The Daily Tar HeelFriday, April 26, 199113
0
People m rower abridge free speech
Freedom of speech is being abridged
here at UNC. On Tuesday, April
23, we and some friends of ours
conducted a little theatrical event in the
Pit (smashing a TV and planting a po
tato and American flags in it) in order to
make a political, cultural and artistic
statement. We took great care not to
harm or interfere with anyone else, yet
we were subject to undue harassment
by the UNC College Republicans and
two UNC police officers.
The police officers first of all ap
proached us before we started and ques
tioned our right to be in the Pit and our
use of the name "Young Republicans"
on our flyers. Apparently, the UNC
College Republicans felt that the Young
Republ icans were slandering them. This
is not true; the Young Republicans who
'. co-sponsored the event have nothing to
do with the UNC College Republicans,
; and we made no claim that the Young
: Republicans who co-sponsored the
event were a UNC chapter. Thank you,
. UNC College Republicans, for attempt
; ing through false pretenses to prevent
: the free expression of our views.
After we finished our event, the UNC
: police gave Randy Viscio a trespass. It
; warns him that if he comes back on
udent leaders must come together
Communication. This has been a
problem that has plagued our cam
pus for many years. The goals of
the Black Student Movement are to
unify the UNC community to support
the goals of African Americans. Seeing
how the success of these goals has been
undermined by questionable practices,
we must assess our mistakes and put
them behind us. Due to the events of the
recent Black Student Movement elec
tions, we have decided that now is the
time for members of the University
community to come together and set the
tone for next year. We came to this
conclusion because it is the necessary
strategy to insure success for the 1991
92 academic year.
The UNC campus is plagued by com
petition. The stakes are high. By be
coming a student leader, or being desig
nated one, there are certain rewards that
are offered. We feel that this competi
tion has undermined the effectiveness
of the university community as a whole.
This competition is the result of a "spill
over" of the competition that has plagued
student government for so long. The
problems of the last two Black Student
Movement elections have not so much
been problems of ideology, or even
popularity (this is exemplified by the
closeness of the election) but competi
tion among individuals. Epps is presi
dent of the BSM; He will need the
support of everyone in the community
Dangerous, unfounded
assertions merit response
To the editor:
I am writing to clarify some issues
brought up in two letters to the editor on
April 22. Mr. Roth ("Homophobia could
result from homosexual activism") and
Mr. and Ms. New ("Homosexuals de
stroy moral fiber of United States") all
seem to be interested in theories of
homosexuality as "natural" and "in
nate." In the process of proclaiming
their views, the authors have made as
sertions that are unfounded and even
dangerous if left without response.
Mr. Roth goes as far as suggesting
" that homophobia may be a product of
"natural selection." The idea that
' homophobia is inborn is ludicrous. Your
knowledge of physical anthropology is
' obviously on the rusty side, Mr. Roth!
Homophobia could never have been a
' product of natural selection simply be-
' cause it does not provide for the per
petuation of the species. To hate mem
bers of one's own species for develop
ing relationships that are not for the
express purpose of procreation does not
enhance that species' chances for sur
vival. Homophobia cannot be inherited
' or passed on because it is a learned
' behavior. It is ignorance expressed as
hatred, not an instinctual response to a
' stimulus.
In "Homosexuals destroy moral fi
ViscioOdell
Quest Writers
campus during the next year, he will be
subject to arrest. It is clear that they
were unconcerned with any actual legal
issues regarding our event. If they were,
they would have gone instead after Eric
Odell, the person who actually smashed
the TV. But they didn't; they went after
Randy, who was just standing in the Pit
speaking and who, after giving the po
lice his name and address, refused to
continue to answer their personal ques
tions. When Randy refused to answer
any more questions, they followed him
around the Pit accusing him of "being
disruptive" and of "trying to stir the
crowd" through getting himself arrested.
