8
Friday, October 20, 2000
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Kelli Boutin
EDrrORIAL PAGE EDITOR
Kim Minugh
UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Ginny Sciabbarrasi
CITY EDITOR
Board Editorials
Let in the Minority
The rule that prevented Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan
from debating is detrimental to the democratic process.
On Tuesday night, the two most popular
presidential candidates debated in the
absence of fellow candidates Ralph Nader
and Pat Buchanan.
Although these candidates have almost no
chance to win the election, these candidates
have gained a strong base of support relative
to the other “fringe” parties and should have
been allowed to participate in all of the
debates. Ralph Nader, representing the
Green Party, has consistently received 4 to 5
percent in die polls. Buchanan represents the
Reform Party, which is recognized by the
federal government and has received federal
money to finance its ticket for the presiden
cy. He has received around 1 percent of the
vote in polls.
Numbers like 1 and 4 percent might not
seem like much, but in terms of total regis
tered voters, this translates into the support
of millions of people.
The Commission on Presidential Debates
has chosen to ignore the millions of support
ers for Nader and Buchanan and decided for
the American people what ideas they will be
exposed to. Sequestering the ideas of people
who disagree with the status quo is simply
un-American.
To participate in the debates, the commis
sion mandated that a party must have at least
15 percent of the popular vote. This require-
Overprotection
A proposed law that would require certain schools to install
filtering or blocking software has some major pitfalls.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Congress began
to contemplate a bill proposal that would
force schools and libraries to filter out certain
Web sites or risk losing federal funding.
It is upsetting to see that the very people
chosen to protect America’s inalienable rights
are attempting to suppress them. Students
should be encouraged to explore all avenues
of information available to them, because the
benefits far outweigh the dangers.
The Children’s Internet Protection Act
would cut funding to noncompliant elemen
tary and secondary schools benefiting from a
1996 measure providing a subsidy called “e
--rate,” covering part of the cost of Internet
access.
To keep receiving the subsidy, schools
would have to select and install filtering or
blocking software on their computers to cut
off access to obscene material and child
pornography, and enforce a policy to ensure
the blocking software is being used while
minors are using the computers.
Unfortunately, current blocking and filter
ing software prevents not only access to what
some might consider “objectionable” mate
rial, but also blocks legal and useful sites.
Examples of sites that have been blocked by
popular commercial blocking and filtering
Barometer
Bleak Outlook
Student Congress added eight more
members to its ranks Tuesday.
Wonder how long it will be until
E
the new guys start resigning?
Better Settlement
Last week, a jury awarded a former
Dook football walk-on $2 million
because she was unfairly cut from
the team. The way Dook has been playing, maybe
they also should have given her her spot back.
Tar Heel Quotables
“(College students) have shown to be
worthy credit card holders.”
Discover Card Public Relations
DIRECTOR Beth MeTZLER
If "worthy" means "they rack up lots of debt and make us
iots of money in interest, * then we suppose she's right.
“We’re pushing (the bond) for students not
because administration is saying ‘do it’ or
giving us money.”
....
ASG PRESIDENT ANDREW PAYNE
Maybe not, but somehow we doubt you would mind it if
they were.
Matt Dees
EDITOR
Office Hours Friday 2 p.m. -3 p.m.
Kathleen Hunter
state & national editor
T. Nolan Hayes
sports editor
Will Kimmey
SPORTSATURDAY EDITOR
ment puts third parties in somewhat of a
catch-22. Most third parties usually get less
than 5 percent of the popular vote, and with
out the national exposure that they would
gain by participating in the debates, it is like
ly that they will continue to receive less than
the large 15 percent requirement.
With 100 million people watching, the
debates are major avenues to promote a plat
form that happens to be different from the
traditional Republican and Democrat plat
forms.
For example, during the 1992 race, third
party candidate Ross Perot entered the
debates with only 5 percent of the popular
vote, and in the November election, he
received 19 percent of the popular vote.
In addition, having more than two candi
dates in the debates does not solely serve the
purpose of “making the debate interesting.”
In the second debate, it seemed like the can
didates agreed on every other point. With
four candidates all attacking each other,
stances on issues would have to be explained
so that people know what makes one candi
date different from another.
In that case, people could stop using the
argument that they must always pick the less
er of two evils - they could potentially pick
from three or four of them or they could find
one that doesn’t seem evil at all.
products include those on breast cancer,
AIDS, women’s rights and animal rights.
And this law stands on potentially shaky
legal ground. On June 26, 1997, the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled that communications
over the Internet deserve the highest level of
constitutional protection.
The court held steadfast to the fact that
communications on the Internet deserve the
same level of constitutional protection as
books, magazines, newspapers and speakers
on the proverbial street-corner soapbox. A
critical court finding was that venues that
make content available on the Internet can
continue to do so with the same constitu
tional protections that apply to the books on
libraries’ shelves.
