Newspaper Page Text
4 • The Red and Black • Wednesday, February 7, 1990
OPINIONS
The Red & Black
Ettabliehed 1893—Incorporated 1980
An independent ttudent newt pa per not affiliated with the Uniuereity of Georgia
Charlene Smith/Editor-in-Chief
Amy Bellew/Managing Editor
Robert Todd/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
Lunatic politics
Rep. Frank Redding, D-Decatur, will visit Athens
bars in the next few weeks. If you spot him — he’ll be
the one staring you down, trying to figure out how old
you are — let him know just how much you appreciate
his concern for your social habits.
Redding’s latest effort in his crusade to dictate the
social habits of Georgia’s under-21 population is too
asinine to imagine. Putting underage bar patrons in a
pen defeats the purpose of going out. Maybe bar owners
could build a temporary wall for Redding’s visit, so he
can see for himself how fun it would be to sit behind a
wall while his friends mingle with the big kids.
This is just one example of how legislators are out of
touch with the people whose lives are affected by the
laws they make. Voters choose legislators who they
hope will represent their interests. Some are sorely
disappointed.
Stay-in-office politics are a disease creeping
through our Legislature like gangrene. Some
legislators seem to be concerned only with staying in
office. Any bill that looks good on paper is sure to pass,
regardless of the bill’s long-term effects.
Cutting spending is a popular thing to be in favor
of, until legislators discover it will cost jobs in their
districts. Voters don’t like unemployment.
Uncle Frank should consider that before sponsoring
legislation that could mean the end of some Athens
bars and a blow to the Athens economy. State
representatives should consider the good of the whole
state, not just the isolated concerns of their districts —
like the recent murder of two minors in an Atlanta bar
that Redding says prompted this bill. If Atlanta needs
walls in its bars to separate the under-agers from the
legal adults, then the Atlanta City Council can pass an
ordinance.
Athens doesn’t need Redding to dictate its social
life.
Standardized testing
The Educational Testing Service and Rutgers
University are conducting a study of the Scholastic
Aptitude Test to determine whether it accurately
predicts academic potential. Additionally, the ETS is
considering updating the SAT by adding a writing
sample and more math and algebra.
All this activity stems from the ETS’s desire to
produce a valid means to determine how well high
school students will do in college and growing concerns
of cultural and sexual bias in the SAT.
The ETS makes painstaking efforts to ensure the
SAT is not biased. Panels from around the nation help
develop the test, and test questions are reviewed five
times to guard against bias. However, it is naive to
think that one standard test can apply equally to all
the economic, cultural, social and educational
backgrounds of America’s high school students.
College of Education Dean Alphonse Buccino
accurately stated the problem isn’t so much with the
test, but with its application. Institutions use the SAT
as their only measuring stick, when they should use a
combination of indicators.
“The SAT is like a doctor taking someone’s
temperature,” Buccino said. “It’s only one indicator and
one must be careful of how it’s interpreted. You have to
use other indicators also."
The University’s Graduate Studies program is an
example of this. The minimum entrance requirement is
based on a combination of three indicators, and no
single indicators can disqualify an applicant.
Given the questions which continue to surround the
SAT, the University and other institutions should place
less weight on the SAT and more on the value of several
indicators.
STAFF
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QUOTABLE
••we know all about the Georgia Bulldogs yet we know almost
nothing about UGA rosoarch.
gubernatorial candidate Andrew Young during a campagn stop
at the University Complex Carbohydrate Research Center.
WH'TWORWCOMKWl
-THEAMERIWS CANT
SHOOT us-
COMMUNISTS AJJ/N
EHPANGERLP SPECIES...
Too soon to lift South Africa sanctions
On Saturday, Feb. 3, the world witnessed
some promising changes in South Africa. The
South African President, F.W. de Klerk, legiti
mized the existence of many militant anti-
apartheid groups and paved the way for nego
tiations with regard to greater political partici
pation by blacks and the release of hundreds of
political prisoners.
However, we must realize that this is only
the beginning for the South African blacks’
struggle for majority rule. President Bush’s an
nouncement that he may consider relaxing
American sanctions against South Afica (pro
vided de Klerk “follows through on promises to
free Nelson Mandela and remove restrictions
on the black population”) is premature, im
moral and risks unravelling the progress we
have made in forcing South Africa to institute
fundamental reforms.
