Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

4 Monday, Novbmbek 8, aoto | The Red a Black DmM KnM I Editor in Chief editor@randb.oom Carey O'Neil | Managing Editor me@randb.com Coartaty Hafcroak I Opinions Editor opinions@randb.com Election money fears overrated Another column about the election may be worth less than a commemorative cup for this year’s football season, but there was one talking point that was never settled. I’m sure I heard a varia tion of the line “there is simply too much crooked money going into this election” more times than the new Eminem song. I have no doubt the unions, corporations and a thousand different politi cal groups spent billions influencing this year’s midterms. I’m just not convinced this spending is as dark and ominous as it’s made out to be. First, is there really too much money in politics? Estimates are still hazy, but early figures indicate the cost of this election will clock in around $4 bil lion. That sounds like quite a bit of money. Here’s another figure: Americans spend about S2O billion on ice cream every year. So, to put it another way, we spend roughly one-fifth on free elections and the democratic pro cess as we do on frozen milk and sugar. Personally, I’ll be keep ing a closer watch on the impact of dessert than on that of Karl Rove. Second, even if the greedy corporations and corrupt unions out-give us, are they really stealing the election, or are we giv ing it to them? How many of us actual ly gave money to a cam paign this year? Like femi nists at a razor-blade sale, demand was scarce. Only 0.22 percent or roughly the chance of find ing an open table at Boar’s Head on a Friday night —of the population donated more than S2OO to a political campaign, according to opensecrets. org. The modem campaign costs money. The reason your sena tor needed to raise mil lions of dollars was so he could force you to pay Mailbox E-mail and letters from our readers Outside interests affect hunting The recent debate about deer hunting ignores the fact that cur rent policies ensure high populations. Hunting is big business, and there are economic pressures to keep the hunting “good.” State game agencies, university research pro grams, private clubs and certain businesses rely on hunting revenue. These interests overlap to sup port policies like restric tions on killing does that keep the population artificially high. The costs of creating a sportsman’s paradise are externalized onto those who live in the area. Policy changes could easily decrease the population and curb car accidents. soundfflfe Do you have a problem with the University? Don’t forget to send in your anonymous opinions to opinions@randb.com for our Thursday “Soundbites” feature. Qpi^>^w^^ThtßrtSa^w>lNqpNowot>wwiwdnfltnMw>tyt>o>fl>TtW^dftMfc NEWS: 706-433-3002 NwtEdNor MntEntay Aareetato Nnm Mor FtaMßunt Sports EdMor UiDM VarMyUtor Jo*MH*rm fH-..*,. ■*. -i fttalnian OreWi Mow; \jum Ptopmy, MtoiyT*mpto nn , fi *.-■ *- ■ 1-- n.t SWWI OW OWV> f OTW. Jw&m.e HiAW'l3 MkaEdtor MM Brown Orton* CppyMorel*unCianon.Ttjlor Mom EdßofW CvtoowWf Juft BsAfy, PNBp Htnry, Sar#i Qdm. W nchmK m Scan sTMcAfee attention and watch his 30-second ads. No one can pull a President McKinley any more by running a cam paign that consists of sit ting on your front porch all day. If that was the case, we’d have a lot more con gressmen equipped with a pair of Ray-Bans and a beer belly. Finally, dues all that money really mean that once you get a Washington, D.C. ZIP code you automatically become corrupt? Maybe I’ve been watch ing too many black and white movies, but I like to believe our representa tives’ voting decisions don’t become tainted the moment they accept money from industry and lobbyists. Has your congressman really been bought and sold by big oil, or does he just think the idea of mil lions of windmills stretch ing from coast to coast is silly? Is your senator really in the pocket of the labor unions, or does she just believe that big corpora tions pick on the working man? Several studies, includ ing one by Freakonomics authors Stephen Dubner and Bteven Levitt, have shown that it isn’t the money that matters it’s the candidate. Appealing candidates that can win are the same candidates that appeal to donors. Bottom line, money will and should always be a concern in politics. But the real focus belongs on the candidates —and trying as best as possible to avoid picking ones who dabbled in witchcraft. Scott McAfee is a first-year law student from Kennesaw