The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 26, 1996, Page 2, Image 2
2
Republicans
deserve
'extremist' tag
Recently,
^ President
Clinton has been
criticized for
overusing the term "extremist" when
describing both Republicans in Congress
and the noisemakers on the campaign
trail.
Taking a look at what is going on
with Congress and the Republican
presidential candidates gives some
credence to the description.
The recent debate in Iowa might
show good reason for continued use of
the term. Among the nine guys in dark
suits there was a game of one-upmanship
that smacked of testosterone and
machismo. Each asserted he was more
conservative, more steadfast and tougher
on cutting the budget than the next.
"I won't give in to Bill Clinton!"
"I'll cut more out of the federal
budget!"
1 am a better conservative than you
are!"
Or something like that.
It sounded like they forgot the polls
showing the slowing of the Republican
revolution's historical dialectic. That
they ignored Americans' overwhelming
distaste for budget battles that leave
DC empty of workers. That they
discounted the evidence that voters want
the EPA to continue to fight for the
environment.
Extreme? How about the response
in good ol' SC to Senator Richard Lugafs
comment on why he voted for the assault
weapons ban: ^o one has the right to
spray lead in our cafeteria's and
schoolyards." A few folks booed that
remark.
Lugar has more intellect and a
broader grasp of foreign affairs than any
other candidate in the Republican field.
He is practical and moderate in tane...and
he's not fairing too well. Not a surprise.
Extremists seem to be taking over
the party, making platitudes to the
elusive "middle class" to paper over their
bids to find the best way to castrate
government and let the richest Americans
decide policy through the private sector.
This middle class is not only shrinking
but angry and not always sure why.
TT?1 D 1_1.* I'-- il- i ii
uLuess ivepuuucans realize mai ineir
ties to big business and their infatuation
with the successes of cutthroat enterprises
and free trade will hurt them, the middle
class may stop caring about who blasts
President Clinton most fiercely.
Americans are most concerned about
jobs and their economic future. Plans
to give out hush money in the form of
tax cuts will only work in the short run.
While Wall Street beams and Speaker
Newt Gingrich fawns, big business cuts
jobs in order to protect their golden calf:
the bottom line. There seems to be little
concern about creating good jobs or secure
ones.
No wony about what happens to the
intangibles on the balance sheet when
a part can be made overseas for pennies
less. And this leaves America without
the work of middle managers who will
only accept cushy office jobs and others
struggling in measly "service" jobs at
minimum wage. Big business can teach
the lessons we need to run America?
Surely not.
What about other issues?
Congressional Republicans don't
want to cut the defense budget and
instead allocate money to missile defenses
that violate treaties with Russia. They
whinP flhnilt TTS trnnno corviner 1 in/I or
foreign allied officers in UN missions as
if this is some disgrace. Ihey characterize
foreign aid as an evil waste and a good
thing to use to lower the deficit, though
it is less than 2% of the budget. And
most glaringly, they indulge Senator
Alfonse iyAmato in his little windmilltilting
operation known as the Whitewater
hearings.
"Extreme" is not a description of
serious debate on fundamental questions
of government's role, nor is it appropriate
for those standing up for convictions.
But watching the Republicans interpret
one congressional election's victory as
a mandate for every pet concern of their
party, members, and rich contributors
does lead one to choose "extreme" as a
description.
Letters to the
I Jong and
delivered to
Russell House
room 3-33.
5
' ^ THE
- r i N?
' EVER SINCE XTS AT
ON GREENE STREET
,/AYSTERPOS "3L0E LIN
TRWN MANY QOESTi<
ITS ORIGIN. HERE
THEORIES
TP1AT THlS"BLO-E LINE
at^ilT<TR USC
^J3?""&TOLLOU; AFTEK
^?"RE/EL"RIES AT !
