The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 31, 1996, Page 3, Image 3
Wednesday, January 31,1996
TBofl
Serving USC
Wendy Hudson, Editor in Chief?
Tina Morgan, Brent Seel
EdKotU
Chris Dixon, Martha Hotop, Karen Layne,
Ryan Sims, Stephanie Sonnenfeld, Cece vo
Fee hearings
debate from i
The money- iHnvnj
grabbing extravaganza
is over. The screams Stu
from agonized activ
treasurers have died auoc
down. A calm falls over _____
all of Student Life.
Until next Sunday,
when the Student C?m
Government Senate should
Finance Committee fa
finishes its week-long not
deliberation over how
to snend student activitv fees.
T ^
Until next Sunday, when campus
organizations such as SAGE,
AAAS and Carolina Cares receive
their budget allocations for the
1996-97 academic year.
Some probably will get the
short end of the stick.
Student organizations
requesting large amounts of
money from Student Government
were strongly encouraged, but
not required, to attend Finance
Committee hearings. In those
hearings representatives from
those organizations were given
Press must r<
While the press has I
done an admirable job of LA*
keeping apace of changes
in technology such as the
use of computers and cable
telecommunications, they have
%Unfortunately lagged behind with
respect to the evolution of their
professional ethics. This has resulted
in an unintended, but predictable, bias
in coverage.
Ordinarily, journalists will be the
first to advocate the need for progress
and to point out the futility of adhering
to tradition merely for tradition's sake.
Sadly, when it comes to introspection,
U? 1:1. - i. 1 : ? u ? _
mcy, line muse ill manjr unici
professions, seem to put on blinders
and refuse to accommodate the very
changes necessary to keep apace of the
advances they have embraced.
Until recently, most cities had two
papers, one conservative and one liberal,
but with the competition of cable
' Revision, CNN and C-SPAN, most
have evolved into one-paper markets.
In a few instances, there remain vestiges
of the old model, such as New York,
with The Times and Wall Street
Journal, or Washington, with The Post
and The Times. However, because of
an overabundance of liberal professors
in journalism schools, which is in turn
reflected in the students who are
graduated and go on to became reporters
and editors, most of the papers that
survive have become decidedly liberal.
This dominance is not complete, as
there are isolated conservative papers
and journalists, but the majority are
liberal.
In a free society, it is neither right
nor wrone for individuals to be liberal
or conservative; all are entitled to their
opinions. As recently as 10 years ago,
it was also ethically appropriate for
iwspapers and editors to have liberal
or conservative preferences, because
there was sure to be a different
perspective offered from the other
paper. Today, the problem is that such
im^, i?^ | News
Advc
VlJUllUXUut fax
Student Media Russell House-USO C<
Wendy Hudson Robbie Meek
MwtaQ-et Matt Pruitt
Ryan Wilson
Sports Editors
Managing Editor Allison
Tin. Morgan waBams
Brent Seehger Spedai Projects
Viewp^uBdta. Ethan Myerson
Martha Hotop Graphics Editor
Cece von Kolnitz Karen Layne
N?W,E^O?
ChrisDuon McLendon
Stephanie Copy Desk
Sonnenfeld Ryan Sims
Features Edtor OnHa Bdilon
The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the
University of South Carolina and is published Tuesday
through Friday tkitmg u* fall and spring semes ten. with
the exception of ursversity holidays and exam periods.
Opinions expreared in The Gamecock are those of the
-tiers or author and not those of the University of
.sooth Carolina
The Board of Student Publications and Communications
is the publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of
Student ^jedia is its parent organization. ^
\
ttOCR
: Since 1908
' Ryan Wilson, Managing Editor,
liger, Viewpoints Editors
i Board
Robbie Meek, Tyson Pettigrew, Matt Pruitt
n Kolnitz, Robert Walton, Allison Williams
I I 0 N 1
not open to
organizations
TJTT5BH the opportunity to
present and defend
dent their budget requests
ity fee tor the following year.
ations In addition to
the advice and
I questionsthey |
expected to receive, the
mittee organizations faced a
allocate panel of senators
preaching the
bully importance of co
programming. Do-ityourself
seemed to be their battle j
cry as senators prepared to "
distribute funding.