ecological destruction and diseases such as the cur rent lyme disease epidem ic. The next time someone hits a deer, don’t think of it only as a collision of humans with nature. Think of it rather as a collision between the interests of the few and everyone else. ROGER STAHL Assoc, professor, Athens Speech communfcetion LETTERS POLICY Letters must include nama, year in school, hometown, phone number, major or job title or other appropriate iden tification. Letters are edtted for spelling, grammar, length, style and libelous material. Ail letters w be published - either in print or online. Mutar EdMoratat Moris MM: Smh Jren Dorer ffrendtotart Mor San Ctototo •onto Itaportor Moo Oman Staff DMtart Swoon Al. Jreon Aatorod. flyn Stack. fctatfi Btanort, Room Q Sown. Ktorey Byrd, Amt CorwugMon, Mom Carton, JUta C*rp*rer Mtoore Cohtn, Ktoy CorM. Oantai Conon, Chrtalopwr OAntato, Jacob Dtwmto. CM* DtSortb. Statot Jren Ocmt f. * JRS* KJruO, AACniiSi rWpHnc*. ofWiß KsmumTmP 3ran CaA, /-V. . .. u M i HM ru,—*, t VHRnßani. r.Twy VJIWW, Wins r WNII, mvw rwn, I. iTTaititrA - o inc—__ -Wtw rfOOpn, RJWWyn ingso Jen nßnl *nflrQ, Eduard Kim. Hotahtr Many. Atao LaugMln. D*rcy Loro. Point Marinovi Jtmts McOonough. OmM MNctaft, Otinnt Opinions SpjS[|l!lj&y M Eacebook inspires anew invention I have a confession to make I don’t have a Facebook account. Please don’t think less of me. In our society, Facebook has become the rule rather than the exception. Abstainers like myself are modem day outcasts, similar to lepers. When I admit my social inepti tude to people, they often don’t know what to think. Facebook eschewal is met with a combination of confusion and awe. I’m jealous. Not of you Facebook users, but of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Green is the color of my envy and his money. Zuckerberg has an estimated net worth of almost $7 billion. Based on my extensive research on his life (watching the film “The Social Network” and browsing Wikipedia), I conclude that I actu ally have much in common with Zuckerberg. He dropped out of Harvard. I’m about to graduate from Georgia. He is a brilliant computer pro grammer. I own a computer. He has fame and fortune. I want fame and fortune. Internet giants like Facebook and Google began in college dorms. They give students like us hope Republicans, do not forget your promises On Tuesday, the Republican Party celebrated historic gains. We took control of the House of Representatives by a substantial margin. Eleven Republican governors were elected in states held by Democratic governors, and 12 states kept or elected another Republican governor. The OOP took control of at least 19 state legisla tures. Six new Republican senators were elected to the U.S. Senate. For the first time In Georgia history, all Constitutional offices were won by Republicans. Congressman-elect Austin Scott beat four term incumbent Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga. Oalns were made to the Republican majority In the Georgia State House and State Benate. The American people wanted a change, and they entrusted that change to the Grand Old Party. However, despite our victories, It is not yet time for my fellow Republicans to celebrate. WnCnAii jißphjthfo MOOuW LOuy rHCfißftaOn, fsCR ■ Ifw-. Mchata Prochrek* Mpn Sfltoh. Adbta Solomon. Ntahar Sorenren. litany 9tavn. Zat* Tiytor, Amb*r Thomre. Ktata Vtoprtonp, Palp Vm*r. Evt Vaqure. Utary IMtor. t/m Yvano, urwhi* rw* Chtar PhotofreMor Wn Btatandlp HwtosrwlWP.CtMlw Pyre Baba, MttoßCaap.trei Drepn Em* K*oi. Mrepn K*toy. mm* luctan. n*ml** PMt AJ rtayrow* Ju*nn* jam* Wtoor. OmaZatan PapDaatjnar* R*ch*lG Sown Amanda Jon**, An* Kabakov*. CtataMshw Mtor RobW* OMty, Dwta* Rureto. Adam Wynn * Jared Peden In 2006, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., danced across the stage when Democrats took control of Congress. In 2010, Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, held a subdued press confer ence. At one point, he shed tears, honored that the American people had entrusted our party with the duty of fixing America. The future speaker of the House said, “We have real work to do —and this is not a time for cele bration; not when one in 10 of our feUow citizens are out of work, not when we have burled our chil dren under a mountain of debt, not when our Congress is held In such low esteem ... for far too long, Washington has been doing what’s best for Washington not what’s best for America. Tonight, that begins to change.” My party must remem- Our