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12The Daily Tar HeelMonday, November 16, 1987
latlu
afar Iteel
P5ri j'ear o editorial freedom
Jill Gerber, Ei,or
DEIRDRE FALLON, Managing Editor
SALLY PEARSALL, News Editor
JEAN LUTES, University Editor
DONNA LEINWAND, State and National Editor
JEANNIE FARIS, City Editor
JAMES SUROWIECKI, Sports Editor
FELISA NEURINGER, Business Editor
JULIE BRASWEIX, Features Editor
Elizabeth Ellen, Arts Editor
Charlotte Cannon, Photography Editor
CATHY McHUGH, Omnibus Editor
Fight apathy, promote rights
In June 1986,
Chilean security DOcUu
forces set afire nntn;nn
Rodrigo Rojas de upnUIl
Negri, who was
protesting Gen. Augusto Pinochet's
totalitarian government and its routine
human rights violations. The Chilean
government violated his most basic
right they killed him.
By sponsoring Human Rights
Week, Campus Y hopes to educate
students and the community about
such incidents through speeches,
forums and drama.
At first glance, the group appears
to have overestimated its capabilities.
Its publicity poster lists 23 areas of
human rights violations that the week's
events will address, including Indian
land rights, race relations, apartheid,
Soviet Jewry and sexual assault.
Despite the difficulties involved in
such a broad approach, Campus Y has
succeeded in organizing a comprehen
sive program. Given the diversity of
the topics, each student should be able
to find at least one event of interest.
Liberals consider apartheid in South
Africa and death squads in El Salvador
among the worst examples of oppres
sion. Conservatives ask why liberals
rarely protest atrocities in Marxist
countries. Yet the question of human
rights transcends ideology. If these
concerns remain partisan, human
rights will never be universal.
It is easy for those who live in a
peaceful and prosperous nation to
ignore human rights violations. The
horrors of famine, modem warfare
and totalitarian governments are
unimaginable to most Americans. The
Constitution supposedly guarantees
equal rights to all citizens.
Yet such violations are not endemic
to communist countries or Third
World banana republics. Photographs
of burning protesters and stories of
political prisoners in the Soviet Gulag
grab headlines, but thousands of
Americans face abuses at home.
In North Carolina, husbands may
rape wives without fear of legal
punishment. Homosexuals are fired
because of their sexual preference.
Minors are sentenced to death in
courtrooms.
In a country abundant with food,
helpless children go to bed hungry. In
the world's wealthiest nation, thou
sands are homeless. In a country with
unsurpassed medical technology, poor
people are denied care at private
hospitals.
America can improve itself. It must
feed the hungry, house the homeless
and care for the poor. It must gua
rantee equal rights for all citizens.
Take part in Human Rights Week.
Go to a forum, educate yourself and
then act. As Edmund Burke said, "The
only thing necessary for the triumph
of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Egypt opens door to Israel
As Iran repositions its army and
revolutionary guards along the Iraqi
front, its next major offensive draws
nearer. The likely target will be Basra,
the Iraqi city where each side suffered
100,000 casualties last December.
Meanwhile, the Arab League has
decided to allow its members to re
establish relations with Egypt, the
nation condemned and disinherited by
Arabs for the 1979 peace treaty it
signed with Israel. The league's actions
are clearly related to Iran's latest
moves. Egypt is the key to Arab unity
against Iran, even if it means changing
Arab priorities and overlooking
Egypt's recognition of Israel.
In 1979, when Anwar Sadat signed
the Camp David peace accords with
Menachem Begin, the agreement was
viewed as a stab in the back, a betrayal
of the Arab cause. Eighteen of the 21
Arab League nations severed their
relations with Egypt, which was kicked
out of the organization.
Until last week only one country,
Jordan, had re-established any ties
with Egypt. However, since last week,
four nations have again welcomed the
country. More are expected to do so
this week.
The reason for bringing Egypt back
is fear of an Iranian victory in the
Persian Gulf, which would destabilize
the religious and economic structure
of the region. Egypt is the Arab world's
main counter to Iranian advancement.
More than one-fourth of all Arabs live
in Egypt, and it has the largest standing
Arab army, at 500,000. The nation has
already shown a resolve to thwart
Iran's advances by supplying Iraq with
$1 billion worth of arms annually since
1984.
