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Show The Salt Lake Tribune OPINION Monday, November 22,1999 | Leftover Confederate Symbol Raises a Red Flag in South Carolina COLUMBIA, S.C. — Well, look at it thi. MOLLYIVINS way: Whata boonto the Engin oe of South Carolina is all this hoo-ha about Onecitizen whothinks he knows whatthe house. From now on, whenever a teacher schools need is Henry Jordan (pro- announcesthe dreadtopic “Five hundred words on the importanceof symbolism in Hawthorne, nounced Gehr-dan)of the state Board of Education, who wants to post the Ten Commandmentsin every school. During a board discussion in 1997, when Jordan was told that posting the No snotty kid is going to be able to whine: “What's symbolism? Why issymbolism important? Whocares about symbolism?’ The wholestateis in an uproar at this = late date over the Stars and Bars. South Carolina is thelaststate to fly the Confederate flag overits capitol — under the U.S.flag and thestate flag — butit turns out that this is not a matter of custom since time immemorial. The Confederateflag has been up there only since 1962, and even then it was not intended as a symbolofdefiance against integration or any suchthing. Thelegis. lature was observing the Civil War centennial and thought the thing would be taken down in 1965, according to two former members whoserved atthetime, In an effort to resoive the current im- passe, they are now attempting to round up their surviving colleagues and establish legislative intent. Meanwhile, the NAACPis boycotting South Carolina, which meansthatlots of professional groups with black members are canceling convention reservations. The bidness community is concerned. case in a month) — it would appear that the prisons need someattention. The schools could use some help, too. flying the Confederate flag over the state- Ten Commandments would be offensive to people of other religions, he said, “Screw the Buddhists and kill the Mus- FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM The Civil War re-enactors and Confederacy buffs wantto leavetheflag up;this is a state where the mention of Gen. Shermanstill provokeshisses. Black citizens are understandably peeved. The legisla- ture doesn’t want to look like it's kowtowing to the NAACP. Everybody’s mad at everybody. They should all have to write 500 words on the importance of symbolism. Poor Gov. Jim Hodges, a D, is trying to find a wayout. Heoffered to make Martin LutherKing Jr.’s birthday a state holiday if the NAACPwould call off the boycott. The NAACPisn’t biting. Meanwhile, the state seems to have a few problems that go beyond symbolism. Eyeballing the state’s papers — “Jail Crowding Threatens Safety, Security,” “S.C. Inmate Dies in Stabbing” (second lims.” Helater said he wasjust kidding Trythat in writing: “‘. . . and kill the Muslims,’ he joshed.” This side-splitting bon mot upset a Muslim from Rock Hill, who wrote asking Jordan to resign. Jordan wrote back ask- ing the fellow to reconsider his beliefs: “Ask the God of the Bible, Jehovah, not Allah . . to remove the veil from your hate it when theyblametheir wives.) Lo- EdmundMorris’ biography of Reagan has cal officials decided not to charge him on made fiction in biography acceptable Beasley could claim he wasjust ala mode Whatcan you say about a state where the junior senator is 76 years old? That spring chicken Fritz Hollings muststill the felony offense Whata dandy state it is politically. You mayrecall that in 1990, sizable portion of the legislature got busted for bribery during Operation Lost Trust, an Abscam-style sting. South Carolinians inured to the political peculiarities of their state were embarrassed, not because thelegislators were bribed but becausethey sold out so cheaply. Lost Trust, unfortunately, overshadowed a moreentertaining episode in whicha state rep known Enos the Pe- nis started an escort se: i capitol office. The high number of young lovelies waltzing in and out was finally broughtto the attention of the speaker. It gave a new dimension to the old euphe- mism, “He’s interviewingsecretaries.” Former Gov. David Beasley, a former eyes and heart and reveal the truth . . . beforeit’s too late.” chairman of the Republican Governors Association, made a name for himself Right — no intentionat all to proseiytize by posting the commandments. It's nice to knowthatfailure to fully grasp the First Amendment is notlimited with ima; ive biography. Beasley was given to...ah... embroideryof his to importantofficials of backward places like New YorkCity. Adding to the recent festivities in the state is former Gov. Carroll Campbell, who wasfoundlast week to have a gun in his carry-on luggage at the Greenville airport. He said his wife put it there. (I defer to 96-year-old Strom Thurmond. (Insert your favorite Strom Thurmond joke here.) Thereis oneseriousplayerin the state —a political science professorat the University of South Carolina, where the Fighting Gamecocks are having a very bad year. Bill Krem] is running for president, and you might wantto consider sending him $201. The purposeofthis gesture is so that Krem] canfail to report your contri- bution. Because the Federal Election Commission requires reporting of campaign contributions over $200, this will enable Kreml to get himself sued or even jailed by the Federal Election Commis sion, which would put hira in a dandypo: sition to mount a legal challenge to the early achievements. He once claimed he ran the 10-yarddash in 9.5 seconds while in high school, which would have put him within an eyelash of the world record at entire phony-baloney system of thetire, not to mention his .600 batting averageand playingin the College World garchy [rule by therich],” says Kreml. “Our government is becoming a governing body of a few powerful interests, rather than a representative democracy.” Series. Helasted only one term. Poorfellow was just ahead of his time. Now that “regulation” of campaign financing. This is public service of a high order. “Weare in danger of becoming an oli Go, Krem] — he’s our man. Senate Owes Simple Justice to Italian Americans Mistreated During WWII It is nottrue, as the Justice Department MARIE COCCO said officially in 1992,that Italian Americans as a group werenot targeted, relocated and interned asofficial enemies heid withouttrial. it is not true, as Tom Brokaw wrote in his 1998 best-seller, The Greatest Generation, that Halian Americans were not subject to wholesale revocation of their civil liberties. “They may have had some uncomfortable moments during the war, but they Thatis false. History is wrong. The U.S. Congress newhas a rare chance to makeit right. Through theefforts of Reps. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., and Rick Lazio, R-N.Y., the House has passed a measure that would require the federal governmentto acknowledge what really happened to Italian Americans during the war and to zen — was under FBI investigation and repeated interrogation for more than a year. He was nevergiven namesof accus- ers. Or the natureofthe accusations. during World War 1 — thatonly a few, unlucky individuals were probed and retained all their rights,” Brokaw wrote. an accountant and a naturalized U.S.citi- NEWSDAY make available for inspection the 60year-old — andstill classified — record of it. The House vote was unanimous. It came after members of the Judiciary Committee heard thetruestories. Not the versions that appear — if they appear — in the books They heard from retired Army Col. Angelo de Guttadauro. His father, Nino — Ezio Pinza, about the day the FBI showed up at the couple’s house in Mamaroneck brought. The systematic raids on homes andfile and found nothing ofinterest.” But they took Pinza to Ellis Island. He was prosecuted and interned on vague subversive conspiracy. It is fashionable, nowadays, to rant about the “politics of victimization.” Behind the cornplaint is annoyancethat too many groups — women, gays, racial mi- and searched “everyroom, closet, drawer Without seeing evidence against him, Nino Guttadauro (who belonged to an Italian veterans group becauseofhisItalian military service during World War 1) was expelled from his California home, separated from his wife and two young children and banned from living in so many states that the prohibited areas clared enemy aliens during the war. amountedto haifthe country. About 10,000 were forced out of their “Due to the swiftness of the expulsion charges the couple never knew what were, or who made them. No lawyer was allowed. Pinza was held for three months, and wasreleasedafter the couple won rare second hearing. All 600,000 Italian Americans were dehomesalong the California coast. Fisher- order, household goodswereeitherstored men from Boston to San Fre or simply abandoned,” Guttadauro told the panel. “We were forced to rent, in numerous cities. furnished apartments or homesat high cost due to our transient cluding those who werecitizens, had status. We had become,by military fiat, a wartime records available — were interned. Some new research hints the family of involuntary gypsies.” They heard form Doris Pinza, elderly widow of the opera and Broadwaystar 0, in. their boats confiscated. Atleast 228 — that’s the official government figure uncovered in the scant oumber might have beenfive times that. No charges of sabotage were ever ielded Philco radics and bulky fam- meras turned up no espionage or norities, ethnic groups — want something to which they are notentitled, which so- ciety should notgive. This is an argument made, usually. by someone who does not belong to 2 group whosehistory has been denied. The Senate should follow the House and pass a law that says the government must own up to what happened. This must be donenotforthe victims, many of whom are dead ordying off, but “for the simple truth of the historical record,” said Lawrence DiStasi, a California writer and a driving force behind a traveling exhibit aboutthis secret story. ‘To turn the cheek, yet again, is to let history remain a lie. Thermal Underwear “16 EACHPIECE, LONG-SLEEVE GENUINE SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES TOP OR PANT Cuddle up in warm and cozy Cuddl Duds® thermal underwear. The exclusively-made Solarknit each believed to have different, Specific Magical Properties fabric provides warmth without weight. Inside, soft Pima cotton TURQUOISE beads give health ONYX beads give confidence ROSE QUARTZbeads give love. 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