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6The Daily Tar HeelTuesday, September 10, 1935 fiatig clar mn 93 rd year of editorial freedom ARNE RlCKERT AND Editor STUART TONKINSON Managing Editor BEN PERKOWSKl Associate Editor Dick Anderson Associate Editor JANET OLSON University Editor AMY STYERS Nw; Editor ANDY TlUNCIA State and National Editor The virtue of tolerance The current "scandal" over the DTITs decision to run a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche on the front page ("God is dead," Sept. 4) does not speak well of a university that prides itself, as all universities should, on a free exchange of ideas. The details of this controversy aside, it appears that much of the criticism weVe encountered upon this issue, and upon other similar issues, reflects an intolerance, on the part of some of our readers, for the consideration of ideas that are separate from their own. Lamentably, this same type of intol erance seems to surface whenever issues are discussed that touch upon deep emotions and strongly held convictions. y Witness the controversy which arises every year when it comes time to fund certain groups on campus that represent a minority' of the University population. Witness last spring's near sham concern ing the propriety of funding for the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association. . Of course, intolerance is not isolated within the Triangle; nor does it stop at the limit of blackmailing free speech. Ueberroth hits After only three days of public testimony in the drug trafficking trial of a Pittsburgh caterer, widespread drug abuse among the stars of America's favorite pasttime long suspected is finally coming to a head. The idols of the nation's youth are confessing to popping almost as many pills as fly balls. More important, in exchange for immunity from prosecu tion, players courageous enough to admit their mistakes are turning in their cohorts as well. ' r , The list of standout ballplayers confessing sustained drug use is growing daily - former National League MVP Keith Hernandez, Lonnie Smith, Enos Cabell and Dale Berra, son of Hall of Fame member and baseball guru Yogi Berra. Those players that have been implicated include J.R. Richard, Bernie Carbo, Al Holland, Jeff Leonard and Lary Sorensen. . Baseball has long taken - and deserved - the rap it gets for having prevalent drug usage among its rank and file. It is also the only sport whose leaders have felt compelled to begin severely curbing the presence of illegal drugs. While other sport commissioners have made glib statements filled with hope that the problem will go away, Baseball Com missioner Peter Ueberroth has exhibited the kind of mettle required to stand up to the game's home-run kings, and to preserve the aura of a great game. Earlier this year, Ueberroth's institu tion of random testing by urinalysis of more than 3,000 minor league players, We can hardly Sept. 23, 1962. Chances are the date ' doesn't mean much to you (in fact, it probably predates the better part of you reading this). But in the annals of TV animation, it is a day that will live in, well, infamy. For it was on that very day that George, Jane, Judy, Elroy and Astro The Jetsons first zoomed into America's homes. The Jetsons. Second only to the Flintstones among cartoon families. What the Flintstones were to prehistoric times the Jetsons were to future times, and then some. The scripts, written ' largely by veterans of the Warner Brothers era, sparkled with humor that kids and grown-ups alike could enjoy for The Jetsons was made for prime time viewing. But there was a chemistry there between these ink-andpaint figures that makes their adventures as funny today as they were when we were younger. It is virtually impossible to single out a single episode, but who can forget: o When George, thinking his days were numbered, put his life on the line for Spaceley Sprockets in a jacket that couldn't hold up in the washer? When Jane wowed "Mystery Judge George as Earth's representative in the Miss Galaxy competition? When Judy won a date with teen singing sensation Jet Screamer with DAVID SCHMIDT liditor Leigh Williams cay Editor Mark Powell Lee Roberts Frank Bruni Sharon Sheridan Larry Childress Business Editor Sports Editor Arts Editor features Editor Photo Editor Much of the violence and bloodshed occurring throughout the world (for example, in South Africa) is a direct result of intolerant convictions. In fact, religious intolerance witness the violent controversy in Lebanon, and learn from the deaths of our own American soldiers probably has more to do with the production of sadness and death than any other single breed of intolerance on earth. The reverse of intolerance under standing and tolerance does not debar criticism or the exchange of deep-seated opinions, for there is nothing wrong with possessing convictions. But one's right to possess convictions should