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10The Daily Tar Heel Monday, March 14, 1988
uTtie laxly ufeir Uteri
Readers' Foramni
96 th year of editorial freedom
Kathy Peters, Managing Mttor
Karen Bell, Neu Editor
MATT BlVENS, Associate Editor
KlMBERLY EDENS, University Editor
SHARON KEBSCHULL, State and National Editor
MIKE BERARDINO, Sports Editor
Kelly Rhodes, Arts Editor
MANDY SPENCE, Design Editor
Jean Lutes, Editor
JON RUST, Managing Editor
KAARIN TlSUE, Neus Editor
AMY HAMILTON, Associate Editor
KRISTEN GARDNER, Unit erstty Editor
Will Lingo, aty Editor
LEIGH ANN McDONALD, Features Editor
CATHY McHUGH, Omnibus Editor
DAVID MINTON, Photography Editor
Case study in student activism
board
opinion
Last Sunday, -Elisabeth
Zinser
was appointed
president of Gal-
laudet University
in Washington, D.C., the world's only
liberal arts university for the deaf.
The next day, students at Gallaudet
protested the appointment, blocking
off campus entrances at 6 a.m. and
closing the university down. They
demanded that Zinser resign, and that
a deaf president be selected. They also
demanded the resignation of Jane
Bassett Spilman, the chairwoman of
the university's board of trustees, as
well as a restructuring of the board
to include a majority of deaf persons.
A week later, all of their demands
have been met. Both Zinser and
Spilman have resigned. Gallaudet's
board of trustees has selected a deaf
president. The trustees have agreed to
form a task force to study the com
position of the board, and they have
promised to ensure that a majority of
the school's trustees are deaf.
It seems almost too easy. From the
beginning of their protest, the students
enjoyed extensive media coverage and
a broad base of support. The students
took immediate action, and within
days, the Gallaudet administration
was forced to comply with their
demands.
In an age when activists are often
mocked and scorned, the deaf students
provided an excellent example of
effective protest. Some may attribute
their quick success to their deafness,
which helped make their protest
unique and newsworthy.
But that's not the only reason the
students won their battle. The protes
ters were unafraid to buck tradition.
Gallaudet has never had a deaf or
hearing-impaired president in its 124
year history, but that didn't keep the
protesters from expressing their frus
tration with the system.
Also, the students made simple,
reasonable demands. They wanted
adequate representation among their
own leaders, and they made a realistic
proposal to attain that goal: replace
Zinser, Spilman and other trustees
with comparable deaf administrators.
Others soon recognized the legiti
macy of the students' demands. Their
protest was strengthened by the
support of the 275-member Gallaudet
faculty, prominent alumni, national
and international organizations and
members of Congress.
All students can learn from the
Gallaudet incident. Students can and
should have an impact on administra
tive decisions, and reasonable protest
is still an effective way of making
concerns known to those who do not
wish to listen.
Don't play politics with
BOG
Last summer, the General Assembly
passed a bill creating "member emer
itus" positions on the 32-member
Board of Governors. Under the leg
islation, all former board chairmen
under 70 became non-voting members
of the board, which oversees the 16
campus UNC system.
Now, some state senators say the
move was a mistake. They're right.
Traditionally, BOG appointments
are political prizes, awarded to the
most aggressive players in North
Carolina's game of power politics.
When the member emeritus bill was
passed, it made life easier for the
lawmakers who were making appoint
ments to the board. For instance,
former chairman William Dees was
seeking another term as a board
member. Rather than choose between
Dees, and another candidate, the
legislators made him a member eme
ritus, leaving an opening for a voting
member. Thus, they were able to grant
two political favors instead of one.
But the maneuver, while politically
astute, could cause disastrous long
term results. Each member emeritus
may participate in all board discus
sions and deliberations. Taking advan
tage of the expertise of former chair
men is a good idea, but guaranteeing
them an official position on the board
goes too far. Although they cannot
vote, members emeriti could intimi
date less experienced members and
stifle new ideas.
