The Daily Tar HeelMonday, March 28, 198811
Opinion
Cammpius
TTT-a-r-k-i-n-g has become a dirty
-seven-letter word on this cam
Ji. pus. The thought of finding a
legal, or even do-it-yourself, parking
space puts everyone in a frenzy.
It's no wonder. The hypocrisies of
campus parking are endless.
Let's start with the new traffic
office located in the parking lot of
Morrison Dorm. Have you noticed
that more than a dozen spaces line
the front and side of the building?
Have you also noticed that each spot
is adorned with a pretty sign that says
"State-owned Vehicles Only?
There is not a single space allotted
for guests, visitors or even patrons
(those of you who have racked up
a quite a few tickets already qualify).
So where are you supposed to park?
e co aim
If you asked a social worker 25
years ago what the state of the
homeless was in the United
States, he would have answered in
terms of the number of children in
foster homes, or how many runaways
were on the road. But the meaning
of the word has changed, and so have
the people it describes.
Americans could ignore the prob
lem in 1960, or even in 1970, because
the homeless weren't considered
people worth saving. The old woman
talking to herself on a park bench,
carrying her house in a shopping bag,
wasn't thought of as a victim of the
economy, but rather as a mentally
deranged woman who needed psychi
atric help.
Indeed, the casual observer had
cause to feel this way. The period
from 1960 and 1980 was one of
"forced emancipation" of America's
mentally ill. As mental institutions
became overcrowded, patients were
regularly dropped off on street
corners with the direction, "Go and
make a good life for yourself." But
the rest of society did not greet them
with open arms. Jobs don't come easy
for people with grade school educa
tions, and neither does sympathy.
Experts estimate the number of
people sleeping in cardboard boxes
and huddling over street vents to be
as high as three million. But in 1988,
those three million are not all psy-
lb
It doesn't matter how you shred it,
patriotism is no shield from the I
ast summer, Lt. Col. Oliver
North bounded into living
rooms across the country,
generating the most exciting day
time television drama since Luke
and Laura's wedding.
Housewives didnt mind that the
Congressional hearings pre
empted their soaps. They wanted
to hear Ollie tell his story in a real
life daytime drama. For the better
part of a week, he stood proud
against the Congressional panel,
made no excuses for his actions
and spewed forth a novel of
patriotic rhetoric in his defense.
Americans ate it up. Ollie T
shirts and posters became the
latest get-rich-quick schemes. And
G.I. hair cuts were the fashion rage
of the summer. Some people went
so far as to proclaim, "Ollie for
president!"
But others weren't impressed
A little more than a week ago,
special prosecutor Lawrence
Walsh and a federal grand jury
indicted North, former National
Security Adviser John Poindexter,
retired Air Force Maj. Gcr.
Richard Secord and businessman
Albert Hakim on 16 criminal
counts, including conspiring to
defraud the U.S. govermrient of
$17 million.
A few days later, North
announced he would retire from
parairag:
Felisa Neuringer
Staff Writer
Check out this scenario. After
receiving the late-fee notice, you
decide it's time to go down to the
traffic office and appeal your ticket.
The clerk tells you that your appeal
will pass when pigs fly, so you go
ahead and pay the fine.
When you come out of the office,
you find another ticket slapped on
your windshield (keep in mind that
parking in the Morrison lot requires
a permit). So now you must go back
in the building to appeal a ticket you
received while appealing a ticket!
Dan Morrison
Guest Writer
chotic. Instead, a growing number
simply cannot afford to live decently.
Next to the confused old lady on
the park bench now sits a bankrupt
Indiana farmer who once helped to
put meat and potatoes on thousands
of American tables. Beside him is a
76-year-old retiree who spent his last
dime keeping his wife alive on a heart
respirator machine. Next to him is
a single mother with three children.
A 1986 artice in Society Magazfhe
entitled "The New Poor" claims- that
early in this century, the poor were
largely uneducated immigrants with
little job training. Today, the ethnic
barrier has been broken. The article
points out that "the new poor are a
much less homogeneous group that
includes structurally unemployed
persons, young people whose:
upwardly mobile opportunities have:
been closed off, the mentally ill, andl
the 'voluntary poor.' "
The Society article also points to
the reduction in affordable housing.