never be confused with a notion that only one set of convictions is possible and justifiable. Criticism should be directed to the idea and its merits or non-merits, and not to someone's right to hold or present that idea. If nothing else, the practice of religion ought to model itself upon a veneration of human virtues and human morality. For our age and for all ages, we know of no rhore virtuous character than the man or woman who is tolerant. a homa' umpires, coaches and even batboys was a much needed shot in the arm for beginning the purge. Although the move was controversial, Ueberroth stuck by his guns. He was prevented, however, from including the players in the edict, thanks to the contract of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Some major league players balked at the suggestion of random testing, while others took it in stride and still others voiced support. In light of the testimony in Pittsburgh, we hope Ueberroth begins random testing of major league players. Critics of the proposal will say it is an invasion of the players' right to privacy. The thing such critics are forgetting is that these players are public figures who, when they signed their multi-million dollar con tracts, took on the responsibility of continuing to build on a century-old piece of Americana. They have entered the limelight because of their athletic prowess, for which they will be adored by millions of young Americans aspiring to meet equally lofty accomplishments. There are sure to be many more superstars uncovered before the Pitts burgh trial concludes. Grand juries also are reportedly convening in Atlanta and St. Louis that will perpetuate this wave of reform. Perhaps the fear of getting caught in this crackdown will persuade still more players to shun their habits. In any event, it is essential for these players to be forced to deal with the situation, because each time they shoot up, the hopes and dreams of some young boy or girl are being shot down. wait a suug that was really Elroy's secret . message? When Elroy got his own TV series as "Space Boy Zoom" and George got kicked off the set as the Mad Scientist? When Astro nearly lost his new owners to Lectronimo, a cat-burglar hating electronic dog? We could go on there are many other memorable moments but we wouldn't bring this up at all if it weren't for the pending premiere of a new series of Jetsons cartoons. Next Monday, Raleigh's WLFL-TV (Channel 22 to you and me) will begin airing more than 40 new episodes, along with the 20-some originals. (For the devotees among you, the show will be airing weekdays at 7:30 a.m.) While we applaud any effort to screen the originals to audiences old and new, it is with some hesitation that we await these new entries: TV animation simply isn't what it used to be. Many of today's stories could have been written by slow 6-year-olds, and the drawings are often lifeless and repetitive. But in a children's "global village" where He-Men, G.I. Joes and the like exist solely to sell action figures to kids who dont know better, we applaud any effort to resurrect The Jetsons in their stead. If a fraction of the original's charm is evidenced in the new series, then it'll be worth setting the alarm for. Dual morality To the editors: We Americans seem to have lost that sense of moral conviction that brought our ancestors to the New World. The decay of the family, the syndrome of youths "selling out" to career lives, and the use of ethics as a political football begin to indicate the seriousness and depth of our problems. Americans need to gain a strong moral unity to combat and survive the complex and difficult situations that we face both domestically and internationally. A pro-American stance, however, is difficult, if not impossible, to define. Jlec;mse of. our heteroge neity, we are unable to embrace one, specific set of values. Our multi faceted culture and, moreover, the Bill of Rights enable two opposite moral codes to exist side-by-side with neither being effectively more correct or rieht than the other. In one instance, an on-campus group seems to violate this assump tion. That organization, Students for America, intends to establish a moral order of Judeo-Christian values for all of America. These values, as national president Dave Fazio says, are subject to interpre tation. Their interpretation recently summoned the organization to dismiss one of its members who Overestimating MWJ' media's power To the editors: I had a little trouble following the argument of "legitimization" regard ing Rev. Falwell's statements and views on South Africa's apartheid and Bishop Desmond Tutu in the editorial "A Koppel of big mistakes" -(Sept. 5). The attempted syllogism read: "The more ludicrous Falwell's statements become, the more news worthy he becomes, ... conse quently, the more newsworthy he becomes, the more legitimate it becomes to hear his views . . ." This strikes me as