Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Viewpoint Bigotry s Confederate flag symbol of hate, tan not backward Southern heritage _ South Carolina is stuck in the quagmire of backward mentality. And the Confederate flag, which hangs on top of our State House "in respect to our heritage," is a symbol of this state's ignorance. A The Confederate flag is not a symbol of heritage, it is a symbol | of bigotry, disgrace and affliction to the African-American race. It is time to bum the flag. Bum it before we make you bum it. There is no reason why a flag that represented this state 132 years ago should still fly. This is 1992, not 1860. The United States has come a long way in race relations. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about South Carolina. The Cdhfederate flag is a slap in the face to progress. South i Carolina is so fixed on its past, it's blind to the present and future. v Most of the other states don't hang flags on their state houses r that meant something 130 years ago. Why must we? Why must we suffer the same mentality we had so long ago? h Why is it so hard to consider the feelings of others? Don't legi- p slators realize just how much the flag cuts at the heart of anyone who respects human dignity? v These are the last days of Black History Month. We should recognize the plight and recovery of African Americans. And how do n our state leaders celebrate it? By debating useless bills housed in a c building that flies a flag spitting on the African-American culture. Respect. That's all we ask of you. Respect the rights of others, n before they make you. - c Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told the country more than 30 years ago he had a dream. He had a dream of whites and African (Americans working in harmony. How does South Carolina respect him? By putting a flag, which symbolizes the destruction and enslavement of African Americans, on top of their State House. a It is time to demand our leaders to take down the flag. It is time to demand our leaders to live in this century and look toward the next one. It is time to demand respect. li With advocacy comes action. It is time to rip apart the mentality s of the "old south." It is time to tear apart the bigotry hanging blantantly above this state, this city and this school. It is time. t< ! Government If a finger is to be pointed as the I cause of this extraordinarily low vo WP^ll^ lnpffpptivP turnout, I will proudly stand behind I YYCaiV^ ^ 92 percent who were forced to pay To the editor: an 'u^ffective student government. The overwhelming majority of stu- Quccn would rather support the dents have chosen to abstain from vot- percent who purport to represent t ing in the student elections. Some peo- student body, that s fine with me, bui pie, Mr. Queen for example, adopt the compels me to ask, Who indeed is t cynic's view. These people contend the cynic with twisted views? Some majority of students simply do not care us P'ace our faith in small govemmei about the important issues which affect w^? extorl money from the majority their everyday lives, that they are, in Suise ol social service. Others ol short, apathetic. P,ace our hoPe in the people. Others see the lack of voter turnout Mr. Queen did not address any as a sign marking the beginning of the l^e P?ints f made in Monday's Garr end of student government as we have cock. I will attempt, therefore, to sim IriAU/ it Tf 1S Twrpnt nf thp hfy them for the sake of the simr IASII1V LW IVIIV/V wx ?.V students vote, and that 15 percent is di- minded. vided almost evenly between two can- 0) The student body president h didates then, at best, 8 percent of the insufficient power to represent f students support the student body presi- constituents. dent. Mr. Queen then implies the 92 (-) ^ is die Board of Trustees tl percent who did not vote simply do not ultimately dictates policy, care about important issues like park- (3) The students do care about t ing, crime, tuition increases, visitation issues but realize points one and t\ policies, commencement ceremony, (above). etc. Voting for the student body pre; Question: Do you think th Tier Tishgarten Julie Veree >logy/Pre-Med major Nursing m; Yes. It's a piece of impor- "Yes. It'i it U.S. history that should itage, and t be ignored." should ne history." Across JFK evokes deep tl Unquestionably, Oliver Stone's movie JFK" makes you think, and think deeply, ev ^hat is the stongest merit of the movie, ti( whether you view it as propaganda or A cality. The political and media establishment li< las lahsed out at "JFK," calling it a tool of lo lersuasion. pr But consider this ? how do people react th i/he.n von pive fhp.m r.ritieisim or nhserva ion dead on the