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6 • The Red and Black • Wednesday, November 28, 1990
OPINIONS
The Red & Black
Established 189b—Incorporated 1980
An independent student newt pa per not affiliated with the University of Georgia
Robert Todd/Editor-in-Chief
Jennifer Rampey/Managing Editor
David Johnston/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
Blood and oil
Recently, there’s been an increasing number of
people complaining about the United States’ role in the
Persian Gulf crisis. They claim our troops are overseas
simply to defend the profits of big business — especially
the oil companies.
“Hell no, we won’t go, we won’t fight for Texaco,” is
the rallying cry that has begun.
Here’s a news flash. No one is fighting for Texaco,
and no one is going to do so.
Oil is without a doubt the lifeblood of our and the
world’s economies. Without it, we are crippled. Oil
directly or indirectly affects every aspect of our
industries, our economy and our lives, and we simply
cannot ignore this fact.
It’s ridiculous to
believe so many other
nations would be working — —
so closely with the United
States just to protect oil
companies’ interests.
These other nations are
just as dependent upon oil
as the United States and,
like us, they see their
economic structures
threatened.
While it is reasonable
to argue that our society
is too dependent upon oil,
now isn’t the time to do
With the exception
of his attitude toward
congressional
approval of military
action In the Persian
Gulf, we must applaud
President Bush’s
actions throughout
the crisis.
It’s too late to argue about fire prevention while
your house is burning down. You put out the fire first,
then worry about the other things.
Similarly, we must address the energy problem and
our addiction to foriegn oil after the crisis is resolved
rather than erode our position by bickering among
ourselves.
With the exception of his attitude toward
congressional approval of military action in the Persian
Gulf, we must applaud President Bush’s actions
throughout the crisis.
Bush and his administration have carefully and
deliberately worked with the world community to
present a united front against Iraq.
The United Nations Security Council’s expected
approval of a resolution which sets a deadline for Iraq
to withdraw from Kuwait or face military action
illustrates the critical magnitude of the crisis.
Certainly the Soviets, *he Chinese and the French
aren’t willing to authorize military action solely in the
interest of the United States.
No, these nations realize the danger of Iraq’s
aggression to the world’s economic stability. These
nations understand the steps which may become
neccessary to rectify the situation.
No one wants a war in the Persian Gulf. But only
through a unified position of strength can the United
Nations hope to negotiate a peaceful withdraw from
Kuwait.
Iraq has been given every opportunity to withdraw,
and we can only hope Saddam Hussein sees the wisdom
of such actions.
However, we must also realize that military action
may become neccesary to secure the safety of the
world’s oil supply, its economic stability and thus our
way of life.
The work starts
Congratulations to all those who were elected to
serve in the new Athens-Clarke unified government.
Now that the races are over, it’s time to put away
differences and address the challenging task at hand —
namely the birth of a new government.
STAFF
NEWS: 543-1809
ADVERTISING: 543-1791
Tytar. CM* V«M#IW. VMWg Sun Tun
and not nao*tMrt|r thOM «f Tfw MM
"I hope this will teach everyone that negative campaigning
doesn't work in this community."
— Victorious Chief Elected Officer candidate Gwen O’Looney on
a controversial negative brochure which targetted her.
Relocating Super Bowl is right move
While I was in Southern California over
Thanksgiving break, trying hard to spit out the
bitter fruit of a losing football season, there was
a lot of talk surrounding the late Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
The voters of Arizona rejected proposal
which would have created a paid state holiday
to honor King. In the wake of the election, the
NFL is threatening to revolk its decision to
allow Phoenix to host the 1993 Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl means mega bucks for the
entire state and especially the city that actually
hosts the spectacle. Probably the only event
that could match the Super Bowl’s economic
impact in a region would be the Olympics —
which lasts two weeks instead of one afternoon.
Many people around the country are
screaming at the NFL for interfering in the po
litical process. However, the NFL is acting in
the best interest of their players by making a
bold statement of where the league stands on
the issue.
