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Monday, March 1, 1993 > Politics Voters' rejection of negative \ in USC elections an encouraging trend In th<i 11 ;nrl r\ r\f PAOmo t U.-t, ^ ^1. . 4 A , in uiw wvnu ui pwiiuca, uicic attina iu uc Ulliy ivvu l'UIlMt dirty politicking and negative campaigning. Year after year, campaign after campaign, this unfortunate as of politics always plays a role. Elections, deemed the cornerstone of democracy by many, 1 been tarnished by this ugly, mean-spirited practice. And this year's SGA elections were no different. Mud-slinging and name-calling were in season for the month as some of our fine SGA candidates thought it necessar be rude and to insult our intelligence in their attempts to win. But in a trend that began with the 1992 presidential campa negative campaigning was rejected entirely. Regardless of what their opponents charged, Bill Clinton Albert Gore stuck to the issues which they felt were importar Americans. As the weeks went by and the polls continued to show tl President Bush trailing the Democratic ticket, the president bee; increasingly negative, attacking Clinton and his supposed waff and the "Ozone Man," better known as A1 Gore. Bush's negative attacks against Michael Dukakis were effec in 1988. But when the negative, unsubstantive, visionless mess* started pouring out of the White House this time around, m were convinced "more of the same" would be disastrous for country's future. November's election results were not only a mandate for chat but also a mandate against dirty politics and negative campaigni This year's SGA campaign was eerily similar to the Bi Clinton fight in some ways. The underdogs believed they cc only catch up if they attacked their opponents rather than cone trate on their own record and platform. A number of campaign slogans which were used didn't attei to focus on the issues or that particular candidate's ideas or chai ter. Instead, they made unsubstantive attacks on the opponent. Certain candidates also went on the attack in Monday's S debate. But instead of convincing voters of their qualificatic they looked childish and less than distinguished or "presidential. The students showed Thursday their disgust for "politics as i al" in their resounding rejection of negative campaigning. Both the American people and the USC student populat proved they are sick and tired of candidates with nothing posii to say. In these times, both the country and the university need leac who are inspiring and full of hope. This is impossible to do if candidate is constantly attacking his or her opponent. Negative campaigning is almost as old as politics itself. / unfortunately, it seems to work, sometimes. But negative campaigning was rejected this time, and th; always a good thing. Remember poor, homeless during spring break week It you open your eyes and vhhhhb them live at the Statehouse; oth- I f W ers live further downtown. They are the homeless men and women of Columbia. PATRICK it's funny. Many of us are gearing up for Spring Break with laughs and a good time in .. . , .. , . i \\r, , . . and yelled to himself about how mind. We are going to visit , u. ^ L- . .... ? he might do something he cou d Mickey Mouse, the snowy re?rel mountains, the Florida skies, c, ,k- ... ,. ?o ?,;ii j - I hope this man didn t do and many ot us will be doing . , ... . ,? anything irrational, but then the thing homeless people . J ,-t ? . . ., , ~ , , u again his lite isn t rational 1 would love to do: sleep in their ? k- ^ , ..... . . stlU regret not giving him a dolchildhood bedrooms. ? T. k . ^ , . . lar or two. It might have at least Arrested Development has a ., , n Umnh .... , paid for a lunch, new single out that takes a good 1 ... nn, tn . look at this invisible minority. -v ^ 11 . . . V,nct It's called "Mr. Wendal." The ???" 0 se,d^! 'fe?f '?s to the local shelter or soun Xhe (5amcrock Viewp< 6???, cam mou ^magime inves7w6 a bimctf of mo/vfh mo IN~To SOM?7P'A/0 AMP GFTTiMO UffuE OR NOtW^ ints: BACkf pect V iing tges any lhc PC full of unneeded we must ap . . euphemism, Ige, labeling, coloring feelings urn ng. kind words ish- To the editor: ments, allow )uld In Plato's dialogue the term that 01 en- "Gorgias," Socrates argues that 'correctness what is best translated as "the cos- 2ence by ins metic craft" ? the application of fess stupid & " cosmetics that disguise blemishes Please taki rac" in the body ? is a shameful thing, over before ; for the reason that it "wears the my sensibilit; GA mask of physical training." )ns, His point? While cosmetics may conceal ill health or ugliness by isu- means of "shaping and coloring, and smoothing out and dressing up," jon they fail to correct what they con- die edjto tive