Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / April 27, 1995, edition 1 / Page 2
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Editorials Viewpoint Only two weeks of classes are left. For some it's a relief bccause they have a nice summer of rest and relaxation ahead, but for others, it’s a stressful time of looking for a job and realizing that their college career has almost come to an end. Why is graduation such a stressful time though? Shouldn’t students be anxious about getting into the real world and setthng down m a job? Shouldn’t student’s have some jobs or interviews lined up before graduation? Why are so many seniors complaining that they don’t have a job then? Is it that Elon doesn’t offer all the experiences that it says it does? Is it possible that Elon doesn’t prepare students for the real world? Is it that professors don’t motivate students? Or, is it the student’s fault? Being on the college newspaper has shown us that out of all of the communication majors at this college, only a few have actually come up to the newspaper to start getting clips for their portfolio. Have the students taken advantage of all Elon has to offer? Have they pursued internships and campus activities that will cnhance their resume, or have they used their four years to party and slack off? It’s a hard call to decide who to put the blame; the college or the student. Our advice to all the upcoming sophomores and juniors is to not wail until the last minute to start looking for a job or internship. Start now! Get involved with something on campus that will help you in your career. Don’t wait until graduation or you might end up saying, “Mom, get my room ready, I’m coming home!" April 27, 1995 Off The Record "Margaret Thatcher on TV shocked by the deaths that took place in Beijing. Seems strange she would be offended, the same orders were given by her... England's not the mythical land of Madam George and roses. It's the home of police who kill black boys on mopeds." - Sinead O'Connor "Black Boys on Mopeds" kmmPENDULUM Informing the Elon College Community Kditor in Chief Advertising The Pendulum, Ericic P Gill Miclielle Rilcv founded in 1974, is Managing Editor StalT Reporters published by Elon Rob Moncuso Andrea Sctiinidt Jeff Wirick students. AssislanI Managing Editor Staccy Ward Single copies of The Amy Logerwell Sports Reporters Bob Gnmmie Colleen hlenidon Pendulum are free. If A & E Editor extra copies are Shannon Prater Robert Bumetl needed, they can be Sports Editor April Perl(ins Steve Lucatuarto purchased at The A&E Reporters Cluis Adams Pendulum ofpce. Opinion Editor Scott Miller Enc R Setter Joe Brown Address; Campus Box 2800, Elon College, Copy Editor Grapliic Artists N.C., 27244. 584-2331. Tracey Siarii Andrea Sclimidt Heatlier Coffey Ptiolo Editor Judy Sweger Tonya Huban mit Adviser Izl H^ 1 Joey Senat America has a long history of Idomestic terrorism. From the beggmnings of indus- I tnalization until World War II indi- Ividuals attempted to subversively (alter American society. The adherents of violent revolu- I tionary change during those turbu- I lent times were on the political left. I They were try ing to change Ameri- Ican society to a worker’s utopia of I sorts. Justifiably, that leftist doctrine I failed. In Oklahoma City last week, the [truck bombing of the Murrah Fed- leral Building was the most devas- Itating act of terror on American I soil ever. For the first time, terror has ap- jparently come from the right. We don't know the specific mo- Itive yet. However, just as certainly, this I attempt at changing society and I polarizing this great nation through I terror failed. Why? It failed for several reasons. I White firefighters dug with their ■ hands to free black babies. Black I V I police officers held gauze to the I shattered bodies of white victims. I Strangers helped each other simply I because there was a need. Thou- I sands volunteered. There was no I thought given as to whether or not I the victim was black, white, Re- I publican. Democrat, economi- jcally impoverished or filthy rich. They were Americans. The bombing failed on Sunday Scott Miller Mi |The failure of terror in the heartland that IS what they are "dcfcndiniC lhem.selves against. Unfortunately,,the politicalj, motivated initiative announced bv President Clinton was not cvoc^ tive of this idea. People will be no safer bccauj, of any legislative initiaiivc. From Israel to Japan people give uppe,. sonal liberties in the name of .safety and still face politically motivaitd terror. '' ' During the first “Red Scare" fol lowing World War 1 the Attorney General of the United