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|v ] Perot Supporters quick to forget candidate s betrayal Thirty-two days until the presidential election and another man has jumped into the short-lived two-way race. H. Ross Perot has taken another great leap into the campaign and is bent on changing the outcome. For those of you partisan Democrats and Republicans who think he can't do it, just watch and see. Perot has a whole month to pump in his thirty-minute info-mercials, all financed by his own bankroll. His former supporters will soon completely forget his betrayal of them back in July, as they have already welcomed him back with open arms. As a result, Perot will take the election into the wee hours of the morning, or even to the House of Representatives. His month-long crusade will split the base of support in the regions the Democrats and Republicans need to win the White House. Perot attacks such Republican southern strongholds as Texas and North Carolina, which were part of what has been termed as the new "Solid South" for Republican presidential candidates. And in states such as California, where until now Clinton had the lead, Perot looks strong in a shattered state economy burdened by billion-dollar debt. Perot, although splitting the vote in many cases, is more than just a spoiler ? he is the only independent or third-party candidate in this century who has had a viable chance of winning the presidency. Like his combative style or not, Perot is also the only independent since Teddy Roosevelt who has had a national appeal. Other presidential bids, such as the campaigns of former senator John Anderson in 1980 and former governor George Wallace in 1968, were essentially regional in appeal, at least in their base of support,"and faltered for lack of funds. Both of these are problems Perot will not face. Perot's naming of James Stockdale, former Vietnam POW, as his running mate, adds fuel to the presidential bid as the issue of prisoners left behind was and is Perot's only PR coup. James Stockdale is a reflective and intellectual man whose story will be played out in the media to the hilt, showing him to be a hero and not a silly politician like either of his opponents, Gore and Quayle. It is surprising how shrewd someone can be when it comes down to the wire. But this kind of scenario was in Perot's head all along. But his supporters don't care because along with the messenger comes a formidable message: the other candidates avoid tough issues like the federal deficit, and tough choices and sacrifices needed to solve the problems that plague our country. They are afraid to take it to the American people. H. Ross Perot, for all his faults, is not. District is > . f \ the Deans'list? vhS V No, its the Deans' j XP>anircock 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 Paoti iroc PHitnr I qq Plnnt7 i ^aiuiuo i? viviiic. 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 Asst. Sports Editor -...Rob Rodusky 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 Graduate Asst Brian McGuire Darkroom Technicians Erin Galloway Rika Hashimoto The Gamecock will try to print all letters received. Letters-should be 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 withold names under any circumstances. /iew Capital puni; Capital punishment is wrong. It i Capital punishment by definitiot a society wants to rid itself of the its well-being, such as Pee Wee G festation of societal aggression wl tions to cheer when the streetlights Whether this form of punishmer is questionable at best. With the afforded by all 50 states, very fe being executed. If this is a known death rows of this country being ac One of the best arguments for tl life imprisonment. Any sane persoi rape, overcrowded conditions and going to have a worthwhile life, m ment is not a good alternative. It tioned earlier. One must look to the source ol for capital punishment? The Unite ask itself why its murder rate i European nations that do not have < Statistically, the major committ poor, ethnic minorities. These pec they are the dregs of society and li thinking something like, "I'm pot anything," and no one tells then develops. The cure I am proposing concentration on children in high t children is much less than dealing If people are given a good educatii perhaps, morality will follow, wip such as capital punishment. - Lea Clayton, Asst Malcolm X Malcolm X. What does his na think of? Black revolutionary? I necessary? Racist? Malcolm X co or none of these things, depending of view and knowledge of this cont Walking around campus I see p Malcolm X hats and T-shirts bear I think to myself, do all these pec Malcolm's philosophies? If they do hats and clothing bearing his name a great man. If they do not know ry, then wearing an X on their c another name brand, a fad for the n Malcolm is a hero who never hel quit fighting and never sold out. I would never wear any Malcoli dise. Malcolm strived to unite all economically and socially. I believi the companies selling Malcolm > are owned by white people. If you your money down to buy Malcoli dise, make an effort to see whe goes. If you believe in Malcolm st Recent anolopv. ? j 7 unbiased coverage necessary To the editor: I hesitate to write this editorial, feel as though I am falling prey t< a liberal ploy to stir