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The Red & Black
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21. 1991 • ATHENS. GEORGIA • VOLUME 99, ISSUE 49
Cardee Kilpatrick
Citizen group threatens recall
By MARK BIXLER
Staff Writer
Pledging to “save Clarke County from
utter demoralization and financial ruin,” a
citizens group is threatening a recall of the
local government unless a list of specific
demands is met before mid-January.
“The time for talking is over — we’re
going to take action," Carolyn Reynolds, a
representative of the Concerned Citizens for
Clarke County, said from her home
Wednesday.
Reynolds read the group’s list of fourteen
demands to the Athens/Clarke County
Commission at its bi-monthly meeting
Tuesday night in City Hall. The letter was
signed by W. Calvin Bridges, president of
the citizens body.
Among other things, the letter calls for
immediate removal of fees for monthly
garbage pick-up ($4.08), water ($10.40) and
emergency telephone service ($1.50). The
group also has demanded the proposed civic
center project be put on hold indefinitely.
A chief objection to the emergency tele
phone user fee, Reynolds said, is that money
derived from that tax is used to pay the
salaries and benefits of 911 operators.
“I did not have my telephone put in to
pay anybody’s salary," she said, “I put it in
for my own personal use."
Reynolds, who said she worked for
Southern Bell for 35 years, claimed the user
fees hit the poor disproportionately hard.
She also warned students living off-campus
would likely face higher rent bills, since
landlords are having to pay a higher tax for
water and garbage pick-up.
“These user fees are going to be passed
on to people who pay rent, whether they’re
students or not," Reynolds said.
The $4.08 garbage pick-up fee applies
only to residents of the old Athens city lim
its.
Cardee Kilpatrick, 7th district
Commissioner, said Tuesday she hasn’t
reviewed all 14 demands yet, but insisted
certain fees were essential to the financial
survival of the unified government.
“Water rates have to be what they are to
pay for the service we have now," she said,
“and if you want your garbage picked up,
that costs money."
Dot Barrett, chair of the Athens/Clarke
County Board of Elections, said 100 signa
tures are required to apply to petition a par
ticular commissioner, but Reynolds said her
group planned to go straight to the General
Assembly and seek a county-wide referen
dum to decide whether or not the unified
government ought be dissolved.
The city of Athens merged with Clarke
County into a unified government Jan. 14,
1991.
Amidst charges of fiscal irresponsibility
and bloated bureaucracy, the concerned citi
zens organization also listed an immediate
10 percent salary reduction for county
administrators as a chief priority.
The letter comes as comifiissioners and
financial planners are starting to draft the
county budget for fiscal year 1993.
Million-dollar man
led a modest life
By MARK BIXLER
Staff Writer
Described by those who knew
him in Americus as a reserved and
driven businessman, Charles
Wheatley is sure to be remem
bered here in Athens as the
largest individual cash donor in
University history.
Wheatley, whose $1.1 million
bequest to the University Tuesday
pushed his total contributions over
the $10 million mark, graduated
from the University in 1920.
He died this August at the age
of 91.
“Although he was very wealthy,
you would never have detected it
from his daily appearance," said
Rudy Hayes, who knew Wheatley.
Hayes, editor of the Americus
Times-Recorder, went on to char
acterize Wheatley as a veritable
“man’s man” who enjoyed outdoors
sports like hunting and fishing.
Wheatley, who townspeople
often referred to simply as “Mr.
Charles,” was also an ardent fan of
Georgia Bulldog football, Hayes
said, and he visited the University
numerous times throughout the
year.
In the early 1980s, Wheatley
contributed nearly 3,000 acres of
choice forestland worth more than
$8.5 million for use of the School of
Forest Resources with the stipula
tion that the land never be sold. In
addition, he set up a scholarship
fund of over $700,000 in 1983.
Tom Gailey, the mayor of
Americus, said Wheatley was a
reserved man who had lived in the
same small wooden house on
Oglethorpe Avenue built by his
father since long before the 1950s,
even though he made more than
enough money to live in a grand
mansion.
“I think because he didn’t have
a family, he felt close to the
University,” Gailey said. “That’s
where his family was.”
Many who knew him harped on
Wheatley’s generous spirit.
Indeed, in addition to the mas
sive cash and land gifts imparted
to the University, he gave substan
tial gifts to Georgia Southwestern
College, Sumter Regional Hospital
and the First Presbyterian Church
in Americus.
“Charles Wheatley grew up a
long, long time ago, when it just
wasn’t people’s goal to grow up
and make a lot of money and live
it up,” said Ruth Stanford.