States de ported thousands in order to affect a handful of anarchists. The Palmer raids" were a gross viola tion of civil rights in the U.S. That was a mistake. The Michi gan Militia and other like-minded groups are menacing on the sur face. The fact of the matter is that they are mostly just a bunch of uneducated fools. If they had to deal with a sucking chest wound or any of the carnage in Oklahoma, their knees would go weak. The bombing was the work of a few nuts. Let us not give the viru lent right-wingers legitimacy by being more scirefd than we need to be. Let us not drive more disen chanted people into the arms of violence by improperly legislating away the sacred freedoms that nor mal Americans enjoy. The terror of Oklahoma has failed already. Terror as a means of re course will fail forever if we are careful and do not act improperly. afternoon. No doubt, it was a mourning time. But it was also a time of celebration. On Sunday they celebrated the spirit of the American people and of Oklahoma City. As evidenced by the response from around the country, an uniquely American quality of re fusing to bow to achallenge is alive and well. We must be careful in dealing with the future threat of domestic terrorism. In seeking to deal with the new threat from the extreme right, it is possible that we might do them a favor. The right wing seeks to delegitimize the state. Moving towards a police state, even a “little bit", would help those who wish to discredit the United States make the claim that it is an illegitimate form of government. The goal of the extreme right wing is the alteration of the Federal Government through violence. They complain that the United States is too authoritarian and invasive of the rights of its people. A crackdown will only give the right wing more of an excuse to respond with violence. After all. Liberty: How much is too much? E. Neill Callis Guest Columnist With the bombing of the Alfred IP. Murrah Federal Building, in ■ Oklahoma City, Okla., before us, I we are confronted with the clear land present danger of right-wing {extremism in our beloved United I States. And we are confronted with I the question. Liberty: How much I is too much? When more than 100 I people are murdered and over 400 I wounded by a right-wing punk who ‘disagrees’ with our government, I we must ask, “Is this the price we I pay?" Our system was founded on [political participation, not violent I participation. Although one could I point to the Revolution of 1776 and Isay ‘that was violent’, I would sub- I mit that our violent Revolution was I a last resort when all other avenues I of changing the system had failed, jl hardly find a parallel with our suspected bomber Mr. McVeigh; assuming that this man is the bomber, has he ever participated in the political process? Has he ever run for city council or mayor in his hometown? Has he ever run a state campaign for senator or represen tative? The answer is no. He felt that terror was sufficient participa tion, as Adolf Hitler did when he used the SS police force in Ger many in the 1930’s to suppress opposing viewpoints, opposing re ligions and nationalities. The par allel here is clear: Mr. McVeigh and his right-wing soulmates are so convinced their ideology is ‘the way’ they are willing to sacrifice innocent persons for this. Of the 150 probably dead in Oklahoma, what was their crime? Being a federal bureaucrat? What is even more terrifying is the idea that these dispossessed white males have taken the Branch Davidian disaster in Waco, Texas, two years ago as their rallying point in history. They blame the BATF for the 80 deaths in the compound; not the Branch Davidian leaders who murdered their own children and relatives to keep from being captured. They conveniently for get the six federal agents that lay dead on the lawn of the compound, days before the raid occurred. This violent anti-federal fascination does not bode well for democratic pro cesses in our country. Take for instance. Bo Gritz, a well known Idahoan militia-type: he called the Oklahoma bombing “a Rembrandt, a masterpiece of science and art." Why should we allow less then 20,000 disgruntled white supremacists to terrorize the remainder of the country? I would say that if we must all come under closer scrutiny in order to avoid another tragedy like this, so be it. I am willing to sacrifice a little lib erty, so that no one else will be forced to die for liking the federal government. Are you?
Elon University Student Newspaper
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April 27, 1995, edition 1
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