6 The Daily Tar Heel Monday, Novembers. 1979
M finds "many old Barriers still intac
David Stacks, Editor
Michael Wade, Associate Editor
Gary Terpening, Associate Editor
Melanie Sill, News tzanor
Eddie Marks, University Editor
Carol Hanner, City Editor
Kathy Curry, State and National Editor
Reid Tuvim, Sports Editor
Michele Mecke, Features Editor
Ann Smallwood, Arts Editor
Andy James, Photography Editor
Dintta Tames. Weekender Editor
Iran's next move
The political and economic chess match that eventually Will decide the
fate of the 60 Americans held hostage in Iran has entered! its third tense
week, with no clear advantage yet emerging for either Opponent. For
both participants and spectators around the world, the effects of the
Iranian students' takeover of the U.S. embassy in an attempt to force .the
return of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the support of the action
by the Islamic government of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini will be felt
. long after the match has ended whatever the outcome.
In the United States, President Carter will face inten$e pressure for
reprisals against Iran not necessarily for military action, but for a
breaking of diplomatic relations or a cutoff of food exports. In Iran, the
turmoil caused by the cutoff of oil imports to the United States and the
U.S. freeze on Iranian assets as well as the uncertainty of some Iranians
over their government's continued support of terrorist action, could
"mean an opportunity for gains in the region by the Soviet Union and a
threat to U.S. oil interests in other Middle East nations.
The crisis also could further erode the already falteridg status of the
dollar as the leading reserve
currency on international money
markets, especially if Iran should
elect to switch its assets to other
currencies. Iran's foreign minister
already has said his country is
willing to wage an economic war
with the United States.
But Carter's deliberate
handling of the crisis has
prevented Iran from gaining the
leverage to capitalize on its
possible advantages. Instead, the
crisis has served to rally
Americans behind a president
whose leadership has been
questioned in the past, andjthe
bargaining position of the United
States grows v stronger as
worldwide anger mounts against
Khomeini's government. While
Carter's economic and other sanctions against Iran have helped stem
some of the anger in the United States, he has kept Iran in the position of
villain by resisting more forceful action that could resu! t in bloodshed.
The confusion over just who controls the fate of trie hostages has
further aided the United States in its handling of the crisis. The student
group occupying the embassy has said it will not release the hostages
until the shah is returned to Iran from the United States to face certain
execution, but some of the officials in Khomeini's government have
mentioned a compromise solution. Yet the students say;only Khomeini
can decide to free anyone and it was Khomeini who ordered the release
of blacks and women scheduled for today.
The students in the embassy already have deviated considerably from
their earlier pledges of non-violence by announcing! the remaining
hostages will be tried for "espionage." Carter has informed Iran that it
will be held fully accountable for the safety of the hostages, and the
pressure on Khomeini's government will increase with each hour the
captives' remain in the embassy. Until they are freed, Iran will continue
to fall deeper into its own trap.
A violent resurgence
The recent slaying of five Communist Workers Party members in
Greensboro is in itself horrifying, but beyond that single tragedy looms
the specter of increased extremism. The resurgence is alarming, because
along with the polarization of political views has come a renewed belief
by some groups that violence can serve as a tool to further political
causes.
The buildup of tension that led to the Greensboro murders stretches
back to early July, when a Ku Klux Klan meeting in the small town of
China Grove was interrupted by shouted threats and insults from CWP
members many of whom were among those who organized the Nov. 3
"Death to the Klan" rally that ended in the deaths. And in late August,
Klansmen openly brandished semi-automatic weapons at another Klan
gathering.
Causes of the resurgence ib extremist groups like the CWP, the Klan
and the Nazis cannot be pinpointed easily. Greensboro's tragedy
involved people of diverse backgrounds and political persuasions. But
behind the violence and propaganda seems to be a growing anxiety
about the country's leadership, economy and fundamental values. Klan
leaders espouse an unwavering allegiance to God, home and country.
The Nazis lust for white supremacy. The CWP and other communist
groups vow to overthrow capitalist society.
The groups' divergent and conflicting philosophies since
Greensboro the Nazis have sided openly with the Klan in their zealous
hatred of communism are the source of the animosity that led to the
Nov. 3 violence. Unfortunately, these philosophies and the resultant
methods for saving the country do not leave room for differing ideas.
What was revealed disturbingly in Greensboro 16 days ago is that
there is an ever-increasing inclination for violence to feed upon itself.
