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■ QUOTABLE
• » Tha Red and Black W—k»nd « Friday, March 5, 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
EDltORIALS
Just another week?
What a week of mayhem.
Usually this column is reserved for lighter commen
tary on Fridays, but it certainly is hard to make any
sense, much less comedy, out of the turmoil in which
the world seems embroiled.
Six days ago, an explosion in the World Trade
Center shook the nation. The explosion beneath the
world’s second-tallest buildings killed five people and
injured more than 1,000.
Rising from the rubble was the fear of international
terrorism reaching our shores. A score of copy cat bomb
threats, including one at our own University
Wednesday, haunted the nation.
Then a rock ’n’ roll Jesus Christ, one David Koresh-
the original Wacko from Waco - proclaimed himself the
chosen (chosen for what, one must ask?) one after a gun
battle with federal agents Sunday morning in Texas.
Nearly 100 agents raided the compound of Koresh’s re
ligious sect, seeking to serve firearms violations war
rants on him. The ensuring firefight left four agents
dead.
“Even a man like Christ has to meet with unbelief,”
Koresh, 33, who thinks he’s Jesus, has said. The stand
off, to our disbelief (certainly the true Messiah would be
grammatically correct), continues in Texas.
Here in Athens, five people, mainly widows from
Meadows Baptist Church in Comer, were killed Tuesday
when a dump truck collided with a church van carrying
senior citizens home from a breakfast. Charges are
pending on the driver of the dump truck.
It is a week more for sighs than analysis, for a mo
ment to pause and wonder why all this weirdness has
poured upon us within the last seven days.
Deficit delectables
We optimistic Americans will do just about anything
to chop the deficit down to size. From bake sales to per
sonal contributions, private donations are being collect
ed in a special account at the Bureau of Public Debt.
This organization was created in 1961 and has
amassed $24.4 million since then, all from the piggie
banks of American citizens.
This year’s contributions started with a 12-year-old
from North Dakota who sent the Treasury $1,000 to
help payoff the national debt. He earned the money
from his invention that waters trees. President Bill
Clinton called the boy last week to thank him for the
donation.
The makers of Eskimo Pies are donating 5 cents
from each box of frozen goodies sold between March 8
and April 4.
A weekly newspaper in Crosby, N.D., the Divide
County Journal, is holding a bake sale next Saturday
and sending the profits to Washington.
The fifth graders at an Oxford, Ohio, school is
rolling out the dough and punching out the cookies to
help the deficit. During this week, the kids sold a most
political assortment of baked goods - Capitol Hill
Cookies, Tipper Tbfifee, Bill Brownies, Oval Office
Oatmeal and Gore Goodies. They earned nearly $280
from their clever confections.
But, the contributions don’t stop there. A Quaker
group in North Carolina decided God had a missing for
them - to each give $1 toward reducing our national
debacle. The group netted $523, enough for 503 Big
Macs for our commander in chief.
Maybe President Clinton has hit upon the right cure
for our economic ills. We can eat our way out of this
hole. Better still, we can have our cake and eat it, too.
Eat and be merry. Share the wealth (and the french
fries). It’s good for you. No pain, no gain. Pass the
ketchup and your wallet, Mr. Taxpayer.
STAFF
NEWS: 543-1809
r. David Monro*
w. John Turoo
Brad Mi»tow
Maw* Editor*: Koith Stirowait. Allan Bow*
Front Pa (a Caov Editor*: John Mill*, TharaM W*l*n
Copy Editor* Joel Groovor. Krt* Patcharawiaea
1 Editor: Parfcar C. Smith
Edttor Timothy Moody
•/I
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ttopartar*: CatMaan E*an, David Twtddy, Ru*a
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Bavarty Co*
Sports Writer*: JJ. Cooper, Joah Kendall, John
GtOoon, Jofl Robert ton, Chip Stoczto
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a to dent Manager*: John KauU, Carla Parker
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Production staff: Hobart Kang, Laura Pathdas.
Michael Schulte
r. Harry Montevideo
Opinions expressed In TMa tted aad M
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Reprints by permleeion of the editors.
ir. Mary Straub
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Credit Meaager Leigh Baldwin
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"She'll probably be the first woman president. She's a wom
an of her own mind."
-Billy McKinney, father of U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney,on
his daughter's determination.
Turco not too happy with our whiny selfishness
I don’t know who said it, but I know I read it
somewhere. “Once you get people laughing,
they’re listening and you can tell them any
thing.” After the 15 or so columns I’ve written, I
hope I’ve made you guys laugh once or twice. I
also hope I’ve got your attention, because I’m
only gonna say this once.
CHILL OUT!!!
Okay? Let’s all just take one giant step back
and try to ease up on life a bit.