Between 1971 and 1978, the number
of single-room dwellings in New York
City fell from 170,000 to 14,000
because of "tax abatements and
- condo conversion." The recent migra
GARBfGE.EWS.GElL
Brian Long
Guest Writer
the Marine Corps May 1, after 20
years of service. He said he was
leaving because he didn't want his
military position to interfere with
possible subpoenas of "the
highest-ranking officials." Some
folks on Capitol Hill have spec
ulated that the officials North
referred to include President
Reagan. Many think North is
using the threat of subpoena to
persuade Reagan to pardon him.
Maybe North has started to
realize that you can't use patriot
ism to dodge the law. Ollie was
a hero. But Lt. Col. North broke
the law. At least that's what the
charges say. And vague affirma
tions of patriotism aren't enough
to defend North against those
charges.
These events open up a whole
new chapter in the Iran-contra
story. Ollie is still looking for a
way out, and hopes he can find
one before the whole thing ever
goes to trial. He just might. Special
prosecutor Walsh has to prove in
preliminary hearings that the
evidence he used to attain the.
gmmg
a bu ireatuicir alloc adlveonttyire far a
Is there no justice in this world?
Next . . . Student Health Services.
Most people must be deathly ill or
severely injured before they will
venture down to Student Health. And
most people, with 103-degree fevers,
hives, stomach cramps, concussions
or sprained ankles are in no condition
to walk. The logical solution would
be to drive.
Well, there is an inadequate
number of spaces to accommodate
the patients. If you are lucky enough
to get one of the coveted spots, you
must get a permit from Student
Health to park there.
Limping or crawling into the
building, you wait to get the special
permit and go back outside to put
it on your car. By then, the parking
face of the. homnielless
tion of yuppies from the suburbs to
the city will exacerbate the problem,
as the price of housing skyrockets.
Who are the "voluntary poor" ?
Society says they are "remnants of
the '60s counterculture, who shun the
traditional American life and are
drawn to the simplicity of street life."
Included are people like 40-year-old
Joyce Brown, a former stenographer
who is now involved in a heated legal
suit against the city of New York for
taking her off the Streets against her
will. Her case brings to light a major
difference between the American
homeless and their brethren in foreign
countries.
The United States is the only
country in the world where a citizen
has a legal right to live on the street
if he chooses. If an unemployed auto
worker with no family and few skills
decides to set up camp on a street
next to a Chicago dry cleaners, he
can do so. If a college drop-out is
interested in doing some soul
searching while living like a pauper
outside a bus station, the Constitu
tion is behind him.
The Latin American poor are poor
only by our standards. Since we see
pictures of them barefoot and car
rying heavy baskets down dirt roads,
we assume they are "poor." Actually,
most don't realize they are poor until
some American Peace Corps worker
brings it to their attention. In this
indictments wasnt taken from last
year's Congressional hearings.
Since all of the defendants except
Secord testified under a grant of
limited immunity, their Congres
sional testimony can't be used
against them in court.
But if Walsh survives the pre
liminary hearings and a court date
is set, North will either have to
look to the president for a pardon
or take his chances before a jury.
Some people wonder if Reagan
would pardon North. One aide
said any pardon most likely would
come after the 1988 presidential
election on November 8.
If North ends up in court, he
probably will wear a conservative
suit similar to the one he wore last
Thursday, when he pleaded inno
cent to all charges. Gone will be
the dress uniform and the medals.
And gone will be the rhetoric that
so many people fell for last
summer.
Ollie has said, "I will never give
up. I will win." But if he doesn't
start coming ur with more than
red, white and blue answers, he
could end up wearing a different
uniform.
Brian Long is a senior journal
ism major from Kemersyille.
officials have had just enough time
to give you a ticket. You immediately
forget about your current ailment and
run inside to be treated for a sudden
burst of high blood pressure or
nausea.
If you are lucky enough to have
an on-cdmpus permit, do you find
yourself planning your entire life
around parking your car? I know I
do.
