The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 11, 1991, Page 4, Image 4
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.
\
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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