10The Daily Tar HeelTuesday, September 12, 1989
From im IvW-Wfte-Sra-ON-THB-Sub jeer Dept.'
Ed Davis Announces his NW
97th year of editorial freedom
PROPOSAL TO GET MQHBi
Sharon Kebschull, Editor
WILLIAM TaGGART, Managing Editor
MARY Jo DunninGTON, Editorial Page Editor JULIA COON, News Editor
JUSTIN McGuiRE, University Editor JENNY CLONINGER, University Editor
TAMMY BlaCKARD, State and National Editor CHARLES BRITTAIN, City Editor
TOM PARKS, Business Editor CARA BONNETT, Arts and Features Editor
Dave Glenn, Sports Editor Kelly Thompson, Omnibus Editor
MELANIE BLACK, Design Editor KlM AVETTA, Design Editor
DAVID SUROWIECKI, Photography Editor
Home needs house
AIDS patients have a right to shelter
HERE'S THE
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For most people, -it
is difficult to sym
pathize with a person
or group who cannot
board
opinion
or chooses not to conform to the accepted
norms of society. Despite this lack of
understanding, this country's supposed
freedom and fair representation make it
unacceptable to deny fellow humans suf
fering from the AIDS virus a place to live
and to be cared for yet this is what the
residents of a Chapel Hill neighborhood
are doing in response to a proposed AIDS
house in their neighborhood for up to four
AIDS patients.
A task force of local churches has initi
ated a study to examine the possibility of
establishing a shelter in a Chapel Hill neigh
borhood for homeless AIDS patients. The
task force held a town meeting, inviting the
residents from the proposed neighborhood
for the house to offer their opinions about
the shelter. Unfortunately, the task force's
plan was met with fear from the residents,
who suggested their families would be
infected with the disease by simply living
close to the patients. Some of the residents
expressed fears of the AIDS patients care
lessly throwing hypodermic needles out of
the windows and then inviting the neigh
borhood kids over to play. One resident
was worried about the proposed home's
old septic tank, fearing the disease could
somehow creep into the sewage system.
How alarming that even after all the
Doing better business
Make companies socially conscious
There's an interesting trend going on in the to raising awareness about the company's role
business world. It doesn't have anything to do in the community. "The 1990s will be an era
with billion-dollar leveraged buyouts, innova- where consumers, investors and corporate lead-
tive advertising strategies or the latest ways to ers push for more social responsibility, particu
increase profits. It does have to do with con
sumers, investors and business leaders who are,
more and more frequently, subscribing to the
idea of corporate responsibility. And it's a
trend we should all encourage.
Consumers have already taken a stand on
numerous issues. Due
to pressure which i i i i
even took the form of Companies SllOUICl DC
Hollywood's Meryl
streep-apple grow- encouraged to sponsor
ers have largely
stopped using the nrnnrqmc wViiVi hotto
chemical Alar, which
was linked to increased .
cancer risks for chil- SOCiety
dren. Avon Products, mmmmmmmmam
no doubt influenced by
animal rights activists, announced in June that
it would stop experiments that involve the
injection of dyes into rabbits' eyes. The maker
of Raid, S.C. Johnson, has acknowledged a
growing concern for the environment by ban
ning chloroflourocarbons from its products.
Investors, too, have begun to use social cri
teria, rather than just performance, to decide
where to put their money. As reported in Time
magazine in July, investments in socially con
scious funds today total around $500 billion,
compared to $40 billion five years ago.
The trend is an important one, according to
Leslie Gottlieb of the Council on Economic
Priorities, a non-profit organization committed
As you can tell by the letters to the editor and
today's front page article, our readers were
more than a little upset by the Playboy adver
tising insert that ran in Friday's paper. It
was, to many students, offensive and de
grading to women. But there is much more to
the issue than meets the eye, and I'd like to
explain the background to this ad, and to ads
in general.
The DTH does reserve the right to reject
ads which it considers objectionable and ads
that discriminate on the basis of race, color,
creed or sex. To some readers, that may be
enough of a reason to reject the Playboy ad.
But the ad does not discriminate on the basis
of sex you may still find it objectionable,
but that's a value judgment that's difficult to
make. To other readers, Playboy is a main
stream magazine, and nothing to get too
upset about.
