The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 10, 1993, Page 5, Image 5
Lawsuit
GM s suit against NBC will worsen
both companies' already tarnished images
General Motors' lawsuit against NBC is one more chapter
in the long, sad epic of struggling corporate America.
The last thing the United States needs is an all-out "down
and dirty" fight between two of the country's industrial
heavyweights.
Both NBC, who is owned by General Electric, and GM are
struggling to change their tarnished image. And GM's
announced lawsuit against NBC Monday will not help either
company and their perception problem.
The lawsuit stems from a report shown this past fall on
"Dateline NBC," where a car was driven into the side of a
GM pickup truck, causing an explosion.
The issue of the report dealt with the susceptibility of
GM's 1973-87 trucks to explode if broadsided. During this
period, the gas tanks of GM's pickups were located on the
sides of the truck, outside of the main body frame.
GM modified the trucks after 1987, putting the gas tanks
inside the frame.
GM claims the accident footage on the NBC program was
not completely legitimate.
The car giant's lawyers say model rockets, the size of A A
batteries, were used to spark the explosion of the truck while
appearing to be caused by the accident. The rockets were
allegedly set off via remote control, according to GM.
NBC admits it used "sparking devices," but that a headlight
filament caused the fire.
Harry Pearce, GM's general counsel, said, "GM has been
irreparably damaged, and we are going to defend ourselves."
This is not what these two companies need.
GM has been steadily losing sales for years to foreign and
domestic auto companies. Poor safety and reliability records
have also haunted the company for most of the '80s and '90s.
GM s latest car line, Saturn, has been one ot the corporation's
few breaths of fresh air.
And rtiany analysts, and consultants feel GM will hurt its
image even further by continuing the discussion of its trucks'
safety.
But the auto giant is not the only megacompany with problems.
General Electric's NBC has been losing as of late in
the eternal race for ratings, both in primetime and evening
news programs.
And, of course, David Letterman's abrupt departure from
NBC gave the network more bad press and, eventually, lower
late night ratings.
So neither of these companies can afford to wage a high
profile fight in the courts, and they should not have to.
Both companies should put this incident behind them. It is
not worth the time, money, poor public image and overall
effort to either company to go through with this.
Instead of attacking each other, concentrate on their real
opponents ? the other networks and car companies.
Hells Bells presentation
too extreme, offensive
Over the years, I have been an
enormous music fan. People here
at USC who know me well
enough also know I love a wide
variety of music ? especially
rock'n'roll. wBKmWKm |
So when I heard about a multimedia
program called "Hells
Bells" being sponsored by Rock I I
Christian Fellowship, I jumped at
the opportunity to attend.
Since I heard an evangelist JAY
named Ken Dew was going to do T I L L E Y
the presentation, I pretty much I??_____
knew what was going to be said. In addition, Mr. Dew was inacBasically,
Mr. Dew showed a curate when he said no other relivideo
about rock 'n' roll and gion relies on a dominant deity
talked during and after the video like Christianity. This is totally
about how these styles of music false because the majority of the
were corrupt and satanic. world's religions confide in some
Of course, I disagreed with sort of supreme being.,
much of the program, and I quite I also believe Mr. Dew was
franklv found some of the aspects inaccurate in assessing the sym
of Mr. Dew's talk and video bolism used in rock videos and
rather offensive. To be fair, Mr. the messages rock 'n' roll music
Dew presented his argument very is sending. For example, Mr. Dew
well, and I applaud the efforts chastised some rock groups for
made by him and the members of using the symbol of the cross and
RCF: however, I did find some crucifixion in their videos when
errors in the presentation, and I they are actually speaking for
believe there are a few items Mr. Satan. I disagree.
Dew and the RCF staff should First of all, I could easily make
consider. a case of how the scenes from the
First of all, I thought the addi- movie "Jesus of Nazareth," which
tion of a man suffering from was shown in the video, are sacriAIDS
in the video was a bit on legious because of someone imithe
extreme side and a slap in the tating Jesus. Of course, I don't
face to not only myself but to my believe this because I thought
Roman Catholic faith. We do not "Jesus of Nazareth" was probably
believe in a fiery, judgmental and the best movie ever made about
wrathful God like some denomi- Christ. My point is to show how
nations. We believe in a loving, ridiculous Mr. Dew's argument is.
caring and understanding God. I will give Mr. Dew the benefit
The man in the video looked of the doubt, however. Some of
terrible, lhe man talked about the music he talked about is satanhow
he had listened to rock 'n' ic, but only a small portion of it
roll music, partied, drank and had is. I believe Mr. Dew and the peoone-night
stands and that now he pie of RCF are obsessed with
was being punished by God. ^ satanism and are willing to go to
That part struck a nerve in me, any extreme to exploit it.
not only because of my faith, but The video was too extreme by
because I had a homosexual rela- venturing to pick on people such
tive die not long ago from AIDS, as Frank Sinatra, Whitney
This part could have and should Houston, George Michael and
have been deleted. Hammer. That is being a bit too
extreme for this columnist.
