The Daily Tar Heel Monday, November 28, 198811
Opinion
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Now that tlhe education is over, let tlhe action besom
Dedication and
T "Tever do so many campus and
JV community groups unite in
JL N such a collaboration of inter
est and concern as with Human
Flights Week each year. A large
professional staff working all year
long would be lucky to even hold a
candle to the bonfire this event has
become.
.Contrary to popular opinion,
Human Rights Week is not solely the
product of the Campus Y. It is the
product of many diverse campus and
community organizations which
create programs that are coordinated
by a Campus Y committee. Human
' Rights Week can only remain a truly
effective instrument of education and
awareness if it continues to be a
shared product of these groups.
Limiting the input and activity of any
of these groups would greatly restrict
the effectiveness of the week.
As stated on the back of the
Human Rights Week brochure, the
committee "shows no preference of
opinion and covers the broadest area
possible given our knowledge, resour
ces and support." The committee
iiself will not present any program
that in its knowledge directly or
indirectly violates the human rights
of any person. For example, as this
year's keynote speaker the committee
considered Oliver Tambo, a leader in
the outlawed African National Con-
Keepin
u
uds by high noon or you're
kdead," read the note I found
'attached to my door with a
clothes hanger. "Signed, Bryan."
This past weekend I once again
won the war of nerves with my
roommate. Because I'm from out of
slate, I'm unable to drive home on
weekends meaning I have to see the
macaroni and cheese in Lenoir every
day and have to do my own clothes
instead of dumping them off on my
parents. Therefore, I delay doing my
wash for as long as possible, and
Bryan ignores the smell from the
dpthes Kilimanjaro collected at the
bottom of my closet.
Usually I can last pretty long, at
least until a vacation. I do this trick
tjy redefining "dirty." My rule is,
nythifig you've worn once, you can
wear again'." T try to avoid spilling
things on myself becausdhat's harder
to hide than just sweat. If I'm
desperate, though, I just spill my
eiitire breakfast all over my already
dirty clothes, so people think that the
stains have come from today. Better
far people to think you're a slob than
slazy slob who won't clean his own
dbthes.
tMy first experience with doing my
own laundry came when I was in one
of those "bleach your new blue jeans
so. that they look older than you do"
phases. I poured gallons of Clorox
directly on to my Levi's, thus inflict
ing them with a strange sort of jean
leprosy. Mom still made me wear
them, though, a fashion mark of Cain
showing the world that I was inept.
. .Deciding that laundry was inevit
able, I had to plan for when and
where I would clean my clothes. I
chose the Morrison facilities. I could
either go late at night or during a
football game when I wouldn't have
to wait for an empty machine. The
football game would combine sleep
and the best guarantee of clean
clothes without the wait, so I had to
take interim measures to last until the
weekend. I made the sensible choice,
going to the student store to buy a
complete Tar Heel wardrobe.
Thus, garbed in blue and white
sweat pants, sweatshirt, socks and
boxer shorts, I set out early Saturday
to do my laundry. I picked up all
my dirty clothes and put them in my
laundry bag, leaving my towels and
sheets for yet another month of good
use. My motto is, "Only wash what
you wear."
I then had to figure out how to
get change for my excursion. I went
down to the Country Store and
bought a piece of gum. I pulled out
Ignorance
Eddie Hatcher's campus visit
and its subsequent DTH cov
erage provoked a rather force
ful display of ignorance from no less
jhat a UNC professor of history.
Norbert Mayr's angry tirade
("Hatcher is a hypoocrite," Nov. 18)
reveals his lack of awareness of both
the conditions which compelled
Hatcher to act last February, and of
the trial which vindicated his actions
in October.
Robeson County isn't a place
where law and order prevail. Just the
opposite is true. Politically-motivated
murders, arbitrary detentions and
police brutality occur routinely, with
government and law enforcement
complicity. While residents' basic
rights have been trampled for years,
racial politics have choked off demo
cratic channels for redressing injus
tices. Were Robeson more like
Orange County, peacefully resorting
to an honest court might have
deeds make a
Tony Deifell
Guest Writer
gress, a group that advocates violence
as a means to freedom from oppres
sion. Although Tambo's actions are
in the fight for human rights, they
directly violate the rights of other
people in South Africa. The commit
tee decided that it could not sponsor
Tambo under such circumstances,
but if an outside group had wanted
to, it could have.
