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Mostly cloudy
Highs in 70s
Lows in 40s
Always strive to be the best
at what you do because
someone has to be
-Battalion columnist Michael
Quinn Sullivan
Page 11
Oscar Preview:
Silence of the
Lambs, JFK and
Beauty and the
Beast could all
come out winners
Page 3
CoachTs Dream:
Mark Weaver
leads charge of
A&M men’s
tennis team
Page 7
French ami
ers they anj
idy^fiv Vol.91 No. 117
The Battalion
College Station, Texas
‘Serving Texas A&M since 1893’
12 Pages
Thursday, March 26, 1992
des and Bril |
the two for
otal of 44lp
cks.
ipts
Organization strives to place limits on Texas officials' terms
By Alysia Woods
The Battalion
miaii
A Texas group is pushing to get the is
sue of term limitations on the agenda for
the Texas Legislature's next special leg-
1 Tl T10i^ at * ve sess i on to be held in May.
**”*'■*■*T)I Armed with a recent poll that shows
■most Texas lawmakers favor term limita-
nCWito Texans for Term Limitations would
T. '■like to see state officials limited to eight
..p. years in office.
in J A1 1 ~ f Mark Sanders, spokesman for the non
profit organization, said the group was
set up by Rob Mosbacher in January 1991
following his loss to Bob Bullock in the
it during a I
the Interco:
anding soi
■ floors,
ould be sa
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struggled
dozens of
eceivingem
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oss the stu
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:ire basenv
id it appeal
n an electn
e blaze bef
ent set upi
tens of peo;
ring the Mi
Ramadan!
fter the dai
state lieutenant governor's race in 1990.
"We've collected signatures to put
pressure on the legislature," Sanders said.
"Two hundred thousand people have
joined our organization."
However, not everyone thinks limiting
elected officials' terms is necessary. Dr.
Gary Halter, a political science professor
at Texas A&M, disagrees with proposed
term limits.
"I don't think term limits are a good
idea as far as legally imposing them,"
Halter said. "There is something to be
said for expertise."
Halter said kicking a lawmaker out of
office on an arbitrary basis is unfair.
According to Sanders and a recent poll
conducted by the organization, candi
dates in 107 state representative races and
22 senate races believe the public should
be given the opportunity to vote on a con
stitutional amendment limiting terms.
Rep. Steve Ogden from District 14 was
among the state officials wjio favored
term limits in the poll. .
In addition, Sanders said in a recent
poll conducted by CBS Inc. 70 percent of
Texas voters want term limits.
Halter said the issue is usually pushed
by the "out" party at the time in an effort
to rid the legislature of various lawmak
ers.
"If you're a politician, it's just a way to
keep your name in the news media," Hal
ter said. "It's just one of those trendy
things that's been with us before."
Sanders said the recent issue of con
gressmen bouncing checks in Washington
has further inspired Texans for Term Lim
itations.
"There is a tremendous level of frustra
tion with voters right now," he said. "We
want term limits as an issue in future
races."
Texans for Term Limitations are now
focusing their efforts on an upcoming
special legislative session. Sanders said
the organization has requested that Gov.
Ann Richards propose the issue.
"She's the only one who can choose
what will be debated by lawmakers dur
ing the session," he said. "We'd like to
have the issue ready for the November
elections."
Sanders said Texans for Term Limita
tions is part of a national movement, al
though each state organization is inde
pendent from the others. Twenty other
states are affiliated with the organization,
he said.
Sanders, however, is optimistic that
Gov. Richards will support Texans for
Term Limitations in May.
"She said she was in favor for it (term
limits) in her campaign for governor," he
said. "Given the level of frustration vot
ers feel, it would be in the best interest for
politicians to get on board or get out of
Funding
for clinic
runs out
Planned Parenthood
depletes Title 20 aid
By Reagon Clamon
The Battalion
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'JTER
The cost of Norplant, a newly
available method of birth control,
and an increase in awareness has
drained the federal and state
. funds of Planned Parenthood of
Brazos County.-
Planned Parenthood ran out of
their federal and state aid around
the first week of March and will be
forced to charge its Title 20 clients
$40 for examinations and $7 per
pack of oral contraceptives, in
stead of $20-25 for an exam and
four packs of pills.