Taking a stance against Iran has
become more important to the Arab
world than Israel and the Palestinian
question. This change in priority offers
the United States a chance for break
throughs in gaining recognition for
Israel.
Contrary to the rhetoric corning
from Teheran, re-establishing ties with
Egypt does not mean that Arab
nations have accepted the 1979 peace
accords and exonerated Egypt. Bitter
ness still remains, or the Arab League
would have unanimously welcomed
Egypt back instead of having member
nations do it individually. But because
of the common threat of Iran, the
opening is there for pragmatic
negotiations.
The Reagan administration should
use this policy shift to step up its efforts
for peace between Israel and the Arab
nations. Even though Nicaragua,
disarmament talks and shipping in the
gulf have been grabbing headlines, the
chance in the Middle East for con
structive development should not be
allowed to slip by. Jon Rust
The Daily Tar Heel
Editorial Writers: Eric Fullagar, Sharon Kebschull, Brian McCuskey and Jon Rust.
Editorial Assistant: Julia Coon.
Assistant Managing Editors: Cara Bonnett, Melissa Daniels, Peter Lineberry, Joe M cCall and Mandy Spence.
News: Kari Barlow, Jeanna Baxter, Laura Bennett, Lydian Bernhardt, Matt Bivens, Brenda Campbell, Jenny Cloninger,
Staci Cox, Sandy Dimsdale, Carrie Dove, Mark Folk, Alissa Grice, Lindsay Hayes, Kyle Hudson, Michael Jackson,
Helen Jones, Susan Kauffman, Hunter Lambeth, Will Lingo, Barbara Linn, Mitra Lotfi, Lynne McClintock, Brian
McCollum, Justin McGuire, Stephanie Marshall, Laurie Martin, Myrna Miller, Smithson Mills, Lee Ann Necessary,
Rebecca Nesbit, Susan Odenkirchen, Cheryl Pond, Amy Powell, Charla Price, Becky Riddick, Guinevere Ross, Andrea
Shaw, Sheila Simmons, Mandy Spence, William Taggart, Clay Thorp, Nicki Weisensee, Jackie Williams, Amy Winslow
and Lisa Wynne. Angela Joines and Helle Nielsen, wire editors. Laurie Duncan, assistant state and national editor.
Brian Long, assistant business editor. Leigh Ann McDonald, assistant city editor. Kimberly Edens and Kristen Gardner,
assistant university editors.
Sports: Mike Berardino, Patton McDowell and Chris Spencer, assistant sports editors. Robert D'Arruda, Steve Giles,
Dave Glenn, Dave Hall, Clay Hodges, Brendan Mathews, Jim Muse, Keith Parsons, Andy Podolsky, and Langston
Wertz.
Features: Hannah Drum, Carole Ferguson, Laura Jenkins, Corin Ortlam, Lynn Phillips, Leigh Pressley, Karen Stegman,
Kathy Wilson and Julie Woods.
Arts: James Burrus, Scott Cowen, Stephanie Dean, Kim Donehower, David Hester, Julie Olson, Beth Rhea, Kelly
Rhodes, Alston Russell and Richard Smith.
Photography: Tony Deifell, Gretchen Hock, Janet David Minton, Julie Stovall and Brian Whittier.
Copy Editors: Karen Bell, Cara Bonnett, Carrie Burgin, Julia Coon, Whitney Cork, Laurie Duncan, Bert Hackney,
Lisa Lorentz, Sherry Miller, Rachel Stiffler and Kaarin Tisue, assistant news editor.
Cartoonists: Jeff Christian, Bill Cokas and Greg Humphreys.
Campus Calendar: Mindelle Rosenberg.
Business and Advertising: Anne Fulcher, general manager; Patricia Glance, advertising director; Joan Worth, advertising
coordinator; Peggy Smith, advertising manager; Sheila Baker, business manager; Michael Benfield, Lisa Chorebanian,
Ashley Hinton, Kellie McElhaney, Chrissy Mennitt, Stacey Montford, Lesley Renwrick, Julie Settle, Dave Slovensky,
Dean Thompson, Amanda Tilley and Wendy Wegner, advertising representatives; Stephanie Chesson, classified
advertising representative; and Kris Carlson, secretary.
Distribution Tucker Stevens, manager.
Delivery Leon Morton, manager; Billy Owens, assistant.
Production: Bill Leslie and Stacy Wynn. Rita Galloway, Leslie Humphrey, Stephanie Locklear and Tammy Sheldon,
production assistants.