Many issues in human rights have
more than one side. Abortion, for
example, raises two concerns: a
woman's right to her own body and
the unborn baby's right to his or her
life. With this understanding, the
Human Rights Week committee and
the Campus Y recognize that it is not
always possible to present all sides
of an issue. Thus, it will not exclude
an organization from presenting just
one side of an issue. It does, however,
encourage other groups with a dif
ferent perspective to address the same
issue.
Leaving the week's events indis
criminately open for programming by
any group places the responsibility in
the hands of the public. If a group
of people feel strongly enough about
afloat in a
David Ball
Staff Writer
a $20 bill, and innocently remarked,
"Gee, I thought I had something
smaller." I now had $19.97 with which
to do laundry.
College laundry can be summar
ized in one phrase: "Wash it in cold."
The cold cycle was invented for
people like me who don't know the
first thing about what's a "light" or
a "sturdy" or even "knits perm
press." So, lacking the space, the
expertise and the quarters to divide
my laundry into all sorts of subgroups
like happens at home, I crammed it
all into the Speed Queen and took
prompts condemnation of Hatcher's hostage-talon
Bruce Kay
Guest Writer
sufficed. But in an environment where
due process has been suspended, the
conditions are all too ripe for
violence.
Second, it isn't surprising that
Professor Mayr considers the verdict
rendered in the case of Hatcher and
Timothy Jacobs to be a "travesty"
and a "sick joke." Having heard none
of the testimony that acquitted them,
his own verdict that "Hatcher and
Jacobs behaved like criminals" can
only be based on hearsay and unin
formed opinion. For nothing speaks
louder than the facts unfurled during
the trial and dangled before the jury:
As many hostages testified under
oath, neither Hatcher nor Jacobs ever
pointed a gun at anybody; neither
difference
an issue, that issue is included in the
week's programming. If an issue
doesn't have enough support, it will
not be presented. A possible solution
to make sure that all sides are
represented may be to better publicize
the events that are to be included in
Human Rights Week before the
week's programming is set. That way,
if another group was concerned that
the full issue might not be presented,
that group would have, time to
organize its own presentation.
A hope of Human Rights Week
is that students and area residents will
focus on the staggering imperfections
in our world and realize that a one
hour seminar or meeting is just the
beginning, that together through
awareness, dialogue and then action
we can make a difference. Human
Rights Week is over for this year. But
really, it should never end. And in
that vein, the letters that have recently
been printed in the DTH about
imbalanced presentations are part of
the continuing process of awareness.
We urge anyone who feels that an
issue was missed or inadequately
covered to contact us at the Campus
Y and help the dialogue continue. All
power to the people!
Tony Deifell is a junior anthropol
ogy major from Clearwater, Fla.
tide of .dirty laundry
my chances with laundry ghoulash.
Thank God for "Cheer."
There are basically three
approaches to passing time in the
laundry room. The "Hi, I'm David,
what's you major?" approach, the
"bring boring class reading" approach
and the "stare mindlesly at the dryers
turning the clothes over and over
hypnotically" approach. I usually go
for the third; it's relaxing, educational
and a fun alternative to the ordinary
sitcom. I can also wait for a free dryer
and reserve it by putting in a sheet
of Cling-Free with my initials on it.
After my wash is done, I make the
futile attempt at drying my clothes.
It seems like no matter how long I
dry my laundry, it's always damp and
winds up strewn about my room,
drying the organic way.
made any violent threats, only reas
surances that no one would be hurt.
Nobody, moreover, was told to
"prepare to die" as Mayr wrongly
asserts. In fact, with few exceptions,
The Robesonian hostages eagerly
testified that the entire incident was
carried out "compassionately." Per
haps most remarkably, they sympa
thized with Hatcher's plight and
supported his demands. Most of the
time the hostages were held was spent
in negotiations over requests that
were deemed "quite reasonable and
selfless" by representatives from the
governor's office. But the failure to
prove either defendant acted "know
ingly, willfully or maliciously" was
reflected in the jury's final verdict:
Hatcher and Jacobs did not act with
criminal intent, but rather out of
desperation and fear for their lives.
Thus, the acquittal stands, for the
people have spoken, and Hatcher and
Jacobs must be presumed innocent
Lectures, seminars kick off future education
Iwant to thank Campus Y and
all the organizers and participants
for Human Rights Week. The
programs were interesting, educa
tional and eye-opening. The most eye
opening programs were Philip Agee's
speech and particularly the documen
tary "Cover Up."
