The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 14, 1996, Page 4, Image 4
4
Collectivism
denies choice
to individual
The concepts I I
of collectivism TOMMY
and individual
freedom often HfflgMUyJI
clash when it
cranes to government policy. Collectivism,
a system in which the state owns and
controls the material and means of
production and distribution, is a
foundation of socialism. Individual
freedom, the liberty of personal choice,
action or thought, is a foundation of
democracy.
In the United States we have many
individual freedoms, far more than most
other nations. Our Constitution was
based on the principle of personal freedom
and liberty. However, our government
clearly infringes on our personal freedom
in many areas.
For instance, during the first two years
of the Clinton Administration, each U.S.
taxpayer has been forced to fund abortions
and fetal tissue research. It doesn't
matter what your personal convictions
might be, the choice has already been
made for you.
Another area we have been forced to
fund as taxpayers is public education.
It doesn't matter if the school promotes
teen-age sexual activity or teaches
outcome-based education, we have to
fund the public school system anyway.
Again, there is no choice.
hi addition, we have to fund the entire
welfare state without tax dollars. The
current welfare state only causes a class
of dependency and encourages younger
females to have children out of wedlock
and fathers to abandon their
responsibilities. This means we are
forced to fund illegitimacy. Once again,
no choice is given.
Finally, taxpayers are forced to fund
the National Endowment for the Arts.
The NEA offers grants to artists who
paint pornographic pictures of one man
urinating in another's mouth. No choice
in this case, either.
There will never be a complete
consensus on any issue. The point is, no
nno okmild ko fnrroH fn fiinH nrncrrnmo
they morally oppose. This, in essence,
is the battle between big government
advocacy and smaller, more decentralized
government advocacy.
For years, the liberals have attempted
to force the American tax-payer to foot
the bill for all of their ideological programs
and schemes. The conservative
movement is driven by the notion of
giving the power back to the individual.
Conservatives want to allow you and
me to make more of our own decisions,
and they want to allow you and me to
spend more of our own money the way
we see fit.
And if you think this only effects us
indirectly on the federal level, think
again. We are currently forced as
students at this university to fund a
variety of student organizations. We
pay a student activity fee every semester
to fund these organizations. A list of
these organizations was printed in the
Feb. 6 edition of The Gamecock.
If you read the list, you found the
student activity fee funds many academic
organizations, honor societies and
miscellaneous organizations that are
not political in nature. Organizations
that are political are generally not granted
funding (Le. College Republicans, Young
Democrats).
However, there was one political
organization that did receive funding.
And who was that? It was the Gay and
Lesbian Student Association. Shocked,
aren't you?
Yes, the group that advocates
homosexual issues receives your money
for its funding. Immoral, yes. Disgusting,
yes. Legal, unfortunately so. This is a
law which must be changed and it is a
great representation of the dispute
between collectivism and individual
freedom.
Ine mere tact 1 am lunding the bay
and Lesbian Student Association is
terribly upsetting. I have spoken to
many of my fellow USC students about
this issue. Each student is just as upset
as I am. Basically, 70 percent of our
students who oppose homosexuality are
having to fund this organization for the
5 percent who use these services. This
is unethical and just plain wrong!
I have written a letter to Goviieasley,
House Speaker Newt Gingrich and
Majority Leader Bob Dole in reference
to this problem. I am asking them to
please lead a legislative drive to prohibit
coercion of this kind. If you would like
to help with the cause then please call
or write each of them and let them know
how you feel.
I hope this will awaken many of you
to the unfair practices of collectivism.
Liberals love to make us pay for their
ideological war. We shouldn't have to
tolerate this anymore. Government has
a role to play. That role should not
include using tax-payer money to fund
partisan political schemes!
\
THE "V-CHlP"
if Vloocs OL
\j\oit**t? 0N
Candidates a<
Technology is constantly changing, ~~
and it is imperative that we, as future
journalists, stay on the cutting edge.
As a journalism senator, I plan to
expand our computer facilities. Vote
Melissa Smith!
Melissa Smith
College of Journalism
I am going to make every enort to
extend library and computer lab hours
in order to provide a better academic
environment for the students of this
university. I would also like to
strengthen the power of the Student
Senate.
