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4 » The Red and Black » Wednesday, March 3, 1993
OPINIONS
The Red & Black
Established in 1893 - Incorporated 1980
An independent student newspaper not affiliated with the University of Georgia
Mike McLeod/Editor-in-Chief
Johnathan Bums/Managing Editor
Melody Willis/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
Sanctioning South Africa
The end of apartheid is near. But should United
States businesses end all economic sanctions and return
to heavy investment and trading with the race-tom
South Africa?
Both the African National Congress and the white
National Party agree that sanctions should be lifted once
a timetable is set for free elections. Members from most
of the country’s political parties will meet Friday to get
started with deposing the white government and replac
ing it with a multiracial one.
But, Nelson Mandela’s ANC and F.W. deKlerk’s
National Party are calling the shots in the transition
team. The Inkatha Freedom Party, the other black inter
est group, and the various mixed coloreds and Indians in
South Africa are being left out in deciding the future of
their country’s government. And now, Mandela and
deKlerk want sanctions lifted.
Of course they do. When it comes time to have the
free elections, the ANC and National Party will look good
to the voters - they are the ones who brought prosperity
back by getting outside investment flowing into South
Africa’s beleaguered economy. In addition, Mandela is a
shoo-in for the new presidency, with all the perks and
power that come with being leader of this potential eco
nomic giant.
President George Bush lifted sanctions in 1991 after
deKlerk made ceremonial gestures of ending apartheid.
Since then, America has increased trade with this once
taboo nation. During 1992, South Africa’s exports to the
U.S. totaled $1.7 billion, up $400 million from 1987.
The ruling South African elites want the remaining
sanctions removed in order to get loans from the World
Bank and the international Monetary Fund. Billions of
investment dollars are floating in limbo ready for South
Africa to reclaim.
But South Africa isn’t ready yet. Until Mandela and
deKlerk allow the other minorities a little of the power
and a little say into their future, America should keep
those sanctions in place. It’s obviously an effective tool in
pressuring those elites into being less authoritarian and
more democratic - if they want to have a share in the
money bags of the United States.
Snuffing Sanford smoking
We wish the University Athletic Association would
kick some butt - cigarette butt, that is. It’s high time
they crushed smoking in Sanford Stadium.
While the University currently asks fans not to smoke
in the stadium, we don’t have an outright ban yet. We
don’t have proper enforcement of the current policy,
which allows fans to smoke only in the concession areas.
Despite the problems it raises, we should. We should join
Georgia Tech, and even Auburn, by banning smoking in
the seating area of the stadium.
Georgia athletics spokesman Claude Felton has said,
“The best situation is for the fans to exercise self-enforce
ment.”
Well, that’s a nice, non-offensive policy aimed to
please our smoking fans, but for those of us who choke
and turn blue at the thought of a dose of second-hand
smoke, it’s no comfort.
Smoking advocates say it’s ridiculous to have bans in
open-air facilities. The smoke rapidly dissipates in the
fresh air and wind, they say. Nice try, guys. It always
seems that some of that smoke seems to dissipate right
in the face of an agitated non-smoker’s face.
Mike Finn, a spokesman for Georgia Tech, said, “We
gave people who were non-smokers freedom to watch the
game without being bothered by cigarette smoke.”
Sounds like a good plan. By next season, smokers
should be asked to leave their seats in Sanford and re
turn only when they’ve finished smoking outside the seat
ing area.
STAFF
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“Why are they penalizing a business if they want the econo
my to grow? They should spend more time busting drug deal
ers and protecting citizens."
-Samuel Griffith, a regular customer at Topper's.
University Greek system completely racist, elitist
Editor’s Note: The following is a signed col
umn by Anonymous 40 Watt Disco Regular, the
same person who wrote the letter about Greeks
invading Disco territory. Our policy on anony
mous letters is simple - no letters will be print
ed if they can’t be confirmed. If you want to be
published anonymously, you must submit the
letter with your name and phone number. Then,
we will discuss your request for anonymity.
Only if the case warrants it will you have your
letter published without a name. No ifs, ands or
buts.
I feel that I have done myself and my true
feelings an injustice in my article about Disco
at the 40 Watt. It’s not just that I dislike your
(meaning Greek) presence at the Watt, I dislike
the fact that the Greek system even exists at
the University of Georgia.
First, I would like to begin by responding to
some of the assumptions put forth by the re
spondents to some of the assumptions put forth
by the respondents to my article. Margaret
Goldman: I never Identified myself as a
“Townie.” Notice that in reference to this group
I use the word “they” not I nor me; however, I
would like to cultivate that lifestyle but I don’t
have enough time. Additionally, you said, “you
need to go somewhere else, not them.” You’re
absolutely right. I never said the Greeks didn’t
have the right to go to the Watt. It’s a public
place and I can’t control who goes there and I
did say, “I’ll hang up my dancing shoes...That
is until summer ”
C.E. Stone: You are absolutely correct when
you said, “it’s time for you to take a stand
against hypocrisy, stereotypes and cliques that
run rampant through this town.” It sounds to
me that we stand together in promoting the
abolition of the largest “cliques” in town, the
fraternities and sororities.
