Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Jan. 26, 1982, edition 1 / Page 6
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6The Daily Tar HeelTuesday, January 26. 1982 Jim Hummel, Edit SUSAN MAUNEY. Managing Editor GEOFFREY MOCK, Associate Editor BETH BURRELL, Associate Editor EDWINA RALSTON, University Editor Rachel Perry, atr Editor CHARLES HERNDON, State and National Editor Clifton Barnes. Spora Editor LEAH TALLEY, Arts Editor KEITH KING, Features Editor SCOTT SHARPE. Photography Editor Ann Peters, Spotlight Editor Chuck James, Ombudsman Forum facts Election Day is two weeks away, and although many candidates for this year's major races started organizing their campaigns months ago, the contestants had their first chance to go public Monday night in two forums sponsored by the Residence Hall Association. The forums, held in dormitories, give candidates an opportunity to pre sent their platforms and answer any questions students may have that are not addressed through media coverage or by campaign workers. In the next week students will have the chance to attend nearly a dozen forums and meet the faces behind the posters. Candidates for Student Body president, Daily Tar Heel editor, president of the Carolina Athletic Association and the Residence Hall Association, as well as Campus Governing Council candidates will be tested on their abilities to present clear platforms and handle themselves under pressure. In a -race where there is more than one candidate running, such as cam paigns for DTH editor and Student Body president, it is important for students to know where each prospective office-holder stands before casting a vote on Feb. 9. In past years, attendance at forums has been sparse, and many students have voted on image rather than substance. Fortunately, this trend has changed, with a record number of students at tending forums and casting votes on Election Day last year. It is also important to realize what these campaigns are designed to ac complish, especially as the races heat up in the closing days before the election. These races are a learning experience for everyone involved, both candidates and students, and should act as a springboard for a full discussion of the issues likely to affect everyone in the University com munity in the coming year. For that reason, we urge you to check the schedule that will be printed in the DTH every day and attend a forum in your area. The hour you in vest now should clear up any questions about the candidates and help when deciding on whom to vote for on Feb. 9. Big bucks In the 1980 presidential campaigns, political action committees, for the first time free of federal constraints, made contributions totalling more than $13.7 million to the two candidates. And, now, because of a recent Supreme Court ruling, even higher levels of spending can be expected in 1984. Last week, the High Court virtually side-stepped the question of legal' limits on campaign spending by voting 4-4 on a challenge brought by Common Cause and the Federal Elections Commission. The ruling, or non-ruling in this case, upheld an earlier decision by a U.S. district court panel that had struck down the $1,000 federal spending limit before the 1980 campaign. By avoiding the issue, the Supreme Court only heightened the confu sion surrounding the federal limit. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor dis qualified herself from the voting denying comment on her decision. . While O'Connor owes an explanation for her abstension, the other justices ignored questions that need to be addressed before the 1984 elections get underway. At issue is the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. The act established a $1,000 spending limit on private donations in an attempt to insulate candidates from the influence of the private sector. But since that time, political action committees such as the Americans for Change, the Fund for a Conservative Majority and Americans for an Effective Presidency have entered the arena, the lower court ruling providing a loophole for the big spenders. These three committees spent more than $4 million combined on the behalf of Ronald Reagan. Drafters of the 1971 legislation had the right idea in restricting cam paign spending, but at the time could not foresee the large growth of the political committees. Because of the Outdated legislation, members of Congress or the Federal Elections Commission now must review the law. They must discuss the possibility of new spending limits as well as decide how to define the new committees subject to the limits. Excessive spending in the 1980 elections only magnified the need for a review of federal spending limits; the Supreme Court decision must serve as a catalyst for the new debate and review. The Bottom Line All in the family GI Joe, distant cousin to Ken, Barbie and Jane, and Johnny West, is back with a vengeance. His popularity waned in the wake of the Vietnam War, and his place on the shelf was taken by Gay Bob, perhaps a more representative doll of the 1970s than the macho GI Joe. But now Joe is