cea*' anc* ^us PerPelrate deception. jn reSp0ns The "cosmetic craft" pretends to jno "p0litica achieve the sort of beauty one en^ng langu; obtains authentically only through p^m 0ut th; ^ie the physical maintenance of exer- js a totai v cise- Gould's arg \.nd "Appearances deceive." "All that b0VV shallu gutters is not goto. Any number ot become, at's trite phrases we use today all echo why ma the very same idea. watered-dovv So what bearing, you may ask, pUt a label does this bit of Platonic ideology Labels are nc have upon the pertinent issue ot cuts t0 think political "correctness"? off-base, heii I answer that it defines every- js not "need thing wrong with the movement, one race n: and I leave myself open to refuta- people of a tion. Political "correctness" is to Americans, social injustice ? a sickness, of How aboi sorts ? what cosmetics are to yOU were bo physical training. It hides ill health are an Amei in the "body" ot society by shaping parade arou and coloring language, smoothing it Anglo-Ameri out and dressing it up. probably moi Tracy Gould is right in one ^an most A1 respect. She said, "Language is the oniy the sec basis for communication in our family to be society." Although this statement but I am, > isn't the striking revelation it pre- American, tends to be, it does acknowledge Most Afr the importance of language as a been here lo qualitative representation of cul- Europeans, ture. between pe Terms and phrases do represent c?aniv, vv/uhuj the way tilings are, be they just or \ am no,' unjust. But what has eluded recog- tjon 0f cultur nition tlius far is the fact that repre- js a differen sentations are not equivalent to culture and what they represent. Pressuring people people into using "correct" termi- j(- society nologies will certainly change the Caie," as M words they use, but it will not stated then I change their attitudes. jn? ^ star Men and women of all races and wjj0 ^gy ^.g ethnicities have sacrificed a great ^ person deal for freedom of speech. But, if secure if he NEWSROOM fQW 777-7726 M M P.O. BOX 85131 UNIVER! Editor in Chief Associate Editors Lee Cloi Viewpoint Editor Copy Desk Chief....> News Editors Jack Di Asst. News Editors Lea Clayton, I Carolina! Editor Asst. Carolina! Editor Sports Editors Nancy Salons Asst. Sports Editor Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor Graphics Editor Asst. Graphics Editor Cartoonist. Copy Editors ...Chris D Student Media Coordinator.. Production Manager : Asst. Production Manager Advertising Manager Faculty Adviser Graduate Assistant Darkroom Technicians Erin Gallowa song involves a conversation ki(chen |g mere, ,0 us between a homeless man, Mr. e |Q ^ and ac, Wendal, and a young adult. for U)e |ess fommate II you have a chance, not A| col we afe doi only listen 10 the yrics. but also someth, ? |ves ^ our try to comprehend them. It real- future ^ iviM a ,ifc. ly makes an impact by trying to ed of change altitudes about people ,. ? . ... Th. .. . fnw%tha , . 11 diversity and culture. 1 he livinu on the streets. . , ?3 , nt. . . r homeless are receivine nothing This situation reminds me of . . ,. ? < c t but cold pavement tor beds, a recent experience of mine. I c . . , . r,k- So when you are basking in visited Chicago this past year, , . .. ,u? and a man who looked like he f ""a SU" ?f Sk""8 was in his early 30s said he had T' S'Ve just moved to Chicago and was Ul?u8,hl ?.h yoa mh'Shl looking for some money. able 10 helP 0 hbrs J0" I asked him why he moved to mum 10 s<ih001' )' could aS , . easv a>i vnlnntppnno in a cnnn Chicago, ana ne sata ne naa left . . r ? ?' the West Coast because there kl,chen' or 11 could ^ lalkmS 10 weren't any job opportunities, a homeless person about how He said he had a better chance could better themselves, n the Windy City. . Remember, at college we After hearing his story, I told ha,ve four *ears 10 better ourhim I couldn't offer him any selv^ "ntellectually and emomoney because I didn't have ""h^ 1 lh,"k we ca" afford 10 much myself, and then 1 wished fme 01 <* * time 10 help him good luck. ' someone olher thhh our" Unfortunately, he walked off e ves" and started muttering about how p_, . , he was tired of his homeless life . . J Megas is editor in chief of The Gamecock Dint I jH M \ it's iili? ??| GALuEt? I ; g? "BuMiMS ill; m TexfSooks lips St ' AT oua 1/1 ?