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10The Daily Tar Heel Wednesday, April 19, 1989
Readers9 Foram
97th year of editorial freedom
Sharon Kebschull, Editor
WILLIAM TaGGART, Managing Editor
LOUIS BlSSETTE, Editorial Page Editor
JUSTIN McGuiRE, University Editor
TAMMY BLACK ARD, State and National Editor
Erik Dale Flippo, Business Editor
CARA BONNETT, Arts and Features Editor
JULI A COON, News Editor
MARY JO DuNNINGTON, Editorial Page Editor
JENNY CLONINGER, University Editor
Charles Brittain, aty Editor
DAVE GLENN, Sports Editor
JAMES BENTON, Omnibus Editor
DAVID SuROWIECKI, Photography Editor
Kelly Thompson, Design Editor
This convention is a bad call
board
opinion
For a governor
who wants to be
known as the "edu
cation governor,"
Jim Martin does .
not have a very good track record. And
with the recent 5 percent non
personnel budget cut that Martin's
administration imposed earlier than
expected on all state agencies, he is
only continuing an unhappy trend.
The cuts hurt all agencies, but they
will especially impact the 16-campus
university system. The various schools
are approaching the cuts with different
levels of panic. Appalachian State
University officials say they used up
their funds early on in the fiscal year,
so the cuts now should have little
effect, while East Carolina University
and UNC-Charlotte administrators
say they may be forced to withhold
some faculty salaries, even though the
cut is supposed to be non-personnel.
A UNCC official said money used to
hire graduate teaching assistants, part
time faculty and visiting lecturers may
be kept back. Universities are also
requiring faculty and staff to cancel
school-related travel plans and refrain
from requesting postage and making
long-distance phone calls and photo
copies except for final exams.
UNC's budget has been slashed by
$3 million, and while that is unlikely
to affect salaries, administrators worry
that the cut will have long-term effects
that they cannot predict. At the
extreme, administrators may even
have to consider shutting down cam
pus buildings to save money.
To treat educators this way is simply
disgraceful, especially if universities
must continue or expand hiring
freezes. Administrators, faculty and
staff deserve to be respected as
professionals, free from such annoying
regulations as no photocopying and
the larger concerns over salary cuts.
If Martin's administration is seriously
concerned about the state losing
outstanding faculty, it must stop
sending the message that faculty needs
don't matter.
In addition, the cuts may soon
directly affect students. When gradu
ate students are not hired (students
who not only can teach other students
but who need the money to continue
their educations) or visiting lecturers
are denied the chance to share their
expertise with students, the budget
slashing means students may not get
the competitive education they have
a right to expect.
North Carolina officials must find
another way to fix its revenue shortage
besides hacking away at university
finances. If the revenue situation does
not reverse itself before June 30, the
end of this fiscal quarter, UNC will
go into debt. Forcing an already-low
annual budget to cover the previous
year's problems will create a long-term
crisis situation that the University
cannot afford.
M
artin's budget cut strikes out
Following a bill to deny funds to
homosexual support groups on state
university campuses, the N.C. House
continued grandstanding this week
when it voted to keep North Carolina
on a list of 30 states calling for a federal
constitutional convention. Supporters
want to call a convention to add a
balanced budget amendment to the
Constitution, but others have questi
oned the lack of limits that could be
placed on constitutional change. This
decision not only demonstrates the
House's focus on another minor issue,
it is a foolish idea that opens the
Constitution up to major revisions.
The Senate had passed a proposal
to remove the state from the list, but
the House Rules Committee voted to
give the proposal a negative report,
effectively keeping the state on the list.
With only 34 states needed to call the
convention, the possibility remains
very real that one could take place in
the near future.
The prospects for a constitutional
convention are interesting, because a
balanced budget amendment is not the
only thing that could be passed.
Obviously, the federal deficit needs to
be seriously considered, and an
amendment to force the government
to live up to its responsibilities deserves
discussion, but the convention process
lacks any rules or guidelines about
possible rewriting of the Constitution.
