The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 17, 2003, Page 4, Image 4
4 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Monday, February 17, 2003
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IN OUR OPINION
Stars aren’t
war experts
As tension has grown between the United States
and Iraq, many musicians and actors have used their
high profiles to influence politicians and citizens.
But Americans need to evaluate the artists’ anti-war
rhetoric with some skepticism.
In December, Mike Farrell, famous for his role on
the TV series “MASH,”, was one of 104 people—most of
them celebrities—who signed a letter to Washington
to protest the war. Other signers included David
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comedienne Janeane Garofalo.
Farrell is a longtime political
activist, but Garofalo is famous
for telling jokes, not for her
involvement in politics.
It’s a constitutional right to petition the
government, but some in show business use then
publicity to blow smoke.
Before the Iraq conflict, many celebrities suggested
they would leave the country if Bush were elected.
Pierre Salinger, a TV journalist and former press
secretary to President John F. Kennedy, said he’d
move to France — and he was the only one to make
good on his promise. Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder also
said he would leave, but only made it as far as Hawaii.
Rock musician Dave Matthews argues against the
war in a letter on his band’s Web site. Even British
artists such as Massive Attack and Thom Yorke of
Radiohead have offered their two cents.
Most of these artists are short of any solutions
other than letting the U.N. inspectors do their jobs.
While war might not be the solution, Americans
need to determine their own stances on the war and
take the celebrities’ rhetoric only at face value.
Americans neea
to evaluate
celebrities’
anti-war rhetoric
with some
skepticism.
College Quote Board
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
CHRISTINE ROBINSON. UNIVERSITY OF
KANSAS
“Consensual oral and anal
sex between members of the
same sex is included in Kansas’
definition of‘criminal sodomy,’
and the penalty is a prison
term of as much as six months
and possibly a fine of as much
as $1,000....
This law is blatantly dis
criminatory and unjustifiable
from any reasonable stand
point.”
THE DAILY COUGAR
ALEX WUKMAN, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
“If we show children the out
come of warfare and weapons,
then they may not be so eager
to settle their disputes with vi
olence. If we show them an
HIV/AIDS survivor group,
then they may not be so willing
to engage in unprotected sex.
We mustn't sugarcoat these
ideas; often the most shocking
and mind-blowing lessons are
the ones best remembered.”
GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS
In a news brief on Friday, Jessica Tzerman’s name was misspelled.
The Gamecock regrets the error.
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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Jill Martin
Managing Editor
Charles Tomlinson
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Erin O'Neal
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Matt Rothenberg *
Asst. Sports Editor
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the University of South
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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
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Gamecock. The
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When Iraq came a-rapping
DAVID STAGG
GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM
Bush and Saddam are
friends nevermore.
Once upon a midday dreary,
while Powell argued strong and
clearly,
For the evidence of an Iraq
state that was breaking rules,
While we watched CNN, sur
prisingly shut out again,
He explained his stance to us
when the U.N. was played for
fools.
“I promise this is true,” he
muttered, “you’re being played
for fools —
“Wholly this, and nothing
more.”
Ah, distinctly I remember, it
was in a past September,
When each separate dying em
ber fell from the Two Towers.
It was here the war had start
ed; Iraq and al-Qaida parted;
Afghanistan bombed whole
hearted to start the show of U.S.
power —
For the protection of the civil
ians living domestically by the
hour —
To be picked on, nevermore.
But now the war’s focus has
changed to the country who’s al
ready maimed
From the economic sanctions
placed after the Gulf War;
So that now, to still the beat
ing of our hearts, we are con
stantly repeating
“We don’t need to be entreat
ing at the edge of Iraq’s shores —
“We don’t belong there, en
treating, we don’t belong there
anymore —
“Anymore, nevermore.”
But recently, our souls grow
stronger; Bush is hesitating now
no longer;
Willing to go without the
United Nations, he implores.
But the fact is that Iraq isn’t
napping; hiding weapons, quick
ly trapping
Weapons inspectors while
they’re tapping, tapping at their .
heads so sore —
“Where are the weapons they
aren’t scrapping? Are they be
hind some door?