"Cover Up" deals with the CIA,
the Iran-contra affair and the Reagan
administration's involvement with
both. The issues brought out in the
film will shock you and you will be
surprised by. the atrocious, immoral
actions performed by our govern
ment, the Reagan administration and
the CIA. Now, hold on. I am not
one of those radical activists running
off my mouth that many of you are
tired of hearing from. I am the
average, dare I say "apathetic" college
student. I am not a member of the
CIA Action Committee or the Carol
ina Committee on Central America.
I strongly supported the right of the
CIA to interview on campus. I
wanted to interview with them. TVe
been a supporter and fan of President
Reagan and Vice President Bush.
However, the things I heard in Agee's
speech and in the "Cover Up"
documentary have opened my eyes
tremendously, and it has me thinking
much differently about my views on
thesesubjects.
Well, what was so shocking? The
One thing frustrates me, though:
after a long, hard laundry session, the
clothes I'm wearing are dirty clothes,
and IVe already got something to put
in my laundry bag. I could do laundry
naked, but that'd be cold, and I
wouldn't have anywhere to put my
quarters. IVe finally come up with
the solution to. my problem; put
washers and dryers in the bathrooms.
Students can wash their clothes and
themselves simultaneously, slipping
directly from the shower into toasty
dryer-warmed clothes avoiding any
dirty-clothes residue. Think about
that this winter; in the spring, I plan
to lobby the Residence Hall
Association.
David Ball is a freshman political
science major from Atlanta.
until proven guilty. Fortunately for
us, even Professor Mayr's distortions
and declamations cannot change that
basic principle of justice.
Third, Mayr's assertion that
Hatcher and Jacobs ought to deliver
on their "pledge" to turn over
evidence of drug trafficking is baf
fling. Not only was no such promise
ever made, much less in exchange for
a verdict of innocent, but releasing
that information without an official
inquiry and subpoena power to back
it up is pointless. To interpret Hatcher
and Jacobs' silence as evidence that
their knowledge "existed in their
imaginations alone" simply defies
logic, especially since U.S. Attorney
William Webb's office has already
vowed to hand down indictments to
some of the very persons Hatcher
charged with drug trafficking. Furth
ermore, the maps of the drug drop
off points that fell into Hatcher's
hands have been confirmed to be
Steven Lehmann
Guest Writer
documentary talked about Reagan
and Bush dealing with Iran in the fall
of 1980 to postpone the release of the
hostages until after the election to
avoid an "October Surprise." The
hostages were released about 20
minutes after Reagan's inauguration,
and a few weeks later, arms were
shipped to Iran. The film told of the
atrocities on civilians performed by
the CIA-formed contras. Oliver
North and the many other players in
the Iran-contra affair (some from top
government positions) who did some
suspicious, probably illegal, things
were discussed. During the hearings,
two men protested and were whisked
away, but did you know, as the film
points out, they were sentenced to
over a year and a half in jail? There
is an allegation that while the Reagan
administration wants us to "Just Say
No," the CIA is bringing drugs into
the country by using its influence to
get through customs. These are only
a few of the shocking things exposed
in the documentary. The people who
assert these things are people who
know what's going on former CIA
agents, Barbara Honinger, an adviser
Affirmative
deserved opportunities
A ffirmative action is a policy
NX by which companies or
-ZiX.schools hire or admit
minorities disproportionately as
compensation for past discrimina
tion against them. Many univer
sities and companies in the United
States abide by the affirmative
action policy. In my History 22
class the other day, the subject of
affirmative action came up. The
professor introduced an affirma
tive action proposal: If there is a
group of students with fairly equal
abilities applying to a university,
should race be a criterium in their
admission? The response to the
proposal -was tremendous, and I
would like to address three of the
responses that stuck in my mind.
A student from Brazil said he
had to apply to UNC twice despite
his "impeccable grades." The
student implied that if he had been
black, he would have been
accepted the first time he applied,
which is not necessarily true. He
is not the only student here at
UNC with "impeccable" grades;
UNC's high admissions standards
require all students' grades to be
close to impeccable. He may have
been denied admission because the
requirements for out-of-state stu
dents are usually higher than those
for in-state students. The student
also said admitting students with
lower SAT scores based on their
race would lower UNC's academic
standards. This argument appears
to be invalid because SAT scores
are not a direct indicator of how
a person will perform in college.
A high SAT score does not gua
rantee good grades in college, and
a low SAT score does not gua
rantee poor grades.