Considering the conservative bent of
the federal government, what could
happen to the Constitution if lawmak
ers changed some of the more liberal
aspects of it is frightening.
Conservatives often wish to limit
First Amendment freedoms, as is
evident in the House's recent proposal
to limit the right of homosexual
support groups to peaceably assemble
in state college buildings. The conven
tion might also provide a back door
through which anti-abortionists could
attack Roe vs. Wade. These may seem
like far-fetched scenarios, but the mere
idea of state legislators tampering with
the basic tenets of the Constitution
should worry voters and make them
seriously question a convention.
If the convention's guidelines guar
antee that a balanced budget amend
ment is the only one considered, this
particular convention might not be
such a bad idea. Right now, however,
the N.C. General Assembly should not
be worrying about such an amendment
it should concentrate on the budget
crisis of their home state. Perhaps
legislators should learn to balance their
own budget before they start worrying
about the solution for the federal
deficit. William Taggart
The Daily Tar Heel
Editorial Writers: Kimbcrly Edens, Chris Landgraff and David Starnes.
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looking alt C GI A f y on dm
College Republicans' posters immature
To the editor: '
Once, in a very far away land, in a long
lost time called childhood, I was shooting
hoops with my best friend, Mike.-1 was
twelve and he was thirteen. We lived on
the same block and were both in Mrs.
Carter's seventh grade class. He was my
closest confidant, and, being older, he was
kind of a hero to me; I could tell him almost
anything and trust in his understanding
and advice. As we were shooting baskets
after school, some other guys came up and
started a game of touch football. I knew
most of them from Mrs. Carter's class and
I spotted Chad, the seventh grade bully.
I and most of the other kids in the class
disliked him and avoided him whenever
possible.
Mike and I decided to end our game
and go home. It was almost time for dinner
and Mom always chewed me out when
I was late, so I decided to ride my bike
home. Mike didn't have his so he would
have to walk. He told me to go on though,
not to get into trouble on his account. I
said OK and reached over and gave him
a hug goodbye.
Then I heard Chad and the other guys
start yelling, "Look at the queers hugging!"
"Fags! Fags!" I yelled for Chad to shut
up, immediately regretting it. He ran over,
pushed me on the ground and kicked dirt
in my face. Chad and his friends began
to laugh and, as hard as I tried, I couldn't
stop my tears. Mike just stood there not
knowing what to do. I scrambled up and
jumped on my biked, screaming, "I hate
you; IH get you back!" to Chad and all
his friends and sped off. Mike ran after
me, but I didn't stop.
When I got home I was still sobbing
and my mom asked me what was wrong.
I started to speak but then I realized that
I couldnt. I couldnt tell my mom that,
yes I did love Mike and maybe Chad and
his friends were right, maybe I was a fag.
At this I sobbed more and my mom sat
hugging me. If I had been black, hispanic,
or oriental and had been the victim of racial
epithets, I could have told her and she
would have said,"Be proud of who you
are." Being gay I had to suffer in silence.
I remember this scene and many others
because they cut so deeply and I had
nowhere to turn. By the way, I lost my
best friend Mike; he was scared of being
labeled as a fag. Gay people often lose their
friends and heroes.
I'm glad to say that I'm an adult now.
I'm gay and my mother knows. She loves
and supports me just as much or more
so than she did then. IVe come to terms
with my identity and I'm quite happy. I
can't change but I wouldn't even if I could.
I have new friends and heroes.
However, the bullies still exist and many
people still suffer in fear and silence as
gay adults due to institutionalized bigotry
and homophobia! a new group has
decided to join the ranks of mindless bigots
and proclaim their homophobia the
UNC College Republicans. As of Friday,
April 14 they had plastered "God made
Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve"
posters all over campus. They presump
tuously claim an unwarranted religious
prerogative and speak for God, implying
that homosexuality is sinful. They call for
the defunding of CGLA on grounds having
absolutely nothing to do with the nature
of their political organization. I guess
maybe they have a direct telephone line
to heaven. The arrogance of their actions
is more than insulting. At any rate, if God
made Adam and Eve then he made me
too. He definitely made me, and many
others like me, gay. I only have one reply
for the UNC College Republicans. . .grow
up.