And the trend is unlikely to be abated as extremist groups respond to
each other's atrocities both real and imagined with an ideological
. commitment to mete out just retribution at any cost.
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87th year of editorial freedom
'In Quotes'
By THOMA S JESS IMA N
While its face has changed since its stormy beginnings
in the 1960's, the Black Student Movement still plays an
important role in the University by unifying black
students and voicing their needs and concerns,
Chairperson William Bynum says.
"The BSM was born out of the struggles of the '60s,
and even though today those struggles aren't as visible,
they still exist," Bynum said in an interview last week.
Black political activism has taken on a new face in the
'70s, he said. "We have to work within the system that
exists because the system holds what the blacks need to
get an equal share of.
"I am an optimistic person, and I would love to see the
day when there is no need for the BSM, when we can all
sit down in the same classroom without fear of being
discriminated against and eat at the same table without
glaring stares. But that day hasn't come yet."
Although the BSM has 300 dues-paying members out
of approximately 1,500 black students, it would be a
mistake to say that the BSM reaches only its members,
Bynum said.
One of the goals Bynum set for the BSM when he took
office in May was to ensure the implementation of the
Long Committee report. The report, submitted by a
chancellor's committee chaired by Kenan Professor of
Religion Charles H. Long, studied the role of minority
students on campus and made proposals for future
University policies. "The BSM has been a major pursuer
of the committee's recommendations," Bynum said.
"Without the BSM, I don't think the report would have
gotten the publicity it did, and then it might not have
letters
Porter fie
To the editor:
I would like to take the opportunity to
clarify a statement which appeared in an
article titled "Board kills RH A visitation
plan," DTH, Nov. 13). The last line of
that article read as follows: "Porterfield's
memo said the option plan would be
difficult in implementing and possibly
could cause problems in the ratio of
blacks to whites living in the residence
halls." I am at a loss as to how my
statements in the memorandum to the
Housing Advisory Board can be so
grossly misrepresented.
In the past few weeks, the Housing
Advisory Board has been discussing
inter-hall visitation and the
recommendations of the Residence Hall
Association forwarded to that committee
last spring. One of the suggestions of the
board was that students could have a
choice of at least four visitation proposals
and could then indicate their visitation
preference on their housing contracts.
The RHA felt that to continue to offer
options on the contract would be an
unwise decision, since assignment is
currently done on a somewhat random
basis. Assignments currently are based on
a first-come, first-served community
preference.
The paragraph in the memorandum,
which it seems The Daily Tar Heel was
referring to, read as follows: "Therefore,
we urge your committee to reconsider, or
further consider, the option of
contractual choice. One of the issues that
you (the Housing Advisory Board) hope
to discuss, as I understand your agenda, is
the ratio andor concentration of the
black white population on this campus.
Many people have suggested that random
assignment of housing is the only way to
alleviate this and other problems. I point
out to you that the more clarifications we
offer on the contract, the less our
possiblity for any type of random
selection on housing."
It is unfortunate that the DTH staff
could not have at least quoted the
memorandum in context. Many of the
issues that arise on the campus are
complicated when the press removes
from context the comments of both
administrators and student leaders. We
sincerely hope that the DTH will be more
context-oriented in making further
comments, and we hope that our fellow
students will read carefully the pages of
the DTH and question, when necessary,
the context of comments that may be
made.
William Porterfield
President
Residence Hall Association
The real menace
To the editor:
People like Harold Covington are the
real menace this country faces, not any
minority. I suppose even guttersnipes
have the rights of free speech and
thought, but I'll be damned if I have to sit
still and listen to them. Covington's
rampant paranoia and psychotic
tendencies are obvious to even the most
casual observer. The only reason he
hasn't been locked up is that he has done
nothing homicidal yet. I remember
reading that Hitler's party started small
and powerless...
When you decide, Harold, you have
bided enough time, when you come to
kick the gates in, and when they fly open,
we who believe in the fundamental
equality of all men will be waiting. You
won't stand a chance.
Ashley Burnham
714 Morrison hall
Grad votes
To the editor:
"Grads to get extra ballot boxes,"
DTH, Nov. 15). has prompted us to
communicate to you our concern on this
subject. As graduate students, we are
deeply troubled by the growing lack of
political consciousness in the country and
its reflection in our University, which can
serve as a microcosm of the larger
domain.
In a time when two out of every three
voters cannot make the effort to cast their
ballot, any attempt to increase voter
participation is a positive step. The article
'Most of the
time I feel like
we're going up
against a brick
wall with the
administration,
hut that's
nothing new
with the BSM.
