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Monday, July 19,1993
The Battalion
Page 5
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The Battalion Editorial Board
Jason Loughman, editor in chief
Mark Evans, managing editor
Stephanie Pattillo, city editor
Dave Thomas, night news editor
Mack Harrison, opinion editor
Kyle Burnett, sports editor
Susan Owen, sports editor
Anas Ben-Musa, Aggielife editor
Billy Moran, photo editor
Editorial
The Battalion
100 years at
Texas A&M
Youth violence
Treat causes, not just symptoms
The dramatic rise in youth vio
lence has become on of America's
greatest social epidemics. In Brazos
o)unty alone, the number of vio
lent crimes committed by children
aees 10 to 17 has in6reased at least
20 percent from 1988-1992.
According to national statistics,
iiout 10,000 Americans ages 10 to
14 are murdered or kill themselves
every year. More than half of the
people arrested for murder in 1991
were under 25.
This youth violence is a byprod
uct of social conditions, and the
causes must be Heated if we are to
salvage the future for our children.
Ihe Centers For Disease Control
and Prevention have embarked on
an effort to learn what puts children
at risk of being involved in vio
lence. By attacking the social ele
ments that contribute to youth vio
lence, the CDC is taking the best
possible approach to treat these
voung people.
These children weren't bom delin
quents; they learned their violent be
havior from their environment.
Gun accessibility is one of the
causes that must be addressed in or
der to curb this violence. One in 20
youths has taken a weapon to
school. These children don't realize
how dangerous their weapons are.
The CDC has found that simple ac
cess to guns can make a disagree
ment end in death.
Education about the gravity of
gun possession must begin at home.
Parents need to explain to children
that guns are not toys, but deadly
weapons.
Unfortunately, sociologists have
determined that the growing number
of dysfunctional families has con
tributed to the rise in youth violence.
With little guidance at home, these
children remain vulnerable to their
violent surroundings and are not
taught about the dangers of guns.
The increase in gangs has also
contributed to youth violence. Be
cause many youths nowadays are
products if dysfunctional families,
they flee to gangs for security and
acceptance. For many youths, gangs
have replaced the family, and as a
result, there is a lack of positive role
models for these youths.
We must focus on mending these
dysfunctional families by combat
ing the problems of poverty, domes
tic violence and alcoholism that of
ten plague them. With the mending
of the family, perhaps the rise in
gang participation will cease.
Until the family gets back on its
feet, the CDC and other concerned
groups are teaching children nonvi
olent social skills from age 3 in the
hopes it will make a difference
when they're grown.
By learning to resolve conflicts
nonviolently, resist peer pressure
and distinguish violence in the me
dia from violence in real life, the
youths of tomorrow might not per
petuate the current cycle of violence
we now live with.
Black vs. brown vs. beige vs....
Self-imposed limitations slow blacks' advancement
"He went to being called a Colored
man
after answering to 'hey nigger.'
Now that's a big jump anyway you
figger ■■
T he dominant social system reeks
of structural racism against
many minority classes. The sub
tle racism is evident in the large ur
ban centers' housing projects and
public school systems and even in
small towns' judicial system.
Racism is even blatantly displayed
in explicit racial slurs and violent,
racially motivated criminal acts, com
monly known as "hate crimes."
With such conspicuous racial violence, it is often difficult
to recognize the impositions that minority groups can place
on themselves. Some groups, such as the Jewish and
Asians, have erected value orders that are conducive to the
groups' mutual social, economic, and political progress.
However, African-Americans are yet to dismantle the
pernicious value systems and ideals that severely hinder
their socioeconomic growth as a whole.
For instance, black children who excel academically are
frequently ridiculed and sometimes ostracized by their
peers. Educational attainment is therefore minimized —
where satisfactory educational facilities exist. A vehicle for
escaping economic hardship and fostering self-esteem and
self-worth is dismissed as trivial, as "selling out."
Education has become associated very strongly with the
Anglo culture in some parts of the black community and
those who wish to learn are accused of "turning white."
No one group has a monopoly on knowledge and its at
tainment; it is available in abundant quantities for everyone
to utilize.
Another harmful obstacle plaguing the black community
seems to be the self-inflicted isolation based on color differ
ences and multi-racial characteristics. Many times darker
skinned people separate themselves from or are in conflict
with lighter-skinned people because they are perhaps not
"black enough" or the mulattos are "better looking."
What is not black enough?
And the lighter skinned people tend to socialize together
because the darker skinned people are perhaps "too
black."
What is too black?
What does this even matter? Because being anything is
just a state of mind. And that's what we should be con
cerned with.
People of mixed races are also teased because they are
not "true" blacks; thus, they are not pure enough to be a
part of the black community. As a result, people who could
help advance the cause for social quality are left out or left
behind. Either way, valuable help is not utilized.