LYNN COCHRAN
r Junior
English
Keep morality
off the books
To the editor:
I. am absolutely infuriated
that representatives such as
Stephen Arnold, R-Guilford,
take it upon themselves to
impose their perverted sense of
morality upon society. I refer
specifically to this legislator's
recent sponsoring of a bill that
would prohibit state and . stu
dent funds from being used by
UNC campus gay and lesbian
associations such as the CGLA.
His reasoning is that the behav
ior and activities "promoted"
by these activities "are on the
books as illegalities." '
It is legislation like this that
makes me wonder just how
such laws came to be "on the
book," as Mr. Arnold . so
vaguely puts it. I want to know
how anyone got the right to
dictate which sexual activities,
two people may or may not
participate in when they are in
private. How can any outsider
justify calling any sort of sexual
intimacy between mature,
responsible, consenting adults
the most personal expres
sion of love "immoral"?
Simply saying it's "on the
books" is a cop-out. Racial
discrimination used to be on
the books, too. I have a sneak
ing suspicion that "on the
books" is synonymous with "in
The Book" and if I'm not
mistaken, the Bible and politics
do not mix in this country. If
Arnold wants to go by the
books, let him read the chapter
about separation of church and
state.
We have heard the same
arguments again and again in
the continuing debates over
CGLA funding. It makes me
wonder if anyone is really
listening. The point has . been
made that students are to
decide how to use student
funds. The point has been made
(countless times) that the
CGLA is an organization here
to help the students to
provide information and to
give some people a sense of
identity and self-worth when
they are being labeled
"immoral" for a lifestyle they
didn't intentionally choose.
How can one be expected to
deal with unprovoked looks of
(TTHIS H0UE ETHICS - i A ,
COMMITTEE INVESTIGATTWI . , 1
v, 1 ' ;w?4
disgust and obvious scorn from
total strangers? The CGLA is
a valuable and necessary
organization.
It is time for us all to evaluate
the foundations of our morals
and values. I don't expect any
Bible-thumping literalists to
change their minds overnight;
I'm just asking that we consider
the reasons for our opinions
instead of blindly following
them. If we don't, the type of
stagnation that lets people pass
judgment on other human
beings, justified only by "it's on
the books," will prevail. Who
can respect or have pride in a
stagnant nation?
CHRISTOPHER
BRADSHAW
Sophomore
Music
Punching holes
in bills' logic
To the editor: '
Before beginning this letter,
I would like to say that I am
a conservative heterosexual
who does not approve of much
of what the CGLA stands for.
I believe that homosexuality is
a crime against nature and a
crime against one's own self.
That is beside the point, how
ever, and I do not wish to argue
against homosexuals, for it is
their lives, and they should
have at least this much say in
how they should run it.
In a like manner, I am
appalled that state Rep. Ste
phen Arnold wishes to require
the UNC Board of Governors
to defund the previously men
tioned student organization. I
could understand if he
expressed a desire to see this
action taken, but to require it?
I would also be more sympa
thetic if his logic were more
lucid, but any survivor of.
Philosophy 21 (symbolic logic)
would punch mile-wide holes in
it.
Mr. Arnold's first quote is
clear: he wants it passed that
"no state (or) student fees are
used ... to permit any gay and
lesbian association or any other
campus organization that
advocates immoral, illegal or
criminal behavior." He fol
lowed by saying "sodomy and
other such related offenses are .
... illegalities. Any such
homosexual behavior is cer
tainly immoral." My, first ques
tion is how does one automat
ically have a standard of
morality? Personal morality,
yes, but morality that is pow
erful enough to dictate our
laws? Why does Mr. Arnold
lump "immoral behavior" with
acts that are considered illegal
and criminal? I am also curious
what "related offenses" he is
referring to.
