Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1992)
State & Local 8§™ Page 2 The Battalion Wednesday, October 14, VVed JENNIFER IOC CARD/Thc Battalion Stacy Konderla, a senior elementary education major from Bryan, takes time out to read a children’s book at the book fair sponsored by the TSEA located at the base of Harrington Tower. Books are supplied for school ages ranging from kindergarten to high school, and all proceeds are to benefit TSEA. The fair will last until Friday. For more information about the TSEA, call Amy Melbar at 696-3368, or ask for information at the fair. Health Tios Al Roommate remedies By AMY LAMB Special to THE BATTALION Is the space in your dorm room not big enough for all three of you? Are you and your roommate complete opposites? Are you considering moving? Before you make any drastic de cisions, try these suggestions to make your life and your room mate's easier. Discuss personal expectations with your roommate. Find out what things make your room mate happy. Ask about personal space and how he or she handles stress in daily life. You might want to sit down and just talk about the above suggestions and any other diffi culties you might have. For ex ample, inquire about personal values such as smoking, drink ing, study habits, sleeping habits, overnight guests, and ex tracurricular activities. The ma jority of problems can be re solved if you talk them out. If problems do arise, try these solutions for arguments: When you complain about a problem, have a plan to solve it. Be patient and listen to what is being said. Make sure when an argument does arise, that you discuss it in private. Consider the act of compro mise with each other. With com promise neither roommate has to fully give in. The solutions may not be right for you, but do not neglect the problems by ig noring them. Being able to live together re quires working together and ac cepting your differences in a positive manner. Negative feelings thatan should be discussed and unie stood. One way of fulfilling requirement is by fillingoi Roommate Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights lists spetf rights to be discussed byej roommate. It includes info® tion about study times, clean vironments, when to host guest and personal privacy. This is a helpful docume that eliminates unwanted sties sors. These are availablefrc; your resident adviser,Tem A&M Counseling Services® the Health Education Centeii; the A.P. Beutel Health Center. For additional assistance please contact yourarearesi dence hall or come by the Education Center, Room014,1 the health center. Supreme Court upholds rulings on flag burning [ustices reject attempts to overturn previous decisions in Texas free speech t- tt ^ ^ - ^ down a law passed by Congress written on them. "The state of Texas ha THE ASSOCIATED PRESS a case WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday re fused to strip away the free- speech protections of those who bum or deface the American flag as a political protest. Rejecting without comment an invitation to overturn its previous rulings, the court turned down a bid to revive a Texas ban on flag burning. The state law was enacted shortly after the court invalidated an earlier version in 1989. The high court extended consti tutional protection to flag-burning by 5-4 margins in 1989 and 1990. The second decision struck down a law passed by Congress after the earlier ruling on the Texas law sparked a firestorm of criticism. Since the two rulings, two jus tices who voted in the majority in both cases — William J. Brennan and Thurgood Marshall — have retired and been replaced by Jus tices David H. Souter and Clarence Thomas. The new Texas law makes it a crime to damage, deface, mutilate or bum the U.S. flag or Texas state flag. Robert Lynn Jimenez was charged in Midland with violating the law in February 1990 when ar rested for possessing two U.S. flags and two Texas flags with ob scenities and Satanic symbols written on them. A trial judge and a state appeals court ruled that the law violated the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech. The Texas Court of Criminal Ap peals rejected the Midland County prosecutor's appeal. The appeal acted on Tuesday urged the justices to reverse their previous rulings. "While defacing and mutilating the United States nag may involve some form of expressive conduct, it is clear that not every form of expression is protected by the First Amendment," county attor ney Mark H. Dettman said. He cited rulings that upheld bans on child pornography, "fighting words" and defamation. "The state of Texas has a legiti mate interest in preserving the symbols of national and state uni