Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Aug. 2, 1984, edition 1 / Page 7
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Thursday, August 2, 1984 vyiiviilivuii4iiJ u Jiii il Page 7 Ferraro makes it interesting nnn Ben Perkowski, Editor Lynn Davis, Managing Editor Jom Smith, Nux &or Allen Michie, Arts & Features Editor Michael Persincer, Sports Editor Jamie Moncrief, Photography Editor Staff: David Biddell, Tim Cafferty, Melissa Croom, Joel Curran, Eric K. Englebardt, Paul Enssun,Amy Gates, Ivy Hiluard, Eddie Huffman, Mark Lee, Andy Miller, Lori Nickel, Mary Ridgill, Marjorie Roach, Carol Scovil, Debra Smith, Virginia D. Smith, Camille Chandler Valerio, Art Woodruff. Fannie Zollicoffer, Mike Schoor, assistant sports editor. Busing ss & Advertising: Anne Fulcher, general manager; Tammy Martin, student business manager; Paula Brewer, advertising manager; Terry Lee, student advertising manager; Trish Gorry, advertising representative; Brenda Moore, Stacy Wynn, production coordinators. Printing: Hinton Press, Mebane. Hurrah for Olympics! The XXIII Olympiad began last Saturday with an exhilarating and ultimately patriotic opening ceremony that will probably be remembered long after much of the athletic competition is forgotten. The warm and moving ceremony, including the athletes' spontaneous display of friendship and dance at the end, might just have removed any doubt in some critics minds that the Olympics are worth preserving. Ever since the Russians announced their boycott there has been a considerable amount of criticism generated about the Olympics, primarily concerning the concept of amateur athletics and the idea of avoiding future boycotts. But there have also been suggestions that the Olympics are so thoroughly stained by politics and professionalism that it is not worth the effort and money. This notion can hardly be taken seriously considering the inspiring ideal of the Olympic spirit and the rarity of such a universal and peaceful event. The proposal to remove all of the nationalistic traditions, such as anthems and costumes, should also be rejected. The Olympics will always be more than a contest of individuals, and just abolishing these patriotic customs will not remove them from the minds of the athletes or the spectators. The idea of choosing a permanent neutral site for the Games, such as Greece, certainly appears to be a better way to avoid future boycotts than the removal of the patriotic trappings that are such an important aspect of the modern Olympics. Probably the stickiest questions arise over the dividing line between amateurs and professionals. There have been various proposals attempting to clarify eligibility rules, but the best idea (the one which would avoid the most confusion) is to let everyone compete. The Olympics would then truly be a contest for the title of "the world's best." The Olympic spirit of striving for excellence in a peaceful gathering of the world's nations must be preserved, while avoiding as much hypocrisy and politics as possible. By Helene Andorre Hinson Ever since Walter Mondale chose Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate two weeks ago, the political and social views of society concerning women and their places within the American public has peaked. The main controversy seems to stem from the question, "Is America ready for a woman vice president?" Many groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, the Moral Majority and traditional Southern Democrats made their opposing stands apparent at the Democratic convention, although feminist groups and women Democrats now back Mondale because of Geraldine Ferraro. Additionally, some women Republicans may re-evaluate their political views, lending support to the new Mondale-Ferraro team, simply because Ferraro's nomination shows and confirms that "this is no longer a man's world." Because of Ferraro's nomination, the media continue to probe every aspect of her life, including her childhood, present family life, previous occupations as a second grade school teacher, housewife, lawyer and her most recent positions in Congress as a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, secretary to the House Democratic Caucus and member of the Budget Committee. The press praises and flatters her to what seems, no end. Time quotes Joseph Addabbo, New York Congressman and chairman of the Defense Appropriations subcommittee, as referring to her as "just one of the guys." Time and People magazines report that Mondale views her as living proof of the "American Dream." Various members of the Budget Committee, like Committee Chairman James Jones, praise her diligence and commend her courage to see things through. Although her reputation reinforces the idea that she fits right in, the fact that she is a woman could cause problems with Hart, Jackson and Reagan supporters and various religious and social-political groups. In other words, Ferraro may present problems from the opposition in that it is difficult to campaign against" her without looking like a sexist. Never before has a woman been nominated by a man for the vice presidency of the United States. Furthermore, with the exception of John F. Kennedy there has never been another Roman Catholic to hold such a high position. These things, in conjunction with the fact she is of Italian ancestry, are no longer significant controversies, as they were 20 years ago. Because she teamed up with Mondale, who stands for increasing taxes and cutting defense spending, some believe her nomination opened doors to women everywhere, showing that no matter who you are, if you work diligently, you can obtain positions previously thought suitable only for "hard working" men. Furthermore, no matter what the outcome of the election, Ferraro's nomination alone contributed a lot to women's liberation and America's realization that anyone with real courage can achieve things in life as important as the vice presidency. The American public has always known