In case you’re still wondering what the heck
I’m babbling about, just read the last two weeks’
worth of back issues of the Red & Black Opinion
pages. I think it’s safe to say that one can sense
just a wee bit of anger while reading these nice
letters that our students (who are obviously au
thorities on everything) have blessed us with.
Wow! There have probably been more punch
es thrown on the Opinions pages of the Red &
Black in the last two weeks than were thrown in
the Holyfield-Bowe heavyweight championship
fight. Straights bashing gays, gays bashing
back, Sheryl Vaughan bashing Greeks, Greeks
bashing back, Jocelyn Walters bashing everyone
and everyone bashing back.
Hey, I know there are quite a few things
wrong with our society, but writing down your
problems and whining to everyone about them
isn’t going to do a thing to help. In fact, it push
es us all further apart. Apparently every student
at this University considers himself/herself an
authority on life. They know everything and feel
it’s their duty to shed light on the situation.
Come on. I don’t consider myself an expert on
anything, but I do think there has been a little
too much useless hate in the Opinion pages as of
late. I know everyone has a right to express
themselves, but just yelling and screaming at
people doesn’t do any good. Sure, you may get
the attention of a lot of people, but they won’t
take you seriously. I sure didn’t.
Walters, you made some valid points. Blacks
are oppressed, but giving us all a history lesson
dent here and can go to any dance club they
on slavery isn’t going to a damn bit of good. No
one on this earth today has had anything to do
with slavery in the United States. Slavery is a
done deal. It’s over. As for myself, my great-
grandparents came to this country on a boat
from Italy about 80 years ago, long after slavery
was abolished. I don’t want to hear one more
word about slavery. I’ve done nothing about
slavery, and there is nothing that I’m going to do
about it - because it’s not my responsibility.
Walters, if you really want to do something to
fight racism, then deal with the here and now.
And lighten up a little. Try not to be the terrible
racist that you think every white man is. I know
I haven’t exactly been a saint my whole life, but
I really don’t consider myself evil. You’re right
Walters, there is a lot of oppression in this coun
try. However that glass ceiling is beginning to
come down, so why don’t you grab a hammer and
start knocking down the walls that you’ve put up
yourself?
As for you Vaughan, you sound like one dis
turbed individual. If you have a problem with
Greeks, you don’t have to tell us about it. I’m not
in a fraternity myself, but I have no problems
with the Greek system. In fact I have a lot of
friends who are involved in it. When I came here
as a freshman, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go
through rush. So I didn’t and that was the end
of it. I’m not sure why you’re so upset. Ijast time
I checked, everyone in the Greek system is a stu-
I’m not trying to single out Walters and
Vaughan (even though I have) as the only ones
who contribute to the anger on this campus.
They just happen to come to mind because
they’re the most recent ones to have written in.
But if you guys think things are rough now,
you’re in for a long life. When you get off this
campus and mommy and daddy stop footing the
bills, I think you’re going to realize that there
are just a few more things in life that are a bit
more important than which dance club you hang
out in or where you shop for your clothes. And
I’m not just saying this to Walters and Vaughan,
I’m saying this to everyone. Instead of verbally
knocking the crap out of each other, how about
we try something crazy like maybe a little com
passion. I know it sounds crazy, but if you guys
just try, you’ll find it’s pretty easy. I’m not say
ing you have to love your fellow man, just don’t
hate him. You don’t have to go out of your way
to help him (although that would be kind of
nice), just don’t go out of your way to hurt him.
It makes life a whole lot easier.
I don’t care what homosexuals do, I don’t care
where Greeks dance, I don’t care what the town
ies are wearing and I don’t have a racist bone in
my body. I don’t consider myself special, I just
li^ my life on my terms. And I have been known
(believe it or not) to go out of my way on occa
sion to help someone in need. Call me crazy.
So just lighten up a bit. It’s not so bad.
Now lets all join hands and sing Kumbayha.
Well, maybe not. Sorry I was such a bummer
to read this week, but I had something to say.
I’ll be back next week to write about something
crazy and try to make you guys laugh again.
John Turco is a sweet, sensitive male who doesn't
want to give up his yuppie, New Age demeanor
for the stereotype of the macho, beer guzzling’
sports fanatic he-man. But, he already did.
Locusts attack Elton John, other absurd tidbits
A while back, I wrote about getting free stuff
from companies that overpackage their prod
ucts and trying to nickel-and-dime these com
panies into compliance or bankruptcy, whichev
er comes first. 1 also said that if anyone knew
about other companies that send free stuff, I
would write about it. This way, I hoped to ignite
a grassroots movement for a socially responsi
ble cause.
I realize now that some readers might be
worried that they missed the trendy cutting
edge of this movement. To those readers I say:
Don’t worry. You haven’t. However, I have
learned in the meantime that at least one oth
er country has taken steps to eliminate waste
ful packaging of retail items. I seem to remem
ber hearing about this some time ago, but my
suspicions were confirmed by “alert reader”
David Adams.