Since the first
black was
brought to America, the blacks have been
up against the wall with the
administration. But that hasn't stopped
the struggle in the past, and it won't come
to an end now: -William Bynum
reached the Faculty Council."
Bynum said he had often found it difficult to deal with
the administration. "Most of the time I feel like we're
going up against a brick wall with the administration,
but that's nothing new with the BSM. Since the first
black was brought to America, the blacks have been up
against the wall with the administration. But that hasn't
stopped the struggle in the past, and it won't come to an
end now."
The BSM represents a different culture at the
University, Bynum said, and he said that he did not
understand why the BSM sometimes has to justify its
existence. "There's an international students
organization that is never asked to justify its existence,
and it has an office over in Bynum Hall. The fact that
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hallenges DTH statement
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in question stated that fully half the
members of the Campus Governing
Council were opposed to the addition of
ballot boxes in areas of higher
accessibility to the graduate student
population. The objections raised by the
dissenting representatives focused on two
points: first, David Wright opposed the
projected increase in graduate student
votes while maintaining the status quo
for the undergraduate vote; second,
Rhonda Black was horrified that "...the
establishment of these polling places can
significantly alter the outcome of the
election." Following are our responses to
the objections raised by these politicos
who obviously demonstrate keen insight
into the rationale behind the electoral
process and the operation of a democratic
society.
The suggestion that stodgy, isolationist
and feeble-minded graduate students be
allowed to have any voice in how their
greasy greenbacks are allocated is
completely ludicrous. This would be
tantamount to placing ballot boxes in
Harlem and Watts and permitting the
inhabitants to vote on urban renewal
propositions. Would any slum lord in his
right mind opt for enfranchisement of the
ghetto?
Instead, we favor following the
political ideology of Wright-Black to its
logical conclusion and thus removing all
ballot boxes to provide equal
representation for undergrads and grads
alike. The presently inequitable system
could then be replaced by a benevolent
monarchy.
Another viable alternative would be
installation of Donna Summer as head
honcho and the Village People for the
Board of Trustees, thereby insuring at
least one disco and sleaze happening per
week. If we don't get an education, we will
at least have boogied our feet to bloody
nubs and will all die happy.
In conclusion, having presently
discharged the weighty burden of our
civic duty, we would like to offer the
following memorable political
aphorism "Vote early and vote often
(while you still can vote)."
Jeff Calvert
Mark Thompson
Jon Caspar
Kenan Laboratories
Inevitable and beneficial
To the editor:
While reading the editorial "Stormy
Waters." DTH. Nov. 15), I noticed
several incorrect and misleading
statements that simply do not do justice
to the Tellico Dam Project.
The editorial stated that the only
known habitat of the 3-inch snail darter
w as being destroyed by the completion of
the dam. However. Tennessee Valley
Authority officials foresaw this problem
long ago. Since then, the steps taken to
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prevent extinction for the lish have
resulted in their successful
transplantation into the Hiwassee River
near Tellico. and the snail darter has
multiplied at a normal rate since the
exchange took place. Thus, the dam's
completion violated no part f of the
Endangered Species Act.
Secondly, I feel that the anger of the
341 farmers was far from justified. The
Tellico Project has been in TVA's plans
for decades, and has been under
construction for nearly the whole of the
1970s. Throughout both these periods of
time, the area residents fully knew of
TVA's intentions concerning the building
of the dam. Granted, while some of the
residents received less than ample
compensation for their rand none of
them were forced to accept the
settlements which they received. Other
area residents received ample
compensation and say they felt no qualms
about selling their land if the dam was to
be completed.
In addition, the editorial stated that
individuals must suffer when public good i
is at stake, but that public good in regard
to the Tellico Project was questionable.
As I am a resident of eastern Tennessee, I
welcome the dam and the inexpensive
power which it produces for area
consumption. The $3-million reduction
in TVA's hydroelectric bill will be a
welcome relief from recent and incessant
rate increases. As for the loss of rich
Tennessee farmland, there arc thousands
more acres of fertile Tennessee farmland
usable for crop and livestock production,
which only took place on some of the
16,000 acres to be flooded not all of
them.
Sure, TVA is a force which is powerful
enough to have a prominent effect in
Congress; however, it also provides
thousands of jobs in the Tennessee Valley
area and cheap power for its
inhabitants power which also often
brings in industry to the area, meaning
even more jobs.