One cannot deny that sanctions do work. The
South African economy is dependent upon 10-
20 percent foreign investment. Foreign trade
accounts for roughly one-half of their gross do
mestic product. De Klerk evidenced their effec
tiveness by calling on the international
community to “re-evaluate its position and to
adopt a positive attitude towards the dynamic
evolution” in South Africa. Indeed, de Klerk has
learned that isolatin from the international
community hurts.
More importantly, polls have proven that the
majority of blacks in South Africa support sanc
tions. In order to gain freedom, they are willing
to suffer short-term economic hardships. It is
an indisputable fact that apartheid hurts
blacks far worse than financial set-backs. Even
since the advent of de Klerk’s reforms, anti-
apartheid activists have called for intensified
sanctions. For example, Walter Sisulu, a
former general secretary of the African Na
tional Congress, urged further international
pressure despite the fact that he and many
other black leaders had been released from cap
tivity. On Saturday, black leaders confirmed
this stance by calling on countries committed to
anti-apartheid policies to continue to isolate
Pretoria. This is because basic institutions of
apartheid still exist.
Black-owned businesses account for only 1
percent of South Africa’s total GNP, and even
these businesses are completely dependent
upon the state bureacracy. Per capita income is
only one-ninth that of whites.
Furthermore, blacks are only beginning to
gain marginal political power, even with de
Klerk’s reforms. As long as army troops are sta
tioned in black townships and repressive legis
lation exists, freedom for blacks cannot be
realized. Black leaders know that their efforts
must be coupled with external pressures in
order to bring about change.
Only when mfyority rule is in place should
the United States ease its economic sanctions.
The drastic steps taken by de Klerk recently
are indicative that sanctions are having a pro
found effect on the his ability to maintain an
environment of racism. For now it is imperative
to continue our present course in order to en
sure that the rights of South Africa’s citizens
are protected.
Kelly Happe is a columnist for The Red and
Black.
Days of delinquent debauchery done
The mood is gloomy at Perdition, the local
bar where I like to hang out. Everybody there is
pretty worried about Rep. Frank Reddings ef
forts to save Georgia’s youth from the evils of
alcohol.
It seems the democrat from Decatur wants
desperately to keep boys and girls who are
under 21 from being exposed to the temptation
of fire water. Back in January, he proposed a
bill which would have prohibited anyone under
21 from even entering a saloon, but he has since
softened his position. Now Redding wants to
amend his bill to reauire bars and nightclubs to
construct a physical barrier to separate their
underage patrons from 21-year-old customers.
Well, at Perdition, where the motto is “I
think, therefore I drink,” Mr. Redding’s legis
lation has cast a pall over the bar’s normally
carefree atmosphere.
Jimmy, an 8-year-old Athens resident who
patronizes Perdition regularly, is so upset he
can barely hold his glass steady as Joe the bar
tender pours him another whiskey sour.
“Joe,” he says, with a look of fear and awe in
his eyes. “Who is this man, Frank Redding?
How is it that I have never heard of this genius
from Decatur before? For years I and my pre
adolescent friends have cruised the bars of
Athens, guzzling whiskey, despite being ob-
Mark
Sheftall
viously underage. And now the game is up!
Redding and his do-gooder friends have put an
end to my days of debauchery!”
“Yes, Redding certainly has thrown a
monkey-wrench in my plans as well,” replies
Joe. “For years I’ve taken the money of the un
derage in an effort to slowly corrupt their
morals and get them hooked on whiskey. I espe
cially wanted to hook niave, unsuspecting un
derage girls so that older males could come to
my bar and exploit them. Think of it! I could
have been rich! It was a beautiful plan, and it
would have worked if it wasn’t for those med
dling politicians!”
“Give me another whiskey,” Jimmy slurs. He
has had too many already - 17 is his limit - but
Joe keeps on pouring because he er\joys seeing
Jimmy toss his cookies. I realize things could
get ugly in a minute, so I pay my tab and leave.
As I’m walking the streets I start to think
about Redding and his plan. How would it be
implemented? Would bars erect a wall in the
middle of their establishment to separate the
21-year-olds from the underage? That solution
smells like pre-1989 Berlin to me, and we all
know what happened to the wall in that town.