back, re-enlisting as an anti-terrorist leading a team that includes whites, blacks, Hispanics and a woman counter-intelligence agent; sort of a paramilitary Mod Squad. "In the old days, GI Joe was one person, but today he is a mobile strike force. This is the team sent out to protect democracy and justice around the world," said Stephen Schwartz, vice president for Hasbro Industries which will launch the toy in April. "Let's say the U.S. Embassy is taken in Iran," Schwartz suggested. "The U.S. Army would send the GI Joe team to the rescue." Too bad Jimmy Carter couldn't send GI Joe & Co. to Iran during the hostage crisis. He might still be president. Crimson king In a classic battle between an ir ritated government official and an undependent liberal newspaper, Gov. Edward J. King of Massachusetts announced last week he had filed a $3.6 million libel suit against New England's largest newspaper, The Boston Globe. 89th year of editorial freedom It is the first time in recent memory that a public of ficial especially a leading state officer-holder has attempted to win damages from a publication. Not that the Globe has been exactly kind to King since he was elected governor in 1978. One column (that amazingly enough was not cited in the suit) titl ed "The rise and decline of Edward J. King" said the Massachusetts politician's incompetence was only surpassed by his stupidity. So much for delicate analysis. King says that the Globe has held him up to public scandal, ridicule, contempt, hatred and caused him to suffer deep mental anguish. But it seems as if King's anguish may not be over. Judging by previous cases, the governor has virtually no chance of winning his suit, as anyone who has had even an elementary law education could tell you. The fact that King decided to go ahead with the suit suggests that maybe the lawyers he will have to pay to nan die the case may be the biggest win ners of all regardless of the out come. In the meantime the Globe has wasted no time in exercising its First Amendment Rights and showing the good governor it has no intention of shying away from controversy. An editorial cartoon published the day after the suit was filed had a nicely dressed King with a serious look on his face making a decision while sitting on a huge 8-ball. Have fun in court, Eddie. And that's the bottom line. Group goes By ALAN CHAPPLE "If Cain was cursed for his deed, what then about our people and our deeds? We will have to take a stand until this country acts sensibly against abortion. " Sen Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) addressing a crowd of more than 25,000 protesters at Friday's ninth annual March For Life in Washington, D.C. Making their stand, tens of thousands of anti-abortionists converged on Wash ington, D.C, to protest the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Braving the freezing cold and snowy weather offered by the nation's capitol, pro-lifers from all corners of the country rallied at the Ellipse, in front of the White House. Taking part in the march were 13 members of Carolina Students For Life, from the University of North Carolina. "We intended to demonstrate our com mitment to the unborn and the Right To Life Amendment," said Chris Kremer, president of CSFL. Kroner's group, viewed by many stu dents on campus as extremist, saw the march as a vehicle through which they could promote their beliefs. Carrying anti-abortion banners, some with slogans accusing the Supreme Court of being an "accessory to murder," and others pointing out, "Jesus Could Have Been Aborted," the Carolina pro-lifers marched from the White House to the Capitol to demonstrate to the public what they feel is the criminal wrong of abortion. On campus, the Carolina Students For Life pursue the same goal. "We want to see that life is respected," Kremer said. However, his 20frplus member group often has trouble receiving the attention and support of the student body, he said. Letters to the editor Residents To the editor: In regard to the recent memorandum distributed within the residence halls concerning the new housing policy for the 1982-1983 school year, we as residents Kenan Dormitory wish to ex press disapproval of this decision. The Department of Housing has neglected to take into consideration the increased pressure this would put on students, freshmen especially. What does the University plan to do? Add another closet to each tripled room, along with another dresser, bed, and desk? Surely it is unacceptable to expect three students to crowd all their belong ings into rooms which are in some cases just barely large enough to accom modate the personalities of two in dividuals. Along with the problem of limited space, other problems are likely to sur face due to this decision. In many cases, two students find their individual per sonalities to differ so greatly that living together is almost unbearable. With this new plan, there is an even greater chance of dissatisfaction and conflict of ,r,- Construction awaited By NORMAN CANNADA It seems kind of ironic now. I remember when I was a senior in high school