North Carolina Newspapers

6fTh8 Oaily Tar HeelTuesday;, September 22, 1981 FalweM Jim Hummel. vJim Susan Mauney. Editor Mark Murrell. Associate Edit JONATHAN RICH. Associate Editor Was EDWINA RALSTON. University Editor JOHN ROYSTER. City Editor CHARLES HERNDON. State and National Editor BETH BURRELL. Nan Editor Clifton Barnes. Spom Editor ' Tom Moore. Arts Editor Keith King. Features Editor SCOTT SHARPE, Photography Editor Ann Peters, sought Editor Chuck James, Ombudsman Stop and go Newcomers to Chapel Hill often are amazed at how pedestrians take control of many busy roads in town, using their right-of-way advantage to brave traffic during rush-hour periods. . At UNC, so the legend goes, a freshman is easily recognized because he is the one who stops and looks before crossing the street. This attitude, though, has led to some accidents, several of which gained publicity last spring when pedestrians were hit by automobiles on Franklin Street. As a result, the N.C. Department of Transportation, on the request of the Chapel Hill Town Council, is in the process of installing a crosswalk signal in front of the NCNB Plaza on Franklin Street, one of the more heavily used paths in town. While expressing its concern for the safety of pedestrians at the crosswalk, the council failed to recognize that installing a light might not be as effective as planners predicted and could hurt the village atmosphere that makes Franklin Street unique. Perhaps the most disturbing fact, however, is that few students knew of the council's intentions and had little say in the proposal, which was originally rejected two years ago and then narrowly passed by a 5-4 vote last spring. The light, which cost the state $6,000, effectively elirninates the last place handicapped and blind students can cross without having to worry about a changing light signal. The Student Government Transportation Committee opposes the light and has requested that students let the committee know whether they sup port the installation of the signal. A Department of Transportation spokesman said Monday his men were working on connecting the signal, but that it was not too late to take the light down. If students do not favor the crosswalk signal they should speak out. A concerted opposition might delay installation or at least make the Town Council reconsider its action. Speech impediment For years television and radio stations have been regulated by laws re stricting their coverage of political events and controversial issues. The Federal Communications Commission's recent declaration against these laws has initiated debate over a sensitive and potentially explosive issue. The laws in question are the equal time and the fairness doctrine. Al though both restrict media coverage, they have different histories and status, and should be treated as such. - - The fairness doctrine, adopted in 1949, states that broadcasters must provide time for contrasting views after airing programs on controversial issues. Created by the FCC to ensure that a then-limited number of radio and TV stations provided balanced coverage of controversial issues, the fairness doctrine is not an established law and could be abolished by the FCC. The fairness doctrine provides the philosophical basis for several regula tions, such as the personal attack and political editorial rules, which stipulate that after any personal attack or political endorsement, a broad caster must provide equal time for rebuttal. Although the fairness doctrine and accompanying rules are well-intentioned, they are now restrictive and outdated. At issue it the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech. Unlike newspapers and magazines, who have complete editorial freedom, TV and radio stations are often hesitant to tackle controversial social or political issues. Despite the legitimate concern of church and labor groups that TV networks will use their power to limit diverse opinions, there now exists a wide-ranging spectrum of TV and radio networks so as to ensure several interpretations of any issue. If anything, repeal of the fairness doc trine should encourage increased editorial comment. , Adopted in 1927, the equal time law states that if a broadcaster airs a message by a political candidate, he must offer an equal opportunity to any opponent. As with the fairness doctrine, much of the controversy hinges on First Amendment rights. Opponents have argued that the Constitution guarantees any individual or organization to express its own views either verbally or through the media. The logical and legal extension of the First Amendment would prohibit any regulation of political coverage or advertisements in the media. The equal time law, however, only ensures that various political candi dates have an equal opportunity to use their freedom of speech. As recent elections have demonstrated, political advertisement can exert tremen dous influence over election results. It is therefore vital that no single can didate be allowed disproportionate advertising time by a sympathetic net work. While the FCC is justified in opposing the fairness doctrine, the