Nobody argued though. Even
if the senators don't have the
slightest clue what's best for the
organizations, groups like the \
geology club cant afford to dispute
their advice. They're put on the
spot. SG controls their livelihood. 1
So they must accept the amount
the committee allocates them,
regardless. Finance Committee,
keep this in mind when you
deliberate this weekend.
]
i
ethink ethics
I
a balanced rivalry no longer
KY exists, and where only one ,
side is given a voice, only half
I the truth will be told.
Some evidence of
the harm this imbalance has already
generated canj)e seen in the ideological
polarity of discourse in outlets such as
talk radio. Market forces being what
they are, the lack of balance in print
and television generated a hunger on
the part of conservatives.
This hunger fostered, and in turn
was fed by, the rise of those such as
G. Gordon Liddy. These demagogues
are, in effect, creations not only of their
conservative listeners, but also of the
media establishment that reviles and
denies them access. Conversely, we
understand, then, why liberals cannot
crack talk radio. It is not from any lack
of talented or articulate broadcasters,
nor is it from any phenomenal gifts on
the Dart of conservatives. It is simDlv
because liberals already have their
perspectives addressed on television
and in print.
To counter the decline in newspaper
readership and promote a greater sense
of civility, the imbalance must be
corrected. To do this, journalists must
modify their ethics to accommodate
the changes of the communities and
markets they serve.
The days when papers could
champion one philosophy are gone.
Newspapers have an increased
responsibility to represent all their
readers and, if they are to flourish,
must address the needs of both liberals
and conservatives. Perhaps a model
akin to that employed by USA Today
with an impartial pro and con of
editorial issues may be appropriate.
In anv event, a chance in the status
quo is called for.
Journalism is no different than any
other profession; it cannot cling to what
is comfortable without risk.
i: 777-7726
rtising: 777-4249
777-6482 Chrjs CarroU
)lumbia, SC 29208 Diw,or<***
Laura Day
Tyson Pettigrew Creative Director
Robert Walton Jeff A. Breaux
Photo Editors Art Director
Adam Snyder Sue McDonald
Jennifer Stanley JimSpeelmon
Asst. News Graduate Assistant
Lucy Arnold Marilyn Edwards
Dipka Bhambhani Taylor
Asst. Features Market^ Director
Achim Hunt Erik Collins
*?? Faculty Advise
Keith Boudreaux Jason Jeffers
Circulation Editor Cartoonist
Letters Policy
The Gamecock will try to prim all letters received.
Letters should be 200-250 weds and must include full
name, professional title or year and major if a student.
Letters must be personally delivered by the author to
The Gamecock newsroom in Russell House room 321.
The Gamecock reserves the right to edit all letters for
style, possible d^el or space limitations. Names will not
be withheld unfrr any circumstances.
IEWI
"HHHK21Z!
/fo WHAT wAJ\
\ IQoPoft'f J
\ UKf ?J
QUOTE, UNQUOTE
"I can
F
Candidates r
Just when American citizens are
about to collectively vomit over the
mvriarl nf nnraenlvo^ iasiiea ir
Washington, in through the door comes
a proverbial breath of fresh air. Or is
it?
Amid constant bickering betweer
Democrats and Republicans over hov
to pass a budget, protect the evironmeni
and correctly analyze a State of th<
Union address, in walks a virtua
nobody, Republican Steve Forties, wh<
announces his candidacy for presidem
of the United States of America.
Forbes, 48, is president and editoi
in chief of Forbes magazine and is th?
eldest son of Malcolm Forbes Sr., th<
money-making capitalist whose wealtl
was estimated at $1 billion when h<
died in 1990.
Despite his longshot for thi
candidacy, Forbes does have a fev
things working in his favor. And unliki
others on the ho-hum menu o
candidates, Forbes has some attractivi
answers to complex problems.
Those writing Forbes off need onl;
look at-the poHo, where Forbes ha:
surged ahead of the Republican pad
to place second only to Bob Dole.