QUOTE, UNQUOTE
"I'm starting to t
We're coming toge
Alcohol al
HI bet you know someone who was
abused by their mother or father when
they were a child. Maybe you know
someone who went from being an
excellent student in high school to
failing in college. Maybe you know
DATr?oAna tirkn uroo Una onflFniwl a JoI-a
OVU1UUUV/ TT1J.U TV CU liOO OUUUlUi Ck UUIXT
rape. Or you might, know someone who
has been involved in a serious car
accident.
If you have friends or relatives who
have been in any of these situations,
you know someone whose life has been
affected by alcohol abuse. The abuse
by others affects drinkers and nondrinkers
alike.
Unfortunately, alcoholic beverages
are a major part of American culture.
In my view, alcohol use and abuse is
the single largest instigator of social
problems in the U.S. Unlike illegal
drug use, alcohol use affects everyone.
There are several reasons alcohol
is such a widespread problem in our
society. First, a mggority of Americans
have permissive attitudes toward
alcohol use. Many don't realize, or |
refuse to accept, that alcohol is a drug.
Secondly, alcohol use is often 1
portrayed as glamorous or cool by <
Hollywood. They rarely show the reality
of alcohol use. 5
Thirdly, many teens and college 1
students are fooled into believing '<
boozing is a rite of passage into 1
adulthood. Many good kids are lost 1
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A i nn
1 iUVJL LJLWJL1
I would like to respond to Amy
Harris' article on abortion. Harris was
examining a question (put forth at a a
presidential debate) that asked what e
would be done with women who disobey t
a law prohibiting abortion. Harris said e
this question "eliminates men's crucial t
role in reproduction." I beg to differ; it s
is the Supreme Court that has r
eliminated men's legal role in n
reproduction; this question merely A
reflects that fact. " ti
Harris says the fact that women ti
must undergo the abortion procedure
is incidental. The pro-choice forces d
would have you think otherwise. The ti
feet that women undergo the procedure fi
is fundamental; because women give b
birth, only they should be able to choose si
whether or not to abort. "My Body, My ri
Choice," they chant. Men are excluded e
from the choice, and consequently the a
responsibility. le
Then, Harris makes an odd remark n
that a woman who "conceives ff.
independently has an abortion fo
independently." I have no problem with m
this statement. My problem is that,
because women do NOT conceive th
independently, they should NOT be cl
able to abort independently. Yet, I am re
flexible; if women want to retain the m
choice to abort and to abort freely, then "Is
they must concede that men, though gc
they play a role in conception, have no ai
: tu:?r-n
icgai iuic 111 ailJT tiling U1UL 1U11UWS. tO
Either one of these options would be of
consistent; our current system, however,
is not. at
Harris then states that "an abortion vi
ban functions primarily as a punitive qi
measure." But she thinks it punishes a
WOMEN. Are you kidding? It punishes T1
men! If women do not have access to w<
abortions, the woman's role in pregnancy th
is the same as the man's role; in this
case, the act of giving uirth really would Til
be incidental, because, if their roles are Pt
HEWl
t ? AFTER N)NT
FEASANCE \\?r <*?**
T~UP i TUNNING, ART1S
r~ 7n^ !'and MORIONE
t HAS iisnORF LEAD
^m C /Vl^/\< vT" ? CflrtJ IPFPTTC "T?
:-FRoViT>ETS iPXIja^E
? WEEKEND I
relieve we can be a prett]
ther, we're playing with a
Our guys like winning."
Eddie Fogler head men's basketball coach
)use 'dest
every weekend TOMMY
to the pressure TOUCHBERRY
to drink.
I'm sure
you have heard the statistics many
times. It's a fact that alcohol abuse
destroys lives, families and friendships
and costs our economy millions of
dollars every year. One abuser can
ruin an innocent life through drunk
driving, rape or date-rape, spousal and
child abuse and irrational spurts of
violence. Alcohol use is often a gateway
to more potent drugs.
