2/THE BANNER/October 29, 1987
editorial
War Powers Act
checks the president
There’s been a lot of talk recently about the War Powers
Act. Most of the clamor stems from the escalating situation
in the Persian Gulf and the attempt by Congress to impose
the Act, posssibly limiting U.S. involvement in that area.
The War Powers Act was passed in 1973. Around this
time, Congress began to feel threataied by the so-called
"imperid presidency." Both Johnson and Nixon had stretched
the limits of presidential authority, pratically ignoring the
involvement of Congress in many key decisions.
Perhaps, the main reason for the passage of the War
Powers Act was the undeclared Vietnam War. The thought of
Vietnam burned in the minds of Congressmai and women.
Congress feared that, without some kmd of l^islation
limiting the ability of the president to involve U.S. troops
in military conflicts, another Vietnam could easily occur.
As a result of the War Powers Act, the President cannot
involve U.S. troops in military action for over 60 days
without congressional approval. This means the President
can do whatever he/she wants ( bombing oil platforms or
invading tiny islands), as long as it takes place within 60
days.
President Reagan is running out of time in the Persian
Gulf. He wants to escalate involvement in the Gulf, but he
does not want to ask for the approval of Congress.
Because of this, the President has decided that Ae War
Powers Act interferes with his constitutional duties.
It seems as though th6 President thinks he is bound by
some laws but not by others.
Fortunately, the executive branch of govemmemt does not
decide which laws must be obeyed and which laws can be
ignored. The responsibility of deciding which laws are
constitutional and which laws are not is left up the the
courts.
If the Supreme Court decides that the War Powers Act
is unconstitutional, then the only alternative for Congress is
to amend the Constitution. This is the only way the
meml^ of the House and Senate can keep the President
from imposing his personal wishes on foreign policy while
ignoring the views of Congress.
Perhaps some kind of amendment limiting this power is
necessary to curve increasing U.S military involvement, not
only in the Persian Gulf, but in Nicaragua and other trouble
spots.
The Banner
Editoi Julie Ball
Managing; Editor Michele Samuel
Business Editor Tony McKinney
News Editor Michael Pauciello
Assistant News Editor Andy Rhinehart
Sports Editor Oeoff Cabe
Assistant Sports Editor Bill Vickery
Entertainment Editor Cindy Bennett
Assistant Entertainment Editor Chris Allison
Advertising Man^r Joan Schnyder
Co-Photography Editor Adam Brooks
Co-Photography Editor Melanie Floyd
Copy Editor Ellen Donnenwirth
Circulation Manager Michele Samuel
staff
WRITERS: Sarah Allison, Kris Ansley, Bryan Clasen,
Sherry Cathcart, Maria Horton, Susan Sigmon, Kelly
Smith, Julie Tilka.
PHOTOGRAPHERS; Marla Cassida. Sarah Gottfried,’
Rudi Schwab, Crystal Smith.
AD REPRESENTATIVES: Trey Hatrel. Allanna
Ledford, Scott Wilhelmi.
The Banner is the University of North Carolina at
Asheville student newspaper. We publish each Thurs
day except during summer sessions, finals week and
holiday breaks. Our office is located in Carmichael
Hall. lOi-A. Phone: (704) 2S1-6586 or 251-6S91.
Nothing in the editorial or opinion sections neces
sarily represents the position of the entire BANNER
staff, the staff advisor, UNCA’s Student Government
Association, administration or faculty. Editorials rep
resent the opinion of the majority of the editorial
board, Letters, columns, cartoons and reviews repre
sent only the views of their authon. The editorial
board makes the final decision about what the
BANNER prints. This newspaper represents a public
forum for debate at UNCA.
The BANNER welcomes letters to the editor and
articles, and canriders them on the basis of interest,
space, tastefulness and timeliness. Letters and artic
les should be typed double-spaced, or printed legibly,
and limited to 300 words. They should be signed with
the writer’s name, followed by year in school, major,
or other relationship to UNCA. Please include a tele
phone number to aid in veriTication. UNSIGNED LET
TERS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBUCA-
TION. All submitted articles are subject to editing.
The BANNER regrets it cannot guarantee the return
of any article submitted. Deadline fc« submission is
Monday, 6 p.m.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: The BANNER'S subscription rate
ii S6 pet semester or $12 per year. Send subscrip
tions to Circulation Manager, Carmichael Hall. 1
University Hts., UNCA. AAeville, NC. 28804-3299.
50ME0NE IS
Killing 05 off
ONE bYoNE!
NoBoPV LEAVES THIS
Room until we
KNoW WHo...
(aAARgH!
