4 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Monday, November 11, 2002
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IN OUR OPINION
i
Think before
going to war
The United Nations approved a resolution Friday
that calls for Iraq to comply with weapons
inspections. The Washington Post, however,
reported a Pentagon plan to possibly mobilize 200,000
troops for an invasion of Iraq. The United States has
gotten the cooperation it desired from the U.N., but
the U.N. said there would be no immediate military
action against Iraq. And the United States will only
get itself into more trouble by going to war without
international support.
The resolution gives Iraq
until Nov. 15 to accept its
terms and until Dec. 8 to
-K
declare its chemical, biological
and nuclear weapons
programs. Secretary of State
Colin Powell said on “Meet the
Press” that Iraq needs to
cooperate immediately. If the
United States offers Iraq ample
If, because of
further
noncompliance,
the United States
goes to war
against Iraq
without
international
backing, its allies
could be scarce.
time to meet tne terms ot tne tougner u.jn.
resolution, it might avoid military action that would
only, as Arab League foreign ministers said, be a
threat to the security of all Arab nations.
If, because of further noncompliance, the United
States goes to war against Iraq without international
backing, its allies could be scarce. Fewer nations
would send their troops or allow American troops to
use bases in those countries.
And the United States will also need other nations
to assist in a possible rebuilding of Iraq if Saddam is
ousted. The Bush administration has talked little
about what would happen to Iraq were the regime
overthrown, and careful consideration needs to be
placed on how it would help Iraq during its
transition to a new government. The United States
can’t just leave Iraq’s citizens to fend for themselves.
The resolution represents an accord between the
United States and the U.N., and that accord should be
honored. America should wait to see the results of
the new resolution before jumping the gun and once
again threatening to take military action without the
support of the U.N.
GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS
In Monday’s paper, Terrance Beeks was incorrectly identified
as the president of the South Carolina Student Legislature. Beeks
is a member of College Democrats.
In an informational graphic in Wednesday’s paper, it was
incorrectly stated that the Richland County referendum to raise
taxes by 1 cent passed. The referendum was defeated at the polls.
In a correction in Friday’s paper, Paul Tagliabue’s name was
misspelled.
In a comic Friday, Quigmans author Buddy Hickerson’s name
was misspelled.
The Gamecock regrets the errors.
If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us
at gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com.
ABOUT THE GAMECOCK
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Adam Beam
Asst. News Editor
Emma Ritch
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Chris Foy
Asst. Viewpoints Editor
Erin O'Neal
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Stagg
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1400 Greene St.
Columbia, S.C. 29208
Advertising: 777-3888
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Feeding our moral appetites
CATHERINE BABB
GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM
Ethics and eateries are
better left separated.
When an old friend with com
paratively deeper pockets came
to stay a few days in Columbia
this past week, my roommate
and I enjoyed a rare treat: dinner
at a restaurant. Typically, our
evening meals are either burnt
or frozen. Occasionally, they are
both. So, Cathleen and I were
happy to entrust our appetites to
the more capable folks at
Harper’s in Five Points.
The hostess sat us in a dark
corner by the bar. A waiter ap
peared a few moments later and
took our order. I sipped an im
port, lit a cigarette and waited for
my salad. Our conversation idled
as we each relaxed, enjoying the
novelty of being out together.
Cathleen and our friend leaned
back, deep in their seats. Their
faces fell into complete shadow.
Yet I could sense their smiles.
Soon, the waiter returned and
set my salad down. It was color
ful, fresh, appealing — and cov
ered with bacon bits.
“Is something wrong?” he
asked.
“Yes. No. I mean, sorry. I don’t
eat meat. I didn’t think to ask...”
His eyes flicked quickly from
the cigarette in my right hand to
the beer in my left. His point
wasn’t lost on me; I felt a little
ashamed. He apologized, re
moved the plate and had the sal
ad remade, this time meatless.
I became a vegetarian by com
plete accident one year ago. My
roommate at the time had asked
me to proofread a paper she’d
written on the topic, for which
she’d researched the methods by
which the meat we consume is
produced—i.e., factory farming.
There wasn’t any agenda hidden
behind her request; Sarah just
wanted a good grade on her pro
ject.