The same bill that created the new
position also cut each board member's
term from eight to four years.
Creating a board with high member
turnover and powerful ex-chairmen
could dangerously tip the balance of
power. With less time to learn the
system, the newer members may rely
too heavily on the former chairmen
for advice and guidance. If the new
comers are qualified enough to be
appointed to the board, they should
be allowed to make their own
decisions.
Experience is an important consid
eration in choosing a candidate for any
office, elected or appointed; but afresh
outlook can be just as valuable. By
refusing to choose between the two,
the General Assembly is playing games
with a group whose actions affect
thousands of students in North
Carolina.
The legislators should eliminate the
position of member emeritus. The
politicking that surrounds BOG
appointments is already harmful. The
member emeritus position, coupled
with cuts in board members' terms, has
only complicated the process. Jean
Lutes
The Daily Tar Heel
Editorial Writers: Kelly Clark, Stuart Hathaway and Bill Yelverton.
Editorial Assistants: Laura Pearlman and Becky Riddick.
Assistant Managing Editors: Hannah Drum, Barbara Linn, Felisa Neuringer, Laura Pearlman and Clay Thorpe.
Assistant Design Editors: Cara Bonnett and Teresa Kriegsman.
Design Assistants: Ashley Campbell, Katherine Hortenstine and Laura Ross.
News: Kari Barlow, Jeanna Baxter, Katie Beck, Crystal Bell, Laura Bennett, James Benton, Lydian Bernhardt, Patricia
Brown, Brenda Campbell, Lacy Churchill, Jenny Cloninger, Staci Cox, Robin Curtis, Jackie Douglas, Carrie Dove,
Laura Francis, Amy Grubbs, Lindsay Hayes, William Hildebolt, Kyle Hudson, Suzette Hughes, Sonya Jackson, Helen
Jones, Patrice Jones, Susan Kauffman, Chris Landgraff, Steve Long, Brian McCollum, Myrna Miller, Rebecca Nesbit,
Helle Nielsen, Susan Odenkirchen, Laura Peay, Cheryl Pond, Beth Rhea, Mark Shaver, Christopher Sontchi, Laura
Summer, William Taggart, Clay Thorp, Amy Weisner and Amy Winslow. Laura DiGiano, assistant city editor. Mark
Folk and Justin McGuire, senior writers. Juliellen Sarver, wire editor.
Sports: Jim Muse and Chris Spencer, assistant sports editors. James Surowiecki, senior writer. Robert D'Arruda,
Steve Giles, Dave Glenn, Dave Hall, Clay Hodges, Ginger Jonas, Brendan Mathews, Patton McDowell, Keith Parsons,
Andy Podolsky and Langston Wertz.
Features: Jo Lee Credle, Grier Harris, Jim Mock, Corin Ortlam, Leigh Pressley, Carole Southern, Ellen Thornton,
Linda van den Berg, Julie Woods and Holly Young.
Arts: James Burrus, senior writer. Scott Cowen, Stephanie Dean, Kim Donehower, David Hester, Julie Olson, Alston
Russell and Michael Spirtas.
Photography: Christie Blom, Janet Jarman, Elizabeth Morrah and Julie Stovall.
Copy Editors: Cara Bonnett, Carrie Burgin, Julia Coon, Whitney Cork, Bert Hackney and Sherry Miller.
Cartoonists: Bill Cokas, Jeff Christian and Greg Humphreys.
Campus Calendar: Mindelle Rosenberg and David Starnes.