T? l > : ?i
ruxuea yiiwaiy meaacige la ucoi
elementary and, most importantly, hai
instant appeal for the American people
In trumpeting his flat tax plan, FoHbe;
has already tapped the intrest of man;
Americans. 333 333
The flat tax plan proposes t
establish a tax rate of 17 percent 01
earned income - no more, no less. Wit]
this, the arduous, painstaking procea
of filling out IRS forms will be reduce<
to a five minute filling out of a forn
the size of an index card.
Presently, Americans spend $31
billion and 3 billion hours yearly oi
tax preparation. Almost half of th
country's taxpayers now use professions
Not everyone f
The other day I realized that, fo:
the past two weeks or so, I had beei
abeentmindedly using the names Pa
ivoDertson ana rat oucnanai
interchangeably. No one seemed b
notice. Buchanan's preoccupatioi
with morality and the notion o
teaching the Bible in public classroom
has overshadowed the rest of hi
presidential platform. But b;
advertising these personal beliefs ii
his campaign, Buchanan himsel
offers us the most persuasive reasoi
why he does not belong in office.
Mr. Buchanan has no concept o
the separation of church and state
and neither do the constituents ti
whom he appeals. In his vehemen
assertion to teach morality (or th
Bible, since he uses these term
interchangeably) in public schools
Buchanan demonstrates a blatan
disregard for the U. S. Constitutor
the fundamental legislative code fo
this country. Never mind that he ha
never clarified his definition o
"morality" or that he has only vaguel
described his proposed amendmen
to public education as a way o
instilling morals in young people
How can a person who wishes t
govern such a diverse population a
America condone the indulgence c
the spiritual beliefs of only
percentage of that population? Thi
tactic appeases many constituent
but will not help to further thi
country's educational goals.
The motivation for teaching th
Bible in school seems to be an altruisti
one; extremists feel that today's yout
are degenerating into decadence an
are concerned for their eternal soul
"PINT*
fwell... HE SoMET'^f!
I TANK... HAfl fc3V>C
\ HVIN' wrtM HI?N...
\ .j. aa ujetor
pifi ^
u '
count on tho price of a text
'rof. Stanley Dubinsky on the price of course packet
i , , i -r
Leed to be awa
i services to I
s handle it. larry
other williams
i appealing
? prospects for
Americans in Forbes' platform are the
i elimination of capital gains, dividends
r -and interest earnings from income
t taxation. Appearently, this would free
; up loads of capital for new enterprises,
1 economic growth and investment pickup
) that is long overdue. Forbes would also
t exempt the poor from income taxes (a
family of four with an income of less
r than $36,000 would be excused).
? Aside from his appealing policies,
i this Northwestern Wildcat of politics
1 also has several other things going in
2 his favor. First, Forbes isn't a part of
the Washington interior, and has never
? held an elected office. Many would
i consider this to be a disadvantage, but,
b judging by recent public opinion polls
f of our government, it's more than a
b plus.
Nowadays, ifs politically correct to
y bash government (reasonably so), and
3 Forbes is as anti-Was?mgtenas-tEey^
t come. Forbes has attackedDole with
? v... u-u;??
oavagci^r UY uuuig eveijuiiiig uui uuiiug
, Dole a liar.
3 Also, Forbes is loaded. He has no
.. financial gains to make. He's got money,
s and he's not afraid to spend it. Forbes
y has already sunk $10 million into-his
campaign, and it doesn't look-like-he's
0 stopping any time soon. ?
1 On a recent episode of "The
i McLaughlin Group," a television show
s on ETV where a panel of journalists
i take sides on controversial issues, the
! group gave their insight on who this
new "Stevie Wonder Forbes" really is.
