The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 30, 1996, Page 3, Image 3
VIEWPOINTS
Wadnaaday, Octobar 30,1996 3_
Serving I)
Stephanie Sonnen
Chris Dixon,1
Edttot
Angie Campbell, Martha Hotop, Ac
Adam Snyder, Jennifer Stanley, Sara S
o p i r
Homeless shoi
more respect,
There are TTfWVF
certain problems Himbi
in American
society that will A menu
not go away. to see I.
Problems with no as peoj
quick solution, no skills an
easy fix that will
be provided by
simple
governmental legislation.
tt i r i.i
numeiessuess is une ui mese
problems. There are millions of
people in this country who have
no address, no phone number. No
roof over their head or a bed to
sleep in, much less a place they
could call "home".
The problems that contribute
to their homelessness are many
and varied. It's almost different
for each person. And it's something
that's not going to go away.
lb solve homelessness we need
to look at the roots of the problem
and address them. We have seen
that the "safety net" of welfare
does not work.
Handouts and shelters just
keep people's bellies full and off
the street. And that's fine when
they first encounter trouble. But
we need programs that help people
help themselves get off the street.
Wo a loo noorl rrurro <Y*mnaooirvn
TfV Uiovy 11VVU AiAAV
when it comes to the homeless.
We i. eed to have respect for those
who are less fortunate than us,
and let them know we still view
them as people.
People who are just as valuable
and capable as those of us who
Affiimative <
improvemeir
Republican V!T?7|lPaC^
presidential !
candidate Bob
Dole spoke out Employ
Monday on governtneri
affirmative action, use disci
savine the tn fioht die
governme t
should provu *
assistance baseu
on economic status, not gender
or race.
Dole said the government
should fight discrimination with
justice and opportunity, not more
discrimination.
Ideally, affirmative action is
positive because it attempts to
integrate minorities into the
workplace.
Like too many programs
inacted by the government,
affirmative action has strayed
from its original intent.
It's be come a program
Stephanie Angje
Sonnenfeld Campbell
Editor in Chief Lisa
Chris Dixon Noworatzky
Viewpoints Editor Sara Svedbere
Martha Hot op Copy
Adam Snyder Robert Walton
News Editors Photo Editor
Jennifer Stanley Brian Rjsh
Features Editor Graphics Editor
Adnm Hunt Jason Jeffers
Sports Editor
r?,. ??? v , .. Daniel Brown
Cece von Kolnitz
c . , _ Cartoonists
Special Projects
The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the
University of South Carolina and is published Monday,
Wednesday and Friday during the fall and spring
semesters, with the exoeption of university holidays and
exam periods.
Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the
editors or author 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
i Studen};Media is its parent organization. i
tart
!SC Since 1908
feld, Editor in Chief
Viewpoints Editor
lal Board
him Hunt, Lisa Noworatzky, Brian Rish,
Ivedberg, Cece von Kolnitz, Robert Walton
noN
uld be given
opportunities
hppwpphh| do have a home.
iUaliiilH By giving the
homeless respect
2Yis need we will be on the
homeless first step to
Die with helping them.
d abilities. Then we need to
stress the
programs like job
training.
Many people are homeless
because they can't get jobs. If we
give people the basic education
they need, and job training, then
they will be able to attain jobs
where they can support
themselves. We stress to our young
people that education is the most
important thing they can have in
life.
We need to extend these
opportunities not only to the young,
but also to those who missed out
in the first place, so they can go
back to school.
The minimum wage increase
is also important. There were
many homeless who work for
minimum wage, but still can't find
a place to live, because housing
just cost too much.
The value of the dollar has just
decreased too much, and $4.25
an hour cannot support a person.
Now they at least have a fighting
chance to survive of f the wage.
Once we do this we will be on
the way to solving the homeless
problem. We will be giving people
a chance and giving them respect,
which is all that anyone should
really need.
ration needs
t, revamping
MVpn9*H| dependent upon
filling quotas
and maptinfr
vers and numbers based
it should not on gender and
imination ethnicity.
crimination. Isn't that
discrimination
of sorts? Doesn't
that seem to
defeat the purpose of affirmative
action?
Using discrimination to fight
discrimination doesn't teach us
anything. All it does is legitimize
discriminatory hiring practices.
Can we, as the world's leading
democratic nation, afford to tolerate
any more discrimination? The
answer is no.
What can we do to rectify this?
Well have to change the process.
