2
September 23, 1999
Opinions
yiewjiovnt
It seems as though Elon is in the middle of a bad luck rut The library
is not finished, parking for students and facuhy is a hassle and Hurricane
Hoyd rained on inauguration. Who said bad things come in threes?
Students here also seeem to be in the middle of a run of bad luck.
I have heard more complaints about broken cars» broken phones and
broken bones this semester than i have ever heard before. Why is this
happening? Does die Elon Bubble have a hole in it?
To get rid of all this bad luck, we need a do-over, a second chance,
a new start to this semester. We need to take a few seconds to figure out
what is impoitantto us and toBlon. Remember bacfcin elementary school
when we were able to geta do-over every time we messed up? Don^tyou
wish wecould get ado-over for this semester? 1 don’t know why it seems
as though everyone is unhappy, but wouldn’t it be nice to get a second
chance, just like during elementary school gym, to fix it all?
Could part of the problem be that students are having a hard time
finding a balance between themselves and the needs of those around
them? Or is it a balance between academics, leadership positions and
social life? All three are stressed by Elon to be impoitant to the develop
ment of students. Is it necessary to eliminate one thing in order to
participate in the other?
Unfortunately, this is not elementary school and we can’t get a do-
over. This is college, real life (as seen through the Elon Bubble), and in
real life you don’t get do*overs. Whal we do get is a chance to get a first
rate education at a place that is constantly working to better the lives of
its studente, a chance to make friends we will have for a lifetime and a
chance to inflqence people we don’t even know.
Life is not a game, like capture the flag in elementary istchool, nor
is it something we should tdSte too seriously. It is sonsething that we
should cherish. We should recognize the opportunities here* the friends
here and the lives here.
As for the run of bad luck^ well, someone said bad things come in
threes and I think we have had ourdiree things for this semester. It is time
to move away from all die negativity surrounding our campus and look
on the bright side of things. It is time to find that balance we are looking
for and learn that we need to c^^e for each other* I only wish I could
my own advice.
■ Emily MacBonmll Photo Editor
Informing the Elon College Community
Editor in Chief
Carrie Lancos
Senior Editor
Chuck Buckley
News Editor
Alan Medeiros
Opinions Editor
Chris Rash
Focus Editor
Tammy Tripp
A & E Editor
Lisa McChristian
Sports Editor
Travis Suber
Photo Editor
Emily MacDonnell
Business Manager
Jenna Denton
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Carolyn Lampila
Online Director
Jeff Sanders
Online Editor
Bill Monken
Adviser
Byung Lee
Reporters
Reid Albright
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Annie.Reilly
Jessica Rivelli
Mike Trainor
Jason Tully
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Photographers
Greg Boger
Jessica Snow
Meredith Vesely
Columnists
Brie Bittenbender
Rich Blomquist
Cameron DeJong
Ethan Pell
Advertising
Becky Robinson
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Christine Zon
The purpose of The
Pendulum shall be to inform
and entertain the Elon College
community. The Pendulum
shall be a forum where all
members of the college
community are able to express
their ideas and opinions.
Address all
correspondence to:
The Pendulum
7012 Campus Box
Elon College, N.C.
27244. •
Phone: (336) 584-2331
Fax: (336) 584-2467
E-mail:
pendulum@elon.edu
Web page:
http://www.elon.edu/
pendulum
Clinton's proposed gun buyback
program: Is it a waste of money?
President Clinton has pro
posed a $15 million gun buyback
program, which he says, will help
get guns off the streets and make
our neighborhoods safer. However,
evidence shows that it will have
zero impact on crime.
Criminals will be the major
benefactors from this program, fol
lowed in a close second by politi
cians.
Criminals love the program
because of the fact it takes more
guns out of the hands of law-abid
ing citizens than it does “their own.”
As Libertarian Party Nation
Director Steve Dasbach says, “Even
dumb criminals are too smart to
give up their guns.”
In recent local gun buybacks,
a majority of sellers were women
and senior citizens who explained
that they’re afraid of guns and
wanted to get them out of the house.
In other words, these are the people
least likely to use them for criminal
purposes.
Buybacks also disarm future
crime victims. While the program
is voluntary, the government is put
ting a wave of “re-assurance” over
Americans to make them think that
this is “the thing to do.” In reality,
it makes the innocent citizens who
take part much more vulnerable to
murderers, rapists and thieves.
Most importantly, gun
buybacks encourage criminals to
steal guns. Since this is a “no-
questions-asked” program, street
thugs are actually given incentive
to steal guns and sell them back to
the program.
Dasbach adds, “...this
buyback program will help
criminals profit, while turn
ing local police departments
into fencing operations.”
Even the federal gov-
Cameron DeJong
The Pendulum
cdejong@elon.edu
emment has shown that it
questions the usefulness of
this program. Of the $15
million set aside for the pro
gram, $1 million is going to
be used to study the effectiveness.
Australia recently had a $500
million gun buyback program - it
failed. Inspector John McCoomb, a
police weapons expert, says gun
laws introduced after the 1996 Port
Arthur massacre have sent the trade
underground. “Once they’re on the
black market, they’re there for any
one to buy,” he said. “With the right
contacts,” it was still possible to
buy semi-automatic weapons...”
And perhaps our government
could save the $1 million in extra
spending by looking at research by
Florida State University criminolo
gist Gary Kleck, who found that
buy back programs “have no demon
strable impact on crime” - but do
yield “real political benefits.”
With the evidence stacked
against any benefit of a gun buyback
program, the
next move to
save the money
would be to
cancel the en
tire program -
saving $14mil-
lion more.
Quote of
the Week:
“What
happens when
China decides
some future
Branch Davidians are being op
pressed by the American govern
ment?
On what moral basis could
you argue that China has no right to
rain bombs on innocent people in
Texas, in order to make our “mad
dog government” pay a price?” -
Harry Brown -Libertarian Candi
date for U.S. President (Source
WorldNetDaily “Murdering for
Morality”)
Contact info: 3059 Campus
Box, cdejong@elon.edu
' ,v , 
,, ,
Can We Drink It?
Students in an Environmental Studies
class test the water quality of Lake Mary
Nell Tuesday afternoon.
photo by Emily MacDonnell