! i
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h-a ate b
Kim Adams, Sports Editor
Rachel Perry, Copy Editor
Kevin Kirk, Wire Editor
Edwina Ralston, Editor
John Drescher. Associate Editor
Li cv Hood. News Editor
Keith King, Arts and Features Editor
Scott Sharpe, Photography Editor
Staff: Clay Andrews. Ted Avery, Cufton Barnes, Maria Baxter, Lisa Carl, Matt Cooper, Margaret
Desavssvre, Jackie Fields, Term Garrard, Stephanie Graham, Bob Haas, Speed Kallman, Jeff Hiday.
John Hinton, Lou Ann Jones, Jeff Knight, Kenneth Minch. Ann Murphy, Sonja Payton, Ann Peters,
Carol Scales, Clha Shankar, David Thompson, Lynne Thomson, Suzanne Townsend, Randy Walker,
Susan Walters, Clinton Weaver, Rena Zeya. Business Manager: Rajeanne Caron. Advertising: Nancy
McKenzie. manager, and Paula Brewer, coordinator. SecretaryReceptionist: Linda Cooper. Composition:
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Free, white and 21
Perhaps no other political figure in the nation stirs the emotions as
strongly as our own Sen. Jesse A. Helms. In the past week, North Carolina's
senior senator was the subject of derogatory articles in Playboy, The Wall
Street journal and New Yorker magazine. The articles especially raised
questions about Helms' stand on racial issues and brought to light an atti
tude on race that is difficult to believe still exists in the U.S. Senate in 1981.
While the country was making vast strides in the area of civil rights in
the 1960s, Helms was defending segregated swimming pools and restaurants.
When literacy tests were being used to deny fclacks the right to vote, Helms
called for tougher tests. He also said blacks needed to face up to what he
called their own criminal behavior and irresponsibility.
Unfortunately, one has to wonder if Helms' positions have changed any.
This week he reiterated that his belief that integration should have come
about voluntarily, without government intervention, has not changed. Without
government intervention, blacks probably still would be attending separate
schools, sitting on the back of buses and drinking out of separate water
fountains. The racial attitudes and policies of the 1950s presumably would
be all right with Helms as long as there was nQ government intervention.
His record in the Senate has been consistent. During his eight years in the
Senate, he has opposed every major civil rights initiative. He still remains the
strongest supporter, in the Senate of South Africa's apartheid regime.
He has never employed a black on either his Washington or North Carolina
staffs. Even Southern conservatives like South Carolina's Strom Thurmond
and Mississippi's Thad Chochran have black staffers. Yet Helms, in a state of
more than 20 percent blacks, with a staff numbering more than 125, erriHoys
none. "We had interviewed one or two that were conservative and compe
tent," Helms explained, but they were hired away by the executive branch.
Old ways die hard and Helms has yet to rid himself of his racist attitudes.
At one point in a New York Times article, he used the phrase "Free, white
and 21" to describe the good life. Helms said no racial implication was
intended. Even so, comments like that have no place in the conversations of
a U.S. Senator and Helms should be responsible enough to realize that.
Helms' backward comments on race make one wonder if, indeed, after the
civil rights gains of the past 20 years, there should be a place for the senator
in U.S. government.
More on Mideast
More than 400 deaths were reported by
Lebanon as the result of Israeli air strikes and
commando raids. The attacks, which began
on July 10, have been aimed at Palestinian
strongholds in the southern regions of the
country.
Because many of the guerilla bases are
situated in communities, 95 percent of the
deaths from the. raids have, been civilian.
Prime Minister Menachem Begin has justi
fied the deaths as the risk that Palestinian
forces take by placing the strongholds in the
towns. Several deaths of Israeli citizens have
resulted from Lebanese rockets fired in retal
iation. .
The United Nations Security Council has
begun talks for a resolution urging a cease
fire. Begin has agreed to open contacts with
Lebanon in an attempt to end the fighting.
Palestinian Liberation Organization leader
Yasser Arafat also is willing to impose a
cease-fire if Israel halts the attacks and
reconnaissance flights over Lebanon.
The raids have shaken the Reagan admin
istration's policy toward the Middle East
One effect of the attacks has been the delay
of the shipment of F-16 jet fighters to Israel.
There is no word as yet on how long the ship
ment will be delayed.
Summit talks end
President Ronald Reagan attended a three
day summit of the major industrial democra
cies in secluded Chateau Montebello '
outside Ottawa, Canada, this week. The pres
ident was joined by the leaders of Japan,
West Germany, Britain, Canada, France and
Italy for discussion of economic policies.
The meetings produced a communique
that stated the positions of these countries
on several key issues. One result was the com
mitment to assist development of poorer na
tions around the world. The communique
also gave support to Reaganomics, the high
U.S. interest rates and spending cuts used by
the administration to curb inflation and to
stimulate the economy. Several foreign lead
ers had expressed concern that the high rates
would have damaging effects on their own
economies.
The President also received assurance that
the European powers would avoid too much
dependence on the Soviet Union, especially
for energy resources such as natural gas.
