l STATXM, tx. 696-5570 WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY CRAWFISH BOIL 5-8pm All you can eat for only $1.50 per dozen *$3.50 Pitchers WILEY ■HHi L E C T U R E S E R IE S Memorial Student Center' April 8, 1994, 8:00 p.m. Rudder Auditorium Texas A&M University" Mr. Lea Aspin Fohncr U.S. Secretary of \ Defense Adults $12,..1*15, & $1N Students $9, $12, & $15 Mr. William P. Buckley, Jr. Moderator Some say the U.S. is no longer in a position to be the world's policeman. President Clinton has attempted to redefine v U.S. involvement in the international comnitmit^. Kirkpatrick and Aspin will examine Both sides of this controversial issue. Tickets available at the MSC Box Office, or call. 845-1234-. Page 10 The Battalion B-CS, A&M not responsible for death of newborn • I would like to respond to Tracey Grahame’s letter. I was shocked and saddened by the death of that newborn little girl, as I know most people were. Being an unwed mother in any century and at any age is a frightening and devastating experience if it is not by personal choice. But I cannot agree that the blame lies with the community or the college. This is not the dark ages — not all of the “legal op tions” may be available in this area, but a woman in a crisis preg nancy does have options. There is a Family Planning Center to assist in preventing pregnancy, and it is my understanding that they even oner lower cost on birth control to students and low income women. If a pregnancy does occur, there is a Crisis Pregnancy Center and an adoption agency right here in town. I will not presume to dictate the choice another woman makes in the case of an unwanted pregnan cy. But part of being an adult is to take responsibility for your ac tions. If you are going to have sex, use birth control. If you become pregnant, do something about it when you first find out. There don’t have to be tragedies like the one at Mosher Hall ... regardless of the availability of RU-486 and abortion in this community. Stephanie Hilliard Part-time student • I am writing in response to Tracey Grahame’s letter blaming Bryan-College Station and Texas A&M for the trash bin baby inci dent. How dare she throw the blame on a city and institution for what a mature adult did! If that woman is responsible enough to have sex, then she is responsible enough to deal with the conse quences. It is childish to point fin gers at an educational institution for this terrible incident. This woman is a college-educated indi vidual! She apparently thought she was mature enough to have sex, therefore she is mature enough to seek help when needed. It is not A&M’s job to babysit every sexual ly active student. Do you realize what a job like that would entail? Bryan-College Station as well as Texas A&M have plenty of crisis centers and counseling services available to the public — have you looked in the phone book lately? I do not know the details of her sit uation, but if she chose not to seek counseling for birth control and later an abortion then she obvious ly chose to carry through her pregnancy. Whatever happened, it is a terrible tragedy. Apparently, Grahame sleeps bet ter at night by tossing blame at others who did not have the op portunity to be involved by the choice of the “mother.” Cindi Inman Graduate student • Tracy Grahame placed the blame for the “Trash Bin Baby,” as she put it, at the feet of Texas A&M and B-CS. She cited refusal to offer what she calls “reproductive options,” such as abortion and the French RU-486 pill, as a direct cause of the child’s death. I may be stepping out on a limb here, but what is the difference between getting scrambled in a mother’s womb, getting obliterat ed by chemicals, and getting aban doned at birth. Dead is dead! There is still a baby girl who will never grow up. She will never take those first steps or go on that first date. She will never experience all of life’s pleasures and pains that we all take for granted. The whole point is moot as to how the little girl would have ended up if other means of killing her were available. The clinical options may let you sleep better at night be cause you don’t have to deal with all the blood and the gore, but a sani tary death is still a final one. Finally Grahame should not automatically assume that the mother wanted to kill her daugh ter. So far as I’ve heard, it’s still under investigation. Christopher Dahlquist Class of ‘95 • Tracey Grahame needs as much psychological help as that girl does. With one statement and one question she was able to pin point the problem and dispense the blame. Maybe she should be our next president since she is so efficient in finding answers to the world’s problems. She mentions abortion, RU-486, B-CS and Texas A&M in one breath. Maybe when all the facts are in, we’ll know more, but for now you can’t tie everything together. The girl is 2 1 years old and a Texas A&M stu dent. She is old enough to know that she has options. She also has access to free counseling here at A&M. I may be wrong, but I doubt if she was confined to B-CS or Texas A&M. Throwing the baby, a human life, away was at the bot tom of a long list of options. As for sleeping at night, except for some allergies associated with oak pollen, I’m sleeping fine. Glen Portie Class of ‘94 • In response to Tracey Gra hame’s letter, let us bring you up to date on something. First of all, RU- 486 and abortion are not “repro ductive options,” they are methods of killing. How can you blame a city and a school for a woman’s actions? The irrational choice that the A&M woman made is no one’s fault but her own. A woman has plenty of time to decide what to do with her unborn child. There are many churches and organizations who would be elated to give help and support to any woman unsure about her pregnancy. Secondly, you ask us how we sleep at night. Let us ask you how you sleep at night knowing that you support the “reproductive option” that destroys life? We understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but putting the blame on a city and school is nothing but an easy way out! Jenny' Hewdl Class of ‘96 