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weunesuay, ocpicmuu .w, 1 jy*. \ Questions Bush, Clinton and Perot fail to come up with the truth As we come down to the final stretch of the election campaign, we are left with a field of candidates of doubtful personal integrity and qualities of leadership. Two of the candidates are facing questions of their past, and stumbling all around the truth of their actions, but never quite making it there. The other candidate...well, he can't decide whether he's in or out, and the only decision he's made is he will let his supporters decide. George Bush, one of these candidates, is facing some questions he should have answered back in 1988. On the heels of Reagan's popularity and the apparent success of a two-term Republican presidency, George Bush was able to sidestep the question of his involvement in the transfer of arms to Iran and his choice for vice president. President Bush claims he was not "in the loop," but recent admissions by close staffmembers and Secord, have stated otherwise. People have only now come to the realization that Bush lied. Once head of the CIA, Bush was known to have connections with the likes of Manuel Noriega, Saddam Hussein, and Ferninand Marcos. Would it be reasonable to say, in an operation like IranContra, that George Bush and his connections would be called upon or at least act as advisers? If Bush was kept out of the loop, it was his own doing. And if he did not know the details, he certainly knew what was going on. He may have simply decided to remain uninformed in order to avoid complicity. Bill Clinton, also one of these candidates, is being bombarded by questions of his apparent avoidance of the draft, the circumstances of which have changed at every asking. The most recenl accusation is Clinton's lobbying a senator for possible intervention before his local draft board. Clinton said at first he couldn't remember, but then reversed and said it was a possibility. If a prerequisite for being president is a selective memory Clinton is the rightful heir to the Reagan legacy and deserves support from Reagan Democrats who have been led astray. It's possible to forget some of the events of your life in the turbulent '60s But is it likely? Only if you inhaled. H. Ross Perot, the new uncandidate (a title taken away fron Tsongas), is an even worse example of the modern Hamlet figure than Mario Cuomo. At least Cuomo was decisive in his indecision Perot is indecisive about his big decision. His economic ideas are all borrowed (mainly from Tsongas) and he has an egoistic, temperamental style incompatible with the trappings of modern media politics. And yet he says he wants the people to decide. No one decides what's right for Ross Perot bu Ross Perot. But he will not confess this character trait to anyone let alone the American people. The 1992 field of presidential candidates presents the question "Is this the best the American system has to offer?" Yes it is. Am no matter who you vote for, one thing is for certain: Americ; deserves what it gets. South CarolinoiFbotball I812-/772 1Mip YIAKS ^ ai\d "IBaiftco ck Editor in Chief Greg Rickabaugh Managing Editor Patrick Villegas Copy Desk Chief Jay King News Editors Chad Bray J.T. Waaenheim Viewpoints Editor Jack Dunn Features Editor Lee Clontz I Sports Editors Nancy Salomonsky Tim Thorsen Photo Editor Stephanie Newlin Graphics Editor Ryan Sims Cartoonist Paul Jon Asst. News Editor Melissa Tennen Asst. Features Editor Jennifer Fuller Acst Snorts FHitnr Rob Roduskv Asst. Viewpoints Editor C.E. Holman Asst. Photo Editor Lea Clayton Asst. Graphics Editors Kristin Buehlman Gregory Perez Asst. Copy Desk Editor. . Brian Garland . Production Manager Laura Day Asst. Production Manager Jim Green Faculty Advisor Erik Collins Advertising Manager Renee Gibson Student Media Coordinator Jim McKellar rir^ri, Aoot Rrian Mrttnirp v^/ii uuuaic ncwi ? ? ? ? Darkroom Technicians Erin Galloway Rika Hashimoto The Gamecock will try to print all letters received Letters should be 200-250 words. Full name an( professional title, or year and major if a student, mus be included along with address and phone number The Gamecock reserves the right to edit letters fo style, possible libel or space limitations. Tht Gamecock will not withold names under am circumstances. riewpo IcOMWSl Tv^fl Senior citizens o A mandatory retirement law for firefighters, I law enforcement officers and tenured professors is still on the South Carolina law