r
6 The Daily Tar Heel Friday. September 29. 1978
Lou Bilionis, Editor .
Chuck Alston, Managing Editor
Don Woodard, Associate Editor
David McKinnon, Associate Editor
Bernie Ransbottom, University Editor
Mary Anne Rhyne, City Editor :
David Stacks, State and National Editor
Richard Barron, News Editor
-
Betsy Flagler, Features Editor
Mark Scandling, Arts Editor
Lee Pace, Sports Editor
Allen ernigan, Photography Editor
iatiy
(Har IM
86th year of editorial freedom
letters 'to the editor
Hfe altliy Kinie K
(0IO
A matter of time
The byword among the national press this week is that President
Carter's administration has been "born again." But in their never-ending
quest for the catchy lead, the national press may have overemphasized
the revelatory qualities of the President's upswing, while ignoring some
of the factors that might have led us to expect this turn of fortunes for
Jimmy Carter all along.
There is no doubt that something new and exciting is going on at the
White House. The President's achievement at Camp David last week
was of course stunning. And Carter's announcement yesterday that no
substantial issues bar the quick conclusion of an Israeli-Egyptian peace
treaty goes a long way toward showing that the promise of Camp David
is not an empty one.
On the domestic front, Carter has won important victories in
Congress on civil-service reform and natural gas pricing. He contributed
further to his new public image as a forceful leader with his exercise
Thursday of the presidential emergency powers in ending the national
rail strike.
And there are a number of less tangible, but even more important,
indications of the Carter surge. According to the national press there is a
new and tough-minded confidence about the President, and a new
respect for his abilities in Congress. International reaction to Camp
David has been very good; and even the Russians are starting to talk nice
again, while the SALT II negotiations have improved dramatically.
But the number one intangible in the White House power game is
public opinion, and Carter has apparently scored his biggest hit here, if
the polls are any indication. What they indicate, of course, is a
remarkable leap in public approval for Carter, from around 40 percent
last month to about 55 percent last week.
The immediate implication of Carter's successes, then, is clear. What
it points to, of course, is the coming realization of his administration's
promise as an active, progressive political force to be reckoned with.
Never mind for the moment what exactly that promise is after all, no
one has ever been quite sure of that, even during the campaign, when
Carter was making his promises openly; but the inescapable fact is that
Carter has come into his own at last.
What has been missing from much of the current analysis, though, is
that the long period of waiting for Carter might have been anticipated
even before he was elected. The larger implication of Carter's recent
successes is that he and his organization have overcome at last the two
most crippling of the mariy disadvantages they were burdened with from
the outset; namely, their inexperience with the ins and outs of
Washington and international politics, and their almost total lack of a
firm national constituency.
The problems are by no means over for the boys from Georgia, who
no doubt will continue to surprise everyone with their occasional gaffes
and confusion. But they have finally learned a method of. translating
their wishes into effective political action, and they have learned that
method without sacrificing many of their major political ends. Having
learned the hard way, but having learned at last, the Carter people noW
face the much more agreeable task of putting their lessons to work for
themselves. It was only a matter of time.
To the editor:
Once upon a time, I was a struggling,
lost student at UNC. My views on life had
not yet been formed, and I wandered
about aimlessly, searching, seeking.
Then, Sept. 27, a day I'll never forget,
came. I picked up a copy of the DTH and
turned to the back page. It was' truly a
stroke of fate.The first thing my eyes met
was the editorial by Don Woodard
("Starvation or Servomation: take your
pick"). Little had I previously realized
how knowledgeable and practical was the
associate editor. '
Thank you, Don, for changing my life!
I am one who believed (please forgive me)
in the old premise that "you eat to live,
you don't live to eat.'" How could 1 have
been so foolish? Instead of eating
vegetablesand meats and other nutritious
foods from the Pine Room, why did I not
go to the ice cream shoppes and candy
stores? Were my trim waist line and good
health actually somethingto be proud of?
