The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 03, 1995, Page 2, Image 2
"0
Serving
Lee Clontz, Editor in Chief1
Edtti
Erin Galloway, Wendy Hudsc
Jimmy DeButts, Ryan Wilson,
Students si
rally for fin
Students might not get a chant
ica.
Federal student aid is facing t
Up to $20 billion of federal aid c
approved.
The cuts would affect work sti
mental Grants and Perkins Loan
Student loan interest exempi
means interest on student loans
are still in school.
USC would lose about $3.8 mi
Federal money accounts for al
ing to students. Without that aid,
suing higher education, includini
Student Government is sponi
noon in front of the Russell Hous
dents to make their voices heard.
Think di
about at:
Last week, I wrote about the
abortion issue, giving my personal
beliefs about why I am pro-life
and why "abortion on demand" is
both morally wrong and a direct
contradiction to the intentions of
those who wrote the U.S. Constitution.
I made the point that the "medically
proven facts" show that conception
is the beginning of a new
human being. Finally, I illustrated
through government statistics
that before federal legalization in
1973, illegal abortions were rare.
Today I would like to get you to
think about abortion in a different
V? _ t x
ngni.
First, I want to clear up misconceptions
that most in our society
have about this issue. These
misconceptions are due in large
part to "biased" and mostly "inaccurate"
information thrown at us
regularly by the dominant media,
the public education system and
the liberal groups that support "absolute"
abortion rights.
Fact one: Most conservatives do
not want the government to intrude
into your private affairs on every
issue of morality. Conservatives
strongly support less government
interference. This does not conflict
with the pro-life position because
in the case of murder, a conservative
believes the government should
step in. To not do so would constitute
anarchy.
Fact two: According to Harvard
law professor Mary Ann Glendon,
the U.S. has the most permissive
abortion rights laws of any democracy.
ADDarentlv. the more liheral
democracies see absolute unrestricted
abortions as socially unacceptable.
Fact three: A majority of Americans
do not support abortion on
demand. A definition is in order
here. Abortion on demand is a reference
to abortion legal in any and
all circumstances. According to the
most recent Gallup Poll available
(1990), only 31 percent of Americans
feel abortion should be legal
under any circumstance.
In comparison, 69 percent of
Americans believed abortion should
be legal only under certain circumstances
or should be illegal altogether.
According to the General
Social Survey (1989), more than
80 percent of Americans support
the right to an abortion in the cases
of a mother's life, rape or incest/fetus
damage. This same research
shows that only 36 percent
of Americans believe a woman
should be able to obtain an abor
tion for any reason. In other words,
"abortion on demand."
This indicates that even in the
most conservative interpretation,
at least three in five Americans oppose
abortion on demand. If we look
"tRnffcock ?
Student Media Russell House-USO C
Lee Clontz Sussn Goodwin
Editor in Chief Allbon Williams
Chris Muldrow Features Editors
Viewpoints Editor Jimmy DeButts
Carson Henderson Ryan Wilson
Radhika Talwani pdlt0rS
Copy Desk Chiefs J"mes rTonce
J' n ? Asst. Photo
Erin Galloway Jason Jefrers
Wendy Hudson Cartoonist
News Editors TiefTa Harper
Kim Truett Tin, Morgan
Photo Editor Asst. News
The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the University <
South Carolina and is published Monday, Wednesday ar
Friday during the fall and spring semesters, with the exce]
tion of university holidays and exam periods. Opiniot
expressed in The Gamecock are those of the editors <
author and not those of the University of South Carolina.
The Board of Student Publications and Communications
the publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of Studei
Media is its parent organization.
T
Ttw
_ffl> |
aTECDCR
> use Since 1908
Chris Muldrow, Viewpoints Editor
rial Board
>n, Susan Goodwin, Allison Williams,
, Carson Henderson, Radhika Talwani
biould attend
_1 _ J1
Lanciai aid
* to sign on to the Contract with Amerhe
ax under the proposed budget cuts.
:ould be eliminated if all the cuts are
idy programs, Stafford Loans, Supples.
tion could also become a reality. This
would accumulate while the students
llion annually in direct funding.