mark? The fact the estab- tic ishment has been so vocally opposed to the m aovie validates to a large degree its histori- te al truth. Stone penetrated the layers of govern- ca nental haze and from the secretive, dark, w orrupt world grabbed reality and threw it A p in our faces. Consider Watergate, the Iran-Contra af- nc air, the Savings and Loan fiasco. lil Consider corruption. be Its tentacles infest our government at all sh svels. That's simply indisputable. To deny t, is to deny reality and view the world in it n artifical naive manner. fe kc Many "experts" who believe and disbe- at ieve in the validity of the movie can be M; ited to support either side. But in undertak- no rig such a vain effort, Stone's point is lost. Stone wants to make you think and feel. - E ""o lie awake in bed and replay. He wants 3 disturb and provoke. He succeeds. Ga Stone theory too n Oliver Stone is a very silly and frustrated su nan. th All conspiracy theorists are by nature, ca Whether it's the KKK believing there is a ewish conspiracy to destroy America, or ac W Sharpton believing there is a white con- m piracy to destroy blacks, it takes a special dc nixture of fear, anger and naivete to be- ha ieve there are grand hidden schemes to w uin the world. And this is what "JFK," if taken as liter- th illy as Stone means it to be taken, is telling w: is. in Stone asks us to believe the Kennedy asassination was a grand plan between the th ?IA, the FBI, the "Military Industrial" cc omplex, the guy who drove Kennedy's en imo, the Dallas police, Lyndon Johnson, m :arl Warren and gay Cubans in New so )rleans. Do you believe that? I sure don't. di Oliver Stone claims to be fostering dia- 11 ague, but there is no dialogue in "JFK." 4o possible options other than those given dc >y Jim Garrison get any recognition in the ilm. As all conspiracy theorists do, Stone sh electively omits facts about Kennedy's ha lilling and even creates his own when they St uit his purposes. io For example, during the final court scene pa ve see Kennedy's head snap back over and iver again as Jim Garrison, portrayed by Cevin Costner, plays the Zapruder film, the dent is like betting on an armless Xer boxer. The promoters will proclaim the him ambidextrous, a few will bet, and to the integrity of the event will be lost at If the cost of the spectators. 8 John C. Foster he Media Arts senior h] Homecoming Z a dead issue us To the editor: of Will someone please tell the student le- government to stop beating a dead ip- horse? )le For those of you who do not know what I'm speaking of, it's the issue ot ias the Homecoming Queen. Once again, lis it's reared its ugly head, and I'm personally sick of it. lat As a member of the Homecoming Commission, I can safely say the folhe lowing: Beth Dubil has said ."No vo Homecoming Queen," and liana Myerson has said "No Homecoming Queen." When will the student govern \ le Confederate flag should r 1 |W jB J?*- - * in Candy Clayton ajor Retailing majo s a part of our her- "Yes. It's a good or bad, we Carolina's >ver try to ignore whether peopl it just can't be Fir^t bought, emotion It's doubtful the American people will 'er know the truth behind the assassina)n of their president. And that's sickening, nd the whole point. Somewhere in a deep governmental vault j documents of the investigation. They're eked away and have been for years. Our esident was murdered, and we can't see e evidence for their conclusion of guilt. Is this America? What is the justifica}n? National security is what the governent says. What a pathetic insult to our indigence. Or nArhonc notir\nq 1 cA^nrih/ 10 o v/i, pvuiapo iiauuiiui jv/v/uiilj 10 a juouii* ition, because if we knew the truth, there ould quite possibly be a civil uprising, nd it would be justified. Stone's movie has been a catalyst for a ;w movement to open the files. More than cely much of the original information has jen destroyed. The American public lould never have let it happen. Don't wallow in the details of "JFK." Let make you think and feel. Let if make you el anger for the way your government has jpt you in the dark like little children un)le to handle the truth. Seek the truth, ike them open the files. Right here, right w. Eric Ward Eric Ward is the editor in chief for The imecock. mich to swallow pposedly showing that shots came from e area of the grassy knoll in front of the ir. But never does Stone, through his charters, tell us that during the Warren Comission investigations, ballistics tests were >ne on apes which proved a shot to the ick of the head causes a nervous reaction hich makes the head jerk back. Of course, Stone is free to disbelieve ose results. Conspiracy theorists are alays free to ignore any factual discrepancy their argument. Conspiracy theorists are also free, when eir argument has gone haywire and is impletely confused', to tie all the loose ids together by bringing to the scene some ysterious, nameless CIA agent to present >me completely unverifiable facts. In effect, Stone says arrogantly to the auence "Hey, you can't prove me wrong, so nust be right." Should we accept this kind of logic? I >n't think so. I think the only useful thing "JFK" has own us is how much power the movies tve to reinforce illusions. Certainly, if one had written his ideas in a brief opinn column, most people would have not lid attention. Todd Venezia Todd Venezia is a journalism junior. ment get the message? The issue is no longer discussed ir commission. We have made our stand and we're going to stick with it. It was stated if another organization wanted tr sponsor it, no problem. But so far, nc one has offered to my knowledge. Homecoming Queen was an even] which did not serve to unite campus That is why it was discontinued. In an age in which feminism is on the rise, il was probably a decision well made. It's unfair to run a popularity contesi using the student activity fees, when the money could be used to add some [ new events, like the marathon, or tc improve current events, such as comedy night. I feel the Homecoming Commission made the only decision ii could regarding this issue. If no one re ally cares, why have il in the firsi place? Student government has bettei things to do than drag this out any longer than it already has. i Chris Duncan Graphic Design sophomore Homecoming Comedy Night Chairman fly above the State House? ^ r Willie Orr r Political Science major part of South "No. It represents a time of history, and cruelty and injustice." e like it or not, ignored." President-elect given suggestions - Patrick Villegas Dear Mr. President-elect: Today is a special day for you. As students of The University of South Carolina, we have elected you to represent our university in the best manner possible. We have bestowed upon you privilege, honor, and responsibility. Therefore, because you are the most influential student here at Carolina, I have compiled a few things you should remember as your one-year term begins. Don't screw up. You have spent well over $500 in campaign posters and signs, plastering and littering your name all over the walls and halls of this fine campus to earn your position. Please make sure it is not the last time we see your name in print. We want to see your ideas work for us, not for you and your campaign. Remember, you are student president, not a miracle worker. Don't work on things you know it is impossible to accomplish. Contrary to popular belief, the world does exist outside the student government glass cage. You are a college student and someone has paid an enourmous amount of money for you to learn at USC. Don't squander your education. Your new job is not worth skipping classes or burdening yourself with the world's problems. You'll have plenty of time to solve the world's problems after college. It is the first time in a long time a minority will not hold the top position. Try not to forget them. You represent the university. Everywhere you go, people will be watching what vou sav. what vou do. and how you act. Don't disappoint us. Make us proud. Well, Mr. President, you will probably be reading this column in the late morning hours because your victory parly did not end until late last night. Do me a favor. Get a pair of scissors and cut this column out. Put it in a safe place and reflect upon it a year from now. If you follow these easy guidelines, the student body will probably wish you could stay another year. Sincerely, Patrick Villegas News Editor Ci vice versa, D ctfH?!?guan invasion U IGarnecock > > FHitor in Chief WurH Managing Editor Tige Watts Copy Desk Chief Kathy Heberger Asst. Copy Desk Chief Jennifer Jablonski Viewpoint Editor Shelley Magee News Editors... Patrick Villegas/Gordon Man tier Asst. News Editor Kim Everitt Carolina! Editor ..Greg Rickabaugh Asst. Carolina! Editor Lee Clontz Graphics Editor Ryan Sims Cartoonist Paul Jon Photography Editor Virginia Marshall Asst. Photography Editor Eric Glenn Sports Editor Chad Bray Asst. Sports Editor Sean Ryan Faculty Adviser Erik Collins Asst. Advertising Manager Melissa Owenby Asst. Classified Manager Amy Taylor ineuamecocK. win iry 10prmian leuersreceivea. Leiierssnouia De 200-250 words. Full name and professional title, or year and major if a student, must be included along with address and phone number. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit letters for style, possible libel or space limitations. The Gamecock will not withhold names under any circumstances.