Also, thank you for setting me straight
on a few things. I did not know I was in
"prison;" 1 thought I was free to eat as 1
pleased. I thought (how naive of me) that
the "guy walking around in a tie" (that's a
dangling modifier, but 1 know you know
that, Don) actually had a job to do; I
didn't know he was just interested in ice
bin levels. "Nobody else will" eat at'
Chase. Those long lines and full tables,
now that you have set me straight, are just
figments of my imagination. The people
behind the serving counters with whom I
have spoken frequently are "dead," 1 have
just been informed. I must admit that one
darling of a lady serving breakfast in the
Pine Room, a lady who has a quick smile
and'a quick wit, really had me fooled. 1
also thought that the meal plan cards
were a convenience to the bearers,
something to help the lines move faster.
I, who was once lost, have found new
meaning in life. Based on my awakening,
I nominate Don Woodard, the man who
has shown us the true and noble way, to
be the next manager of the Pine Room.
As he has clearly shown, he knows it all.
v Barry Goodson
413 Manly
Absolute and unequivocal
To the editor:
The rallying cry of "thoughtful"
opponents of the Equal Rights
Amendment seems to become the claim
of "uncertainty." ERA is undesirable,
argue opponents, because no one can
predict exactly how the courts will
interpret it.
There is some truth in this claim. It is
never possible to predict exactly how all
courts will interpret any piece of
legislation or Constitutional amendment.
That does not seemxto me to be a
sufficient reason to refrain from
legislating, when there is a real problem
to be addressed.
1 TT flPMm" !l a Sk and ruin J im tSjA
y i cJ "' 0 p
The First Amendment" to the
Constitution contains broad protections
of the freedoms of speech, press, and
religion. Same of the judicial
interpretations of these freedoms, in the
nearly 200 years that they have been
guaranteed, might well have surprised the
original framers of the amendment, but I
see no rush to repeal these sweeping
freedoms. In fact, less broad language
would have proved much less effective;
"freedom of speech except when there is
good reason to deny it" or "freedom of
religion for the following list of churches"
would not have become the same shining
legal lights which now guide our nation.
The same reasoning applies to the
Equal Rights Amendment. Its wording is
absolute and unequivocal, banning
governmental discrimination by sex.
Only such a strongly .phrased
Constitutional amendment has the legal
and symbolic power to firmly enshrine
equality between the sexes as an
unassailable American principle.
Most of the remaining barriers to
equality between women and men in our
society today are economic and social.
They cannot be removed by narrow
revisions of obscure statutes. Only the
declaration of equality between the sexes
as a major American ideal can begin to
remove those barriers. The Equal Rights
Amendment is that declaration.
' Dan Besse
601-D Hibbard Drive
The Great Gliigko
To the editor:
Autumn is nearly Updn US. In the
waning months of the year thoughts turn
to football, good boUfboft, tricks, treats,
long dark nights under the sheets and
falling leaves. It is to the latter that we of
the Order of the Gingko wish to direct
your attention.
Nature begins to slow down; the
exuberant growth of summer starts to
fade and die. However, in its own way,
this is a time of unparalleled beauty as if
the flora of the earth was being
compensated for its enforced
hibernation. With the first brisk nights of
September and October the hues of red,
orange and yellow give the hills of our
area a dazzling, albeit brief, brilliance.
The a one y one, the leaves of the trees
fall to the forest floor. This is an
immutable law of nature for all deciduous
trees save one: the noble Gingko.
The leaves of the Gingko, a tree rich in
Chinese heritage, turn a burnished gold
through late October . and early
November. A select few fall to the ground
gradually. Then, in a single night, all the
remaining leaves fall , to, the ground,
, forming a spectacular golden carpet. This
is the phenomenon which our order seeks
to glorify. .
- The Order of the Gingko is an active,
viable organization. For example, late
last semester our order heroically
defended the Gingko tree. A marvelously
executed counterattack lead by our
military genius (me), removed the
rubbish of occupation left by a renegade
band of art students. In commemoration
of this lusty battle, the Four Tops, O.G.,
have decreed that there will be a Second
Annual Gingko Tree Day. - :
What does all this mean to you?
