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Gifts that keep on giving
It is that time of year - again. Before the Thanksgiving turkey can even
be digested, people everywhere flee the warmth and safety of their homes
at 3 or 4 a.m. to sit in traffic more clogged than Dom Deloise’s arteries,
wrestle frumpy, middle-aged women for that last stuffed animal or pair of
socks on sale and wait in line to check out for over an hour. Every year it
is the same old story, and this year was no different.
Why? Why do people do this to themselves? To save a buck or two on
cheap, corporate goods so heavily marketed to consumers it makes TV
during the holiday season feel more like a month at Jim Jones’ camp?
This year, rather than running off to the big sales at the mall and ‘smiling’
chain discount stores, buy your gifts from places that will continue to give
throughout the year. Try visiting your friendly local shop owners down
town. Not only will you find unique items to give to your friends and
loved ones, you will be contributing to the local economy and well being
of our little mountain town.
As an additional bonus to shopping downtown, Dec. 5 and 6 more than
100 downtown businesses are participating in the Shop for Change
benefit. The Shop for Change benefit raises money for Interlace, a
program that provides transitional housing and supportive services for
abused women and children.
Look for shops with lavender balloons outside. When you buy items at
these stores, you can rest assured that proceeds from your purchase are
going to a worthy cause during the season of giving.
Other ways of giving gifts this year that keep on giving is to visit such
stores as the Salvation Army Thrift Store, Ten Thousand Villages, The
Goodwill and The Samaritan Shop. Proceeds from these stores go to
benefit the poor and hungry both at home and abroad.
Too often in this world we live in, crass commercialism get in the way
of what the season is really all about - being thankful for what we have and
giving to those less fortunate than us. So the next time you are out
shopping, set a little aside to buy a few extra canned goods to give to the
hungry, or an extra toy to give to a child who will otherwise go without,
fake your spare change and give it to the bell ringers.
Take a moment this holiday season to think of others rather than
yourself, and give a gift that keeps on giving. You’ll find these gifts are
often the ones most worth giving.
The Blue Banner^s
Quote of the Week
“Everywhere I go I’m asked if I
think the university stifles writers.
My opinion is that they don’t stifle
enough of them.”
Flannery O’Connor
The Blue Banner Fall 2003 Staff
Dearborn McCorkle Editor in Chief
lason McGill
News Editor
Beth Wyche
Features Editor
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Online Editor
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MaxTaintor
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Circulation Manager
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call 251-6586 or e-mail banner@unca.edu
The Blue Banner
December 4,2003
Opinion
Protesters attempt to engage in political realnj
^ cisions made by politicians pression of demonstrations that is disenfranchised. ■
C1S1UU5 .P. . . P 1 i__. TT-*A:.r^io However, it seem.s in rer^nr ^
Daniel Judson
Columnist
Officials from 34 nations
met in Miami during the week of
Nov. 20 to negotiate the proposed
Free Trade Area of the Americas
trade deal.
In the streets of Miami, 8,000 to
10,000 union workers marched and
more than 1,000 other protesters
descended on police barricades that
blocked downtown streets to pro
vide security for the trade meetings.
Associated Ptess stoties on Nov.
20 teported violent clashes between
police and demonstrators. Arrests,
inj uties and hospitalizations are not
unusual incidents at protests, and
they were common at this one.
The use of force against nonvio
lent demonstrations is patently in
appropriate. Howevet, it seems to
be generally ignored in media cov
erage, and no one even questions
the presence of police in riot geat at
a protest match.
American citizens have the right
to assemble fot a demonstration,
although it seems strange that this
would even be necessary in a coun
try where our elected officials are
paid to teptesent the people.
Most people gain undetstanding
of what our political leadets are
actually doing through the media.
The founding fathers intended fot
the press to serve and keep the
voting citizens informed of the de-
on their behalf, and thereby,
keep politics honest.
If this is so, why are meet
ings like those of the WTO
and the FTAA so mysteri
ous? Why must these meet
ings be cordoned off and guarded
by riot teams?
Why does the media give such
large amounts of coverage to pro
tests and demonstrations in pro
portion to the real news, which in
terms of impact on the public,
would be what is going on behind
closed doors, where international
capitalists make decisions that will
effect the lives of workers at home
and abroad?
The thousands of union members
who demonstrated in Miami are
concerned for their livelihoods and
seem to have no other recourse than
this muffled cry for help.
The trade ministers are not espe
cially interested in the concerns of
the union protestors, and due to
the way demonstrators are repre
sented to the general public, there
will be very few who will join them
to stand up for workers’ interests.
The lack of wide spread solidarity
is partly due to the fact that most
protest coverage focuses exclusively
on freaks, fringe groups and inci
dents of violence that creates an
image of demonstrators as rabble
rousers, violent dissenters and pe
ripheral malcontents while ignor
ing the majority of protesters who
sincerely concerned citizens.
encouraged by the mass media,
those involved are simply attempt
ing to participate in the political life
of our country, which most people
seem to be practically cut out of.
More citizens ought to be con
cerned with decisions being made
at meetings for the WTO and FTAA
because it will directly affect the
workers of our nation and the na
tions around us.
