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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, September 12, 2001 IN OUR OPINION USC students handle crisis with calm In a time of national and international crisis and confusion, USC students have handled themselves calmly and with class. To see students gathered in the Russell House around televisions, to hear them talking in the Grand Marketplace, to watch them giving blood and taking the initiative to create relief efforts is inspiring. We are heartened by the students who rushed to donate blood and waited hours to make a difference. As death and injury tolls continue to mount, the need for blood is still great, and Columbia blood banks have extended their hours. We’re proud of you, and we encourage you to continue to volunteer. Campus religious organizations have worked together to create prayer • groups and special services in light of Tuesday’s attacks. In the wake of this worldwide tragedy, people will look to organizations of faith for consolation and support. The Gamecock is deeply proud to be part of a USC community that has remained calm and cohesive. Together, we have been patient, and university life has been a source of stability in a nation that’s in tumult. The nation is in turmoil, but the campus is peaceful. In the following days, we caution against making rash judgments about who is to blame. USC’s population is diverse, and students must be careful about their attitudes, comments and actions toward international students and toward Muslims, who are often unjustly accused after terrorist attacks. We must be careful to learn from America’s past mistakes and misdirected anger. Being an Arab American at this time isn’t unlike being a Japanese American during World War II. As relief efforts continue and our nation begins to heal, we must share our country as we share this crisis. We are heartened by the students who rushed to donate blood and waited hours to make a difference. ... We are proud of you,and we encourage you to continue to volunteer. GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. Write us at gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com ABOUT THE GAMECOCK Martha Wright Editor in Chief Mary Hartney University Editor Ginny Thornton Asst. Univ. Editor Victoria Bennett The Mix Editor Justin Bajan Asst. The Mix Editor Chris Foy Sports Editor Preston Baines Asst. Sports Editor Elizabeth Swartz Online Editor Aaron Hark Photo Editor Greg Hambrlck City & State Editor Brandon Larrabee Viewpoints Editor Page Designers Crystal Dukes, Katie Smith, Rick Johnston, David Stagg Community Affairs Betsy Baugh, Karen Yip Copy Editors Crystal Boyles, Jas$h Harmon, Jill Martin, Carolyn Rowe TO PLACE AN AD The Gamecock 1400 Greene Street Columbia, SC 29208 Advertising: 777-3888 Classified: 777-1184 Fax: 777-6482 STUDENT MEDIA Erik Collins, Faculty Adviser Ellen Parsons, Director of Student Media Susan King, Creative Director Carolyn Griffin, Business Manager Sarah Sims, Advertising Manager Sherry F. Holmes, Classified Manager Creative Services Todd Hooks, Martin Salisbury, Beju Shah Advertising Staff Betsy Baugh, Caryn Barowsky, Denise Levereaux, Jackie Rice, Stacey Todd CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Editor in Chief: gamecockeditor@hotmail.com University Desft: gamecockudesk@hotmail.com City Desk: gamecockcitydesk@hotmail.com Viewpoints: gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com Spotlight: gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com Sports: gamecocksports@hotmail.com Online: www.dailygamecock.com Newsroom: 777-7726 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 and nine times during the summer with the exception 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 Student Media is the newspaper’s parent organization. The Gamecock is supported in part by student activities fees. One free copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for one dollar each from the Department of Student Media. IN MEMORY indivisible, Terrorism is unacceptable NATHAN WHITE GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM Threats we now combat are faceless, cowardly acts of terrorism. September 11,2001, is a date that will live in infamy. Pearl Harbor, sixty years earlier, defined an era and changed America. Our nation, one of peace and democracy, aloof from the power politics and squabbles of Europe and the world, was viciously and brutally attacked by the Empire of Japan. For four years, America waged a war against militarism and fascism, the threats du jour against democracy. At the end of World War II, our nation stood victorious above the ashes of Europe and Asia and faced a new threat against our democracy. For forty-six years, America waged a Cold War against communist aggression, engaging in conflicts in places such as Korea and Vietnam, while garrisoning troops in Europe. In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed and America stood atop the world alone. For 10 years, this nation has seen no challenge to its democracy. Until now. The World Trade Center will become synonymous with Pearl Harbor. Look now at the threat to American democracy. It is no longer fascism, communism or militarism. The threat we must now combat is the faceless cowardly acts of aggression known as terrorism. No longer do our threats come from nation-states, but rather from clandestine, ideologically radical and inherently anti American terrorist organizations. And their war of terrorism is over. Regardless of who is responsible for this dastardly attack, any who would harbor terrorists, condone terrorism or use it to impress their will must now quake before the awesome might of the American will. Admiral Yamamoto said after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that Japan had “awakened a sleeping dragon and filled it with a terrible resolve, un, now true. America went on to “grind into powder” the Empire of Japan as Winston Churchill predicted the Allied forces would. Now, America must grind into bloody pulp the godless bastards who bombed the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The terrorists who destroyed the symbol