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The Ked and Black
1 pinion
Wednesday January 21. lt»H7
THE RED AND BLACK
Established 1893 - Incorporated 1980
Tami Dennis, Editor-in-Chief
Andy Smith, Managing Editor
Hector Vargas, Opinions Editor
American Newaoope'S PuDhsrwrs Association
TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF A FREE PRESS
An independent newspaper nut '(//dialed with the University o/Georgia
Racism alive
Monday marked the second federal holiday commem
orating the birthday of slain civil rights leader Rev. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
A memorial service was held in Atlanta at King’s church,
Ebenezer Baptist, and several noted dignitaries including
Georgia Gov. Joe Frank Harris, U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, King’s
widow Coretta Scott King and guest speaker U.S. Secretary
of State George Schultz were in attendance.
Although the service should have been a time to reflect
on what King did in his lifetime to stamp out bigotry through
non-violent means, it couldn’t be.
Instead, because of recent racially sparked events,
speakers constantly reminded the audience that much still
needs to be done in the movement for peaceful coexistence
among all races.
The event that has caused many to feel that coexistence
hasn't been achieved is the “brotherhood” march held last
Saturday in Forsyth County, Ga., that erupted into violence
as Ku Klux Klan members and supporters threw rocks and
bottles and shouted racial slurs at a group of about 90
marchers, both black and white.
No blacks have lived in Forsyth County since 1912, when
a black man, accused of raping a white woman, was
lynched, forcing blacks to flee the county.
Atlanta City Council Member Hosea Williams and For
syth County resident and march organizer Dean Carter led
the march, but because of risk of possible injury the group
was forced to stop.
Many people had thought such racism could be found
only in the 1960s when civil rights advocates marched all
over the South trying to put an end to racism. Many had
grown complacent thinking bigotry and violence were a
thing of the past.
The 1960s protestors also often met with violence, and be
cause of it, the South rightfully earned the reputation as the
home of racism.
But racism isn't indigenous to the South; it’s just per
fected here. The past few months are full of examples of big
otry and prejudice throughout the entire United States.
•In Howard Beach, N.Y., a group of angry white teen
agers attacked three black men and one black was killed.
•At the Citadel, a military university in Charleston, S.C.,
a few white cadets, dressed in white sheets, burned a cross
in a black cadet’s room. The white cadets were slapped on
the wrist with a suspension causing the black victim to de
cide to leave the school.
•The governor of Arizona canceled the state holiday com
memorating King’s birthday. He reportedly said there was
no need for such a holiday.
As much as Americans aren’t willing to admit it, racism
still is a prevalent problem in what is supposed to be the
epitomy of a “melting pot” society, and not many people
seem to want to change this.
However, the leaders of last Saturday’s march are plan
ning an “anti-intimidation” march in Forsyth County for
this Saturday, and Coretta Scott King and Jesse Jackson are
among civil rights leaders who will be there.
In addition, University senior and Forsyth County resi
dent, Philip Kontos is attempting to organize University stu
dents to join the protest.
Rest assured that KKK members and others who still be
lieve in a "racially pure" society also will be present.
Depsite the noble actions of these civil rights activists,
more needs to be done to fight prejudice, bigotry and
racism. Marching may prove that they won’t be intimidated
by bigots, but it won't change any opinions or attitudes.
People need to learn not to judge someone’s worth by
skin color, religious preference, sex, sexual preference or
national origin.
And as long as there still are close-minded people in this
world, King and his cause should never be forgotten
Television deadens brain cells
Since the 1950s, television sets have filled prac
tically every household in the United States.
According to World Book Encyclopedia, 98 per
cent of all of our country's homes have at least
one television set.
Many of us spend the majority of our spare
time watching television. On the average, a tele
vision set is in use in each American home for
six and one-half hours every day.
Television has become considered an almost
necessary institution that strongly influences
how people spend their time, as well as what
they see and learn. Therefore, it's necessary to
examine this medium for news, education and
entertainment, to see what specific impacts it’s
having on our society.
Television programming is changing the indi
vidual people of our society in two major ways.
These are in the areas of intellectual achieve
ment and moral values.
First, television watching seriously inhibits a
student's performamce in school. A California
survey indicates that the more a student watches
television, the worse he does in school.