During the whole event, the police of
ficers were consulting the College Re
publicans as to how they should pro
ceed. At one point a College Republi
can approached Randy and asked for
his name, as if he were a police official.
When Randy refused, the College Re
publican went back to a police officer,
Guest Writers
in order to have an effective year. We
cannot do it over again. The elections
are behind us, so let's deal with the
issues that affect the community at this
university.
The Daily Tar Heel printed an article
in a space that it normally reserves for
editorial board opinions arid titled the
article "The BSM seeks cooperation."
This is a sad assessment of an organiza
tion that exists for the advocacy, sup
port and needs of the African-American
community on campus. The BSM does
not exist at UNC solely for cooperation.
Where the needs and the goals of the
African-American community are in
any way parallel to the needs and goals
of other organizations, cooperation is
greatly appreciated, however, this is not
the case all of the time.
Fortunately, this year, student gov
ernment and the Black Student Move
ment will be cooperating on many is
sues. Unlike student government, the
. agenda of the Black Student Movement
has remained fairly static for the last 10
years; the creation of a Black Cultural
Center building and a the institution and
ber of United States," the authors assert
that "there is no genetic, hormonal or
chemical difference between homo
sexual and heterosexual individuals."
Further, they say that "some homosexu
als change their behavior," and there
fore it is not an inborn trait. These
assertions are dangerously untrue.
As far as the assertion that there is no
"genetic, hormonal or chemical differ
ence," this is an outright manipulation
of extant data. At this point, no one
knows whether homosexuality is deter
mined by genetic or environmental fac
tors. Almost everyone in the research
fields agrees that there is no "gay gene."
It is probably a combination of factors,
a balance of environmental and genetic
factors, that determine sexuality.
It is also generally agreed that sexu
ality is determined by age 5. It is then no
longer a question of accepting or reject
ing one's preferences and orientation.
The fact that some homosexuals do
change their behavior does not mean
that they have changed their sexual ori
entation. If behavior changes, prefer
ence and orientation do not.
I am shocked not only that such mun
danely archaic attitudes proliferate our
society, but that these particular ones
have oozed out of the Health Policy and
Administration and Pharmacy depart
ments, both supposedly interested in
fact, not fiction. Perhaps the purpose of
higher education has not been met in
these cases, if that purpose is to expand
LumsdenEpps
who once again began to harass Randy.
One of the arguments the police used
was that we hadn't registered to be in
the Pit. Why did we need a permit? The
entire Pit, with the exception of one
table dozens of feet away on the other
side of a tree, was completely open and
empty. Did the people sitting in the Pit
watching us need a permit? No. Do the
Pit preachers need a permit? No. If
someone were to bring a portable TV
into the Pit, sit down, and watch it,
would they need a permit? No. Did the
College Republicans need a permit to
throw water balloons at the Peace Vil
lage in the Pit in February? No. It was
the fact that we were trying to make a
political statement, and not our pres
ence in itself, that made them want to
require of us some kind of prior permis
sion. Another claim that the police made
in giving the trespass to Randy was that
someone had lodged a complaint against
him. When Randy asked who this was,
the police officers mumbled a bit and
said they couldn't tell us. The other
group tabling elsewhere in the Pit said
when asked that they didn't have prob
lems with our being there. The police
officers seemed almost as confused as
support of a more diverse curriculum
are just two items of importance.
We feel that Epps, in his role as BSM
president, along with the BSM, will
educate the UNC community about the
need for a Black Cultural Center and the
necessity for a multicultural curricu
lum. The organizing of the BSM has been
done through the efforts of this year's
past administration, now is time for
implementation of those plans and more.
Lumsden, in working as head of student
government's Academic Affairs Com
mittee, can help Student Body Presi
dent Matthew Heyd facilitate both of
these efforts; improving the relation
ship and communication between the
Development Office and the B CC Plan
ning Committee will insure that the
BCC becomes more than just a topic for
discussion. Student government in
volvement with the dean of the School
of Arts and Sciences' committee on
implementing a more multicultural cur
riculum will help facilitate the inclu
sion of African-American culture,
among others, in the academic experi
ence of a UNC student.