of America’s economic might and damaged the facade of America’s military might must know this: as the World Trade Center towers crumbled to the ground as rubble, so did these terrorists and their senseless war against America. They will face their maker against a backdrop of the thousands of Americans they have killed. This nation is at war. We must rally behind the flag and the ideals America stands for: life, liberty and happiness. We will not let anyone ever, ever takes these precious rights away. And nor should we let our search for security and vengeance compromise our sensibilities. Make no mistake — this is the greatest attack on the United States ever. Let us not fail to rise to the occasion to defend our freedoms, but let us not ourselves compromise our basic liberties as we hunt down and butcher the pigs who have done this. Let us fear nothing, neither these cowards nor any more unforeseen threats to America. No longer do we negotiate or deliberate with these craven organizations and groups. The pen has run dry. We shall sharpen our swords and prepare ourselves for battle. We face a new enemy, one with no face, no shame and no regard for life. We might never be able to kill the idea that perpetuates such violence, but we can destroy any who would use violence against us until every living thing opposing us is dead. Remember the U.S.S. Cole. Remember the Pentagon. Remember the World Trade Center. Today is a new day and we are at war. What will you do to preserve the peace you so enjoy? Do not fear cowardice. Pick up a gun and man a post. Give blood and ask that it be sent to New York. Pray to God that these terrorists be rounded up, tried for their crimes and executed for their villainy. And more than all else, never forget September 11,2001. IN YOUR OPINION Terrorist attack has impact on USC As everybody is thinking about the tragedies in New York City and D.C., I’d like to make two quick comments. First of all, how the hell were four commercial airplanes hijacked in one day? Who was working the flyer check-in lines at the airport? My guess is that it must have been Sizemore “Security.” Secondly, I think that all classes should have been canceled. I can not believe that I had to go to class while America was being attacked. Did USC not realize the magnitude of this tragedy? I guess not. I could have walked out of calculus after an hour and a half of class and been completely oblivious to the fact that the White House had been destroyed or that half of the east coast was obliterated. Next time America is attacked, I will not be walking to class like an uninformed fool. RAYMOND COBLE, R.A. SECOND-YEAR STUDENT, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Submission Policy Letters to the editor or guest columns are welcome from the Carolina community. Letters should be 250-300 words. Guest columns should be about 600 words. Both must include name, phone number, professional title or year and major, if a student. Deliver handwritten submissions to Russell House room 333, or send e-mail to gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit for libel, style and space, nonymous letters will not be published. Photos are required for guest columnists and can be provided by the submitter. Call 777-7726 for more information. ^---1 The Gamecock staff offers our thoughts and prayers to the members of the university family touched by the New York and D.C. attacks. All we can do now is be patient AUBREY FITZLOFF AUZEYBREEZY@HOTMAIL.COM This is not a military base being attacked; these are US. Civilians. Nothing could be more frightening than to hear your country is under attack. This morning, many USC students woke to find that our nation was the target of the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. Four planes had been hijacked. Two toppled the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, one hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the final plane crashed in Pennsylvania. All airplane flights have been cancelled, transportation is severely limited across the country and our Capitol has been evacuated. Probably the most frustrating thing for USC students right now is being completely helpless. We’re too far away to be part of the action. We’re too far away to actually help anyone in New York or Washington. All we can do is watch the television, listen to the radio and talk among ourselves: “We’re going to bomb the hell out of whoever did this.” But who did this? At the moment, we don t know (although by the time this is published, we may have uncovered the culprit). Until we do know, we have plenty of displaced emotions: fear, shock, grief, horror, anger. This attack was made on two of our most prominent national symbols - our nation’s Capitol and its center of commerce. Some have compared these attacks to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The thought of going to war is a sobering one. And these casualties are different from those of Pearl Harbor. We aren’t talking about a military base being attacked; these are thousands of American citizens who have been wounded or killed and emotionally traumatized. Numbers of casualties will be astounding. There are about 50,000 people who work in the Twin Towers, the civilians who were on the planes, the pedestrians and the passersby outside the buildings. President Bush was not at ah exagerating when he called the day a national tragedy. We are not taking this event lightly. President Bush has already promised, “The United States will hunt down and punish those responsible.” Until the government has done so, all we can do is be patient, support those we’re capable of helping and offer comfort to those around us who have direct ties to people hurt or killed. The best action we can take is to be tolerant of those around us. And for those who are up to it, make an appointment with the Red Cross on Bull St. to donate blood. And the worst action we could take is to panic and accomplish the terrorists’ goals in terrifying our nation. For the citizens of the United States, Tuesday, Sept. 11,2001, has been a harrowing day — one that we, as a nation, will have to endure and recover from.