The Battalion
OPINION
Tuesday, October 17,1989
Opinion Page Editor Juliette Rizzo
Ireland Street needs Keep Christianity out of politic
a few improvements
The chaotic flow of traffic on Ireland Street is creating a dan
gerous situation for pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicles. The
Department of Parking, Transit and Traffic Services needs to
implement a better plan to accommodate all those who use the
street.
The heavy inbound flow of traffic has generated congestion as
students and vehicles try to squeeze past each other. Those on bicy
cles cannot ride north in the street because traffic flow is one-way
south. Bicyclists cannot ride on the east sidewalk because of the
masses of students, and they cannot ride on the west side either, be
cause it is devoid of ramps. The Department should definitely take
into consideration the addition of a bicycle lane.
Also, something needs to be done to alleviate the confusion
caused at the intersection of Ireland and Ross streets, where pedes
trians, shuttle buses and bicyclists converge in a swirling mass of
confusion.
The serious conflict between pedestrians and vehicles that
existed before the parking garage was built and the street was re
routed hasn’t been lessened but may have intensified to the point
where someone may be seriously injured unless some action is taken
to remedy this dangerous situation.
The Battalion Editorial Board
I have received a large number of
letters about my article on the need for
homosexual rights. They have taken
three forms: general letter: of support,
letters berating me for my support of
an issue that is so absolutely immoral
and letters that expressed general con
tempt for me and all my ideas.
I would like to address the second
type of letter, those that implicitly state
that Christian morality should shape
American policy.
Adam
Mathieu
Columnist
The first amendment to the United
States Constitution states that, “Con
gress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibit
ing the free exercise thereof.” I know
there are many subtle interpretations
of this amendment, and I am not going
to explore these because of a certain ig
norance about Constitutional law. But
I do feel justified in saying that basing
national policy on one religion’s doc
trine is in violation of this amendment.
Clearly, this is exactly the kind of reli
gious intervention that the framers of
the Constitution wanted to avoid.
is based on mysticism. As a result,
many of the intellectuals of this era,
some of whom composed the Constitu
tion, rejected classical religion and em
braced other, non-Christian religions.
The argument that all of these people
were good Christians is clearly a myth.
umn because the infusion of ▼
tianity into national governmente
structive to political progress. \
people used (and in many areas:
tinue to use) the Bible as a means
justifying discrimination againstbk
It is used, as every reader of thisnti JyS
paper saw, as a means of justifying
crimination against homosexuals.! 1 !
pie have used the Bible to supp
important scientific developments
eluding, in this day, the brand-netui
ory of evolution).
Mail Call
Be careful out there
EDITOR.
I have some concerns about life at Texas A&M and in College Station.
There is a traffic problem on Ross and Ireland streets. Every day students
stream across the streets seemingly oblivious to the cars and buses that are also on
the roads. On many occasions I have been on buses that were forced to suddenly
stop because someone did not notice the bus. (They’re really so hard to miss,
aren’t they?)
Come on Ags — use the crosswalks or at least cross the streets when a car or
bus isn’t practically less than a few inches away from you.
Trudi Gilfillian ’93
Chivalry not dead at A&M
EDITOR:
This letter was inspired by Todd Stone’s article on “The Challenge of
Manhood” in last Monday’s edition.
It appears that many women at Texas A&M believe that the men on this
campus are only interested in quenching their thirst for physical satisfaction.
While I must admit there are a few who fall into this category, they definately do
not represent every male on campus.
Believe it or not, ladies, there is still such a thing as an old-fashioned
gentleman here at A&M. Many of us attempt to live up to the “soldier, statesman
and knightly gentleman” standard every day. I just wish that we would be given
more of a chance to show it.
Those of us who follow this lifestyle really do enjoy long talks, holding hands,
walks in the park, and just spending time with someone special. A hug or a kiss is
meant to convey affection, not to arouse for an evening of sex. Unfortunately,
many women choose to think we are always after something more.
I am certain that I share this frustration with many men (and possibly some
women) on campus. Ladies, all we ask is a chance to show our true colors.
Chivalry is not dead at A&M, we just wear a different kind of armour now.
Russell J. Murie Jr. ’90
Blame victim, not perpetrator
EDITOR:
A Florida jury acquitted Steven Lord of rape, because the victim “asked for it
by the way she was dressed,” said jury foreman Roy Diamond. Roy, did she ask to
be attacked at knife-point? As long as juries blame the victim rather than the
perpetrator, it is no wonder that so many violent crimes go unreported. I pray
that this wrong-headed decision does not set a precedent for the rape and assault
charges Lord now faces in Georgia.
Mark Oakland
Graduate student
Cutting corners wastes grass
EDITOR.
Walking around our campus I’ve noticed something that has been bothering
me and I felt I had to express my opinion.
It’s about the shortcut paths made through the grass and designated green
areas (the spots of trees and bushes on campus). Readers may be asking, “Why is
this student concerned about this trivial thing?” I’ll reply by saying that as it is with
the construction of more buildings on campus, the amount of greenery on
campus is already shrinking. And if we continue to make our own shortcuts,
othing will be left but dirt paths.
There are several reasons we should stay off of the grass: (1) to show pride for
our impressive campus, (2) because the sidewalks are there for us to trample on
and (3) because it just isn’t aesthetically pleasing to see dirt paths instead of grass.
If you don’t believe me, just look at the “greenery” in back of the Pavilion, on the
south side of Harrington Tower and in front of G. Rollie White.
