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4 • The Red and Biac* • Ti»*esda). April 24. 1990
OPINIONS
The Red & Black
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An tn4*prn4#’U v.ipcpr n>; o/Tihated uU\ Iht L o/ Gt&rg~
Charlene Smith/Editor-irvChief
Amy Bellew/Managing Editor
Hogai Nassery/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
Tickets, please?
The University’s Public Safety department didn’t
: want to have to issue tickets on Baldwin Street when
i students repeatedly stopped traffic to unload a buggy
full of frter.ds But now it has to.
Pur.lie Safety Director Asa Boynton had hoped
smugs would be enough after pedestrians had so
tr. it.y c re calls with cars there So he sent University
Police officers to hand out warnings showing the
lc.it. : - of passenger drop-off pick-up points, which
were established last spring when the Athens City
| Council passed an ordinance prohibiting the use of
Ba.dw.r. as a student loading dock.
S j r.. w those irresponsible student taxis will get
t_' tickets for their disregard of traffic safety. Every
t.tr.e a driver stops to pick someone up or give someone
. r.de the driver will sit there for a few more minutes
I wh: an officer writes up a ticket. For the driver,
g-tt • u . ticket may take longer than driving to the
nearby drop-off point, so he or she is going to be even
later to class.
In addition, the extended stop will encourage more
! coli.sio:.- with pedestrians as other drivers zip down
the street to pick up someone while the officer on duty
| writes someone else a ticket.
Bn. east the officers now have power to enforce
law W.thout enforced order, Baldwin Street is a
• u-ntaare between classes for pedestrians, who risk
I their lives when they don’t use the crosswalk.
Something had to be done before someone got killed
and now that plan had to be taken one step further.
If drivers won’t use the pick-up points to save a life,
they might do it to save S25.
Help Lithuania
High school history’ books tell the desperate story of
the Prague Spring of 1968, when the Czech people rose
in defiance to Soviet hegemony, tasted the brief
sweetness of freedom, and then suffered the
consequences of their actions. These people who had
staked their lives on U.S. assistance, waited in vain.
This decade saw the re-emergence of free thought
and free rule in Eastern Europe, and the world
celebrated the end of 40 years of cold domination. But,
it appears that what the United States deems
appropriate in East Germany and Poland, is considered
unnecessary in Lithuania. According to President
George Bush, the Lithuanian people are unrealistic in
their refusal to accept Stalin and Hitler’s blood pact.
They are unwise in their insistence on self-
determination.
Bush has pushed his prudent politics too far. It is
imperative that he halt his hemming and hawing, and
stand firm in his commitment to Lithuanian
independence. This does not call for radical action,
simply an abiding policy of support that America failed
to offer to Hungary in 1956. A lack of action now
denotes an abundance of hypocrisy in past and present-
day proselytizing on the ideals advocated so well by
Voice of America for so long.
The U.S. should, at the very least, recognize the
Lithuanian government. If the Soviets continue in
their attempts to paralyze this small, stable country,
the U.S. should offer economic assistance in the form of
raw materials and needed resources.
Just as Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev cannot be
expected to surrender Lithuania without a whimper,
neither should the U.S. be expected to watch silently
while the Lithuanian will is repressed.
Under no conditions should Bush repeat his
shameful China policy, where freedom and democracy
were sold for the chance to start a chain of McDonald’s
restaurants.
■ QUOTABLE
we aid exactly what we wanteo to do. We hit our routines. We
o o xery gooo. we did our Best."
— Sophia Royce. Georgia gymnast, on the team's third-place
finish at the natienai champlcnshlp
Will interest in the environment last?
Now that Earth Day has past, an interesting
question is whether or not interest in the envi
ronment will last long enough to guide environ
mental policy. The good news is that it will. The
bad news is that many of those with a durable
interest in the environment are not motivated
by an overriding concern for the environment.
Of those who will be the most persistent and in
fluential in shaping environmental policy,
many will be far more interested in protecting
narrow economic interests than in protecting
the environment.
