• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1988-09-22_Vol54_No06_05

The Western Carolinian Page5 Thursday, September 22, 1988 Hairdryer Blues of the ?8(Vs by David Hutto Pity the poor ancestors. Whenever our grandparents and the ten-thousand generations before them had wet hair, they had no way to fully dry it after using a towel. Sadly dependent on crude evaporation. No doubt some of our forebears were cut short in the prime of life for this very reason, climbing the stairs to Eternity after catching a chill from a wet head. But what a bright day of hope and technology we now live in. When I wash my hair, I now take my portable plastic hairdryer, available in several styles and colors and designed to be comfortable in my hand, plug it in, and in just minutes my hair is devoid of all moisture. Is it not wonderful? Unfortunately, not everyone has a hairdryer. Nearly five billion people now live on this planet, and most of them do not have a hairdryer. Nor are they very expensive; I've seen one in a catalog for $17. What would it take, then, for every person on earth to have a hairdryer? First, of course, enough hairdryers will have to be manufactured. Nearly five- billion hairdryers is a tall order; but it can probably be done. Extra factories will have to be built, which will take time, but again, LB Continued from page 4 and surrounding community have come a long way in accepting these human rights and have often extended encouragement and concern for the advancement of lesbian and gay civil liberties. LB is approaching the third year of visible lesbian and gay presence and support. Now, more than in previous years, LB has accepted the challenge to take another step out of the closet (a term referring to the forced secrecy of gay orientation due to social disapproval) and bring lesbian and gay issues even more out into the open. The organization works with other WCU groups and with faculty and staff on a frequent basis to provide information, support and resources for the lesbian/gay community as well as for those who have questions and concerns about gay lifestyle. LB also continues to provide speakers for classes and groups, works with other interested students and staff in providing safer-sex information and AIDS education for all of the community, and works with the members and staff of the Lesbian and Gay Rap Group to provide awareness of and contact with the rap group.. In addition to these activities, LB has conducted fundraising projects for various community and campus groups such as R.E.A.C.H., the annual Leukemia fund-drive, and the Special Olympics fundraiser sponsored by the Student Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC). LB is also actively represented in regional and state-level planning and has participated in national and statewide campaigns and coming-out events. This year, LB has a new service, a contact and referral source service, which the organization's members expect will have a positive and significant impact on the lesbian/gay community's ability to access lesbian/gay resources throughout the Western North Carolina region. There are also several events on the planning board which are expected to take place this school year. The organization will be announcing various meetings and programs later this semester. The intention of the founding members was to promote awareness of lesbian and gay lifestyle and to increase communication with all students and community members. The group is open to everyone interested in supporting the goals and objectives of the organization and is not exclusively lesbian or gay. Individuals are encouraged to get involved regardless of personal sexual orientation and supporters of attenders of programs are not necessarily lesbians or gay men. LB is an action organization seeking to improve understanding of lesbians and gay men and to provide a means by which gay people can access the support and resources that all individuals need to feel part of any community. It is recognized by WCU administration through the office of Student Development. The current advisor is Dr. Steve Gold of the Psychology Department and the group is actively seeking a second advisor as well. Students and non-students alike are welcome to participate in LB activities and programs. Individuals interested in joining or supporting LB should call 586-2506 or write to Lavender Bridges, PO Box 2646, Cullowhee, NC 28723. it can be done. What are hairdryers made of? Plastic bodies, various internal metal parts, rubber cords. Plastic is made from petroleum, so oil wells and petrochemical factories will have to be involved, along with mines and processing plants for the metal parts. Rubber we can grow, but processing plants will have to treat it. I wouldn't have guessed at first that it would be so much trouble to make five-billion hairdryers, but I think it can be done. Then we will need cardboard boxes to put them all in to sell, so large forests of trees will be needed, and paper factories. Finally, the cardboard boxes must have pictures printed on the side, so another factory or two for that. Once the hairdryers are ready, they must be delivered from the factory (or factories, most likely) to the consumers. This will be a big job. Ships might be the cheapest way to move them across the oceans, and