2
Opinion
Thursday, January 31,1991
The Battalion
Opinion Page Editor
Jennifer Jeffus
There Is,
MIHIIIIIIII
Interested In nearing from Its readers and welcomes ail letters to the editor. Please Include name, classification, address ami j
tor reserves the right to edit letters for style and length. Because of limited space, shorter letters have a better chance of appearing.
Letters may be brought to 216 Reed McDonald or sent to Campus MaS Stop 1111.
Gulf war deals with
control of oil reserves
EDITOR:
This letter is in response to the ple
thora of letters criticizing President
Bush for sending our troops into battle
to "keep the price of a gallon of gas
low."
As our President and many other in
formed persons have stated, this war is
not about cheap oil.
It's about who controls oil reserves in
the Persian Gulf.
Saddam Hussein has one thing in
common with evil dictators of the past
who faced the United States on the bat
tlefield.
Hussein, if allowed to keep Kuwait,
would have access to a great amount of
power.
Profits gained from oil production
surely would have been used to in
crease his military might.
Without the presence of allied forces
in the gulf, nothing would have
stopped Hussein from taking Bahrain,
the United Arab Emirates and even
Saudi Arabia.
We obtain only a small portion of our
oil from the Middle East. It is countries
like Japan, which imports the majority
of its oil from the Persian Gulf, that
would bear most of the brunt of Hus
sein's takeover of OPEC.
However, even if Saddam did con
trol most of the oil in the gulf, he would
not price himself out of business. He
needs the money to finance his ambi
tions.
Our soldiers are not fighting for
cheap oil. They are stopping a power-
hungry, evil dictator so the great wars
of history are not eclipsed in scope by a
new technology devastating struggle
for world supremacy.
It is for this reason, along with a
sense of patriotic responsibility, that
Sigma Chi joined with Young Republi
cans and others in the rally Wednesday
to support our troops.
We encourage all Ags to look beyond
the faulty arguments of peace-at-all-
cost activists and support the United
States in international affairs.
Jeff Bray '91
Protesters don't
realize war hardships
EDITOR:
I am writing this in response to the
Jan. 30 letter by Faith Short.
Ms. Short, please don't expect me to
feel sorry for the "hardship" you and
your fellow protesters have had to en
dure.
And don't try to convince me you
support the troops in the Middle East.
You might try to make yourself feel
better by saying such things if you
wish, but perhaps you should ask
some of the soldiers if they are thankful
for your kind of support.
I personally know many of them
who don't appreciate it because my fa
ther and many close family friends are
fighting in Saudi Arabia.
I am so glad to hear that you love
these people as brothers and sisters,
but some of us love them as fathers,
mothers, brothers and sisters because
they are the people that raised us and
grew up with us.
Apparently you should learn the
meaning of the words "hardship" and
"support."
Hardship is being at war and having
people tell you that they're protesting
for your own good when they have no
idea what you believe in.
You support those you love even if
you don't agree with what they're
doing, and you support them in a way
that is not detrimental to them.
Your method of "support" makes me
sick.
It's worse than no support at all in
the eyes of those who are fighting be
cause they think it is the right thing to
do.
Vikki S. Batten '93
Ags should support
basketball team
EDITOR:
This is addressed to all of you basket
ball fans out there who haven't been
showing up at Aggie basketball games
this season.
©m THE PKCEP
NEW JERSEY
Animals fall prey to drug testing
s
acrificing helpless
animals is an inhumane but ancient
custom. We believe, as did our
"barbaric" ancestors, that the sacrifice
is necessary to ward off disease. Little
has changed over the years, except for
the names of the gods who demand
the blood. Today the god is named
greed.
In the 1970s and '80s, American
corporations underestimated the
power of environmentalist groups.
Industrialists warned we would have
to choose between a growth economy
and cleaner air and water. Yet, when
the American public demanded more
environmental sensitivity, businesses
"miraculously" found ways to comply
and still make money.
This is just one example of the
"either/or" fallacy of logic. Believe me,
American businesses have a long
history of using this approach to
justify exploitative practices.