Hotel tragedy
Walkways above the Kansas City Hyatt
Regency Hotel's lobby collapsed Friday night,
killing 113 people and injuring another 186.
The victims were part of 1500 persons attend
ing a dance at the hotel.
Scores of the injured victims are still hos
pitalized. And as funerals were held for o'ber
victims, investigations were already under
way to determine the cause of the accident
Five separate investigations are being con
ducted, and theories about the incident range
from faulty design to weakening of the walk
ways by patrons swaying to the music.
Owners of the hotel have said that the
hotel could be reopened in a week and de
stroyed structures could be replaced, as long
as investigations prove that the collapse was
not the fault of the structure itself.
Fashionable trend?
The threatened postal strike was the latest
of what has become a long series of walkouts
and near walkouts across the nation recently.
Beginning with the on-going baseball strike,
many highly visible unions that have direct
influence on the public have voiced their
unrest Air traffic controllers still have not
signed a contract after coming within hours
of crippling the nation's airlines. Municipal
workers in several states have left their jobs
for varying reasons. Massachusetts state em
ployees struck after state revenues became
depleted and made payment of salaries im
possible. And workers in San Jose, Calif., re
fused to report in protest for equal pay for
women.
The latest threat a postal strike that would
have halted the nation's postal service, was
finally averted after more than 30 hours of
bargaining. That strike, like many others,
would have been illegal.
- KEVIN KI.tK
anoeing
adven
iUi'Q
brings out
den beauties of life
By LUCY HOOD
The scene reminded me of one that Thoreau might have
encountered during his travels in The Maine Woods. The
muddy water ran smoothly, then was interrupted suddenly
by rapids scattered along the river. Trees, shrubs and grass
shadowed the banks and the chatter of crickets dominated
the conversation as my friend and I made our way down the
Haw River in a canoe.
The peaceful, calm setting just outside Pittsboro brought
back images of the pioneers making their way down the
James River to settle Williamsburg. My comrade and I man
aged to get stuck on almost every little rock one of which
jumped up out of the water and dumped our meager provi
sions and the two of us out of the boat.
This was just one of the many happenings of llhe day that
made me appreciate the talents with which our forefathers
conquered much more d.fficult waters without losing their
only possessions.
Because my protected upbringing in Richmond, Va, de
prived me cf the many beauties, nature his to offer, t'.a
mosqyitos will 0 unappreciated until the infected bites cr
my legs disappear. But, we dkcicct people who, wheihet
brought up in a cosmopolitan, fast paced environment or the
country, erected us with welcoming friendliness that h too
often lost in the shuffle of classes, tests and deadlines.
When the canoe became too much for us to carry any fur
ther, an older couple let us put the canoe in the river at their
fishing hole. We scared away the fish, but so had two previous
parties of canoers who had entered at that same spot With a
few kind words and a wish for a good trip, two obviously in
experienced canoers were off on their daring journey.
Three hours later we reached our destination my car
which was needed to haul the canoe back to my friend's car
a few miles up the river at the point where we started. But ...
my keys were also six miles up the river in his car. Lewis and
Clark our role models for the day would never have
found themselves in this position. As night began to fall and '
everyone else canoeing the river had left for home, we faced
a dilemma brought about by that nasty concept known as
technology.
Fortunately, we were once aain greeted with the aide of
people willing to give up a large part of their Sunday evening
to help us.
Alan caught a ride to make a phone call at the gas station
a mile up tha road while I stood guard by the canoe and
locked car, paddles in hand After waiting AS minutes until
dark without spotting relief from either direction, I decided
to walk to the nearest recuse to call for help.
Wi.'n a hundred yards a car pulled up and I shock through
out fearing the worst Cut a kind man. his wife and their
10-year-old son popped and offered to take me to a phece.
to take me to my friend's car, or to just wait with me. Nicer
people couldn't have been found.
These people knew the area backward and forward. They
knew every back road my friend could have taken to reach
his car, if in fact that is what he had tried to do. He could
have been carried off forever by whoever had picked him up
an hour earlier, for all I knew.
Well, my one phone call home amounted to nothing. Alan
had not called home and I didn't have any idea where he was.
Back to my car and the canoe we drove to wait while my
new-found friends told fun-loving stories they had heard about
canoe trips down the Haw River. Nothing could have been
more comforting under those circumstances.
Another Pittsboro native was out taking fresh vegetables
to a neighbor and had offered Alan a ride to his car. Within
minutes, Alan drove up. Finally, no more keys were locked
up in distant places and we made it home tired and hungry,
but safe.
Now that deadlines are hanging over my head again and !
have what seems l.ke 1,(XX) parses of assigned reading to do,
I must take time to thank these kind people who took their
time to help us. I will never forget such unselfish and kind
hospitality.
Lucy Hood, a junior Spanish and journalism nvjor from Rich
mond, Vs., is news editor lor The Tar Heel sttdAUn Stanley
denies the vbhcksffz'r.
10Ti Tir lkcVThuitday.JJ 3. HOI