Staff P Robert Carnes that we might one day hit it big. So, why am I not participating in the Facebook phenomenon? Because I want to avoid conven tion. I enjoy being an exception to the rule, if only because of the con fusion it causes within the status quo. It also gives me free time to think of the next Earth-shattering idea. I’ve realized that the only thing separating me from instant notori ety is that one great idea. How’s this for brilliant: the Time-Capsule Time-Machine. Remember time capsules? Shoe boxes full of newspaper clipping and marbles that you buried in fifth grade to be excavated at a later date. Except my time-capsule time machines are buried in the present day to be dug up in the past through the magic of time travel. This will show older civilizations how advanced they can expect their descendents to become. ber one important point the key thing for Republicans to take away from Tuesday’s election. This midterm election, while most certainly a rejection of the Democrats and their tax and spend policies, was by no means an embrace ment of the Republican Party. Instead, it was a man date from the American people. Cut spending, shrink government and clean up your ethics, Washington. We the Republicans must remember this. We must use the con servative principles that make our party what it is to accomplish this man date. Otherwise, the American people will once again toss us out on the street. As Rep. Boehner said, “Our new mttfority will serve as your voice in the people's House." And we must keep that promise. In 2006, Republicans found out the hard way what happens when you Ignore the will of the peo ple. In 2010, Rep. Boehner I- ii - - * --*■ r*m*a iA r-ittia* coROnM DOara nWnWi uw wiwpn uaiai, wwiay uwwy unr. "Rpw Ptoren, Mtfre Ttanlon and Jm MMmi. ADVERTISING: 706-433-3001 AdwrMnf Obtctor: N*tat* McClure Mutant Ad Mmftr Lauren Jan** Territory dmgn Sarah Oban. Ann* lawanlhal i— j a . Halrnr uULjk^ HR v*ta*ww* Aooounl Ejrecuthre* Kily Ptarw, Andrew Lore. Muff Owrabtto Store Atcoctato* Ryan Baruon, Cawlyn Eren, Nek Mannar, Rabaoca Tonn* AdvtrlMng Aaatatont* Laurel Hotamd. Enffy John* Ctaatottoda ftoprerenttolre: Jama Vlnre Ckotoriton Managar BtataMoftw Craattvt Aatoatant Otota Scarborough Phone (706) 433-3002 | Fkx (706) 433-3088 opinions@randb.com j www.redandblack.oom 540 Baxter Street, Athens, Oa. 30005 Imagine Shakespeare reading Harry Potter on a Kindle. Picture Napoleon riding into battle listening to The Rolling Stones on his iPod. Think of Beqjamin Franklin interrupting the Constitutional Convention with a loud cell phone conversation with Socrates. These historic figures lived in an era before social networks and search engines. They were the engines of change that shaped the world around them. In that same vein, I choose to take advantage of technology, instead of the other way around. Instead of following others, I’d prefer to forge my own path and have people copy me. Mark Zuckerberg did this and my hat is off to him. There is no denying the power and the impact of Facebook. It has altered our lives and defined our generation. In fact, I expect a similar response when my time-capsule time-machines hit the market. They will arrive in stores two weeks ago. Robert Carnes is a senior from Dunwoody majoring in newspapers told Speaker Pelosi the House of Representatives was the people’s House, and a majority that does not listen to the will of the people quickly finds Itself in the minority. Boehner has kept this theme throughout his time as the minority lead er. Let’s hope he keeps that same mantra as the speaker of the House. If he does not, he will quickly find out what Speaker Pelosi and a line of other people who have sat in the speaker’s office have discovered: “Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive [...], it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such prin ciples and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” Jared Peden it a junior from HinetviUe majoring in political science and it the Membership Director for the University of Georgia College Republicans Mil dlltol** XI MJ - > 1 Au. rfGuUCwn AWiann twCOhRTO Lnw, JVfwN ww, PrtacSt Ktoh*. EWm Ktoeh a,,, ihiito!n■ “ a- rivwwwiffi omn nomv ** *-r-* U*,ni fHHMT nRIJ HHHRHw ftwrttflfrt (Mn Migan Yut Tbt lire i tore* red aprtng Mmtiitfv md #4ch Thundiy www wimlit, worJ ixwußy* ana nan panoot, uy inv two ■ ohcw Company Inc , • no<Hirol> atnyu n*Mp*p*r nor *dbta*d •toi Iw UlMrtoy ol Qtorgta Sutoabto" "to: tUS p*r yrer.