911X1
|democrati*
PARTY
NtiN.MEWS-NEACPs
letters
Another defense offered for pro-lifers
Editor, the Blue Banner
Pro-lifers use expressions like
"unborn child" for two reasons:
one. to eifpose the assuming of
the point 16'be proven in terms
like "fetal matter" or "potential
life" (made famous by theocrats
of the Supreme Court); two, to
remind the public that both
materialistic reductionists and
new-age metempsychotics have
abandoned' the Bible and Roman
Law. In Luke 1:44 when pregnant
Mary greeted her cousin
Elizabeth, pregnant with John the
Baptist, Elizabeth said that her
baby leaped for joy in her womb.
The Institutes of Justinian 1:4
appropriate this recognition of
the personality of the unborn
child by decreeing that, if the
mother be free at any time
during her pregnancy, even
though she be a slave at the
time of birth, the child will be
bom free.
In the ^entieth century the
establishipent of irreligion has
introduced hostile propaganda.
some of it materialistic
reductionist, some of it new-age
metempsychotic. Under th6 spell
of either of these views npf even
murder is murder, much lesS '
abortion or infanticide. Pd fbr
materialism, without ajiy
conceivable responsibilitf .to any
deontological standard, how can
any act of killing become
intrinsically "wrong" or "evir?
As for metempsychosis, it
reverts to the schema of Plato’s
R^ublic 621B, where souls that
are shot back into this system of
things enter bodies at birth. Thus
Ms. J.Z. Knight has been taught
by her spirit(s) that killing a
human simply helps that person
more quickly into the next
reincarnation. (That’s what Hitler
thought.)
Most pro-lifers of my
acquaintance simply want to make
a statement that defends^ a very
helpless class of victims,, this; •
little corpses consigned, to the
trash dumpsters. -ba,-;
I, for one, always explain>fuUy
to media representatives that.the
purpose is not to make those -ndio
have had abortions feel as if
they have committed the
unpardonable sin, and that the
purpose is not to enforce our
particular world view by
coercion. I would simply argue
for the truly liberal side, to give
the unborn child the benefit of
any doubt and to cease to be
coerced to pay taxes for what
age-long wisdom has viewed as
an unlawful killing.
Finally, the writer of your
editorial may not have realized
that the supposedly pure motives
of the mother in terminating an
unborn child could also justify
terminating one after birth. 'That
she cannot at the time give
needed attention, love or
economic care has probably
excused most of the world’s
infanticides. "No one despises a
thief who steals when he is
hungry." Such a worthy motive
may soften the penalty, but it
does not denature the action.
Bill Thurman
Professor of Qassics
Corner
f ^
Heidi Lough
Freshman
Management
I think we need to keep the oil
supply free for world trade , but I
don’t want a war. It depends on
what Iran does in the future now
that we have hit one of their oil
platforms.
Do you think the U.S.
should escalate involvement
in the Persian Gulf?
Timothy Wiles
Sophomore
Management
Tough question. It depends on the
reason we’re there. If it’s purely
economic, then we should not be
there. If we are there to protect the
rights of others, then we should
increase our involvement. I’m
supportive of our involvement in the
Persian Gulf.
SGA
Speaks
Along with the Student Life
and Food Service Committees,
SOA also has three other
standing committees: Legislative,
Rules and Academic Affairs. The
Legislative and Rules Committees
serve to keep the bureaucracy in
SGA running smoothly. (Yes. we
too have bureaucracy.)
The Legislative Clommittee tries
to keep the administration
informed of any le^slation or
policies which the SOA Senate
approves. Several issues are in
the discussion stage in SGA now.
These include; parking difficulties
(of course), student life,posting a
marquee in front of the gym to
disseminate infoimation to
commuter students, a definite
need!
We’re also trying to increase
our effort at representing all
students’ concerns, and also my
personal favorite — having better
relations with the scbool’s
administration, so we can
implement ideas.
Dr. Brown is always willing to '
listen to any concerns as is Di.
lovacchini and Dr. Wilson.
Unfortunately, these people
aren’t enough to get policy
changed. To achieve this, you
must foce the Board of Trustees.
(Shake, Shutter, etc....)
I feel strongly that students
should have access to the
administration of the school. It is
necessary to remind these
officials that students do exist
who will be affected by their
decisions. A basic principle is
reaching the leaders, and the
students need this opportunity to
respond i.e. gripe, complain,
compliment the decisions of the
Board.
I would like to see the Board
ask for student ccHuments. If you
would like to have a uy in the
presentation of ideas, contact
your SOA representative, or
better yet, come see SOA in
action on Mondays at 4:30 in
room 37 of the Highsmith Center
and gripe to your heart’s
content.
Athena Fox
SGA Senior Senator
Glenda Rogers
Junior
English Education
I think we should. It’s saying
we’re pretty weak unless we do
something about what’s going on over
there. We should do whatever it
takes to protect our interest there.
Steve Hale
Graduate Student
Physical Therapy
I’m tom between
our responsibility to
protect smaller
countries and otir
responsibility to our
own citizens here in
the United States.