| Helms cares about our future | Letters to the Editor | |
Helms cares about our future
Campaign
'96
Ryan Price
Editorial Editor
Senator Jesse Helms versus Democrat Harvey Gantt. Students have been hearing and reading anti-Jesse and pro-Gantt propaganda here on campus since the beginning of the school year.
None of that biased reporting here. Hopefully I can provide some objective information for you undecided voters to process.
While Helms and Gantt differ on several social issues, the most important to myself (and should be to most people of our generation) is that Harvey Gantt is fiscally irresponsible.
"So what’s wrong with that, as least he’s not Jesse Helms?" you might be asking as you get ready to crumple yet another edition of the opinion section into the trash.
Well, nothing if you don’t plan on living in the United States past the next 15 years. You see, Medicare will be bankrupt by the year 2001 and Social Security will be gone by the year 2011 unless there are serious entitlement reforms made by Congress and the president.
Harvey Gantt’s political philosophy clashes with this belief (as well as with Helms’). He is an old-school liberal who believes that the federal government is the cure to all of societies’ ills.
This is not a question of whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, or Libertarian, but is instead something that could be asked of anyone residing in these United States; do you care about our country’s future?
Our generation needs to drop the traditional squabbling that goes on between "liberals" and "conservatives" over who is right and vote for the candidate who truly represents our interests for the future.
It has repeatedly been said in the media that Gantt is the South’s bridge to the next millennium. The exact opposite is true.
By looking out for our economic interests, Jesse Helms is in fact the one person attempting to do something positive for our future.
The biggest hurdle facing everyone in this country, regardless of race, age, sex, sexual orientation, economic class or education level is one issue; the national debt.
The Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA), which is the simple concept of Congress promising not to spend what they do not have, calls just for that. The BBA is the beginning of the start of the solution to the unfathomable national debt.
Here are some interesting figures:
That is more than what is being spent on Medicare, education, and all of law enforcement combined (CBO, 1996 Report).
Jesse Helms has been proposing a balanced budget amendment since 1974, long before it was politically hip to do so. According to the same CBO report, Medicare will be broke by 2001. Guaranteed. The Republicans wanted to slow (say it, s-l-o-w) growth over the next seven years, not cut. The Republican plan in no way would have solved the impending crisis (it would still go broke by 2006) but it definitely would have bought some time.
Characteristically, Jesse Helms was at the front pushing for Medicare reform.
There are several myths that have been continuously perpetrated about Helms throughout the media for years. Here are a few, and some explanations behind them:
Only 30 percent of the Department of Education’s budget actually goes to the states. Let’s see, 30 percent divided by 50 states...Next.
If proven fiscal responsibility isn’t enough to cast your vote Jesse’s way, here’s another incentive.
The main reason that Helms has been continuously re-elected is due to the simple fact that he takes care of North Carolinians.
Helms is respected throughout Congress for his top-notch constituent services. If a citizen has a problem that can in any way can be solved by utilizing his vast resources, Helms and his staff go out of their way to make sure that person (regardless of any orientation) receives their undivided attention.
Jesse Helms has worked diligently to promote the interests of North Carolinian’s his whole career, all the while looking out for future generations with his fiscal responsibility.
Once you get past some of the hot-button rhetoric that Helms occasionally espouses, there is one undeniable fact about his tenure as senator: he is one fine public servant.
Despite how you may feel on certain issues, stop and ask yourself what is more important; your disagreement with an extremely competent public servant on some social issues, or a crippling federal debt that will take generations to correct. It’s time to start now.
To borrow a phrase from Spike Lee, "Do the right thing." Vote for Jesse Helms on November 5. Your children will thank you in 15 years.
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Gantt is good for change in NC
Campaign
'96
Josh Hedrick
Columnist
There are innumerable reasons why, on November 5, you should cast your vote for Harvey Gantt and against Jesse Helms.
To simplify the argument, I will give the primary reason, in the words of Helms from the Raleigh News and Observer on July 19, 1991, "I’m so old-fashion I believe in horsewhipping."
It is time for North Carolina to move forward and pull itself away from Helms, a relic of a bygone era. Helms has become a symbol instead of a senator, one that represents the ignorance and bigotry that we supposedly eliminated more than 30 years ago.