Michael Hawkins t
College of Business Administration a(
cc
The main problems are parking and ^
meal plans. The parking situation ju
should be made easier for students
than the present The meal plan should
allow a student to eat whenever.
Heath Coleman
College of Business Administration
m
I plan to request more speakers to visit ^
campus and discuss with students the
opportunities and jobs Liberal Arts y(
graduates can have. G
Suzanne Pavlisko
College of Liberal Arts
Consumers
The musical landscape is littered i i
with many exciting developments that ir
make it barely recognizable to the 1986 a
industry that allowed Don Johnson to at
record. S
The average number of songs per tl
album has soared from an early 80s 1
low of 7.4 to 11.1. Of course, this is gi
merely an increase in quantity, not
quality. There are still at least three C
songs on every album that really bite. B
You should still follow the adage h
that unless you definitely love at least T
three songs from the album, you should b;
refrain from making the purchase. But al
this abstinence is difficult to do for two ol
reasons. C
For one, it takes too long to hear h
three songs because of the industry C
innovation of stretching a single for C
several months or up to year, depending
how bad Saturday Night Live was the pj
night band played. "1
For example, MCA only recently it
released a new single from Dave li
Matthews after playing "Ants Marching" M
for three semesters because even Chris cc
Farley wasn't funny and MCA wanted m
to make sure everybody heard this veiy e:
touching song.
The other reason ifs so darn tough ir
to put off going all the way with an of
album is the lower prices offered by o\
record clubs and Home Depot-sized si
electronics retailers. The record clubs ti
are enjoying great success by advertising p<
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important issue
facing your
constituents in
your college ;
that you plan to
address? <
he nonexistent student voice in
iministrative decisions is a main ]
incern for students. The senate has {
le potential power to change that; it ]
ist needs to be exercised. <
1
Durley Florez t
College of Liberal Arts
i Gamecocks! Fm Ashley Jones and
ly goal as Liberal Arts senator will ^
i to establish the policy of academic
rgiveness. By electing me to office, ^
)ur voice will be heard in Student r
overnment! (
i
Ashley Jones
College of Liberal Arts
win with n
n Parade M^rr
lagazine, that HANLEY
ttractive
idition to the
unday paper that everyone reads for
le provocative celebrity Q&A on page
(I recently heard that Sly beats his
irlfriends. Is this true? Tell me more.).
Due to intense competition between
olumbia House and its despised rival
MG, shipping and handling costs
ave dropped to $8 per album,
raditional retailers have been joined
y electronic stores whose old idea
Dout offering music was to tune some
* the sets to MTV. Nowadays Circuit
ity, Electric Avenue and Best Buy
ave become peddlers of the new
ollective Soul album and many quality
Ds as well.
People in the industry wet their
ants talking about this merging of
lardware" and "software." And indeed
may explain why a quality company
ke Sony would get mixed up with
lichael Jackson. But the benefit for
msumers is watching the computererd
manager and druggie employees
dst in the same store.
This in itself is an important trend
i the music world: the corporatization
' record stores. Blockbuster has taken
/er every private record store, and
lddenly Joe Deadhead has to wear a
e to keep his $5 per hour earning
iwer.
OUST?
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a si I ll II
nt concerns
Students in the College of Liberal Arts
have faced complications in the
advisement process, including not
knowing from year to year who their
adviser is and, for newer students, not
being informed of the advisement
process.
Cathy Lightsey
College of Liberal Arts
As senator, the greatest problem I shall
solve is the misallocation of student
money to a bloated, wasteful university
bureaucracy and to groups pursuing
radical and immoral agendas.
Vernon C. Davenport
College of Liberal Arts
Many students don't know their
senators. Students should be able to
meet their senators and voice their
xmcerns. This way, every student will
aave a say in what will directly affect
hem.
i
Michele Marinkovic
College of Liberal Arts
[ feel your freshman advisor or one of
four choice should continue to advise
fou throughout your years at USC.
fhis allows a relationship that can be
established so you can feel comfortable
md ultimately receive better advice.
ZerellHall j
College of Liberal Arts
I
iew music j
Management and labor have
reached compromises at many of these
stores. At Blockbuster Music, employees
may have long hair, but must wear it
in a ponytail. They must still randomly
ask five people an hour if they "need
help finding something," but they have
to be talking about music. And thirdly,
if employees smoke pot, they must do
so in their cars; the back room is used
as a chapel for worship of Wayne
Huiezenga.