I haven’t had a burger since. I
don’t suggest examining the ori
gins of your Big Mac, spare ribs
or chicken wings if you want to
continue to enjoy them. The re
ality of the modem meat indus
try is ugly and especially com
pelling.
That is not to suggest that I
feel compelled to preach and
screech the nuances of my deci
sion to waiters or any other cap
tive audience. Some issues are
best not argued openly. They are
better left to one’s personal dis
cretion, if for no other reason
than that they are the result of
highly personal sentiments.
A good example of such an is
sue is the death penalty. It both
ers you, or it doesn’t. Arguing
with those who feel differently
tends to be futile. Besides, who
am I to preach the gospel of vege
tarianism? I’ve other habits that
directly contradict the seeming
moral sensitivity of that one.
Yes, I think factory farming is
an abomination. It isn’t right to
treat animals as mere commer
cial ends, to trim the bottom line
by debasing living creatures.
Pigs, chickens and cows aren’t
human; they aren’t potatoes, ei
ther. They deserve a greater de
gree of compassion than they re
ceive at the hands of the indus
try.
Still, it’s wise to stay off the
soapbox. Occupying the moral
high ground is like owning
beachfront real estate: it’s risky
and expensive.
As with dining out, I simply
don’t have the means.
Babb is a third-year English and
advertising student.
IN YOUR OPINION
Society’s stupidity
reflected in Rapp
Wow. It might be the very
definition of irony that The
Gamecock let Jason Rapp, a
fifth-year journalism student
disguised as a retarded kid,
write a column (“Observing so
ciety’s stupidity,” Oct. 28) about
the decay of intelligence in
America.
Rapp says he enjoys observ
ing and analyzing everyday life.
Perhaps he should observe him
self reading a book on tolerance
and then analyze how he be
came so idiotic. I am not im
pressed by the way Rapp tries to
masturbate his intelligence by
using words from my llth-grade
vocabulary lists, such as
“morass” and “nadir.” He has
yet to learn that using big words
makes him sound smart only if
he actually is smart. Otherwise,
he sounds only like someone try
ing to condescend to the lowest
common denominator, unaware
that he is the lowest common de
nominator.
It’s like one retard calling
another stupid. Rapp blames
the advertising industry for
America’s cerebral decline.
First of all, advertising is the
reason we have any kind of af
fordable mass media whatever.
So, Jason, when you’re the cof
fee bitch for some low-level re
porter at the Peon Chronicle,
you can thank the advertisers
(and Folgers) for even having
a job.
Rapp complains about soci
ety’s creeping toward the low
est common denominator.
Society has always been about
the lowest common denomina
tor. That’s just another way of
saying “average.” Most people
fall into the Category of average.
That’s why it’s called average.
Why do you think there are no
books by or about Joe Schmoe?
Because every other average
person already knows what his
life is all about. We don’t care.
Does Rapp honestly think there
were no average people in the
days of Plato and Socrates?
Speaking of average, per
haps Jason should take English
101 again and try for something
better than a C. His article goes
on a ridiculously diarrheal rant
that struggles to make sense,
much less a point. We go from
“Seinfeld” to “Critical Mass,”
with about six undeveloped
ideas in between. He starts a
paragraph about political apa
thy in which that topic is barely
discussed.
Rapp makes assumptions
that apparently were pulled out
of his ass because he doesn’t
bother to rationalize them to
us, the lowest common denom
inator.
Jason does hit the nail on the
head when he says, “How we
relate to people says a lot about
us.” Hopefully, the “critical
mass” that is your fist is smart
enough to realize that Preston
protestors are just asserting
their right to free speech,
which, in case you’ve forgotten,
Jason, is fundamental to jour
nalism and a free society.
Maybe, Mr. Rapp, you
should add media law and con
stitutional law to the list of
classes you should refresh, be
cause advocating violence
against hippies and protestors
is a big step away from observ
ing and opining. Like he says
in his opening paragraph,
Jason Rapp’s life is his own per
sonal episode of “Seinfeld”: a
show about nothing.