ty," Dettman said, adding that "flag desecration represents that type of violent assault upon the deepest feelings and sensitivities of our citizens . . . sufficient to jus tify the protection of our national symbol of unity." Both the 1989 and 1990 deci sions were authored by Brennan. He had been joined by Marshall and Justices Flarry A. Blackmun, Anthony M. Kennedy and An tonin Scalia. Chief Justice William H. Rehn- quist and Justices Byton R. White, John Paul Stevens and Sandra Day O'Connor dissented in both cases. Promotion policy for Dallas police unfair, judge says THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Treaty prompts interest in border woes THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON— The proposed trade treaty with Mexico is far from a reality, but an already realized gain is the heightened focus on the U.S.-Mexican border. It won't be until next summer that Congress will vote on the North American Free Trade Agreement, which would eliminate over 15 years barriers to the movement of goods, ser vices and investment across the' continent. But lawmakers from border states already are using the pact as leverage to gain congres sional approval for programs to improve the border's environment and maximize trade op portunities. One of those is Rep. Kika de la Garza, who, as chairman of the House Agricul ture Committee, is playing a leading role in consideration of the free trade agreement. The South Texas Democrat last week urged the Bush administration to modify the 2,000- page accord to give a higher priority to pesti cide issues. De la Garza, who represents a ma jor horticultural growing area, is advocating the creation of an independent pesticide com mittee to arbitrate differences between the United States and Mexico. While he has yet to achieve that goal, de la Garza this year successfully pushed through Congress proposals to establish a government- citizen environmental panel and a free trade think tank.Both measures are part of de la Garza's Enterprise for the Americas Initiative Act of 1992, which House aides said President Bush is expected to sign. The "Good Neighbor Environmental Board" would advise the president and Congress on environmental and infrastructure needs along the border, issuing reports on an annual basis. "We need a formal mechanism by which the people who live along the U.S.-Mexico border — who breathe its air and drink its water — can participate in the decision-making process," de la Garza said. "This legislation will ensure public input into the setting of government environmental and infrastructure priorities in the states along the border." The board would consist of representatives of federal and state agencies, as well as repre sentatives from community development, aca demic, health, environmental and other non government orgamzations. "I think there is definitely a need for such a panel and for citizen involvement," said Peter Emerson, an Austin-based senior economist with the Environmental Defense Fund. Emerson said the environmental board should include Mexican input. "What they do affects us, and what we do affects Mexicans," he said. "If we are to be ef fective with these transborder problems, we have to involve both countries." But a spokesman for de la Garza said that's not possible. "Mexico is a sovereign country. The Mexicans will create most likely an environmen tal board for themselves," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. DALLAS — A judge on Tues day struck down as discriminato ry the police department's policy for promoting officers, saying the system is unfair to blacks and oth er minorities. Visiting state District Judge Robert Moss, a former state family court justice in Dallas, said the promotions system also discrimi nates against white officers. But he added that the black plaintiffs proved discrimination against them. "This process is obviously flawed by the lack of standards and needs correction," Moss said. "In sum, the plaintiffs have met their burden of proving a prima facie case of discrimination." The judge's ruling freezes pro motion for sergeant and orders the city to bring the court a new system for approval. Police Chief Bill Rathburn re ferred all questions to the city at torney's office, which did not im mediately return a telephone call from The Associated Press. The Texas Police Officers Asso ciation, the black police group that brought the case, said it has waited for decades for such a rul- that are not working righl police department right now. Moss set a Nov. 3 hearinji the department to present as promotions plan. Amei Supre highe cause "T1 ed St away man < and 1 hearii But tion d subst; "first- of