The Compass Wednesday, December 6, 2000 3
Editorial
Poetry
Helpless in E. City
Stacy Brock
b_stacy@mailexcite.com
It was between 7:50pm and 8pm
when television networks declared
Governor George W. Bush as President
of the United States and about ten
o'clock when the Governor's victory
had been called into question.
Election 2000 is said to be one of the
most biggest and closest elections in
decades, and to add, one of the first
where a president was not elected.
Like millions of other Americans, I
was tuned in to various television sta
tions until I was forced to tune out due
to exhaustion. From dusk until dawn
reporters continuously announced, not
a winner, but that the race was too
close to call.
Though there was no President
elected, there were major compUcatior\s
that arose, one of which was the vari
ous irregularities with ballots in the
state of Florida.
It takes no political geruus to realize
that the complicatioris in Florida are
suspicious and deserve legal attention.
In addition to the ballots, which were
deemed as deceptive by many of the
voters in Florida, minority voters ex
pressed anguish about being harassed
at the voting polls and discriminated
against. Many stood in long lines, but
were unable to vote because the polls
closed on them before they had a
chance to vote; though, according to
law, if you're standing in line and the
polls close, your vote must be counted.
And, one of the most outlandish
phenomenon's was the declination of
Gov. Jeb Bush, Gov. George W. Bush's
younger brother, from Florida's can
vassing committee. The Governor
thought that it was for the best that he
not serve on the committee, and I sup
pose he would feel that way being as
though the damage had already been
done.
In an interview with NBC's The To
day Show, Gore explained that he
wanted recounts in Palm Beach County,
Dade County and Nassau, which are
democratic counties, but did not neces
sarily prefer to have recounts in the
whole state. Bush, on the other hand,
argued that Florida's Supreme Court
needed to end the possibility of further
recounts.
Along with many Americans, I've dis
associated myself from the election, not
because I've lost faith in America's po
litical system and leaders but because
it feels as though it's a political battle
that can orUy be fought by politicians,
and input from persons such as myself
will not make a difference. Florida vot
ers have protested, civil rights activist
have intervened, but in a country whose
principles are democratic, the voice of
the people seem to be inferior. Both
candidates seem more preoccupied
with becoming President of the United
States than listening to the opinior\s of
the American people about what they
feel will help make Election 2000 a cred
ible election.
The Compass
The Compass is published by Elizabeth City State University students under the
direction of the Department of Language, Literature and Communication, Dr. Velma
Blackmon, chairperson.
Editor Stacy Brock
Assistant Editor Amanda Parker
Copy Editor ....Inger Parker
Arts & Entertainment Editor Michael Fournier
Sports Writers Derek Lyons, Shannon Penn
Photograhers Staff
Office Manager Detra Stith
Advertising iUlanager Brian Gray
Layout Designers Stacy Brock, Amanda Parker
Staff writers Antonio Barrow, Abrian Carter, Sharon
Gorgani, Chi’Mur Knight, Heather
Malone, James Polk. LaQuisha Tisdal,
June Yuiska
Advisor Ngwainmbi
The Compass welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be sent to ECSU
Box 815, Elizabeth City, NC 27909. All letters must be signed and include the
writer's address and telephone number. They may be edited for length, clarity,
and taste as well as accuracy and grammar. Because of limited space, not all
letters can be published.
Twenty-two hundred copies of this publication were printed on recycled paper at a cost of 45^ each.
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My ONly REQUEST TO aU EARTh's
CREATURES IS TO
PLEASE KEEP THE FAITH!
- Michael Forman
fINTED:
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CP
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