“We want this, and nothing
more.”
And we have a weird situa
tion, not only do we have a rogue
nation,
But half the U.S. army’s sta
tioned, stationed in the Persian
Gulf—
A standoff of large propor
tions, wond’ring if it’s a distor
tion,
Some hoping that it leads to
abortion, abortion of the U.S. in
the Gulf—
“Are we already fighting? We
already seem so engulfed —
Is it this, or is there more?”
But I have come to tell you
clearly, the truth of why we fight
so dearly,
Fighting for what seems to be
yearly, yearly conflict in the area;
Yes, I was there on that night,
that Bush and Saddam had the
fight,
The fight over what started
this anxiety hysteria —
It was what you’d not expect
to cause mass hysteria —
Unexpected, evermore.
Yes, it has ended relations be
fore, and left people with bitter
sores,
To only remind them of why
they fought, which ends with
feelings new;
Bush and Saddam were once
good friends, now fighting to the
bitter end,
Fighting until the friendship
bends, now helpless, snapped in
two —
“If only Saddam had let me
have control of the remote,”
Bush said,
“It was only this — nothing
more.”
Stagg is a second-year media-arts
student.
IN YOUR OPINION
Discrimination in
all forms is wrong
In his letter to the editor,
(“Affirmative action isn’t un
American,” Feb. 12) Professor
Robert Stokes asks the ques
tion: “Do you see any social pol
icy as being more important
than the parochial rights of the
individual in society?” My an
swer is an emphatic, yes!
Affirmative action was a
beneficial program that served
a much-needed cause. At its
conception, affirmative action
helped this country take great
strides toward equality and jus
tice. Notice my use of the past
tense. Our society is now much
more diverse and multi-cultur
al. Anyone with the right mo
tivation can earn a college de
gree, and more people from ev
ery walk of life are going to col
lege now than ever before.
Stokes has a valid argument;
ProciHpnt RncVi wpc crivcm nrpf
erential treatment from various
colleges and other institutions.
But in trying to raise an exam
ple of unfairness in our society,
Stokes proved my point. Of
course it is not fair that Bush or
any other person should be ac
cepted to college not because
they meet admissions require
ments, but because of an exter
nal factor which has no effect
on their scholastic aptitude.
It is also unfair to admit any
student with sub-par qualifica
tions on the sole basis of their
ethnicity. It is unfair to other
more qualified candidates, and
it is unfair to the underquali
fied applicants themselves.
Academic regulations are set
up for a reason, they provide a
standard that a person must
meet in order to have a good
chance of succeeding.
Stokes also makes a comment
regarding our responsibility to
“personal sacrifice.” He thinks
it is my duty to embrace being
denied admission to a universi
ty for which I am qualified so
that less qualified applicants can
take my place. I challenge some
one to explain how a person who
is being unjustly kept from
something they deserve is doing
“their part in helping to forge a
better society.”
CHRIS SPEAKS
SECOND-YEAR RELIGIOUS-STUDIES
STUDENT
SG needs Donehue
to make a change
I was really excited to hear
that Wesley Donehue is con
sidering a possible run for stu
dent body president.
I am an active member of
\^uiiegc Acpuuncauo anu x
know Wesley Donehue person
ally. Wes has been a strong
leader in our organization for
many years. He is one of those
people who will go out of his
way to listen to you and to
make you feel welcome.
I know Wes will be a great
student-body president, and I
give him my full support in
whatever he should decide to
do. Wes is a leader in the truest
sense of the word and he will
get things done. Wes has a
great desire to make a differ
ence on the Carolina campus.
He’s willing to take advice
and to take the much-needed
steps to make the USC commu
nity better and safer for all stu
dents. Wes sees the ways he can
help and wants to act on his
ideas. He can and will speak for
every student’s need on this cam
pus.
I’m ready for real leadership
in Student Government. Are
you?