)out 75 percent of the financial aid gostudents
will be discouraged from purer
undergraduate and graduate work,
soring a rally about the cuts today at
e. The rally is another chance for stufferently
lortion
' rWm ,
I TAUUV
H|;r i vmm
I TOUCHBERRY
at our most recent election, this position
can be validated. Not one incumbent
pro-life candidate was defeated
while a great number of prochoice
candidates were unseated.
Furthermore, most of the incoming
freshmen are pro-life. Further
evidence is the fact that not one
pro-choice candidate for president
has gained 50 percent of the vote.
Remember Clinton only accumulated
43 percent of the vote and,
according to my sources, Jimmy
Carter, a religious Christian, was
not a pro-choice advocate. Of course,
abortion was not an issue before
the 1976 election.
Given these statistics, you might
be wondering why you have been
led to believe that at the very least,
America is split on the abortion issue
and that more than likely prochoicers
outnumber pro-lifers by
10 percent or so. There is only one
explanation I can offer. I will as
sume that the media and pro-choice
advocates are not into the business
of fraud and propaganda (you can
make your own judgement). Given
that, I believe this basic misconception
is due to the fact that
the pro-life position is still thought
of as abortion illegal with no exceptions.
The official position of most prolifers
including the Christian Coalition,
the Southern Baptist Convention
and the Republican National
Convention is this in essence:
abortion is the act of ending the life
of an unborn child and should on
ly be allowed in the instances where
the mother's life is in danger, conception
was caused by nonconsensual
sex (rape) or incest which has
caused severe defects to the fetus.
It is not dear whether the SBC has
added this last circumstance in a
formal written doctrine.
The important point here is that
each of you understand that the
pro-life position of 1995 is veiy broad
and very mainstream. It is not a
"fringe" position, and it is in line
with the beliefs and attitudes of a
dear majority of Americans. I, along
with most pro-lifers, do not support
the violence of the fringe. I am as
opposed to their behavior as I am
to abortion on demand.
Next week, I will conclude my
discussion of the abortion issue with
my theory of what the conservatives
in power should do with this
issue and I will offer the religious
perspective to this issue to complement
the secular perspective I
have already provided.
x Chris Carroll
s: Ill-Ill0 Director of Student Media
ertising: 777-4249 Laura Day
[; 777-6482 Creative Director
Jim Green
olumbia, SC 29208 Art Director
Gregory Perez
Ben Pillow Production Asst.
Stephanie Sonnenfeld Elizabeth Thomas
Asst. Features Adv. Graduate Asst.
Larry Williams Renee Gibson
Asst. Sports Marketing Director
Ethan Myerson Christopher Wood
Ryan Sims Asst. Advertising
Graphics Editor
Keith Boudreaux _Erl.1* CA?i
Circulation Editor Faculty Advisor
Letters Policy
The Gamecock will try to print all letters received,
id Letters should be 200-230 words and must include full
> name, professional title or year and major if a student.
u Letters must be personally delivered by the author to
5r The Gamecock newsroom in Russell House room 333.
js The Gamecock reserves the right to edit all letters for
M style, possible libel or space limitations. Names will not
be withheld under any circumstances.
?VIEWft
OlfQTl UWQUOTi
"I hoi
Newspape
Musicians tend
to get attached
to thet instrumt
I think I'm going to give up the who
paper thing and turn my energy toward
international recording superstar.
You see, the band Fm in, Jimmy's Not
recorded a demo tape over break, and \
got the tapes back at the beginning of the
actually didn't have to pay people to ta
from us.
Of course, I have strong suspicions peopl
some tapes from us because the tapes onl;
(and the little tab-things were still on ther
means if we sounded horrible the tape pi
is getting a pretty high-quality blank t?
cause we bugged them endlessly and beci
majority of the purchasers were either fami
bers or very close friends who would risk <
guilt trips if they shunned us. It's kinda li
candles we used to sell in elementary scl
body really wants a candle shaped like i
in a Santa costume, but who can turn dow
eyed little kid who has a chance of wii
real AM wristband radio?
