh Asst. Copy Desk Chief Asst. Photography Editor Wayne Williams eric glenn Comics Editor Darkroom Technician : i Renee a. Gibson .. , , Laura S.Day Asst. Media Director I Advertising Manager Production Manager Stacie Lewis ray Burgos Asst. Advertising Manager i Asst. Production.Manager Erik Collins Carolyn Griffin i Faculty Adviser Business Manager Lara Chapman Asst. Classified 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 cqse of- space limitations.' The newspaper will * not withhold names under any circumstance. \ J I K I I Vr \ I UllllfWlll \ IV 111 Machine guns I'm glad I wasn't at the Bi-Lo on Folly Road in Charleston this weekend.The store was held up by two men carrying machine guns. You know how it is these days. We were already awarrfltef playgrounds and school yards aren't safe^ We should have figured the Bi-Lo , wouldn't be far behind. Maybe people will get a clue about the gun laws when someone finally holds up the local Circle K $jth a portable grenade launcher. But I'm ?ure: somebody who collects those would disagree^with me. Personally I feel guns are a strange object to collect. (Although I must admit I find Dennis Shealy's collection of medival torture devices strangely exciting.) Still, if someone collects guns, I don't understand what's so unconstitutional about asking them to have a waiting period. I mean if you're Ohly going to set the thing f ? PdnPl* 1 npi/o than working J. dJJCI tatlVa any more tha positive view r To the editor: DP/ltl 1 I am writing in response to Tige Watts* editorial otfthe basketball lfTHlin team. I do not know Joe Rhett's 1IIIIIIU reasons for not giving The Game- To the editor cock an interview; it may be for I am writi personal reasons but it is not our tion to the c place to decide wfiy he made that drew Tully c decision.,.. would like tc f As . far as Joe Rhett giving up his ceptions exp ' Opportunity to present his side to and show m; the USC students through The tude that Gamecock is ridiculous. Give the die." USC'students some credit. We do The reaso not jiebf solely on The Gamecock choose to op] for our news. Since The Gamecock is that all hu feels it represents USC so well, lienable hun then support our basketball team as Gaskins con well as otir players. when he ch( If the students do not support human rights the athletic program, who do we tims. This, o expect to do it? Alumni? Well, stu- ceptable and dents become alumni or had you man society, forgotten? Because i If today's students are con- stands that a stantly hearing negative statements wrong in tal about the basketball team and the human rieh USC Athletic Department then would like tc they becoipe apathetic alumni, by Mr. Maa Then you can write yourself a penalty guei headline, "Attendance drops dra- misconstrued matically at basketball games." Maas was po The basketball team along with the the situation university have gone through some skins was e major changes over the past year, someone that They are having a hard time get- to kill, ting used Wit, as are the students. The death I respect Tige Watts' right to an Not only is il opinion, but all I ask is that you of human ri| think about the state this university unethical ins is in. We have come a long way; rather than a quit trying to drag us back down, interest is tha Give Joe Rhett the benefit of the since Canada doubt. If you feel that you have penalty, the such an impression on USC stu- there has gon< dents then use it to everyone's ad- In the exec vantage. Why don't we work U.S. ranks up together to support the university Barbado^ an \ 5' have no plact shelley f r . -Ji .'a ,?J . . , magee ~ on a shelf anyway, why get so upset about waiting a few days? It seems to me that the current policies on gun control are too lax as it is. I understand wanting to defend your home, your property etc . . . The thing is, I can't once remember reading about someone who was able to stop a psychopath trying to kill his family by using the gun he keeps for protection. I can, however* find a story everyday in a newspaper somewhere about a little kid who accidentally shot Irs to the edii ? t/v ?u;n J r .1 j tu uiviuc uui inuruer 01 me menu in necessary? icapped is also inexcu Ellen Scoggin far more ethical and les; 'ublic relations senior to keep a criminal in ] only purpose, therefore, 1 