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10 WEDESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2008 JL NATHAN NYANJOM ALL WISDOM. NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH Nathan Nyanjom is a senior biology major from Columbia, Md. E-MAIL NYANJOMOEMAIL.UNC.EDU America not ready for Ms. President Today is Wednesday. Jan. 30. In two days we will have arrived in February, and that means different things for different people. For Bill Murray and those living in Pennsylvania, it will be the eve of the most important day of the year —a day when a rodent the size of an obese squirrel will yield more power than meteorologists in deciding the w eather of subse quent weeks. Lets hope the little guy doesn't see his shadow. For the rest of America, the onset of February means two things of'Super' proportions: Tom Brady's downfall and the arrival of “Super Tuesday’ —a day that sees 24 states hold their primary elections for AT-LARGE COLUMNIST presidential nominations. ITie Democratic party has seen many candidates drop, and with John Edwards' failure to win even his home state of South Carolina's primary, it's safe to say that only Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will vie for the Democratic party's nomination. Although history will be made regardless, the question can be asked: Ls America more ready for a black president or a female one? While you might have a harder time solving this dilemma than Punxsutawney Phil does his, it really is a no-brainer America Ls not ready for a female president Politics aside, let's take a second to look at our United States of America. The figures of black and wom en’s history arc both celebrated, but one subject receives far greater treatment Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and hLs life work are taught in every elementary school in America and rightfully so the civil rights movement that he gal vanized allows any cool kid today to sit in the back of the school bus, regardless of race. Leaders of the women's rights movement also are taught to preteens but hardly to the same degree. While the name Susan B. Anthony might ring the aver age American's bell, the ones of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Betty Friedan certainly don't We still have school on Anthony’s birthday of Feb. 15th. .America's more comfortable with the idea of a president who is black than one who is female. Take the medium of television. Fox’s hit show “24" has seen its run of seven straight seasons stopped only by a strike, and while people don't watch it because it depicts the president as black, the idea has certainly become familiar to those who post up on couches Monday nights at 9 p m. “Commander in Chief saw a female actress portray the president but Geena Davis' show saw cancellation before even completing one season. While it did have to compete with the likes of “Without a TVace” and “ER." maybe America just w asn’t up for watching a show with a female president Then again, it didn't have Jack Bauer. Sure, the comments of Don Imus have shown America's fragil ity when it comes to racism, but while some will argue that African- Americans can play the proverbial “race card,’ it's harder for women to play their ‘gender card.’ It's great that fens of European soccer teams face punishment for throwing bananas onto fields, mocking an opposing team's black players that’s racist But here in America, none of us will receive a scolding on Sunday, while we watch cheerleaders cheer, Tbm Brady lose and commercials that are sure to feature scantily clad women. Who knows what GoDaddy.com is planning ... Maybe I’m all wrong. Maybe that was America’s past when women gained the right to vote with the 19th Amendment a full 70 vears after blacks did. Maybe there is change in our future when a highlight from the WNBA regularly makes the “SportsCenter’ top 10. We only live in the present however, and today, America is not ready for Ms. President EDITORIAL CARTOON By Wayne Stayskal, Tampa Tribune THOUGHT GOIN6TP rne ve&we eriveev ] HILLARYOftAMA?