Newspaper Page Text
■ QUOTABLE
4 « The Red and Black » Thursday. September 27, 1990
OPINIONS
"There were a lot of babes there.”
— Sophomore art major Wes Price on the Student Activities and
Organizations fair Wednesday at the Tate Student Center.
The Red & Black
Kstahhshi'd 1893—Incorporated 1980
An independent student newspaper not affiliated with the University of Georgia
Robert Todd/Editor-in-Chief
Jennifer Rampey/Managing Editor
David Johnston/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
Gridlock
Concerns over the safety of pedestrians, access for
emergency vehicles and the needs of those not
attending home football games have caused University
and local officials to take steps to alleviate the gridiron
gridlock.
If it’s an empty space — a whole parking space, a
clear patch of grass, an open piece of curb or whatever
— you can bet alumni will attempt to park there. This
clogs the employee lots, drives residents out of housing
lots and forces pedestrians to walk in streets.
Though we love and welcome our alumni on
Saturday afternoons, it’s unfair that the people who
live, work and drive around the University during the
rest of the week must restructure their lives on home-
game weekends.
The University has restricted parking on East
Campus Road, and the City of Athens has restricted
parking along the south side of Lumpkin Street. These
measures are a good start, but more steps must be
taken to correct the game-day traffic quagmire.
Fiist, the University should keep alumni out of the
employee lots being used on game days — the library,
open dining halls, etc. No one wants to work on a
Saturday, and not being able to get in or out of a
parking lot just makes matters worse.
Second, the University needs to establish a
designated “RV Zone.” Take a parking lot that
normally isn’t used on Saturdays and put all those fun-
loving campers there. The faculty lot by Rivermill
apartments is a good one.
Third, why not run a University shuttle bus from
the South Campus commuter lots to Sanford Stadium
on game days. To offset the cost, the University could
charge $1.00 per person. That’s a lot less than some
people pay to park in other areas, and the University
could put the “RV Zone” down there too.
With everybody parking on that end of campus and
riding buses to the stadium, the streets are safe and
accessible for everyone.
Good service
We are afraid our editorial of Sept. 19 has caused a
terrible misunderstanding. The editorial lamented the
closing of the Athens Feminist Women’s Health Center
and at one point referred to a statement by University
Health Educator Nancy MacNair that the FWHC
personnel were better trained than those of the
University Health Services.
MacNair’s statement and the subsequent editorial
referred only to specific training in the implantation of
cervical caps. Health Services does not offer this service
so it would be unreasonable to expect its personnel to
have this training.
We regret the misunderstanding and continue to
appreciate the efforts and professionalism of the
Health Services’ staff.
Condom sense
The Chancellor of New York City’s public school
system, with the support of Mayor David Dinkins,
plans to distribute condoms through school health
clinics in order to combat teenage pregnancy and AIDS.
The decision will affect tens of thousands of
students in 20 high schools and junior high schools
around the city.
This is a welcome and long overdue decision which
school system officials across the country should adopt.
The majority of students from Kalamazoo,
Michigan to Yorba Linda, California are going to have
sex no matter what parents and teachers say and no
matter how great the threat of disease or pregnancy.
It only makes common sense to provide them with
the protection and information they need.
STAFF
NEWS: 543-1809
N«n Editor Jennifer Wilton
•ports Editor: Randy Wait>or
Entertainment Editor: Coieon 8root>e
Aeeoclato Newe Editor: Onro McLeod
New Wrttero' Editor: Beth Graddy
Front Page Copy Editor Craig Matter
In tide Copy Edltoro: Chnt Clontt. Sharon BervDov,
Kym Tambourine. Margaret Wetton
UOA Today/ Wire Editor: Uta Kendall
Photo Editor: Marta Ciay
Chief Phetoffapher: Tracy Elenberg
OrapMee Edlter: Stephen Morotki
•taN Wrttero: Owinn Brunt. Lynn Barfield. Al
Dixon. Patrick Flanigan. Chnt Crimea. Lance Holme,
Michael McLeod. Oan Pool. Sandra
Stephana. Oana White. Stacey Mcmtoah
•porta Writer: Enh Schmidt
Tronde Editor: Maria Edwards
Aaoletant Tronde Editor: Stephanie Smith
Between The Hedgee Editor: David Pace
Aeelotant Between The Hedges Editor: Eric Garber
Cartoonist Mike Moreu
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OpNtlene expressed In The Nod and Blaok other than
unsigned editoneia are the opinions of the writers of
signed columns end not necessarily those of The Ned
and Black Publishing Company Inc. Ail rights
reserved. Nepnnts by permission of the editors.
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I^^IJSi^rhelWI. Black
HOWTO
MI
toIm.
