10
Tuesday, February 29, 2000
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Scott Hicks
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
Katie Abel
UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Jacob McConnico
CITY EDITOR
Board Editorials
Do Something!
Student Congress members just can’t get
off their self-made world stage.
Last week, members once again spent
meeting time debating a proposal that didn’t
have a thing to do with UNC.
In a move admittedly made without stu
dent input. Congress passed a resolution call
ing for students to boycott South Carolina for
Spring Break trips because the state flies the
Confederate flag over its capital building.
But regardless of how students feel about
this issue, are they likely to change their
minds “because Student Congress said so?”
Doubtful.
Why? Because Student Congress has
become a joke -and that’s because it deals
with matters like these instead of becoming a
driving force in University issues.
Without validity, which comes through
truly serving students, Congress’ stances on
the large-scale issues it has tackled - Iraqi
sanctions, the death penalty and the
Confederate flag in South Carolina - are
meaningless. And they should be considered
as such.
Student Congress has done a poor job this
year of representing students and serving as
a voice for them at UNC. This group of
politicos has tackled the obligatory funding
bills and Student Code changes with zest but
has failed students in one of the biggest years
in University history.
Adding Perspective
As the chancellor search committee nar
rows down its list of potential leaders for the
University, it has become increasingly
important for students to have a strong,
informed voice in the process.
Until now, the person behind that voice
has been Student Body President Nic
Heinke. Because he has been involved in the
process from the outset, Heinke should
remain the student representative for as long
as possible.
Student Body President-Elect Brad
Matthews could choose to take over Heinke’s
position on the committee after he is inau
gurated April 4, but he has said he will ask
that Heinke stay on until the end of May.
Matthews plans to sit in on committee
meetings as a non-voting member after that
date.
In a perfect world, the chancellor search
would be completed before April, but given
the committee’s tendency to prolong the
process, it is quite possible that the search
will still be on when Matthews takes over.
Matthews’ proposal certainly has students’
best interests at heart. But the students would
be even better served if he were to take his
idea one step further and demand to be
allowed to sit in on the committee’s meetings
now.
After all, if the committee misses its
Commencement deadline and is still search-
Want to Blow Off Some Steam?
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ih*
Readers' Forum
DTH Editor’s Column
Implies Matthews’ Race
Made Him Unqualified
TO THE EDITOR:
Ever since I arrived at UNC, I have
been bothered by the persistently icy con
dition of race relations here. On Feb. 22,1
was disappointed to find that the editor of
our campus newspaper, Rob Nelson, was
doing his part to make the situation worse
by needlessly introducing the issue of race
into the student body presidential race.
Nelson began his column lamenting the
fact that student elections tended to be
devoid of substance. Ironically, he then
proceeded to trivialize our student democ
racy by making explicit references to Brad
Matthews’ race, implying that this trait
made him a less qualified candidate.
Nelson described a “disturbing comfort
zone on this campus when it comes to the
student body presidency.” However, he
did not attribute this complacency to any
sort of executive ineffectiveness. On the
contrary, the problems that he had with
past presidential candidates were far more
shallow. Nelson wrote that “candidates are
Rob Nelson
EDITOR
Office Hours Friday 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Matthew B. Dees
STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR
T. Nolan Hayes
SKIRTS EDITOR
Leigh Davis
FEATURES EDITOR
Congress failed to assist Student Body
President Nic Heinke in soliciting student
input on UNC’s chancellor search, for which
Heinke has provided the lone student voice.
It has yet to make its own recommendations
to Heinke.
Congress failed to move on legislation to
examine Student Stores’ practices.
Congress also failed to encourage UNC
officials to take campus fire safety more seri
ously after a string of arson attempts in
Morrison Residence Hall.
The list goes on. But there’s still time for
Congress members to take measures such as:
■ Attending meetings with regularity
■ Staying involved after they’ve put
Congress on their resumes
■ Following up with officials to make sure
change is made after the annual lighting tour
■ Improving the Elections Board
■ Taking a stance on the proposed tuition
increase
■ Examining labor issues
■ Voicing an opinion on student represen
tation in the Chancellor’s Search Committee,
including the proposal to keep Heinke as the
student representative until May
After Congress shifts into a role as an
active student voice, then members can pur
sue causes outside of UNC.
But until the body gains validity, those
stances mean nothing.
ing when Heinke leaves, it would only ben
efit the process if the new student represen
tative had in-depth knowledge of the candi
dates and issues being discussed by the com
mittee.
In addition, Matthews should be given a
vote on the committee as soon as he
becomes student body president. His office
entitles him to that privilege, and as the new
leader of the student body, he should have a
say in who will be the new leader of the
University. At the same time, Heinke should
be able to keep serving as a student voting
member of the committee.
