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Show editorial Interim editor in chief: Taylor S. Fielding Phone: 626-7614 Reality full of irony Real life is just riddled with irony. In fact, it is probably irony that keeps the day-to-day newscasts from being soboring. Top 10 signs of sickness In order to be more David Letterman-esque, the editors have instructed me to prepare a "Top 10 Reasons Why the World is Going to Hell in a Flaming Handbasket" list. The list was filled in a little under half a nanosecond, so you can see events are pretty stable on old Earth. I couldn't decide on a Number One spot for any particular sign, as each one has its own particular horror, so the order is fairly random. With this list I will attempt to construct a model society. Here they, are: Females have to be more careful when they walk by themselves. As a philosophy, I reject this as lacking. No one should need fear for their safety from another human, especially on the mere basis of gender. Every one of us needs to look out for the others if we are to succeed. Many people would rather see violence on television than sex. All I can say to this is: reevaluate your priorities via your beliefs. The Department of Defense gets more money than education, social programs, or artistic endeavors. When the day comes when I need a gun more than a hug, I want to go home. Actually, that's as far as the list got. If I made it any longer I would become depressed, but you get the pnint, and it's a good place to start without being overwhelmed by the immensity of the project. Aaron Barnard "Citizen at large" A new millenium is fast falling toward us and the human race is still looking for cover. Not "cover" from an approaching firestorm, but "cover" as in "cover your ass." It seems apparent that the only thing that will motivate most people is some way for them to get theirs, be it money or fame or material wealth or whatever. The refined sense of fraternity between humans is ebbing, with no succesor but apathy. . The source of this apathy is a firm understanding that, no matter how bad things are now, they've always been bad, so nothing has really changed except the names and dates. This philosophy is very common among people in this nation, in this state, and on this campus. It's an easy philosophy to adhere to becauss all a person has to do is ignore eveything except the essentials: food, shelter, clothing, a little lovin', some extra money to spend, and the pursuit of consumer Nirvanah. Ignore big signs of the world collapsing in a slow and building landslide of chaos and malice, and you too can be on the road to achieving financial independence and success. The clarity and single-mindedness of purpose one can achieve is amazing, without distractions like paying attention to the intricacies of the world. Who gives a damn about the impending famine in Africa, when the victims are so far away as to be nonexistent, even though thepre-starva-tion atttrition count has been estimated in the hundreds of thousands? What would be the point of attempting change when it seems everything is at least functioning? When will human fates be no longer of their own choosing, but subject to the practical demands of their situations? Where could someone who wanted to make a difference start making a difference? Why bother trying to comprehend the nature of human violence, or potential for miraculous deeds, when payments for furniture or bills are due once a month? How can it be different? The first step is to think for yourself. "Officials" and "experts" are often just those who perform a function, like a machine, with no further thought beyond the accomplishment of a particular end. Once you have thought for yourself instead of accepting without question the words of others, then maybe you will gain wisdom as you analyze the world with a more honest perception. Then you can truly begin to change what is broken, or will fail. On this dae., May4 1932: Al Capone was jailed in the Atlanta Penitentiary for tax evasion. 1964: The Puiitzer Prize jury failed, for the first time, to award winners in the areas of fiction, drama and music. 1970: Four Kent State University students were shot by National Guard members during an anti-Vietnam War demonstration. Take for example this irony: In 1989, the Chinese Army descended on a pro-democracy demonstration to disperse and arrest the participants, many of whom were students. Some of the students were killed shot or run over by armored personnel carriers; others were arrested, quickly tried and sent to prison camps. The location of this event Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The irony in this story? When Clinton makes his visit to China this year, his 'welcome to the country' will be held in Tiananmen Square. It would be similar to the Clinton administration welcoming Adolf Hitler or Pol Pot to the United States on Ellis Island at the foot of the Statue of Liberty. Irony is not limited to national politics, though. Local school officials are involved in an effort to restrict the access of elementary and sec ondary school students to "questionable" Internet If1"11"1" j sites those containing pornography, weapons and bomb information, images of violence and used to "promote hate groups' agendas. Other groups attempt to 'protect' the television airwaves from programming which contains nudity and sexual acts, more common in Europe. Instead, "impressionable children" get their daily dose of sex and adultery on the national evening news from the continuing coverage of "Zipper-Gate." As far as weapons and violence, all children have to do is tune into one of the 24-hour cable networks, or if they are lucky enough to live in Los Angeles, simply tune into the live coverage of a man setting fire to his truck and shooting himself in the head or a shoot-out between heavily armed bank robbers and police. Fortunately, as we all know, we live in an industrialized, first-world nation where the tenants of wholesome morality and democracy can never be impeded... By Taylor S. Fielding interim editor in ch'ief-The Signpost Recipient of the UPA General Excellence award Interim editor in chief Taylor S. Fielding 626-7121 IV i Managing editor Mellyn L. Cole 626-7614 f; :v flf News editor Angela Wadman 626-7655 !;'" Campus affairs editor Kari Lynn Hat land 626-7659 "; f;s A&E editor Debra Jandreau 626-7624 fiS Sports editor Andrew Aragon 626-7983 Copy editor Tyler A. Holt 626-7105 f;f Features editor Jeremy Barlow 626-7621 t ' Graphics editor George Womack 626-6358 s :i - " Pnotoedi ir Sean Knighton 626-7661 v-.i Advertising mngr. Chad Montgomery 626-6359 p.) Online editor Mark Swenson 626-7507 S.etan, Georgia Edwards 626-7974 Adviser Dr. Sheree Josephson 626-6164 Publisher Dr. Kathy Edwards 626-6559 Signpost iax 626-7401 :, '! he Signpost is published Monday. Wednesday and Friday during fall, winter, and spring rjii. triers;. Subscription is 59 a quarter. 7 -:e Sinf! is a student publication, written, edited and drafted by Weber State University sh-Jcnts. Student fees fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are n- neccssarilv endorsed bv the universitv. The Jw'tyyvM welcomes letters to the editor. Lexers must include name, address, telephone number, relationship to staff and llie writers si: nature. ; ,c.S7etMreserves the right toedit forreasonsof space and libeland.Jsoreser.es the right o refuse to print any letter. letters should not exceed 350 uoids. Bring letter, to the editorial office in UB267.ormailo: 7VieiVi,7itt;.WcberSlaleUniversity.Ogden.lJlalt8t08-2l 10. Ann: Taylor S. Fielding. |