on land trucking is very versatile. Every country on earth will then need fleets of extra trucks. Some of the poorer countries are already using all the trucks they have, so they will have to be supplied Cullowhee Cops: Do They Earn Their Pay? by Daniel M. Breen Several weeks ago I had a casual chat with Gene MacAbee, Director of Public Safety. One of the most disturbing parts of the conversation was that, according to Mr. MacAbee, the campus cops have not solved a major crime during the whole time that Mr. MacAbee has been in charge of the department. Admittedly, the term "major crime" is rather subjective and may differ from person to person but the implications of Mr. MacAbee's comments are quite disturbing. Think of the number of assaults, robberies, and assorted other crimes that take place on the campus each year. The cops are saying, by their ineffective performance, that property and people are at risk on this campus and that the criminal element may operate with relative ease. Concerning the performance of the campus "police" it is plain for all to see that it is also substandard in other areas in addition to its woeful efforts at apprehending criminals. A routine patrol is to go down to Hardee's and drink coffee or sit in a patrol car in McKee parking lot. That is unless they are busy writing tickets on cars. According to one source, the campus fuzz wrote 32,000 tickets last year. If that averages out to $5.00 per ticket then Cullowhee's finest netted $160,000.00 last year! Surely such a sum of money could pay the salaries of one or two officers dedicated enough to patrol on foot at night, all over campus, all night long. Of course if our esteemed police force is going to undertake a serious role in the college community it must do several things. First of all a set of strict physical standards-including height and weight-must be implemented. I am not small, but most of the Cullowhee cops make me look like a person with anorexia. To be blunt, how can a 40 year-old, 320 Ids. policeman catch, let alone subdue, a 20 year-old, 190 lbs. person? Another aspect that campus law enforcement needs to keep in mind when conducting their investigations is that there is such a thing as the U.S. Constitution. That means innocent until proven guilty, due process of law and several other nice little facts included in the Bill of Rights. That also means-listen up, Cullowhee cops-that courteous behavior and a pleasant manner when dealing with the public and possible sus- pects (remember innocent until proven guilty) is to be expected as a rule, not as an exception to the rule. Finally, if the campus law enforcement is having trouble solving cases they do not have the right to harass and intimidate students based on circumstantial coincidence, police frustration, or police fantasies. The cops on this campus are called Cullowhee 5-0. It is a term of insult and shows no respect. Cullowhee 5-0, if you want respect why don't you try earning it rather than forcing it. with trucks for this project. So the trucks will carry the hairdryers-just a moment. Some countries have very bad roads, and even places where there are no roads at all. So roads will have to be built, and probably bridges as well. This will add several years to the project. Once the roads are built, the next logical step in distribution is to take the hairdryers to stores, where people can buy them. Where people will-I can't believe the problems this is running into. Many people in the world have no money. Literally no money at all. Are we going to simply give them all a hairdryer? OK, yes, we will. And that will do it. Everyone on earth will have a hairdryer! All they have to do is take it home and plug it into the, to the, ah...no electricity. God, what else is needed? Despite my enthusiasm I let go a sigh. In every country, then, we will have to build dams or nuclear power stations, run high tension lines all over the country to central points on a power grid, then on smaller power lines toevery home, hut, and apartment. Of course, we'll need educated engineers, not to mention wire CATAMOUNT YEARBOOK Looking For STAFF *Layout Designers *Copywriters CALL 227-6957 fcrREAT FOR RESUME COMPUTER LHVOUT ARTISTS NEEDED ♦Must be milling to work late hours *E»perience necessary The UJestern Carolinian Old Student Union -7267 Dukakis and Gun Control: Pro or Con? by Curtis Pate Recently some friends of mine have been telling me that they are accelerating their purchases of some guns they've had their eyes on for a while. The reason they gave is that if Michael Dukakis gets elected, they might find it hard to get these weapons because he is a proponent of gun control. Personally I don't think they have too much to worry about. If Dukakis did make an effort to control guns he'd never get it through Congress, and I doubt he's going to be that interested in it. What you say on the campaign trail and what you do when you get to the Oval office are two entirely different things, and most often this isn't even because you were lying. It's just that when you actually start running the country instead of making plans for it you discover that it's very hard just to keep the trains running on time, much less to make major policy changes. In addition, you have to convince a majority of 535 other guys that your