Landon Holt: No, I don’t consider disco to be
an “exclusive club.” There are no high dues (as
with a fraternity), you don’t have to fake smiles
to make friends and it doesn’t help if you drive
an expensive car. You’re additionally wrong
_ A
Sheryl
Vaughan
about me being “prone to negatively stereotypes
people outside your organization.” I simply neg
atively stereotype Greeks. I accept and hold
nothing but positive regard for everyone else,
be them homosexuals, African-American or any
host of other sub-groups of society. And no...I
didn’t receive any money from the 40 Watt;
however, occasionally Paul will buy me a beer.
M. Meghan McCarthy: You want to know
who the “you” is that I refer to...well, open your
Saint Martin’s Handbook and you will discover
that you - not yall - is the plural of you and it
is referring to the Greeks. You also ask,
“doesn’t wearing clothes one bought at
Junkman’s, thrift stores, etc...place one within
the confines of a social group?” - No! I, as well
as many of my friends, would never shop in
Junkman’s because it’s too expensive. I shop at
thrift stores not because I think it’s fun, cool or
why ever you shop there. I shop there because
I’m putting myself through college and it’s all
that I can afford. I’m really glad that you wear
your “thrift store and Junkman’s clothes”
around your “sorority house all the time with
out being condemned.” I guess the 300 or so dol
lars you pay per quarter has nothing to do with
that.
Now that I have responded to all the letters
that were printed in The Red & Black, I would
like to move on to what I feel was the motiva
tion behind my article...I hate the existence of
the elitist and racist Greek system at the
University of Georgia.
I’m glad that you feel free to go “slumming”
every now and then but face it, the Greeks in
this town have a lot of money. You spend about
$300 per quarter to place a group of “friends”
on a time option payment plan. Sure, you find
plenty of ways to justify spending money so
frivolously but when you get down to it, you’re
simply buying your “friends.” Would a great in
dividual with a wonderful personality and su
perior intellect be able to join your “exclusive
club” (to quote Landon Holt) if they were un
able to pay their dues? I really don’t think so.
Without, I believe it’s $125, a woman can’t even
go through rush at UGA. That’s not even in
cluding the “required” closet full of dresses. So,
as you can see, the Greek system is elitist, and
therefore, creates a monetary boundary be
tween the participants and the real world.
Yes...whether or not you want to face it, as a
whole, you are racists. It appalled me when Pi
Kappa Phi was simply suspended from the
University for printing a blatantly racist pam
phlet and distributing it among its pledges. The
fraternity should have been thrown off campus
with no option to return...Ever! Remember only
a few short years ago (I believe it was three)
when Sigma Chi was thrown off campus for
having a party that was too large? What is this
telling our African-American students? It
speaks, maybe even yells, that it’s okay to dis
tribute racist literature to impressionable
freshman but don’t throw a party that’s too
large. That’s disgusting! An ex-roommate,who’s
no longer a student here, told me that her
sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, purposely in
creased the requirements for accepting pledges
so that an African -American woman, who had
met the previous standards, was excluded from
being offered a bid. This is equally disgusting
and should not be tolerated at any University.
Based on their elitist and racist components
the Greek system at this University should be
abolished. The supposed “good” of these organi
zations doesn’t outweigh the negative aspects
surrounding their existence.
Sheryl L. Vaughn is a senior in psychology.
Christians shouldn’t judge gays
It grieves me deeply to see the but to accept God’s word as truth,
misperceptions that so many people Nor can we say that what God said
have about Christians. So many 2,000 or 4,000 years ago is no
people see Christians as bigoted, in- longer relevant today, because
tolerant Eind self-serving. Clearly “Jesus Christ is the same yester-
there is a need to set the record day, today, and forever” (Hebrews
straight. 13:8).
Although there are many who
use the name of Christianity to fur
ther the cause of hatred and big
otry, the hypocrisy of such people
has caused many to see all
Christians as bigoted and narrow
minded. Yet there is reason for the
views which so many consider in
tolerant and narrow-minded, par
ticularly on the issue of homosexu
ality. The reason is that the Bible
says that this behavior is
wrong-“Do not lie with a man as
one lies with a woman - that is de
testable” (Leviticus 18:22). And
again, “The acts of the sinful nature
are obvious: sexual immorality, im
purity and debauchery, idolatry
and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and
the like...Those who live Tike this
will not inherit the kingdom of God”
(Galatians 5:19-21).
If the Bible were solely an in
vention of man, it would be possible
to delete these verses ana others
which condemn homosexuality.