I realize that at times it seems as if we walk all day, but what would it take to go
feet further around the grassy areas? After all, we treat the grass surrounding
the MSG with respect, why not treat green lots the same way?
Adrienne Yurdyga ’89
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for
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include the classification, address and telephone number of the writer.
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ion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, Col-
I feel that one of the great myths
surrounding American identity is that
this nation is a special Christian nation,
ordained by God to set world morality.
Again, history tells us this is false. Most
of the framers of the Constitution be
gan their intellectual development dur
ing the Age of Reason. The focus of
this huge movement was on science
and experimentation. It was marked by
a rejection of mystic ideals. Certainly a
great part of classical religious thought
There is an additional problem to
letting the beliefs of one religion domi
nate the character of the entire nation,
and that problem is the presence of
other religions. The Statistical Abstract
of the United States states that only
about 54 percent of all people in the
United States belong to Christian reli
gions. A full 46 percent of this nation,
or 113 million people, do not belong to
a Christian religion. How can we dis
criminate against this huge group of
people? They have the right, according
to the Constitution, to believe as they
wish without being politically op
pressed by another religion’s doctrines.
Everyone must have the right to be
lieve as he or she wishes.
Orthodox Christian beliefs contu
to hinder action on important nai!;
issues. We have difficulty construct
an effective solution to the drugpi
lem because of the persistent belief
drugs are evil. We cannot help curb'
spread of AIDS because of a Chris
unwillingness to legalize prostitute]
Many good plans are squashed byti
gious puritanism.
year:
for f
man;
I do not believe that all of thepri!
lems in the United States todayarei
direct result of orthodox Christianin
simply believe these people havei
strong a voice. I also wish Christiijlevel
would forget these moronic ideals
petty morality. They should embn
the more fundamental doctrines
kindness to the less fortunate am
one’s foes. Government created
these ideals would be extremely difft
ent. These people should forsake
sickening piety and concentrate out
rather beautiful tenets of their faith.
Spei
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men
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16th
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1953
By Pi
I am not writing this column as an
attack on Christianity or on the people
who practice it. I am writing this col-
Adam Mathieu is a senior chm
try major and a columnist for The Ei hem
talion.
Culture has place in history
The media, through the press, tele
vision and history books, has led Amer
ican society to accept what is available
and take it as fact. Research over the
years has proven to correct some of the
wrongs society has taken for fact about
black history.
Curtis
Franks
Guest Columnist
heritage. Myths about what olh ,n *yj u
groups can and cannot do in terms
mental capacity destroy the gains
progress.
Modu
tringi
History has neglected some of the
facts surrounding black history and its
positive points. The key individuals in
black history such as Martin Luther
King, Jr. Nat Turner and Malcom X
have been ex-
As a black individual, I’ve experi
enced a culture shock at Texas A&M. I
find it difficult to identify with my
roots when I’m exposed to a campus
that is predominantly white. Trying to
cope with the sense of an unheard
voice has effects on all minoritv stu-
Tremendous advancements in ran iazarc
He
vastes
Thr
ploited as if they
were the only Ne
groes to have suc
cessfully entered
the history books
with an impact on
future generations.
These subjects only
scratch the surface
about the true in
equality have been made in geneii
but in specific areas of society, we 1» on t>n
a way to go. One specific area, thecla: ^ a c
room, lacks the types of subjectsai
material to satisfy the growing numb
of minorities across America. Teachii
methods are sometimes biased
the learning styles ofi
norities, which malt
class material difficult
learn.
novations black and Hispanic inventors
and politicians have made in America.
We as a nation have been robbed of
many rich cultures such as the Mexi-
can-American culture as well as the
Asiatic-African culture.
History itself has deprived Hispanics
and Negroes of some of their past his
tory by secluding evidence of achieve
ment from the masses. This includes
Benjamin Banneker, Granville T.
Woods and the great medical discov
erer, Dr. Charles Drew. These individ
uals made great contributions to the
world, but people of their own race
cannot identify them.
Is the history of minorities impor
tant to only minorities? From our his
tory books we acquire knowledge about
cultures other than our own. In a
sense, we must identify our own cul
ture before we can learn about others.
dents. This is why minority student
groups are at the forefront of the battle
to gain a more powerful voice that will
influence activities on campus.
The Black Awareness Committee
and the Committee for the Awareness
of Mexican-American Culture are
sometimes thought to be specifically
for those of ethnic background. Many
students identify these student organi
zations with their cultural affiliations,
but in reality their purpose is to serve
everyone. The groups are specifically
defined to be open to all interested stu
dents, regardless of race. Maybe it’s an
absence of concern on the students’ be
half, but when it’s left up to the speci
fied ethnic group, the purpose of edu
cating other races is lost due to lack of
involvement.
A major cause of racism is a lack of
understanding about another’s cultural
The civil rigtii
movement has helped
make peoples of this®
tion accept the progre
of minorities and
achievements. As ill
’90s approach, the:
tures of minorities in America lod
bright. The subject of affirmatives
tion has arisen as a reverse discrirnffi
tion issue. The opinions on this issu
may vary, but with a rising number
minorities in all areas of society, we
productive citizens must assume rol
of leadership in this country, andaft'
mative action allows us to do so.
Whether progress continues to u
crease or declines, all groups havecof
tributed significantly to make Amei
what it is today. Sometimes we negl
to learn about other cultures becai
they don’t directly affect us, but
truth shows us that the contributios!
made to the world are colorless.
cm
Wo
;ectiv<
com
AU
Tex
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ales t;
I
it
Curtis Franks is a freshman gend j
studies and an officer on the
A wareness Committee.