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4 6The Daily Tar HeelTuesday, April 3, 1984 Ji l l HllMY. I'.Jinvr Jon. Broadway. Mmmwh Editor Mic:hai i. Toon:, Editorial pc Editor Frank Bruni. aocum Editor Kl I I.Y SIMMONS. University Editor Kyii: Marsham , Shite and National Editor Mi l ANIF. WlXLS, City Editor VaNCF. TrEFFTHEN, Business Editor STUART TONKINSON, Navs Editor Frank Kennedy, Sports Editor Jeff Grove, Arts Editor ClNDY DUNLEVY, Features Editor CHARLES LEDFORD, Photography Editor JFFF NEUVILLE, Photography Editor Making an election difference Ours is a society that seems to take its democratic tradition for granted. Voter turnout in national elections is disappoint ing at best; in local elections, it is em barassingly low. Students are among the worst culprits, ignoring their latent political power as a voting bloc and readily assuming the roles of Monday morning quarterbacks. In recognition of this problem and in conjunction with National Voter Registra tion Week, Student Government is spon soring a student voter registration drive. By setting up tables in the Carolina Union and requiring only that students present valid identification, the people involved with the registration drive have made registering to vote as easy and painless as possible. By also making absentee ballots available to North Carolinians who wish to register in their home counties, they have also afforded students no excuse to not take advantage of the opportunity to make a difference in the elections of 1984. And 1984 is certainly a year in which a difference can be made. Looking only one month ahead, May 8 is the day for primary elections in the race for th TVmnrratic CONFIPENTIALLVEROEANTmJ'M The Bottom Line Jim Booker, of Casselberry, Fla., got fed up answering phone calls from persistent sales people. So he put his telephone in his dog's name Ferdinand Dingo. When someone calls asking for Mr. Dingo, Booker says he's out and he doesn't know when he will be back. "If they ask who I am, I say I'm Mr. Dingo's butler," Booker says. The mail's another thing, though. Last month, Ferdinand Dingo got a brochure in the mail saying he had been "highly recom mended" as a potential partner in a good part time business enterprise. Mr. Dingo could make thousands, the brochure said, if he opened up his own wholesale distribution business in his home. No investment was required, and he could get a company car and earn fully paid vacations to Hawaii, London or Vienna. A spokesman for the Tallahassee firm that sent the brochure, along with a handwritten note saying Mr. Dingo was highly recommend ed, said the company had used a mailing list and admitted that no one had really recom mended Mr. Dingo. The Daily Tar Heel Assistant News Editor: Jo Ellen Meekins v Editorial Desk: Keith Bradsher and Kathy Norcross, writers; Susan Gaddy, assistant Assistant Managing Editors: Dick Anderson, Lynn Davis, Glenn Peterson and Heidi Zehnal News Desk: Richard Brooks, Bill Eyre, Steve Jones and Joy Thompson News: Mike Allen, Diana Bosniack, Richard Boyce, Amy Branen, Lisa Brantley, Hope Buffington, Mact Camp bell, Caroline Compton, Tom Cordon, Dennis Dowdy, Katy Fridl, Ellen Goldlust, Mike Gunzenhauser, Lane Harvey, Heather Hay, Tracy Hilton, Jim Hoffman, James Holder, Melissa Holland, Reggie Holley, Kristin King, Myra Knight, Sallie Krawcheck, Georgia Ann Martin, Dora McAlpin, Jennifer Mooney, Marjorie Morris, Thad Ogburn, Beth O'Kelley, Janet Olson, Beth Ownley, Ben Perkowski, Thomas Pinkerton, Ruthie Pipkin, Frank Proctor, Sarah Raper, Bill Rose, Cindi Ross, Liz Saylor, Deborah Simpkins, Allison Smoak, Lisa Swicegood, Dan Tillman, Jennifer Trotter, Scott Whitaker, Vanessa Williams, Jim Yardley, Karen Youngblood, Jan Zillioux and Jim Zook. Ross Chandler, wire editor. Steve Ferguson, assistant University editor. Bill Riedy, assistant state and national editor. Wayne Thompson, political editor. Sports: Michael Persinger and Robyn Norwood assistant sports editors. Glenna Burress, Scott Canterberry, Kim ball Crossley, Mike DeSisti, Pete Fields, Scott Fowler, Glenn Peterson, Lee Roberts, Kurt Rosenberg, Mike Sanders, Mike Schoor, Scott Smith, Mike Waters, David Wells and Bob Young.' Features: Clarice Bickford, Lauren Brown, Tom Camacho, Marymelda Hall, Charles Karnes, Jennifer Keller and Sharon Sheridan, Kathy Hopper, assistant features editor. ' Arts: Ed Brackett, J. Bonasia, Steve Carr, Louis Corrigan, Ivy Hilliard, Ned Irvine, Steve Murray, Arlaine Rockey, David Sotolongo and Sheryl Thomas, assistant am editor. Photography: Larry Childress, Lori Heeman, and Lori Thomas. Zane Saunders, chief photographer. Business: Anne Fulcher, business