Business and Advertising: Anne Fulcher, director; Patricia Glance, advertising director; Joan Worth, advertising
coordinator; Peggy Smith, advertising manager; Sheila Baker, business manager; Rita Galloway, accounts receivable
clerk: Michael Benfield, Ashley Hinton, Kellie McEIhaney, Amy McGuirt, Chrissy Mennitt, Stacey Montford, Lesley
Renwrick, Julie Settle, Dave Slovensky, Dean Thompson, Amanda Tilley and Wendy Wegner, display advertising
representatives: Diane Cheek, Stephanie Chesson, Tina Perry and Lisa Poole, classified advertising representatives;
and Jeff Carlson and Kris Carlson, secretaries.
Subscriptions: Tucker Stevens, manager; Cody McKinney, assistant.
Distribution: David Econopouly, manager: Cindy Cowan and Billy Owens, assistants.
Production: Bill Leslie and Stacy Wynn. Genevieve Halkett, Leslie Humphrey, Stephanie Locklear and Tammy Sheldon,
production assistants.
Printing: The Chapel Hill Newspaper.
Injustice shown in CIA track record
I his letter is in response to the
resolution passed by the Board of
Trustees concerning the CIA
protest.
1954, Guatemala: The CIA engineered
the overthrow of the democratically elected
Jacobo Arbenz. Arbenz was a liberal
reformer who considered Franklin D.
Roosevelt his role model. Since 1954,
Guatemala has been cursed with a series
of brutal military regimes and sporadic
civil wars. (For more information, see
"Bitter Fruit: The Untold Story of the
American Coup in Guatemala" by Stephen
Kinzer.)
1960s, the Congo: The CIA was involved
in the destabilization of the popularly
elected government of Patrice Lumumba.
At one point, the CIA sent operatives a
syringe full of a lethal substance, with
instructions to inject it into Lumumba's
food. (Senator Frank Church, "The Covert
Operations," Center Magazine 9:2 1976)
1970s, Chile: The CIA spent more than
$7 million to destabilize the democratically
elected government of Salvador Allende.
The CIA played a direct role in planning
the coup that toppled Allende and brought
General Augusto Pinochet to power.
Pinochet's regime is considered the most
repressive and dictatorial in the Western
Hemisphere. (New York Times Sept. 14,
1974, Church, "The Covert Operations')
1975, Angola: The CIA cooperated with
Joey Temp!eton
Guest Writer
South Africa in efforts to install Jonos
Savimbi and his guerrilla force UNITA as
the government of Angola following the
Portugese withdrawal. The CIA lied to
Congress and planted disinformation in the
American "media. The CIA continues to
support UNITA's efforts to overthrow the
Angolan government. (See former CIA
agent John Stockwell's account, "The
Search for Fnemies: A CIA Story")
1984, Nicaragua: The CIA mined the
harbors of Nicaragua and ordered the
contras to take credit for the action. The
CIA continued to fund and assist the
contras, even though Congress forbade the
United States government from providing
support to forces attempting to overthrow
the Nicaraguan government. (Edgar
Chomorro with Jefferson Morley, "Con
fessions of a Contra," Aug. 5, 1985)
Each of these actions in which the CIA
was involved broke many American, as
well as international, laws. Two of the laws
broken are:
"Organization of American States
Charter:"
Article 19: "No State may use or encourage
the use of coercive measures of an
economic or political character to force the
sovereign will of another State and obtain
from it advantages of any kind."
United Nations, "Charter of Economic
Rights and Duties of States
Article 1: "Every State has the sovereign
and inalienable right to choose its eco
nomic system as well as its political, social,
and cultural system, in accordance with
the will of its people, without outside
interference, coercion or threat in any form
whatsoever."
Oct. 28, 1987: Protesters of CIA recruit
ment on campus are arrested. (DTH, Oct.
29, 1987)
Feb. 2, 1988: Protesters start an indef
inite fast, to encourage the University to
break all ties with the CIA and to cancel
CIA recruitment on campus. (DTH, Feb.
3, 1988)
Feb. 22, 1988: Protesters break their fast
and hold a demonstration at the University
Inn, where the CIA was recruiting. The
recruiter cancels all interviews and leaves.