Printing: The Chapel Hill Newspaper
teadeirs' Forym
Join human rights pressure on South Korea
To the editor:
South Korea is moving toward demo
cracy, and recent reforms have brought
important changes, but these have not
helped political prisoners such as Kim
Chong-sam.
Kim was arrested in 1979 for member
ship in an "anti-state" organization called
the Preparatory Committee of the South
Korean National Liberation Front. The
SKNLF was accused of plotting to
violently overthrow the government of
President Park Chung-hee, who was faced
with growing opposition and dissatisfac
tion with the domestic economic situation.
Despite the accusations, no evidence of
any criminal behavior was brought against
Kim. At the time of his arrest, Kim was
the Director of the Catholic Farmers
Association. He had conducted research
which concluded that the impoverishment
of farmers resulted from the governmental
price controls on agricultural products.
Though not charged with any recognizably
criminal act, Kim was sentenced to 15 years
in prison.
Amnesty International has adopted Kim
as a Prisoner of Conscience, which means
Amnesty believes he is being detained for
his beliefs and has neither used nor
advocated violence. Kim is not alone. More
than 100 people were detained in inves
tigation of the SKNLF, and 73 were
brought to trial in 1979. Of these, 14 remain
in detention. According to Amnesty, more
than 900 other political prisoners remain
in detention, and there is evidence that
some of these are being tortured.
Amnesty does not want Kim and the
other political prisoners to be forgotten.
An international campaign has been
launched to press for further improvements
in the Republic of Korea. Amnesty
members are writing on behalf of nearly
three dozen Prisoners of Conscience. Other
members are writing Korean legislators
asking for political and legal reforms, and
still others are writing U.S. legislators
explaining concerns and requesting
assistance.
One reason Amnesty is pressing for
reforms now is that the time is right for
change in South Korea. The government
has shown itself to be newly sensitive to
human rights concerns and international
opinion. More than 530 convicted political
prisoners were released July 6-7, 1987.
Several days later President Chun Do
hwan restored the civil rights of more than
2,300 former political prisoners. The
upcoming elections in South Korea have
provided a useful forum for discussion of
human rights and other legal concerns, and
the new constitution is promising.
Amnesty International is urging the
government to ratify the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Any officials found in violation of this
convention should be brought to justice.
Reforms also should be taken to ensure
that all political prisoners receive fair and
impartial trials. This would require the end
of practices such as detention without
charge, prolonged incommunicado deten
tion, denial of access to attorneys, and the
use of confessions allegedly taken under
torture. Finally, as part of the campaign,
Amnesty calls for the abolition of the death
penalty, on the grounds that it violates the
right to life and the prohibitions against
cruel and degrading punishment.
In Chapel Hill, the focus of the Korean
Campaign will come during Human Rights
Week, Nov. 15-20. Professor Sun-Il Choi
will speak on the South Korean human
rights situation today at 5 p.m. in Room
206 Student Union. Opportunities to write
Korean legislators on behalf of Kim
Chong-sam and other political prisoners
will be available throughout the week, and
a display case in the Union will feature
artwork and other articles from the
Republic of Korea.
Amnesty International Group 84 invites
everyone to participate in these and other
events on campus during Human Rights
Week. We especially need support through
petitions and letters encouraging South
Korean legislators to further reforms in
that country, and to ensure that Kim and
other political prisoners will not be
forgotten.
BETHANY CHANEY
Sophomore
Interdisciplinary Studies
AIDS policy
morally sound
To the editor:
Mark Donahue has taken it
upon himself to enlighten the
students of this campus who are
not engaging in premarital sex
that they are psychologically
harming themselves (WCGLA
to protest Martin's AIDS pol
icy," Nov. 11). This is certainly
news to me! You probably
think I'm just misreading his
quote, right? Well, how else can
you interpret this statement:
"Total abstinence is psycholog
ically harmful."
Donahue says he is protest
ing Gov. Jim Martin's policy
because he does not mention
"safe sex, the use of condoms,
or the use of clean needles for
drug users." First, this policy
is for the education of "students
younger than high school age."
If our educational system tells
these impressionable young
students to use a clean needle
when they do drugs, it implies
that it is OK to do drugs as
long as you do them safely.