[) On the positive side, they stressed
1 the optimism of Forties' campaign and
e the benefit of being the "feel-good"
j candidate for America. The journalists
>ractices what Buc
r and for the
1 future of amy
t society. Before
i then we must
3 assume,
l nobody got pregnant, nobody listened
f to raunchy music, the youth of
s yesterday were perfect little angels,
s And as soon as organized religion
y (these advocates of religion in the
i classroom would have us believe that
f this includes all morality whatsoever)
l was taken away, kids started to grow
their hair long and smoke pot between
f classes. This claim is a poor excuse
s, fabricated by those who have ingested
o a lethal overdose of nostalgia for the
t mythic "Golden Age of Morality."
e These are not the people who should
s be charged with the responsibility of
i, structuring out public educational
t system.
i, Extremists often cite a "higher
r authority" when arguing about
8 controversial issues like education
f and abortion. They assume that all
y Americans share (or should share)
it this acceptance. Many do, and that's
f OK, but religion constitutes a private
i. belief that cannot interfere with public
o policy. The beauty of democracy is
s that everyone can worship freely, as
>f long as they do not infringe on the
a rights of others. The rights of others
s (in this case, those who do not practice,
s say, Buchanan's version of
s Christianity) are violated when the
attempt is made to impose private
e beliefs on public policy. To do so is
ic an insult to the integrity of the
h American constituency, who have
d the stipulated rig{it to define their
s own personal beliefs without being
>
u/?mneiLS \
)T [ [/jOULV^T J M
>... y
~y r
l at j
4:<
gir
r." I gj
Wmm\s9*z^- 6 ? chi
ov<
Lo
book." ^
wh
! ha
ins
mj
re of Forbes t
and insiders in the group also va]
documented his belief in economic du
liberation and his promise to put money crj
in the pockets of citizens.
As with any politician, with the /:
good always comes the bad, and with ,
Forbes, there are some negative aspoects
to his platform, namely the quiet
baggage that accompanies his flat*tax
Plan- . All
With considerable analysis, the fj,
benefits decrease with the flat tax. If ^
the policy were instituted, Forbes would at
eliminate all deductions, including the n e
favorable write-off for home mortgage wi
interest that saves 28 million taxpayers Ot
a combined $64 billion a year. 1 m
The flat tax rate might actually ha
have to be closer to 21 percent to produce be
as much revenue as the federal income Pe
tax now produces. It would have to be m<
even higher if deductions for home w
mortgage interest and charitable gifts &?
are retained. Pe
From a historical standpoint, Forbes
Jus some sWkmgaiBilmtietto forma- ^
Republican president Ronatd'Reagan.
Think about it. In Reagan we had a
i. j.j.: ?i_! _a.1 i. -j 1.. a"
tax cuiung, opumisuc ouismer wno ga
almost upset another Republican rjy
president in 1976 and went on to a fta
landslide victory in 1980. In Forbes we th
have someone in the same mold who ft ]
wnp't brpatiaggd with wtond idace. th
~ -TThfTrrtriguing aspect of witnessing ch
- ForWrise to-pohticabprominence isn't ar
based solely on his winning or losing. ju
In a country where most will jump the va
underdog bandwagon at the drop of a fli]
hat, the beauty of Forbes' success is ha
that, unlike a short time ago, his 001
competitors are no longer able to operate 5 ]
on cruise control. Now, they're nervously n
watching Forbes in the rear-view mirror- co
and he can see the sweat. Wi
is
hanan preaches ?
ve
mmaaaV?a/I f a Utr a UirrUA?* AiilV*Awfi7 ir* fn
piccuaicu vj uy <x iiiguci auuiui lty 111 a v.
Washington. re
We crave stability in a tumultuous ut
and uncertain world where change hs
often comes unexpected and uninvited. th
We naturally reach out for co
"touchstones" - icons of stability and B1
guidance - to help us maintain some ca
kind of orientation in life. For many fa
of us, this touchstone means spirituality at
or, more to the point regarding current so
political trends, religious dogma, which 11
is distinctive by virtue of its rigidity th
and its idolatrous, "unquestionable" nc
nature. So the drive to reinforce le
stability is natural and explains in th
part the emergence of a fundamentalist ef
right wing, but the government is a co
secular entity that deals with problems ca
experienced by all citizens, regardless d(
of spiritual differences. We need to
miea+inn nnf nnlv +Vi? HiaooH valnoa s&s
of extremist politicians but also the
reasons they are so readily embraced
by voters. It is strange to think that
a truly democratic society would
advocate such candidates.