It is also important for readers to understand
who does the rejecting here. At smaller cam-.
pus papers, the editor may be in charge of the
ad staff as well as the reporters, but the DTH
keeps the departments separate. The editor-in-chief
has some control over ads, but desk
editors are not consulted in deciding what ads
to run.
There are valid reasons for running the ad
it promotes the flow of ideas, it's better to
run it than try to make value judgments about
it, and to not run it is to censor it Also, Play-
pamphlets and news articles and discus
sions explaining the AIDS virus, people
are so ignorant as to believe that they can
contract the disease from living near the
septic tank. The AIDS virus is still a great
mystery to the medical world, but there is
no evidence to suggest that the disease
survives by any means other than through
direct exchanges of bodily fluids.
The home would serve a dual purpose:
to shelter homeless, terminally ill patients,
and to provide easy access to the hospital
for treatment and research. So while these
neighborhood residents argue against the
home for fear of getting the disease, they
are simultaneously restricting progress by
preventing research on the virus. And the
task forcepromises constant supervision
and detailed planning before the house
becomes a reality.
Although the home could be used for
something else, shelters for AIDS pa
tients are badly needed. Communities all
over the area must discuss the issue, not
only residents in the Chapel Hill neigh
borhoods. Because the Triangle has supe
rior medical facilities, keeping AIDS
patients in the area is he most practical
situation.
The task force will hold another town
meeting Oct. 6. We hope local residents
will reconsider their arguments before
medical progress is halted because of their
ignorant fears.
larly in the area of the environment," she said.
The council is responsible for several pub
lications, which include "Shopping for a Better
World: A Quick and Easy Guide to Socially
Responsible Supermarket Shopping." .The
guide rates more than
1 ,300 household items
according to various
social criteria, such as
charitable giving, mi
nority advancement,
defense contracts and
community outreach.
More than 300,000
copies have already
been purchased by
mmmmm concerned consumers,
who are now buying products such as Prego
spaghetti sauce, Newman's Own salad dress
ing, Crest toothpaste and Folger's coffee, all of
which are made by highly-rated, socially re
sponsible companies.
Americans would do well to heed the coun
cil's words. As some of the wealthiest and most
powerful members of communities, companies
shouldbe encouraged to sponsor programs and
policies which contribute to bettering society.
And consumers and investors, who have the
power of the purse strings on their side, need to
provide the necessary encouragement by choos
ing their purchases and investments carefully.
Mary Jo Dunnington
the last word i
boy is sold in the Student Stores and is available
in the library two good reasons to run the ad.
And while readers may find the magazine ob
scene, the ad was not.
Readers have also said they were surprised
. to see the ad in a paper with a female editor.
But we are adamantly opposed to imposing
editorial stances on the advertising depart
ment it's Very important to keep them
separate, or we could decide to reject all sorts
of ads we object to for no good reason.
At the same time, the argument that a news
paper should be socially responsible in decid
ing what ads to run is well-taken. Even if the ad
does not hurt women directly, it may contribute
to the degradation of women and add to violent
attitudes against women. It's easy to argue that
I should allow the ad as I would allow similar
views to be expressed in a letter, it's also valid
to point out that the paper does not make money
from a letter and that this sort of promotion of
an idea does not fall under the same protection.
While I dislike Playboy intensely, I'm not
going to apologize for running the ad. I am
sorry that people are upset, but First Amend
ment issues are always sticky, and it can be hard
to decide which side's valid arguments should
carry the most weight. I don't have a pat answer
it's not a clear-cut issue. The most I can say
is that I'm glad it has people talking. That, after
all, is what the marketplace of ideas is all about.
Sharon Kebschull
Bush most
As expected, F.W. de Klerk was elected
president of South Africa last week, and his
National Party managed to win 93 out of 166
white Assembly seats despite taking its worst
beating in 40 years. Liberal parties gained 12
seats and conservatives gained 17 seats in the
dominant house of South Africa's three-chambered
Parliament.
Many South Africans and outside observ
ers, including President Bush and State De
partment officials, view de Klerk's presidency
as a sign of improved race relations and the
eventual destruction of apartheid. His verbal
departure from the policies of former Presi
dent P.W. Botha have led some to believe he
will actively reform the oppressive conditions
in South Africa.
Only time will tell. But time is running out
and the chance for peaceful change erodes
daily. De Klerk's actions to date have shown
no move toward improved race relations in
South Africa. What's just as frustrating from
an American perspective is the lack of sub
stantive American response to the problem. It
seems that George Bush, the self-appointed
Prince of Diplomatic Pressure, has abandoned
the throne.
