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BATTALION
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Opinion
THE BATTALION
11
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
techni-
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EDITORIAL
A Difficult Case
to Make
The inability of Andrea Yates' defense team to acquit her
on grounds of insanity has brought Texas' ridiculous insan
ity law into the mainstream media once again. Yates is
indisputably mentally ill, yet the Houston jury was unable
to deem her clinically insane under the definition set forth
in the Texas Criminal Justice System.
It is time to reform our state's overly-strict insanity
defense law because it is out of touch with information
associated with mental illness, as it is only concerned with
the defendant and his awareness of their conduct as
wrong.
The insanity defense in Texas should be revamped
because its apparent simplicity is anything but. Many times
even a mentally ill person can discern right from wrong, but
rather than delving into the important complexities associ
ated with the various kinds of mental illness, Texas' insanity
rule asks a relatively simple and useless question.
This is a poor understanding of mental illness which is
notin line with today's knowledge of mental illness, under
standing of the brain, and workings of the mind. Andrea
Yates should spend the rest of her life in a mental hospital,
not a jail.
The current standards for insanity defense have been in
place since the 1982 assassination attempt on president
Ronald Reagan. The law made at the time were very much
reactions to an understandable fear. However, policy must
be based on facts, not emotions, as the Texas insanity
defense is.
Texas's insanity defense is behind the times and out of
touch with science. It would be insane not to reexamine
this defense.
THE BATTALION
l SINCE IfttS l
EDITORIAL BOARD
Editor in Chief Mariano CASTILLO
Hinging Editor
Opinion Editor
News Editor
News Editor
Brian Ruff
Cayla Carr
Sommer Bunce
Brandie Liffick
Member
Member
Member
Member
Melissa Bedsole
Jonathan Jpnes
Jennifer Lozano
Kelln Zimmer
The Battalion encourages letters to the editor. Letters must be 200 words or less
md include the author's name, class and phone number. The opinion editor
Wervesthe right to edit letters for length, style and accuracy. Letters may be submit-
led in person at 014 Reed McDonald with a valid student ID. Letters also may be
nailed to: 014 Reed McDonald, MS 1111, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
1)843-11 1 1. Fax: (979) 845-2647 Email: mailcall@thebatt.com
MAIL CALL
Family
xcedures
as ChiKM
^79)731.1000
ACLU right to fight
state-sponsored
religious signs
response to Dharmaraj
Murthy's March 18 column:
Hound The Battalion's column
jainst the ACLU to be inexcus-
Wy closed-minded and filled
ith doublespeak. In it, the
uthor complains that the
American tradition of separation
)f church and state promotes
ideological disparity." This is
merely evasive language for
allowing people to hold opin-
ansthat are different from your
awn," another cherished
American value.
The author also justifies using
state money to print Christian
Propaganda by saying "popular
pinion in Franklinton is that a
oon-Christian religion is wrong.
Neither of these statements can
^rationally construed as offen
sive, particularly because both of
•Nese implied statements are
y siy true." Contrary to what he
seems to believe, just because
ao opinion is popular in no way
makes it right, and certainly does
"otmake it offensive,
is inherently wrong to force
i-Christians to pay with their
tax money for signs that condemn
Useirown deeply held views.
Casey Foster
Class of 2005
Adventure in
rooking
^ response to Lindsay Leifeste's
f krcii 18 article:
found the article describing
People's cooking experiences
quite interesting and would like
to share my own. I am an inter
national student from India and
I am purely vegetarian. As a
result, I am forced to cook my
own food. When I first arrived
in the United States last fall I
had similar cooking experi
ences while making my own
food for the first time.
One day I decided to make the
sweet rice that we call "kheer." I
boiled some milk and put "suffi
cient" rice in it and did not
bother to stir it. Ten minutes
later, when I came back, I found
that the rice had settled to the
bottom and had been burned.
In addition, there was a foul
smell because some of the milk
had spilled onto the burner.
Since then, neither my room
mate nor I have dared to cook
that dish again.
Saurabh Gupta
graduate student
Bible verses do not
belong on fliers
I am offended by AggieCon
for using Bible verses on its
fliers. It is wrong for AggieCon
to use the Lord's words to pro
mote its own goals.
AggieCon is in no way con
nected with anything Christian.
This could lead unsuspecting
Christians to participate in
something against God's will.
AggieCon should be forced to
take down these fliers and
apologize to those who were
offended by the corruption of
the Lord's Word.
Barry Ward
Class of 2004
A LACK OF PRIVACY
Makers of implanted chip lost sight of original goal
N ow here is some
thing that is sure to
get under one’s
skin — literally.
Last week. Applied
Digital announced its plans
to produce implantable microchips, or
the VeriChip, for humans. VeriChip is
rather innocuous — no bigger than a
grain of rice. Encoded with specific
information, the chip is placed under the
skin. A scanning device is run across the
skin, and the data are promptly displayed
on a screen. In response to the over
whelming criticism Applied Digital has
received for the VeriChip, it continues to
promote the chip for medical purposes.
MELISSA TRIED
At first, the VeriChip
was to hold only medical
information. It would even
tually replace the need for
hard-copy medical files
because the patient’s entire
history would be stored within the chip.