equal time law must stand as separate and necessary legislation. The Bottom Line Roving reporter As faithfal reporters of the news, we know that people frequently keep their eyes more on us than on the event we're covering. What else explains why one of the most watched women at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City was not a contestant but a reporter? Obviously impressed with her re porting skills, many spectators kept a close eye on Rita Jenrette, a mild mannered reporter who wrote five columns about the pageant for a Phila delphia newspaper. Jenrette, probably the only reporter ever to be featured topless in Playboy, said she tried to keep a low profile during the pageant. "You won't see too much of me," she said before the pageant. Of course, she said that before she posed for Playboy too. "Journalists always think, that good journalism is go-get-em Mike Wallace- (War mm A year of editorial freedom type journalism. But is it journalism or is it sensationalism?" asked Jenrette, who has been accused of be ing pretty sensational herself. Jenrette was specifically following Miss Texas, Sheri Ryman of Texas City. Speaking on Ryman, Jenrette said, "She is warm and congenial, and, above all, she's no dumb blonde." Neither is Rita Jenrette, of course. All reporters are warm, congenial, and above all, intelligent, perceptive, thoughtful, witty, insightful, etc. The pageant chairman, Albert Marks, said before the pageant that there would be no favoritism for Jenrette. "She'll be treated like any other reporter," he said, because, of course, she is just like any other reporter. People always stare at us, ask us to appear on talk shows and beg for us to do another photo essay in Playboy. And that's the bottom line. By KERRY DeROCHI One day a week, the Rev. Jerry Falwell is seen worldwide leading congregations on the "Old Time Gospel Hour.' As head of the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va., his voice is heard thundering from the pulpit, preaching the gospels of fundamentalist Christians. The six other days, as head of the Moral Majority, Falwell is spokesman for one of the fastest growing political move ments the New Right. He has said re peatedly he does not challenge the tradi tional American separation of politics and religion." But from the rigid stands on abortion, capital punishment and women in combat, the group has been forcing moral issues into the political arena. In Quotes1 "We believe in decency, morality and the family," Falwell said Friday in a press conference in Raleigh. "But nowhere do we believe that we can impose our philo sophy on someone else's lifestyle.... The fundamental meaning of the first amend ment is that every person has the right to speak what he believes as long as it isn't to the hurt of somebody else. 'Abortion today is the issue the civil rights issue of the 1980s and it is not going to go away. There was never a time in the history of a Supreme Court justice hearing when that (abortion) was put to the justice as many times as this time. President Ronald Reagan will tell you that this was the case last year. From here on out if you are going to run for dog cat cher you had better do right on that issue." Not everyone has endorsed the views of the Moral Majority. Falwell said old con servative leaders, including Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., had not joined the movement because they did not want to relinquish their positions at the forefront of the old conservative movement. In stead they idly watch as Sens. Jesse . Helms and John East of North Carolina emerge as the new political leaders, he said. "Sen. Goldwater has every right to say what he says," Falwell said. "One friend on Capitol Hill said, 'Jerry, ignore him, he's senile.' I don't believe that. I really don't believe that. I think the senator is a human being and like the rest of us is re sponding negatively to the fact that the conservative movement, old and new, is now merged. It has passed him. I think when he settles down (he'll) realize he is still a man we all look up to and respect, but that we can't let the movement stop because he refuses to accept new issues that have come onto the scene. "The fact that Goldwater said abortion is not a conservative issue and is secondary to the economy said a lot to conservative people who say, 'Hey, you are missing the mark.' If you would ask him how much mail he's gotten lately and how it runs, we know. He will tell you that the mail has been like 10 to 1 hurtful, and saying 'Hey we love you, we wish you would straighten up on this. We get copies of the letters." Goldwater's criticisms of the New Right, Falwell said, are not indicative of the administration's attitude. As a cham pion of moral issues, Reagan has asked leaders of the New Right to have patience while he concentrates on the economy, Falwell said. Once Congress approves his budget programs, Reagan will turn his at tention again to the social issues, Falwell said. Letters to the editor SU1W9 amazes reader To the editor: The DTH continues to amaze me with its one-sided approach to the problems of the