After service in the first World
War and graduation from the
University, Wheatley founded
Americus Engineering. A recalci
trant hard worker who disliked
having his photograph taken,
Wheatley served as a government
consultant on secret construction
projects in World War II. He was
also well-acquainted with former
President Jfmmy Carter, whose
Plains, Ga., home is a short six
miles away.
Business associates said he put
irvlong, hard hours every business
day up until a month before his
death. George Scott, for instance,
worked with the humble donor
nearly every day since 1960.
“He tended to his own business
and left everybody else alone,”
Scott said. “Mr. Wheatley never
would tell you much about him
self."
Hayes said Wheatley was
known as a big-hearted man
whose family had a prominent his
tory in the community.
“He preferred small groups and
cookouts," he said, “and ne loved to
tell stories.”
“He was a great storyteller,”
Hayes said.
Former leader was a ‘monster’
By MICHAEL A. GIARRUSSO
and LORI WIECHMAN
Staff Writers
Dith Pran, the principal character of the movie The Killing Fields,
told a University audience of about 400 Wednesday night he didn’t
want the Khmer Rouge to be involved in the political future of
Cambodia.
“The world feels that to bring peace they have to bring back the
Khmer Rouge to the city,” Dith said in the Georgia Hall of the Tate
Center, “I disagree, but I’m not a politician."
Dith’s speech was planned months in advance, but his visit to
Athens coincided with representatives of the Khmer Rouge entering
Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, and attempting to become part of a
coalition government.
The Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1975-78 and slaughtered
many of the intellectuals and wealthy people in the country.
“They killed 2 to 3 million people, Dith said.
Cambodia is currently enjoving its first taste of peace in 21 years.
“Thank God the Soviet collapse has helped bring peace,” he said,
“But it’s too early to say if it is real peace or not.”
Dith compared the reign of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge to Nazi
Germany under Adolph Hitler.
“Hitler only killed people,” Dith told a crowd of about 400, “This
man, (Pol) I call him a monster, destroyed a country."
Dith said the Cambodian people were shocked the rest of the world
let such atrocities happen.
“We were shocked there was no reaction," he said.
Dith said the world still doesn’t understand the violence that
occurred during the reign of the Khmer Rouge.
“I know you say the Killing Fields was a very strong movie,” he
said, “ But the real story was worse.”
“You didn’t know the Khmer Rouge killed children. You didn’t know
the Khmer Rouge killed babies. You didn’t know they killed religious
leaders,” he said.
Dith put the massacre of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge in the
same category with the murder of 6 million Jews during World War II
and the extermination of millions of Armenians 70 years ago.
“I still don’t understand why we allowed the holocaust to happen
again and again,” he said.
Dith spoke fondly about the Cambodia he knew before the country
became part of the Vietnam War. He said the peace-loving
Cambodians, the majority of them Buddhists, wanted to stay neutral.
“We tried to stay out of the Vietnam War, but it did not work," he
said. “Both sides wanted to use Cambodia."
Dith said American planes flew bombing raids in Cambodian terri
tory against North Vietnamese troops who had set up camp in the jun
gle, and sometimes the bombs missed the their targets.“Some
Cnmbodian villagers were killed by American planes,” he said.
Even though Cambodia is no longer at war, so many years as a bat
tlefield has made the nation a dangerous place to live. He said 300
people are injured everyday by land mines.
Roaalyn Thompson/1 he Red and Black
Dith Pran:‘Khmer Rouge leader destroyed a country.’
Barrister advises minority lawyers to adopt ‘fighting spirit’
By DAVID MONROE
Staff Writer
Black lawyers should know they will encounter
discrimination, but they should use this to motivate
themselves, said a British barrister Wednesday.
John Anthony Roberts, the African-born first black
Queen’s Counsel of London, spoke to a group of about
40 people in the Hatton-Lovejoy Courtroom at the
School of Law.
The office of Queen’s Counsel is similar to a
Supreme Court justice in the United States.
Roberts said he sees no reason why black and
white lawyers shouldn’t be able to get along with each
other.
“Although we are different, we must not let that
difference make any difference," he said.
But since discrimination is common in the legal
profession, black lawyers and female lawyers need a
“fighting spirit." He said his experiences with dis
crimination made him work harder.
“Discrimination is not a good thing, but for me it
was an advantage,” he said.
Anyone in any job will have to deal with intolerant
people, he said. They may encounter people who don’t
like them because they have glasses, a certain hair
color or a certain accent.
British barristers and judges must be able to
understand people from a variety of ethnic back
grounds, even if they can’t speak these people’s lan
guages. They frequently encounter people from India,
Africa, Fiji, Canada and other places, all with their
own idiosyncrasies, he said.