If Arizona doesn’t want to have King honored
in a similar fashion as 47 other states, then so
be it. The voters made their choice and the King
bill was voted down by 1 percent. But like
Newton said, “every action has an equal but op-
Gene
Williams
posits reaction" and the people of Arizona must
face the music.
First, more than 60 percent of the NFL
players are black. Why should the wishes and
concerns of the very folks who make the event
happen be overlooked? The NFL should rep
resent the wishes of their players.
Second, sports has done more to improve race
relations in our society than anytning else.
Jackie Robinson integrated baseball and
proved that people of color were equal on the
baseball diamond years before the Supreme
Court corrected itself in Brown vs. Board of Ed
ucation.
And in the stubborn South, African-Ameri
cans playing side by side their white team
mates helped bridge the race barrier in the
classroom. Why is it wrong for the NFL to stand
up for what it believes to be right?
Third, the easiest thing for the NFL to do is
to look the other way and shrug off the King re
jection in the interest of the league. However,
the league decided to rethink its original deci
sion, despite the revenue it could generate by
having the game in Arizona, in the interest of
their players and society.
King had a lot to do with the progress that
minorities have made over recent years, but
there is still work to be done. The NFL does
need to turn the microscopic lens on itself and
hire some of the same successful African-Amer
ican players as coaches and general managers.
And in time, with the proper pressure, these
lights will be wronged.
In the meantime, the voters of Arizona need
to make another choice whether to stand by
their original decision or amend it “upon fur
ther review."
Isn’t that the American Way?
Gene Williams, The South's Top Dog, is the
Georgia football beat writer for The Red and
Black.
Alexander Graham Bell re-evaluated
Alexander Graham Bell, if he were still alive,
Bhould be taken out in the yard and whipped.
After the whipping, taken out into the woods,
tied to a tree and have every part of his mind,
body, and soul. Make sure to film the process,
then show it to him. Twice. Real, real slow.
It is three o’clock in the a.m., and the phone
rings. Your mind races as you try to remember
who in the family was on their death-bed. Is it
momma in a freak accident? Daddy? Brother
Dirk? What is going on?
“Hey dude, I was trying to score some grass.
Do you know anyone who can hook me up?”the
voice screams into your sleep sweet ear.
At this point the thing to do is to rip the
phone out of the wall. Take it into the kitchen.
Open up the microwave, set the dial to an hour,
and let er eat. Turn the temperature dial up as
high as it will go. Make a mental note to blow
up the microwave.
Go back to the phone socket in the wall.
Punch a hole beside the outlet and find the line.
The biggest mistake the phone company made
was to leave such an obvious trail. Make them
pay for it
Pull the line with your hand. To hell with the
mmmm ' ■» *■ T
Bill
Davis
deposit on the house, a blow has to be struck, a
deal made; revenge baby, served up on a bed of
sugar.
How much anguish has this contraption
caused you? How many times has a significant
other separated from you over the phone in
stead of wandering within striking range? How
many times have you gotten nasty notes from
the phone companies (it is important to note
here that it is not a case of one company holding
you hostage — deregualization in the 70s took
care of that — but a number of companies,
ergo,a corporate conspiracy) concerning late
bills? How ready are you to take the law into
your own hands?
Break the bonds. Shake off the chains of fi
nancial slavery. Tell the world that no, it can
not have a direct line of invasion into your bou
doir. Put your foot down. Revolt against the
times. Rise up and smote the double horror of
fiber optics and touch tone.
Just what in the name of all things holy and
sacrosanct is a “modem" and just what does it
stand for? Acronyms spell danger. Remember
the laser? Swat? USC? A phone line is a direct
mating call for your house to receive an unsoli
cited interphase. Disgusting.
When it comes time to worry about cemetary
space, the Japanese will have a closed shop
agreement with Charoa. You don’t need the
telemarketers delivering electronic momento
mori during the dining hour. Nor do you need to
know about amazing vacation opportunities in
the swamp lands of America.
What it boils down to is kill, kill, kill. Let it
be known that every word in this column is the
literal truth. Also, that true brotherhood canst
not gainsay itself against oneself. I beleive this
to be true. Arf arf arf moo moo.