Gantt is the right leader to carry us away from the image Helms has created for our state, as a backwards land where people are only as deep as their ethnicity, sex or sexuality.
Gantt is much more than a liberal crowbar to be used as an attempt to pry Helms out of office. He is a man of great character that has already proven himself as a leader during his term as mayor of Charlotte.
Unlike Helms, Gantt has not lost touch with the average North Carolinian. How can Helms know how the people of this state feel while sitting in his house in Virginia?
Gantt has not spent decades locked inside the halls of Congress, he has spent decades in Charlotte building a successful architecture firm. Gantt grew up in government housing in Charleston and gradually moved up in society through education and positive values taught to him by his parents. He has not forgotten his roots, or the struggle of the working class family.
To me, the deciding issue in this election is education and the candidates differing views of the future of education. Even though I will readily acknowledge that the public education system in the United States needs to be revamped, I know that the answer is not privatization. Helms has been perpetually opposed to increased funding in education. He does not see the dire need for programs like Headstart that are truly making a difference for multitudes of Americans. He can see the need for increased military spending, but not the need for up-to-date textbooks in our schools.
Gantt understands the need to move forward and not backwards when it comes to educating the young people in America. To compete in the international market of tomorrow, we must start today, educating young people by the same standards used by other countries.
To make a complex statement simple; Helms is a bigot. Helms once said, "I think busing is the worst tyranny ever perpetrated on America" (Raleigh News and Observer June 17,1981). His reason for opposing the selection of Roberta Achtenberg as the assistant secretary of HUDD was simply, "Because she’s a damn lesbian" (Raleigh News and Observer May 8,1993).
These are not statements made by a man that feels all people were created equal in the eyes of God. These were statements made by a man who feels that white, straight men were created superior to all others. This was an unacceptable attitude in 1966, and it is an unacceptable attitude in 1996. He tries to hide his racism in the coat tails of Christianity, saying that God looks down upon all people unlike Helms. This is not the same God taught to me.
In one campaign ad, Helms accuses Gantt of using his race to his advantage. Where I am from in North Carolina, Gantt’s race is nothing but a disadvantage. This is an example of the ignorance that we must eradicate.
One thing that appeals to many is that you always know where Helms stands, and that you don’t have to guess which way he will vote on an issue. His views have not changed since he was elected in the 70’s. He has never wavered from his personal platform that he was elected on 24 years ago.
This is the very reason I could never vote for him. North Carolina has changed alongside of America. There is a chock, though, beneath the wheels of our progression. It prevents us from moving away from our hatred-stained past. The chock is Jesse Helms, and the only way to remove it is to vote for Harvey Gantt on November 5.
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Gantt is right for senate
As you begin to make your final decision on whom to vote for on November 5, the editorial staff of The Appalachian asks you to consider the following candidate whom we have chosen to endorse for senate, Harvey Gantt.
It seems as though the race college students in this state are really excited about is the senatorial race. The name Jesse Helms has been associated with many negative things in the media and we would like to clarify why we support his opponent, Harvey Gantt in the upcoming election.
As far as most college students are concerned, it’s definitely not popular to vote for Jesse Helms. His ultra–conservative stance on issues like abortion, financial aid and the environment doesn’t appeal to many of us for blatent reasons.
About 90 percent of college students at Appalachian receive some kind of financial aid. This means that the Pell Grant Program is extremely important in paying for going to school here for many students who are eligible for the Grant.
A good education is by no means cheap. Most students’ families don’t have around four thousand bucks sitting around to pay the bills at the beginning of each school year. Students rely on financial aid to go to college. Education is our nation’s biggest investment. Harvey Gantt supports Pell Grants and Federal Student Loan Legislation. Jesse Helms has voted against it. Gantt supports a $10,000 tax deduction for middle class families with kids in college. Helms has voted against this idea.
Come time to pay for your education next semester, who do you want to represent you in the Senate? If you are smart, you’ll vote for Harvey Gantt. He’s the one who wants to protect your right to get the public education you deserve.