look ing for a college to attend. I wanted a school where I could get a good education in journalism, but at mosphere also was important. It had to have the right atmosphere. I narrowed my choices to UNC and South Carolina, that was until I went to Columbia and saw all of the construction going on. Therewas no way I was going to spend my college years around half-built buildings and falling cranes. I decided to go somewhere safe from all of that like Carolina. Boy, was I in for a surprise. As a freshman, I witness ed the beginning of the long process of building Fetzer Gym. Although there can be arguments for the legitimacy of such a building, I walked around campus must of that first year dreaming of USC, construction-free, looking like the Hawaiian Islands. There have been several other construction interrup tions in my college Utopia since then. The new Carolina union annex and the renovations in Bingham Hall are two others that can be justified to some degree. Still, to WasMngton to fight "We know that we can't turn things around in our little corner of the world," he said. "We just want to get exposure so that we can educate the people about the wrongs of abortion." To do so, the CSFL has protested North Carolina Memorial Hospital for performing abortions and has sponsored speakers such as Dr. Robert Young, an English professor from N.C. State and an expert on the philosophical aspects of abortion. CSFL also has put up pro-life posters around campus. The posters, which are often torn down y IK m &?m w disapprove personalities. How is one student suppos ed to cope with the tension which will arise if the other two students join forces against him or her? The result of this situation could most assuredly be the stu dent's withdrawal from the University, in which case no one would benefit. Another situation which has obviously not been given enough thought is the plumbing in the older dorms on North Campus. Can the pipes in these dorms withstand the increased number of residents? The water pressure at night now is minimal. What will it be like when there are 20 to 60 more students taking showers each day? Also, how ear ly or how late in the day will we be forc ed to bathe in order to avoid, waiting in line? What does the University propose to do about electricity? Will there be in creased wattage allowed per room? The increased electricity required for the necessary appliances alone will cost the University substantially more money to operate. Considering these things and others which have gone unmentioned, we can they haven't made the campus any more beautiful in my eyes. There is one construction project that has no means of defense for its existence: the new Central Library. On a campus that has one of the largest library systems " in the country, the University is building yet another bigger and better facility to house its books. It can't house its own students, but still feels Unnecessary to give each, book a home. One problem with the new library is that it is being built in the middle of campus where everyone can see it. Why couldn't they put it on South Campus like the athletic department is doing with its new building? South Campus is already ugly, it wouldn't matter. To top it all, the library is taking the place of the old Union parking lot. It's not like we were overloaded with parking spaces before, and this creates an even greater hardship on those with cars. The lot was a great place for students and visitors to park. Because of its large size, the lot was checked relatively few times, and thus was the ideal place to park illegally without get ting caught. That dream is gone now, unless, of course, you want to go all the way to the Rams Head lot. I have this' secret desire to see that library come or defaced by pro-choice advocates, are one of Kremer's more effective tools. "The posters are somewhat rhetorical and emotional, causing many people to react against them," he said. "But as long as we are getting people to react, that's what we want." ' . Unlike many anti-abortion groups, the CSFL steers away from religious affilia tion, preferring to exert its energies toward a respect for life. in f i r .1 1 r mucn oi me ngni-io-uie movement revolves around a religious bent," Kremer said, adding that religion pro- Kremer said, adding of new housing policy see no viable explanation for the increas ed occupancy. In the future, the Univer sity should take a more careful, in-depth look at the students' position before mak ing such a major decision. . ' . Stacey Clark Karen Cotten . Kenan Dormitory Justice? To the editor: It, has come , to my attention, that a great . .miscarriage of . justice has 1 once again come to pass in our "great" state. As you may have read in the newspaper, a UNC student was brutally beaten in a downtown Chapel Hill store, on Oct. 22, while trying to use the bathroom facilities. The culprit was apprehended after fleeing the scene of the crime (The Hap py Store, ironically), and was brought before a magistrate, charged with at tempted murder and placed under $55,000 bond. Much to my dismay, I've