manager; Angela Booze and Tammy Martin, accounts receivable clerks; Dawn Welch, circulationdistribution manager; William Austin, assistant circulationdistribution manager; Patti Pittman and Julie Jones, classified advertising staff; Yvette Moxin, receptionist; Debbie McCurdy, secretary. Advertising: Paula Brewer, advertising manager; Mike Tabor, advertising coordinator; Laura Austin, Greg Goosmann, Patricia Gorry, Terry Lee, Doug Robinson, Amy Schutz and Anneli Zeck, ad representatives. Composition: UNC-CH Printing Department Printing: Hinton Press, Inc. of Mebane. Satin afar BM 92nd year of editorial freedom presidential nomination and the state Democratic and Republican gubernatorial nominations. And these are just the pre liminaries, the preludes to the fervent cam paigning that will climax on Nov. 6, when decisions will be rendered concerning district congressmen from North Carolina, the next governor of the state, one of the two senators representing North Carolina and the next president. 4 That students have an egregiously poor record of poll attendance does not go ig nored by politicians. Education cuts are among the most popular ways for politi cians on the federal and local levels to trim tight budgets. Students view such actions as indicative of disregard for their plight, but the larger truth is that politicians only make such cuts because the student lobby is a weak one, and because the wrath of students come election time is, like student voter turnout, rather meek. By taking the opportunity this week to register to vote, Carolina students can ex hibit the degree of self-determination that an ideal democratic society intends each citizen to possess. GEJM6 MWWKiMH, Getting brown What does Hawaii really need? A bridge to the mainland. Fewer volcanic eruptions. Arti ficial tanning rays. . Artificial tanning rays? In a state known for sun-drenched beaches and lots of beneficial rays, Kimo Turner has it made in the shade with the hot idea of in door tanning booths. After all, who wants to be caught sun bathing in Hawaii without a tan? A person without a tan sticks out like a polar bear among seals. "It's reverse psychology," Turner said. "In areas where you don't get much sun, people aren't used to seeing people with tans. Customers seem to show up for a variety of reasons.. "A tan is vital here," said one customer who declined to give her name. "You can get a complex if you're not tan in Hawaii." The ease appeals to the fastidious and the compulsively neat. The problem with tanning on a beach, Judith Shelly said, is that "I don't like the sand, the grease, grime and all the people." If the test of a true entrepeneur is the abili ty to sell anything just about anywhere, then Kimo Turner passes with flying colors. T omorrow will mark the sixteenth anniversary of the assassination of America's foremost twentieth century moral leader the Rev. Martin Luther King. A spectrum of campus groups will sponsor speakers in the Pit, workshops, a panel discussion, and a speech by Andrew Young, in an effort to evaluate the strength of King's legacy in American race relations. Today's editorial page reflects the programs' themes, with columns on the KKK in North Carolina, race relations on cajnpus, and King's impact on the nation. ixteen years By JAMES EXUM Sixteen years ago a man was slain, a dream deferred. The man was the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The dream was of an America that practic ed social justice and tried to live out the true mean ing of its creed. It is a dream brought to national attention when Rosa Parks refused to relinquish her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama. It is a dream whose longevity was brought into question when King was slain on April 4, 1968, while organizing a poor people's march. It is a dream most eloquently pronounced by a man of deep con viction and courage. A dream threatened to become the symbol of the nostalgic past rather than a catalyst for the continued pursuit of racial equali ty. The attempt today, sixteen years after the assassination, is to make King's legacy a cause for all seasons. I am often amused when I see a King quotation associated with organizations which seek to achieve their aims through violence or non Christian acts. Although King's messages certainly transcend the turbulent time during which they were espoused, the commercialization of his legacy has been pushed to the point of disservice. The dream has been deferred because we too easily remember King's words but unfortunately do not seek to emulate the actions that made those words so significant. The dream has been deferred because too many