BUDGET
Peat' Congressper'son,
Stoptihe ■partisan
bickering feach a
budget accord, or
the Gramm- Rudman
cuts will automatically
induce your ridiculous
salary.© Ss-e you next
election,
inipupw-
U.S. energy policy blamed in Gulf crisis
It has been nearly two months since Iraq in
vaded Kuwait and Americans have yet to begin
to question why we have deployed troops in the
Middle East. Most people are satisfied with the
rhetoric emanating from the press and the ever
so readable lips of the president.
Millions of Americans have joined the new
group “Americans United for Lower Oil Prices.”
For those of you who are interested in joining
all you need to do is hoist a small flag on your
car antenna and start babbling incoherently
about annihalating that “crazy Hussein.” Most
Americans seem perfectly content to waste the
lives of countless American youths to keep lines
at the gas pumps short.
Conventional wisdom holds that Saddam
Hussein is a neo-Hitler intent on overtaking all
of the Middle East. He will then control almost
all of the oil imported by Europe, Japan, and
the United States and will use this as a control
to rule the world s economy.
This theory is flimsy, preposterous, and
hardly feasible. Although Iraq nas the largest
army in the Middle East, it has hardly recov
ered from their bloody eight-year war with
Iran. Iraa’s populace is among the most edu
cated in the world and are unlikely to support
another extended conflict. In addition, the
United Nation’s blockade of Iraqi ports has se
verely limited Hussein’s ability to wage a long
term war.
So what this whole Iraq situation boils down
to is the price of oil, national energy policy, and
the defense budget. Besides the fact that Amer
icans should not be dying in a faraway desert,
low oil prices are a deterrent to American eco
nomic progress.
Low oil prices tend to increase oil usage. Re
member the late seventies and early eighties
when gas prices were high because of the OPEC
oil crisis?
President Carter initiated a National Energy
Plan in 1977 which remained in effect
throughout his administration. This policy had
three main points: produce more domestic coal,
raise oil prices to encourage conservation and
the use of alternative fuels, and thirdly to sub
sidize the production of alternative energy
technology. In light of this program, people
began to conserve energy, carpool, and use
mass transportation.
With the help of a 13 billion dollar federal
program, scientists began exploring alternative
fuel sources such as methanol. Alternative
sources of energy such as solar power were
studied and developed in an effort to reduce
American dependence on foreign oil.
All of these programs were either slashed or
eliminated as soon as Ronald Reagan took of
fice. Reagan’s National Energy Policy consisted
of nothing more than support for oil companies
and proliferation of nuclear power. During the
first year of the Reagan administration the
number of federal land and offshore tracts that
are open to drilling doubled.
Reagan’s next step was to remove price con
trols on oil and to cut money from programs
supporting alternative fuels. During 1979 the
Carter administration allotted 799 million dol
lars to research into conservation. By 1983,
Reagan had lowered that amount to 22 million
dollars.
His energy policy was designed to remove all
federal controls from the energy industry. In
fact, James Edwards, the secretary of Energy
during the Reagan administration, stated in a
1982 8peech,“I want to close down the Depart
ment of Energy, bury it once and for all...”
This whole policy or more appropriately, lack
of policy, has continued in the Bush adminis
tration. This has led to increased consumption
and set America up for another oil crisis such ns
we are facing now.
Low oil prices are also bad for Mother Earth.
The primary cause of global warming is emis
sions from automobiles. And despite the nm-
azing numbers of “environmentally concerned”
activists that have emerged since Earth Day,
not too many people are trading in their cars at
local Schwinn shops in exchange for mountain
bikes.
Dependence on oil also affects coastal areas
and forests. By continuing our addiction to oil,
we make it easier and easier for oil companies
to persuade the government to open more areas
to drilling. The United States, just like any ad
dict, will do anything to get its fix including the
destruction of national forests if necessary.
The Middle East is a turbulent area, contin
uously in turmoil because of religious fanacti-
cism and factionalism. The United States
cannot even decide who to support there.
Just a few short months ago, Iraq was con
sidered almost an ally. Reagan thought so
highly of Iraq that during his presidency he ab
solved Iraq of their “terrorist label.” Now who
do we trust? Are we prepared to keep troops in
the Middle East permanently to keep oil prices
low?
The Iraqi situaton has also given George
Bush an excuse to save his beloved defense
budget. The end of the Cold War was an unex
pected bittersweet victory for conservatives.
They proudly beat their chests proclaiming the
triumph of democracy while quietly wondering
how to save the defense budget.
For years the defense budget has acted as a
primer for the American economic pump. In
fact, the Pentagon funds the production of
nearly twenty percent of all American goods.
The number of jobs that have been supported
by the 300 billion dollar defense budget is am
azing.
These jobs range from aircraft production
line workers to waitresses in bars near Army
bases. Many of these jobs are now in jeopardy.
Companies like McDonnell Douglass and
Grumman, who are used to huge government
contracts, have no desire to adapt to that
strange cold world of competitive free market
economics.