Te> "It islatic tion," The in the about menti Kai tution for "a That ’ Supre tary ai "Ln your G in TH AUS on Tu< for the The ruling is the latest oi supplif versy surrounding the force. Demonstrators havegatta try, Ric at the Dallas police southeastst station every Saturday since 1 bor Day weekend to they contend is unfairtreatme of black officers There have been controvers arrests at the pasttwoprotefs eluding, the arrestfifcityca format suranc ting an Cun by the control man I )on Hicks, who isblad by the weekend Hicks, who says he after! the rally in his official capes - cized tl charges that he was arresfel "payback” for the protests, He has said he plans tolilij complaint with the U.S.De|® ment of Justice. Rathburn on Mondavi) Hicks' arrest "should neveiki occurred" and ordered an in® investigation. But he refused to blameif* vidual officers, adding(1^ "should not have been ing. "I think it took a lot of courage on the part of this judge to stand in the face of the citizens of Dal las," said TPOA attorney Donald Hill. "There is this presumption that the police department does every thing right. There are some things position." Rathburn angered poto 1 Oct. 3 by ordering the release* black demonstrator whohad^ arrested for striking an office*' Rathburn said he ordered* man released because riot. The City Council scheduled emergency public hearing^ Tuesday afternoon to discuss 1 problems. The Battalion ATLANTIS TILLMAN, Editor in Chief STEVE O’BRIEN, Managing Editor JASON LOUGHMAN, Opinion Editor MEREDITH HARRISON, News Editor HEIDI SAUER, News Editor TODD BLACKMON, Arts & Entertainment Editor GARY CARROLL, City Editor J. DOUGLAS FOSTER, Sports Editor CHRIS WHITLEY, Sports Editor RICHARD S. JAMES, Photo Editor Staff Members Reporters — Melody Dunne, Mark Evans, Todd Stone, Brandi Jordan, Cheryl Heller, Tanya Sasser, Robin Goodpaster, Juli Phillips, Tanya Williams, Julie Chelkowski, Monique Lunsford, Mack Harrision, and Will Healy. News desk — Kyle Burnett, Tracia Newbold, Jennifer Mentlik, Pavid Thomas, Lance Holmes, Lauri Reysa and Jennifer Smith. Photographers — Darrin Hill, Jenny Matlack, Randy Nichols, Sandra Alvarado, Billy Moran, Jennifer Lockard, Ricardo S. Garcia and Robert Reed. Lifestyles writers — Susan Owen, Anas Ben-Musa, Tricia Martinez and Julie Polston. Sports writers— K. Lee Davis, Michael Plumer, Don Norwood and Ruly Medrano. Columnists — Anthony LoBaido, Stacy Feducia, Dwayne Purvis, Shawn Ralston, Matt Dickerson, Robert Vasquez, and Toni Garrard. Cartoonists — William Harrison, Thomas Deeney, George Nasr, and Clay Welch. Clerks — Darra Dees, Pejcharat Harvey, Shelley Rowton and Jamie Anderson. The Battalion (USPS 045-360) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods), at Texas A&M University. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. Editorial offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone number is 845-3316. Fax: 845-2647. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the Opinion Page staff or the contributor and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Texas A&M Battalion editors, student body, administration, faculty or staff. Advertising: For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-5408. Subscriptions: Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 845-2611. LONDON » PARIS ♦ WASHINGTON Q I—< 53 o w i—i § O 9 INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM! B OSTON UNIVERSITY I LEARN HOW THE WORLD WORKS Global Internships and Language/Liberal Arts Programs •“d a o <! O *3 tm Z O 03 r* tn m > . BEIJING • SYDNEY • MOSCOW • Name: Address:. City/State/Zip:. Phone:( ) Fall .University: □ Internship Programs □London □Paris □Moscow □Sydney □Washington. DC □Beijing return to: Spring □ Summer □ 19 Language Programs Summer Programs □ Grenoble □ London □ Oxford □ Madrid □ Haifa □ Padova □ Madrid □ Paris □ Padova □ Sydney □ Oxford □ Moscow □ Niamey □ Beijing Boston University, Division of International Programs □Washington. DC 232 Boy State Road, Box Q, Boston, MA 02215 or call (617) 353-9888 Chai the sin that th consid more a able to Texas/ A pi Board. Insur collect drive u] They dit four data su the Insi "The data col doing a try of t Instituti Judj pass oka 1 THI f V OCTOBER 10 8>:00 diXs MSC Fountain roll! dot# In Humours HOL judge w tion to underw should pass la punishr State McSpai counsel confert should * "I str (castrati and chil ble, hor said. McSp attentioi agreed ler, 28, 1 receive fence if >ng a 12- The si out bee found ti Butler, v Probate' of a 7-) and senl McSp should i a man's native f< Rested t fo] : ollow tl oountrie hon m£ r apists v But a ■ng at tl r estraint If all S fe*e Texa Justice 'vould fc e rs, McS