We challenge others to come together
and work to make this a better commu
nity. Dana Lumsden is director of aca
demic affairs for student government
andArnie Epps is president of the BSM.
iBsmBBBBP
one's perspective, to replace ignorance
and fear with the ability to see the truth.
CELIA CARVER
Graduate
Geography
SVATI SHODHAN
Junior
AnthropologyB iology
Homophobic letters reveal
glaring ignorance of writers
To the editor:
The recent homophobic diatribes by
Robert Roth ("Homophobia could re
sult from homosexual activism," April
22) and Jeffrey and Pamela New ("Ho
mosexuals destroy moral fiber of United
States," April 22) demand a rebuttal.
The News' letter is pure, unadulter
ated swill. Gays and lesbians are not
immoral monsters whose relationships
are based on promiscuity. We are not
child molesters, mental incompetents
or comparable to prostitutes, adulterers
and people who have sex with animals.
The bald-faced lies, half-truths and irra
tional fears these authors put forth as
public discourse serve only to feed
people's fear and loathing of gays and
lesbians. If their statement that "homo
sexuality is a self-destructive choice
that is infecting and destroying the
morality of our society" is not
homophobic, then I would rather not
we were about why all of this was
necessary.
Our right to free speech is something
that must not be compromised. We acted
in a responsible manner that harmed no
one and created no disruption. The dis
ruption was created by the College Re
publicans trying to impose their values
and beliefs on the rest of us. If we allow
people like this to infringe on our basic
rights, they will use that as an opportu
nity to selectively harass the people
with whom they disagree. This is not
what education and academic freedom
are all about.
Freedom of speech shall not be
abridged.
Freedom of speech shall not be
abridged, as long as you have a permit.
Freedom of speech shall not be
abridged, as long as you have a permit
and don't say anything that certain
people dislike.
Freedom of speech shall not be
abridged, as long as what you say is
cleared in advance by Those in Charge.
Freedom of censored.
Randy Viscio is a history major who
does own a television and Eric Odell is
a physics major who does not.
Mysteries left after four years at UNC
As I have traversed these hallowed
brick walks, lo these many
four years here at what we
fondly call school, I have pondered many
questions in my search for knowledge.
And some of them remain unanswered
to this day. I think I will share them with
you in hopes you may have the answers.
If I could, I would offer a reward for
answers. But as I am still unemployed,
much like 99 percent of the graduating
seniors, there will be no monetary ben
efit for any insight you can share with
me. You can only benefit from the sheer
joy you will experience from sharing
your knowledge with others.
Just why is Marriott food so bad? I
probably shouldn't start with that one
because it's a toughy. But if anyone
knows the reason and can offer some
insight on the subject, please fill me in.
Why is it that everything I have ever
needed from the library:
a) "is being bound,"
b) is only available on microfiche,
which we all know takes a whole day to
locate one article, not to mention the 1 5
cent copying fee. I can hear the Copier
Man on "Saturday Night Live" now ...
"Susan ... Suz ... the Suzmeister ... mak
ing 15-cent microfiche copies ..."
c) the library doesn't have anymore;
or the library never had, doesn't have
and never will have? Despite this trend
to eliminate anything popular or up-to-date
from the libraries on this campus, I
mmm
know what homophobia is.
Gays and lesbians refuse to accept
the blame for the failings of society. A
10 percent minority whose unions are
not legally recognized or recorded can
not account for a 50 percent divorce rate
among heterosexuals. Nostalgic views
of a world that never existed and "Just
Say No" platitudes haven't helped solve
teenage pregnancy, drug abuse or any
other social ill. Selfishness and a refusal
to accept responsibility for one's ac
tions are the cause of society's prob
lems. With regard to the News' contention
that we want recognition of "alterna
tive" families, they are right. Wake up,
WARD AND JUNE CLEAVER ARE
DEAD. They were a fantasy anyway.