books. In July 1969, the law went into effect stating that all public employees will be retired at age t 70. The employer could grant an extension of two years, but no public employee could work L after turning 72. This law was challenged in 1986 on the federal level, and it was abolished. In 1987, the South Carolina retirement law was amended to apply only to law enforcement officers, firefighters j and tenured professors. These fields of employment have a fairly low turnover rate and most often when a person becomes a police officer, firefighter or professor, that person remains one throughout his or | her working life. These employees are imperative to the com " munity and state and should not be restricted to Not enough allc ^ Since I've moved here to the University of r~ 1 South Carolina, my parents haven't written. No cards. No letters. No big packages of socks to speak of. I want a divorce. I can do that, you know. If Gregory K. can do it, then so can Gregory P. After the kid from Fruitland Park, Fla., won the case "divorcing" him from his neglectful mother, kids across the country are jumping in line to take their folks to court. In supermarkets everywhere, scenes like this are playing out: Little Michelle L.(age 9): Daddy, will you buy me some cereal? Daddy: No. Michelle L.: Pleeeease? Daddy: I said no. Michelle L.(really whiny):Pretty please with sugar on top? Daddy (teeth grit so the other mommies and -I ? wtk 4 Apology' 'whl.tn k goes too far "ASmfon' playing Jes To the editor: reality. An Regarding the unsigned editorial grow up. (The Gamecock, Monday Sept. 28) What kim apologizing for a previously leftist you practice bias in the Viewpoints section of staffs, some the Gamecock: on! The p; Certainly a balance of right and worked with left is necessary to maintain a sem- opinion. blence of fairness. However, to atjve moder purposely moderate a viewpoint for never the sake of maintaining a status ers coui(j w quo sounds a lot like censorship. ^ Surely, it is the right of an editor to . co . . / . ? ? u ate or conse decide what goes into his paper, p . but to disavow my recognition of r 0111 ,? radical positions (left or right) is an yjamecoc attempt to whitewash reality and to no squelch any attempt of raising a 'ibeial few> controversial issue solely on the want t0 ^ 1 grounds of the issues' political paper run o> implications. And h?v If that is the desired direction competence The Gamecock wishes to take, why intelligence not have just one person write all dare you ins the editorials to make sure they all For your fall within the norm as espoused by more profe$ the unsigned editorial? The staff finger than could then rename the section to picture-load "Boring Viewpoints: More Dung" USC Voices which would appeal to all those porate mor readers who are already impressed year Meam with the paper's extreme diversity. nated USC All kidding aside, let the far left Crossfire to J and the extreme right have their Ho . say. Who knows, maybe it'll get ali$m whilg some people thinking about what . . a people really believe. .Qn ^ { / KevenRuby 'eflee, the st GINT sophomore e ^ac' 1 ints ^1fi?60REQ(M?Pl m0M verlooked as \ COLUMNIS1 work by their age. Ideally, education and saf are society's most valued treasures. But in re; ty they seem impossible to obtain to our sai faction. Why would we hinder someone whc perfectly capable and willing to pass on th gifts of experience by discriminating agai their age? Every person ages at a different pace. WI all eventually pnysicaiiy age, many eiueny u their keen insight and clear-headed thinking the grave. How dare we, the youths of tod judge men and women who have protected < >wance? Divor ladlSaillH COLUMNIST daddies won't hear): NO MEANS N YOUNG LADY. KNOCK IT OFF ( YOU'LL GET A SPANKING WHEN WE G HOME. Michelle L.: How does $2,500 a month child support sound to you 'Dad' ? Daddy: Cap'n Crunch or Froot Loops? All this divorce talk ought to give Geo Bush a big poke in the eye. The Greaorv K. case is vet another hole in sinking ship of family values. Right when president wants a refurbishing of our dome: infrastructure, along comes this 12-year-old >r: issues like abortion id of garbage was the mal rights, etc. M :ditorial (Sept. 28)? issues to you is if Mr. Rickabaugh. Stop can coach well or n us and come back to Come on Greg d while you're at it, stop writing such cl 1 of professionalism do when you slam former Spring '92, M of which you worked of ast six staffs I have i have always