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Opinion
Wednesday, January 9,1990
The Battalion
Opinion Page Editor Jennifer Jeffus 845-3314
Draft system limits options for applicants
Dear President Bush:
¥ou drew your line in the
sand way back in August. You
committed troops to back up
your position.
I understand why it was
necessary, but I can't bring
myself to support your actions.
With good reason, you ask,
why am I taking this thing so
personally? The answer is
painfully clear. When you beat
the war drum, you will not join
the fray. Neither will Congress.
You are counting on an
entirely different generation to
keep your promises. My
generation. And that includes
me.
The "military draft" is a term
which seems foreign to my
Timothy
Truesdale
Columnist
generation — as far away as
some ancient, now-conquered
disease like polio or smallpox.
But I can see that it might not be
so distant.
I have complied with the
law by registering with Selective
Service. Fve even taken the
pains to supply them with my
current address every time I've
moved.
However, I am a conscientious
objector. People have different
definitions for that term, so
here's mine: unlike your most
loyal soldiers, I am not willing to
kill to defend freedom, peace
and justice. However, just like
the most adamant patriot, I am
resolutely willing to give my life
for those values.
There are obviously
serious questions about now to
devise an equitable draft system.
In fact, the very title "Selective
Service" brings to mind the
following question: What will
the criteria oe to decide who will
be selected for service and who
will not?
I DO NOT advocate any kind
of deferment, nor ANY
exemptions for any able-bodied
American of my generation. The
mandate to serve must not fall to
individuals based on their
economic class. Rather, if you
find the draft necessary, I
encourage you to . equire service
of the entire generation.
But, rather than sending
us all to the Persian Gulf, I call
on you to permit us to choose
our area of service. Some may
choose to wage war against a
Middle East tyrant. Others may
choose to wage war against
illiteracy, poverty and apathetic
American selfishness.
There are thousands of
projects around the world which
will advance democracy as much
as an invasion of Kuwait and
Iraq. Many of these projects are
just as critical for long-term
global stability as Operation
Desert Shield.
If you choose to reinstitute
the draft. I'm not going to run to
Canada to escape service. But
many of us would rather give
our lives to promote democracy,
rather than take the lives of
others. Please, Mr. Bush, give us
the option to choose between
the Marine Corps and the Peace
Corps.
May God bless and direct you
in the difficult decisions which
face you.
Timothy Truesdale is a graduate
student in urban planning.
Affirmative action, quotas add to racial tension
AJuch ado was raised in last
fall's election campaign about
David Duke and Jesse Helms'
use of affirmative action and
hiring quotas as a primary
campaign issue.
After observing some of the
abuses which are perpetrated in
the name of these programs, it is
clear they will continue to be an
issue for years to come.
Take as a case in point the San
Francisco Fire Department.
A fire department probe
upheld charges that an Italian-
American captain falsely claimed
to be Hispanic in order to get
promoted.
An internal investigation
confirmed accusations that Capt.
Thomas Santoro committed
"ethnic fraud" by switching his
ethnic designation from
Caucasian to Hispanic in 1979,
after being passed over for
several promotions.
This move is understandable
given the frustration which must
nave been present after seeing
racial quotas and preferred
hiring criteria used to fill the
positions which he had
previously applied for.
What is beyond
comprehension is the response
of other Hispanic firefighters to
the situation. A number of
Hispanic firefighters want to
initiate an ethnic review panel
- which would decide on the
"Hispanicness" of any candidate
for a Hispanic-quota job.
TThey want to ensure that
only Western Hemisphere
Hispanics — Mexican-
Americans, Puerto Ricans, and
others are considered for hiring
quota jobs.
Of more interest to those who
are concerned about
discrimination is the fact that
they are attempting to ensure
their piece of the pie by
excluding all Hispanics of
European origin-Spaniards,
Basques and the occasional
Italian.
Santoro, a 23 year veteran,
was promoted several times
since 1979 and has been serving
as an acting battalion chief for
more than a year. If found guilty
of "ethnic fraud," Santoro could
be demoted and face other
disciplinary action.
Santoro's only crime, other
than a case of bad judgment,
was trying to stack the odds of
receiving a promotion in his
favor within the framework of a
patently unfair system.
In the case of the San
Francisco Fire Department as
Q. Who Should Share The Cost Of Our
Persian Gulf Defense Policy ?
a) Our allies
b) Our adversaries
AAAftKiieS
well as hundreds of companies
and agencies around the
country, past racial
discrimination is "remedied" by
alotting a certain number of jobs
and promotions to members of
the discriminated-against ethnic
group, regardless or whether
any individual from that group
can prove that he or she was
discriminated against
personally.
Would a bigoted hiring
supervisor give someone named
Santoro a promotion after being
assured that he was of European
extraction rather than Western
Hemisphere Hispanic? I think
not.
If a person is discriminated
against because of his or her
ethnic origin, our lawmakers
have a moral imperative to see
the discrimination is remedied.
Lawmakers only are
concerned with protecting
quotas which have been alotted
to them and ensuring that
second best will continue to be
good enough when it comes to
competing against others like
Santoro on civil-service tests.
Just as these firefighters
continue to split hairs over who
is Hispanic, fne question of
affirmative action and hiring
quotas will continue to divide
tne nation.
Santoro said he was
considering a lawsuit in his
defense. More power to him.
Any court case which will
bring the debate on this issue
into the public and expose the
contradictory treatment which is
afforded to some individuals
because of their name — or lack
of the right name — will do the
nation a great service.
In the mean time, ethnic
f enealogists may be in great
emand around the country if
these review panels become
commonplace to determine
eligibility for hiring quota jobs.
Larry Cox is a graduate student
in range science.
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
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Southwest Journalism Conference
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Lisa Ann Robertson,
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Kathy Cox, Managing Editor
J ennifer J effus,
Opinion Page Editor
Chris Vaughn, City Editor •
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News Editors
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Fredrick D. Joe, Art Director
Kristin North,
Lifestyles Editor
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the itch
by Nito