The push for legal recognition of gay
and lesbian relationships will allow ev
eryone, gay and straight, to construct
relationships which best suit their needs.
If you choose a traditional marriage, it
will be because that is the best choice
for you not because that is the only
governmentally approved option.
Robert Roth's "blame the victim"
attitude is inexcusable. Being quiet and
waiting until our oppressors deem it an
appropriate time to deal with our needs
just won't cut it. Women had to fight for
the franchise are still fighting for equal
ity. African Americans found that si
lence was keeping them second-class
citizens. Look around and it will be
obvious that the fight against blatant
racism continues. As for staying in the
closet, the gay and lesbian community,
nor any other minority community, is
not here to make your lives any easier or
more pleasant. You don't have to like,
endorse or hug us. The struggle for gay
and lesbian equality has just begun.
Roth's calm and seemingly well-reasoned
proposal that homophobia is a
naturally selected trait is even more
dangerous than the News vitriol. This
sort of unfounded rationalization al
lows people to reason away behavior
that has no place in our society by
attributing it to something innate, be
yond their control. The "Natural Order"
has been used time and again to defend
the status quo, keeping the oppressed in
their place. Read Stephen Jay Gould's
essays on biological arguments used to
support past social orders racism,
sexism, etc. Roth uses genetics to de
fend homophobia, yet the News dis
count genetics as a factor in homosexu
ality. Like statistics, genetics can be
carelessly employed by the ignorant to
"prove" the indefensible.
What do we want? Not much. Sim
ply the ability to lead quiet, undisturbed
lives with the same rights and privileges
afforded any other member of society.
As long as our community is denied
.THE
Susan Greenwald
Guest Writer
am hoping to find at least one book I
need for any class by May 12.
And speaking of libraries, what do
those banners hanging in Davis Library
mean? I thought it was a secret Carolina
code that would be revealed to me some
time during my four years, but it's get
ting very near the end (I think that's a
line from a song ... I'm not trying to
plagiarize), and I still don't know the
answer. Maybe it was something I was
supposed to learn in a class, but I missed
that day because ... something suddenly
came up. I hope that line isn't before
your time; then I'll feel really old.
Why is it that Student Stores charges
an arm and a leg for books (I know it's
time to graduate when I start talking like
that) but only pays back a finger and a
toe? Isn't that a creative parallel? Can I
copyright that line?
Why is there a wind tunnel between
Davis Library and Lenoir (pronounced:
len-wah and usually followed by a very
unpleasant sound similar to gagging)
Dining Hall no matter what season? I
think some senior class gift should be
signs that read: WARNING! Entering a
wind tunnel. Hold down your skirt, hold
basic civil rights and freedom from vio
lence, we will be in your face, angry and
inconvenient. Yes, we're here, we're
queer get over it!
MIKE HOLLAND
Graduate
Chemistry
Heterosexual couples don't
always make good parents
To the editor
Mr. New's and Ms. New's letter to
the editor, "Homosexuals destroy the
moral fiber of the United States" (April
22) contains a misguided statement:
"Homosexual couples cannot provide a
healthy environment for children, who
need moral role models and stability."
This sentence has been horribly
misworded. The fact that a couple is
heterosexual does not intrinsically im
ply that the familial environment will
be healthy, moral and stable.
There are plenty of heterosexual par
ents who head families in unhealthy,
immoral and unstable environments.
Let's not overlook the fact that many
children living with heterosexual par
ents are abused andor neglected. Many
children are victims of continual family
break-ups due to separations and di
vorces. Many children suffer because
their parents are alcoholics or drug abus
ers. Many children see Dad abusing
Mom, whether physically, sexually or
mentally. Families with these charac
teristics certainly can't be deemed
healthy, moral and stable.