Buchanan, who has not established
his authority as a biblical scholar,
plans to teach the Bible in the
classroom in order to foster good
Christian morals in children of diverse
faiths, which disqualifies his authority
as a impartial public servant and a
competent lawmaker. Personal values
cannot be legislated, nor is the federal
government an evangelical institution. m
Citizens who value their individual
liberty should be alarmed that people
who demonstrate a willingness to ?
secularize the mandates of a particular * f\
religion are so widely accepted and
supported in politics.
3^
ticket
master"
uins day
On Dec. 10, jeff
approximately beckham
18 p.m., my
Wriendandl
t the Physical Science Building and
aceeded to my car. Because I had
iple time left on my meter, we moved
iwly, enjoying what was left of a
lutiiul day. Noticing the several cars
front of mine with parking tickets, I
ently chuckled to myself because I
ew that today I had beaten the slavey
item Columbia has captured its citizens
I was free from any bonds Columbia^
d tried to subdue me with. I had won
imall battle - the underdog hadampioned.
- .
Then, like the slow realization that
jrcomes you when you walk next to
rena Bobbitt after a night of heavy
inking, a numbing feeling froze me
ere I stood! The dreaded ticket master
d marked me for the kill. On first
jtinct, I immediately lashed out at
r girlfriend - didn't she feed the meterZ.
lat the hell did she do with my last;
mn quarter? Reason took over with
r outcry of "not miiltv."
I glanced up at the bloodthirsty
mpire to see its red eye glaring in the
,sk. Shock forced oxygen to my
inium - the eye had not made its
pearance - the time bomb still had
mininutes left to demolish my *
lerwise happy day. 4:50 p.m., just"
s minutes after the ticket was planted,
tood in utter disbelief.
Two gentlemen told me^the
lerAflhmita nf mv alnvpr -.dirrlp K
as, the monster had vanished. I could
id no trace of the weasel. He
isappeared faster than the Clintons
a Whitewater hearing. I searched
ar and far, soliciting help from
tnesses, but none came forward.?
iviously, I was the victim- of a hit and ?
i. That bastion of Columbia oommercad
simply branded me arid.tookjaffTifore
he could be subjected to:
rsecution by myself and the lynch
ab forming - all of whom were fed up
th the indentured servitude our local
vernment has instilled upon its
asants.
My only choice was to call the city
d plead my case before their judiciaries,
ter thouroughly explaining my plight,
ey made no concessions 1b? their slight,
id I knew I was ready to fight. They
id I should call the next morning,
le "lady" I talked to said that the meter
id somehow malfunctioned earlier
at day when I parked there; how could
break for 37-1/2 minutes since I put
e last quarter in? Did the meterecking
fairy swing its magic wand
id make the EXPIRED sign pop-up
st for the few seconds so that the
rmint could tag and bag me and then
p back down when I walked up? Not
irdly. I submit that this unscruplous
ward simply felt that "Hey - if s almost
p.m., Fm gettin' off - this sucker will
iver know - I'll just najjjiis liberalmmunist
flag burnin'-constitution
avin' butt! Man, I got my quota - this
hard work!"
This meter person doesn't give a
imn about freedom, love and the soul,
is/her sole purpose is to destroy the
ry fabic of our society without regard
r humanity. The Middle Ages has
ared its ugly head in our modem day
opia Die local land baron (the mayor)
is emancipated his proclamation onto
e peasants that they will pay and pay
nsultants and host extravaganzas for
MW so long as the King (Gov. Beasely)
in have his share and promote his
iry-tale world. But I digress; this is
>out myself vs. the harsh reality of
ciety. Meters were here long before
was and will probably outlast even
e Eneigizer bunny. Just consider the
:xt time you're marked with the Scarlett
tter: Did you leave enough time on
ie meter or was a city freelancer simply
irning his keep? In alime when
nvicted armed robbers anJ drug dealers
in win $14 million for resisting arresting
count on justice.
in Th e