/ X ff FZ Everyday low prices Congress should restore low-cost contraceptives Back in 2005 it seems Congress members for got to bring their read ing glasses to session. During that time Congress passed a deficit reduction bill, designed to curb out-of-control spending which, on the surface, sounds like an excellent idea. But two years later, while we still haven’t seen any of those promises, one thing we have felt is one of the bill’s not-so rosy consequences. Through a small oversight, a loophole in the bill killed the incentives that pharmaceuticals were receiving for selling low cost birth control in low-income areas and college campuses. Corresponding bills in the House and Senate, however, look to fix that problem. This legislation is welcome news, if not highly overdue. Since the incentives expired, contraceptive prices have risen up to 500 percent. Prices for Positive-sum game Grant shows importance of aiding losers from trade A s any good econ major f\ will tell you, trade is a JL .Vpositive-sum game all parties involved in trade are better off as a result. Unfortunately the gains from trade are not applied uniformly. When it’s cheaper to produce a product abroad, jobs tend to move overseas, and the home country imports more goods. When the government steps in to help the individuals left disadvantaged by foreign trade, however, there’s no real down side to the practice. That’s precisely what hap pened when North Carolina received a $1.25 million National Emergency Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. This provides a perfect exam ple of how free trade should work: Let it happen naturally, without protectionist measures, but reimburse the losers. The federal grant will go to help pay for the health insur ance premiums of 1,800 N.C. workers who have lost their jobs because of trade. Called the Health Coverage Tax Credit, eligible workers Stem the spread Plan should slow increase in rate of HIV among Latinos A s the number of Latinos has increased in North J. so too, unfor tunately, has the number of Latinos with HIV and AIDS. Past attempts by the state to combat the spread of these dis eases among the N.C. Latino population have been largely unsuccessful, but an initiative introduced last week aims to fix the mistakes and omissions of the previous programs. The new program will focus on increasing HIV/AIDS awareness among Latinos via announcements on Spanish language stations and extensive HIV/AIDS testing in Latino communities and workplaces. While these measures are certainly a good start, the initia tive should also include means Opinion Nuvaßing at UNC Campus Health Services jumped from $lB to $44 a pop. If you think this isn’t a big deal, ask someone who was already struggling to pay for it before the increase. In fact, in 2006 teen preg nancy rose for the first time in 14 years. We re not trying to imply causation, but that statistic cer tainly shows there are a large number of sexually active young adults who would benefit from affordable contraception. Late last year Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., introduced the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act, a piece of legislation designed to fix the legal miscarriage that has caused the entire ruckus. Sen. Barack Obama, D-111., presented an identical bill on the Senate floor. Thus far, nei ther has been met with any organized opposition. But wait, does this mean your tax dollars are going to pay for receive a federal tax credit that covers up to 65 percent of health insurance premiums for their families. The grant comes as part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002, which also provides a wealth of other ben efits to dislocated workers. North Carolina has been the recipient of a fair amount of those benefits hardly sur prising, given the state of the textile and tobacco industries. In fact, for the 2008 fiscal year, North Carolina was allo cated a whopping $17,034,742 under the act more than any other state in the Union. The Tar Heel state also has, by far, the most workers certified under TAA. With about 72,000 displaced labor ers qualifying for aid, North Carolina has almost 30,000 more residents receiving aid than the next state, California. And while this isn’t exactly a statistic that brings bragging rights, the good news is that these workers, despite hav ing lost their jobs, are getting help. of further educating Latino children about HIV and AIDS. Although Latinos are only 6 percent of the state's popula tion, they account for 8 percent of all reported HIV cases and have infection rates significantly higher than the average rate for the rest of the population. According to a 2006 study by John Kasarda and James Johnson, both professors in the Kenan-Flagler Business School, Hispanics accounted for 57 percent of the growth in total enrollment in N.C. public schools during the 2000-01 and 2004-05 school years. That dramatic increase rep resents an opportunity to edu cate Latino children about these diseases in a setting where they are already in learning mode. that suitemate who keeps you up all night working in the Luv Dungeon? Actually, no. The program costs Americans nothing. Instead of the incen tives taking the form of subsi dies, the program gives phar maceuticals exemptions