While many no doubt felt a genuine, and in
tense, commitment to the environment during
Earth Day, few will sustain that commitment.
This is not a criticism of those whose dedication
to a noble pursuit soon weakens. After all, who
among us nas not, because of love for another,
or religious conviction, made solemn commit
ments that were soon forgotten.
The perfectly understandable reason why so
few will maintain their environmental fervor is
that there is little personal payoff in doing so.
For a few, of course, virtue will be its own re
ward. But for most people, concern over the en
vironment has to compete with a host of other
important, if less majestic, concerns. Grades
have to be maintained, family problems have to
be attended to, and careers have to be pursued.
Only a few can convert environmental commit
ment into a paycheck. Many will be able to pre
vent the demands of getting on with their day
to day lives from extinguishing entirely their
interest in the environment, but few will be
able to keep the environment from sliding to
the periphery of their concerns.
Consider the fact that few citizens have the
time or the inclination to take the type of polit
ical action required to insure that environ
mental policy is effective. Sure, a large majority
will vote for the politicians whose speech
writers draft the most convincing environ
mental rhetoric. But having granted the gov
ernment the power to do something about
environmental problems, how many people will
follow up by acquiring the detailed knowledge
necessary to be sure that effective policies are
being formulated, and by monitoring the polit
ical process to make sure that those policies are
properly implemented? A few, but not many.
Of the relatively few who are actively in
volved in the design and implementation of en
vironmental policy, many are motivated more
by the desire to reduce economic competition
than to reduce environmental pollution. Envi
ronmental policy always affects the competitive
position of important industries and therefore
the economic well-being of well organized inter
ests. Representatives of these industrial inter
ests have far more motivation to influence
environmental policy than does the average cit
izen, and far more ability to do so. It should not
surprise anyone that environmental policy
often does little to protect the environment but
much to harm the American consumer by pro
tecting special interests against competiton.
One of the most blatant examples of special
interest exploitation of environmental concern
has been provided by the United Mine Workers
and Eastern coal mines. In response to intense
competition from low sulfur Western coal, the
Eastern coal interests obtained provisions in
the 1977 amendments to the Clean Air Act that
made it profitable for many electric generating
plants in the East to switch back to the high
sulfur Eastern coal. The result was higher
prices for consumers of electricity and, far
worse, more air pollution of the type believed
responsible for acid rain. This is only one of the
many examples of special interest provisions
that have polluted past environmental policy,
and which continue to pollute the clean air leg
islation that is currently being considered in
the U.S. Congress.
Deeply felt concern for the environment may
be necessary for sound environmental policy,
but it is certainly not sufficient. Indeed, in
tense, but short-lived, enthusiasm for pro
tecting the Earth is a two-edged sword that can
do more harm than good. Policy that depends
on people imbued with an environmental ethic
to sacrifice for the emmon good, is a policy that
will be more durable motive of economic self-in
terest. The only policy that can protect the envi
ronment is one that makes it profitable for
people to reduce pollution.
Virtue may be its own reward, but standing
alone it won’t do much for the environemnt.
Dwight R. Lee is a Ramsey professor of eco
nomics.
Reflections upon Earth Day and future
So many genuinely concerned people came
out to celebrate Earth Day; it filled my heart
with hope and joy to see the children rolling the
Earth balloon, carrying trees to plant in their
yard, watching the Indian dances on North
campus, and checking out the turtles and
snakes brought by Sandy Creek Nature Center.
Meanwhile, many other people, including my
self, swarmed to the different environmental
booths for information on how to stop the wide
spread destruction of our planet.
Turning my eyes to the other side, I saw the
parking lots full of cars, the trash cans full of
Styrofoam cups and the businesses reaching re
cord highs selling food that was not low on the
food chain. The sun shined upon all these
things that day, letting us know what we had
achieved, and what wasn’t yet done. Many
people saw the ironies and chose to stay home,
but staying home is not the answer either.