Roberts said the people who are most critical of a
black or female lawyer are the people who are not
prepared to face that lawyer.
“Don’t let it frighten you,” he said. “It is because he
has not prepared the case properly and wants to walk
all over you. If you get annoyed every case, just imag
ine how you'll look in 40 years at the bar."
In response to a question from the audience,
Roberts said he doesn’t approve of affirmative action.
“I do not believe in a system that will put someone
in a position just because you want to put them
there," he said.
Roberts said he is also responsible for disciplining
lawyers, which is difficult. English lawyers are very
serious about ethics, and people in the courts who are
involved in scandals leave immediately.
“Our courts are sacrosanct," he said.
They are also serious about courtroom protocol
and tradition, he said. For example, it is important to
stand when a judge speaks and to show respect for
others in the courtroom.
“We do not walk up and down the court to talk to
witnesses," he said. “We are not watching a tennis
match."
Barristers who have attended prestigious schools
don’t put themselves above others, he said. Instead,
the proof of a lawyer’s worth is in his or her court
room performance.
Roberts also shared some insights on the English
origins of American common law.
The United States Constitution is written down
only because British settlers decided to write it, he
said. The settlers brought their legal traditions here,
and American common law grew out of those tradi
tions. For this reason, Great Britain has remained
bound to the United States, he said.
“When you have n cold, we sneeze,” he said.
The British approach to studying law is also differ
ent, he said. While American law students read cases
to learn legal principles, British students rend nbout
the principles themselves. He believes British barris
ters see distinctions between cases more clearly,
whereas American students see a case that resembles
another familiar case and decide it can be treated the
same way.
Athens attorney Sharon Pickett, whose bar associ
ation helped to bring Roberts here, said she was
impressed with his speech.
“He hnd some interesting comments nbout how
English law and American law are related, and nbout
our profession,” she said.
Omega sentence cut, but Knapp says hazing penalties will get worse
By ROSALYN THOMPSON
Staff Wnter
A hazing incident Sunday at
Clark Atlanta University that left
an Omega Psi Phi pledge in the
hospital with kidney damage
would not have affected University
President Charles Knapp’s deci
sion to reduce the sentence of a
University chapter of the same
fraternity found guilty of hazing
last spring, the president said
Wednesday.
“I can*t conjure up a link
between the two schools,” Knapp
said. “We make decisions on cases
based on the information we have
and the factors that exist on cam-
put, and we will continue to make
those decisions based on what we
think is in the best interest of the
campus."
The incident involving the
University chapter happened on
April 23 between 10 p.m. and mid
night. According to Athens/Clarke
County police reports police and
University administrators
observed two males being hit on
the buttocks with paddles. But fra
ternity members have maintained
they were practicing for a step
show competition.
In a June 5 Organization Court
hearing the fraternity was sus
pended for three years and placed
on a three-year probated expulsion
effective upon its return to cam
pus.
Last week, Knapp amended the
three-year probation of Omega Psi
Phi to allow the fraternity to reac
tivate on campus in fall 1992 with
three vears of probated suspen
sion. He said his decision was an
effort to provide equity among
penalties received by campus
groups.
Omega Psi Phi will probably
not appeal to the Board of
Regents, the fraternity’s faculty
adviser said Tuesday.
“Dr. Knapp was very consider
ate in the way he dealt with us,"
said John Davis, associate dean for
public service and fraternity advis
er. The Omegas will abide by his
ruling and we look forward to com
ing back on campus next
September and flourishing like
any other Greek organization."
Knapp said Monday he exam
ined the penalties previously given
to other fraternities and deter
mined the three-year suspension
stood out as too harsh.
"I want it to be clear that the
next hazing cases that come across
my desk will receive progressively
more severe penalties,” Knapp
said. “I can’t speculate beyond
that because I judge the cases
individually.
“Hazing is an extremely impor
tant issue and it will not be toler
ated on this campus," he said.
He didn’t start the harsher pun
ishment with the Omega case
because he hadn’t stated his policy
at that point, he said.
Davis said he felt the procedu
ral rights of the fraternity were
violated at the onset of the
University judicial process.
He said he should have had
direct contact with Ron Binder,
fraternity adviser, before Binder
went with Bill Bracewell, director
of Judicial Programs and William
Porter, director of student affairs
to observe the incident that
resulted in the charges.
“That’s a courtesy that should
be extended to any group on cam
pus," Davis said.
After the guilty finding, the fra
ternity went to the Administrative
Appeals Board, composed of Dan
Hallenbeck, associate vice presi
dent for student affairs, and two
student justices, which upheld the
suspension but shortened the pro
bated expulsion to one year.
The fraternity appealed to
Knapp in August.