Having two student body presidents serve
on the same committee would not be an
unprecedented move. The 1995 committee
that chose the late Chancellor Michael
Hooker included both George Battle, the
1994-95 student body president, and 1995-96
President-Elect Calvin Cunningham.
Students are grossly underrepresented on
the current search committee. Right now,
Heinke is the sole student member.
Adding another powerful student voice to
the process can only help to ensure that the
University’s next leader will be someone
who is in touch with student concerns.
As our newly chosen leader, who would
be in a better position to provide that addi
tional student perspective (and student vote)
than Brad Matthews?
usually white, usually Greek, usually male
and usually soaked in student government
experience.”
Therefore, Nelson’s idea of progress
seems to be electing a nonwhite, non-
Greek, female candidate with little experi
ence. I sincerely, and perhaps naively,
hope that these factors (excluding experi
ence) are not considered by intelligent stu
dents when deciding for whom to vote.
First of all, the implication that students
should vote on the basis of (or even con
sider) race when heading to the polls is
ignorant and offensive. Why should we dis
criminate based on this attribute? If the
office of the student body presidency is
truly in need of change, I would hope that
“change” means more than simply avoid
ing white candidates.
Later, Nelson stated that one benefit of
electing Erica Smiley would be to demon
strate that good ideas can come from some
one who isn’t “an Abercrombie white
boy." Here, Nelson emphatically reiterates
his aversion to electing a white student.
This derogatory statement is just plain
racist and extremely unfair to Matthews.
The DTH has no right to portray him in
this condescending, dehumanizing fashion.
Opinions
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Robin Clemow
ARTS ft ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
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COPY DESK EDITOR
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PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Government Fighting Losing Battle
Our government is at war.
True, we are at relative peace over
seas. But within our borders, the bat
tle over personal vice is raging strong.
Last week, the U.S. criminal justice system
will make history when the number of incar
cerated people will surpass 2 million. What is
amazing is that it took more than 200 years
for the criminal population to reach 1 million,
while in just the past 10 years or so the popu
lation has doubled.
What accounts for this recent spurt in pris
oners?
At first blush, we might be tempted to con
clude that government crime fighting has
increased in efficiency, and thus a higher per
centage of criminals are being sent behind
bars.
But statistics show the overall crime rate
has doubled between 1970 and the early
19905, making it more likely that the increas
ing amount of prisoners reflects a huge surge
in crime and not a boost in efficiency.
The root of the problem is a drastic
increase in government crackdowns on vic
timless crimes, the quintessential example
being the “War on Drugs.”
Cato Institute Executive Vice President
David Boa/, cites evidence that drug enforce
ment cost $22 billion during the Reagan years
and increased during the Bush administration
to $45 billion. About 60 percent of individuals
held in federal prisons are there on drug
charges, and these prisons are operating at an
average of 25 percent over capacity.
Despite this government effort, a 1995 sur
vey showed al least half of all graduating high
school students in the United States had
experimented with a controlled substance and
more than 80 percent said marijuana was easy
to obtain if they wanted it.
In addition, Drug Enforcement Agency
records indicate the supply of heroine and
cocaine currently being smuggled into
America is at a record level.
leaders such as New Mexico Gov. Gary
Johnson are basically echoing what most peo
ple, w ith the exception of those who have a*
political stake in continuing the drug war such
as drug Czar Barry McCaffrey, know all too
Moreover, why must Nelson harp on
what shouldn’t even be an issue? Is this
what Martin Luther Kingjr., had in mind
when he dreamed of a day when we would
judge people on the content of their char
acter instead of the color of their skin ?
Now, let’s imagine that an editorial was
written in which that racial epithet was
inverted to describe a black candidate. 1
think that it is clear that people would be
outraged, and rightfully so. Therefore, my
question is: Why is The Daily far Heel
willing to print this racist rhetoric? Is
racism acceptable when it is directed at the
majority?
Nelson was not fair to Matthews in his
column, and furthermore, he trivialized the
very process that he bemoaned was so
meaningless. At best, his racially oriented
remarks show a callous insensitivity to
Matthews. At worst, they betray a subtle,
yet insidious racism in Nelson.
Still, his column didn’t make me angry
so much as it saddened me. It is a crying
shame that these sentiments persist, espe
cially at an institution of higher learning. I
can appreciate the yearning for a change in
student government. However, if change is
to be made on the basis of race or sex, I
Thomas Ausman
DESIGN EDITOR
Megan Sharkey
GRAPHICS EDITOR
William Hill
ONLINE EDITOR
JONATHAN TRAGER
THE LIBERTARIAN LETTERS
well: The War on Drugs has been a bad
investment.