Alcohol use and abuse knows few
boundaries. According to government
statistics, only about 40 to 45 percent
of the over-21 population abstains from
alcohol use. Among USC students,
about 60 percent drink regularly and
only 25 percent abstain altogether.
Abstinence from alcohol is high among
conservative religious denominations
(e.g. Southern Baptists, Methodists),
which account for most non-drinkers.
I am a non-drinker. I have never
consumed an alcoholic beverage, and
1 never will. My beliefs about alcohol
were influenced by my family and my
church.
My grandmother instilled in me a
strong sense that alcohol use is just
slain wrong. My dad reinforced that
ittitude through his lifestyle. In
iddition, my church taught me that
ilcohol abuse is morally wrong and
ludes men i
squal their responsibilities would be
squal as well. If there were a ban on
ibortions, men could legitimately be
ixpected, even coerced, to provide for
heir offspring. Sure, even now, we
xpect them to be financially responsible,
iut the reason why there are so many
o-called "deadbeat dads" is because
aen know that the Pro-Choice
aovement will keep them free from
lNY responsibility. And why should
hey be held responsible for choices
ley did not make?
Wait, you say that man made a
loice to have sex? He sure did! So, did
lie woman! But women are given a
irther choice; men are not. Thus,
ecause the woman has greater power,
ie should bear a greater share of the
ssponsibility because men have
ffectively no legal power after
inception. For this reason, no one can
igitimately say that ANY man is
sponsible for ANY child's birth since
ie case of Roe v. Wade. The Pro-Choice
rces are helping to guarantee that
en <an have sex without responsibility.
For a while, the courts will pretend
tat they can hold men responsible for
lildren for which they are not
sponsible; this will not last. Soon,
en will flood the streets chanting,
lo Choice, No Check" and either the
ivernment will decide to treat men
id women equally, or they will have
let women bear the entire burden
their freedom.
This argument, of course, looks at
(ortion merely from a legal point of
ew; it does not address the moral
lestion of parental responsibility and
man's obligation to his offspring,
lafs okay, the Pro-Choice movement
>uld just as soon avoid the moral side
e abortion issue altogether.
nothy R. Matter
lilosophy graduate student
JQENT!
FAP "REM ME" OF THE
\c lVlzA"g"D of o~z.
:HKIN? "REsaRrr Tb "?Auv/77A/6
fiL0l^*BAlCK "RoATP "BLUE.
1 darn good team,
i lot of enthusiasm.
I
roys lives'
the Christian thing to do is abstain
from alcohol use altogether.
I am thankful for their guidance.
I am living a happier and more
successful life because of it.
I believe strongly that alcohol use
is wrong. I have always taken a firm
stand in opposition to alcohol or any
drug. I believe it is best to abstain from
olnnVinl Iwvsiion if i'n nr\ o/l/li'/ifiirn Atmirr
and reformed. Throw in some numbers
from The Gamecock survey of 100
people Jan. 18, and a recipe for change
is at hand. Who were these 100 types
and do they statistically represent the
group they are portrayed to represent?
Don't forget the most important
possible casualty: the music. Did
someone say it's not varied enough?
At WUSC I have heard acoustic,
alternative, bluegrass, blues, country,
classical, jazz, local, metal, rap, reggae,
rock 'n' roll, thrash, and world beat.
Herein lies die strength of WUSC. For
me, the attraction is the variety of
music I can hear. No other radio station
on my dial can match this. Sure, not
all of the music appeals to me, but hey,
nothing novel about that, nothing that
needs to be corrected. Here's another
non-novelty: don't fix it less if s broken.
Michael Brantley
Computer Services librarian
Coleman Karesh Law Library
uivA/xxv/i iA/Vhxuov/ AO ao ail auuiuurc VAX ug
and alters a person's mind. Also, I find
it to be quite hypocritical for people to
say it is wrong to use other drugs, but
it is okay to use alcohol.
Fm not advocating alcohol being
made illegal. I think this is something
society needs to improve without
government intervention. I hope my
article will influence some of your
attitudes toward alcohol; the more
people who lead an alcohol-free lifestyle,
the better our society will be.