I calculate precisely the amount of
time it will take me to go grocery
shopping. Then, I wait to leave until
the traffic has thinned out, increasing
the chance that a space will be open
when I return. But planning ahead
rarely works. Time and time again,
I drive around and around my lot
searching for a space.
sense, these people make up a major
ity. The American poor are a different
breed they are a minority.
Latin American poor have been
sensitized to a life of poverty from
birth. Ninety-nine percent of them
will always be poor. But that's not
the way it works in the United States.
It is assumed that everyone has an
opportunity to improve himself if he
wills it.
For the materially poor Colombian
who picks coffee for a living, poverty
is a familiar bedfellow. For the
American blue-collar worker who
once brought home $200 a week and
is now unemployed, the thought of
poverty hits hard. The coffee picker
has few expectations placed on him
by his society. If he was born into
a coffee-picking family, he will pick
coffee.
An American, on the other hand,
has choices. He is expected to rise
as high as his God-given talents can
take him, and anything short of that
is often considered a failure. The
Colombian picker has nothing to lose
and everything to gain. In this sense,
the "new" American homeless are
different than anyone in the world.
The term "homeless" no longer
refers to neglected children, or to the
mentally deranged. True, a majority
of the estimated three million people
walking our streets have a history of
alcohol and drug abuse, as well as
Jackson is
As Jesse himself might elo
quently state, "the Rainbow
Coalition continues to grow
and continues to flourish." Who
would have thought it possible a
month ago, even a week ago? The
Rev. Jackson solidified his position
as a frontrunner with an impressive
first-place showing in Saturday's
important Michigan caucuses.
Jackson garnered an impressive 42
percent of the vote, much of it coming
from the vast urban masses in Detroit
seven points ahead of Michael
Dukakis. The most welcome news is
that Missouri congressman Richard
Gephardt, desperate to recapture the
momentum that he lost in Iowa,
finished in third place with a paltry
16 percent of the vote.
Many feel that Gephardt, who had
been campaigning on a ludicrous
though well-received platform of
international trade retaliation, will,
mercifully, exit the race as a result
of his poor showing. Said a Gephardt
spokesman, "The congressman will
face his decision with dispatch. We
will not drag this thing out like
(Senator Robert) Dole."
The reasons for the Dukakis slump
he has yet to capture a major state
since peaking on "Super Tuesday"
are varied. In Michigan, his message
was the same tactically-narrow argu
ment that he is the most electable
Democrat. In addition, after oppos
ing any sort of trade restrictions for
the past 10 months, Dukakis sud
denly changed his mind. This flip-flop
was a blunt attempt to cash in on
the blue-collar vote, a move for which
he was severely criticized in editorials
Religious beliefs exist to be questioned
M
"other Theresa, Jim Bakker,
the Ayatollah Khomeini,
.Billy Graham, Jimmy
Swaggart, Pope John Paul II, Pat
Robertson and Bishop Desmond
Tutu. What do you think about when
you read these names? Most likely
you are thinking of them in some way
associated with God. How does the
issue of God play a part in our lives,
our thinking, our education? Is God
an issue on our campus?
I asked several students this ques
tion, and the response was very
interesting. Many of those who
consider themselves religious felt that
God is not an issue on campus. But
those who claim no religious interest
said God soften came up in their
conversations. Some said people got
too emotional or felt threatened when
they spoke about God. .
Why should the issue of God be
Suddenly, I am overcome with
panic. I know my Stouffer's spaghetti
will be mush, my blueberry Dannon
yogurt will liquify and my frozen
bagels will be sponge-like if I don't
park soon. I finally find a spot and
run to my dorm, praying that I can
salvage my perishable goods.
Imagine the poor souls who live
off-campus. Try returning library
books or delivering a term paper. Isnt
a late fee from Davis or one-letter-grade-lower
on a paper punishment
enough? Who needs the hassle of
finding a parking space, or even
worse, getting a ticket?
The University should designate
some "10-minute limit" parking
spaces for those people who only need
to run quick errands on campus.
mental disorders. But among their
ranks is a growing number of eco
nomic misfits single adults and
entire families, who either by their
own doing or by forces beyond their
control, have fallen through the
cracks. Their plight makes headlines,
a serious
Dave Hall
Staff Writer
throughout the state.