One could say, for instance, that
the Mosaic prohibition of homosex
uality was necessary for the
Israelites at the time, because they
were a small nation greatly out
numbered by their enemies and
they needed to keep their numbers
up. One could say that such a pro
hibition is outdated and unneces
sary today because the population
of the human race is so great that
the earth might not be able to sup
port it. One could also say that
Paul’s condemnation of sexual im
morality, which includes homosex
uality, was his own idea, a person
al standard he adopted because he
was repulsed by the rampant sexu
al immortality that surrounded
him in Greece.
However, the Bible is not an in
vention of man; it is the word of
God. Therefore we have no choice
But there is absolutely nothing
anywhere in the Bible which gives
anyone license to commit acts of ha
tred and violence against another
person, homosexual or not. In fact,
there are numerous verses which
state that such hatred and violence
is unacceptable. The same verses in
Galatians 5 which condemn sexual
immorality also condemn hatred.
Jesus says “Do not judge, or you too
will be judged” (Matthew 7:1), and
again, “My command is this: Love
each other as I have loved you”
(John 15:12). Judgment of sinners
is a right which God has reserved
entirely for Himself. ‘Tor God did
not send His Son into the world to
judge the world, but to save it
through Him" (John 3:17). Not even
Jesus Himself assumed the right to
condemn anyone during His time
on Earth. Therefore no one has the
right to pass condemnation on any
one, much less to carry it out with
acts of hatred or violence.
Joseph Derbes
Junior, math
Frat boy twist defended
I was a trifle bothered by the let
ter which appeared in The Red &
Black concerning Disco at the 40
Watt, therewith, I wish to commu
nicate the following.
Your request that the “Frat
Boys” stay out of the 40 Watt
should be ignored for the following
reason: A. It’s a free country, and B.
You obviously have no idea what
you’re talking about. Your assump
tion that the “Frat Boys’" reason for
being at the 40 Watt is that they
wish to emulate the “Townie" is lu
dicrous. *Townieism" is far from
most people’s idea of nirvana, the
most outward distinguishing char-
■ FORUM
■ Th* 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 IF
belous material. Letters should be typed and double-spaced, and they must In
clude the name, address and daytime telephone number of the writer. Please also
include student classification, major and other appropriate Identification. Names
may be omitted with a valid reason upon request. Send letters by U.S. mail or
bring them In person to The Red and Black's offices at 123 North Jackson Street.
Athens. Georgia 30601.
acteristics of the “Townie” being
wild-eyed liberalism, an apparent
disdain for anything normal, an ap
pearance of sullenness and general
unhappiness with life and a huge
propensity for bad dress.
Your attachment of such great
social import to Disco Night demon
strates your twisted thought pro
cess almost as well as your wisn to
exclude any certain group of people
from a perfectly harmless activity
in a public place.
As someone who is neither a
“Frat Boy” nor a Discogoer, I can
only hypothesize that the “Frat
Boys” are at the 40 Watt to have a
good time. One can only make wild
guesses at your reason for being
there, but reasons are irrelevant in
the final analysis of the situation.
The bottom line is this: If you like
to dance, go. If the people around
you bother you, leave. Regardless of
the course of action you take, one
thing is axiomatic: It is not your
God-given right to mind anyone’s
business except your own.
Bob Aderhold
Freshman, prn-med
Hodges not fair on DNC
O.K. Mark Hodges, you have a
right to your opinion, but who gave
you the responsibility to review one
of the Southeast’s best bands? I just
love your attitude: Don’t buy it un
less you are a fan. Of course not! I
hate Garth Brooks; just because
some ten gallon frat boy says that
it is his best album ever, I sure as
hell ain’t gonna buy it. Why would
you buy an album if you didn’t like
the band?
The review should have been put
in the hands of someone that ap
preciates genuine rock with gen
uine lyrics. You, Hodges, obviously
don’t. Did you take the opportunity
to listen to the messages? Or, did
you read the lyrics and decide that
they were too complicated for you?
Anyway, I bet your favorite DNC
song is “Straight to Hell," “Are we
groovin’ to the message or do you
just want to dance?" (Kinney).
And what is this line here about
“from what I understand, DNC’s in
formal live shows are much better
than the albums themselves.” Are
you implying that you have never
been to one
of their
concerts
and you got
to review
this album?
Then you
go on to
say, “That
is, if you
can handle
from 500 ‘I wanna be cool’ kids
packed in to the rim." Doesn’t 500
people, a sold-out show, packed into
a small little club tell you some
thing?
Like I said, you have a right to
your opinion. I have not had the op
portunity to hear the new CD, but
I have seen all of the new songs per
formed live. All you fans out there
(who else?), get ready. Here comes
one more album to dance to and
learn from. God bless Rock ‘N’ Roll.
Csrolee Coker
Freshman, art