The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 10, 1999, Page Page 4, Image 4
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Serving t!x> Carolina Coi
EDITORIAL
Sara Ladenheim,
Rob Gioielli, Vie
Kevin Langston, Ass is h
Emily Streyer, Assist a
Jennifer Stanley, Specia
Complex i
local conn
The Savannah ^1
River Site has en- IHBHUiLl
J i-1 _ c
juyeu a i a uiit: i 1VV3UVUU7
lengthy relation- sUe's nuclea
ship with this state. andc0V(
The nuclear com
plex outside Aiken H
has been a part of pni, , ,,
the South Carolina SRS should
community for sev- honest (Hid C
eral decades. As a of their neit\
main source of jobs commu
in the area, SRS
has been a vital
contributor to the state's economic 1
well-being.
Last week, it was learned that 1
the information SRS had released
on nuclear leakage was inaccu- 1
rate. The results of a six-year study i
of radioactive and chemical re- <
leases at the site uncovered this i
information. i
According to findings, most 1
of the leakage occurred in the
1950s and resulted from inferior i
sampling and filtration equipment <
that was used until it was replaced 1
in the early 1960s. Lack of regu- i
lation and oversight by the site's ;
operators also contributed to leak- i
age. . ]
A study will be conducted on ;
the possible health effects of the i
SRS leakage. If the study uncov- <
* m
Alleged vio
overshadow
Since Feb. 2, .?more
than twenty HHHUmUi
alleged violations Alleged vie
of campaign regu- 0ft^e stl
lations have been olortirm /
filed with the Elec- m 1
tions Commission,
but only two candi- ^ ,
dates have actual- Candidates
ly been charged worry about
with an infraction. campaigns,
The Elections oppone
Commission exists ?
so that Student
Government campaigns and elec- {
tions are fair for all candidates, c
Positions in Student Government 1:
are coveted, and, unfortunately,
people are sometimes willing to c
go to extreme measures to get e
?i i. i i
eiecieu. i
Usually this just means trying 5
to outspend each other, especial- a
ly for the executive positions. But e
often, the competition will sink r
lower than just throwing money p
around.
When it comes to alleged vio- a
lations, candidates seem to be c
quick to snitch on each other to t
the Elections Commission. Tech- r
nically, candidates cannot report t
each other, but members of their r
campaign staffs can.
Tk (fan
~ Serving I be Carolina Chin mi
The Gamecock is the student newspaper of The I niversily of
Friday during the fall and spring semesters and live times during the
periods. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the editor
The Hoard ol Student I'ulilicalkxis and Communications is the puhlc
the newspaper s parent organization.
The Gamecock
Sara Ladenheim lidilor in Chief Emily Streyer
Rob Gioielll View/minis lidilor Kevin Langstor
Kenley Young A'cus lidilor Rachel Helwig
Brad Walters Sews lidilor Clayton Kale
Nathan Brown S/xirts lidilor Brock Vergakis
Erin Reed li-alnres lidilor Charlie Wallace
Rob Lindsey Rnhinv lidilor Katy Evans
Sean Rayford I'holo hlilnr Denesltia Grah.
Matt Ryan Online lidilor Ashton.June
Kristin Freestate Copy IXsl- Chief Ann Marie Miai
Todd Money Cn/iy hlilnr Jennifer Stanle
Rebecca Cronican Copy hlilnr
Student Media
Ellen Parsons Din-dor of Jason Curry
Slndenl Media Kathy vanN'ostr
Lee Phipps Adn-rtising Manager Sherry Holmes
Susan King Cn-alin- Din-dor Carolyn Griffin
Susan Barrett Cn-alin- Unices Erik Collins
Daniel Brown Cn-alin- Sen ices Jeff Stensland
1
imecock
nmunitv since 1908
BOARD
Editor in Chief
wpoints Editor
ant Viewpoints Editor
nt Viewpoints Editor
\l Projects Coordinator
unsafe to
munity
ers any important
ikJHHHHi findings, a full iniah
River vestigation of the
r leakages health risks
>r-fv/x brought on by SRS
" ' might follow. In
its first years of operation,
SRS rebeniore
leasad 20 times
onsiderate more radioactive ioihboring
dine and four times
inity. more radioactive
? plutonium than operators
had stated.
This was in part because the
Environmental Protection Agency
was nonexistent before the 1970s.
Those in charge at SRS should
nave been more open ana nonest
to the surrounding areas of South
Carolina. The site relies on a specific
area of the state for employment.
Aiken alone supplies SRS
with 14,000 employees.
By endangering that area with
radioactive material, SRS is not
anly showing disregard for the environment.
but for the people living
there, as well. SRS should look
at the studies' findings and try to
reorganize its filtration and sampling
process. By operating under
a more watchful eye, they can ensure
that such leakages will be reduced.
lations
iv election
Although the
UIHH best watchdogs for
)lations a candidate's vioident
lations are the peo:0<^es
pie they're running
' against, sometimes
it can go too far.