Woll K 0170 tn /^Vionrro IaHov's
IIV U AiH VV W VllUlAgV IVUUJ w
affirmative action to meet
yesterday's ideal.
s: 777-7726
ertising: 777-1184
777-6482
Chris Carroll
Rob Gioielll Director of Student Media
Asst. Viewpoints Laura Day
Jessica Nash Creative Director
Asst. Features J.T. Wagenheim
Bryan Johnston An Director
Dwayne Mark Hopkins
McLemore Graduate Assistant
Asst. Sports Marilyn Edwards
Nikki Thorpe Taylor
Asst. Photo Advertising Director
Ben Muldrow Erjk Co?ins
Asst. Graphics
Faculty Advisor
The Gamecock will try to print all letters received.
Letters should be 200-250 words and must include full
nam, 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 333.
The Gamecock reserves the right to edit all letters for
style, possible libel or space limitations. Names will not
be withheld urder any circumstances.
fNOW ImLAB
P"
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WHEN (I
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"He kept tell
Same-sex ma
To the editor,
I would like to respond to a letter
submitted by Chris Herrod. He
commented on how same-sex marriages
infringe on his rights.
Granted, I am not gay. I have had,
and still have, gay friends. When I read
his letter on how gay marriages "infringe"
on his rights, I was outraged.
First of all, he states that liberals
have no tolerance for his beliefs. This
upsets me because I do agree with liberals
on some, but not all, subjects.
He stated, "What is really meant is
tolerance for those who believe as they
do, but critical attacks against, and veiy
' i.,1 x -i.. * _ x J xl ...1. _
liuoieram rneionc lowaru, inose who
don't."
I don't know from where he got that
idea. Most of the liberals I have spoken
to believe there should be tolerance for
everyone and for everyone's beliefs, no
matter what they are.
Now, as far as the Defense of Marriage
Act goes, I totally disagree that a marriage
has to be between a man and a woman.
What is the difference between seeing
a gay couple that is not married compared
to seeing a gay couple that is married?
There is only one thing that comes
to my mind: a ring. A simple ring around
the left ring finger of the person. Herrod
makes marriages between two people of
the same sex sound like the biggest sin
on the face of the earth.
While on the subject of the Defense
of Marriage Act, I would like to comment
on laws in this country. Laws in America
have been changed time after time after
time.
For example, take African-Americans
in this country. They were brought to
the U.S. as a minority group, and are
still a minority group.
Even though they are a minority
group, they have the same rights as
anyone else in this country. They started
out in America with no rights at all.
They could not own land, be married
or vote. Now, however, they can do all
of these things and more. What is my
point in bringing African-Americans into
this issue? To prove that laws can be
changed depending on the situation at
hand.
When Herrod states that his rights
have limits because others have rights,
and theiryrights are limited because he
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He said, 'So you '
Freshman Amy B. about her exp
rriage doesn't i:
has rights, I totally agree. ri
I do not, however, see how a married w
gay couple would go against his rights, ai
What could possibly be the difference? tl
ii lie uao tu put up vy i til gay ^uupico
that are not married, and does so, why b<
can't he tolerate a married gay couple? h
I see no difference. c<
While I am on the subject of rights si
and their limits, I would like to comment "c
on what he said about liberals and their
beliefs on rights. He said liberals sounded
like they wanted "unlimited freedom or a
unbounded rights." ft
This is not true by a long shot Most, pi
if not all, liberals do not believe in this. V
They simply believe that homosexuals
should have the same rights as anyone i <
else in this country, and that these rights p
are now being limited t<
Last, but certainly not least, I would s<
like to comment on Herrod bringing God ft
into the subject. In the Bible, it says, c<
"Love thy neighbor." It does not continue
to say "only if they are straight." tl
Liberals are not out to change ft
someone's religion or beliefs or limit their si
rights. They are simply saying that they
respect your beliefs, so please respect b
theirs. J
Herrod's letter upset me most of all a
because he sounds ignorant to the facts, s
and the letter sounds like a clear attack
on liberals and homosexuals in this b
country.
o
Ken Caudle p
Marine Science Sophomore e:
Freshman Council J
member's statements c,
it
irresponsible
To the editor, h
tl
Rarely do I call the intelligence of o
someone into question, but in the case a
of Freshmen Councilman Timothy Clardy, C
HI gladly make an exception. e
His recent letter in The Gamecock r
(Oct. 28) regarding a letter I wrote critical
of Student Government was at best n
immature, at worst boorish, illogical, g
childish and openly hostile. I
After reading it, however, I can better c
appreciate the military term "target-rich ,
environment." Wi^?h so many utterly ij
LL HoUst SOOK
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erience with a USC ghost.
