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THE GUILFORDIAN
(jUILFORDIAN
Editor in Chief Associate Editor Adviser
Justin Cohen Scott Genualdi Jeff Jeske
News Editor
Perspectives Editor
Features Editor
Sports Editor
Personnel Managers
Photography Editor
Copy Editors
Business Manager
Cambodia
reevaluation
needed
Chris Ward
Prespectives Editor
In November, I wrote of the return of Prince
Norodom Sihanouk to Cambodia. At that point,
many Western observers, including myself,
thought that the reinstatement of the Cambodian
monarch would bring much-needed stability and
political order to Cambodia, which has seen much
conflict recently. Ever since Vietnamese commu
nists used Cambodia as a staging ground against
American forces in the 1960's Vietnam War,
Cambodia has been overthrown by the radical
Khmer Rouge in 1975, invaded by the Vietnam
ese in 1979, and has experienced a new round of
political oppression in 1992.
Instead of creating a stable base for democratic
reforms in Cambodia, the return of Prince Sihanouk
has sparked police violence against those in the
capital city of Phnom Penh who violate the 10
p.m. curfew. In addition, there was an attempted
assassination of the most outspoken opponent of
the government, transportation Minister Oung
Phan. Mr. Phan, the leading political dissident in
Cambodia, was seriously wounded when gunmen
opened fire on him after he announced the forma
tion of a rival political party, the Free Democratic
Society.
Since Sihanouk's return, a struggle for the Cam
bodian political leadership has arisen between
Prime Minister Hun Sen, a man whom Sihanouk
once supported, and Chea Sim, the leader of the
ruling People's Party. Recently, Mr. Sim has
Jennifer Watts
Chris Ward
Eric Dawson
Butch Maier
Nancy Benson
Chantelle Bynum
Joan Malloch
Chris Craig
Matthew Levy
Edward Pike
>• continued on page 5
Perspectives
Letters to the editor
Free speech is vital
To the editor.
So, again, the Guilford community has decided to face another
issue, the pros and cons of free speech. Returning from a semester
abroad in China, I have only one thing to say: I really don't give a
damn about how freedom of speech erodes any aspect of our
society: it is one of the most important rights that we as humans can
have.
I have recendy left a country where people are afraid to say
anything but superficial chatter to those who are not intimate
friends. I have seen people beaten by the police for being rude. I
have seen the new tiles in Tianamen Square that have replaced the
tank damaged and bloodstained ones. I have been detained by the
paranoid Beijing police for 8 hours because I took a picture of a
piece of written material in that same square (it was the name of a
friend's bank, for promotional purposes).
"Harm outweighs the value of 'free speech'"—The Guilford-
San, 1/24/92. This statement, although an oversimplification of the
following editorial response, strikes fear into my soul. If we outlaw
pornography, could that set a precedent for the elimination of other
"harmful" things such as opposition to the law, opposition to the
governmc.ntor speech against the government? We have a problem
in this country, and it can be expressed by one of my more lucid
journal observations about China: "The United States and China
have many of the same governmental and leadership problems
which stem from one thing: a lack of participation by the people.
Americans don't give a shit, the Chinese aren't allowed to give a
Guilfordian Staff
Writers
James Clark, Robert Davis, Fessler, James Green,
Joshua G. Lewis, Rina Luther, Suzanne Moore, Ryan
Page, Susan C. Roberts, Mike Sick, Jason Smith, Peter
Smith, Heather Sowers, Louisa Spaventa, Chelle
Stinson.JacobStohler, Brian Sugioka, Dan Williamson,
Claire Woodward
Photographers
Carl Beehler, Scott Shaffer
Advertisement Representative
Ashley Clifton
Layout Personnel
Dan Boulden, Anneliesa Clump
shit."
We wony about the little things which affect cur sensibilities
and fancies and don't realize that we are sitting safely under the
protection of one of the best governments ever constructed. Of
course we have our problems, but we can fight them with the tools
that the Constitution gives us, such as free speech. To put limita
tions on these tools, even for the most noble of purposes, is
dangerous as a precedent as well as most probably ineffective. V/e
need to look at the big picture! Let's not chip away at any
constitutional rights because the precedents that such cases set can,
once acceptance sets in, become so bloated and idiotic that they
become the bridge for more radical, unconstitutional legislature
that Fixes one small problem but robs us of our ability to fix larger,
more important things.
As for pornography, laws against it will simply force it into the
unregulatable underground where the horrors will double or triple.
There is a demand, so there will always be a supply. We need to
face the fact that the solution to such a problem is usually at least
as complicated as the cause, and our American penchant for
passing quick-fix laws leaves the causes of a problem alone and
only treats the symptoms, usually in an election year.
Free speech is a gift that does not discriminate. The rights that
people such as the KKK, the neo-Nazis and the publishers of
pornography are given in order to publish pornography, spread
anti-semitic views and slander minorities are protected under the
same umbrella which allows feminists, angry college students and
homosexuals to have peace rallies, discuss homosexuality and
condemn the abuse of power in our society Outlawing an industry
Editorial Policy
Opinions expressed in editorials and letters to the
editor do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff
and editorial board. The editors reserve the right to
edit all submitted articles for length, style and tasteful
ness.
Submissions
The Guilfordian is the student newspaper of Guilford
College, Greensboro, NC. Staff meetings are held
Thursday nights at 8 p.m. in the Commons, Founders
Hall. Submitted articles are welcome. Please address
all mail to: The Guilfordian, Box 17717, Greensboro,
NC 27410.
February 7, 1992
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