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Show OPINION. MOLLY IVINS Ll~TEN, MARIO, 1r; TH~ ONLY LIFE RAFT I COULD FIND, 50 COMMENTARY Welcome to the real right wing While the national media a re focused on the Texas govenor's race, they're missing a better story in our congressional races. Perhaps the most interesting race in the bunch is for the open House seat in Houston, where Ken Bentsen, who's a Bentsen Democrat both by blood and philosophy, faces a radical rightwing Christian, Gene Fontenot, who could very well win. When I say "radical right-wing," that's just what I mean. This one not only opposes abortion in all circumstances and acts as the c hie f financial officer of an outfit called American Restoration, which wants to abolish the seperation of church and state, but he also claims God as his interior decorator. Actually, it's Mrs. Fontenot who claims God as her decorator in a brochure, signed by both Fontenots, about their home. The residence in question is a $935,000 mansion built on 48 acres in Spring, which happens not to be in the congressional district for which Fontenot is running, but what-the-hey, it's a weird year. Fontenot wants to cut off all federal aid to education. This may sound whakola, but in "The Solemn Covenant," the statement of purpose put out by Citizens for American Restoration, Point 4 reads: "All attempts by the State to interfere with and control private, parochial and home education must be stopped." Interesting document, the Solemn Covenant. Among its points: "The power to tax is derived from and limited by God's laws . Taxes upon inheritance and property are unbiblical forms of taxation which are detrimental to the existance and well-being of the family and thus the nation as a whole." I don't doubt for a minute that the Citizens for American Restoration are well-intentioned, and we have elected many a well-intentioned nincompoop to public office before without significant damage to the body politic. But I can't recall, off-hand, any of them who I ever thought would have difficulty swearing to uphold the Constitution. At the bottom of the Solemn Covenant, to which Eugene Fontenot has sworn alleigiance, it says: "We further commit ourselves to support and encourage these elected officials and candidates who pledge t o fai thfully serve God in th e administration of their office. We also solemnly warn that violations of such a sacred trust invites the judgment of God upon not only elected rulers, but also upon the communities which they represent and serve." J;,riends, this ain't the American way. The very first liberty established by the Bill of Rights is t he freedom of conscience. T he very n ext one esta blis h ed is freedom from h avi ng government enforce a nyone's religious views. Molly Ivins is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram PROFESSIONAL STAFF AND DESK PHONE NUMBERS: Editor Larry B3kcr 586-7751 Campus Editor Jim Robinson 586-1997 Consu lting Spons Editors Neil Gardner 586-7753 Brett Jewkes 586-7752 Business Manager Lynn Dennett 586-7748 Assistant to the Editor Jennifer Morley 586-7759 STUDENT STAFF AND DESK PHONE NUMBERS: Associate Editors Carma Niemann 865-8226, Kasie Salmon 586-7750 Opinion Director Heather Green 586-7757 AP Wire Editor JoAnn Lundgreen 865-8225 Copy Editor Micki Sellers 586-7757 Photo Editor Lonnie Behunin 586-7757 Spons Edi•or John McCloskey 586-5488 Arts Editor Michelle Clegg 586-5488 Ass' t Opinion Director Curry Edwards 586-7757 Assistant Photo Editor Eric Roderic k 586-7757 Advertising Manager Jackilyn Christiansen 586-7758 Ad Representative Lesa Rindlisbacher 586-7758 Institutional Ad Rep Jason White 586-7758 Classified Ad Ass't Harmony Cu rtis 586-7759 Circulation Manager Dave M cane~ 865-8225 Business Aide Cheyenne Lyt le 586-7748 Ad Production Facilitators Jeff Martin 586-7757 Stacey Berry 586-7757 The Unil'euity Jou.ma/ i_, published every Monday, Wcdnc.s<by and Friday of the academic yea r u a publication of Southern Utah Univt'rstty, lc.s department of eommunl~t[on and the SUU Student AMOC1ation. The views and opinions crpte.ucd in the Journal arc those or individual writers .2nd do not nt:CCHUUy tcOcct the opinion of the /oumaJ or any entity of the univcuity Leners co the editor m u.n bf: r~d iand Include the name and phone number. Only the name will be pnmcd. Namu will not be- wit.hhc.ld under any circum.nances and the editor re.serves editing privileges. Letters mu,c be submhtcd by noon Fridays for Monday editions, Tuesdays for Wtdncsday edition, and Thursdays for Friday editions. Grinancrs: Any individual with a grievance ,igaimn the Journal should direct such problem first to the cdhor. lf unresolved, that grievance should then be direct~ to the /oumal Steering Committee, which is chai.red by Dr. Frain C. Parson, 586,797 1 The: .sc:acwy i, Lois Bulloch, 586-77 10 Uoiva,ity foumal: Offices in SUUT«:hnology 8uilding1Xll. Mill at SUU Box9384, CctbrCny, Uuh 84720. FAX !801)586-5487. 