University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 73, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, September 27, 1996 Page: 3 of 6
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U rOpinion
University Press • Friday, September 27,1996 • Page 3
University Press
•Allen Pearson....................................Editor
Tonya Andris v..........................Managing Editor
The opinions that appear in editorials are the official views of the
University Press student management as determined by the Student
Editorial Board. Opinions expressed elsewhere on this page are the
views of the writers only and are not necessarily those of the
University Press student management. Opinions are not necessarily
those of the university administration.
Editorial —........................
Clinton’s John Hancock
could hurt his campaign
With Election Day sneaking upon us, we are seeing a lot
of President Bill Clinton. This is something usual, being
that he is the president of the United States. The weird
thing is that he is signing bills these days as if there is no
tomorrow.
Why is that? Maybe because he wants to get reelected or
"he wants to put his John Hancock on a bill another time
should he be defeated by Bob Dole or Ross Perot.
In the last four months, Clinton has signed two major
Fills that will greatly affect the lives of many Americans.
One is the Welfare Reform Bill and the other concerns a
ban on the federal recognition of gay marriages.
The welfare reform bill called for sweeping changes in
Aids to Families with Dependent Children — what we call
“welfare.” Clinton agreed there needed to be changes with-
in the system. However, why did this change come so near
election time? Clinton has been in office since January
1993. This is approximately the exact, amount of time that
those within the social service community have been crying
for this change. Clinton worried about other things. Several
states have beat him to the task of “welfare” reform. Only
time will tell if this election season agenda will affect his
election.
Then, last week, he signed a bill that banned the federal
recognition of gay marriages. Thinking back nearly five
years ago, was it not Clinton who was a presidential candi-
date swearing that he would help the plight of gays in our
society. Suddenly, here comes election season. This was a
180 degree turn from candidate Clinton who stood in front
of crowds and said he would work for the gay community.
Is this an election season move to keep those conservative
Democrats from voting for Dole?
As usual, campaign promises are not kept. And, some-
times, broken promises can haunt a person. Remember,
there is a big difference in trying as hard as possible to do
something and promising to do something. Clinton should
take heed of the people who voted for his ideas, and not
worry so much about pleasing small groups of people.
Letters to the editor-
Editor:
I am baffled by the comments made by
Sherry Penick about Congressman Steve
Stockman (“Students Hold Rally in Quad,”
Sept. 20, 1996, University Press). The Direct
Student Loan Program she supports is a trial
program that has failed. More than half of the
students that have participated in the pro-
gram have failed to pay back their loans. This
high default rate uses up funds for those of us
who do pay back our loans. From where does
she suggest Mr. Stockman take money to
replenish the funds for this program so they
will be there for us next year when we need
them? From her paycheck? Is she interested
in paying even higher taxes? Or perhaps we
should borrow even more money. We are only
$5 trillion in debt already. All the while, the
Guaranteed Student Loan Program contin-
< ues to receive steady increases in funding
through which every student can receive a
„ loan for college. So, what is Penick’s beef?
Kyle Prince
Orange senior
University Press
Editor............................Allen Pearson
Managing Editor.............Tonya Andris
Copy Editor.................Laura Lee Scott
Features-
Editor........................Holly Simmons
Staff Writers-
Samantha McGuire, Kim Green,
Vita Gradney, Ginger Sjolander,
Todd Sonnier, Billie Dorman,
Sylvia Streeter, Patience McHenry,
Wayne Meza
Sports-
Editor...............Michael Thibodeaux
Bryce Darby, Brian van Staveren,
Owen Myrhe, Johnnie Walters
Graphics 1-
Editor:..........................Liv Lindberg,
Jason Parish, Stephanie Staudt,
Mark Nesmith
Photography-
Editor..............................Mark Smith
Ginger Gore, Amy Tribes
Advertising.......................Linda Barrett
Alan Prater, Aaron Russell
Letters to the editor policy
Individuals who wish to speak out on issues should send a letter
fewer than 400 words in length to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box
10055, LU Station, Beaumont 77710, or drop letters off at our
offices in 200 Setzer Student Center. The writer’s name, address,
phone number, and social security number must accompany each
letter. Letters received without this information cannot be printed.
Letters may be edited for length, grammar, style and possible libel.
Opinions expressed in letters are not necessarily those of the UP stu-
dent management. Letters by the same writer on the same subject
will not be published. Poetry, reprints, anonymous letters and reli-
gious debates will not be published.
Two sides of Tupac
Late rapper often exhibited a ‘gangsta’ paradox
Sometimes he would spell his name with a
numeral: “2pac.” Sometimes he would say it
with an explosive emphasis — “TOO-pock!” —
like the pop of a small gun in the night.
All pf this bravado was appropriate for
Tupac A.maru Shakur, for. there wete always
two of him, each at war with the other. One side
of him. was intelligent. The other did stupid
things.
Shakur, who died Sept. 13 after being fatally
shot Sept. 7 in Las Vegas, fought police brutali-
ty, yet couldn’t save himself from the black-on-
black brutality he romanticized. He railed
against the “negative” stereotypes media use to
portray black men and women; yet, none creat-
ed images more negative than the “bitches,”
“gangstas” and “ho’s” of his rap lyrics.