ALLISON HICKS
FIRST-YEAR POLITICAL-SCIENCE
STUDENT
Situation in Iraq
cannot be ignored
Detractors of the proposed war
on Iraq have really come out of
the woodwork over the past few
months. These anti-war activists
have said that such a conflict is
unnecessary because war solves
nothing. My question to them is
what has diplomacy accom
plished over the past 12 years?
Saddam Hussein has repeat
edly ignored U.N. resolutions im
posed on his regime since the con
clusion of the Gulf War, which he
started by invading Kuwait. Even
if he had complied with U.N. de
mands, it would have taken well
over a decade to do so.
If no punishment is levied
against this dictator, the message
will be sent that adherence to
U.N. resolutions is optional. This
is a message that must not be
sent, and continued diplomatic
failures will only hamper such a
goal.
ALBERT ARD
FOURTH-YEAR HISTORY AND
POLITICAL-SCIENCE STUDENT
Submission Policy
Letters to the editor should be less than
300 words and include name, phone
number, professional title or year and
major, if a student. E-mail letters to
gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com.
Letters will be edited. Anonymoua letters
will not be published. Call the newsroom
at 777-7726 for more information.
Senate
race is
already
exciting
BEN EDWARDS
GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM
Fritz Hollings needs to
watch his competition.
A field of Republican candi
dates is shaping up to challenge
Sen. Fritz Hollings in 2004 if he de
cides to run again. A good deal of
speculation has emerged that
Hollings might decide to forgo an
other race for multiple reasons.
The senator is not only 81 years
old now, but also faces the daunt
ing prospect of having to struggle
against President Bush’s sizeable
coattails in the 2004 Presidential
election.
In typical Southern fashion,
South Carolina has voted in
creasingly Republican in the past
thirty years. From 1970 to 1996,
Democrats lost strength in the
South Carolina General Election
every year. Some speculation has
emerged that Hollings might de
cide not to run again in a politi
cal climate that seems to be stack
ing the odds against Democrats.
On the other hand, Hollings will
not be easily unseated with the se
niority he has amassed in his 35
plus years in the U.S. Senate.
So far, four Republican candi
dates have announced they will
run for his seat. Congressman
Jim DeMint from Greenville
looks most likely to win the nom
ination after a merely formal pri
mary. His opponents all lack ei
ther the ability to win or the ex
perience necessary to be credible.
Thomas Ravenel, the son of
state Sen. Arthur Ravenel, to the
best of my knowledge, has never
been elected to a public office be
fore. His success in real estate
does not qualify him for the U.S.
Senate.
Former Congressman Tommy
Hartnett lost to Hollings in 1992 by
three percentage points. Having
the same candidates face each oth
er again would invite the same re
sult as last time — a Republican
, loss in a conservative state.
Mayor Mark McBride of Myrtle
Beach does not have the name
recognition or the legislative ex
perience of DeMint. At this point,
all signs point toward DeMint
winning the Republican nomina
tion after an easy primary.
His odds of beating Hollings
look better and better as the sen
ator continues to grow older and
the state becomes more
Republican. Americans for Tax
Reform awarded DeMint the
“hero of the taxpayer” award for
his legislative record. His Social
Security plan would protect ben
efits for seniors and offer younger
workers personal savings ac
counts.
South Carolina is a conserva
tive state and DeMint has the
highest lifetime conservative rat
ing in the South Carolina delega
tion. He will not be the type of can
didate that Hollings can take
lirrh+lv
The 2004 election seems even
more likely to generate an upset
because of the different political
landscape. President Bush will be
on the ballot; his approval ratings
are higher than the national av
erage throughout the South. The
young Sen. Lindsey Graham, who
will not be facing an election until
2008, will be much more effective
in stumping statewide for
Republican candidates than Sen.
Strom Thurmond was in his lat
er years.
Gov. Mark Sanford, coming up
for re-election in 2006, will also be
able to travel the state and rally
support for the Republican nomi
nee. All these factors combined
will make it very difficult for
Hollings to retain his seat. In my
opinion, DeMint can go ahead and
order senatorial stationary.
Edwardl is a fourth-year *
philosophy student.