Maybe bars could have drinking and non
drinking zones, with patrons relegated to
“drinkers only” or “non-drinkers only” tables
and counters. It could be a sort of alcoholic
apartheid. I think the best idea would be to put
the underage in cages, where they could sit and
enjoy the revelries of drinking customers while
being prevented from imbibing themselves.
All the same, I have to tip my hat to that
Sherlock Holmes of the Georgia Legislature,
Frank Redding. With one or two visits to
Athens he has seen through the clever facade of
the college bar scene and glimpsed the true na
ture of our wretched, whiskey-soaked social
lives. I’m sure a man less in touch with colle
giate life than Redding couldn’t have done it.
and parents everywhere should be thankful
men like him are looking out for our well-being.
Mark Sheftall is a columnist for The Red and
Black.
Aids headline missed mark
■ FORUM
□ The Red and Black welcomes letters to the editor and prints them in the Forum
column as space permits. All letters are subject to editing for length, style and li
belous material. Letters should be typed, doublespaced and must include the name,
address and daytime telephone number of the wnter. Please include student classlfl
cation and major other appropriate identification. Names can be omitted with a valid
reason upon request. Letters can be sent by U S. mall or brought In person to The Red
and Black's offices at 123 N. Jackon St.. Athens. Ga.
Let me applaud the efforts of
The Red and Black to offer news
coverage of the Aids Education,
Awareness and Action Day, Jan.
27. However, the positive attempt
sputtered a bit with Laura Roe’s
article that appeared in the Jan. 30
edition.
Roe’s article was gloriously enti
tled “Aids Patients Share Feelings
with Crowd.” Someone with AIDS
isn’t a patient (or a victim), but
rather a PWA (person with AIDS).
In fact, with the advancement of
medicine keeping some what as
tride with the advancement of the
disease, the acronym gaining popu
larity is PLWA (person living with
AIDS). The point was discussed by
David and Rik after an attendee
asked, “Do you consider yourself a
victim or a patient?” This very
point was clarified at that time.
Opportunities to educate the
general public like the seminar
sponsored by AID Athens and the
University Health Services are
helping people become aware of
this mislabeling. Please don’t undo
the work all those hard-working
volunteers, guests and profes
sionals did that day in the Tate j
Center with such uninformed
claims, Persons are no longer vic
tims or patients, but rather
PLWA’s; nor are there risk groups
— just risky behavior; and means
can be taken to make sex safer —
not safe.
Kathryn E. Shrove
senior, recreation and leisure
studies
Condom ad an abuse
In reference to the condom ad
vertisement on the bottom of page
7 in the Feb. 2 edition of The Red
and Black, the idea of mail-order
condoms is a good one for people
who have trouble buying them in
person. However, the statistic con
tained in the ad (“One in every 300
college co-eds has AIDS”) is not
only untrue, but an abuse of a
health crisis in the pursuit of
wealth.
In a study that the University
participated in, the Centers for
Disease Control found that at least
one in 500 college students (not
just co-eds) was HIV positive; that
is, they had AIDS antibodies in
their blood — not the same as
having full-blown AIDS. This is not
to say that one should not be con
cerned about AIDS. On the cont
rary, it is a crisis that will change
the form of our society; by 1993,
AIDS will be the number one killer
of all persons in the U.S. in the 18-
55 age group.
This advertisement preys on this
need for condom use ana exploits
the fear and ignorance sur
rounding AIDS. In the future, I
hope The Red and Black will be
more aware of the content of its ad
vertisements and check those that
deal with issue such as this. The
best course of action — know the
facts, play it safe, and do not get
caught up by false advertising.
Dann Early
Health Services Paer Sexuality
Educator
Is anyone in heaven?
Is Gandhi in Heaven? Is
Schaefer insane? Well, yes and no.
Or is it no and yes? There are some
rich comedic possiblities here.
But what puzzles me is that
Campus Life would call on Dr.
Schaefer to offer a solution to this
problem. After all, can’t the
faithful through simple prayer re
ceive direct knowledge of who is in
heaven and who is not? Shouldn’t
all who ask receive the same an
swer (this is known as replication)?
Surely there's no need to call in
someone to argue the matter
through. Unless, of course, there is
nobody up there.
Christopher K. Starr
researcher, horticulture