Middle East. While the Begin govern ment definitely warrants criticism, it is er roneous to place criticism solely on it. As the DTH would leave you to believe, there are no other players in the game of Middle Eastern politics. In the editorial, "Clouded issues" (DTH, Sept. 17), the DTH has failed to either recognize or get through all the clouds. While it acknowledges the reality of the Soviet threat in the Middle East, it ques tions the anti-Soviet strategy that the United States is now pursuing with Israel. Stockpiling medical supplies in Israel as well as entering into joint naval manuevers represents nothing when one considers the hundreds of military personnel already in Saudi Arabia and the joint military ma nuevers in Egypt last year. Does the DTH question these events, or even the proposed sale of AWACS radar planes to Saudi Arabia, which would fur ther commit U.S. personnel? The answer is simple it does not. The DTH docs not even entertain the "arms for oil" issue. Neither does it dare to write of Egyptian '. President Anwar Sadat's recent crackdown of religious and political opposition in Egypt. There are still more clouds not men tioned. The editorial points to the solving of political conflicts as a key to "an over all strategy to secure peace in the Middle East." While absolutely correct, the DTH only mentions Begin "Reagan must let Begin know soon...." Why cannot Reagan" also let the so-called moderate monarchs of Jordan and Saudi Arabia know that they play an equally important role in the pro cess toward peace? These countries are also a part of the political obstacles and hopes for an overall solution. It is unfair for the DTH to cloud further the already complicated issues by blinding ( ' V i : S;S;:::fc::; : J Jerry Falwell . " Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell spoke recently in Raleigh. The Baptist minister concentrated on the unity of the conser vative movement. (Staff photos by Scott Sharpe) 'We do believe the president's commit ment is real," Falwell said. "We believe the majority of the Senate and perhaps a majority in the House is there to work with us. By the end of next year, 1982, the majority will be much larger in the House and Senate, in my opinion. "I think Americans can join hands to gether on shared moral issues," Falwell said. "The problems we have had is that liberals have always been able to do that. They may be fighting each other all year long, but when it comes time to elect a candidate or support a program, they will lay down their arms, join hands and win. Conservatives have always had the ten dency of shooting their own wounded. We can't agree on everything, so we won't do anything together. "That's changed. As a matter of fact, it has changed so rapidly in the last five years especially the last two years that it has frightened everybody. The rea son why we have so many people scream ing bloody murder is that we've put to gether a coalition the largest such co alition numerically ever put together." The opposition to the New Right, Fal well said, has played into the hands of the Moral Majority leaders. Leading liberals in and out of government have attacked the group, but their sharp criticism has only fostered steady growth in the organi zation, he said. our chance to attain a total perspective; furthermore, it is poor quality, yet typical journalism. Let's give the conflicts involved their proper due. Cutting off one side from the discussion will only force the other to react negatively, and what hope for a solu tion lies in that approach? If the DTH is to try to see through the clouds, it should not turn back when it sees a black one. Moreover, it has a moral obligation to its readers to stay informed and to present the issues in their entirety. Michael Kimerling . Chapel Hill Card clarification To the editor: In regard to Joey Roberson's comments on the University of California at Los Angeles card section in "Frat brothers use computer for card tricks" (DTH, Sept. 17), we would like to clarify the situation. There are no reserved student seats for UCLA football games. Hence, students must wait up to four hours before the start of football games to get good seats. The most cherished seats are those located in the famed UCLA card section. Students in this section are the first to arrive and not just freshmen, as was er roneously stated. As veterans of many card stunts we can say that they were co cordinated very well because of the efforts of the Rally Committee. We saw what it was we were spelling or drawing out because each stunt was pic tured in miniature on the field. Each stunt was numbered and students were given in structions at halftime as to what colors to hold up as the numbers were called out. Intricate stunts, such as the blue-and-gold spell-out of UCLA, were accomplish ed by counting off written numbers by a i V f .. -: "I told Time magazine this the other day," Falwell said. "If we wrote the script for the enemy if we had written the script, they couldn't have been playing it any better. Because they are vicious, unfounded, distorted attacks upon the Moral Majority. And