Celebrate the fall! It is a time of glory for
the land. Nature is preparing for a time of
rest and rejuvenation and we should bid
her a grand farewell. Later this fall, when
you hear of Gingko Tree Day, heed the
call and raise a stein to the glory of the
Gingko in front of New West.
All queries, opinions, or rebuttals
should be written on'a three-by-five note
card addressed to the Order of the
Gingko, co the Grand Bushy-Tailed
Ground Squirrel and placed under a
small rock in the lowest fork of the
Gingko tree. Ground Squirrels will check
the mail daily.
Joel Dunn,
Extra Extreme Grandest
Mulch Excelsior (Four Top)
with aid and consultation from:
! The Grand 'Imperial
Chamsaw Intercepto
and the other three Four Tops
P.S. We cordially invite the Carolina
Circle of Druids to celebrate the coming
of fall.
Air disaster claims ISO lives; railroads stri
ke
ii he WeeCc
By JIM HUMMEL
The worst air disaster in U.S. history took
place in San Diego qn Monday. The incident
involved a Boeing 727 jet that collided with a
small plane driven by a student pilot.
Flaming fragments from the Pacific
Southwest Airlines" plane ignited nearby
houses and businesses. Area residents
desperately tried to douse flames with garden
hoses, causing a cloud of black smoke to
cover the neighborhood.
John O'Donnell, president, of-the Airline
Pilots Association has criticized the Federal
Aviation Administration for not backing
development of special warning equipment.
The equipment is specifically designed to aid
in the prevention of aerial collisions.
O'Donnell has been pushing for a device
that would be installed in aircrafts to give a
pilot immediate knowledge of any possible
threat.
"The FAA, on the other hand, has favored
a system that would rely on computers on the
ground to detect a possible collision and
transmit a warning to the aircraft,1
O'Donnell said.
Recent experience of airline pilots has
shown that the danger of aerial collision is
greatest near airports where there is a mix of
airline transports flying under control from
the ground and others frequently flying
without such control. .
O'Donnell said during approach and
takeoff time the flight crew is atvits peak
workload. Pilots have little time to be looking
out the window and would be better off
having equipment within easy access.
Mrs. John Matthews of Rocky Mount, a
member of North Carolinians Against ERA,
said, "We urge both Helms ani Morgan to
vote against all maneuvers and tactics
designed to tear down the Constitution and
extend the ERA."
As the proposed amendment stands, ERA
itself will fail if 38 states have not ratified by
March 22, 1979. A version of the bill,
approved by the House of Representatives
last month, would extend the deadline
another 39 months.
100,000 morning commuters stranded and
halted the transportation of millions of tons
in freight.
Amtrak reported service along its Boston
to Washington line to be running normally,
but was forced to cancel other; morning
service.
f'e&RT ALLIGATOR fteAJOVefj
tAoeeb li
(aunp)
Earlier this week, Egypt began efforts to
gain Arab support for the Camp David
agreement with Israel, telling Arab
ambassadors in Cairo that the accords are
only the first step in achieving a
comprehensive Mideast settlement.
Meanwhile in Jerusalem, the Israeli
Cabinet gave Prime Minister Menachem
Begin a strong show of support for the
agreements he brought back from the
Maryland mountain resort.
Reports state that Begin argued
"forcefully" in favor of the "framework""
agreements and as a result gained a sizable
majority of 1 1 ministers to back him.
: . i
Others were not as supportive of Begin's
actions. A caravan of demonstrators in cars
and tractors drove through downtown
Jerusalem in protest. The majority of those
involved in the demonstration were from
Israel's Sinai settlements, which are to be
dismantled under the proposed agreement.
Most Arab countries, including Saudi
Arabia and Jordan, have shown reluctance to
support the proposals, specifically objecting
to East Jerusalem not being returned to the
Arabs.