logical sleight of hand. By what magic is the ludicrous statement or its speaker's views made legitimate? The editorial insists that newsworthiness accom plishes the miraculous transforma tion. I disagree. I don't think a ridiculous or asinine statement becomes any less so the more widely its utterance is reported. Rather, the result is simply that more people become aware of it than otherwise would have. This is probably why Rev. Fal well's ridiculous criticism of Nobel Laureate Bishop Tutu was so widely reported in the first place. Falwell's extremist views arent very popular with our liberal media that no doubt saw his statement as the most persuasive and effective way to expose his irrationality. For all the people who were heretofore unable to reject the sophistry behind his positions on other more compli cated issues, his inability this time is too glaring to dismiss. I hope they will remember it when inundated by his views in the future as they no doubt will be. What the editorial, really says is that anything in the newspaper or on television is automatically leg itimate to the general public. That's a bleak and unsubstantiated view of the American people. Perhaps an editorship at the DTHhas lulled the author into a gross overestimation of the power of the media. William Price Carrboro AIDS misconceptions breed hysteria By HELEN E HINSON Since 1981, when AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) was first recognized, updated medical reports on what was being done to combat the epidemic have flooded the media. The result: Major news and magazine cover stories have reinforced early misconceptions, fears and invalid data. For example, earlier reports suggested AIDS might be spread by "casual contact with an infectious person." Despite new discoveries and continuing press reports, much of society is still confused about the disease's modes of transmission. Some heterosexuals are still comforted by the earliest reports, which labeled AIDS as the "gay plague," even though recent findings show the disease attacks adult heterosexuals, newborns, intravenous drug abusers, hemophiliacs and their sex partners. The main controversy seems to stem from the question: "Has the AIDS epidemic caused an epidemic of hysteria among Americans?" A headline in an August issue of Newsweek called AIDS the "No. 1 public-health menace." An article in that issue quoted Dr. Ward Cates, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, who said, "Looking ahead, anyone . . . can see the potential for this disease being much worse than anything mankind has seen before." When AIDS first struck, the U.S. government failed to offer direct assistance to the majority of victims homosexuals who contracted the disease. However, two years ago, Secretary of Health and Human Services Margaret Heckler, as Newsweek reported, "declared AIDS her department's 'No. 1 priority.' " Later, the Reagan administration requested a $43 million budget .increase for 1985 and 1986 AIDS research, bringing the total budget to $126.3 million. But the hysteria and blatant fears about the disease seem to be rising. A recent Newsweek poll showed that 50 percent of those who answered questionnaires thought the government was not spending enough on AIDS research. Only 5 percent felt that the government was spending too much, and 26 percent felt the right amount was being spent. The same poll showed 14 percent were "very worried" about the spread and or personal contact with the disease. The poll also showed 31 percent were not worried at all. The Newsweek questionnaire asked what the top priority of AIDS research should be. Fifty six percent said a vaccine should be produced to prevent non-infected people from contracting the disease. Only 28 percent said the priority should be devoted to finding a cure for those who already have the disease. Ten percent said a better test to find out who has been exposed READER FORUM lost on Students supported funding the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association during last year's budget process. Such a posture on the part of SFA conflicts with the cultural relativism that reflects our freedom and rights as American citizens. At this point it would be hypo critical to condemn the group's principles and positions. But because of their stance against a particular kind of person, SFA should consider changing its name. In our country, the organization has the freedom and a right to exist. It does not, however, earn the honor pf using "America" in its name. , ' fc II ' Woods tribute evokes spirit of a talented man To the editors: I was very moved by Lee Roberts' tribute to Monty Woods ("Tar Heels lose a good friend in Woods," Aug. 22). You can certainly tell that Lee knew Monty well and that he had worked with this talented man a great deal. Monty was superb at his job, and UNC was extremely fortunate to have him on its staff. It was a mutual