Perhaps next Earth Day we should ask more
of the community. For example: Block off the
streets like Clayton, put up bike racks and have
public transit (an Earth Day special) carry
people from all sides of town to College Square
and then back home again, then ask everyone
to walk, ride their bikes, or take the buses. This
would eliminate the bad traffic and the frustra
tion caused by not being able to find a parking
Maureen
Maher
space, while emitting less carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could get the local
businesses to agree to serve food that is low on
the food chain, just for one day? The Gyro Wrap
has plenty of non-meat items, Rockies has a
great vegetarian pizza, and Steve, the owner of
The Grill, is a vegetarian, so I’m sure he could
whip up a tasty vega-burger. Could we ask the
local businesses to refuse to use carry-out paper
and Styrofoam products for a day, and ask
people to bring their own cups? This trash that
we create does not go away, one day it will be in
our backyards if we don’t stop and think.
Newsletters could be sent to every house,
apartment, and dorm in Athens, informing
people of these one-day changes for the benefit
of the Earth, or they could put it on the news
during Earth Week, and few could plead that
they did not know. I don’t believe that this is too
great of a sacrifice for any woman, child, man,
or business person to make for one day.
Earth Day was far from a failure, and this ar
ticle is far from saying that nothing was
achieved on Earth Day. It was a beautiful and
informative celebration, and so many people
are more aware of what implications human
lifestyles have on the earth. We have spread
the message about recycling and so many
people do it now, the next step is a message
about a reduction in the massive quantities of
non-reusable and non-recyclylable waste,
which Earth Day ironically generated.
This column is a plea for people to take note
of what went on April 22, 1990. There is such a
great need for so much more, and people can
only know when you speak out, even when you
are afraid and unsure. If you have an idea,
about improving Earth Day in the future, you
now recognize the people who spoke and the
faces behind the booths. You now know about
SEA, the Sierra Club, and the Athens Peace Co
alition. Take notes. Your input can change
things and perhaps one day in the not-so-dis-
tant future, every day will be celebrated as
Earth Day — a day without irony.
Maureen Maher is a senior English major.
STAFF
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Animal rights a priority
■ FORUM
□ The Red and Black welcomes letters to the editor and prints them in the Forum
column as space permits. AJI letters are subject to editing for length, style and li
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and Black's offices at 123 N. Jackon St. Athens. Ga.
In response to Mr. Kelly’s article
condemning animal rights activ
ists, I’d like to ask where his priori
ties are. It’s true, as he said: we
have other very important environ
mental issues that face us. But
why take money away from an
other important issue? If we should
take money away, it is from de
fense programs like the B-2 stealth
bomber or SDI, programs that cost
tax payers inordinate amounts of
tax dollars and do not achieve their
express purpose. Better yet, why
not place the needs of the Earth
above those of big business? Big
business people are a few of us.
Global issues affect all of us, no ex
ceptions.
Animal rights are a key part of
the issues of the planet. He is cor
rect to recognize other key issues. I
wish he were clearer on what is
most important.
Johnny Laska
Junior, psychology
Keep buses capitalist
Casey Curran states that stu
dents should be able to listen to the
University stations, 90.5 and 91.7
as alternatives to the “moronic,
pointless, and annoying" music
currently being played on most
UGA buses. This would be logical if
the majority of students desired
such, but on the contrary, the vast
majority of students do not tune
into these stations.
Mr. Curran’s second point con
cerning radio advertisement would
be valid if we lived in a socialist en
vironment. Being a senior political
science major, it would appear that
he could discern advertising as a
part of the free enterprise system.
“Fortunately, there is room for
compromise."
Tne alternatives are to either
wear a walkman on the bus, or
don’t ride the damn bus.
Chris Cook
senior, history
Stan Tompkins
Junior, ag.economics
UGA bus drivers
Wells right on track
I applaude Scott Wells' com
ments on the teaching of U.S. his
tory. It is high time someone else
noticed that not only do Caucasian
men make up this countries his
tory but also Blacks, Indians, Ko
reans, and so many others.
Courses on their heritage should
be taught or more information on
different groups of people should
be given in the existing U.S. his
tory courses. '
Arriana l. Mills
senior, personnel/humsn resource
mgmt.