I play harmonica in the band. Harmon
unusual instrument to play; it has its adv
and disadvantages.
On the plus side, I don't have to lug ar
amplifier the size of the Caroliniana Librai
wnere we go.
My amp is about the size and weight oi
suitcase, provided the suitcase has a spea
advanced electronics inside.
I also don't have to worry about gettir
up like other musicians. If one of my han
is out of tune, it means I have to throw
and buy a new one, which, come to think o
really much of an advantage.
I also have the option of buying a res
Letters to the Editor
Letter writer's logic
flawed in dispute
I am writing in response to Ms. i
Friedman's letter of Jan. 31, in which i
she offered a reply to Tommy Touch- .
berry's column on abortion. I agree 1
with Ms. Friedman that Mr. Touch- ,
berry's arguments were heavily sup- 1
ported by religious beliefs and were
not fully developed, but he did touch ,
on two crucial aspects of the abor- ]
tion debate, both of which have little
to do with organized religion and (
religious belief.
First, Mr. Touchbeny offered an ,
argument from the medical debate (
on abortion. The question of when s
life begins is by no means a "dead'" ^
issue in the medical profession and (
the scientific community. Christians ]
are not the only people who argue
that life begins at conception. There j
are even atheistical doctors who ar- ^
gue that abortion is the destruction ^
of human life.
Secondly, Mr. Touchberry wrote
PINTS Friday, Ft
>e we can get a good turnout of
our students are aware of n
Bob Godfrey, assist
on the financial aic
;r biz pali
/IltS looking microphone, so p
le news- point at me and say, "He
being an What more could I ask f
On the con side, how
Serious, ing to upgrade instrumen
vhen we (the one who's not serioi
year, we mate-lead guitarist, ha
ke them tachments to their guit
sleeping with his Epiph<
e bought Mike, the bassist/keyt
y cost $3 mer (It's a neat trick...lil
n, which love with his bass guitar
irehaser his '80s music collection
ipe), be- Drummer Justin has
ause the for his drum kit, but he <
ilv mem- and stuttering every tim
lonstant My harmonicas, on th<
ke those out after about six mont
100I; no- one starts to play just rig]
i mouse know how some harmoni
m a doe- like a train?
lining a A dead reed on a ha
talk for harmonica) mak
ica is an just derailed,
antages Also, I have to buy di
cas. I have about eight di
ound an now, not counting harp c
y every- If I were to get too atl
the others would get jea]
" a small Instead, I must love <
iker and same zeal...I'm such a si
We practice at Jimn
ig tuned place because the sound
nonicas the neighbors than it do<
it away We can usually play f
f it, isn't fore we get complaints 1
two minutes and 15 sec*
illy cool come to our porch as sooi
ments out there.
that one of his reasons for being prolife
was that he believed in the value
of life, and although his beliefs
oh/lilt tVio valno r\f lifo mirrVif Ko mn_
tivated by religious beliefs, the "value
of life" argument is not a religious
argument. Again, even an atheist
believes life has value. The crucial
questions for those who engage in
the abortion debate are how much
value to attribute to the fetus and
whether women or the courts should
make that value judgment.
I was surprised that someone so
distraught over the lack of sound argumentative
skills in those who advocate
the pro-life cause could not
jffer a valid argument herself. Instead
Ms. Friedman resorted to what
<ve logicians call an ad hominem circumstantial.
Ms. Friedman attacked
Mr. Touchberry rather than his arguments
and attempted to discredt
his arguments by pointing to the
"act that he was a man and a Chrisdan.
