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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1989)
The Battalion OPINION T1 Opinion Page Editor Juliette Rizzo 845-; Texas needs a state lottery Texas should cash in on a state lottery. A lottery would create new jobs, provide revenue for businesses selling lottery tickets and re-circulate money into the local economy. Money generated from the lottery could be used for education, anti-drug programs and law enforcement. Of 50 states, 30 have lotteries and all have benefited from them. In its first 12 months, the Florida lottery generated $570 million in revenue. Texas, with 5 mil lion more people than Florida, may generate even more money. And New York, the state closest to Texas in population, has grossed $707 million. According to statistics from the office of the state attorney general, no lottery in the last 25 years has ever lost money. It would be a contradiction of terms not to have a lottery in a state that has legalized pari-mutuel horse racing. Proceeds from lotteries could be used to fund programs that help all segments of the population.In the long run, if a lottery is implemented, all Texans will be winners. B ush h urt poor by vetoing bill Government needs to keep a cool head about the flag In a banner decision last June, the Supreme Court overturned a Texas law that was used to convict Gregory Lee Johnson of burning an American flag. As expected, George, the not-so- burning Bush, became a little hot un der the collar and decided that the only solution to this dilemma was a Consti tutional Amendment. Last week the Senate rejected the proposed amend ment in one of its most controversial deeds in years. Matt McBurnett Columnist President Bush made a mistake in vetoing a bill that would have allowed fed eral Medicaid funding for abortions of pregnancies caused by incest or rape. Bush said that although he believes in a woman’s right to have an abortion in such cases, he only supports the use of federal funds when the life of the mother is endangered. That means abortions for victims of rape or incest now are avail able only to women who can afford them. These babies often will be born into an environment where they are unwanted and unloved, in the care of a parent or parents who are financially and emotionally unable to care for them. By vetoing the bill, Bush has driven yet another wedge into the gap between the rich and the poor in the United States. The Battalion Editorial Board I am surprised that I do not have mixed emotions on this issue. After all, I pledged my allegiance to the flag, and to our republic, five times a week dur ing my first five years of school. I feel touched when I see the classic World War II photograph of American sol diers raising our banner at Iwo Jima. I even have a flag on my ceiling. Oddly enough, my emotions are fixed, not mixed. I was glad to see that the 51-48 Senate tally fell short of the two-thirds needed to send the amend ment to the states. I am convinced the flag itself stands for freedom that even entails the right to protest our govern ment by burning the flag. Flag burning is a deplorable deed, but it is an exten sion of free speech. It really is of no consequence anyway because flag bur ning is far from being an epidemic, or even popular. My point is not to saturate this col umn with the much beleagured Consti tutionality issue, but to say that our men in Washington have handled the entire ordeal quite poorly. As for amendments, the Equal Rights Amendment, a much more rea sonable proposal, has been turned down about 800 or 900 times now. So why was this flag burning proposal such a hot topic? The answer is sitting in the White House mulling about the placement of his library. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-Maine) said the most dis tressing aspect of the matter has been the eagerness with which the president sought to exploit the flag for political reasons. Joining in on the Bush-whack ing was Edward Kennedy who, in his most logical statement in years, said that Bush was “using the high power of his office for a low purpose. Tam pering with the Constitution in 1989 is an unjustifiable extension of the 1988 presidential campaign.” I am forced to agree on both counts. Recall that during the 1988 election, Bush made an issue of Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis having vetoed a bill mandating teachers lead students in morning flag salutes. Bob Dole conceded that there was little support from Bush, last week, in getting the amendment passed. In other words, Bush got what he wanted — recognition for supporting the pro posed amendment withoutactu; having done anything. This would not usually upset Receiving credit for nothing and > ting blamed for everything is dent’s job. Bush simply wanted to and justify his campaign. He attempt to do this by pulling on America emotional strings. That is upsetting The House, in a stroke of gei similar to Bush’s, recently passec measure making it a federal crime mutilate, deface, burn, physical) File, traple or maintain on the floe ground any flag of the United Stti The motion had earlier passu through the Senate. The measurepi vides that violators can be smadt with a $1000 fine or a one-year. term. Most likely, President Bush wi the bill pass without his signature. Without even glancing intomycm tal ball, I can see that eventuallys one will break this law and take court. The Supreme Court will havca exert its authority once again todedn this new statute unconstitutional. This proves that our three-brard government, when unchecked, is(|ir unbalanced. Bush wants an ment. Congress wants a law. TheSi preme Court declared that flagbi ing is an extension of freespeech.il: amounts to wasted tax money, wasif time, and a return to status quo toll gin again! Matt McBurnett