I don't deny that homosexual couples
may suffer from some of the same char
acteristics, but heterosexual couples
cannot necessarily be idolized, either.
It's impossible to define a healthy, moral
and stable familial environment as a
heterosexually based one. These family
units are capable of having their own
flaws.
Heterosexual parents don't neces
sarily come hand-in-hand with what
children need. A family headed by het
erosexual parents does not guarantee
that children will receive the love, pro
tection and nurturance that they need.
The increasing number of dysfunctional
families in our society serves to help
prove this point. Children need parents
who respect one another. Children need
parents who love one another. Children
need parents who love their children.
Parents, whetherthey be heterosexual
or homosexual couples, who live up to
these characteristics, are the parents who
are able to give and foster the love,
honesty, self-worth and respect that
children need. While I don't necessarily
consent to homosexually headed fami
lies, I think that it is hasty to assume that
1
r
N I
on to your fiat and your children. Per
haps if the budget cuts get worse, the
administration could rent out the area to
General Motors so they can test .the
aerodynamics of the latest GM models.
Why is that 50 percent of the student
body (the real one, not the statues) lives
off campus? Could it be that we pay to
sleep and study in the dorms, among
other things, and it is impossible to do
either of those two very important stu
dent functions as a campus resident?
Why is it that a bagel and cream
cheese in the Union Station costs $ 1 .04?
Would it be all that difficult to charge 1
cent more or possibly 4 cents less (how
silly of me to even suggest the latter)
just to make life a little easier?
After four years, it's my prerogative
to compile this bitch list. But I can't
leave Chapel Hill and the wonderful
people I know on a cynical note. It's
been a great four years, with the usual
ups and downs, but I think I'll remem
ber the ups. I wish everyone in the Class
of 1991 tons-o-luck in the real world.
I can only hope that UNC remains the
fine institution that is about to hand me
a diploma. The budget cuts will make
things difficult, but I have faith that
UNC will maintain the high standards it
let slip for a single unaccountable in
stance when I was admitted.
Susan Greenwald is a senior jour
nalism major from Washington, DC.
just because a couple is homosexual,
they are unable to promote a healthy,
moral and stable environment for chil
dren to live in.
JENNIFER KOLB
Freshman
Health Behavior and
Health Education
Bloody noose exists instead
of non-existent moral fiber
To the editor: ;
I was somewhat surprised by the
letter, "Homosexuals destroy moral fi
ber of United States" (April 22) particu
larly by the reference to the idea of a
"moral fiber" that seems to have been
holding our nation together for some
time now.
Now, let me get this straight ... Are
we talking about the same "moral fiber"
that drew us together as an infant nation
and endorsed the razing of nearly all
native societies, literally paving them
over so that we could then start fresh to
work on our new moral society? Or is it
the fiber that was picked in the fields of
the South for a hundred (or so) years,
yielding the grotesque harvest of op
pression and prejudice that is till reaped
today, in this moral society? Or rather,
is this unifying thread of American eth
ics the one that, in order to prevent the
plainly immoral practice of masturba
tion, sanctioned the removal of women's
genitalia until as recently as 1936? Or,
it could be that nationalistic bond of
racism and xenophobia about which we
are proud to rally when we need to
encamp a few (hundred thousand) Japa
nese, or bum down the businesses of
Iraqi-Americans, right?
Let's just get one thing straight: as
Americans, we have no moral fibers.
What we have instead is the makings of
a bloody noose that threatens to choke
the conscience of every thoughtful, ethi
cal individual having the misfortune of
birth into such a freakish, contradictory
society. We are a country based upon
and immersed in a perpetual desire to
subjugate and destroy everything non
"American," justifying this with a vague
reference to a transparent set of so
called "morals." If you don't believe
me, go read the book of American His
tory for yourself.
JOHN BELL
Sophomore
SpanishMathematics
Have a good
summer See you
in the fall.
V