learned that this heinous crime is a unsuspecting student abortion vides many guidelines for their morals. "But it would not be fair to say that our side is imposing a set of religious beliefs, since we are relying on scientific evidence." At the protest march, the Carolina stu dents flocked around Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C, who is regarded as the foremost supporter of anti-abortion legislation. For Helms, who is as controversial as he is conservative, the rally afforded a rare chance to express his views before a completely receptive audience. At a post-march meeting, Helms called for the American public to correct its moral judgements. "It's time we quit pre tending we cannot distinguish the dif ference between right and wrong," Helms said. He called for legislation pro tecting the lives of those he called the "lit tlest humans." ' Receiving standing ovations from the hundreds of pro-life supporters cramped into the small Senate office, Helms went on to praise the marchers for their efforts despite the wintry weather. "Standing in the snow, standing for what is right," he said, "if that's not a commitment, then I don't know what is." But while the march appeared success ful, with more than 25,000 pro-life de monstrators appealing to the government and the public for the repeal of legalized abortion, it remains that many Americans are sympathetic to the pro-choice side. Unless groups like the Carolina Stu dents For Life can generate more support in their attempts to achieve passage of anti-abortion legislation, it appears that the only thing the marchers accomplished . last Friday was to get cold. Alan Chappie, a junior journalism and history major from Leesburg, Virginia, is a staff writer for The Daily Tar Heel. misdemeanor punishable by a mere two years in prison. Then after learning of the lenient sentence of two years, he was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and inflicting serious injury. Our great lawmakers in Raleigh have seen fit not to include hands as a deadly weapon, even though this girl was held down by her throat and her head was beaten against the presumably concrete floor of the bathroom by this member of our society using his hands. Nor have our courts set a precedent upon which the judge in this case could precede to deal with this individual, on the basis of a previous case involving a person using his or her hands in this manner. There is obviously something very wrong here. There is no way that this man could be charged with a felony ac cording to NC law as it now reads. Yet for forgery of a check (a property crime), an individual can be charged with a felony, punishable by no less than four months and no more than 10 years andor a fine. I am ashamed to call myself a North Carolinian when I see such ignorance on the part of. our state leaders when it comes to the protection of the people and those who visit our state for whatever reason. The time has come for the laws of this state to change and for the people to be considered first for a change. My heart goes out to the victim of this crime whose life will never be the same. After spending a week in the hospital having her face literally reconstructed and her jaws wired shut, her culprit was finally brought to court, only to have a slap on the wrist in relative terms to her suffering and expense. Please believe that all the people of North Carolina are not so insensitive as our laws seem to be. To those individuals who ran this man down after the crime, it is a shame that your efforts appear to be in vain, but thank you for your effort. You are to be commended. , To the lawmakers of the state, get off your hands and change the laws so as to deter these 'types of crimes and to hand out just punishment when crimes occur. To the low-life perpetrator of this crime I have no pity for you, only hate and disgust. You are less than human, and deserve all the punishment (though not enough) that the courts deem fit to sentence you. James Stanford 406 Fairoaks Circle down. I don't want anyone to get hurt, mind you; I would just like to see that building in millions of tiny brick pieces. Then, maybe the University would come to its senses and turn the area into what it was meant to be a parking lot. Or, better yet, turn the library into a dorm and send the books to apartments. Let them pay rent for a change. My complaints, however valid, probably will go relatively unnoticed except by my mom who reads and clips every story I write. And the library probably will stand for 1000 years, while I dream of how life could have been in Columbia. But, 1 will have the last laugh. When the library is finished, people will be coming from all over the world to use it. The strange thing is there's not going to be any place for them to park. Norman Cannada, a senior religion major from Hillsborough who wants to work for a construction firm after graduation, is assistant sports editor for The Daily Tar Heel.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Jan. 26, 1982, edition 1
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