As any Logic 110 student will
;ell you, an argument should be
udged on its own merits; the cir
ibruary 3, 1994
w
Vi
students so the word can get out t
hat's going on and they do care."
ant director of financial aid,
I rally scheduled for today
es to supt
Ever u
iHRIS MULDROW
Viewpoints Editor ^
they h
times
eople in the audience will
sy, cool mike, Beardman." When \
or? ington.
ever, I'm constantly hav- It was j
ts. Jimmy, our lead singer and I were
us), and Chris, my room- were then
ve formed emotional at- get the has
ars (I think I saw Chris one else re<
ine, but I'm not sure). the intrepi
rcard player/former drum- full of pillo
ke a one-man band) is in "scratch tr
, which he traded half of cian's term
and $10 for. Justin and
m't shown too much lust of the song
ioes kinda start drooling the tracks
te we mention it. over again
i other hand, tend to blow songs from
hs of playing. Just when the songs a
lit, a reed will go out. You ed them,
ca players make a sound Our wa:
parts, thou
rp (that's cool musician phones and
es it sound like the train World" vid<
So now
fferent keys of harmoni- are getting
ifferent harmonicas right Jimmy
orpses with blown reeds. a goatee ai
cached to one harmonica, music indu
lous. and has be<
iach harmonica with the supermod*
ut. bling convi
ly's lake house, a great Justin s str
takes more time to reach to the froze]
is here on campus.
or two or three hours be- Serious log
AO AWrVAOA/1 4- r\ +V*A Now. d(
lvl 00 tu U1C '
ands it takes our RAs to promotion I
a as we bring our instru- Of couri
ways know
cumstances (sex or religion) of its
author are irrelevant. It is not a
womb, but sound reasoning, that
gives birth to good arguments.
Deborah Tollefsen
Philosophy graduate student
Is a fetus human?
With all of the new local controversy
on the abortion issue, I feel like
I should put in my two cents' worth.
The abortion issue has nothing
to do with Christian beliefs, women's
rights or overpowered governments.
It is an issue of fetal rights. Hie question
is: When do we give a fetus basic
human rights? Once we give a fetus
rights, then the issue becomes
more black and white. The fetus's
right to life should take precedence
over all the mother's rights except
her right to life.
It seems that in our country, all
humans enjoy basic human rights.
So what makes us human? Is it having
10 fingers and 10 toes? Does it
dm#He?*
|L,i
hat, yes,
srstardom
ronder why bands hate to play
from their old afaums? Because
eard the songs about 10.000
the day they recorded them.
ve recorded, we went to a studio in LexTreat
fun, except for the fact that Chris
bored to tears most of the 12 hours we
i. When you're recording, you have to
s and drum tracks recorded before any?rds,
so Chris and I had to wait on Bob,
id studio man, to stuff Justin's drums
ws. We had to wait on Jimmy to play a
ack" (there will be a quiz on cool musiis
at the end of the column) over which
Mike could play. We had to wait for all
3 to be recorded. We had to wait to hear
over and over and over and over and
. Ever wonder why bands hate to play
their old albums? Because they heard
ibout 10,000 times the day they recording
was justified when we played our
igh, because we got to wear cool head1
look like the people in the "We Are the
jo. Plus, I got to use a cool microphone,
that we're officially recorded, all of us
; delusions of grandeur.
(the one who's not serious) is growing
tid complaining about the oppressive
istry's iron fist, Chris divorced his wife
jn seen carousing with various gorgeous
ils, Mike has taken to brooding, ramersations
with Jim Morrison's ghost,
ung out on Cheez Whiz and is moving
a wastelands of Mongolia to get in touch
ler spirit, and IVe had the Jimmy's Not
o tattooed on my left buttock,
m't take this column as a shameless
for the band or an appeal for our tapes,
se, if you already wanted one, you alwhere
to find the Beardman.
nave uj uo wiui Drain activity/ rviayne
it has something to do with the beating
of the heart.
At any rate, this is what the issue
at hand is really about, not the
rightness or wrongness of it all.
Once a fetus becomes a human,
it should enjoy human rights. Before
it becomes a human, it can be removed
from a woman's body and destroyed
as if it were a wart. But since
I cannot determine exactly when a
fetus becomes a human by any
agreed-upon standard, I choose to
give it the benefit of the doubt. I say
that until proven otherwise, we should
call a fetus human at the point of
conception. Otherwise I might be depriving
them of their rights. And I
don't want to be thought of as a "fetalist"
or a "fetaphobe."
Jim Rachels
Engineering senior