PCB dumpings in North Carolina
continued to be in the news. The three men
charged with dumping the toxic chemical
were freed on Wednesday after spending
nearly a month in jail.
Robert J. Burns, president of Transformer
Sales Co. of Allegheny, N.Y., and his sons
Timothy and Randall, posted $5,000 each
and were released. Difficulties in gaining
release resulted because the three were
indicated on both state and federal counts.
Federal information charged the Burnses
with "knowingly and willfully''' disposing of
PCB in a total of 10 North Carolina counties.
The three face up to $25,000 and a year in jail
on each misdemeanor count. Burns and his
two sons will appear in federal court on Oct. 6
to defend themselves against the charges.
Both opponents and proponents of the .
Equal Rights Amendment this week asked
Sen. Robert Morgan and Sen. Jesse Helms to
expedite action on the ERA deadline,
extension issue.
Almost two-thirds of the nation's major
railroads were shut down Tuesday due to a
strike by the Brotherhood of Railway and
Airline Clerks. Three hundred thirty
thousand of a total half-million railroad
workers honored picket lines, causing service
to stop in every part of the nation except the
heavily travelled Northeast. The strike left
The United States and Soviet Unian began
strategic arms limitations talks on
Wednesday, but failed to outline prospects
for agreement by the end of the year.
"As soon as we can reach an agreement
we'll sign a treaty," said Secretary of State
Cyrus Vance, after meeting with Soviet
Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko.
Vance, however, declined comment about
any possible progress. don't want to
comment about being encouraged or
discouraged at this point," Vance said.
This Saturday the talks will be moved from
the United Nations to Washington with
President - Carter taking charge of the
American team.
Spokespersons are reluctant to project any
optimism, as has been done in the past,
fearing the, forecasts will hot materialize.
Such was the case last year when Carter
predicted a treaty framework within several
weeks that never formed. Gromyko also
refused to express his feelings by declining to
participate in the news conference that
followed the two and a half hour meeting
with Vance.
The major issue to be worked out is a treaty
for "modernization." It would determine how
many new missies the two sides would be
permitted to build during the life of the treaty
and how many existing systems could be
improved.
The House Ethics Committee voted
unanimously this week to recommend that
the House censure Rep Edward Roybal, a
Democrat from California, for his part in the
South Korean influence-buying scandal.
The recommendation stems from findings
that Roybal failed to report properly his
acceptance of $1 ,000 from South Korean rice
dealer Tongsun Park.
Censure : is stronger than a reprimand,
which is the weakest form of punishment for
violations of the House. It requires a
representative to stand in front of the full
House while findings against him are read.
The last House censure to take place was in
1921 against Rep. Thomas Blanton ofTexas,
accused of introducing- an obscene
resolution.
- A six-foot alligator in Wilmington, N.C.,
that started wandering from his home will
soon find itself in a new place altogether.
DTHJocelyn Pettibon"
The alligator, who usually stays in the
drainage pond of a country club, last week
decided to venture out and get a taste of the
real world, not realizing the crowd he would
draw. Thirty very surprised people followed
the alligator down the street as he took in the
local scenery. ;
But, alas, his freedom was short-lived. The
local sheriffs department hastened to the
scene -and promptly escorted the alligator
back to his watery residence. Needless to say,
area residents expressed a certain degree of
concern. Fear of little children being
transformed into appetizers caused
noticeable apprehension from conscientious
parents.
, "He's gotten to the size where he's
frightening," said one parent. A crack team of.
experts in alligator removal has been called in
to aid in the situation. The alligator's
destination is still uncertain.
"We didn't mind having it there because it
wasn't bothering anybody," said . the
president of the country club. "People would
come by and feed it chicken and hot dogs. But
now it's gotten too large for around here."
Meanwhile, no report to date regarding the
gator and the experts as to who's removing
whom or what. ' -
Jim Hummel, a freshman journalism
major from Grafton, Mass., is a staff writer
for the Daily Tar Heel.