Limited Internet access for children is akin
to the book-banning movements of years
past. Like those controversial books, the
Internet is a learning tool, not an avenue for
explicit terror.
Overall, this bill would do more harm
than good for American children. The youth
of this country must be able to reach their
intellectual potential without government
roadblocks or obstruction, even if that means
they occasionally might stumble across less
than-desirable material.
Fishy Decision
The senior class gift is... a fish
tank. Not exactly a gift that keeps
on giving, considering the fact that
<e%
a significant portion of it will be dead when seniors
come back to visit with their children.
-
Fair Weather
This weekend marks your last
chance to learn how the other half
(i.e., N.C. State students) lives. So go strap on your
biggest belt buckle and head on over to the fair.
“People will be coming for big chunks of
money. It really pulls your heartstrings.”
Rep- Kevin Crockett, Dist. 19
On the limited funds Student Congress has to give to stu
dent 9 rou P s - Conjures up images of sad students panhan
dling on Franklin Street to finance their next pizza social.
“ II was definitely written by lawyers.”
STUDENT ATTORNEY GENERAL TAYLOR Lea
Explaining why she thinks the Instrument for Student
Judicial Governance should be rewritten. Since when was it
such a bad thing to have a document explaining defen
dants' rights written by actual professionals who under
stand that kind of thing?
Opinion
Slip latlg Sar Mppl
Established 1893 • 107 Years of Editorial Freedom
www.unc.edu/dth
Jermaine Caldwell
FEATURES EDITOR
Ashley Atkinson
ARTS Si ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Carolyn Haynes
COPY DESK EDITOR
Time for ‘New York State of Mind’
Start spreading the news.
Tomorrow evening, in the cathedral
that is Yankee Stadium, the two-time
defending world champion New York
Yankees and their crosstown rival, the Mets,
square off in the first game of the 2000 World
Series.
In winning their respective league champi
onship series this week, the clubs secured
New York’s first Subway Series since the
Bronx Bombers and the Dodgers of Brooklyn
went at it in 1956.
This is baseball’s version of Armageddon,
and it couldn’t happen in a better city.
In any event, I believe the best way to get
everyone ready for the Subway Series is to
talk a little bit about the Big Apple itself.
Quite frankly, I was slightly overwhelmed
by the prospects of discussing such a large city
all by myself. Thus, I’ve asked a good friend
and fellow New Yorker, Vinnie Boombatz, to
help me out this morning. Despite what peo
ple say about New Yorkers and their attitudes,
Vinnie is one of the kindest, most sincere guys
you’d ever hope to meet. Vinnie, say hello to
everyone in Chapel Hill.
“I’m not saying hello to everyone. ”
Vinnie, you’re embarrassing me in front of
all the readers.
“I’m going to punch you in front of all the read
ers if you don’t shut up and get this show on the
road. ”
I see.
Anyway, Vinnie and I have prepared a
brief, yet thorough, report on New York City
in an effort to get us revved up for the
Subway Series.
First, a quick history of New Yawk
In 1624, a Dutch explorer named Peter
Minuit bought the island of Manhattan from
its Native American inhabitants for $24 in
trinkets and beads. Upon completing the deal,
Minuit thanked his new Indian friends for
their cooperation, then immediately herded
them onto reservations in North Dakota.
As governor of the frontier colony, Minuit
realized there was much work to be done. His
first official act was to rename the settlement
New Amsterdam, which is Dutch for “let’s see
how many people we can squeeze on this
UE’s Decision to Protest Reasonable
UE 150, the North Carolina Public
Service Workers Union, has been criti
cized for disrupting the chancellor’s
installation ceremony. Asa member of UR I
defend our actions.
In December 1996, the housekeepers’ law
suit against UNC ended with a court settle
ment requiring administrators to meet with
housekeepers at least once each month.
Since the settlement ended in December
1999, administrators have refused to meet with
UE. Why have they failed to learn the most
fundamental lesson of good management?
Administrators would have us believe the
answer lies in a 40-year-old law. North
Carolina General Statute 95-98 nullifies agree
ments and contracts between any subdivision
of the state of North Carolina and any labor
organization acting on behalf of public
employees. This statute has been challenged,
but the courts have held that the state has the
sovereign right to contract with whomever it
wishes, and conversely not to contract.
But administrators go one step further.
They say the statute prohibits them from
meeting with representatives of any labor
organization. When Molly Broad first became
president, her general counsel sent UE a letter
outlining the legal reasoning for her refusal to
Cate Doty & Lauren Beal
MANAGING EDITORS
Sefton Ipock
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Cobi Edelson
DESIGN EDITOR
Saleem Reshamwala
GRAPHICS EDITOR
jgi
■
JOE MONACO
TRAILING AT THE HALF
frickin’ island."
Minuit’s primary goal was to make the port
of New York a major center for trade and
commerce. Consequently, he oversaw the
construction of an extensive system of streets
and avenues that, to this day, nobody can fig
ure out.