people falsely deem the words "we shall overcome" outdated since, after all, we have already overcome. A dream has been deferred because the plight of the disadvantaged is ignored. There is no longer a national moral conviction to take care of the homeless and provide aid for those who cannot help themselves. King's dream found its base on three areas: his commitment to black progress, his demonstration of the validity of nonviolence and his challenge to American society to live up to its moral ideas. The dilemma of racism propelled King to the pinnacle of national attention. He sought to solve the race problem by creating a integrated society or "belov ed community." King brought to the forefront of national consciousness the belief that racism is the attempt by those of one race to enslave the physical, psychological and social development of persons of another race. He believed that segrega tion stifles freedom because it cuts off one's right Aneed for awareness By KEVIN JONES Last year, a self-proclaimed "average student" wrote a letter to the editor that expressed disgust with redundant articles regarding racial in adequacies that had appeared in the paper ("Who is...?", DTH, March 2, 1983). It was asserted that these ar ticles should be replaced with "more positive stories like the new black stu dent body president, the first black resident assistant in Carr dormitory, or better yet, the political future of Hugh G. Reckshun." Although these accomplishments are positive and noteworthy, they alone cannot create remedies for racial problems that ex ist on this campus. It will take much more than individual achievements to reverse the vicious cycle of discrimination that systematically kept blacks out of this institution for so long. The level of consciousness with regard to black-white relations must be heightened in order to generate a climate that is conducive to substan tive change. This will only occur when the majority of people on this campus come to grips with the fact that we do have a problem. This ac ceptance will hopefully breed incen tive the key ingredient in the recipe for progress. Each student, faculty and staff member must feel an obligation to sincerely and directly at tack the problem and be prepared to handle the difficulties involved. As long as there is an absence of incen tive, progress will be limited and scat tered. , If considered to be a low priority issue, race relations will not substantially improve. The level of tolerance may improve, but mutual respect and understanding will suffer. Renewed interest in this area will serve to enhance public knowledge of specific problems faced by blacks and how they affect race relations. It is LETTERS TO THE EDITOR But will socialism feed the starving? To the editor: March 26, I attended the Carolina Symposium lecture on "World Hunger and Nutrition with Frances Moore-Lappe" or at least that's the way it was advertised in the Sym posium circular. What I got instead was a blunt but cleverly done lecture on the need for "World Socialism and Economic Revolution with Frances Moore-Lappe." When ques tioned by a member of the audience about giving a thinly-veiled speech on socialism instead of on hunger, Lappe boldly replied, "1 didn't in tend for it to be veiled at all. I think after a dream deferred ' " i "if to deliberate, to decide and to respond. Although King was primarily recognized for his belief in black justice, his was a call for universal freedom and justice for the whole human family. It is clear that King was not a man interested in partisan politics but, rather a leader committed to spiritual salvation. There are so many who eloquently espouse an idea or a belief. Perhaps the difference between King and those people is that he not only had a dream, but he additionally set a practical method to bring his dream to realization through the use of nonviolence. King's , philosophical and pragmatic views on nonviolence came from a convergence of the teachings and examples of Jesus, Thoreau, Gandhi and Niebuhr. Nonviolence for Dr. King was not a temporary means to social justice, but instead a permanent fixture which would produce just and peaceful ends. Through nonviolent direct action, King was able to create a high level of constructive tension in a community so that issues that were previously considered non-negotiable were sudden naive to think that constant avoidance of the problems will cause them to disappear, and that dialogue and actions are negative in functon. We must make ourselves aware of the problems we are facing, and we must deal with them directly and ex peditiously. On this campus, the average white