l^otiol'i'17 execution can serve is * pvllttllj the blood lust of a frus 1 1 ety. This is not unlike t ill lQcd that caused Pee Wee tc have yet to see it bring ng this letter in reac- bac^ om Srave>ne submitted by An- *n conclusion, I am n( )n Monday, Sept. 9. I in? that what Pee We ) clear up the miscon- 1 simply assert t >ressed by Mr. Tully tional human beings s y concern for his atti- above their Primal urges some people should a manner conducive to i ous society. When some n why many people tbal ordcr, be or sbe pose the death penalty brought to justice, but man beings have ina- penalty is not a wt nan rights. Pee Wee answerimitted grave crimes . . ( )se to take away the International studies s : of his innocent vie?f course, is an unac- flQ horrid act in any hu- ^ nurder is wrong, it rough at 1 goverment is equally ting away someone's To the editor: ts. At this point, I So you think you hi ? clarify a point made time making it to class? is (in his anti-death to weave in and out, w ;t column) that was large groups ? give m I by Mr. Tully. Mr. Try riding a bike on t inting to the irony in class. You must have a where Pee Wee Ga- ence and a loud mouth, xecuted for killing Pedestrians are basic; the state was going siderate! Especially the tend to walk head-on tv?na1tv ic npupr inct U/k..< .1^ ? "VIV1 JUJI. lliuvt UY61. T? uai, uu t a complete violation only know one route? C; ;hts accords, it is an step to the left or right a truction in violence, in order to avoid a vie deterrent. A point of sion with a harmless eye t in the past 13 years We are asking you abolished the death simple thing: please st violent crime rate you see or hear cyclist i down. ing. We don't mean to ution of children, the way, just as you do not i there with Iraq, Iran, in ours. Imagine a cai id Bangladesh. The happy cyclists riding o i in America himself with his parents' gun. This brings me to another thought. I can see having a handgup for protection, 6r a rifle for hunting, but where in this society is there a need for semi-automatic or automatic weapons, outside of the military?'Those things hre built for the express purpose of mowing down human beings. It seems to me that anyone with an itch for : an AK-47 so bad that they can't wait a few days for a background check is cause for alarm. England has a tough system on guns. People don't have them. People also don't get mowed down in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. It makes sense to me. But then I guess England isn't in need of the kind of population control that we are here, right? roR illy hand- nated pathway and pedestrians joysable. It is fully walking alongside without s expensive any interference on the part of prison. The either group, that a state By the way, we have yet another to satisfy gripe: parking your car on campus trated soci- is not the only parking problem, he feelings Try finding a place to park and ) murder. I lock your bike before class. Yes, the victims there are bike racks around many buildings, but unfortunately, not Dt contend- enough for the many cyclists on e did was this campus, hat all ra- Jill Jauch hould rise News-ed sophomore and act in a harmoni- Jennifer Dougherty one breaks Broadcast sophomore should be the death mhwhile <Sins, rea?y ophomore not that bad ve it To the editor: In response to the "Reverend" Joseph Henson's editorial on why ^ ^ ^ our universities and our nations are in such turmoil ... I would like to ask what kind of "crock" is this? ive ^ hard Your so-called sins have been arYou have ound since the beginning of civilir?lb At-rkiin I TU/vn/* />tt?1o * /-? am cuuuiiu AiiLiun. inw>c suiji tuc nui cviia tu ie a break! what I consider the majority of the he way to population (even in the Bible lot of pati- Belt). Pride, drunkenness, fornication ally incon- and homosexuality may be sins by ones who your Christian morals but last time and don't 1 checked this is a free country; your feet therefore, as long as it does not an they not hurt anyone else, a person can infew paces dulge in these "sins." Have you ious colli- ever been drunk, fornicated or list? even proud? Don't knock it 'til to do one you try it! ep over if Daniel Bank approach- Business administration be in your sophomore tnean to be npus with Mark S. Moore n a desig- Political science sophomore