However, by the middle of the 17 th centu
ry, the British were beginning to feel their
oats. In 1664, England seized the colony and
renamed it New York in honor of the Duke of
York, an English aristocrat who also invented
the Peppermint Patty.
“Hey, I’ve had it with this history. ”
But Vinnie, I’m only up to the 17th centu
ry, and we still have a lot to cover.
“If you talk about one more history thing, I’m
gonna punch your teeth out.”
OK. Let’s move on.
“Good idea. ”
For administrative purposes, the city is
divided into five distinct boroughs: the Bronx,
Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten
Island. That number might soon drop to four,
however, as scientists compile more and more
evidence that Staten Island is, in fact, not an
island, but actually the world’s largest garbage
barge.
Because all five boroughs are separated by
fairly large bodies of water, New York City
has a particularly large number of bridges. In
the murky waters below each of these elevat
ed structures are the skeletal remains of men
who didn’t cooperate with the Mafia.
“You got a problem with the Mafia? You got
something against Italians?”
Vinnie, of course I don’t have a problem
with the Mafia. I like the Mafia. And I’m
■
STEVE HUTTON
POINT OF VIEW
meet. Even I, a non-attorney, found this
“legal” reasoning laughable. No court has ever
held that conferring with employees would be
a violation of 95-98.
One might conclude administrators are
using illogical reasoning to hide behind this
law in order to not meet with representatives
of labor organizations. That’s not true, either.
I’m also a member of the State Employees
Association of North Carolina, and adminis
trators meet with me on an as-needed basis to
discuss District 25’s concerns. When the
Faculty Council meets with administrators it is
acting de facto as a representative of a labor
organization. The chancellor never would
refuse to meet with the council.
The correct answer, then, is that adminis
trators hide behind 95-98 when they choose. I
will leave it to you, the readers, to decide if
their choices are based on racism, classism or
managerial arrogance.
Whatever the cause, the result is a tyranny
that affects all public employees from the top
down, but which affects those in the lower pay
(Ek Sailtj (Ear Hrel
Josh Williams
ONLINE EDITOR
Brian Frederick
OMBUDSMAN
Laura Stoehr
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS EDITOR
Italian myself, Vin. “Goodfellas” is my
favorite movie.
“That’s good, newspaper boy. ’Cause if you got a
problem with the Mafia, you’re gonna be like the
rest of’em, wearing cement shoes at the bottom of
the East River. ”
I see.
Let’s move along with our discussion. In
terms of tourist attractions, New York is sec
ond to none. Standing tall in New York
Harbor is the one of the city’s most spectacu
lar landmarks, the Statue of Liberty. For years,
Lady Liberty has greeted boadoads of non-
Haitian newcomers to the shores of this great
land.
All Americans are familiar with the beauti
ful creed engraved at the base of the Statue.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled
masses yearning to breathe free, and especial
ly your Cuban baseball players whose fast
balls top out in the mid-905.”
“Hey, that pitcher with the Yankees ...El
Duque ... Ain’t he a Cuban defector?”
That’s right Vinnie, he is.
“We should get more of them. He throws real
good. Good pitcher, that El Duque. ”
That’s very true, Vinnie.
“Did you just laugh at me?”
What?
“Did you just laugh at me? I thought I heard
you laughing at me. ”
Vin, I just snickered a litde. You’re a funny
guy
“ Funny? How funny? Funny like a clown?”
I think I’ve seen this in a movie.
“Do I amuse you, journalism boy ? Mr. Big Shot
over here. Mr. I got my own column at UNC’
thinks he’s better than Vincent L. Boombatz, heh?”
Vin, can we discuss this later? The ball
game’s on TV now.
“OK, fine. Hey, Hike that Bob Costas, from
NBC. Good broadcaster. Is he Italian?”
No, he’s a Cuban defector.
“Oh. What about El Duque?”
He’s Italian.
Joe Monaco would like to thank his friend
and fellow Long Islander, Sean Sullivan, for his
help in writing this column. Reach Joe at
jmonaco@email.unc.edu.
grades more. Since its inception, UE 150 has
been fighting this tyranny, and our members
have been fighting since before that as the
Housekeepers Association.
This struggle has been well-publicized. UE
has tried the usual channels of communication
numerous times.
The disruption of public events is an exer
cise of free speech. It might be impolite, it
might be rude, but it is a minimal inconve
nience compared to the daily oppression pub
lic employees endure under 95-98.
Now that you know why the ceremony was
disrupted, I challenge you to cease being part
of the problem and become part of the solu
tion. Tell University administrators they must
be consistent in the application of the law -
either meet with representatives of all labor
organizations or with none. Write your N.C.
legislators and request the repeal of 95-98.
Advise them that the modem way to deal with
labor organizations is through collective nego
tiation resulting in a contract.
Failing to speak out now will only make
you a tacit cog in the machinery of oppression,
and tacit cogs also are subject to disruption.
Reach Steve Hutton with questions and
comments at shutton@email.unc.edu.