After losing so dramatically on the
environmental front, you'd think
they'd attack the "animal-rights"
groups with another tactic. But they're
at it again.
Last week I saw former Surgeon
General C. Everett Koop in an
Timothy
Truesdale
Columnist
advertisement. He was tearing pages
out of a book he identified as a
reference for medical treatments. He
said that without animal testing, many
treatments would not be available.
This type of logic sounded all too
familiar. Pharmaceutical companies
can be permitted to inflict pain and
suffering on helpless animals, or
people will suffer and die for lack of
appropriate drugs. The ends therefore
justify the means.
For all his self-importance, man is
not god of this earth. He is merely a
"steward." That means some day he'll
be required to account for his
treatment of the environment, as well
as other animals.
How do scientists who kill animals
for a living get to sleep at night?
Is there any other way of coming up
with appropriately tested medicines?
Of course there is! Scientists already
are using computers to develop drugs
Computer simulations can be created
which will accurately predict the
effects of treatments.
If such a technological "miracle" is
possible, then why haven't we seen
more research in that area? Quite
frankly, it's cheaper in the short run to
hire Dr, Koop to take the either/or
fallacy to the American public.
Pharmaceutical companies, beware.
Here's an either/or statement to which
there are no alternatives. Come up
with appropriate animal-free drug
testing on your own profitable
timetable or prepare to meet an
agitated public that will demand
immediate action.
Exploitation ensures short-run
profitability. You grow rich by selling
drugs'to suffering numans willing to
pay anything for relief. And you inflict
pam on animals to get your drugs to
the market. This kind of double
exploitation will not result in long-run
profits. The natives are growing tired
of the inhumane sacrifices.
Tim Truesdale is a graduate student in
urban planning.
Yes, I know we are 0-8 in South-
Conference play, and chances are nv
be 0-9 by next week.
But hey, since when have Agg :
claimed to be fair-weather fa;
Where's the "spirit of Aggieland" th
days?
The Aggie cagers have not be
"blown away" every game as li
heard some of you claim.
They did, in fact, come within fi
points of both Texas Tech and Baylor
Had the true "spirit of Aggielar:
shown up at these games, our plays
might have had the edge they need-
for the win.
We now have two Big East Confe
ence transfers that will begin playnt
season.
Both David Edwards and Tony Set
have given up the opportunity to p]J
for big crowds at Georgetown andSji
acuse respectively.
These players are now looking air
average crowd attendance of 2,0101ie:
at A&M. That's an embarrassinq|
Ags.
The Aggies will host the Longhor
Sunday at 1 p.m. Need I say more?K
excuses for not showing up for t
one.
If that's not enough, come out ar.
watch Brooks Thompson in action
the "alley-oop" is a must see.
Even Coach Davis has a way of her
ing up the house on a bad call.
If for no other reason, come on c.
and meet the players who might tat
the SWC title next year (yes, that's ml
prediction). Scott Wudel can chew.-
that for a while.
Miracles do happen Ags. Show yor
support — I'll see you at the game, i
Danielle Cook '91
Top 10 gripes
about 'the itch'
EDITOR:
Top 10 reasons "the itch" still is wri
ten.
10. Because he/she believes it's act:
ally funny.
9. The title is so darn creative.
8. Where's Tubularman when yoi
need him?
7. It's psychological warfare (agaiis
them or us)?
6. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines!
5. He's practicing for that creative!
opening on the National Enquirer staf.
4. Because it keeps everyone's mini
off the war with its scathing, highbrn
humorous content.
3. You should have seen the stril
that was going to be here.
2. It's one of those famous Aggie er!
periments (cold fusion, etc.) where!:
they are trying to see how many peoplij
with taste will write letters in disgust,
1. It's required course curriculum fdi
every journalist to offend the public
He's going for extra credit.
Ian Cruzen '92
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Lisa Ann Robertson,
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Kathy Cox, Managing Editor
Jennifer Jeffus,
Opinion Page Editor
Chris Vaughn, City Editor
Keith Sartin,
Richard Tijerina,
News Editors
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Fredrick D. Joe, Art Director
Kristin North,
Life Style Editor
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