BRENT CAMPBELL
FOURTH-YEAR ADVERTISING *
STUDENT
Gamecocks’ offense
sputtering since UT
I would like to express my sup
port for Jay Stinson’s letter
(“Gamecocks, get your act to
gether,” Nov. 4). This season, the
plays have all been predictable
and the situations in which they
are used have been incorrect.
There is no reason this should
happen. The responsibility lies
solely with the offensive coordi
nator. Even after Skip was given
two weeks to prepare for
Tennessee, the offensive output
that was displayed Nov. 2 was ter
rible.
I remember that at the begin
ning of the season, we were final
ly promised an offense that could
put up points. Wrong!
The fact is, the defense has
been the heart and soul of this
team again this year. Our de
fense can’t be blamed when it is
on the field for 38 minutes.
I have all the confidence in the
world that our quarterbacks have
the talent and ability to accom
modate a passing attack, but we,
the fans, will never know how
good our quarterbacks are if they
throw only 19 passes combined.
Finally, a lot of people are
dreading the day when Lou finally
retires. But, after careful thought,
I have concluded that it might not
be so bad. We all know Skip will
take Dad’s job, and we can finally
get a new offensive coordinator.
JOSH CHENEY
FOURTH-YEAR CRIMINAL JUSTICE
STUDENT
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There’s
no need
to make
pot legal
JASON L. RAPP
GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM
It’s easier to regulate
alcohol than marijuana.
Like PETA’s futile and point
less efforts to get USC to change
its mascot to something unorigi
nal yet animal-friendly, such as
Tigers or Bulldogs, the “Legalize
Pot” movement won’t go away.
Since my last column, Cheech,
Chong & Co. even had a debate
about the topic in the Russell
House, I presume with smoking
and nonsmoking sections. While I
don’t support their efforts, I do ad
mire their tenacity. Ditto the
People for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals, which could do good
in this world if it picked its fights
wisely and didn’t resort to ex
tremism to prove a point.
jjui i uui auinuc wuiiuui icuu'
ing support. I can’t support the le
galization of marijuana. While it
closely parallels alcohol, I doubt
marijuana would be regulated like
alcohol is. I doubt grocery or con
venience stores would sell mari
juana, like beer, thus taking away
the possibility of ID checks.
There might not be much dif
ference between getting drunk and
getting high, but the way drugs
and alcohol are sold differs. It
would be too easy for children to
come in contact with drugs. Drug
dealers don’t care whether they
sell to bitter letter writers, who re
spond to bad columns to make
their own miserable existences
seem better, or, worse, to children.
I think the efforts beer companies
take to curb underage drinking
are sincere; even if they weren’t,
the companies would at least have
to answer to irate shareholders.
But I’m open to the use of medic
inal marijuana for the terminally
ill under tightly regulated condi
tions, with marijuana grown on
government farms and available
only in the office of the prescribing
physician. To me, that isn’t abuse
of a mind-altering substance.
We don’t need to legalize mari
juana to have fewer drug offens
es. The government has major
holes in how it looks at drugs and
how it sentences those convicted
of drug offenses.
i axe, ior instance, tne race
driven disparity in sentences for
crack and powder-cocaine offens
es. But America’s drug policies are
backward in more areas than that.
One of the biggest problems is
our desire to punish instead of
rehabilitate. Drug dependency is
a medical problem and should be
treated as such. The govern
ment’s current method of dealing
with the drug problem, punish
ment through incarceration, is
making little impact. We won’t
win the war on drugs by sending
addicts to prison. We have to
cure the addiction.
Doing nothing to solve this
problem guarantees that our cor
rections system will continue to
face overcrowding that stresses
our corrections officers and
spreads our resources thin. It’s
more cost-effective to rehabilitate
drug offenders than to continue
incarcerating them. That practice
has no upside, while much differ
ence and progress can be made by
rehabilitating drug offenders to
ease the burden on taxpayers and
the corrections system.
We don’t need to legalize mari
juana. It’s not the same as alcohol.
Alcohol is legal if you’re of age,
but it hasn’t made us a nation of
drunks. But legalizing marijuana
would have more serious conse
quences. What kind of society
condones unfettered use of mind
altering substances? Most people
don’t drink to get drunk, but peo
ple who blaze up do it to get high.
Do we really need that?
Rapp is a fifth-year print
journalism student.