nfringe on air
diculous statements in one letter, it g
as hard to choose which to address now g
nd which to let fade into the oblivion s
ley so rightly deserve. (1
I suppose the best place to start would C
e with the personal attacks on me. In
is letter, Clardy calls my conclusions R
mcerning the senate perks proposal
lggested by SG senator Bryan Menees a
:owardly and intolerant." s
Pardon me, but why? v
Specifically, how were my opinions F
iwardly? Should I have smacked Senator y
lenees across the face with a glove, then a
resented him with a copy of my letter?
/ould that have been brave? o
As for calling me "intolerant," Clardy c
3 the one who told me just two I
aragraphs below to "shut up" and later o
) "...not ever again criticize SG and the ii
mators..." Clardy is hardly encouraging o
ee-thoiight. Has he ever heard of the
incept of agreeing to disagree?
Clardy makes the statement (one of a
le few valid ones) that I have never run v
>r any SG office. Well, I confess. I'm a o
inner. I have never run for any SG office, o
I haven't contracted malaria either, c
ut that doesn't stop me from knowing
don't want any part of it. Some things i
Dmmon sense tells you are just bad, and \
G is one such thing. (
I have, however, visited the SG offices c
efore. In fact, I did so again today. t
I discussed Clard/s letter with some I
f those present, and all, including SG
'resident Patrick Wright, seemed rather f
mbarrassed by it to say the least. ?
The main purpose of my visit, f
owever, was to obtain a copy of Senator c
lenees' senate perks proposal, since t
!larHv arrnserl me nf never havincr reaH
t
Well, you know what? No one has c
iad the proposal because Senator Menees ?
as not written it down, I was told by
le SG receptionist. I based my opinions J
n the issue of senate perks from quotes ?
ttributed to Senator Menees in The i
lamecock. If those statements were in
rror, I suggest he contact them for a \
etraction. I
Regarding Clard/s offer to "teach" t
le about respect and power in 1
ovemment, Pm afraid ni have to decline, t
would venture to say it is Clardy who 1
ould learn a thinp or two.
Most notably is Clard/s striking I
jnorance of how a epublican form of (
STo(Z?... I .
criN *
:gs; J
s
'?
ed him why.
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yuiic d llgilld
overnment works. In this type of
overnment, the people (in this case the
tudents of USC) elect representatives
:hat dubious distinction encompasses
!lardy) to represent their interests.
In simple terms, you work for me,
Ir. Clardy.
Part of my tuition goes to fund SG
nd I, along with every other USC
tudent, have the right to vote you in,
ote you out, or not vote at all.
\irthermore, that means I may criticize
ou, student senate, or SG as long, and
s much, as I like.
I simply don't have the tune to waste
n an organization that, in its own
onstitution, states, iNote: tsy law tne
ioard of Trustees is the governing board
if this University and this constitution
o no way abrogates or limits the authority
f the Board in matters of governance."
That seems rather clear, doesn't it?
Since only five to eight percent, on
iverage, of the student body as a whole
rotes in SG elections, apparently many
f my fellow students agree with my
pinion that SG is impotent to affect
hange at this university.
The last issue that needs addressing
s Clardy's none too subtle threat to
vithhold funding for the Department of
Computer Science as a result of my
riticism of SG. So many a<$ectives come
o mind when I think of this, but I guess
'11 have to settle for ludicrous.
SG has no control over the budget
or the Department of Computer Science.
j(i did, however, provide some binding
or the Association of Computing Machines
hapter on this campus, an organization
hat is unfortunately defunct at present.
In closing, I should like to ask Clardy
o publicly retract his statements
oncerning Computer Science and
icknowledge that they were inappropriate.
01 IJL. r 'U i _ T 11
onouia ne rail 10 apologize, 1 can upon
>G President Patrick Wright to issue
in apology on behalf of SG for Clardy's
responsible comments.
I would also hope that the senators
vho represent the College of Science and
Math, Curtis Brown, RaNell Cheney,
lonathan Dickson, Craig Harrison, Sue
Moyer and Lisa Weaver, would voice
heir disapproval of Clardy's heavylanded
statements.
tev Brown
Computer Science Senior