The same argument applies
to sex. The educational system
is supposed to endorse the
highest standards. Of course,
we may not be able to keep up
that standard, but if we set
lower standards we are certain
to turn out a society with lower
moral standards, though I can't
expect Donahue to object to
that. In fact, maybe that's what
he is really after a society
of gays and drug users. No,
thank you. I just thank God
that we still have some politi
cians who care about the con
ditions of this nation's youth.
DAVID LUTZ
Sophomore
Mathematics
Thanks for
school spirit
To the editor:
I write to thank all of the
Carolina students in attend
ance at Saturday's Carolina
Clemson football game for
their tremendously vocal sup
port of the team. I don't think
I have ever seen any greater
support in Kenan Stadium. It
was a tribute to the Carolina
spirit and was greatly appre
ciated by the team, as well as
the entire department.
Let's do it again for the Duke
game and carry it over into the
Smith Center for the coming
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basketball season.
I am continually proud of
our fans, led by the student
body.
JOHN SWOFFORD
Director of Athletics
CGLA isolated
in debate
To the editor:
I am writing to make a few
points about the funding of
student groups, the Carolina
Gay and Lesbian Association
in particular. Most of these
ideas are not new. However,
since many students still do not
completely understand the
funding process, I think some
education is in order.
Some conservatives, in argu
ing against CGLA funding in
the past, have quoted Thomas
Jefferson's statement that no
individual should be coerced to
fund a group that he finds
morally repugnant. However,
America's political system is
not based entirely on Jefferson
ian ideals. For example, even
though I find the military
morally repugnant, I must still
pay about 40 percent of my
income taxes to the military, or
face imprisonment.
Similarly, the process of
funding UNC student organi
zations is not based on the
desires of any individual stu
dent. I don't particularly want
to give my money to sports
clubs and certain other organ
izations, but I realize that
funding many diverse groups
enhances opportunities for all
students.
I believe that, if given the
choice, many students wouldn't
fund any organization. Even
though only a small portion of
student fees goes toward fund
ing student groups, students
might prefer to spend the
money on themselves. Each
student could buy a piece of
bubble gum with the five cents
that would have gone to the
CGLA.
Why not hold a referendum
for every group that receives
student funding? In the end,
singling out the CGLA could
only be attributed to ignorance
and prejudice against lesbians
and gay men.
JOHN GANTT
Junior
Psychology
An ode to the habit that gives life meaning
To the editor:
One of the truly amazing things about
America is that we, as citizens, are granted
virtually unlimited freedom to pursue
happiness. While out stalking beatitude, I
often pause to engage in a pastime that
gives me no end of joy: smoking a cigarette.
This is not a hostile act; in fact, it is quite
the opposite. After ingesting the recom
mended daily allowance of nicotine, I
become a generous, benevolent, self
actualized individual. I read poetry. I smile
at children. I give to the United Way.
Why, then, would anyone have me
abstain from smoking, my emotional life
support? Some fanatical non-smokers
object because of the alleged health risks
smoking poses. Although I am touched by
their concern for my well-being, I would
tike to point out that those years of which
smoking might deprive me occur in the
twilight of life, long after one's hair, teeth
and sex drive are likely to have departed.
IH never miss them.
For the less altruistic in the non-smoking
section who are more concerned with their
own health, I submit that the University
shuttle bus spews more 'carcinogens into
the open air than I could ever hope to,
were I chain-smoking Camels until Judg
ment Day. Given that everything from
Honda Spree scooters to Three Mile Island
vents its less-than-aromatic wastes into the
big sky above, I would assume non
smokers contribute only a minute fraction
of the carcinogens that seriously afflict
those with fleshy-pink lungs.
Still some people insist smoking should
be banned in public. They find the smell
offensive and the habit itself unnecessary.
I must concede that cigarette smoke, like
classical music or modern art, cannot be
justly appreciated by the uninitiated. This
is not justification, however, for banning
smoking in public. Many things that I
consider offensive occur in public. Some
people use profanity. Some people rave
about left-wing religions. Some people
band together and sing Bob Dylan songs.
Unfortunately, subjection to such irritants
is the price that must be paid for entering
the public domain. Rather than divide the
world into "folk singing non-folk singing"
sections or similarly trivial divisions, the
general public should be tolerant of the
general public's legal (if not tasteful)
behavior on public property. Individuals
who cannot accept public behavior need
not immerse themselves in it. Cable TV
was invented for a reason.
JOHN HONEYCUTT
Junior
English
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