Ia
^-s ^lS<
TCrtft Ortvser
LIIMMS?
Limiting bullet
Guns don't kill people. People
certainly don't kill people. And
believe it or not, 12 years of JR
Republican presidents didn't kill
anyone either.
Bullets kill people.
I am hereby proposing a new
tactic to win the ongoing war on
guns. Stop selling bullets to every
knucklehead who wants to buy 1
them. I say, sell them to the police,
the FBI and the hunters. And to the WAG
nunters, only sen a rationed supply, i
If they're a bad shot, then oh well,
find another hobby.
How do drug dealers and murderers get th<
bullets for their guns? If they don't buy then
from Cuban gun dealers, they must buy them a
Smokin' Rick's Guns and Ammo shop. Thinl
about it. If we now sell bullets to any Tom
Dick or Harry with a couple of bucks and a rid<
to the gun shop, then we aren't winning an}
war. And If they want to purchase bullets
chances are pretty good they have a gun.
Virginia is sort of on the right track. The}
just passed a law that puts limits on the amoun
of guns a person can buy a month. Now I don'
Students should should ai
respect school spec'"^
school.
To the editor: Your
Several incidents I have recently money g
seen have prompted me to write that are
this letter. The first occurred in destroyec
Gambrell Hall. I watched a student higher le
taice a piece 01 gum irom nis ^-yc?u-un
mouth and attempt to toss it into cannot a
the trash can. He missed and didn't treated, t
even attempt to pick it up. The ^ey act.
same day, I was walking through demand $
the Sumwalt Engineering Building com]
and happened to look up. Someone tuition i
had taken a mouthful of dip and would try
thrown it on the ceiling. The third money bi
incident occurred in the
Swearingen Engineering Center. A
student had a cup of ice on the
floor. He accidentally knocked the
cup over with his foot and did not Advis
bother to pick the ice up.
The gum is still in the carpet at again:
Gambrell, the dip is still on the
ceiling in Sumwalt and the ice Xo the ed
would probably still be in jn resp
Swearingen if it had not melted. At "Ethics q
a time in their lives when people selection
want to be treated like adults, they express r
newsroom fnW
777-7726 ?
P.O. BOX 85131 UNIV
Editor in Chief
Associate Editors La
Viewpoint Editor
Copy Desk Chief
News Editors Ja
Asst. News Editors Lea Clay
Carolina! Editor
Asst. Carolina! Editor
Sports Editors Nancy S
Asst. Sports Editor
Photo Editor
Asst. Photo Editor
Graphics Editor
Asst. Graphics Editor >
Cartoonist
Copy Editors CI
Student Media Coordinator
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Darkroom Technicians Erin Ga
ips sink :
/AS I'T /fSifTs
WETUIA
SAIP
>th^
wmM
s should b
know who buj
t time.they nee
least Virginia i:
In South C
understand it
walk into a s
with a 20-gaug
noon. In Nev
come from, in
gun you have
I T . intense 30-day
E N H E I M 311(1 chances ar
it even then.
So now we I
with guns. The radicals in
i Association are the first to i
i constitutional rights" when
t are brought up.
c But these are the same pe<
moan every time the medii
- seems the NRA doesn'i
f Constitution that protects
> aims should protect the fre<
bad.
If we at least slow down c
1 we'd have all these people v
Llfl!
* ICC
st council story sup
vie
litor: et^
onse to Monday's article, *~ie(
luestions cloud council's rev
process," I would like to w^(
ny regrets. I regret that ^0
5ai
ERSITY OF SOUTH
Patrick Villegas
e Clontz, J.T. Wagenheim
Gordon Mantler gouj
Brian Garland ^
ck Dunn, Melissa Tennen ec
ton, Rochelle Killingbeck wee
Jennifer Fuller vers
Melinda Waldrop
alomonsky, Tim Thorsen
Rob Rodusky
Stephanie Nevvlin
Kelly Johnson piib.