The domestic situation in South Africa is
indisputably" horrendous. Despite de Klerk's
promise to eliminate discrimination and cre
ate a society free of racial domination, blatant
oppression continues. Last week's elections
are a vivid example of the mockery the ruling
Nationalist Party makes of democracy. Not
only did the government count the vote of the
minority (whites account for about 16 percent
of the population) to be a mandate for change
it brutally suppressed the protests of the
black majority.
Playboy out of place
in college papers
To the editor:
Upon opening a copy of the
Daily Tar Heel on Friday, I found
a full-color advertisement insert
for Playboy magazine staring me
in the face. I found it to be offend
ing and in rather poor taste. Maga
zines such as Playboy exploit
women on the basis of their sexu
ality. I feel that a college newspa
per is not the place for advertise
ments of this nature.
MAUREEN A KILCOMONS
Graduate
Chemistry
DTH irresponsible
to run Playboy ad
To the editor:
I have felt compelled at times to
Phoenix not
Editor's note: Hudson is the co-editor of
The Catalyst, and Woodliefis the senior editor
of The Carolina Critic.
To the editor:
The editors of The Phoenix and the Cellar
Door have requested nearly $30,000 from
Student Congress to pay for the acquisition of
an absurd wish list of state-of-the-art equip
ment for desktop publishing. The chief argu
ment for this appropriation of student fees is
that the new equipment will improve the quan
tity of small publications at UNC, which,
according to Phoenix editor Ed Davis, "are
still in the Stone Age." In addition, by eventu
ally slowing the flow of money from the
students' pocketbooks to The Phoenix's front
door, the publishing system will "save" the
students $30,000 over 10 years.
We" contend that the only UNC publication
still is the Stone Age is The Phoenix. We
represent two student publications. The Cata
lyst and The Carolina Critic that Mr. Davis
never bothered to consult before assuming the
right to speak for all small publications. We
put out a quality product using our own re
sources, along with facilities already available
to all students, and we do it without a dime of
student money. In contrast, The Phoenix, which
already receives nearly $20,000 of your stu
dent fees a year, is poorly written, uninspired
act on Sooth
Chris Landgraff
Staff Columnist
The reports are grisly. Anglican Archbishop
Desmond Tutu claims at least 23 blacks were
killed in election day violence. The govern
ment disputes this figure but admits that 15
bodies have been brought to the morgue.
Officials claim the blacks killed each other in
factional violence. Regardless of the number
killed, the unnecessary violence discredits de
Klerk's reformist rhetoric. Police officers
indiscriminately beat marchers and protest
ers. They unleashed water cannons, attack
dogs and guns with rubber pellets on peaceful
gatherings. They released attack dogs on a
group of blacks marching to an all-white beach.
A police officer told the press of an incident in
which police officers beat school children
with rubber nightsticks to disperse their peace
ful demonstration. In Mitchell's Plain, South
Africa, an ambulance drove into an area of
gathering blacks under the guise of assisting a
hurt person. Riot police emptied from the
'Trojan Horse" ambulance and beat random
people in the crowd with wood clubs.
De Klerk announced a five-year plan of
action in June. This plan will supposedly
bring an end to racial strife, but three months
after the announcement, the police continued
to use attack dogs against peaceful protesters.
The vagueness of de Klerk's plans is
matched by the void rhetoric of the United
States. Bush seems encouraged by de Klerk's
election and the State Department calls the re
Readers9 Forum
write a letter to the editor, but
never so much as Friday when I
opened the DTH only to see a
flyer fall to the floor. The flyer
was an advertising supplement
offering subscriptions to Playboy
magazine.
I don't intend to preach, and I
don't want to alienate the men
reading this letter. I simply dis
agree with the inclusion of the
Playboy supplement. Granted, I
believe Playboy and other maga
zines like it exploit women, but
I'm sure more readers will send
letters to expound on that view.
It simply seems that in the inter
est of sound marketing, an adver
tiser would try to reach the major
ity audience. In this case, the
majority of the audience is proba
bly women (DTH readers based
on the student population ratio). I
personally don't know any women
who, subscribe to Playboy.
It also seems surprising that a
newspaper whose staff is com
posed of more women than men
would agree to including the Play
boy ad.