As for the actual music, there are
only two categories: good and bad.
Eddie Vedder is responsible for all good
music, but if he got credit for all the
songs he wrote for the Stone Temple
Pilots and Silverchairs, he'd die of
depression. He feels ifs better to spread
the fame, er, misery. He would prefer
to have a small enough fan base to
know each of his fans in case he has
to sue them.
Bad music is made by any band
with more than one bald person and
Alanis Morisette. As for Hootie and
the Blowfish, we should do everything
we can to support them since we're
from the same town. Every time a loved
one hears a Hootie tune, they think of
you and might send you a care package.
Or you can pretend you know the band
and earn a "date" when you return
home.
1
>
Wednesday, February 14,1996
tSaKfeffik
Serving USC Since 1908
Wendy Hudson, Editor in Chief Ryan Wilson, Managing Editor
Tina Morgan, Brent Seeliger, Viewpoints Editors
Editorial Board
Chris Dixon, Martha Hotop, Karen Layne, Robbie Meek, Tyson Pettigrew, Matt Pruitt
Ryan Sims, Stephanie Sonnenfeld, Cece von Kolnitz, Robert Walton, Allison Williams
| OPINION 1
Want to cnmnlain?
Go vote Thursday
We've bashed Student student body supports
Government?more him on that issue,
specifically, its Voting in On the other
candidates?an awful lot eiections hand, if only 5,000
lately. We've criticized students vote for the same
them for being unoriginal, BTTTTTtT^TTTTiTTB candidate, how can he be
dull, out of touch and mmmmammmmm gure remaining
motivated by self-concern. Every vote 21,000 support issue "A"?
Perhaps we have been counts, He can't,
unfair. so get out If candidates
Doubtful. to the polls doesn't know what issues
But in their defense, Thursday are important to their
these candidates have _ constituents, do they have
worked hard to be where to adhere to them? Of
they are. They have put a lot of time, course not. They can do whatever
effort and money into their campaigns, they want,
and perhaps they truly want to serve That political agenda soon becomes
the student body. a personal one. And who is responsible
But we may never know for sure, for any mistakes? For the mishaps?
Unless things take a turn for the For the wanton abuses of legislative
better around here. power? For power struggles and the
Unless you people get up off your what-is-good-for-me-is-good-for-them
bums and vote. attitude?
Yeah, you'll hear it every year: If you don't vote, then you are.
"If you don't vote, you can't bitch." Every year, Student Government
Perfectly true. You'll look like a elections are close?runoff close. Don't
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you had the option to change but were vote doesn't matter. Unlike the federal
just too lazy to do anything about, government, which has a voting body
But there are other reasons to of 258 million people, USC has only
vote. 26,000.
As voter turnout shrinks, So don't be a hypocrite,
candidates find it harder and harder Yell all you want if your duly
to determine what issues in their elected officials don't represent you,
platform they were elected for. If all and remove yourself from the
26,000 students vote for a candidate responsibility of poor campus
who supports issue "A", then that governing: VOTE!
candidate can be'sure the entire
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^fF^lll^rnrb Advertising?'777-4249
VUWl I ILUJUV FAX 777 6482 Chris Carro||
Student Media Russell House-USO Columbia, SC 29208 Director of student Media
Laura Day
Wendy Hudson Robbie Meek Tyson Pettigrew Creative Director
Editor in Chief Matt Pruitt Robert Walton Jeff A. Breaux
Ryan Wilson Sports Editors Photo Editors Ait Director
Managing Editor Allison Adam Snyder Sue McDonald
Tina Morgan Williams Jennifer Stanley JimSpeelmon
Brent Seeliger Special Projects Asst. News Graduate Assistant
Viewpoints Editors Ethan Myerson Lucy Arnold Marilyn Edwards
Martha Hotop Graphics Editor Dipka Bhambhani Taylor
Ccce VOn Kolnitz Karen Layne Asst. Features Marketing Director
News Editors Deanna Achim Hunt Erik Collins
Chris Dixon McLendon Asst. Sports Faculty Advisor
Stephanie Copy Desk Keith Boudreaux Jason Jeffers
Sonnenfeld Ryan Sims Circulation Editor Cartoonist
Features Editor Online Editor
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