California Schools Superintendent Wilson Rice
said. “No matter how much homework the stu
dents did, how intelligent they were or how much
money their parents made, the relationship be
tween TV and (worsening of) test scores was
practically identical." (Associated Press, Oc
tober 1980)
A person who is viewing television isn’t chal
lenged to think or create but only to absorb
sounds and images.
Bill Kent
This kind of slothful activity sedates the won
derful computer that we call our brain and con
sumes the precious time needed for school work
and other reading that is necessary to become an
educated individual.
Instead of becoming the investigative intellec
tuals that we might desire to become, we be
come products of propaganda We become
accustomed to receiving our opinions about
world issues from Dan Rather on CBS Evening
News.
He and his colleagues may or may not be to
tally honest and accurate in their reporting, but
it’s each person’s responsibility to read ana
listen to other sources to ensure their accuracy
Besides quenching the potential of the human
mind, modern television programming has de
sensitized our consciences to such an extent that
we may no longer know the difference between
right and wrong
We see continuous accounts of terrorism,
murder and child abuse on evening newscasts
In fact, we have seen and heard so many of these
events that we aren't surprised or upset when we
hear about them Our sense of outrage in re
sponse to w rongdoing becomes "innoculated "
As human beings, it seems that we no longer
realize that cheating, lying, stealing and murder
are unacceptable lx*havior that deserve serious
punishment
In addition, practically all soap operas and
prime time television shows present illicit sex
and rebellion against parents as acceptable be
havior If Don Johnson catches the bad guy on
Miami Vice, he gets himself a fine looking
woman. The child actors who are presented most
favorably on television shows are the ones that
regularly disobey their parents. (If these shows
didn't influence people's behavior, why would
the multibillion dollar advertising industry use
television in its efforts to influence consumer
buying habit!?
As dehydration saps the strength of a man's
body, popular television saps the intellectual and
moral strength of our people, and therefore of
our great country. It’s time for us to restore that
strength by turning away from television and by
reading such authors as Milton. Shakespeare and
God (the Bible).
Bill Kent is u senior reporter for The Red and
Black.
Escape scandal with new book
For more than a month newspapers have been
filled with highly critical articles of the White
House and everything associated with it in re
gard to the Iranian/Contra mess.
The President knew
The President didn’t know
The President should have known.
It was probably a longing for escape from this
mess that turned me to another mess A future
mess.
“The White House Mess” (Knoff Publishers,
1986) is a hilarious book by Christopher Buckley
about the fictitious administration of newly-
elected President Thomas Nelson Tucker (TNT),
a Democratic governor of Idaho elected in 1988
The book is written as though it were the mem
oirs of Tucker's personal assistant and deputy
chief of staff Herbert Wadlough. who first came
to know the former governor while working in
BoiM for the accounting firm of Dewey, Skruem
and Howe
Major characters of this motley crue include:
Press Secretary Mike Feeley — a former press
secretary for Geraldine Ferraro who teaches the
President’s 4-year-old son every four letter word
in the book
First Lady Jessica -- a former actress the Se
cret Service codenames Fantasy.
And Vice President Douglas Rigleuth — a self-
centered politician who's hunger for the top job
keeps him airborne for four years on goodwill
tours from Mauritius to Manitoba.
Buckley, son of conservative columnist Wil-
Itavid Winfrey
liam F Buckley and editor-at-large for Esquire
magazine, paints a humorous picture of an un
likely chain-smoking president who, as governor
of Idaho, declared the state a nuclear-free cone
and demanded the federal government to re
move all "Muscleman" missle silos
As president, his administrative ventures in
clude:
The National Metrification Initiative: a project
to convert America to the metric standard by the
turn of the century
Territory For Progress: a program stemming
from poor advising that would return to Mexico
all U.S. territory acquired during the Mexican
War
"The Mexicans love me," Tucher says trying
to defend his blunder. "They think I’m the
greatest president since Kennedy.”
"Then why don’t you run for President of
Mexico next time around," Wadlough counsels
"You’re bound to do better in Chihuahua than
the Southwest ”
Fortunately for Texas, Arizona and New
Mexico it never reaches actualization.
And The High Seas Summit: a summit with
Cuban dictator Fidel Castro on a Canadian naval
vessel equidistant from Key West and Havana
Castro isn’t nearly as impressed with the pres
ident as he is with the First Lady since as he has
seen all her films including "Midnight Water"
and "Minnesota Hots."
Tucker’s tenure appears doomed before it ever
begins when on Inauguration Day the president
elect arrives at the White House only to find
President Reagan still in his pajamas. His back
is hurting and he doesn't feel like moving until
spring.