up controver sy. I cannot, however, in good con science allow the remarks of Tig< Watts to go unanswered, especial 1; since for the first time in my fou year college career, this paper ha moved closer to the mainstream unbiased, style of journalism, tha the journalism department ought t< be teaching. So, with this in mind, let's Uy ai experiment. Everyone hold you hand out in front of your face Now, extend your little finger. Tigi asserts that he has more profesion alism in his little finger than thi entiie staff of The Gamecock havi in their "rag." With the libera stance that he continually ramme* down our throats last year 01 issues like pornography, gay rights and sexual promiscuity, I'm sun we can all imagine what Tige doe with his "professionalism!" I don' know, maybe his little finger is ai appropriate comparison after all. All joking aside, and to be sun Tige is a joke, let's look at what hi said, and I quote, "We had the gut to tackle social issues like abortion gay rights, animal rights, etc Meanwhile, social issues to you i if Sparky Woods can coach well o not." Well Tige, I am almost cer tain that Coach Woods' status i mnrp imnnrtant tn thp avpraop ctn Ol*. dent than the continual haiping yoi did on the Holderman Scandal puilll I Crc shment drastic is the symptom of a very sick society. 1 is a state's mechanism of self defense; ?se people perceived to be dangerous to laskins. But it also seems to be a manilen crowds attend midnight electrocudim. it acts as a deterrant of homicidal crime lengthy and expensive appeals process w convicted criminals actually end up fact, then why are the already crowded Ided to at alarming rates? , lis form of punishment is its alternative, ii realizes a person faced with homicidal being treated like a lower animal is not uch less be rehabilitated. Life imprison is merely treating the symptom I menthe problem ? what creates the need d States, as a responsible society, must s so much higher than most western capital punishment statutes. ~ ers of such crimes in this country are >ple have grown up with a stigma that ikely criminals. When children grow up >r and black and I'll never amount to 1 otherwise, a self-fulfilling prophecy is a mental and financial governmental :rime areas. The cost of educating these with them later in the criminal process, on early on, a sense of self respect and, )ing out any need for drastic measures Photo Editor for The Gamemock should be m me make you By any means TTT1TPM?TT uld be any, all on your point r Q L U M N rovcrsial man. L U L u m i eople wearing ? ing his image. to pUt your dollars down >ple believe in much. , then weaiing Malcolm has always is a tribute to ^ press critics say he his whole sto- jhe lruth js before h lothing is just changed his views on \ ineties. lo me pens is people read half d back, never make accuSations. what he says then you n X merchan- fightjng for black prog black people, white man. e that some of Another misconceptio : merchandise Maitin Luther King Jr. v choose to lay reasons. Before Malt n X merchan- began to lean towari re the money Malcolm X's widow, E rongly enough recen, article in the H A 1 You didn't let up, even after it was over. Even if there was no new news, you would put a picture of him in there. Finally, you told our current editor to "stop playing Jesus and ... grow up." Now I don't know Mr. Rickabaugh, but I would be willing 3 to bet that he has no Christ complex and that his maturity is reflected in his grades. Can you e say the same? Rumor has it that ^ you can't! Grow up, Mr. Watts! 1 John Lewis Humanities Senior 1 To the editor: I thank you for your apology of Sept. 28. It was much needed. 1 I do like the direction the paper 1 is taking. It's even getting so that people aren't ashamed to be caught L reading The Gamecock anymore. I mean, Dexter Clinkscale, exL Dallas Cowboy, writing about footL ball? No humor-man column, no ' whiny articles about what the H^ man either did or didn't do? 11 I like it. As for the complaints of Mr. 2 Watts ? he should just rest easy. s Mr. Watts, anyone who has ever 1 read a column of yours would nev1 er have a doubt about die level of your competence, professionalism e or intelligence. Under Greg Rickabaugh, The s Gamecock has achieved '' respectability ? and they're not even being threatened with a laws suit for libel. 1 Keep up the good work Greg! Neil F. Lewis Ad/PR Senior Ll :s ISSl Death penalty Imagine for one minute if you wi and now it's time to go hrflme. Yoi on campus, and look forward to torr But something happened on the 1 You never got one: You were supj Your date didn't ihake it. In fact y< before. You are understandably panicked where without telling anyone. You are going through your mind, and tl clock ticks off another second. The By now, two weeks have passed The lonely moments are the worst, but vou can't heln it. You can't ?? j r C3 keep from thinking all the terribl mind. Finally word. They found your nothing they could do. They are so don't hear any of it. Your legs get floor with a thud. This couldn't be r You can't believe it. It can't be tr ago you were going out. Your Iner body want to hurt, kill? You will never see each other agt They found the man they were It fessed to everything. Guilty. Killer. Rage. Hate. He took a human life People kill people each other eve happen to someone you know and It We have hundreds, thousands of of America, land of the free. They ; taxes. Living. Why? Two wrongs may not make a rigt Tim Thorsen, ore than me IMRHB IU "Malcolm wrermm determinai Uttfl * _ essary" n make pros IP T :sp; 1 c f Now 21 people ari i, then you owe Malcolm h?Pe ev e knows the been misrepresented in iea9 "ie, was a racist white hater, hmes, an e was assassinated he nov^j . vhite people. What hap- f*cally- 1 of his autobiography and 118e When you read carefully . at.CVl i realize he was a man Pe^-se 01 ress, not destroying the I111 a ul is you c n is that Malcolm X and Aut?b10Sn yere fishting for different an M?