Most of you probably know that humor
columnist Dave Barry also has legions of “alert
readers.” Their primary job is to inform Dave
when something blows up and makes the news-
cows, toilets, plumbers or anything that tends
normally to remain in a non-exploded state.
Other reports that will set off Dave’s finely
honed humor columnist’s instincts include sto
ries with the word “oozing” or any bathroom fix
ture, exploding or not.
For example, alert readers would have point
ed out to Dave the blurb in the Atlanta Journal
and Constitution’s Saturday Reader about
Elton John’s recent concert in Melbourne,
Australia. A swarm of grasshoppers - appar
ently big fans - forced him to flee the stage as
they “landed in Elton’s hair, clothes and mouth,
and crawled over backup singers” and made the
stage “so slick with crushed, oozing insects that
it endangered life and limb.” Cool. But as an en
vironmentally concerned person, I have to ask:
Why couldn’t Marky Mark and the Funky
Bunch have been performing and why couldn’t
a swarm of deadly flying scorpions have covered
the stage? Life is not fair.
Anyway, I’ve always wanted an “alert read
er,” and now I’ve got one.
“Alert reader” Adams, however, brought to
my attention a book, “The Environmental
Almanac," from the World Resources Institute,
that described Germany’s solution to excess
packaging. The German government passed a
law requiring companies, by the end of 1993, to
take back from consumers all the packaging
materials on their retail products and recycle
them. This includes everything from metal cans
to the six square feet of plastic and cardboard
that encase a single Oscar Meyer Lunchable.
Needless to say, companies have reduced the
quantity of packaging materials.
That, in a nutshell, is how I understand the
situation from reading that part of the book
while standing in the bookstore. What the al
manac didn’t mention was how this law origi
nated. I have no definite source, but I recall
reading somewhere else that it actually started
when consumers got fed up with wasteful pack
aging and started giving it back to the stores.
The stores got tired of being charged with the
cost of hauling this trash away, and eventually
the law got passed.
Even if this is not true and I just made it up,
it still sounds like a good idea. So, for the sec
ond time in as many months, I am starting a
gr assroots movement that will certainly spread
as fast as the last one. Now, in addition to send
ing away for free stuff, I suggest leaving partic
ularly offensive packaging at the checkout
counter. I haven’t done this yet, since payday is
not for another week and I can’t afford to actu
ally buy anything, but I will soon.
If some readers get the chance to do this be
fore I do, I’d be very interested in the reaction.
I, for one, see immense potential here. First,
just think of the time you could save if you only
had to empty your trashcan half as often. On
top of that, you get to bewilder checkout persons
by giving them something besides cash. You can
say things like “I don’t need a bag. In fact, I
don’t need this box, or this plastic wrapping.
You deal with it,” while looking at them with in
sufferable self-righteousness. And, maybe,
someday, somebody will figure out that we are
really throwing away lot of perfectly good mon
ey.
For the other three readers of my column, if
you send me other suggestions for reducing re
tail packaging, I’ll try to write about them. For
example, I would consider banning any single
serving food item labeled as “microwaveable.”
Or unleashing a plague of deadly flying scorpi
on* on the companies that make them.
Whichever is easier.
David Hart is an underappreciated graduate
student in journalism. Write him. He needs it.
Seniors still have time to give
money for Senior Signature
FORUM
As a chairperson of “Senior
Signature *93,” I want to thank
each senior who has contributed to
this year’s senior class gift. To date,
we’ve received over $10,000 in
pledges, making it the largest se
nior class gift pledged in UGA ‘s
history. I also want to thank every
one who volunteered their time and
helped to make our campaign a suc
cess.
However, we want to make sure
each senior has the chance to par
ticipate in the senior class gift.
During our phonathon last month,
we were unable to contact over
2,000 seniors. As a result, our com
mittee has decided to have a second
phonathon, with a goal of reaching
every member of the Class of 1993.
I hope each senior will take ad
vantage of this great opportunity to
leave their mark on UGA. A mini
mum $30 pledge entitles you to
have your name engraved on a
te , which will be placed in the
Center plaza, and a subscrip
tion to the Georgia Alumni Record
■ The Red and Black welcomes tetters to the editor and prints them in the Forum
column as space permits. All tetters are subject to editing for length stvte and IF
belous material. Letters should be typed and doublespaced, 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 tetters by U.S. mail or
bring them In person to The Red and Black s offices at 123 North Jackson Street
Athens. Georgia 30601.
magazine. In addition, a portion of
the contribution will go to the pur
chase of the traditional senior class
benches and to the Alumni
Scholarship Program. The deadline
for making a gift is April 30, 1993.
We plan to dedicate the senior
class benches in a ceremony at the
end of spring quarter. If you need
8249 information * Pl eas e call 542-
Julle Reddish
Senior, exercise and sports science