His doctor's in with him now. They’re talking
about maybe giving him a shot of adrenaline."
the president-elect explains to Wadlough. "He
was very nice about it Hoped it wouldn't incon
venience me"
Buckley doesn't get tnjgged down in political
commentary and isn’t over critical of either po
litical party Rather, he uses his wit and imagi
nation to create an entire administration to give
his reader a behind-the-scenes look at the con
flicts. faux pas and hysteria that infects the
highest office in the land.
If you need a bit of escapism from the current
mess let me suggest "The White House Mess." It
won t make the current problem go away, but it
will make it a bit easier to cope with.
David Winfrey is a staff writer for The Red and
Black.
Editorial: 543-1809
Editor in Chi*/ Tsmi Denim
Managing Editor And) Smith
Opinion* Editor Hector Vargas
Front Page Copy Editor Theron Corse,
Chi*/Copy Editor Tommy Sims
Copy Editor Jessica Saunders
New* Editor Frank Steel*
Sport* Editor JimCallis
Entertainment Editor Julie Carey
UGA Today and Librarian Jim Farmer
Chief Photographer Warren Kolbert
A Mortal* New* Editor ■ Laursn Neer
guard. Christy Richards
SporU Senior Reporter Lori Clark
AMiatant Sport* Editor Chris Delieces*
A Mutant Photo Editor Nat Givley
Staff A rtist Chris Harmon
fentor Reporter* Bill Kent. Mike Kretwa
vage. Keith Phillips Carol Schuster Jeff
Turner. Mark Wheeler.Tony L Wilson
Advertising: 543-1791
Advertising Director Bill Wolgast
Student Advertising Manager Bonnie
Drobnyk
Advertising Representative* Lawrence
Greenspon. Rhonda Johnson. Tiffany
Kurtz. Keith Nimitz. Mark Smith. Gary
piacker. Michael Wells. Stacy Hulsey,
ftacv Long. Scott Scaggs. Becky West
Advertising Art/Photography Hen Nila.
Advertising Production Manager Brenda
Cleveland
Editorial Production Manager Michelle
Manic
Production Staff Pamela Bums. Sarah
Gallant. Mary Catharine Ginn, Lisa Logue.
Tonya Reed. Julie Ann Rowland. Drew
Wilson. Jennifer Abel. Kelly Long. Laura
Callahan
General Manager Harry Montevideo
Office Manager Mary Straub
Credit Manager Lisa Linz*
Claitified Sole* / Receptionist Lori Morns
THE RED AND BLACK is published Tuesday through Friday with thr exception of holi
days and examination periods by The Ked and Black Publishing Company . Inc . a non
profit campus newspaper not affiliated with The University of Georgia 123 North Jackson
Street. Athens Georgia tunoi Third class postage paid at Athens Georgia Subscription
rate la 04 per year PUOTMASTEK Send address changes to 123 North Jackson Street.
Athens. Georgia 30601
Opinions expressed in The Red and Black other than unsigned editorials are the opinions
of the writers of signed columns and are not necessarily those of The Red and Black Pub
g Co , Inc All rights reserved Reprints by permission of the editors
Letters
Accusations unfair
io nuc BDrim
While I found myself agreeing
with several points Jim Farmer
made in his "Drinking only a popu
larity tool," 1 vehemently disagreed
with the negative connotations he
has attached to the Greek system
with his reference to the alcohol
consumption habits of "an under
aged, jerseyed sorority girl."
As a member of the University’s
Greek system. I take offense to
Farmer's implication that girls in
sororities drink more than others If
anything, the University sorority
system is doing everything in its
power to discourage the indiscrimi
nate use of alcohol by its members
The Panhellinic Council and the so
rorities themselves have adopted
and are enforcing-strict policies re
garding the use of alcohol A gen
uine effort is being made to reverse
a well-entrenched social stigma that
it is impossible to have a good time
without being intoxicated Changes
in this attitude won’t occur over
night nor will they be expediated by
accusing generalizations
What you have so conveniently
forgotton is that it’s possible to
abuse alcohol whether the letters on
your shirt are Greek or not.
Laura Belmonte
Sophomore, history
Letters Policy
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your name in print for a valid
reason upon request
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Letters can be sent by U.S. mail
or brought in person to The Red and
Black's offices at 123 North Jackson
St, Athens, Ga 30601