One issue that’s always on the minds of college students is getting a job. Harvey Gantt realizes that nobody can truly live comfortably with a low minimum wage. He supports increasing minimum wage. Many college students like yourself have part time, minimum wage jobs. Don’t you think they deserve to be paid well for their time and energy?
Harvey Gantt supports the Family and Medical Leave Act which allows people to take time off from work when an immediate relative is seriously ill. This is an important concept when something happens to someone you love.
College students are among the biggest advocates for govermental measures toward environmental protection. Jesse Helms voted against the Clean Water and Air Acts as well as the reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act. Helms also voted for clearcutting in National Forests and Parks.
Gantt opposes such disgusting legislation. He supports the Clean Water and Air Acts and the reauthorization of the Endangered Special Act. He cares about the environment.
One other area in which we think Gantt is right is health care. Jesse Helms has voted against breast cancer research and against funding for rape and domestic violence prevention programs. Gantt supports breast cancer research being funded through taxes and governmental fiscal support of rape and domestic violence prevention programs.
It is obvious to us which candidate is in tune with today’s college students and who supports stances on issues the way we would if we were in office. Harvey Gantt is the best candidate for senate.
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Ad selection troubling
Letter to the Editor,
In the Tuesday, October l5th issue of The Appalachian, an advertisement sponsored by "Independant (sic) Students For Christianity" was printed in the middle of page nine. The ad denounced homosexuality as a "forbidden" way of life that ’[turns] against God’s natural plan" and those who choose such a lifestyle will he "full of every kind of wickedness and sin, of greed and hate, envy, murder, fighting, Iying, bitterness and gossip." This material is extremely offensive to me, and, I am sure, a large portion of your readers.
Would you print an ad that reads, "Those of a differenl skin color, religious belief, or economic status, etc. are living a ‘forbidden’ way of life." or that any single group should be iated to be filled with wickedness, hate, murder, and bitterness?" I sincerely hope not. Such an ad is an insult to anyone that believes that the power of understanding the differences among us is far stronger than hate. Running an ad this distasteful shows a complete lack of consideration and compassion for the struggles that are endured daily by anyone that is a member of a misunderstood group. In addition, it is an important editorial responsibility to attempt to keep the pages of the media free from the ignorance and hatred that, sadly, plague both our university’s campus and our society.
I do not deny the rights of anyone to express their opinion on any matter. This is not a censorship issue. Items of simple, unadulterated hatred, directed at homosexuals, blacks, whites, Christians, or anyone, should not be printed in an advertisemerrt of a publicly funded newspaper. Such opinions should addressed to the editor for publication on the editorial page, not in advertising space purchased for a small fee.
Sincerely,
John Morehouse,
ASU Box 5618
Illegal parking a hazard
Letter to the Editor,
I would like to bring to light some of the atrocities committed by the Appalachian State University Police. On the night of Friday, the 25th of October, there was an unusually large number of illegally parked cars along Locust Street; particularly in front of East Residence Hall.
Drivers at Appalachian State should be intelligent enough to comprehend the meaning of a sign which reads: "No Parking at Any Time." Failing this, the newly painted yellow lines along Locust Street should visually emphasize the dangers of parking here. With cars lined up along the East Residence Hall side of the street, an entire lane is blocked.
I drive a delivery truck for Appalachian State University Food Services each Friday night. My rounds necessitate traveling up and down Locust Street several times each hour, thus I feel qualified in making this complaint. On the particular night in question, I made a call to ASU Security and complained about the unusually large number of illegally parked cars. I was told by an extremely pleasant woman that "someone will look into it." Several hours passed and nothing was done. The parking problem was growing worse. I complained to my supervisor, again called ASU Security and explained the situation. On my next round I was forced to park on the sidewalk in front of Lovill Residence Hall. When I returned to the truck I was stopped by two ASU officers who asked if I was the driver of the vehicle. They proceeded to explain how they had received two complaints about the parking problem. They had surveyed the situation and judged me to be the cause of all the trouble. Satisfied, they drove away. Infuriated, so did I. Since justice is blind, I must now turn to my fellow ASU students.
We do not need a parking deck; what we need is a little common sense. The same could be said of the infamous ASU Police.
R. Lindsey Winstead
ASU Box 15778
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