I hope youll think about the abused
children, the battered wives and the
troubled teens before you have another
drink of alcohol. Think of the influence
you have on those younger than you
and your peers.
I don't believe there is a more
passionate position than one in
opposition to alcohol and drug use.
There are some things Medicare can't
fix, but a little common sense and a
lot of compassion can!
Tom choice
Music is 'casualty'
in WUSC controversy
Having been a member of the
"Carolina Family" since 1987 when I
began as an undergraduate, I feel I
need to voice my support for WUSC.
To an outside listener like myself, the
current problems seem due to internal
bickering rather than external forces
like the FCC. Every report we read
about WUSC, including the one in
Sunday's Metre/Region section in The
State, only refers to alleged/possible
FCC violations. Couple this with the
appointment of an alleged Task Force
to outline the alleged future of WUSC,
and it seems more likely someone or
some group in an administrative slot
has decided WUSC needs to he rattled
s
I "ISa
Serving
Wendy Hudson, Editor in Ch
Tina Morgan, Brent i
Edit.
Chris Dixon, Martha Hotop, Karen Lay
Ryan Sims, Stephanie Sonnenfeld, Cece
mi
I O P I
Candidates:
on issues nc
Student government
debates in the future
might sound something yp
like this. r q
Candidate A: "Security
concerns just aren't being BflTTl
addressed! Since nobody
wants to pay for it, let's Electu
do it ourselves!" cei
Candidate B: "What qualifii
does he know about ide
security? My colleague has mud
never worked in security!"
Candidate A: "With all due respect
I don't believe experience is necessary
in this case..."
Candidate B: "Wuss."
Candidate A: "I suggest we create
a fund to..."
Candidate B: "Once again my
colleague is attempting to waste your
hard-earned dollars, folks. Vote for
me and tuition is free!"
Candidate A: "How do you propose
to do that?"
Candidate B: "I'll get to it in a
Generation
better than
In the year of our Lord nineteen
hundred ninety-six, the XYZ-generation
stumbles into the next century - the
sons and daughters of hippies gone
yuppies, the children who grew up on
the Smurfe and Scooby Doo, a generation
that saw the fall of the Iron Curtain and
economic battles replacing the arms
race.
No generational challenge or war
has united us to purpose, patriotism or
productivity. Instead, we look on with
bewilderment; this is not the world it
used to be. A college education is not
enough. We learn the subject in our
major of study for four, five, even six
years. When and if we are hired by a
company, they train us to do the work
for which we are hired. The United States
has no evil empire to base its policy but
has a multipolar system where our role
is defined.
Geraldo and Oprah rule TV. The
Royal family has been dashed into tabloid
trash by scandal after scandal Our idols
have fallen from their pedestals. O.J.
Simpson, Michael Jackson and the
Clintons have littered our airways with
their dirty laundry.
We are jaded by the continuous
barrage of scandals and failure. Sex is
a deadly risk and condoms are not only
cool but necessary.
Most of us don't know where Idaho
is on the map but could tell you where
to find the Persian Gulf. The XYZgeneration
is so dubbed because we are
the last in this century. 2000 and beyond
belong to us. I think we will find that,
beyond the doom saying, there is cause
for hope.
The yuppie 1980s affected the
socialization of today's student. While
this is not the "me" decade as the '80s
were, it has somehow metamorphosized
into the "me" socially and environmentally
conscious decade. It is no longer trendy
to simply be a yuppie, you need to drive
a Volvo with an environmental sticker.
