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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 5, 1994)
July 5, 1994 July 5, 1994 QPINION Page 5 rials s of the second ^eria vs. Italy at >xico vs. Bulgar- I.J. he Netherlands’ Jonk connected couldn’t recover e a Citrus Bowl itch opened the nute when de- ost the ball to led to catch up. amp in front of in. lallenged run e 41st minute ive that goalie icably let slip ito the goal, lat happened,” . to be me that Sound bites eat society's attention span shrinks, CHRIS S. COBB Columnist WaUQpmW Round of 16 i Nigeria P oxboro, July 5 \ Italy Spain Washington, July 2 Switzerland Mexico . Rutherford, July 5 Bulgaria 10 Germany hicago, July 2 Belgium i merica is an interesting place. Where else are there so many hundreds of Elvis impersonators? Sone really look much like their hero, lutthey all look like one another. This lionly one unique aspect of our jopular culture. “Pop” culture is insightful, especially a means of evaluating modern iociety’s attention span. We have lost iur ability for mental concentration iliout important issues. Think about televised evening . Figures who are frequently in the public eye have iarned how to manipulate the media by speaking in 'sound bites” that are as witty and easy to remember as jgans from commercials. Texas’ Gov. Ann Richards is a master in using the sound-bite. Think back to her famous quote about our former president:“George Bush was bom with a silver foot a Ms mouth.” Recently in a speech at the 50th anniversary Girls’ State, a convention of high school student jaders, she said, “Prince Charming may be driving a and telling you that you have no equal, but that won't do you much good when you’ve got kids and a mortgage - and he has a beer gut and a wandering eye.” The messages Richards conveys aren’t at issue here, but ieway in which she said them is. People constantly are opoon-fed these ear-catcbing quotes. Many will easily Kept them as truth and will not try to find out the other ooints-of-view simply because they are humorous and iound good. The United States has become a country of sound bites, iy? Because, society cannot concentrate on anything ®ger than a couple of seconds. Our attention span has hrunk to almost nothing due to these aspects of our “pop” iiilture. A perfect example are the advertisements shown eMpTyV. The words on the screen are busy and Mstantly move, or change so fast that they are hard to In videos and commercials, images are shuffled on nd off the screen at such a quick pace that they can hardly seen. This technical explosion keeps the audience’s ittention. Once the images slow down, grab the remote Mtrol - we channel surf. American society has become like up pop culture 'important' loses out to 'outrageous' Beavis and Butthead - WHAT THE HELL IS THIS CRAP?, or THIS SUCKS, CHANGE IT! It is true that eMpTyV is watched mostly by today’s youths, but having a short attention span is not just a problem of the younger generation. Many older and more “sophisticated” people simply prefer their pop culture in the form of daytime talk shows. The subjects of these shows are outrageous. They have to be - it’s the only way viewers will stay tuned. Who wouldn’t rather watch “Overweight gay Nazis for Christ on the next DonaOpraGeraldohue?” Daytime talk shows aren’t really all that much different from tabloid news shows like “A Current Affair” or “Hard Copy.” The more sensational and juicy the topic, the more likely we are to watch the show instead of news reports on events that are truly important. Whether it’s on television or in the newspaper, there are many other subjects that need our attention much more than the latest update on O.J. Simpson. Reading has become a dying art. Pop culture is replacing the written word with exciting, no effort media like television, movies, Elvis impersonators ... Of the people who do read, their choice is more likely to be a pop novel than a literary classic. Society has replaced Edgar Allen Poe with Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway with Tom Clancy and William Shakespeare with Michael Crichton. Gone are the Thomas Hardys, Joyce Carysj William Blakes. We would rather concentrate on this fluff than have our minds challenged. Fluff is much easier on our collective peace of mind. Who really wants to worry about the body count on the 10 o’clock news, even though it’s an accurate account of the world and a valid reason for concern. Instead we would rather watch soap operas with plots that entail nothing more than who slept with who, who killed who, who got who pregnant and who died and appeared on another show. Our attention span has has dwindled and no one seems concerned. Who cares, right? It’s someone else’s problem. (Piw+thg pea*p w J6*«Y The Battalion Editorial Board Mark Evans, Editor in chief William Harrison, Managing editor Jay Robbins, Opinion editor Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views of the editorial board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other Battalion staff members, the Texas A&M student body, regents, administration, faculty or staff. Columns, guest columns, cartoons and letters express the opinions of the authors. Contact the opinion editor for information on submitting guest columns. Chris S. