The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 04, 1992, Page 4, Image 4
1
Somalia
Retreat of superpowers produces
human wasteland in Africa
Somalia is a nation of 6.5 million people. Two million people
from this country are on the brink of starvation in a land stripped
bare of it's ability to sustain itself.
Seventy percent of all livestock is gone ? wiped off of the face
of the earth ? in a span of only two years. Livestock, namely
rampl-hprrlina ic Kacir*all\/ tha rvnUi ivnif CnmnlJnno " i:
jo uuoivuuj uiv wuij way juuiaiiaud uianc d living,
and nearly all of the country's livestock have been slaughtered for
food.
Somalia is now a wasteland populated with hollow zombies.
Warlords, once employees of the Soviet Union, terrorize the
countryside, forcing hordes of people into already over-burdened
cities.
Somalia is a land where automatic weapons are less expensive
than food.
And of all these things, the Soviet Union and the U.S. are to
blame. Maybe not for directly causing the famine in Somalia, but
for their withdrawal of financial support for the country.
Once a base for an expanding empire's exploits, Somalia was
home to the communists. The former Soviet Union built bases in
Somalia and financed the Somalian economy. Soviet bases were
subsequently bought by the U.S. by way of promises of funding
made to the Mohammed Said Barre regime. It wasn't the cold war
and communism that was the nightmare, it's the aftermath and
communism's legacy. It's the nightmare left behind.
The superpowers' retreat has, to a great extent, created the initial
destabilization and the eventual chaos in Somalia that began two
years ago. When the U.S. left, it left behind bases for the Barre
regime and a surplus of weapons. A lack of any police structure
allowed thieves to arm themselves with these automatic weapons
and to terrorize nomads and peasant farmers who have nothing
with which to defend themselves except bows and arrows. Somalia
is now left to struggle on its own without the kind of
order you get when you have a superepower breathing down your
neck. It's typical of a world where all the powers are looking
inward instead of maintaining a necessary presence in the world.
Africa is a place of tremendous resources and has the potential
to be a prosperous place in the future, but all we see of it is in the
news, and the news is never really good. We see the famine and
the war and "black-on-black" violence, but we never see the strides
towards democracy. Somalia may not be headed towards democracy,
but how we expect it to when it becomes the focus only now?
How can countries move towards democracy if they have no
ononiironamnnt1? Uaiij K'mi W/-v A ?> ~ ?
Cigvuivin : i iu w v^ail UlC^ UC GllCUUlclgCU 11 111C /A.111CI lCUIl peO"
ple don't know what's going on?
Somalia is threatening to become the only country and culture
to be totally exterminated in the twentieth century. Whether
Somalia can be saved will depend on whether the world is watching
or or the world wishes to ignore its death.
HEY YOU!
Is something bothering you, getting
under your skin, or just ticking
you off?
Send us a letter telling us your
views on whatever's on your mind
about USC, the U.S., the world or
life in general and we'll do our
best to print it.
learnt co cr
Editor in Chief Greg Rickabaugh
Managing Editor Patrick Villegas
News Editors Chad Bray
J.T. Waggenheim
Viewpoints Editor Jack Dunn
Features Editor Lee Clontz
Sports Editors Nancy Salamonsky
Tim Thorsen
Photo Editor Stephanie Newlin ]
Graphics Editor Ryan Sims 1
Copy Desk Chief Jay King
Cartoonist Paul Jon
Asst. News Editor Melissa Tennen i
Asst. Features Editor Jennifer Fuller '
Asst Snorts Friitor Roh RnHiickv
Asst. Photo Editor Lea Clayton
Asst. Graphics Editors Kristin Buehlman
Gregory Perez
Asst. Copy Desk Editor Kim Everitt
Student Media Coordinator Jim McKellar
Production Manaqer Laura Day
Asst. Production Manager Jim Green
Faculty Advisor Erik Collins Advertising
Manager Renee Gibson
]
The Gamecock will try to print all letters received.
Letters should be 200-250 words. Full name and pro- 1
fessional title, or year and majorif 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 c
not withhold names under any circumsatnces. S
Viewpi
Ts the T,ahnr Dena
The United States Department of Labor's
unwillingness to file suit on behalf of hundreds
of men and women who have been regularly
coerced into working noncompensated or "off
the clock" hours demonstrates that DOL officials
need a remedial vocabulary lesson.
It is a classic failure of the governmental system
that smacks of anti-worker sentiment within )
the very structure that is supposed to protect 4
working people.
What is the story of an "off the clock" vie- *
tim? Imagine having too little time to complete *
the enormous assignment given by the boss and 1
the worker being faced with a choice of being r
terminated for not completeing the assignment, c
or finishing the task after the worker has s
punched out. And then having the fear of being \
reprimanded should the worker complain of c
havino trv wnrlr nnnmmnpncotpH hrmre
..vt . vv/ * * V/I ?v Iiv/tiwiiipvuouivu IIV/UIO.
Obviously not very pleasant, but that's exact- s
ly what tens of thousands of workers are sub- r
jected to every day. v
This week marks the first anniversary of a ^
complaint filed with the U.S. Labor Department
by 183 current and former employees against
Food Lion, Inc. The complaint vividly describes
the despicable labor policies that force employ- e
ees to work "off the clock" at one of the fastest a
growing supermarket chains in the country.
During the first half of this year alone, over
one hundred additional employees have made a
*erc
Satan does not inspi
It is my firm belief Satan is not up onstage am
spandex and playing rock 'n' roll music.
Nor am I a lost soul who is blind to the influence <
It's a fact. Rock 'n' roll has a very powerful, v<
lives. Look at the way most high school and colleg
and act. Ail of this is evidence of the influence tl
lives.
I am a Christian, and I reject Satan and all his de
es.
And I am not convinced that the Prince of Lies i
and heavy metal musicians to corrupt the Soul of oui
I will be the first to admit that there are son
Satanism and follow in his hoofsteps. But these are
lost in themselves or trying to get attention.
I am of the opinion that it is God who gives mus
belly to hammer out music as rousing as that of the
David danced in joy before God. God would probab
ebration of today's music.
In passion, commitment, and musical expertise th
songs that can be compared in quality to the creatit
nosers Phis is not to snv all rook hnnrte arhipvp fhi<
:al contemporaries of Bach and Beethoven.
Average citizens look at anti-rock religious preac
rigid Christians! They're so scared that someone on
having a good time!"
What greater damage could Satan do than to den>
don of all types of musical expression to humanity.
This is what Satan wants. Satan is not behind roc
ing good men and women astray by decieving them
oud, exhuberant and critical of much of our society i
When you see these preachers who denounce rod
U ~ ^ 1~ iU ? nni
iic ucvn, uuii i uuicuic uicui, puy uiem. iney are n(
ulind, deaf and misguided...and missing a lot of the c
Sean McGuinness is a staff writer 1
rPCnAflCP someone vand
L villCC 1 CopUllJC hut whining al
setter than most
o the editor: needing help.
This letter is in response to Are the Co
>enise Ward's letter "Cola. Police suppose to drop
low to Respond," in the Sept. 2 doing and cor
isue of The Gamecock. I'm sorry aid? These offn
Dints
M DON'T WANT
fM
rtment's watch br
'Off the
ROBERT HARBRANT
Guest Columnist
;imilar charges in two supplemental complaints
igainst the same employer.
This anniversary, however offers the com)lainants
little reason to celebrate. As the weeks
>ass since the Labor Department first received
he complaint, the statute of limitations deadline
apidly draws closer. If the Labor Department
:ontinues to avoid making a finding and filing
uit, the victims will never be able to regain
heir wages that were lost working "off the
lock."
These Food Lion, Inc. employees have boldy
tepped forward to describe a working environnent
in which they were regularly coerced into
vorking "off the clock." The supermarket
hain's insidious "effective scheduling" system
tas been blamed as the culprit behind the comtany
victimization of its own employees.
The "effective scheduling" system provides
ach store an allotment of hours in which all
ssigned work must be completed. Very often,
owever, these allotments greatly underestimate
he true length of time necessary for completing
ssignments. Yet workers are still expected to
omplete unrealistic amounts of work within the
issFi
ire rock Musician;
id fireworks, wearing Music is one of the
tions and thoughts. Acc
of this type of music. a room full of pianos,
;ry real effect on our also.
;e students dress, talk Human beings are si
lat music has on our or thought through musi
We have the ability I
ceitful empty promis- is really a main goal for
Think of the possibili
is inspiring hard rock be communicated. This
youth. Those people who ai
le bands that praise be taken back and it w;
a paltry few who are music has been distortet
Although music itsell
icians the fire in their evil, its ability to cut th
: celestial choir. King municate every evil th<
ly understand the eel- think the same thing.
Death anrl cuiriHe t
ere are many modern preached into someone'
)ns of the great com- music,
i, as did not all musi- Think about how woi
all you heard were thesi
hers and say, "Those you respect says somel
this planet might be words are powerful. W<
way to use them.
f the beauty and pas- All the horrible thing
Faith No More, Metallic
k 'n' roll; he is lead- Although the groove
that what is different, sage will be propagated
s evil. will lose the very thing
c 'n' roll as a tool of truth, which only exist
3t hateful, just a little us, so that we may live,
elebration of life
Sean McGuinness Phillip Copelanc
for The Gamecock
fcj ^ | jcl (l
alized your Blazer, burglaries, armed robber
>out not having any activity, domestic viole
to your matter only homicides which sort <
gnorance to others precedence over your shal
window.
lumbia City Police Consider yourself luck;
) everything they are the city of Columbia, the p
ne rushing to your respond at some time to a
:ers are dealing with as yours. In a lot of major
???????????_...?______________
41
-
TO IMITATE TRUMAN THAT MUCH/'
rcf5* .
s manipulate words
most powerful tools to communicate our emoording
to physics, when one C note is played in
all the other pianos in room will resonate a C
milar, when a person communicates an emotion
ic.
to "resonate" the same thought or emotion. This
musicians.
ties. Love, hope, peace, joy, and truth can easily ^
is the whole purpose of music,
e musicians have been given a gift that can not
as meant for those purposes. But the purpose of
i over time by the world,
is only a physical thing and in itself can not be
rough into a person's heart can be used to com3ught
and can cause someone else to feel and
late, bigotry, rape, and drug addiction can be
s heart. Words are even far more powerful than
ds affect us. If you were trapped in a room and a
e things would you be affected? When someone "
thing hurtful to you, is it easy to ignore? No,
; are all affected by them, and music is a great
s I mentioned earlier are present in the lyrics of
a, and Guns and Roses.
might be cool, the message is not, and this meson
Sept. 7.1 guarantee that those of you who go
s we truly desire like love, peace, joy, and the
in the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who died for
if you choose.
- Phillip Copeland
J is the president of USC's chapter of the
Rock Christian Fellowship ?
ies, drug this country, the best you could
nee and have done was to have a report takof
takes en over the phone, have it filed and
:tered car been told to contact your insurance
company.
y that in
olice can
call such Allan Crawford
cities in Criminal justice senior
e>rm*r.L60if wt-oiaw*
oken Labor Day?
' clock' victims' time running out
boundaries of their scheduled shift. ^
This system, coupled with an agreement
employees must sign when hired promising not
to work "off the clock" under penalty of termination,
creates a cruel dilemma.
Nefarious labor practices of the chain have
also come under scrutiny from Congress. Last
March, the House Committee on Employment
and Housing conducted a hearing examining
"off the clock" work at Food Lion. Testimony
from employees, including a former store manager,
prompted the Chairman of the committee
to describe the supermarket chain as operating A
in a "milieu of harassment."
The "catch-22" situation permeating this particular
company's "effective scheduling " sys
icin anu a management siraiegy apparently
based on intimidation and duplicity, has resulted,
unfortunately, in a muted, exploited workforce.
We urge DOL Secretary Lynn Martin to take
the time to investigate the problems and institute
swift solutions before the clock runs out on
these workers. If the DOL watch is broken, she
is charged with the responsibility of fixing it so
that it is on time for all workers ifi every industry
where "off the clock" violations occur. W
Clearly, this Labor Day is a time for action
by the Department of Labor.
Robert Harbrant is President of the Food
and Allied Service Trades, AFL?CIO