promoted rp, , , whether it be conserv- ?Ol3ciCC( ate, or liberal. said only liberal writ- ol Q f ork for us. In fact, we 1 uai to write from a moderTn ?l... ,>.1U -MTES. hp >9r,D%^?n000nQO, H' laK/l8MMIM mm aluable resource homes and lives and educated our parents, D peers and children, by physical appearance and date of birth. We recently had a president of this country that carried out his duties at the ripe old age of 77. (Oh, by the way, this law, since its creation, never applied to elected officials. Lawmakers always protect their own.) et.y Anybody remember Grandma Moses? Her creativity and talent didn't fully develop until the lis" twilight of her life. Employees should be judged by individual ,eir merit instead of a broad sweep before being nst forcibly retired. Understandably, some people shouldn't be put in key responsibility positions, but I know plenty of college-age people who I wouldn't want watching over my house or life 10 or teaching my children. Let those who have aV' something to offer maintain their jobs as long as 0UI they want; we can only benefit. *ce your parents rewrite the rules and make splitting up the family all the more complicated. They're probably having giggles over there in the Clinton camp. I'm itching to hear what Vice Potatoehead Dan Quayle has to say about this one. Although I'm sure he's just waiting for the tplpvicinn minisprips hpfnrp hp ran nnrn his O' mouth. ^ Now Gregory K. says he wants to be an ET actor. Over 30 movie deals have come to his door, with even more piling up everyday. in If they ever do a movie, Hollywood is sure to spice it up a little, throw in a teensy bit of farce roe to "broaden the audience horizon." "Irreconcilable Differences II: Mommy K. his Gets the Chair." our Heck, Ross Perot would probably produce it. stic (I was only kidding about the divorce, Mom. to Please send socks. Love ya.) PVfVMHPtfTPPI kkAUaSlAJLiMM , gay rights, ani- ton had in the ninteenth-century. In eanwhile, social some parts of the southeastern Sparky Woods United States, for example North 01' Carolina, it is a major part of the grow up and ec0 lildish attacks. 1e . If you haven t guessed yet, this Tige Watts dru? is tobacco- Most people refuse [anaging Editor ^ ^ a drug, but it is by defi - 1, nirion a drop It has NO medical 1 lie UillllCtUtIV O- ~ use. The plant has NO useful prop# erties compared to say, marijuana. ) is Let us please come into light of the twentieth-century people. Marijuana is not only less harmful ? and addictive than tobacco; it is also less of a threat to society than response to Jon alcohol. e piece of Sept. Make u le?al to over 18 He is conect aiK* tax beck out Treat ^uments with a like alcoho1 is heated now. (Do it wn in for ?ood on your ^ree t'me an(i there s n0 s ^ot the dru" penalty. Drive while under the ideed a dru? so influence, you go to jail. Smoke it ially deadly "that at work lose y?ur Job ) i Mariiuana is not evil, nor are i. uiuuiiunaieiy, ' > ? - ?7 ? ? those who smoke it. It does not to set a feelin^ cause you to become anything that hev also smoke y?u ^ not ^ready. and smoking it 1 " It is highly once wil1 not at,dict you for life. t millions of ^h, ancl ^y way> *n case any?ne cted to it is wondering, I do not smoke it )uns people are myself-1 tried it and didn't care for only to become i1, -'ust * did witl1 l?bacco and ver their bodies alcohol. Get a grip Mr. Nunnery. ysical damase. ile get sick, and Dorene M. Boltz ^use LTA II, Thomas Cooper ), it has reached Library he one that cot rvative viewpoint. 1 'l,,t f order, Greg: The s letter is in did not clean house. Nunnery's Crossfir t clean house. We, the 25 of The Gameco< left because we didn't in his logic and ar tssociated with a news- little hysteria thro ' y?u! measure, but he' ' dare y?u insult wrong. There is in professionalism, or harmful as a lournalist. How , ,, , , ult my colleagues. it should be banner information we have 1118 alrea<iy legal, isionalism in our little People smoke it you do in your feature- ?1 euphoria, yes. 1 ed rag. We developed it to appear "coo and Crossfire to incor- addictive. In fac e points of view last Americans are addi wnne, you nave enmi- Thousands of yc Voices and reduced curious lo try it, < once a week. slaves to its hold o ; you claim profession- Tf . _ , J . It does cause ph you write an editorial . )scd to renect the op.n- of peop staff when it doesn't man>' ^ie f,om lts a aff s opinion. As a money croI he guts to tackle social a similar level to t