10
THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2008
I
CLINT JOHNSON
IN REAL TIME
Clint Johnson is a senior political
science major and English minor.
E-MAIL CLINTOUNC.EDU
Support
troops by
listening
to them
It's minutes before the 3
p.m. moment of silence on
Memorial Day. and right now
I'm willing to be anything but
quiet.
Memorial Day has arrived, load- j
ed again with tragic relevance.
President Bush stood at a
podium earlier embroiled in
two wars and seeking a third
eloquently mourning our nation's
dead soldiers, who number more
than 4,500 between Afghanistan
and Iraq.
At I'NC, "The Battle Hymn of
the Republic" rings out from the
Bell Tower, resounding through
an empty campus.
Bush talks of democracy, of sac-
rifice. And the
media talks of
those who gave
AT-LARGE
COLUMNIST
their lives in defense of freedom.
And only days ago, our Iraq
veterans ascended the steps of
Capitol Hill and spoke the truth
about the horrors of occupa
tion. During “Winter Soldier on
the Hill," Congress heard the
testimony of people such as Sgt.
Jason Lemieux.
"1 was ordered multiple times
by commissioned officers and
noncommissioned officers to
shoot unarmed civilians if their
fortable," Lemieux said, adding
that sometimes weapons were
“dropped" so as to make a civilian
appear to be an insurgent.
At the event, arranged by Iraq
Veterans Against the War. sol
diers urged the government to
begin an immediate withdrawal.
“Even day that the occupation
continues, more men. women and
children will be killed, maimed
or forced to flee their country as
refugees." said Kelly Dougherty,
executive director of IVAW.
But Bush did not talk of these
veterans. And the media did not
report their stories.
The casualties of war extend
beyond an American body count.
I lundreds of thousands of Iraqis
and thousands of Afghanis have
died, with an indeterminate
number wounded.
Thousands of our own soldiers
have returned home as different
people, scarred for life by their
experiences.
Each week, 126 veterans com
mit suicide. Forty percent suffer
from mental health problems, such
as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
More than 150,000 are homeless.
Incredibly, our surviving sol
diers are forgotten, mismanaged
and ignored by the very institu
tions and individuals who clamor
with such fervor that w f e must
“Support the Troops."
The New York Times did not
cover Winter Soldier because they
said they prefer their own “on
scene accounts' to testimony “by
organizations with strongly held
political viewpoints about the war.”
Meanwhile, the Veterans
Administration is so backlogged
with claims currently 600,000
that the average claim takes a
staggering 5.5 years to be resolved.
And what about the
Commander in Chief?
He has come out against a
new G.I. Bill of Rights that would
improve education benefits for
those- who enlist, arguing that it
gives too many advantages to those
who serve brief stints.
In the meantime, hell continue
issuing stop-loss orders provi
sions that allow the government
to extend volunteers' service time
beyond what they signed up for.
And, with the help of a defer
ent media, he’ll argue his case
for continued occupation —and
expansion into Iran.
Its almost 3 p.m. now, and
the Bell Tower chimes the tune
of “America the Beautiful’ to the
peaceful campus streets.
We must ensure that
Memorial Day ceremonies honor
past sacrifices and don't resonate
in the red sands of Iraq or atop
the squalid hills of Afghanistan.
But for now, we should honor
those who served and those who
still serve by supporting them.
And by listening to them.
It’s time for a moment of
silence.
EDITORIAL CARTOON By Don Wright. The Palm Beach Post
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Autopsy should stay sealed
Release of information could hinder legal process
More than two months
have passed since
the murder of Eve
Carson, but our community
still knows precious little about
what happened that night.
We have memorized the
basics we did that in the
first surreal days that followed
March 5. And we have been
inundated with the mug shots
of the two suspects.
Yet the autopsy report —a
crucial piece of the investiga
tion remains sealed from
public eyes.
And, until Orange County-
District Attorney Jim Woodall
says otherwise, it should stay
that way.
In the interest of justice, we
must ensure that the integrity
of the case is not compromised
bv the premature release of the
M|jli%wrTTr
(Raleigh) News & Observer has
filed a motion for the records to
Advising needs overhaul
Recommendations good steps for improving process
When they discuss the
University's academic
advising program, stu
dents draw from a rich lexicon of
adjectives and expletives.
“Good" usually isn’t part of
that vocabulary.
Thus, it’s surprising that the
academic advising implemen
tation committee, in a draft of
their report, describes the sys
tem as “really quite good."
Really?
Despite this glaring rejection
of reality, the recommenda
tions of the committee should
be w elcomed with open arms.