BUI Davis is a senior English major.
Etheredge column insulting
■ FORUM
I must say that I am quite angry
over comments made by Adam
Etheredge in his signed opinion
column (The Red and Black,
11/14/90).
Etheredge is more than entitled
to his own opinion as to what type
of music should or shouldn't be
layed on campus buses. However,
Bee no reason to insult an entire
musical form and those people who
enjoy listening to it.
First, the songs Etheredge de
scribed don't exist. I suspect that
they were merely a literary device
to portray country music as inane
and to exaggerate the "drinkin’ and
cheatin’ down on the farm" stereo
typical country songs. A stereotype
that is quite outdated. Country
music has come a long way in the
last fifteen years.
New artists are constantly
pushing the limits of the country
style, producing intelligent and
often thought-provoking songs.
One needs only to listen to the
work of Mary Chapin Carpenter,
Garth Brooks, Roaeanne Cash, and
the Kantucky Headhunters to get
an accurate sample of the many
sounds of today’s country music.
I would suggest Etheredge acti
vely listen to a few real country
songs before ha starts dismissing
the entire format.
Aa to the other insulta hurled by
young Etheredge at country lis
teners, rural life in general and
specifically the sons and daughters
of transfer truck drivers, all I can
say is Etheredge has a great deal to
learn. To portray a rather large
number of the population as inter
breeding, Beechnut chewing, alco
holic, neanderthals shows a
definite lack of intelligence.
The individuals who listen to
country music cannot be stereo
typed. They come from all walks of
life. I speak to hundreds of these
listeners each week on my request
show, and I can tell you they aro a
diverse crowd, including doctors
and lawyers and transfer truck
drivers and lots of college students.
As different as their lifestyles are,
they have one thing in common;
they all enjoy country music.
Finally, what do students want
to hear on the campus buses?
Frankly, I don’t think it’s their
choice. Trie bus driver spends his
entire day piloting that vehicle,
whereas the average student
might spend all of ten minutes on
one bus in a day.
Paul V. Rea
Week night Host, "The WNQC All-
Night Request Show"
Etheredge speaks
I found it interesting to note that
my signed opinion column was so
misunderstood by so many people.
It was not my intent to perpetuate
the stereotypes of any part of our
culture.
The column was a satire. I was
in a silly mood when I wrote it, and
my intent was only to have people
chortle in their coffee, and have
something to laugh about as they
headed off for their morning
classes.
If I offended anyone, I am very
sorry.
But in a way, it's good that
people did react like this. I would
De worried if someone had called in
and said, “Damn tootin, Adam.
Country is a degenerate type of
music, and its listeners should all
be slaughtered.”
I made my column as silly and
preposterous as it is to show that
these streotypes couldn’t possibly
be accurate. I thought the bits
about thick brow ridges, shortened
forearms, and also that a glorious
revolution should take place,
would tip a few readers off.
Personally, I like a little country
every once in a while. I did, in fact,
grow up on a farm in a small rural
town, and the absurd notions I pre
sented were images that I re
member from my childhood. Also, I
even have a friend named Moose.
Now I’d like to take the opportu
nity to answer publically some of
the phone calls I have gotten in the
past few days.
To those of you who cared
enough to take the time to phone in
your death threats, thanks.
To the young lady who scud she
hoped that I would rot in Hell for
all eternity, I hope your wish
doesn’t come true. Im sorry, that’s
only the way that I feel.
To the young man who asked if
I’d ever been involved in a pagan
religion, well, the answer has to be
W. But your recommendations for
a few good ones were highly appre
ciated.
To the student who was con
cerned for my mental well-being, it
pleases me to know that if you had
your way, my personality would be
erased, and I would fall into a vege
table-like stupor. Thanks.
One young lady wondered if I
found it difficult to breathe with
my head crammed sc far up my...
well, you get the picture.
In closing, I would just like to
say that I hope that in the fiiture,
people might open their eyes to see
the true reason for things, instead
of going with their first impres
sions, and the shallow surface
meaning of things that they read
and experience.
Adam Etheredge
freshman, computer science