Residents of Brazos County
who qualify for Title 20 funding
from Planned Parenthood will be
paying a lot more for birth control
and examinations starting April 1.
Title 20 funding is a block fund
from the federal government that
is matched at the state level and al
located by Texas Department of
Health to various health agencies
in the state.
Zita D'souza, clinic director of
Planned Parenthood of Brazos
County, said the clinic received
about the same funding this year
as any, but community awareness
of their services greatly increased.
"There has been a higher rate of
teenage pregnancies, so we've
been putting a lot of emphasis on
going out to the schools and talk
ing to various groups and organi
zations, encouraging people to
come and be screened and if
they're sexually active, to use pro
tection," D'souza said. "We've
done too good a job of recruiting."
D'souza said Norplant, a new
ly available method of birth con
trol which is surgically implanted,
has eaten up most of the funding.
"The Norplant takes $500 that
would otherwise be spent on ex-
See Clinic/Page 12
RICHARD BUCKNOR/The Battalion
Land, ho!
Hannah Pedersen, right, a senior from Houston, and recruiting new members for the Texas A&M Sailing Club
Dollie Criste, a senior from Ballinger, take a break from outside the MSC Tuesday .
Germany faces troubles of unity
By Tanya Sasser
The Battalion
The reunified Germany faces many
problems ahead, but none that cannot
be overcome, a professor said Wednes
day night at Texas A&M.
Dr. Jurgen Wolff, a sociology profes
sor at A&M's German partner universi
ty in Bochum, Germany, thinks even
though the situation in the reunified na
tion has not been ideal, Germans will
work together to make it succeed.
"The economic problems that the re
unification has brought with it are cer
tainly enormous," Wolff said. "But they
can be solved."
Wolff thinks the reason Germany
will be able to overcome these problems
is that the reunification, although it was
surprising, was handled well by every
one.
"The management of the reunifica
tion was done in a professional man
ner," Wolff said. "TTie breakdown was
inevitable. What is unexplained is why
the Soviet Union didn't interfere."
Both economic and socialization
problems are facing the new Germany.
Among other actions, taxes have been
raised to help pay for the rebuilding of
eastern Germany. Wolff said many citi
zens in western Germany do not like
having to sacrifice their resources to
help rebuild the eastern part of the
country.
See Germans/Page 12
Gadhafi
harbors
terrorists
U.N. Security Council plans
vote on punishing sanctions
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The Security Council,
angered oyer Libya's about-face on its pledge to turn
over suspects in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103,
will vote Friday on adopting pun
ishing sanctions against Libya,
diplomats said Wednesday.
The diplomats, speaking on con
dition of anonymity, said the 15-
member Security Council was unit
ed in its dismay and passage of the
sanctions resolution was assured.
The Security Council's president
said the council would vote on the
measure Friday.
The draft resolution, sponsored
by the United States, Britain and
France, would sever air links with
Libya, impose a weapons embargo and require expul
sion of most Libyan diplomats.
Action on the draft resolution was suspended Mon
day when Libya's U.N. envoy announced that the two
suspects in the Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie, Scot
land, in December 1988 would be turned over to the
Arab League.
The understanding was that they then would be
turned over to either the United States or Britain, prob
ably via U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
of Egypt.
Libya's statement, described as a “final" decision
by Tripoli's U.N. envoy, never was put in writing, de
spite requests from Boutros-Ghali and Security Coun
cil President Diego Arria, the Venezuelan ambassador.
On Wednesday, Libya's leader. Col. Moammar
Gadhafi, backed away from the offer, telling a visiting
delegation from the Arab League that only the Interna
tional Court of Justice could make him surrender the
suspects, according to an Arab diplomat familiar with
the talks.
The court in the Hague, Netherlands, was to begin
hearing Libya's request for a ruling on Thursday.
Libya argues that under international law the men
cannot be extradited and must be tried in Libya.