this but has never fully understood how far a woman could go if she really tried. Some feel that having a woman vice president is dangerous because women in general are stereotyped as "flighty" and tend to show emotion more readily than men. These observations appear illogical when one considers Ferraro's record in Congress. Her unblemished voting record shows that she is not only level-headed, but her liberal attitudes are strongly and consistently founded. For example, she voted against Reagan's three-year 25 percent cut in individual income tax rates. She voted against a 1982 bipartisan tax increase package because it included withholding taxes on savings account interests and stock dividends. Additionally, she opposed Reagan's spending cuts in social programs. She supported the black caucus budget proposal, requiring $203 billion to be slashed in military spending over three years, teamed with a $99 billion raise in social spending. She felt that the cuts were excessive; however, she supported the package because of her interest in restoring funds for programs aiding the poor, old and young. These things will undoubtedly act in her favor in the actual election. The fact that Ferraro's nomination has drawn so much discussion in the press can be attributed to her gender. Some Americans are not sure if a woman would be able to handle the stresses of a vice presidency, while others, like the feminists, Mondale and women Democrats, support her whole-heartedly. Her qualifications and reputation in Congress are the only factors that should be considered when casting a vote in the upcoming election. Helene Andorre Hinson is a senior journalism and English major from Salisbury. This is the last issue oThe Tar Heel, a big thanks goes to everyone who helped make it happen this summer. The long hours were greatly appreciated. The Daily Tar Heel will begin its fall publication Aug. 22. Enjoy the rest of the summer! American athletes go for the gold and win By JODI SMITH The Olympics are off with a bang, and so, happi'y, is the U.S. team, which without the threatening Soviet shadow has already captured several gold medals for shooting, gymnastics, boxing and especially swimming. And ABC television coverage of the first day at the Olympics occupied 50 percent of all TV sets in use at the time. West Virginia has contributed more than her share to the games by offering the world two class athletes who have already gone for the gold. Mary Lou Retton, 16-year-old leader of the women's gymnastics team, pulled down a score of 39.5 out of a possible 40 in the four compulsory events, to capture the team's first medal since 1948. The U.S. men's gymnastics team also won a gold on Tuesday. And U.S.A. shooter Ed Etzel, from Morgantown, W. Va., won the gold in the men's English match small-bore rifle competition. Track and field man Carl Lewis has proved himself a superstar to beat even the Jesse Owens legacy. Hurdler Edwin Moses, who has won 102 consecutive 400-meter hurdle races, is also making quite a stir. WEEK IN REVIEW And Mark Spitz no longer holds any Olympic swimming records. Another U.S.A. favorite for an Olympic gold is middle-distance runner Mary Decker. Her rigorous training led to a chain of injuries that kept her from the 1976 Olympics, but she was back in rare form last summer to capture two world cham pionships in Helsinki. Decker is very competitive and attributes this in part to a painful childhood marked by the fighting and eventual divorce of her parents. "If you can come out of things like that in the right frame of mind, you're just more competitive," said 5-6, 108-pound Decker. She will run the 3,000 meter in L.A. And, if course, last but certainly not least, our own Michael Jordan is still awing the world from the b-ball court. Mitterand takes a stand French President Francois Mitterand has selected a new premier, 37-year-old Laurent Fabius. This surprising decision came after then acting Premier Mauroy presented his government-"prompted" resignation. Mitterand's choice has caused quite a stir France's weak "union of the left" disbanded and the French Communist Party (which comprises much of the current government in France), after a series of all night debates with the Cabinet, walked out on Mitterand's Socialist administration. The president, by his new appointment (and Mauroy's forced resignation) had hoped to pacify French Communists and win their support for the upcoming 1986 election. But as it turned out, Communists distrust Fabius and decided to boycott the move. Fabius, former Minister for Industry and Research, is France's young est premier in over 100 years. This is a critical time for Mitterand. His popularity ranking has sunk to an all-time low of 35 percent, and unemployment has risen almost 3 percent (to 10 percent) during his reign a consequence of currency controls, higher taxes and major layoffs from sick industries. Although economic conditions have improved on the whole, inflation remains at 7.7 percent. But with 285 of the 491 seats in the National Assembly, the Socialists really don't need the Communists to bolster their power. And Fabius is excited about his new position next to Mitterand. - "You could not fit so much as a cigarette paper between the President's ideas and the way I carry them out," he said. Good signs in Lebanon The Monday pullout of U.S. Marine troops from Lebanon is no doubt a favorable sign amid the long-standing turmoil there. The U.S. feels there is no longer need for such heavy security. A troop of 90 Marines, guarding the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, were ordered to redeploy. About 15 Marines remain in Beirut. The troops left in helicopters and amphibious vehicles and are now aboard ships in the Mediterranean. , Jodi Smith, a senior journalism and English major from Dunbar, W. Va., is news editor qThe Tar Heel.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 2, 1984, edition 1
7
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75