from certain Medicaid pricing rules, as long as they support certain charitable groups. The two major charitable groups that this legislation zeros in on are college students and low-income communities, those for whom tight budgets are a fact of life. At the same time, it’s nice to see Obama take some time off from the dredges of the cam paign trail to do his day job. Wc hope that both pieces of legislation will be met with open arms in both houses and that the solution can take effect, too. And in the future, we ask that Congress try to read the fine print before they sign. Another plus of the program is that, red tape and bureaucra cy aside, it's pretty easy to apply for aid certification. It takes a minimum of three workers, or a single company or union official, to submit a petition. The benefits received range from re-employment services and relocation allowances to job training and the Health Coverage Tax Credit. It only seems fair that those who take a sacrifice so the country as a whole can benefit from foreign trade receive res titution in the end. We highly doubt that the for mer textile worker will care too much about David Ricardo’s theory of comparative advan tage and expanding consump tion possibility frontiers as he’s looking for anew job. TAA also illustrates why pro tectionist measures like quotas and tariffs aren’t necessary. When the government helps to spread the gains from trade more equally, it doesn’t take economic inefficiency to pro tect American citizens. By partnering with schools, the initiative will have a better chance of long-run success. In light of how devastating HIV/AIDS has been to the black community, this initiative takes on an even greater importance. Effective measures were not taken to limit the spread of HTV/ AIDS among blacks in America, and now almost half of all U.S. cases are among blacks even though they constitute less than 15 percent of the population. It is crucial that such a tragedy not be repeated again with Latinos. As it is, this initiative stands a good chance of stemming the tide of increasing HIV/AIDS cases among N.C. Latinos. By adding the education of Latino children into the mix, it stands an even better chance. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “In general, fashions that are popular have been , perhaps, a bit more revealing STEPHANIE KNOTT, CHCCS ASSISTANT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To read the fulWength versions VISIT http://daHytarheelpublk.wordpfess.coff> Post your own response to a letter, editorial or stay online. VISIT www.daHytwtieei.coin/feedbadc UNC Facilities Services is working to become green TO THE EDITOR: A Jan. 18 column (“Carolina not going green, just spend ing it,’) mistakenly claims that there is a “void in sustainability on campus" and contends the University has failed to demon strate wise fiscal stewardship. In recent years, our sustain ability initiatives have become an integral part of the institu tional and academic culture of the University. Our sustainable policies, practices and cur riculum have rightfully earned Carolina a national reputation as a sustainability leader. The University takes pride in its efforts to reduce energy and water use. For example, by investing $1 million in 2006, the campus saved $263,799 annually, a 3.7 year pay back for energy- savings alone. Since 2003, the campus has reduced water consumption per square foot by 15 percent and energy consumption by 8 percent. It should be noted that energy efficiency improvements have been achieved without recurring funding from the state legislature and have come from internal campus allocations. State purchasing laws limit what vehicles facilities may pur chase. While our service trucks and vans are highly visible, the grounds, building services and housekeeping departments also own growing fleets of electric vehicles. Flex-fuel vehicles, when available on state-term con tracts, are purchased for all fleet additions or replacements. An ethanol fueling station to service these vehicles will be constructed this year. We are proud of our progress on sustainability and mindful that we can do more. With 16 million square feet of buildings and hun dreds of vehicles, dramatic trans formations will not occur over night The entire campus commu nity must be proactively engaged in order for UNC to reduce its environmental footprint Mike Freeman Acting Director Facilities Services Make it more expensive to destroy your health TO THE EDITOR: People who smoke, or who have poorly managed diabetes from being obese, don’t just die early. They die painfully. But with cigarettes and calories being so cheap, it has become too easy to