However, the day clearly belonged
to Jackson, as he continues to
.surprise the experts with his astound
ing success. Many contend that
Jackson is "unelectable," a euphem
ism for the belief that a black man
cannot become president. Yet the
facts steadily refute that homily. Ann
Lewis, a Democratic strategist and
Jackson campaign aide, recently
stated: "People have for five years
been speaking of Jesse as a short-lived
political phenomenon and meanwhile
he has become a well-grounded
national presence."
The Jackson campaign fills a void
that the other candidates refuse to
enter. Jackson is a neo-populist
whose message appeals to the poor
be they black or white and to
those who feel helpless against the
tyrannical whip of multi-national
corporations and the hypocritical and
insensitive acts of the Reagan admin-
, istration. Texas Agricultural Com
missioner Jim Hightower has said:
"The fact that Jesse Jackson is getting
the vote is a very strong testament
to his message. People have had to
overcome their racism, their fear that
Jackson is a radical, or their doubts
that Jackson cannot win the nomi
nation in order to cast that vote."
Jackson also is the only candidate
to touch on the drug issue effectively
which is surprising, given the
Charles Balan
Guest Writer
relevant to us? When we discuss God,
we broaden our minds, learn to
understand different viewpoints, and
redefine and focus our own beliefs
and value systems. This is what
education is all about. Much of the
classic liberal arts education focuses
around belief systems. We should not
be afraid to broach a topic just
because someone feels strongly about
it. People feel strongly about sex and
politics, but they are common topics.
I hold strong beliefs about God,
yet I am not afraid to be asked or
questioned about them. An open
discussion can help people to under
stand and respect each other, as long
I am thankful for small miracles.
I do have a parking permit on North
Campus (for what it's worth) and
have managed to escape with only
one ticket this year so far.
I could go on forever, but I won't.
While pondering all of the trials
and tribulations of parking on cam
pus, I did come up with one thought
that actually made sense. IH share it
with you.
Take the word P-A-R-K, spell it
backwards, and youH have what the
entire system is full of . . . How
fitting.
Assistant Managing Editor Felisa
Neuringer is a junior journalism
major from Swannanoa.
and exposes a gaping wound in
American society that demands more
than a mere Band-Aid.
Dan Morrison is a junior American:,
studies major from Detroit. f , . "
con tender
amount of popular hysteria focused
on the crack epidemic. This issue was
particularly poignant for the inner
city residents of Detroit, who have
suffered the consequences of escalat
ing drug-related violence.
For months, the media, at a loss
to explain Jackson's success, have
relentlessly pondered the question,
"What does Jesse Want?" The .view
is that he cannot win the nomination
and thus must concentrate on win
ning a voice in the Democratic party
for minorities.
Such talk detracts from the view
that Jackson is serious about winning
the nomination. Arkansas Govenor
Bill Clinton said: "All of this focus
on what he wants is too narrow a
focus. He speaks for a lot of people
who don't have a voice. And he does
it in a way that doesn't drive people
from the party."
That last statement is key, as it'
demonstrates the evolution of the
Jackson political strategy. The 1984
effort was an ad hoc coalition of -disgruntled
party outsiders, who
sought to make the party more
liberal. This year, Jackson's platform ;
is much less divisive, turning fewer
people away from the party. Accord-
lug iu a n uuuigiuu m. wi -.
Jackson's negative rating has declined :
from 45 percent in January to 30
percent just last week. It is likely that ; 'j
it will decline even further as Jack- ;
son's momentum builds. I
Dave Hall is a sophomore history
major from Atlanta.
as they do not try to force their beliefs
upon others. We can learn so much
from each other when we discuss our ;
different beliefs. What motivates us, ;
what is important in our lives, why ;
we believe what we do and what part ;
-.1 - 1 r :i ..mi.r.m. 1nt(i
our cuuiic anu iuuuv utmatt uio;
in our belief system.
A few years ago, a movie came out
entitled uOh God " In it. a little art
launched .an advertising campaign
that asked people to "Think God."
I would also like to propose that
we not be afraid to discuss God with
our friends and classmates. .We share
our opinions about food, clothing, ,
music and the opposite sex, so why
not God
Charles Balan is a junior interdis
ciplinary studies major from Merritt ,
Island, Fla.