/eaj :olm was murdered he ^ 90 s th J the ideas of MLK. gel ,over Jl tetty Shabazz, said in a WG1 ,n" 10 Atlanta Constitution, vvor ' Editorial attack uncalled for To the editor: This semester I have been repeatedly appalled by a number of articles in The Gamecock. Having been Editor of the publication, I felt'it would be inappropriate for me to write a letter such as this. But after reading Monday's editorial, "Apology," I no longer feel the need for restraint, since obviously Mr. Rickabaugh neglected to use any in his commentary. We were already "subjected" to Mr. Rickabaugh's tooting his own horn in his opening column of the semester. It hardly seems a sequel was necessary. The editorial showed a complete lack of judgment uncharacteristic of The Gamecock. I hardly believe the majority of the paper's staff supported such petty drivel. I would advise the editor to remember the lead editorial is designed to showcase the ideas of your staff, not to nurse your own starving ego. This is only the latest in a series of ethically questionable judgments such as Mr. Rickabaugh's fraternity brother writing a column about rush and the dredging up of the Cockwheat issue yet again. Perhaps Mr. Rickabaugh's time would be better spent apologizing for his own ridiculous behaivor, and proving he deserves to be the editor of a publication serving intelligent readers instead of wasting time questioning the competency of his predecessors. Shelley Magee Summer '92 Editor of The Gamecock =ire Y necessary 11 V Mil' * m Ko/l n rvn? nn n /Intn nil rtinkt it. i yju w ia,lii v/ui v/u u uatt an infill, j and your date part ways somewhere lorrow night. way home. You were expecting a call. X)sed to meet for lunch the next day. )ur date never made it home the night , It's just not like him/her to go someare scared to death. Terrible thoughts ley get worse and worse everytime the days pass. No word. Until... . You are going through a living hell. You keep trying not to think about it, et to sleep. You can't eat. You can't e thoughts from going through your date. They were too late. There was rry. Nothing they say matters and you weak. You can't help it. You hit the lappening. Dead. Killed, ue. It's a bad dream. It was just weeks id was so full of life. How could anytin K>king for. The news said so. He conMurderer. Why? . What gave him the right? ry day. We can never stop it. It could ive. It could happen to you. murderers sitting in the penetentiaries lie living in our jails, living off of our it, but it damn sure makes it even. Sports Editor for The Gamecock xchandising 's agenda was human rights... and self tion." His slogan "by any means necleans that he would do anything to tress for the black race. ' years after his death, I am glad to see e remembering this great man, but I ryone who wears his merchandise complete story of Malcolm X. I have Autobiography of Malcolm X two am in the process of my third reading Icolm's story has changed my life draslate to see a man who gave his life for being exploited. er your opinions are of Malcolm X, lot judge him without knowing the real t him. No matter what color your skin an learn a lot by reading The tphy of Malcolm X. By the way I am old white man from Florida. This is e aays or racial bigotry are over. Let s jdging people by their color and start igether to solve the real problems in die Divorce column misses point To the editor: I would like to respond to Greg Perez, who wrote a column Wednesday about the case of Gregory Kingsley. Mr. Perez should know the facts about this case before yet another load of crud spews from his mouth. I have been following the Kingsley case. Gregory was an abused child. He has been in foster homes for much of his life (12 years); although his mother claims to have always wanted to take care of him, she has seldom visited Gregory. She has been on welfare much of the time, and is currently living with a physically abusive boyfriend. It was probably for the best that Gregory's mother surrendered him to foster care, where he is no longer subjected to various forms of abuse and poor role models. Mr. Perez completely missed the logic behind this court case, and downplayed the effects abuse and neglect have on children. He has twisted the serious issue of abuse into a trivial matter of whether a spoiled brat can get anything (s)he wants. Anyone who has followed the Kingsley case as I have could clearly see that this is absolutley not the case with Gregory. I pray more children living in abusive environments will come to realize, as Gregory did, that one is never too young to begin a healthy life. Anna M. Berry Criminal Justice junior