But the potential changes
also must be modified to better
incorporate the needs of fresh
men and sophomores.
Nevertheless, the committee
displayed admirable tact with
two ideas in particular.
First, they proposed scrap
ping the advising “teams"
and replacing them with
three divisions: Fine Arts and
Humanities, Natural/Health
Sciences and Mathematics.
Every student would be
assigned a single adviser. We
know UNC loves sports, but
Let voters own elections
Public financing will strengthen accountability
At a May 14 public hear
ing, the Chapel Hill
Town Council and a
crowd of concerned citizens
debated the merits of publicly
financed elections.
The “voter-owned elections’
would provide public money to
the campaigns of eligible local
candidates.
Most of the attendees sup
ported the proposal, but one
notable dissenter denounced
it as unnecessary.
First-term council member
Matt Czajkowski said special
interests are not a problem in
Chapel Hill elections.
He’s right.
But Czajkowski the chief
financial officer of a local bio
tech firm had the ability to
fund his own campaign with
Opinion
be unsealed, arguing that they
are public record.
On June 11, Orange County-
Superior Court Judge Allen
Baddour, who already has
delayed a decision on the issue,
will rule on whether the autop
sy should be kept confidential.
The N&O, playing up its role
as public servant, said its in the
people’s interest for the docu
ments to be released.
Their attorney, Michael
Tadveh. said it is a matter of
public access.
Undoubtedly, the autopsy
findings eventually should be
opened, but w-hat benefit would
the community gain from hav
ing that information now?
The potential detriments are
simply too costly.
Woodall argued, correctly,
that public knowledge of the
compromise the prosecution s
ability to line up reliable wit
nesses. And the same applies to
dividing advisers into “teams"
was never a good idea.
A one-adviser-per-student
arrangement allows a rela
tionship of trust to develop. It
enables the adviser to become
familiar with a student’s
academic history, goals and
needs.
And for the student, it
makes the process of seeking
advice less intimidating and
less impersonal.
Second, the committee wants
to establish a “comprehen
sive Web-based degree audit
system." Working as a com
ponent of an already-under
way Information Technology-
Services program, the audit
program would have extensive
capabilities.
Rather than having to trek
down to the advising building,
students would be able to log
on and work through the advis
ing minutia that clogs up our
process.
For instance, students would
be able to monitor their aca
demic progress, examine “what
if" scenarios with majors/
minors, view lists of needed
out having to accept cash from
special interests.
And so council member
Laurin Easthom fired back at
Czajkowski.
“Not everybody is as lucky as
you are," she said.
She’s right, too.
When it comes to election
financing, we’re potentially
looking at three types of can
didates.
The first candidate, like
Czajkowski, has enough money
to bankroll his or her own elec
toral ambitions. This type of
candidate is not beholden to
special interests, but he or she
also doesn’t have a firm tie to
the voters.
Candidate No. 2 doesn’t have
a big enough bank account to
get elected; he or she relies on
the defense.
To screen witnesses, attor
neys test their knowledge of
the facts of the case. It would
not serve the community’s
interests to have a false witness
who had simply memorized
the facts released by authori
ties make it to trial.
And Woodall has said that
he will release the records at
the end of June.
In our anger and our grief, we
have lost a sense of patience.
We are a community that
has lost one of its brightest,
and that makes our eagerness
understandable.
But we are also a commu
nity raised in the era of O.J.
Simpson, Scott Peterson and
Court TV. We have become
accustomed to instant gratifi
cation and total exposure.
tne legalprocess to work.
Besides, June isn’t that far
off.
courses and more.
If designed well, the pro
gram will free up advisers' time
and help students gain anew
level of self-sufficiency.
But it comes as part of an
off-putting attitude by the com
mittee in regard to students.
The committee comes close
to explicitly blaming under
graduates for UNC’s advising
weaknesses.
Students obviously must take
responsibility for their aca
demic success, but the report
itself acknowledges multiple
faults on the part of advisers;
including lack of availability,
lack of knowledge about basic
class requirements and lack of
knowledge about departmental
requirements.
And, surprisingly, the com
mittee barely mentioned fresh
men and sophomores. We
should not underestimate the
confusion and indecisiveness
of the underclassmen.
Still, the committee’s recom
mendations provide for notable
improvement in the advising
process and should be imple
mented.
donations to supplement the
war chest. We know this per
son well. Candidate No. 2 is a
panderer and a flatterer. He or
she answers to the people with
the big bucks.
Lastly, Candidate No. 3 uses
public funds to get elected, draw
ing in the case of Chapel Hill
from the town’s general fund.