is a junior elect cal engineering major and a /or The Battalion. Jury wrong to acquit rapist because of “sex advertising” We have be fore us the case of a young woman from Fort Lauderdale who went out with her girlf riend one eve ning dressed in a sea-green tank top and a ruffled miniskirt. Lewis Grizzard She could be ad vertising for sex with her boyf riend, Harold, who’s meeting her later. Send the creep to the Big House. If you don’t, what happens the next time he sees a woman dressed in a sea-green tank top and a ruffled miniskirt? If it were OK for him to rape the first one, why not number two? Syndicated Columnist She could be ad vertising for sex with her husband, you’re married doesn’t Actually, it’s what she did not have on that is the key issue here. She didn’t have on any underpants. She gets raped by a 26-year-old man and then a jury ups and acquits him be cause, in the words of the jury fore man, the victim “advertised for sex.” Just because mean you can’t still be kinky. She even could be advertising for sex with a movie producer who might be hanging out and happen to see her, and a month from now, she’ll be co-starring with Mel Gibson. Listen, I’m a man and I know the stirrings that loosen themselves when I see a woman dressed in something she obviously isn’t wearing to a Junior League meeting. But there are ways a man can soothe himself when visited upon by such stirrings. Here’s all the jury had to know: Think of the least sexy thing you can think of. Like Harry Truman. Or gall bladder surgery. Or the infield fly rule. And, if none of that works, there’s still the cold shower. Obviously, there have been outcries of injustice, and how can I remain si lent when so many others have seen the wrong here and have made public their disdain for the obviously Neanderthal thinking of the jury? Did this woman want to have sex with the creep who raped her? The an swer is, of course, no. Just because you’re wearing dancing shoes, doesn’t necessarily mean you want to dance. And just because a woman isn’t wearing underwear doesn’t necessarily mean she is there for the taking. Here’s the deal: You see a woman out in public dressed in a sea-green tank top and a ruffled miniskirt and you say to your self, “Hey, this chick probably isn’t wearing any underwear either, which obviously means she obviously wants to do the dirty deed.” “T I o force someone into sex is rape, and it doesn’t say anywhere that it doesn’t count if the victim is provocatively dressed.” Copyright 1989, Tribune Media Services, Inc. Mail Call Proud of Aggie leaders M I r J g By Of i G hon 1 Jon Tex J< pub rooi den wor bee: awa Aar oth< yeai aop sene D seve the i the som pro] T Cub adv: EDITOR: In my work here at the University, I continually have the e>pportunity to observe the outstanding attributes and contributions of our students. On two recent occasions (one here on campus and one at a professional meeting in San Antonio), I had the privilege of being in the audience when several Texas A&M student leaders represented A&M and their various constituencies. I am continuously impressed and proud on these occasions regarding how blessedani fortunate we are as University staff to have such outstanding students to worbi and serve. I know I think it a lot, but do not say it nearly enough. So frommeto our students — YOU ARE THE GREATEST! Ron Sasse Director of Student Affairs Hang your tag EDITOR: I have recently been given a ticket for not having a parking sticker, which Id have. It’s not bad enough that the closest space was just this side of Snook, builfi a ticket because I forgot to hang my parking pass. I know I’m not the first person this has happened to, and I won’t be the last either. We Aggies are being held responsible putting a piece of plastic on ourreii' view mirrors every time we get out of our cars. I can’t speak for everyone, butIfi like I have more important things to worry about; for instance, my GPR, monev, health and other trivial things college students waste their time stressing over. I guess DPS is having Johnny (Law) write these tickets to help pay forthenoi approved hike in our budget. Am I being unreasonable? I could always rebel and leave my pass on my mirror, but it clearly says, “Remove before vehicle is in motion.” Does DPSgiveoi tickets for not remembering to do this, too? J Chris A. Collins ’91 Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length . The editorial staff reserves the right to edit lettmjiti and length, hut will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and mustincU classification, address and telephone number of the writer. But, did the man force her to have sex with him? OK, so there’s some basis for logic there, I suppose, but here’s the spoiler. Big Boy. Just because she’s advertising for sex, it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s advertising for sex with you. The answer is, of course, yes. Then, it doesn’t matter if she were walking around buck naked. To force someone into sex is rape, and it doesn’t say anywhere that it doesn’t count if the victim is provocatively dressed. The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Scot Walker, Editor Wade See, Managing Editor Juliette Rizzo, Opinion Page Editor Fiona Soltes, City Editor Ellen Hobbs, Chuck Squatriglia, News Editors Tom Kehoe, Sports Editor Jay Janner, Art Director Dean Sueltenfuss, Lifestyles Editor Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspa per operated as a community service to Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the author, and do not necessarily rep resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, fac ulty or the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department of Journalism. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. 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