All logical opposition to the Tellico
Project should have been voiced years
ago when the dam was in the planning
stages. There is now only one alternative,
which I consider the most beneficial:
, cheap power, many new jobs and only
incidental losses of land and resources. It
is time that the opposition stopped biting
off the hand that feeds it and admits that
Tellico is inevitable and quite beneficial.
Wilson Freyermuth
519 Morrison
' Capitalism
To the editor:
While The Daily Tar Heel may not be
the appropriate place to discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of
capitalism. I would like the opportunity
to address some of the specific points
mentioned in "Antiopiialbt remarks
lack justification." DTH. Nov. 14).
because I believe they raise some critical
issues with respect to the questions at
hand.
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they have needs is analagous to the fact that we have
needs.
"1 don't feel like blacks have recovered from the days
of slavery. I feel like we're suffering in one way or
another, institutional or blatant, and without
organizations such as the BSM, this racism is left
unquestioned."
The BSM is pursuing the establishment of an office of
minority and disadvantaged student affairs, which
"would stress the needs of blacks and the disadvantaged
that are left unanswered by the present administration,"
Bynum said. The BSM will present a report on the office
to the new chancellor who vill replace N. Fere bee Taylor
when he retires in January. "This is considered by many
to be one of the major issues the new chancellor w ill have
to deal with," Bynum said.
The BSM also is studying the tenure process at the
University, and specifically the reason the last four black
faculty members who sought tenure were denied, Bynum
said. "We're not satisfied with the recruitment and
retainment of black faculty at UNC " he said.JBy not
granting black faculty at UNC tenure, the University is
limiting the influence that these black instructors can
bring into their courses.
"The three blacks denied tenure last year all taught
black-related courses, and so did the one instructor this
year," he said. "Hence, the University is denying blacks
the right to learn about themselves, and we see that as
very destructive."
The BSM has access to a number of different outlets
for correcting problems that might arise for black
students on campus, Bynum said. "We do have influence
on the policies of different organizations on this campus,
and we're trying to expand ourselves so we can be more
aware of more departments "
Thomas Jessiman. a sophomore English major from
Newton, Mass., is a staff writerforlht Daily Tar Heel.
In case of Iran, oil companies are the
primary culprits of exploitation: if the
average American consumer thinks he is
getting ripped off when he pays SI per
gallon to Exxon, Texaco, Mobil, etc.,
think how the Iranian people must have
felt when they received a mere $2 per
barrel as they did for decades prior to the
oil embargo of the early 1970s.
It has only been in the past six years
that crude oil prices are reaching their
proper level in a free market. Despite my
fundamental ignorance of basic
economics, I think that oil prices will
continue to rise as long as demand
remains high; that is, as long as
Americans continue to guzzle gasoline as
if it were water.
Some brief comments about other
points raised in the letter. Whether the
ayatollah is or is not more repressive than
the shah is a question which histoiy will
answer. If his government fails to
distribute the wealth which Iran obtains
and if it fails to satisfy the wants and
needs of the Iranian people, then it will in
all probability fall too, and rightfully so.
But the ayatollah's crimes do not excuse
the murder of tens of thousands of
Iranians by the shah.
Finally, I did not denoucc capitalism as
the root of all evil. I did denoucc
exploitation. All people should be
allowed to receive fair return on their
investments and their labor. This means
that to the extent that capitalism
represents a rising tide which benefits
everyone, it should be encouraged; to the
degree which it is a tidal wave that drowns
the poor for the benefit of those who have
been fortunate enough to seek higher
ground, capitalism should be controlled.
Charles Brass
Department of City and Regional
Planning
Good stuff
To the editor:
Now wait a minute! Since when has
The Daily Tar Heel taken it upon itself to
publicize the works of promising young
artists, particularly under fabe pretenses?
On a casual perusal of the art works in
South Gallery the other day, one piece
stood out: the stark white tilted square
bearing the socially poignant words:
"Stolen Nov. II, 11-12 p.m. Reward."
This work, a biting and meaningful
commentary on the decadence of modern
man, far outstrips its companion pieces.
And yet we are to believe that this work
of art is but a notke of the theft of another
work which surely muU pale by
comparison. Clearly the DTH, and
perhaps the artist himself, have failed to
rccognie the value inherent in the work
which has broken the barriers of modern
art, exhibiting a more relentless social
criticUm than ever before believed
possible within the structures of
contemporary art.
Albert Barnes
Robert Spencer
Everett Rogah