Gregory Perez pare
Chris Muldrow
Paul J?n corn
iris Davis, Thorn Harman
t: x ? 1x16
.jiiii ivu:i\.miar
Laura Day
Jim Green Coll
Renee Gibson of tf
Erik Collins ,
Brian McGuire
lloway, Rika Hashimoto
e key to 2
/ o
's a new gun every guns ?
d a haircut, but at bers w
s making an effort. all of
arolina, the way I wrong
is anyone can just shoot <
tore and walk out just ^
e shotgun that afterv
Jersey, where I bly pro
order to buy an air lilrp
to go through an en f
application process aon(l u
e you might not get ^ M
tave all these people
the National Rifle ^ust
>cream "violation of School
issues of gun bans musl ^
worth
ople who whine and South (
l criticizes them. It worse,
t think the same .
their right to bear ti003! r
idom of press. Too fa^ ia
loaded';
ct like adults. I think it is Mi
to see how much disre- wl
tudents have for their Fr
fee
tuition money and tax us<
0 to pay for these things
1 defaced, abused and soi
I. This is an institution for nai
aming, not a playpen for tot
d mess makers. If students un
ict like they want to be coi
hey should be treated as tio
For "young adults" who wa
;o much from their school nat
olain so much when their fiei
s raised, it seems they the
r to take care of what their fac
lys. cil
soi
Chuck Cook off
Engineering senior the
mo
er speaks out
Miuuiu ve sent
University of South Carolin,
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imbia, SC. The Gamecock i<
\e University of South Carol
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Icocl
CAROLINA C
The Gamecock is the stude
th Carolina and is publishe<
Inesdays and Fridays durinj
kly during both summer se
ity holidays and examinatio
Opinions expressed in The
uthor and not those of the U
The Board of Student Publk
lisher of The Gamecock. TTu
int organization of The Gam
Change of address forms,
>n bullet production, J l- YYl
valking around with of The
r. Mantler did not contact
tile doing his research,
eshman Council Co-adviser
;1 I could have provided so
jful facts.
First of all, your anonymc
rce gave you some incorr
mes. Since the selection proo
)k place last September, it
derstandable that your sour<
jld have mixed up their infom
n. This is unfortunate since
is insinuated that the perse
Tied in your article are unqut
d for their positions. This is i
: case, which is proven by I
t that three out of the four coi
members named by yo
irees currently hold executi
ices. I can attest that all 40
memoers on tne council ?
re than qualified.
Secondly, the selection comm
functioned exactly as it w
posed to. The committee int<
wed applicants and recommer
the 50 they felt were most qua
1. Their recommendations we
iewed by President Tom Your
o used his authority to appoi
members. All executive po:
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em A/6
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un control
- that weren't lna<ie<1 Anrl clnwlv rham.
ould become emptier and emptier. Then
the bad people who use guns for the
reasons can get together and pretend to
;ach other with guns that aren't loaded,
e when they were kids,
the bullets made in this world are probaduced
in Japan anyway, so it wouldn't be
'ing off the American man who has wokIve
days a week for the past 50 years and
) work at the bullet factory so he could
s family.
e are kids going to schools with guns,
st week a teenager at Lexington High
was shot in the neck over a sandwich. It
ave been a really good one too if it was
getting shot over. It's not just here in
Carolina, it's everywhere. And it's getting
not better.
NRA speaks so highly of the constituight
to bear arms. Fine, but where does it
the Constitution those arms can be
}
igenheim is an Associate Editor
Gamecock
me tions are subject to this presidential
As power. I do not know if any other
, I president has ever exercised this
me privilege; however, I do know that
Tom was within his executive
>us rights. Furthermore, as an appointed
ed member of the president's cabiess
net and as an active member of
is Young Democrats, I do not feel
res that Tom Young would hold partina
sanship over qualified applicants.
it I agree a question of ethics
>ns clouded this year's Freshman
di- Council selection; however, I feel
lot the unethical behavior took place
[he when the 1992 Freshman Council
in- Selection Committee chose to
ur mock the process of selection by
ve releasing confidential information
of concerning applicants,
ire In closing, many of USC's outstanding
leaders have been memlit
bers of Freshman Council. It is
as inappropriate that this valuable
*r- nrO!)ni7ati/Mi onH ire nrnH
~ - UIIU HO pi VUUVilYV
id- members should suffer ridicule or
Ji- embarrassment over unsubstantiat:re
ed information.
'o*
int Nicki McBrayer
si- Freshman Council Co-adviser
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