Unfortunately, the drug war hasn’t merely
meant monetary loss but a loss of life as well.
In this regard, the War on Drugs bears
remarkable resemblance to the Prohibition
Era of the 19205.
According to U.S. Department of Justice
statistics, the murder rate per 100,000 popula
tion increased from seven to 10 from the start
of Prohibition to its repeal in the early 19305.
From this point to the start of the drug war in
the ’6os, the rate had fallen to five. Since the
Drug War started, however, the rate has
climbed back up to more than 10 in the early
19905.
It’s not difficult to understand the link
between the drug war and crime.
When the government declares supplying a
particular product to be illegal, individuals
willing to risk jail time to get rich quickly will
rush to supply the product at a massively
inflated price.
Soon, gangs and crime families develop to
more efficiently compete for market share.
But instead of cutting costs and innovating (a
la corporations), criminal organizations often
rely on violent measures such as drive-by
shootings to expand their clientele.
Also bear in mind that every prison cell
occupied by a drug buyer or seller means one
less cell available to house a murderer, rapist
or other violent criminal. The pressure to free
up prison space for an increasing lot of drug
offenders often means violent criminals who
have served only a portion of their sentences
are released early and put back on the streets
where they might further victimize peaceful
think it would be best to leave well enough
alone.
Ben McAllister
Senior
Political Science and Physics
The length rule was waived.
Morrison Residents Need
Sleep; Cameras Will Aid
In Catching Arsonist
TO THE EDITOR:
Last year when I renewed my housing
contract, I naively thought that I would
have a chance for a better life on posh
Middle or North campus: a chance for air
conditioning, a bigger room and a shorter
walk to class.
Instead I got a room in Motown sans air
conditioning. Now, I would just settle for
the peace of mind that only an arson-free
building brings.
The fires at Morrison are so notorious
that when I wrote a check in Raleigh, the
cashier looked at me with concern and
said, “Isn’t that where all those fires are?
Vicky Eckenrode & Cate Doty
MANAGING EDITORS
citizens.
The result is a society where many inno
cent urban-dwellers feel unsafe to walk the
streets at night, fearing gangster bullets, crimi
nals who have been prematurely released
from jail or addicts who must obtain a mas
sive amount of money to support their habit.
Unfortunately, few politicians are willing to
accept the fact that total drug decriminaliza
tion is the only serious way to reduce the
crime rate to the level of 40 years ago.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not
have to be a wooly-haired dope-smoker to
advocate decriminalization.
I’m certainly not one, and I don’t believe
Nobel prize-winning economist Milton
Friedman, who has called the drug war the
“Immoral War,” is either.
Yet many people continue to oppose
decriminalization, worrying that endorsing
such a measure might be equal to condoning
drug use.
This is absolutely not the message that drug
decriminalization sends.
Only in a society where government is the
definitive moral authority would the legal sta
tus of products imply approval or disapproval
of their use.
Decriminalization merely implies that we
realize that government is not an adequate
mechanism for combating social ills, and the
efforts of private citizens yield greater results
at only a fraction of the cost.
Whether or not you believe drugs, prostitu
tion, gambling, et cetera are scourges on civil
society, you simply can’t fix problems by cut
ting off supply without substantially reducing
demand.
Nevertheless, there will always be some
segment of the population that will make poor
choices.
The government shouldn’t force those who
make responsible decisions to pay for other
people’s mistakes.
Jonathan Trager is a senior journalism and
mass communication major from Long Island,
N.Y. whose mother did not smoke dope dur
ing her pregnancy. Write him at
trager@email.unc.edu.
Are you OK?”
The day after a fire, there’s always a pan
icked call from my parents. I always assure
them that it is a huge brick building; it can’t
burn. But can it? There is always the pos
sibility that a fire can be set in a bathroom
or a suite hallway, if this so-called “Fire
BOLO” really wants to cause damage.
And then there are the false alarms. No
weekend would be complete without an
alcohol-fueled fire alarm at 3 a.m. If the
Department of University Housing wants
to publish some realistic pictures in their
brochure, they should have sent a photog
rapher to Motown a few weeks ago at 3
a.m. as 900 of us huddled together outside
in the pouring snow and ice.
The answer to all this seems simple to
me: put surveillance cameras by the fire
alarms. This way we could catch the idiots
who pulls false alarms and maybe even
catch the real arsonist.
We pay close to $250 a month to live
here. I think that should be enough buy us
some sleep.
Lauren Miura
Sophomore
Journalism and Mass Communication
(Thp Hotly alar Mrrl
Terry Wimmer
OMBUDSMAN
P
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