(DTH, Feb. 23, 1988)
Six protesters were charged, but not
convicted, of breaking one law disor
derly conduct.
These are the facts; now you make the
decision. Who are the terrorists?
Joey Templeton is a sophomore political
science and drama major from Gastonia.
Rodeos
inflict pain
To the editor:
On Feb. 18-19, a rodeo was
held on the N.C. State Fair
grounds. The rodeo is an Amer
ican tradition, and therefore
accepted as a fun and exciting
sport by many people. But it
is time for this sport to be re
examined, for much unneces
sary harm is done to the anim
als forced to perform in rodeos.
All of us can contribute to the
weakening of the rodeo's accep
tance in America.
Bucking and calf roping are
the most popular events in the
rodeo. Bucking is not a natural
instinct, as spectators are led to
believe; it is a response to pain
or fear. The more pain an
animal is caused, the more it
will buck, and the more excit
ing the performance will be.
Electric prods, which send up
to 8,000 volt shocks, are given
to the animal before it is
released from the chute. The
animal wants so much to escape
from this pain, but is confined
by the walls of the chute.
Therefore, once the gate opens,
the animal bolts out.
To continue the savage dis
play, bucking straps, rider's
spurs and jabbing are used on
the animals. The bucking strap
applies pressure to the internal
organs and to the nerves, which
are unprotected by the rib cage.
Once the gate is opened, some
one hidden behind the chute
tightens the strap, increasing
the pressure on the animal's
abdominal area. Sometimes the
strap can move to the animal's
genital area, unnoticed by the
person tightening the strap.
The person continues to tighten
the strap, inflicting much pain
on the animal.
The scoring for the bucking
event depends partly on the
animal's bucking display. The
fact encourages handlers to
inflict the most pain they can
on the animals, who often
become so frantic that they
injure or even kill themselves.
In the calf roping event,
electric prods and tail-twisting
send the calf out of the chute
Q7
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While tWiS CarooniSt was
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at approximately 27 miles per
hour. The goal of this event is
to rope the calf around the
neck, flip him off his feet and
tie three of his legs together in
10 seconds. Calf roping can
result in broken necks and
backs, internal hemorrhaging
and crushed throats.
Some people think that the
animals forced to perform in
rodeos are the lucky ones. This
belief is not true. First of all,
most of the horses and bulls
would not have been brought
into the world if not to be used
for the rodeo. After they have
endured their painful lives for
years and are no longer useful,
they are sent to the slaughter
house. Calves and steers used
in the roping events are also
destined for the
slaughterhouse.
It is possible to change this
situation by not watching or
supporting rodeos. If you really
want to help stop the harm
done to animals, a reasonable
approach is vegetarianism. If
you have compassion for anim
als, then it is the perfect way
to express your feelings.
LEIGH ANN
McCULLOUGH
Sophomore
Education
South Campus
misrepresented
To the editor:
This letter is in response to
a statement made in the March
1 article, "Some students win,
some lose in University lot
tery." Lorie Steinhagen, a
North Campus resident, was
quoted as saying, "Now we
don't have to worry anymore.
Now we don't have to live in
James." As two-year, soon to
be three-year, residents of
Hinton James, we take pity on
Steinhagen. She is obviously
unenlightened as to the errone
ous stereotype of our home.
Let us point out that James
has its own snack bar (you may
love hiking over to the Circus
Room, but we like our first
floor store), its own computer
room, its own little library and
proximity to the Smith Center
(we are sure that North Cam
pus residents enjoy the half
mile hike to get tickets; we jog
the hundred or so yards in
about 20 seconds). This
includes the Koury Natato
rium. We also enjoy six tennis
courts, a volleyball court, and
a full basketball court within
50 yards of the building. Plus,
we have 10 lounges (some for
study, others for recreation),
nine kitchens (five of which
have microwaves), a pool table,
two ping-pong tables, and a
fooz-ball table. We do not have
to walk for anything except
classes.