, .j Candidates need
' StoOU"* to look out for their
their own own best interests
nottheir and make sure
Tits'. they're getting
-j treated lairly. Jbut
when they start
)aying too much attention to an)ther
person's campaign, it can
lecome self-destructive.
Worrying about another canlidate
takes people's attention
iway from what they should be
ocusing on: their own campaign.
Students want to know about how
i candidate will serve them as an
ilected official, not if their oppolent's
posters are up in the wrong
ilaces.
It's early in the campaign for
ill the candidates, so we hope they
an rise above fighting among
hemselves to reach out and communicate
with the students. That's
he only way we can make the
ight choice on election day.
rack BBMi
since I90H
South Gtrolina and is published Monday, Wednesday and
summer with the exception of univ ersity holidays and exam
v or author and not those ofThe I nherstty ot South Gtrolina
,her of The Gamecock. The Department ot Student Media is
I All urea codes are SMS
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Viewpoints 777-7726
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View
The (
^-?^OMLV CkUfi
editorialeartoon
Stuck ins
Columbia is a self-proclaimed "caj
ital place to be," and I awoke ?
8 last Saturday morning in thi
I "capita
Kevin Langston menTinh
columnist self, but i
turned out t
be mild in comparison to the task c
crossing the city.
Rob, my editor, left his house oi
Rosewood to pick me up at 9:00. Fifteei
minutes later, he pulled into the dorr
parking lot.
Rob told me about the marathoi
that was winding its way through th
inner streets of Columbia. We knew i
was going to be an inconvenience, bu
we had no idea how much of a thorn i]
the butt this race would be.
Because of roadblocks and barri
cades, it took Rob and me 20 minute
to get Erin, one of our features editors
Court rulii
Does the freedom to have o
perform an abortion withou
fear trump the freedom o
?- speech
Ali Freeman Wph?^it!
threaten^
pn nn crVi f i
demand the authors pay damages o
more than $100 million.
The judgment was based on the 199<
Freedom of Access to Clinic En
trances Act, which made 'force or threa
of force" against anyone seeking or pro
viding an abortion illegal. Last week'
case marked the first use of the act .tha
did not result from actual violent'con
frontation or direct person-to-persoi
threat.
Given the lack of actual confronta
tion, the ruling at first seems a ridicu
lous infringement on free speech. Up
on more careful consideration, it can b<
Tea could bring
us all together
To the Editor:
It has come to this reader's atten
tion that, though The Gamecock coven
many important and crucial issues like
the upcoming Student Government elec
tions, campus crime and lawn mowei
ooini
JL
Samecock
uvw Ul
i for
11^
wv
s.com
ride Colun
y Her apartment in the University Commons
was the worst place for her to be.
[s As Rob and I approached the Blossom
I Street bridge, we saw two runners cross0
ing the structure. The entire bridge was
t sectioned off for these two runners.
N Both Gervais and Blossom street
k bridges were blocked off. It was imL.
possible to get into Cayce. Even State
n Street's barricade prevented us from
(- getting to the Commons from an alter^
nate route. After explaining to the cops,
i- thev cleared a path for us to get to the
a Commons. This path, however, ran
thrniicrh a Rtrnnorpr'fi harlf vnrrl An hnnr
e spouses and children.
y The defendants said the Web site
0 was nothing more than a legal inforf
mation tool. They were gathering data
on abortion providers with the hopes of
1 one day tiying them in courts for "crimes
against humanity" as Nazi war crimit
nals were tried in Nuremberg.
Almost a perfectly legal phone book,
s But after three doctors on the list were
t slain, lines were drawn through their
names. Injured doctors' names were
i printed in gray. The Web site also included
links to other sites attempting
to justify the murder of abortion doctors
as part of a sensible moral crusade.
The court considered "the Nurem3
berg Files" within the context of the
growing attacks on abortion doctors. In
MiTViniNMons |or
length.
[11,1 777-7726^
A k ilit
student.
M Ix:r Hie CiaineciK'l
noise, one issue has thus far evaded
rnvprpi crp
As a resident of the prestigious
Horseshoe, I have noticed that the
revered Faculty House garden, set with
immaculate tables and idyllic shade
5 trees, is unfortunately off limits to the
; general student population.
Before coming to USC, my mother
blessed me with a lovely silver-ringed
[- ~ ~ ?5? - ' J ??
after Rob had picked me up, we were
I on our way out of town.
0 As a citizen, you expect your city to
,f hold your concerns and well-being as a
top priority. This means having low
a crime, well-maintained roads and a
n wealth of other commodities. Column
bia has yet to prove itself to me as a
"capital place to be."
ri If it takes three people 60 minutes
e to get from one side of the Congaree
t to the other, something is wrong,
t Usually, the trains crawling their
1 way through downtown Columbia are
the largest inconvenience, but the way
this city bends for special events cres
ates many more.
i. During football season, you shouldn't
make plans to go out on a home game
lg might haj
r seen as a dangerous threat to free
speech, but one made from justified fear.
f This case calls forward a gray
9 area in the law. It poses the difficult
e question of where to draw the line be^
tween constitutionally protected free
y speech and illegal threats.