“This is very typical behavior for Gadhafi," said
Mary Jane Deeb, a Libya expert at American Universi
ty in Washington. “This was a trial balloon. They say
something, see what the reaction is, then decide if it's
to their advantage or not."
Gadhafi
Governor to decide fate
of two state institutions
ss,
ddm
AUSTIN (AP) - Gov. Ann
Richards will announce Thursday
her decision on whether to close
Travis State School in Austin and
Mexia State School, two of 13 state
'nstitutions for the mentally re
tarded, a spokesman said.
A special task force recom
mended earlier this month that the
hyo schools be shut down and that
the state increase its emphasis on
community programs.
Richards, who has until Thurs-
oay to decide on the proposal,
Rians a 5:30 p.m. news conference
t° announce her decision, said
spokesman Chuck McDonald.
Closing two institutions is a
condition of settling a long-run-
ni ng federal lawsuit against Texas'
system of caring for the mentally
retarded.
But more than 3,000 Mexia
^te School supporters rallied at
he Capitol Tuesday in hopes of
convincing Richards to keep the
institution open.
Travis State School defenders
also have said that the school
should not be closed.
McDonald had said that an an
nouncement would be made
Wednesday, but later said it
would be delayed.
"The governor is agonizing
over the decision, McDonald
said. “We want to make absolute
ly certain that every possibility is
explored. That s what she s in
structed her staff to do again to-
day."
He said that Richards was talk
ing to her staff and legal counsel,
and that she also met Wednesday
with Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D-
Austin, a Travis State School sup
porter.
Richards, who is on an eco
nomic development push, re
turned Tuesday from California.
NOTICE
Voter's' Guide
available
March 31
The Texas A&M Voter’s
Guide will be distributed
March 31. It includes a listing
of candidates for student
government positions.
Individuals running for
Student Body President,
Yell Leader, Class
Presidents, Off-Campus
Aggie President and RHA
President may submit a
written campaign platform for
publication. Student Body
President and Yell Leaders
need to set up times for
pictures. Additional
information can be obtained in
room 013 Reed McDonald or
call 845-3316.
Professor attacks Darwinism
Scientists created evolution to support theories, author says
By Jayme Blaschke
The Battalion
A law professor attacked Dar
win's theory of evolution before a
largely skeptical audience of more
than 100 stu
dents and fac
ulty at Texas
A&M Wednes
day night.
Phillip E.
Johnson, au
thor of "Dar
win on' Trial,"
fielded ques
tions while at
tacking the
foundations of
Darwinist theo
ry for nearly two hours. Johnson
claimed evolution is essentially a
dogmatic belief created by scien
tists to supplant all other beliefs.
Johnson
"Things look like they were cre
ated for a purpose because they
were — not through random
chance like the Darwinists claim,"
Johnson said. "There had to be a
pre-existing unevolving intelli
gence responsible for creation.
"Darwinism is effective athe
ism," he said.
Johnson said the biggest prob
lem with the theory of evolution is
that the conditions scientists set
up to verify theories automatically
discount everything that is not
evolution. Because science only
accepts as fact that which can be
verified scientifically, it sets up
conditions which exclude explana
tions supernatural in origin.
"Science is dogmatic, because it
states everything that exists can be
discovered by science," he said. "If
it can't be discovered, then it
doesn't exist."
Evolution is presented by the
scientific community as a fact, he
said. If someone questions the evi
dence, Darwinists demand an al
ternative explanation. When that
explanation does not agree with
evolution, it is discounted.
Darwinism is, in fact, the an
swer to a highly complex series of
questions designed to result in the
Darwinian answer, he said. The
purpose of the scientific method is
not to investigate the possible ori
gins of creation, but to deny the
existence of a creator.
"When Darwinists go into the
field to test their theories, they
aren't so much as testing them as
illustrating them," Johnson said.
"The findings support the theories
because that's what is looked for.
"To an outsider, evidence sup
porting Darwinism is woefully in
adequate," he said. "Apparently it
doesn't take much to convince a
Darwinist."