When do we the people get to vote
for or against international agricul
ture subsidies or the future of jobs
}ikl
A
Despite the desired public im-
in our country?
Our government is supposed to
be for the people, our elected offi
cials are supposed to be our voices
in the government representing our
interests. But whose interests are
they representing?
It doesn’t seem to be those of the
majority of the population who
work for a living? Are the interests
of the people best served by serving
the interests of multinational con
glomerate corporations who pro
vide jobs to the workers?
When do the workers really get to
give their opinion? It is obvious
that many people feel that they are
not afforded this opportunity in
our representative democracy, and
so they resort to marching in the
street, which seems to be of little
influence in matters regarding the
rights of workers.
Nonviolent protests and demon
strations were successful in the civil
rights movement and gained suf
frage for many who were previously
tct
7-6
Fiowever, it seems in recent day
that the right to vote is a tokei
gesture offered to give the publi,
some feeling of self-determination
In a direct democracy voting couk
accomplish something. As it is now
the average voter is only entrusts
with the simplest of decisions it
local elections.
Beyond that, we are allowed
choose the lesser of two evils am
hope that whoever is elected wil
choose wisely as out proxy.
Dr. Martin Luther King recog
nized that the true struggle was nol
defined by race but by economics
In the final years of his life, Kin*
fought for the rights of the worker
and was a leader of the Integrate(
Poor People’s Campaign.
The night before he was killei
King spoke at a sanitation worker
strike in Memphis where he callei
for solidarity.
The greatest factor in the oppres
sion of the workers is our collectivi
inanition and apathy. Most peopli “
sitting at home after work are con
tent with whatever level of con
sumer comfort we can buy with ou sti
wages, and when we see demon
strators on television, most responr
with either contempt or fear
Workers and non-elites are beinj
forced into the streets to demon
strate in an attempt to be active ii [ b
the political life of our nation.
These tactics seem to be futile
best, but what else is a poor boy ti
do?
OIK
no
Save some trees - stop whininj
Jonathon Czarny
Columnist
After reading Max
Taintor’s column in the
last issue I couldn’t resist
the urge to respond.
Seeing how I am a mass commu
nication major, I am always look
ing for a reason to spend more time
in front of my computer screen.
Max, you really need to quit your
whining. You said the “activists”
tell you to stop complaining and do
something because it is a way for
them to tell others that their opin
ions don’t matter.
Actually, it is a polite way of tell-
ingyou to quit your bitching. When
you complain about something and
aren’t willing to do anything about
It, It is like telling a mechanic there
is something wrong with your car
and then saying “screw you” when
he tells you how to fix it.
Your self-proclaimed apathy may
not be laziness, and, of course, you
have the right to say what you please
and complain all you want.
It doesn’t make you misunder
stood. All it does is make
you look like a jerk, espe
cially when you write ar
ticles saying how much
you don’t care when it is
obvious that you do.
“Activists” telling you to
stop complaining doesn’t bother
you because it is some sort of in
fringement on your First Amend
ment rights.
It bothers you because it is a slap
in your smug face. It shows you the
truth, and that you are more like
everyone else by “not caring” than
you are by helping out.
The “I’m too cool to care” atti
tude isn’t remotely admirable or
new. Could it be that you want
these people to “shut the hell up”
and “get over it” because you are
content with your distracted life?
Nobody wants anyone to shatter
his or her safe little fantasy world.
After all, reality is the ultimate buzz
kill. You probably would have taken
the “blue pill.”
The phrase bothers you for the
same reason it bothers me. We are
too weak to want to snap out of our
fantasy world, and we are jealous of
the people who have the strength
and courage to do something better
with their existence.
I’m sure you are smiling now while
reading this. After all, your article
was just an attempt at self-gratifica
tion. Any response would validate
this cry for help. And yes, I fell for
It.
still playing while the ship is goini
down, and more like someone wM
would dance to the music. In col
lege you are not expected to fotil
one-sided opinions about ever
thing.
You are expected to learn to thinl
for yourself, to be able to anafe
the world and decide what is inil
But don’t get the wrong idea about
me. I am not an activist. I don’t
really care enough about our spe
cies to try and save it.
The earth will survive long after
our species is gone. But I certainly
won’t mock the people who do
care, even the assholes who only do
it so they can look down on people
like you and me.
Just have the courage to be you: a
whiny, selfish, cynical person — a
product of our “post-modern,”
“best country in the world” society.
Don’t try to mask this under some
fabricated, misunderstood, middle-
of-the-road-person.
Accept the fact that we will not
leave a mark on this world. Do not
lash out simply because you are an
unremarkable person.
You are less like the band that is
portant.
You have obviously decided thal
you are most important, even
atthi
cost of other people. If you carl
more about your comfort level than
anything else, that’s fine.
You are among many in this rel
gard, those who would rather masj
turbate than activate.
Your comforting words at the enJ
of your column sum it up bettel
than I can: “You don’t have to fef
guilty because I don’t.” Thanksfoj
your permission to ignore any coni
science my pampered American:
might have left.
I think you do care. Why dsj
would you write the column? I thinl
you j ust want other people to dancj
with you while the ship goes down
Next time save some trees and wriKj
“Me, me, me? Why, why, why?
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DIRTY PIG _by QNOREW LAYTQM
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