This is reminiscent of last
spring's Miller Lite ad campaign
which gave tips on how to "attract
babes" on spring break. In that
case, the advertiser apologized to
the students. I only hope the DTH
will take some responsibility in
this issue.
TRACY SMITH
Senior
Journalism
Letters policy
The Daily Tar Heel welcomes
reader comments and criticisms.
When writing letters to the editor,
please follow these guidelines:
All letters must be
worthy of new
and usually late.
Now, admittedly, putting out a newsweekly
presents more difficulties than the monthly
schedules of our journals. But if The Phoenix
cannot swim in highly competitive seas, it
does not deserve a $30,000 life preserver,
tossed by Student Congress, but billed to your
University account. It is true that modern
equipment would save money over the long
run. But if Mr. Davis' true concern is saving
the student money, not improving his for
tunes, then he should give back the $20,000
The Phoenix already siphons from students
annually and join the rest of us in the cold, real
world of journalism.
Although we hope that students will pres
sure their Student Congress representatives
(if they can find them) to vote against this
early Christmas for The Phoenix and Cellar
Door, it appears that many Student Congress
members will still be more than willing to
waste our money. Finance Committee mem
ber Tom Elliott, for example, considers The
Phoenix "comparable to a national news
magazine." Keep in mind, Mr. Elliott, that
Time and Newsweek are privately funded.
We hope that clearer heads will prevail in
Student Congress on Wednesday. Some
Congress members will propose that instead
of buying this equipment and placing it in The
mm
0
Africa now
sults "a mandate for real change." Unfortu
nately, the United States hasn't recently em
ployed diplomatic or economic pressure (sanc
tions) to expedite change. Policy makers con
stantly debate the merit of sanctions. Some ar
gue they hurt blacks, some say they are too mild
and others say we should be careful about criti
cizing the South African government because of
its important mineral supplies.
Sanctions, however controversial, have had a
definite effect on the South African economy.
They have helped keep the growth rate below the
5 percent rate needed each year to keep up with
population growth. They have also put the gov
ernment in a precarious position. The govern
ment must pay creditors $ 1 2 billion in two years
or default on their loans. The point is not to drive
their economy into the abyss. The point is to use
sanctions as pressure for faster social, economic
and political change.
Bush's expression of impatience with the
recent violence is empty rhetoric unless it is
followed by some concrete approaches to aid the
majority of South Africans. This is more than a
moral necessity it's a practical one. As Arch
bishop Tutu said recently, "We're not playing
. for marbles, man." If we do not encourage rapid,
peaceful change soon, it will no longer be an
option. If Bush would take the initiative for
international pressure on South Africa, other
nations would probably follow even British
leaders are threatening to initiate some sanc
tions. To increase his credibility, Bush needs to
take the moral and practical high ground imme
diately. Chris Landgraff is a junior political science
and history major from Atlanta, Ga.
signed by the author(s), with a limit
of two signatures per letter.
All letters must be typed and
double-spaced, for ease of editing.
Most letters run from one to
two pages, but longer letters may be
run as guest columns.
Letters should include the
author's year, major, phone num
ber and hometown.
The DTH will make every ef
fort to contact writers to verify their
letters, so please be sure that both a
daytime and evening phone num
ber are listed.
The DTH reserves the right to
edit letters for space, clarity and
vulgarity. Remember, brevity is the
soul of wit.
Questions about letters or the
DTH letters policy should be di
rected to the editor at 962-0245. :
Place letters in the box marked
"Letters to the Editor" outside the
DTH office in the Student Union
dated and annex.
computers
Phoenix's office, Student Congress should pur
chase a less-expensive system and place it in a
neutral area where all students could have access
to it on a user-fee basis. This proposal would
save students more money than the original
proposal, could eventually generate revenue for
Student Congress and would keep the equip
ment out of the hands of the editors of The
Phoenix, who currently plan to let other students
use the equipment only when the Phoenix staff
is not.
Some may say The Phoenix's proposal would
be in our interest. But we want to show that
student journalism of the highest quality is pos
sible, and probably more likely, without massive
handouts. Any such purchase, even the one
outlined in the original proposal, would benefit
us to some degree. But we want to produce our
journals without becoming parasites. It is a shame
that Mr. Davis does not share this commitment.
Perhaps this sort of lethargy is the root of all The
Phoenix's other problems as well.
J. KYLE HUDSON
Junior
History
ANTHONY WOODUEF
Senior
Political Science