they are the number one catalyst for our growth. "Norman Lear and George McGovern, more than any other two persons, have helped the Moral Majority become the force it is. Norman Lear, he's such a hypocrite. You know, he is the Hugh Hefner of television. He had planned to do for television what Hugh Hefner had done'for the publishing industry any thing goes. He pretty well came close to doing that Maude, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. I mean the scenarios were getting more vulgar all the time. "Suddenly here comes a coalition for better television. And here is America standing up, saying 'Hey, we don't want a cesspool in our living rooms. We're not talking about Ozzie and Harriet. We're talking about decency, four-letter words and bedroom scenes. "Boom. 110 industries agree with us and Norman Lear is out of business. His problem is an economic one. If he would just be honest and admit that. His pro blem is that we've cut him off at the pass. He's going to have to create some decent programs and that bothers him. "George McGovern is unemployed. So he makes a nice $5,000 speech to attack with slanted member of the Rally Committee. Hence, we achieved a flowing effect, one that we are quite famous for and very proud of. Thank you for the opportunity to set the record straight. Vic Sison Larry Berman UCLA Class of 1981 Tar Heel Manor P-6 Poor drinkers To the editor: You publish a letter from the Student Legal Services warning us not to drink in public, "Public consumption of alcohol is not legal" (DTH, Sept. 17). Well and good. But you also publish an article tell ing us that tailgate parties are fun. They sure are. But suppose that I am offered a drink at a tailgate party. Am I breaking the law? And if so, are the police letting me off because I'm drinking with rich alumni, who love the Carolina cult, and not with poor students who come here to study? T.H.Shand 666 Craige Thoughtful questions To the editor: I am 89 years old and have had great consolation and benefit from the follow ing list of thought questions. I graduated from UNC in 1917. When we were assem bled in Memorial Hall for the graduation exercises, each member of the class got his diploma and also received the list of ques tions typed on a separate sheet of paper. It was simply specified as a gift from Dr. M.H. Stacy who was dean at that time. There were no quotation marks and I would guess it was the personal work of Dr. Stacy. v 0 y V y H H ..,111 II mimixm''- -v,;v,r:Y:. ;:-X;:X ' : ft? ,: :? :i l-iiS K y-::--.;;ii:::-&-:: :;&;:: ':' : v . .';..: . :: ':::'.': . .:'" ' :-. .: :.:'.::: If V ) i . the Moral Majority. If we can help it he will remain unemployed for a while." Falwell has said that his organization believes in the separation of church and state. His message is directed toward spurring people of different religious backgrounds to actively participate in moral issues. His organization, he said, is open to all persons concerned with the effects of liberalism which has lead to forced busing, federally-funded abortions and the destruction of the traditional family. "Whether you like it or not, every American all 226 million of us is a member of a fraternity called citizenship in the United States of America," Falwell said. "We're not there on theological agreements; we are there on political agreements. We agree this is the country in which we want to hold our citizenship. "Why can we not as citizens, not on any theological premise, but purely on our commitment to the United States of America to the cause of freedom and shared moral values come together as citizens? Not as Christians, not as Jews, not as Mormons. As citizens. And fight the battle together while still retaining our integrity and distinctiveness religiously. "That's exactly what we're doing." Kerry DeRochi, a junior journalism and English major from Greensboro, is a staff writer for The Daily Tar Heel. approach The thought came to me that it would be a fitting memorial to Dr. Stacy to let it be included in some of yoiir material for publication. I also thought it might bene fit others. ,. Has education given you sympathy with all good causes and made you eager to espouse them? 2. Has it made you public-spirited? 3. Has it made you a brother to the weak? 4. Have you learned to make friends and keep them? Do you know what it is to be a friend yourself? 5. Can you look an honest man or a pure woman straight in the eye? 6. Do you see anything to love in a little child? 7. Will a lonely dog follow you in the street? 8. Can you be high-minded and happy in the meaner drudgeries of life? 9. Do you think washing dishes or hoeing corn just as compatible with high thinking as piano playing or golf? 10. Are you good for anything to your self? Can you be happy alone? 11. Can you look out on the world and see anything except dollars and cents? 12. Can you look into a mud puddle by the wayside and see the clear sky? 13. Can you see anything in the puddle but mud? 14. Can you look into the sky at night and see beyond the stars? 15. Can your soul claim relationship with the Creator? M. Herbert Randolph Lexington