student does not understand what it is like to be black on a predominantly white campus. It is difficult to understand the plight of consistently being either the only black in a class, or one of a very few, unless you have experienced it. Having only a few black advisors, administrators, pro fessors and staff personnel leaves black students with very few role models and mentors while adding a degree of unresponsiveness to this in stitution. Despite the fact that we are all one nation under God, there are impor tant distinctions among individuals and groups. We must not perceive these differences as being negative; rather, we must understand that the true glory of America lies in its diver sity. In this spirit, it must be understood that black students need to have black role models just as white students do. Such role models . can enhance a student's confidence in his ability to achieve, while making this institution more aware of the specific problems that are faced. The student body must realize that the university is committed to promoting diversity within its ranks, but it is often a very difficult task. Increased student awareness and activity would serve to promote this process. There are many dialogue groups and programs that have enjoyed suc cess in eliminating ignorance and in convincing students to deal with the problem. These efforts are a begin ning, but a much larger chunk of the student population must become in volved. I urge everyone to participate in the awareness activities planned for Wednesday, as they can serve to enhance one's ability to deal with very sensitive issues in an educated manner. The growing KKK threat By MAB SEGREST The Ku Klux Klan words that evoke a variety of reactions from residents of North Carolina. For those the Klan has not threatened, there is sometimes the laughter of dis belief. But for those who are the tar gets of dangerously burgeoning N.C. klans, the KKK is no laughing matter. Klanwatch and the National Anti Klan Network reported last year that North Carolina has the fastest growing group of klans in the U.S. and probably the most" dangerous, because the various factions co operate rather than compete as they often do in other states. Racist violence and Klan activity has grown at an alarming rate since the 1979 kill ings of five anti-KIan demonstrators in Greensboro. Evidence compiled by NAKN and North Carolinians Against Racist and Religious Violence shows that the Greensboro killings were not an isolated example of a "shootout" between extremist groups, but part of a pattern of racist violence that has reached alarming proportions. According to a NAKNNCARRV report, there have been 1 1 1 incidents of racially motivated violence and Klan activity since Nov. 3, 1979. There were seven Klan rallies reported in 1982, and over 22 in 1983. There were 15 crosses burned last year, and six different incidents of shots fired into homes. From February to May of 1983, four black churches were burned in Edgecomb County after KKK graf fiti was painted on them. Consider the following from last year: January 29, Iredell County Approximately 15 Klansmen ap peared en masse at the Iredell County jail and attempted to post bond for a black prisoner accused of rape. The jailers treated the request as routine, the prisoner declined the offer, and no attempt was made to secure identi Kevin Jones is a senior political science major from New Bern. it's important for you to know the position I'm speaking from." Yes, I guess it was important to admit the obvious after being confronted by it, but somehow it wasn't important enough for us to be told about the true content of her talk by those who arranged for her presence. I heard only cursory information about world hunger on March 26 and even less on nutrition. What I did hear for 75 of the 90 minutes was a discourse on the evils of the capitalist marketplace, the inequities of cor porate America, the sins of private ownership of productive property and the glories of the Nicaraguan Revolution. All, of course, with an emotional allusion to hunger woven throughout. There is a word for the public action of "ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to fur ther one's cause...," and Mr. Webster on page 923 calls it pro paganda, f heard some facts March 26. ami a lot of propaganda I heard a lot about how to redistribute wealth and assets more equally in the future, but unfortunately very little on how to get food to starving people for the present.' I agree with Lappe that there is a massive hunget pro ly put at the top of the agenda. King perceived with remarkable foresight that in a world of nuclear nightmare, the