admiration, however, as Monty felt lucky to be at Carolina and to live in Chapel Hill. We did kid him about his thoroughness in his job, but all of his colleagues, like me, learned a great deal from him. He was devoted, he was a class act. He was willing to lend a helping hand and to go the extra mile. And he was a real nice guy. Usually at this time of year, when football season brings fail its begin ning on college campuses, I find a renewed vigor in my job. This year, however, only brings the pain of a lost colleague and dear friend, Young's stance aggressive, almost violent To the editors: In response to Bob Young's article "Intimidation, thy name is Graham" (Aug. 29), I must say that he made some excellent points. A player should be aggressive and intimidating. Also, Brent Mus burger is a wimp. But let's face it, Bob, you are telling people that violent aggres siveness is okay. I now see why you are writing and not playing basket ball for Dean Smith. Last year, when Steve Hale had his shoulder dislocated, you probably jumped up and said, "Now, that's what I call a play." In 1983, before Kenny Smith was injured, UNC was a seemingly invincible team. But because of one "aggressive" play by f ft. & LtM- - txv W ,mr: 9 J?ir-J j "te., ,jr X V to the disease should be the main focus. Along with such polls, isolated incidents of discrimination and unfair tactics used on AIDS victims by "hysterical" society members, seem to emphasize the severity of a different kind of epidemic fear. The medical research is slow. The fears and misconceptions about contracting the disease have had a dramatic effect on AIDS victims. Both Time and Newsweek reported on AIDS victim Ryan White, 13, a Kokomo student, who was barred from attending Western Middle School. Newsweek said: "Though doctors believe that AIDS is not communicated through casual contact, School Superintendent J.O. Smith fears that Ryan poses too much of a risk to other students. He points to warnings from the Indiana board of health about the risks of exposure to AIDS-infected saliva and body fluids." Time reported Smith as asking, "What are you going to do about someone chewing pencils or sneezing or swimming in the pool?" Newsweek reported on Robert Doyle, 32, a construction worker who was estranged by his two brothers after contracting the disease. Doyle has only months to live, und at the on-set of the disease, he had no place to die. He was finally taken in by a foster family, after experiencing several rejections to care for him. - For America Returning to the idea of an American moral unity, perhaps our only true common ground is that we are individual American people. We lose part of our identity and strength when we ignore that sense of equality and an appreciation for the value of another person. In some ways we all, not just SFA, seem to forget the need for us to stand together as people first and then as Americans. Only then can we separate into our particular groups without specific moral codes. Patricia Wallace Student Body President t whose knowledge and humor I won't be able to share this season. Thank you, Lee Roberts, for remembering Monty in such a fitting way, and thanks for giving me yet another keepsake of his great contribution to my profession, alma mater and personal life. Bert Woodard Sports Information Assistant Director Wake Forest University John Tudor of Louisiana State University, the team just couldn't fully recover. Hopefully, this letter will change your tune a bit. But if not, maybe you should head on down to Louisiana, where they play "real" basketball. John McAllister Chapel Hill mv- ha f '-y'-0 .fr- ,( r.. Some people still believe that a person can get AIDS from a kiss on the cheek or, as Newsweek said, "a peck on the lips." Research shows that AIDS virus is not often found in saliva. However, it is not recommended that "AIDS victims or possible carriers participate in deep kissing. The disease is usually transmitted through the blood, and probably in rare cases, through deep kissing. There is no doubt that misconceptions, fears and invalid assumptions have provoked an epidemic of hysteria reminiscent of the Black Death. The discrimination it has brought upon victims is obviously inhuman. Such hysteria is inexcusable. Those contributing to the hysteria should take extra steps to ensure that their misconceptions about the disease are solved. The government, gay activist groups and individuals, such as comedian Joan Rivers, are taking measures to combat part of the hysteria by assisting the afflicted. Most important, however, it is the responsibility of those who contributed to society's misconceptions and fears to combat the controversy the epidemic of hysteria. , Helene Andorre Hinson is a senior journalism and English major from Salisbury. J y2
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Sept. 10, 1985, edition 1
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