0 PRJl'ITED ON 100% RECYC LED PAPER. PLEASE REC YC LE TI{JS COPY. ~10P WUINING ANP PAPVLe. ~ rj MARA LOMBARDO COMMENTARY Climber charading as hippie I am appalled that people he re on campus regard me as part of a "clique." Cliq ue is defined by Webst er as an exclusive circle of people, snobbish, and narrow. I for one, am not a snob or a n arrow minded person because I associate with others. Not only am I a Greek, but I am also an Italian-Swedish fem ale who enjoys expanding my horizons. It is through the people I meet that I e nhance my personality because it is through their example that I learn what I want out of life. If a person does not vary from the norm then the horizon will not be expanded upon. It is not a "clique" that one sees as they walk past a group of people conversing. It is a bunch of people verbalizing the ir opinions. If one wants to put a label on other people instead of entertaining their inner-frustrations in a group setting then it is a problem for them t o deal with. Because someone has insecurities with a group of people they sho uld not justify it by categorizing them because they do not know the fundamental block s that h old the group together. We all know tha t wh a t one sees on the outside of a pe r son is n ot what the sou l possesses. If that w ere the case then my soul would be a cellulite ba ll with brown hair . Actu ally it is an emotiona l, ca ring, shy , friendly, semi-intelligent contributo r to my total being. If everyone I ever came into contact with pre judge d m e b y ass uming wha t my personality is, I would be a lonely closet hermit. Most of the people I walk by get a dirty look just for the mere reason that I do not like to smile-that doesn' t m ean that I do not laugh. "Birds of a feather flock together" if that is the c ase than h ow co m e "opposi t es attract?" Maybe people do come together to accentuate like aspects but I hang around people because of who they are which includes all of th eir abilities and not just the ones which are similar to mine. Many of us hang around with other~ because they are a support thro ugh both good and bad tim es not for pur el y destructive purposes . Granted so me ga ngs are q u i t dangerous but that is th e choice the people made when they decided to join them. If one i~ going to join a karate class than they better be ready to take the kicks. It should be relatively obvious that a group of people cannot be judged as a whole because it is the individuals which make the contributions. I have attended many poetry readings here on campus to find 99 percent of the attendants tc be English majors/minors or studen ts who have a class they must attend for. Why is there not a more diverse range of students in attendance? Could it be t ha t th ose t hat attend ha ve been labeled as "weird intellects." Of course they are the onl y ones w ho can understand that poetic crap, right? Involvement seems to be the overall issue. Here at SUU there is a lack of it. We attend wh at we ass um e will be comfo rtabl e or effortless and stray form what frightens without really knowing if th e fear is wo rth it. Try investigating those fears, you might find that the " cli q u e" ma y be co mprised of so m e interesting people or informative information . Lik e I sai d before, the so ul is diffe r ent depending on who it belongs to, and it sure the hell does not belong to a group. Becom e involved-learn, "it lives for ever." Realize that I have more to me then the brown hair on my head. Understand that when you say that Greeks drink or hippies climb rocks that it might be a G reek climbin g th ose rocks as a drunk hippie. You never know, that drunk rock climber might just be a Relief Society President with a m essed up equilibrium (what would she be called?) Get to know the person or the groui:: before you rationalize a defense against them. It is the soul that lives- let it live! |