easy use of violence to achieve one's objectives had lost all justifiable basis. He believed that to face violence with nonviolence was nothing short of revolu tionary in American morality and psychology. The committed example of nonviolence in the life and work of King holds continuing promise for us to day. In order to bring about the realization of his dream, King appealed to the moral fiber of this na tion. It is ironic that a nation founded upon the principles of truth, justice and equality would overtly and simultaneously express a belief in segregation and the alleged inferiority of the minority race. America's problem, in King's opinion, was that it too frequently sought to separate power and morality. America will never be a truly great nation until it uses its great material power to eradicate the problems of racism, poverty and militarism around the world. Only then will it become a moral light for the rest of the world. If King's dream is not to be deferred, there must be a new call upon the moral convictions of this na tion to recognize the continued tragedies of social injustice. A state of urgency must be attributed to the malignancy of covert discrimination, hidden poverty and enhanced militarism. There are those who dare say that the problems confronted in King's time have been resolved. How tragic. The fact that the president of the United States says there was no racism when he was growing up, that the White House counselor says there is no poverty in America and that the present administration is content to ignore the social demise of the nation in order to continue a wasteful military buildup shows the complacency of today's generation. A new era in human dignity must be ushered in. Goals con ducive to social freedom voting rights and political clout, better jobs and economic equality, higher education and social mobility must not be allowed to recede to the pre-civil rights days. If King's legacy does indeed endure, it will be up to people of all races and religions to join together in a combined soul force to carry the great burden that will bring into fruition the "promised land" that the Rev. King envisioned. Yes, we too must have a dream. James Exum is a junior political science major from Charlotte. fication of members of the mob. The action brought protests by the Rev. Wilson Lee, a black minister in Statesville. Within the month he awoke in the early hours of the morn ing to find a six-foot cross ablaze on his front lawn and his windows blown out by shotgun blasts. FebruaryMarch, Alexander County Numerous acts of harass ment of black employees occurred at Shufford Cotton Mills. Workers identified attacks as coming from self-identified Klansmen. Acts includ ed slashing tires, racist graffiti and verbal threats. A small cross was burned on one employee's car. June 27, Gaston County Cur tis Anderson, a black man, was shot and killed by a white man after being verbally abused. Anderson's white girlfriend was also wounded in the at tack. What can people do to counter this burst of terrorism? Recently, Durham papers ran large ads carrying 1,250 signatures of residents of the Triangle, speaking out against Klan activity locally and the bigotry which engenders it. The petition carried the names of a broad cross section of the community, including the mayor, the entire city council and several county commissioners. You can: Attend the federal civil rights trial in Winston-Salem. Your presence in the courtroom will be a testimony to your concern that the judicial system hold the Klan accountable. In upcoming elections, urge state and local candidates to take stands against racist violence and the climate of bigotry building in the state. When you hear of Klan incidents in your vicinity, respond with letters to the newspaper, calls to local and state government and visits of con cern to give emotional support to the victims. Look for ways your school, civic group, church or synagogue can help to promote racial understanding and oppose bigotry in all its forms. Mab Segrest is a member of NCARRV. blem to be faced, but P cannot agree with the basic tenet on which she bases her solutions. I never cease to be amazed by how seemingly well-intentioned people will use an emotional topic such as hunger to espouse their personal political philosophies. Of all the world's problems, hungej should be one that transcends politics. Unfor tunately, it does not. Perhaps it never shall. Robert B. Green Carrboro
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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April 3, 1984, edition 1
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