Ideally, it would also have made emer
gency situations easier. Should a patient
enter a hospital unconscious, all the
information the doctor needs to know
— medical history, allergies and past
hospitalizations — would be on the
chip, and no time would be wasted try
ing to call relatives of the patient. This
is a great idea and a true scientific
breakthrough.
But Applied Digital raises eyebrows
in its attempt to merge the implantable
concept of VeriChip with another one
of its products, the Digital Angel track
ing device.
After the murder of Wall
Street Journal reporter
Daniel Pearl, Applied
Digital has found its
soapbox. If Pearl
had had an
embedded chip
that could have
relayed
his position and location at all times —
with the use of the most advanced GPS
technology — his fate could have been
drastically different. This is the finest
piece of “security propaganda” since the
Sept. 1 1 terrorist attacks, and with such
propaganda it is our responsibility to
consider the other side of this com
pelling argument.
Americans are constantly dispersed
around the world. They are members of
the military, diplomats, businessmen,
foreign correspondents, and their safety
is a great concern for our government
because of their profession. But to
“chip” them is a temporary solution that
only invites more trouble.
On the one hand, Americans’ where
abouts could be monitored should they
encounter any trouble. But the other side
is that the chip cannot be “turned off.”
Once the workday is over, their position
and location is tracked and they are
remotely followed home, to dinner or
the movies. There becomes no distinc
tion between public and private life as
one slowly merges to become the other.
Something else to consider is who is
monitoring whom. Intelligence officials
of this country and other countries can
easily intercept radio messages, satellite-
beamed information or hack into com
puter systems. So how long will it be
before they tap into the tracking system?
Suddenly, not only will the United
States know the strategic location of its
CIA agents, but so will other
“rogue” nations. Who is to say that
our overseas brethren will not
become the target of intensified
international scandals?
Or in a more extreme situa
tion, what if this technology
\ falls into the hands of
oppressive sAv\\.es, as \s five
concern of many bio-etVu-
cists, who require their citi
zens to “get chipped” to
promote regional stability?
How very Orwellian.
Applied Digital needs to
focus its energy on the
advancement of the
VeriChip with its original
purpose in mind — to aid
the medical community.
However, Applied
Digital is also in the busi
ness of making money.
Shame on Applied Digital
for playing on the fears of
Americans in the hopes of
turning a profit. And
shame on Americans for
allowing them to.
Melissa Fried is a freshman
international studies major.
Lower speeds make Texas safer
ANDI BACA
I n an age where time
is money, every
minute counts. At
least that is how it
appears on the daily
commute, as cars race to
their destinations.
Reducing the speed limit on many Texas
highways may be an inconvenience to
drivers, however, it is necessary to
ensure the safety of travelers.
Earlier this year, many Houston free
ways experienced a speed limit reduc
tion from 70 to 55 mph. Heavily
traveled Houston roads such as North
Freeway, Gulf Freeway, Katy Freeway
and the West Loop were among those
reduced first. According to the Houston
Chronicle, the new speed limit is part of
a state plan to reduce Houston’s severe
smog problem and to comply with the
federal Clean Air Act. Safety concerns
brought on by the large number of daily
travelers have propelled the new limits.
The decision to reduce the speed limit
is an attempt to improve the safety con
ditions on freeways. Speed limits are set
at the speed that is considered safe and
reasonable for travelers, according to the
U.S. Department of Transportation
Website. The Texas Transportation
Institute (TTI) Website reported that
when many freeway speeds were raised
to 70 mph in 1996, the num
ber of automobile accidents
also increased. TTI said the
number of fatal crashes
increased by 28 percent fol
lowing the increase in free
way speed limits. CNN has
reported that cars are made safer, but
they are not meant to withstand an
impact at 70 mph.
Personal vehicles are not the only
ones on the road: large trucks shipping
merchandise and goods to stores share
the roads. Drivers have a difficult time
controlling and maneuvering eighteen-
wheelers at high speeds. The Houston
Chronicle reported that reduced speeds
can improve freeway safety by giving
truck drivers more control in emergency
situations.
Road construction is also an ongoing
problem. Workers are either adding new
lanes to accommodate heavy traffic or
repairing roads worn by constant use.
Lower speed limits reduce the amount of
wear and costly repairs on roads, accord
ing to CNN. Roads that last longer are
more practical for drivers by eliminating
construction that forces them to use
alternative routes. Potholes and damaged
roads cause wear on vehicles and add
risk when drivers attempt to avoid them.
CNN said that while roads are being
built safer, they will only do so much to
improve safety.
Reduced speed limits are an incon-
vience to travelers, however, as roads
become increasingly crowded, there is a
need to regulate speeds. The most diffi
cult part of lowering speed limits is
enforcing them. According to the
Houston Chronicle, police officers report
that most drivers ignore the reduced
speed limits. New speed limits go into
effect as soon as a new sign is put up.
Enforcing the speed limit is difficult
— there has been no additional state or
federal funding to pay more officers. The
Houston Chronicle also said ticketing is
expected to increase and there will be
little lenience for speeders.
Police officers said conditions can
become serious if there is a large differ
ence in the speeds of drivers on the same
roads. Drivers should not jeopardize
their and others well-being to shave five
minutes off their commute.
While many drivers will be impa
tient, reducing the speed limit is a
safety procedure this state needs to
make. Drivers have an obligation to
comply with the speed limit to protect
themselves and others.
Andi Baca is a senior
journalism major.