The Web site, called "The Nuremberg
Files" after the German city in
^ which Nazis were put on trial after
|) World War II, contained no explicit
a threats of violence. It did, however, list
y the names and home addresses of many
abortion doctors, often along with lii
cense plate numbers and names of
QUO!
"If i
^pn
To
Wedi
^ ?
LJLUia Willi I
"The real problems o
going to disappear wl
pachyderms down th
! Saturday. The streets will be well
1 protected from swine like you, and
the game-goers will be given the highest
priority.
It might be understandable, and i
quite possibly forgivable, for trains and j
football traffic to ruin your day. How- 1
ever, when an entire section of the town <
is closed off for a marathon, something !
needs to be done. To put so many of the
city's residents in an awkward position i
for a simple marathon, Columbia isn't i
operating as an ideal city. <
Recently, the circus has brought an j
onslaught of traffic complaints. Sure,
people love ana aemana ine circus, out ;
not all of us enjoy the maltreatment i
of animals as a means of entertainment. I
Stopping to see a parade of elephants 1
is not how I want to spend my after- i
noon. If I wanted to see the elephants, <
I would buy a damn ticket to the cir- 1
cus. There is no place for an elephant 1
parade in downtown Columbia.
nn freedom
"Perhaps we need to 1
clearly define one's pi
recent years, there have been more than
250 clinic bombings and arsons, and at 1
least seven abortion clinic employees 1
have been murdered. <
The plaintiffs claimed that the Web 1
site was a threatening hit list. But 1
the Web site did not specifically advo- ;
cate murder. Had it done so, it almost
certainly would have been found ille- '
gal- j
On the other hand, had it not contained
the doctors' names and addresses, j
it would almost certainly have been con- (
sidered protected speech. So where in
this gray area does it belong? ]
Part of the problem is the true murk- j
iness surrounding the printing of per- ,
sonal information. People have prop- ]
erty rights to their homes, but not to j
their addresses; to their bodies, but not
to their likenesses. Perhaps we need to <
broaden and more clearly define one's <
property rights. :
But as it stands now, the question (
is not. "Do the doctors have a nroner- 1
ty right in their addresses?", but "Is 1
their printing a threat of force?"
columns arc welcome from all mcmlx-rs of the Carolina Comnu
si columnists c;in only lx' printed twice a semester. Please delivc
I try In print all letters. Letters should lx- istMhP words and must include full
n letters must lx personally delivered by tlx author to the Russell House r?x
s reserves the rinlit to edit all letter lor sole, lilxl or space. Names will never
tea service for four, and I personally
think the Facuity House garden would ]
make a divine setting for afternoon teas c
and genteel social gatherings. t
Imagine what benefits would spring s
forth if the students of our fair and open- c
ly diverse university were allowed to
congregate and debate the pressing issues
of our day in a civilized and decorous
environment.
rE, UNQUOTE
t hadn't been for e-mail, I
:>bably never would have
:d her out because I was a
big chicken."
m Johnson, USC graduate
lesday, February 10, 1999
e?!*9? I
P1T0RIAL s
ARTD0NIST5... / I
re
at
V
!
he blues
f Columbia are not
hen you march
e streets."
This city does have its bonuses, but
I think it has a long way to go before
it can really be "a capital place to be."
Like every town and city, Columbia
needs to focus more on real issues and
*oals. Tourism is an important industry,
but a city should look to keep its
:itizens here rather than draw in outsiders
to pump money into the system.
I know these problems are modest
in the grand scheme of things, but this
isn't the limit to Columbia's errors. I
ion't see how a marathon or a football
*ame can benefit the city.
The real problems of Columbia
are not going to disappear when you
march pachyderms down the streets.
Sure, all these things are luxuries, but
before we can enjoy the finer things, we
should establish a firm foundation of a
nty that has its head on straight. On
ly then will Columbia be a capital place
to be."
of speech
iroaden and more
roperty rights."
The jury sided with the doctor and
Planned Parenthood plaintiffs, but was
the Web site really a threat? There are
already laws in place to punish those
who attack or murder, and the Web site
was not actually going out and seizing
abortion employees.
PprhflnQ mnro tViroatprnncr ic tVio
danger to a document much older than
the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances
Act, our Constitution. The Oregon
case sets a precedent that could
have stifling implications to our freedom
of speech.
Since the Web site did not actually
involve any physical altercations, it
is possible that a series of successful
suits could follow and indict as illegally
threatening any document criticizing
an abortionist.
Although the complexity of the case
calls for a closer examination of proparty
rights, we should not allow it to set
a precedent that will stifle communication.
We should allow pro- and antiabortion
literature to fight freely for
truth in the war of ideas.
iniiv. 'Incy must Ik- Ix-tween 6S(> and 75b words in
r all submissions to Russell House room :W. or call
name, phone number, professional title or year and major if a
>m TH. K-mail letters must include the author s telephone nunv
Ik- withheld.
I urge the students of USC, and.esDecially
our mighty and stalwart Stulent
Government, to bring this crime
o the forefront of campus politics, for
surely it is the most pressing issue of
)ur day.
Wilson R, Brown
Geography Junior