The silliness of certain beliefs need to be eliminated if
African-Americans are to further their quest for social and
economic equality.
We need to understand and pinpoint the attitudes and
policies that encourage black enterprises, socially aware or
ganizations, significantly improved school systems, black
political power, increased job training programs and reno
vation of low-income housing.
We need to instill in our children that knowledge is not
exclusive to one group; they in turn are worth positive ges
tures being bestowed upon them as well. Education can be
greatly encouraged by relating the material to the chil
drens' backgrounds and point of reference.
Overall, we need to develop an attitude of deserving
healthy, positive things. Why be commending of every
group but your own? When we as adults and young adults
start to display this, the children will have role models in
which to emulate.
Racial barriers that exist within the black community it
self must be torn down before socially higher racial barriers
within the dominant society can be addressed.
Leaving behind notions of being better or worse because
one is darker or one is lighter and ceasing to define posi
tive, socially altering institutions as "not open to blacks"
will help us to find a common ground in which we can
work toward a similar goal.
Regarding a political-economic basis, we need to be
headed in the same direction if things are to change not just
for a selected few, but for all blacks — brown, yellow, pale,
light, dark brown, pure black ....
Jones is a senior psychology major
TRACEY
JONES
Columnist
new
Stock's departure
creates void at A&M
Much has been written about recent
tenure decisions within the Psychology
Department. Some of what has been
written appears to apologize for the
system as it exists. The attitude appears
to say we cannot jeopardize the quality
of research for the sake of learning.
What we fail to remind ourselves is
that TAMU is an educational institu
tion, and the students are here to learn.
I have found that I learn when the in
structor knows how to teach. That is
Miy I find Dr. Wendy Stock's com-
oients so relevant.
I had Dr. Stock as an instructor for
hvo classes, and she supervised my
finical work in the TAMU, Psychology
Qinic. In both areas her influence on
conceptualization of psychopathol-
°gy and therapeutic approaches to
clients is significant.
I credit her with setting the founda
tion for my future work with people in
need of clinical help. Her expertise in
women's issues is probably the most
important contribution she has made
for me.
But for all the other students at
TAMU who never had her as an in
structor, you too will be missing an im
portant person when Dr. Stock leaves.
Her support for women on the TAMU
campus is immeasurable, first as a fac
ulty advisor for NOW and also as an
advisor and provider of comfort for the
women corps members who filed sexu
al harassment charges against fellow
corps members. Few people have stood
up for women in this way.
In both situations Dr. Stock has been
criticized. 1 find this wholly ironic. We
expect Dr. Stock to do our dirty work
for us, and we want to be able to criti
cize her her for how she does it. We
want an excellent and safe educational
environment, but we will not speak up
for it. We always expect someone else
to do it for us.
Who will fill the void Dr. Stock
leaves behind? Who will speak up for
students when it is politically incorrect
to do so? Who will question the tenure
system when we lose more excellent in
structors? Who will have the courage
to challenge worn out assumptions that
do not put people first?
Farewell, Dr. Wendy Stock. I will
miss your knowledge and courage.
John M. Velasquez
Graduate student
Future student thanks
Aggies for hospitality
During the past week I was fortunate
enough to have attended a Lady Aggies
Basketball Camp. I realize what an in
convenience this influx of students
must have been for all of ya'll. Thus, I
would like to thank you for your pa
tience and hospitality. Being a trans
planted Aggie, having a chance to
"come home" is a real treat.
I would also like to thank Coach
Hickey, all of her staff, and the Lady
Ags for all of the care and attention
they gave us (my shooting game thanks
you). I look forward to joining ya'll in
three years as a student.
Gig 'em.
Diana Higdon
Marietta, Ga.
No special treatment
for Corps of Cadets
I was very pleased to read that The
Battalion had taken steps to have infor
mation concerning some of the alleged
crimes committed by members of the
Corps of Cadets released to the public.
The concern for the privacy of the
cadets is entirely misplaced, regardless
of what the legal situation is. The
cadets are, after all, not regular stu
dents, but members of a specially privi
leged group.
Had they not been members of the
Corps, and had the Corps not earned
such a well deserved reputation for us
ing psychological pressure and physical
violence against its opponents, they
would have been prosecuted in a court
of law, and would most likely have re
ceived jail sentences.
Texas A&M must finally take an
honest look at the Corps. It is an out
dated club for young men and some
young women. The ideals it espouses
are out of touch with the times. Indeed,
its models are reactionary.
The Parsons Mounted Calvary is, af
ter all, named for a Confederate Army
unit from Texas which participated in a
rebellion against the United States.
This is hardly the kind of model which
should be presented to A&M students.
The Corps only brings A&M bad
publicity and it serves no good pur
pose. The University should declare it
just another student organization, like
the Spanish Club, and deny its mem
bers any form of special treatment.
Michael Kraft
Bryan
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