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Opinion
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The News Argiis Page
RAMble
Online
poll
results
Should
homosexuals
be permitted to
serve openly In
the military?
Yes. A person’s
sexuality should
not be a reflec
tion of his/her
patriotism
55%
Yes. The armed
forces exist to
protect not crush
or freedoms
*3%
No. It would hurt
military morale
and weaken our
national defense
9%
No. I don’t want
to watch my back
for the gays AND
the enemies
6%
No. Gays might
face too much
discrimination
that could risk
their well being
7%
To participate in the poll,
register online at
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‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’policy
Navy Vet concerned about safety, not sexuality
President Barack Obama
spoke to the nation in his first
State of the Union Address
Jan. 27. With so many events
that have occurred in this
country within the past 12
months, our newly appointed
Commander-in-Chief had a lot
of subject matter before him.
During his address, Obama
spoke about the military's so-
called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
policy. This practice was origi
nally put in place during for
mer President Bill Clinton's
Administration in 1993 for the
protection of homosexuals
serving in the military and
those wanting to serve.
"This year, I will work with
Congress and our military to
finally repeal the law that
denies gay Americans the
right to serve the country they
love because of who they are,"
Obama said.
"It's the right thing to do."
This was followed by a
statement made earlier, citing
that "America must always
stand on the side of freedom
and human dignity...always."
As a U.S. Navy veteran
who has served overseas in
hostile waters, I couldn't agree
with him [Obama] more.
One's sexual
preference or
orientation does
not somehow
degrade his or
her quality of service, nor
should it disqualify any citi
zen who has a desire to serve.
A sailor, soldier, whether
enlisted or an officer, signs an
agreement to serve and pro
tect the country, even if it
means putting one's life on the
line.
The last thing that would
ever come to my mind during
the heat of battle is whether
my shipmate is gay.
The President's message of
change and empowerment has
not wavered, and one of the
topics that was mentioned
was the strength through
unity that our nation experi
enced during and after the
Sept. 11 attacks.
"Throughout our history, no
issue has united
this country more
than our security,"
Obama said.
This is a state
ment that all parties can agree
on.
Nearly 10 years ago, our
country suffered the worst ter
rorist attacks ever.
In the aftermath of the Sept.
11 attacks, a hand to hold and
a shoulder to lean on were
necessary for the healing and
the unification of a country
grieved with trauma.
And it was at that point that
our differences, including a
person's sexual orientation,
seemed trivial.
1 was on active duty during
those infamous attacks and
some of the men and women
that I served beside were
tasked with rescue and assist
work at Ground Zero. From
the eyes of the people who
benefitted from their presence,
they saw not the sexual prefer
ence of the armed service
member helping them, only
the patriotism it took to stand
in the shoes of a true hero.
I am proud of my President
for taking a stand against
ignorance and leading this
country to once again "start
anew, to carry the dream for
ward, and to strengthen our
union once more."
]aye Cole
Junior, Mass Communications
Op-Ed
New campus M.C. in the making?
when you think of the prefix M.C.
[emcee] what is the first thought that
comes to mind?
For those of you that keep up with pop
culture or just old enough to remember,
you would probably say M.C. Hammer.
But Mr. "U Can't Touch This" was only
trying to let the world know that he is the
Master of Ceremonies.
Whether rapping, flamboyantly danc
ing, or preaching. Hammer is able to
speak to an audience.
Fall 2009 Winston-Salem State gradu
ated their very own on-campus emcee,
Ray "Mr. Breezeway" Johnson, who
stumbled across this calling to become a
host during his four years as an under
grad.
What does this mean for the future of
an on-campus emcee at WSSU?
Recently, WSSU Campus Life
Marketing Committee posted fliers and
sent e-mails stating that they are looking
for a new "Mr. Breezeway" or on-campus
emcee.
Why do we need an on-campus emcee
you might ask?
In my mind having an on-campus
emcee provides a comfortable environ
ment for students who wouldn't usually
participate in on-campus activities unless
there were a consistently relatable,
diverse, and all around fun person such
as myself to encourage them.
I know that I am able to boost the over
all morale of the student body because I
am a socialite.
Op-Ed
Being an emcee requires you to be very
diverse and cultured in multiple areas.
All of which I possess simply by being of
Native American and African-American
descent and raised in Colorado.
I am a product that WSSU needs,
wants, and has recruited to become a
"Pied Piper" of students by exciting and
motivating them to get out of their rooms
and get involved with activities on cam
pus.
My neighborhood had Asians, Pacific
Islanders, "nerds," "punks," homosexu
als, people with low self esteem, gang
members, etc...
I am able to relate to them all, simply
by not being afraid to venture "outside
my box."
This has allowed me to host various
assemblies in high school, television
shows in college and be successful in
stand-up comedy outside of school.
I would be a great marketing tool for
recruiting out-of-state students from areas
who may not know anything about
WSSU.
So what is the future of the on-campus
emcee?
Or should I say whom?
Brandon Wainright
Sophomore, Mass Communications
The News Argus Staff 2010
TIFFANY GIBSON Editor In Chief
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