Candidate No. 3 has to answer
to the people. He or she can’t
afford not to. After all, they are
the people filling the coffers.
Voter-owned elections
although not immediately nec
essary in our town should
be welcomed as a pre-emptive
method for strengthening our
democratic process.
And, most importantly,
they’ll set a positive example
for the rest of the state.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“They've reflected the University's
really incredible strength in a
number of important areas.”
STEPHEN FARMER. ADMISSIONS DIRECTOR, ON RANKINGS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Chapel Hill must ensure
student safety after dark
TO THE EDITOR:
I agree with Mr. Halpern
(Town reacts to blue lights, May
-15): this town is changing; it’s
being ruined!
However, the difference
between Mr. Halpern and me is
that he thinks that blue lisit proj
ects are ruining the town, and I
think that folks like Mr. Halpern
are the ones doing the damage.
“What happened to stars being
part of our evening walks?" he
asks. Sir, 1 hardly think that two
or three blue lights in the town
would be able to completely
block out your majestic view of
the night sky come 7 p.m.
And our fellow alum Bret
Dougherty? Your being “tired of
seeing drunk kids" doesn't mean
that blue lights can t go up. (Just
so I’m sure I am understanding
your argument: You're saying
that by ensuring an important
safety mechanism isn’t put into
place, college students won’t get
drunk and/or walk home in the
dark? Interesting. Maybe next
we should take away seat belts
so that people won't speed.)
And anyway, I can guarantee
you that these lights won't have
any sort of scanner for student
IDs that requires “kid-status"
to use them. They’re for all the
residents of Chapel Hill, includ
ing yourself.
And, you know, let’s not forget
that this town's foundation lies in
the University. Don't you think
(and tne residents, like you and
me, who are here because of the
University, too) to do a little more
to ensure safety after dark?
Being sober does not imply
being invincible. And frankly,
Mr. Dougherty, I'd like to take
you up on your offer to move out
of the neighborhood, because
I’m of the opinion that small
communities like ours need to
be supportive of all residents,
student or otherwise, especially
in the case of personal safety .
I’ll even help you pack.
Anna Tarleton Potter
Class 0f2007
Clinton and Obama seek
power above all else
TO THE EDITOR:
Americans are spellbound
by the historic contest for the
Democratic presidential nomina
tion. Forgetting the political con
text. it is indeed something spec
tacular, even inspiring. A woman
and a black man have reached a
pinnacle that just a few years ago
seemed impossibly far off.
SPEAK OUT
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But we can’t forget the politi
cal context, and it’s the nature of
that context that should keep us
from truly rejoicing.
When we strip away from the
process they are engaged in the
democratic mythology and red,
white and blue bunting, we are left
with the spectacle of tw o people
vying for raw power. What they
really want to do is rule us.
This is a contest to determine
who will decide how to spend a
significant part of our incomes,
who will make war or peace,
and who will achieve his or her
“vision" by manipulating us with
carrots and sticks.
Obviously, the idea of what a
president should be has changed
radically. How much so is the
subject of Gene Healy ’s new book.
“The Cult of the Presidency:
America’s Dangerous Devotion
to Executive Power."
“The chief executive of the
United States is no longer a mere
constitutional officer charged
with faithful execution of the
laws," Healy writes.
“He is a soul nourisher, a hope
giver, a living American talis
man against hurricanes, terror
ism, economic downturns, and
spiritual malaise ... He’s also the
Supreme Warlord of the Earth."
Lots of presidents have
encouraged this way of thinking
of the office, especially Theodore
Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and
Franklin Roosevelt. But every
man who held the office in the
second half of the 20th century
has done so. Mavbe thev thought
the country.
Some say that society today
is too complex for Jeffersonian
notions about freedom. On the
contrary, the more complex soci
ety is, the more it needs govern
ment to stay out of its way.
More likely, those who have
worked to inflate the office were
driven by pure ambition.
President Bush has taken
this up a notch with his Unitary
Executive Theory, under which
he can, on his own, invade and
occupy countries, ignore congres
sional restrictions on his power,
wiretap without a warrant, autho
rize CIA torture, send suspected
terrorists to other countries to be
tortured and hold people indefi
nitely without trial.
The presidency now has virtu
ally open-ended powers.
This is the backdrop to the
Democratic nomination. Neither
candidate has condemned the
blank-check presidency as a threat
to the American people. Neither
has pledged to forswear autocratic
powers. Nor has John McCain.
As the great political phi
losopher Peter Townshend said,
“Meet the new boss. Same as the
old boss."
Sheldon Richman
Editor
The Freeman Magazine
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