Bush has used the Iraqi situation to avoid
having to find new means of stimulating the
American economy. He is satisfied with ig
noring the future for short term popularity. In
fact, my guess would be that the idea of di
recting money from defense to programs aimed
at improving education or cleaning up the envi
ronment is quite foreign to George Bush.
The solution is simple. Get our troops out of
the Middle East, while continuing the economic
boycott. Let oil prices fluctuate as they may and
reduce American dependence on oil. And finally
turn our attention to more important domestic
nfTairs such as the trade deficit and the na
tional debt.
Ryan S ingel is a freshman journalism major.
R&B stance is
How wearisome it is to read nu
merous columns in The Red and
Black voicing intellectual support
of the pro-choice movement.
I have yet to see any medical
facts presented in these frantic and
irrational columns. The pro-life
movement is frequently described
as being a bunch of “zealots” or “re
ligious fanatics.”
I am curious to hear the expla
nation of the writers of how their
fact and logic void columns are
more reasonable than the argu
ments of the pro-lifers.
I urge someone on The Red and
Black staff to objectively research
the medical facts surrounding the
abortion issue and present them in
a non-biased article.
I am sure the vehemence with
which the authors of various col
umns in The Red and Black cry out
for justice would be extensively
quenched following such an article.
If there is no one on the staff
who is willing enough to know the
truth of the situation, because
there ifl a right, and there is a
wrong side of this issue, then I vol
unteer my time to research and
present documented fact in an ar
ticle which leans to neither one
side nor the other.
Matthew A. Bryan
Freshman, English
R&B too liberal
I would like to take issue with
two things that have bothered me
‘wearisome’
for quite some time.
First of all, I think it unfortu
nate and poor reporting that your
paper continually takes a liberal
stance on so many issues, partic
ularly abortion. If in fact you feel it
is your duty to do this, I would sug
gest sticking to the facts, and try to
curb the hostility and mud
throwing. Is there not one conser
vative on your stair? Do you ever
interview the other side (conserva
tive) and give them fair news cov
erage? Not from my point of view.
Secondly, I have the following
response to Cynthia Herrin’s letter
(9/20/90). I called the University
police department today, and they
said it is not illegal to pass a
stopped University Dus unloading
passengerss.
However, common sense should
tell drivers as well as pedestrians
that caution should be exercised
both ways.
Time and time again, I’ve had
students step right out in front of
my car like it was not even a street
I was travelling on. I’ve had stu
dents see me approaching in my
car and take their time crossing
the street, as if they were daring
me to hit them.
There are many students and
vehicles here. No one is the winner
in a pedestrian-car accident. Even
a vehicle travelling at a relatively
low rate of speed can cause great
harm to a human being. If Herrin
really thought through what she
said, . . go ahead and hit me. I
could really use the money." I
think she would realize she
wouldn’t be around to see that
money.
Libby Johnson
Administrative Secretary
Graduate School
Editors note: The Red and Black
welcomes signed opinion columns
by people on all sides of any rele-
vent issue. The columns must meet
our writing standards and will be
edited for length, style and libelous
material. Please contact our offices
at 543-1809 if you are interested in
contributing.
R&B fair
In response to Gregory Shultz’s
letter on the closing of the Athens
Feminist Women’s Health Center
(9/25/90), the editors of The Red
and Black already pointed out the
irnyor flaw in your letter, but we
have one other item to discuss. The
FWHC catered to women, hence
the headline.
Women lose services when this
type of center closes, to state a fact.
How is the headline, “Center closes
doors; women lose services” “un
mistakably pro-choice?” This is
simply a statement of fact.
We would also like to address
Daniel Brown’s letter of the same
day. Mr. Brown, whoever informed
you that everything in life was fair
did you a great disservice. You
seem to be missing the point of the
editorial page. Opinions are sup
posed to be expressed on this page
If The Red and Black were truly
unfair, it wouldn’t have printed
■ FORUM
□ The Red and Black welcomes letters
to the editor and prints them in the
Forum column as space permits. All let
ters are subject to editing for length,
style and libelous material. Letters
should be typed, doublespaced and
must include the name, address and
daytime telephone number of the
writer. Please include student classifi
cation, major and other appropriate
identification. Names can be omitted
with a valid reason upon request. Let
ters can be sent by U.S. mail or brought
in person to The Red and Black's of
fices at 123 N. Jackon St., Athens, Ga.
your letter.
Secondly, how familiar are you
with menstrual extractions, and
have you ever witnessed or helped
perform one yourself? We think the
FWHC was truly concerned with
women’s health in developing this
technique because anything is
smarter and safer than a coat
hanger.
Whether abortion is morally
right or wrong, that decision
should be between a woman and
her “God." The issue at hand is
choice because abortions will be
performed whether thev are legal
or not. If you are morally opposed
to abortions, then do not have one.
Do not force your opinions on ev
eryone else.
Traci Robinson
Junior, public relations
Stephanie Boatenreiter
Junior, psychology