Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Online.Poll THE GAMEC0CK *Wednesday’July212004 Online.PolI.Results 5 Do you agree with Shaq’s decision to play ^■10' I Ij ' 1 \ J I \ I [\ I ' I ' Do you agree with the Philippines’decision to for the Miami Heat? I ■ J V W I I I I |\ I pull its troops out of Iraq? 33% Yes 53% No www.dailygamecock.com J i~'4 T f V_X 15% I thought we were the only ones there IN OUR OPINION Staying HIV-free is easy on campus South Carolina may be last in most national rankings, but it’s ranked eighth in the nation in HIV infection. Columbia is ranked fourth in the nation among urban areas of comparable sizes, and Charleston is ranked 22nd in the nation among cities its size. Unfortunately, blacks make up 79 percent of these HIV/AIDS cases even though they only make up a third of South Carolina’s population. Three options for HIV prevention are abstinence, monogamy with a HIV-negative partner, and the use of safer sex. USC students should take advantage of on-campus sources to keep from becoming another HIV statistic. USC’s Sexual Health Program provides a free condom jar in the lower level of the Thomson Student Health Center. The pharmacy in the Student Health Center offers reason able prices on condom packages. The Health Center offers HIV and STD testing as well.Condoms are also available through the Richland County Health Department, as well as $5 HIV and STD tests. If you’re the shy type, you can get free condoms online at freecondoms.com. Students should use these resources to help stay HIV and STD-free. USC has made it simpler, more convenient and more cost-effective to make responsible decisions and put Columbia back on a healthier track. ABOUT THE GAMECOCK STAFF Editor in Chief Steven Van Haren News Editor Michael LaForgia Viewpoints Editor Paige Haggard The Mix Editor Megan Treacy Sports Editor Brad Senkiw Photo Editor Melissa Wallace Page Designers Erin Cline, Chaz McCarthy Copy Editors Tracy Bealer, Joel Wallace STUDENT MEDIA Director Scott Lind berg Faculty Advisor Erik Collins Advertising Manager Sarah Scarborough Creative Director Susan King Business Manager Carolyn Griffin Classified Manager Sherry F. Holmes Ad Rep Jesica Johnson Production Manager Patrick Bergen TO PUCE AN AD The Gamecock 1400 Greene St. Columbia, S.C. 29208 Advertising: 777-3888 Classified: 777-1184 Fax: 777-6482 CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Editor in Chief: gamecockeditor@gwm.sc.edu News: gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu Viewpoints: gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu The Mix: gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu Sports: gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu 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. CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Credible is a subjective term PAIGE HAGGARD GAMECOCKOPINIONS@GWM.SC.EDU I remember when I heard that Tom Ridge, our Homeland Security Secretary, announced “credible” reports claiming terrorists would most likely target the elections this November. My first thought was ironic: are the sources for these reports the same sources for the “facts” of Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction? Bush led the nation on the red-herring path that Saddam not only was a threat to our nation with these weapons, but somehow this corrupt dictator was linked to al-Qaeda (even though the group’s goal of pan-Islamic power is surely contradictory to Saddam’s own personal ambitions) and boom, we’re at war with Iraq again. Then the English student in me took over. What about the wording of the account? While the word “credi ble” is intended to inspire faith in lis teners, the account was just too vague — no whos, wheres or hows. In effect, the claim was, “We think there’s a high chance some undeclared terror ists will probably try something around the time of the elections.” How is that credible? It sounds like gossip tome. inis reasoning iea to a more soDer ing thought: What about the very cred ible tip that specified the World Trade Center as a target for some form of ter rorism? This wasn’t credible enough to warrant any investigation, much less any news coverage. I’m not saying that following this tip would’ve totally prevented Sept. 11; however, it’s dis turbing to think the paranoia being hyped through our colored-coded dan ger zones can lead to vague insinua tions of threats being interpreted as “credible.” These vague reports started sound ing a little too convenient with the talk of possibly delaying the elections, especially in the wake of Spain’s March elections in which the pro-Iraq war party lost power. Could these reports be a way to give the Bush administration time for some much needed damage control? Or worse, could these reports be a way to pres sure voters into keeping Bush in office out of fear? The White House has since denounced these credible reports as bunk, but that doesn’t alleviate the willies I’ve developed. We are a nation that saw no conflict of interest when Big Brother Jeb’s Florida decided the fate of the 2000 election. We’re also a nation that forgot all the nasty encounters like the Iran- Contra affair during the Reagan administration when the Big Gipper bit the big one. Could we also be a nation that sweeps nonexistent WMDs under the rug because George W.’s money can buy him good speechwriters and speech coaches? Are we going to be a nation that forgives an administration who has made our national security a Crayola sound bite and will we forget all the responsibilities the administra tion won’t own up to? Haggard is a third-year MFA Creative Writing student.