idea is a good one. That's why Reagan has been unable to get some of his social programs through, the Congressional support just wasn't there, combine this with an idea that most Americans don't seem to want, and you've got a losing battle on your hands. Presidents try not to fight losing battles, so I doubt Dukakis will even put this one really hard. But is gun control a good thing, as Dukakis seems to think it is? Or is it another well-intentioned crusade with faulty reasoning? There are many arguments against gun control, most of them hysterical one liners. "If guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns", "Guns don't kill people, people kill people", "If government does not trust me with a gun, I dare not trust that government", and my all-time favorite for its sheer bluntness, "You will take my gun away from me when you pry my cold, dead fingers from around it". The problem with stuff like this is that it gives the impression that everybody who is against gun control is a psycho who goes deer hunting with grenade launchers. While there are certainly an upsetting number of people like that, there are also some good reasons to oppose gun control. My opposition to gun control comes from my opposition to protectionist legislation. I neither want nor need the federal government to tell me "you can' t have that, it's bad for you". That's for children who get into the cleaning fluid. I know perfectly well that guns are dangerous, just as I know that it's dangerous to get into a car and not wear my seatbelt. Messing around with a gun can get you killed, just like smoking, drinking, using drugs, or crossing the street. I know all this, and if I choose to take the chance of smoking, drinking, crossing the street or owning a gun it should be my decision. There is a Constitutional right for people to own firearms, and messing with that right for whatever good intentions is a mistake, just as messing with the right of free speech to avoid upsetting people is a mistake. Freedom isn't a perfect state, just be cause you can do what you want doesn't mean you will want to do what is good or what is wise. All the legislation in the world cannot make people smart, nor can it stop people from dying. You've heard off over-protective mothers, right now we have an over-protective society. After people get to a certain age, you have to trust them to make certain decisions for themselves. The fact that they will sometimes make bad decisions does not give government the right to take away their right to make their own decisions. All the efforts to ban smoking, outlaw drug use, ban guns, or whatever are programs with good intentions. However, they do more damage than they do good, in eliminating a social ill you also eliminate the right to free choice. The only way to create a perfectly safe society is to create a perfectly controlled one, and we decided a long time ago that the price of complete safety was too high. There is one thing I would like to see happen in the field of gun control. People get killed or kill other people in a lit of cases because they don't know what they're doing. The thing to do is not to prohibit ownership of guns, but to teach people about them. A car is a much deadlier device than a gun in terms of how much damage it can do, the amount of skill needed to kill with it and the chance you have of defending yourself against it. But there is no nationwide effort to eliminate the car for two reasons. First, a car is not primarily designed to kill or injure, second great pains are taken by society to train people in the safe use of cars. Why not apply this simple principle to guns? If you want to buy a gun you can, as long as the state is convinced that you know what you're doing with it. This is a reasonable limitation because your choice is not being restricted. Teaching people how to use a gun properly merely allows them to make a more informed decision. There's a big difference between prohibition of something and informing people about it. People who know what they're dong around guns don't get hurt very often, it's the people who take home a gun and don't know how to use it that are dangerous to themselves and others. If they were trained in the use of forearms like they're trained in the use of cars, we wouldn't have so many accidents. Programs like this already exist (there's a good one offered here at Western), all that needs to be done is to make them mandatory for the purpose of a gun. There will still be misuse, people will get drunk or mad and kill someone, they'll get careless and have accidents, many people will continue to use them in crimes. These are some of the pitfalls of a free society, and they cannot be eliminated without eliminating important freedoms at the same time. I don't believe we should outlaw guns, just make sure everybody who buys one understands what he is doing. It seems to me even the NRA can't argue with that.

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University’s student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1988-09-22
  • Date digitized: 2019-09-05
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.75" x 14.25"
  • Pages: 12 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1988-09-22_Vol54_No06
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library