Newspaper Page Text
4
-The West Georgian-Wednesday, November 13,1991
™ l West Georgian
MEMBER - Georgia College Press Association
and the Society of Professional Journalists
Serving West Georgia College
and the Carrollton community
for four decades
Pratt Austin-Trucks, Editor
Stuart Churchwell, Advertising Manager
Students should denounce new
proposed alcohol ordinance
The city council of Carrollton has drafted anew ordinance "relating
to alcoholic beverages," in a measure designed to combine the city's
former jumble of three separate liquor ordinances into a "single, more
restrictive package." {The Atlanta Constitution, Nov. 4, 1991)
What the council has forgotten to mention is the fact that avenues
for entertainment aimed at the college scene will be shut down as a
result of the new ordinance.
The new ordinance would only allow the sale of alcohol in
restaurants, as well as package and convenience stores. Nightclubs,
bars, pubs, dance halls, pool rooms and game rooms would not be
allowed to sell alcohol in any form. Nude dancing would also be
prohibited in establishments that serve alcohol.
Local college hangouts would not be allowed to serve alcohol. In
order to see popular local bands that play at clubs and bars, students
would be forced to travel to Atlanta.
We are thinking realistically when we note that clubs in Atlanta do
not card as carefully as local bars in Carrollton have, and Atlanta bars
also do not cut people's drinks off as quickly as a Carrollton club
might. The city fathers need to face reality college students are
going to drink, but is it not safer for them to drink safely in Carrollton,
rather than making a drunk-driving run along 1-20 late at night.
The city council also needs to stop assuming that college students
are the only humans who abuse alcohol. One of West Georgia
College's own students was killed by a drunk driver last week; the man
allegedly registered a .24 at 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon. The drunk
driver was a "thirtysomething" Carrollton resident who is not a WGC
student. It is rather insulting that the council seems to feel that the
college students are the main DUI offenders.
Also, the council needs to admit the real reason for initiating the
adoption of the restrictive ordinance; a nude dancing club recently
opened in Carrollton that placed the residents in an uproar. The council
saw the complaints about the nude bar as an excellent opportunity to
extend the city's emerging ridiculous conservatism to college students.
The city council had scheduled another public hearing as well as the
final vote for next Monday at 7:30 p.m. However, the vote had not
been placed on the agenda as of Wednesday because of two cases
pending in the court system about the ban of alcohol in nude dancing
establishments. Please keep up with the situation in the Times-
Georgian. If the vote is put on the agenda, we encourage you to attend
the meeting and voice your opposition to what one bar owner called
"another act by a one-horse town that caters t0...d0-gooders." (The
Atlanta Constitution, Nov. 4, 1991)
the West Georgian
Editorial Staff Mallard Holliday, Managing Editor
Edie Massengale, News Editor
Rob Goldsmith, Sports Editor
Jennifer Trinko, Arts & Entertainment Editor
( f Photographer.. Naomi Grunwald
1 >duction Mgr Gabriel Reedy
1 cul ation Jennifer T rinko
less Mgr Dan Dunn
sor Lane Hudson
'1 West Georgian is published weekly fall, winter and spring quarters
during class sessions. The summer schedule is bi-weekly during class
sessions. Questions or comments should be directed to THE WEST
GEORGIAN, Student Center, Room 109, West Georgia College,
Carroilton, GA 30118. Volume 34 No. 9.
Distributed by Tribune Media Services
Student denounces freedom of expression policy
Dear Editor
I am writing to voice my
opposition to the proposal
entitled, "West Georgia College
Policy Governing Outdoor
Speeches, Demonstration,
Distribution of Written Material
and Marches." This proposal is
self-contradictory, full of
ambiguous language, and
proposes a condescending attitude
towards the most integral people
in the West Georgia community,
our student body. By examining
the language of this ludicrous
document, it becomes clear that
the General College Matters
Committee has come up with a
policy which is unacceptable.
The opening sentence of this
document states that "No rights
are more highly regarded at West
Georgia College than the First
Amendment guarantees of freedom
of speech, freedom of expression
and the right to assemble
peaceably." The purpose of the
document, however, is in my
opinion, to limit free speech, free
expression, and peaceful assembly
among the students at this
college. Certainly, the proposal
states that its purpose is "...to
assure equal opportunity for all
persons, preserve order within the
campus community, protect and
preserve college property and
provide a secure environment to
individuals exercising freedom of
expression," but the rest of the
Letters to the Editor Policy
THE WEST GEORGIAN welcomes letters on topics of general interest Editors reserve the
right to edit all letters for clarity, length, and to comply with all libel laws. All letters must be
signed and must include a phone number for verification, (Phone numbers will not be printed.)
Letters printed express the opinion of the writer and not that of THE WEST GEORGIAN.
Perspectives
document is dedicated to outlining
procedures which I feel are
unnecessary in order to achieve the
stated purpose and which limit
students' rights guaranteed them in
the Bill of Rights.
The ambiguous language of
this document ranges from
frightening to ridiculous. It
proposes regulations for speeches,
demonstrations, and marches, but
it does not clearly define these
terms. How many people
constitute a march? How long
must one speak and to how many
people before he or she is making
a speech? These are questions
which must be addressed before
this policy is adopted. Suppose a
trio of students are walking across
campus discussing the erosion of
the rights outlined in the
Constitution as it applies to
them. Are they participating in a
march? If they stop, are they
holding a demonstration? If the
answer is yes, then I ask the same
question if they are singing the
national anthem instead of the
above topic. If they are not
involved in a demonstration or
march, would the same rules
apply if they were wearing bed
sheets and shouting racist
remarks? These examples are, of
course, extreme, but my point is
that the proposed policy does not
address these issues at all. I
believe that leaving these integral
terms open to interpretation
invites abuse. At the very least,
this lack of clarity instills
uncertainty as to what constitutes
acceptable behavior among the
student population. Another
example of the ambiguous nature
of this document can be found in
Article D, section 2. this states
that the "Use of sound
amplification on campus is
regulated and must be approved at
least 48 hours in advance by the
Vice President for Student
Affairs." I wonder if the
committee realizes the absurdity
of this rule.
Let me list a few of the items
found on this campus which use
sound amplification and which
would under this rule be subject to
approval by the Vice President for
Student Services: televisions,
stereos, hearing aids, and some
personal computers. I believe that
requiring 48 hours notice in order
to use these items would greatly
hinder the daily business of this
college. This document clearly is
not specific enough to achieve any
of its stated goals.
My last objection to this
document is also my most heart
felt. This proposal takes an
extremely condescending attitude
towards the student body of West
Georgia College. Ladies and
gentlemen, we don’t need your
proposal in order "to assure equal
See "Expression policy," page 5