One white student said she
didn't support the proposal
because it promoted "tokenism"
on the part of minorities. Token
ism? I would like to ask the blacks
on this campus, do you feel like
tokens? I don't feel like a token.
A token is a fake coin used to play
video games in an arcade. Black
students, do you feel like fake
coins playing a game at UNC? I
would think not. We are for real.
If we believe that we are here just
to satisfy a racial quota, then we
will be tokens. If we believe that
we are here because we want to
be here and because we can make
a difference, then tokens we are
genuine, and the sworn affidavits of
am agents corroborate Hatcher's
allegations of cover-up in the murder
of Julian Pierce.
Finally, Mayr's indignation at
seeing Hatcher, whom he calls a
"terrorist," advocate civil rights is a
bit misplaced. The term "terrorist",
has been so horribly misused and
diluted nowadays that it has begun
to denote nearly any form of political
oppression without regard to its
particular origins. Calling Hatcher
and Jacobs "terrorists," as Mayr and
others have done, is akin to pro
nouncing the partisans of the French
Resistance or fighters in the Abraham
Lincoln Brigade "terrorists." It
reflects a profound ignorance of the
repressive conditions that induced the
violence in the first place, and justifies
using even more repressive tactics to
combat it. As Hatcher himself
pointed out, the repressive backlash
is well under way in Robeson County,
to the 1980 Reagan Bush campaign,
and many other people "in the know."
Why hasn't this film gained
national media attention or access to
all Americans? I asked Agee and he
said he believes that some people
don't want it to be shown because
it could create a Constitutional crisis,
as Watergate did. The issues in this
documentary are that crippling.
I'm glad I saw this film. At the same
time, I wish I hadn't. Like many
Americans, I don't want to hear bad
things about the United States. I love
the United States and view her as a
country who values democracy and
freedom above all the others. The fact
is that we do some nasty, immoral
things and I am finding it hard to
swallow.
Judging by the turnout for Agee's
speech, there is a strong desire to
know more about what the CIA is
doing. I strongly recommend that
everyone see "Cover Up" and think
for themselves about its allegations.
You can call Martha Drake if you
would like to view the film. Also,
Campus Y may be showing "Cover
Up" sometime in the future.
Steven Lehmann is a senior bus
iness administration major from
Long Island, NY.
action gives
Debbie Baker
Guest Writer
not. .
Another white student said she
rejected the proposal because
affirmative action promoted
"reverse discrimination" against
whites. What she said was in part
true, but she did not take into
account the blatant discrimination
that has suppressed black people
for more than 200 years.
I don't know anything about the
white students in my history class.
However, I do know that despite
their backgrounds, society puts
them at an advantage. It is very
easy for them to sit in class and
criticize a policy designed to help
minorities because they don't
know what it feels like to be a
member of one. Those white
students don't know how it feels
to sit in a classroom and not see
anyone of their race. They don't
know how it feels to be born at
a disadvantage solely because of
the color of their skin.
It is ironic that students in a
history class have forgotten so
much history. Students who
opposed affirmative action forgot
that blacks were slaves until the
13th Amendment was ratified, and
that black males did not get the
franchise until the 15th Amend
ment was passed. They didnt
recall that the "separate but equal"
rule denied blacks the opportunity
to attend school with whites until
Brown vs. the Board of Education
in 1954; or that blacks could not
use the same public facilities as
whites until the passage of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964. If they would
take time to remember a little
black history or the history of any
minority, they would see that
affirmative action is necessary to
admit minorities into universities
in proportion to their population.
But more importantly, affirmative
action is vital to ensure that
minorities in the present and
future receive the same educa
tional opportunities that majori
ties have enjoyed in the past.
Debbie Baker is a sophomore
journalism major from Raeford.
where 15 or more questionable
assassinations date from the Feb. 1
takeover. Whether we condemn his
actions or not, Hatcher steadfastly
refused to turn a blind eye to the
injustices in Robeson County. He
continually sought the assistance of
both state officials and FBI agents,
who told him to get lost. Finally,
fearing for his life, he rose up against
those injustices and succeeded in
drawing the public's attention to
them. Taking up arms to accomplish
political objectives is a solution wc
all rightly abhor. But preventing it
from happening again means restor
ing justice in Robeson County, not
making martyrs out of Hatcher and
Jacobs. Unfortunately, this goal is
not served by confusing issues or by
blatantly misrepresenting the facts as
Professor Mayr has done.
Bruce Kay is a graduate political
science major from New York.