&? iikiikjcp citll* ipj| 8ooKsjo#e 3EISHS >ply the cosmetic of to be oppressed by lane and thus spare hurt being offended by others, ier the pretense that show your own lack of ch guarantee kind sentime to complain of a Eric G ffends me: "Political Undeclared insults my intellian"a sheep13' ' am "? Clinton keepinj ; a moment to think it promises, aS US idjusting yourselves to ies. To the editor: 1 would just like to I Matthew H. Dewey Clinton for the wonderful Humanities doing as president of I social sciences senior nation. Bill has proved t when he makes a promise r: it. ,e to the letter regard- Take, for instance, tl 1 correctness strength- class tax cut and the ta age," I would like to only on individuals with at political correctness income of $200,000 t vaste of time. Miss more. They are shininj ument merely shows that ingenious disguise ol ?w our society has taxes on everyone mal $30,000 a year, isk the truth with In addition, how al n euphemisms? Why increase of consumer cc on particular groups? Thanks to him. it's dro] )thing more than short- by day. ing and often result in Oh, 1 almost forgot ious generalizations. It increase of jobs that Bill ed" to call people of us. The Savannah River ative Americans and of the single largest em nother race African- the CSRA. has just impl hiring freeze. Soon, they it just Americans? If laying employees off. rn in this country, you Hey, Bill, guess who'; ican. Period. I do not get laid off. You got it, nd calling myself an man that you promised I can even though I am In closing, I would like re justified in doing so MTV for pointing out t :rican-Americans. I am how great a president ond generation of my become. And to think th born in this country, time I was listening to Ch vithout a doubt, an Ma ican-Americans have Engineering s< nger than many native so why delineate peon]e should I ople all born in the rtopic Miuuiu l ? stress differenc belittling the preservae by any means. There To the editor: ce in preserving one's Unemployment, the labeling a group ot national deficit, trouble Europe and Somalia, disc wants to "communi- Troubles of our pi iss Gould eloquently society seem to grow ir Ihev Should Stop label- nlmncf pvprv rtav t accepting people tor a common reaction problems by an otherw is obviously not very tious and enthusiastic o or she is weak enough of university students is 1 >aiHtcoi 5ITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA ? Patrick Villegas itzJ.T. VVagenheim The Gamecock is the i Cordon Mantler South Carolina and is pub :?riI,?n Giirbnd Wednesdays and Fridays c inn, Melissa Tennen J tochelle Killingbeck weekly during both sumnr Jennifer Fuller versity holidays and exami ...Melinda Waldrop Opinions expressed in onsky, Tim Thorsen or author and not those of I The d 1 Kelly Johnson publisher of The Gamecocl Gregory Perez parent organization of The Chris Muldrow Change of address fo !> ?..I I, -. ? . ii J correspondence should be avis, I horn Harman -r, , , . . , ? _ jim McKellar 1 he University of South Ca Laura Day Subscription rates are Jim Green Columbia, SC. The Gameci Renee Gibson 0f University of South n-.Erik Collins den, actjvity fees. Brian McC.uire } iy, Rika Hashimoto ) -?^11 I E5D U SomXMb'S PMM gotta ee . Poa/? ABOUT" l^a os? ^ I^Boo^Wo^. SftffJsK|fT33 JUHb^dMUMdP ;uage. By Many students throughout our , you only country feel they are too insignifilaracter. cant to make a difference and help make our society and the world a reenwood better place to live. frPchiriQn T Hnn'l nrpcrrihA In ihot KaI iof WIIIIIMII X UV/11 i |/1 VOV.1 1UV. IV/ UiUl UVUV1 and think there are minor everyday y things we can do to make a differ=> ence, especially in combating still Hal existing prejudices. Our present-day society speaks of the equality of all races, creeds, thank Bill sexes and sexual orientations. I job he is There is a great number of our citithis great zens who truly embrace this ideolo0 me that gy, see the inherent beauty in dif:, he keeps ferences among people, and see the presence of one race *? the human le middle race. It is our job to discuss these x increase feelings with those who do not 1 a yearly agree with our viewpoint or see its 1 year or simplicity. I ask all of us ? is it ? through not easier and more pleasurable to ' increased enjoy one's company and accept ting over them for who they are? Isn't acceptance easier than confrontation and bout that hate? >nfidence? Terms such as Africanpping day American, Caucasian, Asian, Native American, Spanish about the American, heterosexual, homosexupromised al, male and female do not re preSite, one sent major differences among ployers in members of the human race. They emented a are quite minor in comparison to will start our similarities. We are all equally talented and 5 going to deficient, just in different areas. In the little essence, we are all equally human, to protect. v to thank Robert Marcolina o me just American history Bill has graduate student at all this JN. rc Pearce H rphomore The Gamecock will try to print . all letters received. Letters should be 200-250 words maximum. 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