He was a talented actor with a moody inten-
sity comparable to that of a young Sidney
Poitier, Marlon Brando or James Dean.
Yet, as often as he left the ghetto, he could
not get the ghetto out of him. In June Shakur
settled a lawsuit with, a limousine driver who
claimed ShakQr and members of his entourage
beat him in a Fox TV parking lot in Los
Angeles.
Shakur spent 11 months in jail after he was
convicted in November 1994, for sexually abus-
ing a woman in a Manhattan hotel room.
During trial, he was shot five times during an
apparent robbery attempt in the lobby of a
building in Times Square. In a Vibe magazine
interview (April 1995) he blamed rival music
industry figures.
In 1993, Shakur was charged in the shooting
of two off-duty police officers in Atlanta. In
April this year he was charged with violating his
probation. And in May, he pleaded guilty to
felony weapons charges in Los Angeles.
While in jail, Shakur switched record labels
to Los Angeles-based Death Row Records,
famous for two other rappers with police
records, Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg.
Marion “Suge” Knight, head'of the Death Row
label and a reputed member of the Los Angeles
Bloods supergang, paid Shakur’s $1.4 million
bond, so he could be released pending appeal.
Knight, 31, a former lineman for the
University of Nevada-Las Vegas and body-
guard for Bobby Brown, was convicted of rob-
bery and assault in 1994 and still faces trial on a
1994 federal indictment for five weapons
charges.
Dr. Dre left the Death Row label earlier this
year because “The negative element there was
just too strong,” he told Newsweek. But Shakur
didn’t leave. Some say Knight had become
something of a father figure to Shakur, who
often has lamented never knowing his biologi-
cal father.
Shakur could be sweet, gentle and loving, the
way actress Jada Pinkett, a friend from their
days at the Baltimore School for the Performing
Arts, remembered Shakur — “always telling me
to calm down and stay on the straight and nar-
row.” Or he could be the bitter, volatile and
criminal “gangsta” rapper.
Now Tupac Shakur is dead, gunned down in
a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Police are
investigating possible gang .connections
between the shooting and the car’s owner,
Knight.
That’s the world of gangsta rap for you. No
other artistic medium so thoroughly confuses
fantasy and reality and for such tragic results.
Not all “gangsta” rap is harmful. Much of it
is a put-on, a mix of satire, theater, playfulness
and reverse psychology. One notable example,
“Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio, Billboard’s
“Single of the Year” last year, revealed gang life
to be more of a hell than a paradise.
Unfortunately, gangsta rappers and their
fans too often confuse their art with reality,
their audacity with virtue, their “badness” with
true goodness.
At a memorial service for Shakur, the pastor
at his boyhood church, the Rev. Herbert
Daughtry, called him a victim of society.
“He had the genes and he had the ability
could we have provided the society that would
have made him blossom,” the pastor said.
But, if Shakur was a victim of society, society
had plenty of help, much of it from Shakur him-
self.
While children cannot be expected to com-
prehend the fearful consequences of destructive
behavior, Tupac was no kid. He was free, black
and 25 years old. He knew what he was doing.
He looked on the straight, law-abiding world as
a bunch of chumps. He gambled with the out-
laws, and, ultimately, he lost.
On the street, they say someone who shows a
lot of courage has “heart.” Shakur had a lot of
“heart.” Too bad he didn’t have more sense in
his head. He could really have been somebody.
Clarence Page is a syndicated columnist with the
Chicago Tribune.
UPSuruey
At Central Michigan University, administrators have activated a program that
guarantees students who are in a four-year degree program that they will grad-
uate exactly in four years. If they don’t graduate within four years, at the fault
of the university, the school will pick up the student’ tuition tab, up to six years.
If Lamar were to establish a program like this, would it work? Why or why not?
“No. Too many students have other responsibilities
that may take time away from getting a four-year
degree in four years, such as jobs, kids, etc. I think it
should be the student’s responsibility to pay for their
education. The state and local governments have
enough financial concerns without adding more stu-
dents to it.”
Stephen Kash
Beaumont junior
“Yes, it would work with proper guidance coun-
selors from the university staff to ensure that all
requirements are met.”
The Rev. Hassan “Romeo” Crowley
Chicago sophomore
“I believe it would work because more classes could
be offered each semester. As things are now, certain
classes are only offered in the fall or spring semester.
Offer more classes every semester and students will be
out of school and in the workplace much faster.”
Brandi Humphrey
Beaumont senior
“Yes. I think that could be something to look into. I
know many friends that had to wait an extra semester to
graduate. It was the university’s fault. Why shouldn’t
they (the university) pay for it?”
Alana DeRousselle
Port Arthur freshman
“I think it could work because students would be
more enthusiastic about school and really get serious,
especially when they know in just four years they will
have their degree. But for some reason if they don’t
they won’t have to worry about how they’re going to
pay for tuition.”
Stacy McCauley
Omaha, Neb., freshman
“I think it would work because more students
would attend college so they could get better jobs.”
La’Kesha Davis
Beaumont sophomore
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Pearson, Allen. University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 73, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, September 27, 1996, newspaper, September 27, 1996; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth500950/m1/3/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.