The most important aspects
of South Campus life, however,
are the widely diversified pop
ulation and the sense of coming
home each evening. At James,
we have so many people that
learning to deal with all types
is mandatory. Does this bear
any resemblance to the "real
world"? We like to think so.
You complain about the walk.
Quit whining and ride the bus;
some people enjoy the time to
be alone with their thoughts.
The distance makes a separa
tion, however slight, between
the stress of classes and the
comfort of home.
Finally, let us congratulate
North Campus residents on
their lottery successes. It takes
an open-minded person to
thrive in a diverse society like
Hinton James. Obviously, this
does not include some students.
PAIGE DEAKINS
Sophomore
Music Education
DAWN DEL VECCHIO
Sophomore
Biology
True Christians will forgive Swaggart's sins
1am writing in response to Paul
Teague's column, "Like the rest, sin
took hold of Swaggart." (Feb. 25)
Teague's best point is quickly observed in
the title of his article. Yes, Swaggart, "like
the rest" has sinned. In fact, Swaggart, "like
the rest," has sinned from the time of his
birth right up to the present, and he will
probably continue to sin for the remainder
of his life. But, fortunately for Swaggart
and "the rest," sin is not the focal point
of the Christian gospel or Swaggart's
preaching grace is.
By grace, I mean God's response of
forgiveness for past, present and future sins
to anyone who will receive it and admit
that Jesus Christ is Lord. The bottom line
of this theology will tell us that Swaggart
is indeed "pious" and not a "charlatan,"
not because he can control his lustful
desires, but because God had already
decided to look upon Swaggart as pious,
based on the previously stated conditions.
Although the world can condemn Swag
gart, no Christian may rightfully do the
same, as Swaggart has already been
forgiven by the one who counts in the end.
One may choose, then, to judge Swag
gart, keeping one of two stances in mind.
One of these stances is the worldly stance,
and one is the Christian stance. Before you
choose to judge Swaggart, however, I
Jeanne Newman
Guest Writer
would ask only that you remain consistent
with the standard that you choose to use.
Teague chose to judge Swaggart by worldly
standards. He accuses Swaggart of being
a charlatan, viewing pornographic acts,
dressing in expensive attire and receiving
money from the American public. But do
his accusations hold water when you view
them in terms of wordly standards?
For example, let us compare Swaggart
with another popular public figure
Michael Jackson. Jackson, who has
probably received much more money from
the American public than Oral Roberts,
Bakker and Swaggart put together for his
antics, is well received by the public even
as he loudly proclaims his sexual promis
cuity across the nation and sells innumer
able albums to "disadvantaged" teens.
Quite unlike Swaggart, Jackson charges
the public about $20 to observe a perfor
mance for no more than two or three hours,
while one may view Swaggart several hours
a day on television free of charge.
Now, I have no intention of picking on
Michael Jackson. I am a music major, and
I know a good entertainer when I hear
one. Jackson could easily be replaced by
several other entertainers. Swaggart, in
contrast, remorsefully admits his sexual sin
and submits to church discipline. Yet in
paradoxical fashion, the entire nation, after
learning of Swaggart's sin, is up in arms.
For one who refuses to follow the com
mands of Jesus Christ, this is the epitome
of the double standard.
There is an old Indian saying that may
be worth quoting: Do not judge someone
until you have walked a mile in his
moccasins. To those who have yet to
identify themselves as Christians, I would
only ask that they look into real Chris
tianity by examining Christ and the Bible
not by watching human beings. I would
then ask you to accept Christ and try to
live by his commands. After you fail a few
times and get a good look at your dark
side, you will be able to understand what
it means to be given grace.
Teague is right. Swaggart "will come
back from his rehabilitation stronger than
ever," not because he is a talented
entertainer, but because the gospel of
Christian forgiveness has already set a
precedent for his return.
Jeanne Newman is a senior religion and
music major from Cary.