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Show Wednesday, January 31, 2001 EdITORIAL- viewpoint KZ&vYouK viz? ur tax' . s.s-s- '..J A v. I AWT C m Human nature gone astray 'Temptation Island," "Survivor" and other "reality-based" shows that are inundating TV screens are nothing more than voyeurism at its absolute worst. What is truly frightening is that these programs serve as a reflection of a society that can't tear its eyes away from contests that involve the most base of our human desires: greed and lust. Like watching a car wreck, our society is fascinated. But what is it about us that drives us to goggle over the least noble forms of our own human nature? Perhaps the better question: why are we being served these titillating series which only look at human relationships on the most superficial level? In Survivor we take 16 people and then see who comes out on top. Ultimately 15 people will be betrayed by their own team,' people they trusted. What does this say about the society that has set up this contest? Are we to make only friendships of convenience that we abandon at the first sign of our own advantage? This cold, calculating way of evaluating friendships may make one more money but leave them much poorer in the long run. Temptation Island bills itself as a program that looks at the mechanics of how human relationships work or do not work. However, if this were really the goal it would not treat the subject on a beauty-is-skin-deep manner. The motivation behind the show is simply to sell its own sex appeal. It is ludicrous that our society is telling us that this is a good way to "test" a relationship. This is not a viewpoint advocating throwing out all televi,-sion sets. Rather, it is an attempt to beseech people to look more carefully at what sort of entertainment is being deduced from that box. rinrincf tViic mnnth Kn Rnrnc' Hnrnmpntanr nn tH Viic- 'fnnT rf io77 Vine V-irnlon noiir : shown the struggle that early African-American musicians went through to express the truly unique form of art. The documentary has consistently shown a different side of human nature. We see people overcoming obstacles and prejudice to express musical genius. There are so many levels of human nature, but it is up to individuals to decide which of those basic natures they want to focus on and develop. Temptation Island should not be the example of the human nature our society hungers after. The Signpost U r. B F K S T A T F. t" N I V r R S I I Editor in chief Lisa Roskelley 626-7121 Managing editor Melissa Mikesell 626-7614 News editor Mark Gray 626-7655 Campus affairs editor Wes Hanna 626-7659 Special assignments Leo Tyson Dirr 626-7621 Sports editor Jose Carvajal 626-7983 Features editor Knsty Jorgensen 626-6358 Colleges editor Heather Wheatley 626-7624 Copy editor Leslie Sutton 626-7507 A&E editor Sari Dewsnup 626-7105 ! Graphics editor Ryan Rogers 626-6358 j Photo editor Tim Eisenbrandt 626-7661 I Advertising manager Brody Purser 626-6359 ' Online editor Seth Miller 626-7105 ; Secretary Georgia Edwards 626-7974 ; Adviser Dr. Sheree Josephson 626-6164 i Publisher Ty Sanders 626-6558 Signpost fax 626-7401 7he Signpost is published eveiy Munday, Wednesday and Friday during the semester. Subscription is $9 a semester. Ihe Signpost is a student publication, written, edited and dialled by Weber State University students. Student fees partially fund the printinrj of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university. Ttie Signpost welcomes letters to the editor . Letters must include name, address, telephone number and the writer's signature. Anonymous letters will not be pi inted. The Signpost reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of space and libel and also reser ves the right to refuse to print any letter. Letters should not exceed 350 words. Bring letters to the editorial offire in SUB 267, mail to: The Signpost, Weber State University, Qgdin, Utah 84403-2 I 1 0. Attn: Lisa Roskelley, or e-mail Iroskeiley -1 weber.edu. rfrniinH T't-iio DHQ c?t-ioc? hoc V v.. The Clinton Legacy: Arkansas boy dupes masses -".T Seegmiller -i Columnist They scrawled vulgar graffiti on the walls. They ruined desks and computer keyboards and cut phone lines. They scattered trash throughout offices. They left pornographic pictures and phone messages. Et cetera. It could cost taxpayers more than a quarter of a million dollars. Was this the gross crime of a bunch of crackheads on '"a rampage? Or the neo-Nazi treatment of a Jewish synagogue? No. These hate crimes are what departing Clinton and Gore staffers did to the While House and the Old Executive Office Building. Apparently they couldn't resist one last opportunity to remind us of the importance of tolerance and bipartisanship. This grotesque rape of the White House is disgusting, yet poetic. These hoodlums unwittingly provided us with a striking symbol of what the sanctimonious and self-serving Clintons have done to America during their tenure. But further searing into our memories the essence of the Clinton years was the looting of Air Force One and Bill's last-minute pardoning of at least 176 criminals. This included half-brother. Today in History 1968 APOLLO 14 DEPARTS FOR THE MOON Apollo 14. piloted by astronauts Alan B. Shcpard, Jr.. Edgar I). Mitchell, ami Stuart A. Roosa. is successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. on a manned mission to the moon. February 5. after suffering some inilial problems in docking the lunar and command modules, Shcpard and Mitchell descend to the lunar surface on the third U.S. moon landing. Upon stepping out of the lunar module, Shcpard, who was the first American In space in 1961 aboard Freedom 7. becomes the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon. Shcpard and Mitchell remain on the lunar surface for nearly 34 hours, conduct simple scientific experiments such as hilting golf balls into space with Shcpard's golf club, and collect 96 pounds of lunar samples. February 9, Apollo 14 safely returns to earth. info cinirtrsti ti.sonriamie.a) til v r r-., TC Sfl(J SK Az To vov - . . . A " A C0?l Ah I l 1 T Roger, and Marc Rich, whose wife coincidentally had given $1 .3 million to the Democratic National Committee, including $120,000 to Hillary's campaign. It was a fit departure for the Clinton Syndicate.People that do not allow bias and stupidity to bully the sensibilities of conscience and reason are very disturbed by the Clinton record. True, the administration was expert at spin, but how could millions of Americans miss the signature of a crook: Whitewater, Filegate, Chinagate, Travelgate (to name a few), suspicious deaths, disappearing documents, a slew of . indictments and convictions, and an entire ecosystem of suspicious characters and circumstances. Yes, America was taken to the cleaners. Much of the damage not readily visible. It comes in the form of a morally disgraced presidency and a disgusting example, especially for children. His trademark lies and flouting of the law were a model for cons everywhere. In a recent Esquire.com interview, an out-of-control Bill Clinton reveals he hasn't learned a thing from his evil ways, and his whining and blaming suggests that he is not, and never was. sorry for anything he's ever done. He doesn't just whine and blame he also brags, taking credit for stuff he didn't do. Poor old boy : xn V seems incapable of rational thinking. But Bill's worst crime was the weakening of our military and the strengthening of China's. In 1999 Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), a member of the Armed Services and Select Intelligence committees, told The New American that our military was nearly down to half its strength since before Clinton came along. Then, emphatically and almost angrily (very reminiscent of the "Monica Lie,") Bill says to the Democratic National Convention, "Now, the American military is the best trained, best equipped, most effective fighting force in the world. Any adversary who believes those who say otherwise is making a grave mistake." Strange boast from a man who has depleted U.S. military strength, and who has, ignoring official warnings from at least five agencies, given China access to crucial technology that has in part helped them update the nuclear weapons that have our names on them. My reaction to Bill's brazen BS at the DNC was precisely that of talk-show host Michael Reagan: a . sudden need to vomit. And what does Bill get for his treachery, obvious corruption and bald-faced lies? Re-election. Huge popularity. A golden pedestal. A narcissist's nirvana. Vomiting is very appropriate. |