Yes, inner cities are a war zone, the
-?atari? Si
Student Media Russell House-USO Ct
Wendy Hudson Robbie Meek
Editor in Chief Matt Pruitt
Ryan Wilson Sports Editors
Managing Editor Allison
Tina Morgan Williams
Brent Seeliger Special Projects
Viewpoints Editors Ethan Myerson
Martha Hotop Graphics Editor
Cece von Kolnitz Karen Layne
News Editors n?anna
Chris Dixon McLendon
Stephanie Copy Desk
Sonnenfeld Ryan Sims
Features Editor Online Editor
The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the
University of South Carolina and is published Tuesday
through Friday during the fall and spring semesters, with
the exception of university holidays and exam periods.
Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the
editors or uuthor and not those of the University of
South Carolina.
The Board of Student Publications and Communications
is the publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of
Student Media is its parent organization.
Friday, January 26, 1996
tod!
: USC Since 1908
ief Ryan Wilson, Managing Editor,
Seeliger, Viewpoints Editors
?rial Board
ne, Robbie Meek, Tyson Pettigrew, Matt Pruitt
! von Kolnitz, Robert Walton, Allison Williams
NION |
should focus
it insults
VTTTTiHl] moment. Did I mention
MmSIH that my colleague is a
coming philosophy major?
filprtinn * Philosophers don't believe
in absolute truth. So
everything he says is a
lie. I am the family values
ons should candidate, you ran trust
nter on me."
cations and OK, so that's a
as, not little extreme. But every
slinging. year the character
assassins strike deadlier
, blows. Can't we avoid the political
r meandering and blame-shifting? Lefs
put the slander guns away and deal
with some real hard issues, or heaven
! forbid, truth. If the prospect daunts
you, DONT RUN!
This is USC, not the federal
government. Unlike Congress, a loss
here doesn't signal the end of a bright
career. Unlike Congress, here an
individual can make a real difference.
Let's not follow their lead; let's run
a clean, issue-oriented campaign.
X may fare
expected
[ julie national debt
i UBBEY gives us ulcers
and the
i presidential
election is a joke. There are a million
things stacked against the success of
this generation.
That does not matter.
What matters is whether we do
anything about it. Are we to grow
complacent and let dreams drift as we
settle into our daily routines?
There has never been and never will
be any greater danger than our own
complacency. Whether left or right, pro
choice or anti-choice, the greatness of
our country is the American spirit of
revolution. The reason we are a great
power is the spirit and vitality of the
people. It is a unique pioneer spirit, that
is unique to we Yanks.
It is wonderful that success is
important to our generation, but monetary
wealth is not enough. We saw that during
the Reagan years. The need to exercise
our beliefs and press for change is what
will be the saving grace in the future.
I believe people are sick of the trash
on television and the current performance
in Washington. Between the government
shutdown and the scandals rocking the
administration, the confidence in
government must be very low.
MTV has not clouded our minds to
the fact that change is necessary, if
anything, it exposes us to diversity. The
defining point of our generation is that
there is no one defining point.
An incredible diversity exists in the
XYZ-generation. No single event molded
us. We have been molded by a thousand
different influences, and that gives us
a multitude of resources to draw from.
We are more aware of the world than
the previous generation.
Our parents had Vietnam and the
communist scare. We have had nothing
of that magnitude. We are an unknown.
Will we fall into the patterns our
parents set?
5: 777-7726
irtising: 777-4249
: 777-6482 Chris Carr0?
)lumbia, SC 29208 Director cf Student Medra
Laura Day
Tyson Pettigrew Creative Director
Robert Walton Jeff A. Breaux
Photo Editors An Director
Adam Snyder Sue McDonald
Jennifer Stanley JimSpeelmon
Asst. News Graduate Assistant
Lucy Arnold Marilyn Edwards
Dipka Bhambhani Taylor
Asst. Features Marketing Director
Achim Hunt Erik Collins
Asst. Sports Faculty Advisor
Kri'h Boudreaux Jason JefTers
Circulation Editor Cartoonist
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Letters should be 200-230 words and must include full
name, professional title or year and major if a student
Letters must be personally delivered by the author to
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The Gamecock reservC i the right to edit all letters for
style, possible libel or space limitations. Names will not
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