Ann Miller Class of ‘96 • I agree with Tracey Grahame’s comments in her letter. Contracep tives should be more widely avail able in this country. However, I do not understand how the woman’s actions could be blamed on Texas A&M or B-CS. I don’t care how many psycholo gists they talk to, there is simply no justification for what was done. There is no reason why someone can’t practice safe sex with the nu merous types of contraceptives cur rently available. I hope that this inci dent serves as a grim reminder as to what can happen when people are not careful. Sayed Ahmed Class of ‘95 • This is in response to Tracy Grahame’s letter. How can you say A&M is a responsible? It is a com mon occurrence for babies to be found in trash bins in Houston; is that city to blame also? Houston, being a very large metropolis, pro vides access to “all reproductive op tions legal in the United States.” The last time I checked, A&M was an institute of higher learning, not an abortion clinic or a pregnan cy crisis center. I am sure that with 40,000 students, more than one has found herself with an unwanted pregnancy and has dealt with it in an appropriate manner. A&M has many student counseling services. I bet one deals with pregnancy. Also, Beutel provides birth control op tions. Yes, this was a horrible tragedy and a shock to B-CS. But to The Association of Former Students Senior Induction Banquet Tuesday & Wednesday, April 5 & 6, 19 94 COLLEGE STATION HILTON HOTEL GRAND BALLROOM - 6:15 P. M. All May & August '94 graduates are invited Complimentary tickets may be picked up in the MSC Hallway, March 29, 30, & 31 (9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) TICKETS GIVEN ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS Student I.D. Required to Pick Up Tickets Compliments of The Association of Former Students Wednesday, March 30,1) point the blame al A&M ludicrous. Clasr • I take exception to Tracey■; I).unc's letier wliich blamedhLVoI. l, S CS area and Texas A&M in gi and everybody in particular, I “Trash Bin Baby.” You complained that it ii| who are responsible for thistra^ because the local communityr not offer “all reproductive! legal ... such as RU-486 andj lion.” I am assuming that aboiiH is also not a viable alternativij tossing your newborn child dork.;. j garbage chute. IClted Had the student wished, || . ould have contacted any nucTOB-CK aOrf I . , By Kim M Thr Battal of sources to aid in her (imj suming) unwanted pregm : UlirC. The area offers a Planned Pai hood office (846-1 744), at Placement Center (776-llSi and The Brazos Valley Crisis Pi* nancy Service (846-1097).! Student Health Center, the Te A&M Mentors program, and; student counseling service can™ > s assist young adults who a&] Voter culatio memo si; Will Har ing with similar experiences.I* /\i vni , fortunately, it doesn’t appear the °^ she used any of these resound ci j . i r . r l Isav seme She denied the fact of her unM^ ^ ’ nancy to her friends and ever, FMS technicians who arrivedal Ed she gave birth. She had pleniy: options but didn’t use them, |L [er n WPJ — she is respons^ Mi ^ ha ; I’m it is determined that her c born alive, and she should be' cuted to the fullest extent oftt*b»ffi n ., , Frankly, I’m enraged thatG^ me g ac hamehasthe audacity to]' blame on a community whichd |3 eer] cates so many resources to comh||£ cause ing situations such as this one. :B] es ” ^ very fact that she neglected tom®,, tion adoption as a real ahem i 8 ]q ect j certainly reflects her attitudes iJL e | sea i wards unexpected pregnancies s j on short, her indictment was notaH lar g e a j ill conceived, it was blatantlyiy:|jG en scr rant and wron^ ^ ^ [ckets ai Although I believe in freedoni|y 1( jj s y ie speech, I certainly wish that™ row-minded people suchasti hame would either shutuporai a clue. I compliment her successf expression of stupidity, butreallvl next time, she snould think bei she writes or just be quiet. Rickfe Ckf Fo Lai Chi Accompanied by! I sijKffi this ■ ByJuli Students defend state reputatioi • I’m sorry Humberto]oii feels that all Texans are racists that we live in a world that ext? 100 years ago. This is too bad) him, as well as for the people j will talk to when he goesbij home to Europe. During myfc year stay in Europe, I was a vice of racial prejudices, butatle Jorge was allowed into the dii also had many nice experien! which I emphasize more wk talking about Europe to ^ friends. I know a lot about Europe,! the European people are as: ; away from perfection as any* tion. I think Jorge should tab look at his own nation’s probks and shortcomings before he ci; cizes others. Class o( TheBa Ton Dallas charn: wasn t Lan night, which Aft« highli; Rudde to Dali Lan years, part in “Th Grand* “A Christ • In response to Mr. Humh to Jorge’s letter, I just wish to mind him that neither this si! nor this country is as uncivial he says it is. He writes abouh wonderful health care andeto tion systems in Europe, butli to mention the amount of tas 1 the average European citizt pays. He also fails to mention!’ soaring unemployment rates f ; rope has been forced to contd with. Racism is still a probfe here in Texas, I recognize tin Does Mr. Jorge recognize! 1 racism problem facing Europe! hope so. Mr. Jorge, please don’t be‘ quick to attribute the actions of few lost souls working at a cl« to an entire state of country. Juan Carlos tty Class of This is in response to Huml* fhe Asso WASL ome po to Jorge’s letter, “Student views^ ans as racist, uncivilized.” you are obviously not happy here ( Texas and do not appreciate o ! ous st;atf beautiful state. 1 while I find it very disturbing ir meleased gious, Lan the fie Chris ti “I s ago,” 1 “A things Lan talk ai to the He what ] drive t “It’ what 1 “A climb you h; Jon gents lene \ He to suo “Gt “But e Te ome de overtake In fa you judge the whole state ofTe on one experience in one bar. 1 sure most Texans feel as I do! do not appreciate you slander! r rom our state. Since you have no f March, y words, or feelings towards Te (! Nation s maybe you would be hapf : where you came from. Demc he fluid hat are Class of