be unhealthy. While some resources do exist, funding for chronic dis ease prevention remains sporadic and in short supply. Tobacco companies spent $569 million on marketing in North Carolina in 2005. To make a dent in our smoking and obesity epidemics, we need big changes. Raising the cigarette tax by 75 cents will prevent 125,000 North Carolinians from ever starting to smoke, especially students who have limited income. And mak ing it easier for people to eat nutritious foods for example by offering low-cost fruit and salad at work will help people make the healthier choice. MegMoUoy, Executive Director N.C. Prevention Partners SPEAK OUT WRITING GUIDELINES: ► Pfease type: Handwritten letters wHI not be accepted. ► Sign and date: No more than two people should sign letters. ► Students: Indude jjour year, major and phone number. ► Faculty/staff: Indude your department and phone number. ► Edit: The DTH edits for space, clarity, accuracy and vulgarity. Limit letters to 250 words. SUBMISSION: ► Drop-off: at our office at Suits 2409 in the Student Union. ► E-mail: to edttdeskOunc.edu ► Send: toP.O. Box 3257, Chapel HID. N.C., 27515. EMTOrs NOTE: Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect trie oparaons of The Daily Tar Heel or its staff. Edrioriais are the opinions solely of The Dally Tar Heel edito rial board. The board consists of eight board members, the associate opinion edrtoc the opinion editor and the editor. The 2007-08 editor decided not to vote on the board. ahr Daily sar Hrri Dismissing comparisons to apartheid is premature TO THE EDITOR: I am writing in response to Charles Dahan’s column, “Apartheid comparison overstates the reality’ (Jan. 29)- Dahan boldly states that ‘comparing the conflict in Israel to the struggle in South Africa is not only incorrect; it is disgusting.’ Asa Peace Corps volunteer serv ing in South Africa for more than two years and as a Ph.D. student conducting research in South Africa recently, I've had the oppor tunity to hear the opinions of South Africans from all walks of life on the Israel/Palestine conflict South Africans are divided on these issues. Many still remem ber Israel as a supporter of the Apartheid regime, offering train ing, weapons, intelligence and advice to the South African Army, while many South African Jews are fiercely loyal to Israel. Some of those who suffered under Apartheid think of that institution as uniquely South African; others who were “vio lently oppressed and folly domi nated” see something very famil iar in the current Palestinian situ ation and have not forgotten that much of the world once labeled Nelson Mandela a terrorist 1 don’t claim to be an expert on the appropriateness of the use of the term ‘Apartheid’ as an analytical tool to describe the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, which is exactly why 1 will be attending the panel offered on Thursday. If South Africans find this a valid and challenging topic for debate, then why shouldn’t we? Tamara Johnson Graduate Student Geography Viva la taco stand fight discrimination of vendors TO THE EDITOR: Recently some coward filed an anonymous complaint about the taco stands in Carrboro violating zoning codes by operating in park ing lots. Consequently the (Board of Aldermen) has given businesses a week to make the taco stands stop operating in their lots. Seriously, what kind of person files an anonymous complaint about this? At least have the guts to make yourself known. Perhaps they own a Mexican restaurant and are fearful of competition from authentic food, or maybe they just don’t like tacos or Latinos. Regardless, they have problems. All they have accomplished is denying us all the greatness of meat and cheese melted between a tortilla shell and denying us the diversity that makes Carrboro great Thanks a lot pal. Seriously there must be an easy solution to change the zoning and allow the taco stands to operate. This is a slippery slope, take action now or forever suffer the conse quences of a taco-free world. Dan Conrad Graduate Student Law £hr Baily alar Mtti Established 1893, 114 years of editorial freedom ERIN ZUREICK EDITOR. 962-4086 ZUREICXOEMAiL.UNC.EDU OFFICE HOURS MON.. WED., FRI. 1-2 P.M. ADAM STORCK OPINION EDITOR. 962-0750 APSTORCKOUNC.EDU JONATHAN TUGMAN ASSOCIATE OPINION EDITOR. 962-0750 TUGMANOUNC.EDU ANDREW JONES PUBLIC EDITOR JONESAWOEMAILUNC.EDU EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS JESSICA SCISM SARAH WHITWORTH KATHRYN ARDLZZONE SARAH LETRENT DUNCAN CARLTON ELYSE MCCOY GRAHAM ROWE DAVID GIANCASPRO
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Jan. 30, 2008, edition 1
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