I would like to draw atten
tion to another bill that is being
considered the bill propos
ing that sexual intercourse
between people under 18 be
declared illegal (a bill put
forward by another representa
tive from Guilford County
something in the water, per
haps?). If this bill is passed,
would Mr. Arnold condemn
dating in high schools? Would
senior proms be declared "a
related offense"? After all, one
brings a date to functions such
as pep rally dances. Romantic
acts such as gasp dancing
and (I hesitate to print it)
kissing easily lead to sexual
intercourse. Dating must,
therefore, be an "immoral,
illegal and criminal" act
between high school students
under the age of 18.
It is bad enough that a
politician is making demands
on how our education dollars
are spent (does he have a
doctorate in education or eco
nomics? Where does his
authority come from in this
area? God?), but that this
politician is being ignorantly
stubborn in his pre-civil rights
attitude is beyond my capacity
for understanding.
DOUGLAS ROGERS
Senior
Philosophy history
Protesting support group irresponsible
To the editor:
Did anyone notice the hot pink fliers
that were posted last Friday (Blue Jeans
Day, for those of you who were out of
the country)? They said: "God created
Adam and Eve ... Not Adam and Steve.
Defund the CGLA. Distributed by the
UNC College Republicans." Chances are
you didn't, because some justifiably
offended people took them down not long
after the CRs posted them. While I dont
condone the removal of an organization's
legitimate advertisements (and these fliers
were legitimate), I was not sorry to see
them go.
I'm not much of a gay rights activist.
I didn't wear jeans on Friday, mainly due
to my latent cowardice of being pegged
as a homosexual. And I'm not sure that
I support the mandatory funding of the
CGLA. Not due to the makeup of its
members, understand, but because I'm not
sure their funds are put to as good use
in the University community as they should
be. I would like to learn more about how
their funds are distributed. But this issue
is the only one relevant to this perennial
controversy. The fact that the CGLA is
an organization made up of homosexuals
should not be considered at all.
For example, arguments against the
CGLA's funding have been put forth
reasonably, if tastelessly, by writers at the
Carolina Critic. While they have made
some fairly offensive remarks, their
position is the same as it is on most student
funded groups: We should not be forced
to pay funds for organizations we do not
wish to pay for or get nothing from for
our money. The Carolina Critic society is
definitely biased against homosexuals, but
at least they have a legitimate concern.
One would think the CRs shared this
position, but then on Blue Jeans Day they
tried to appeal to the latent homophobia
within many people, including me, in
putting up prejudiced fliers. No, these were
bigoted fliers. It hurt me to see that
someone was using my religion to discrim
inate against a minority group. And can
anyone reasonably expect the Student
Congress to defund the CGLA because a
Bible is being waved in their faces? The
CRs deliberately tried to fan anti-CGLA
sentiments last Friday in a manner which
had little to do with student fees and money
management; but more with ignorance,
fear and intolerance. Sensationalism, pure
and simple.
And in the N.C. General Assembly, Rep.
Stephen Arnold, R-Guilford, is waging war
against campus homosexual organizations,
calling for a cutoff of funds at the state
level. This decision belongs in the hands
of the students and not a self-appointed
moral crusader who could easily destroy
UNC's accreditation if his bill is passed.
This would take control of our funds away
from our duly elected representatives. I
thought conservatives believed in self
designation of funds, but . . .
You don't have to support homosexu
ality to see that opposition on "moral"
grounds to gay rights or gay support
groups is on very shaky ethical ground.
Their sexual preferences are their business
and not ours. If the CGLA is to be
defunded, and ultimately I hope it will not
be, then let it be because they have not
used their fees properly, not because of
the prejudice that has existed for centuries;
The CRs have acted irresponsibly with
their inflammatory fliers, and I guess IVe
played into their hands by bringing out
the issue further. But they have simplified
the CGLA funding question to the poihf
of offensiveness. It is distressing that the
College Republicans appear to be setting"
themselves up as an arch-conservative
watchdog group in this matter, and I
imagine that most students, Democrats
and Republicans alike, would not approve.!
WILLIAM SHUDDERTH.
Freshman ,
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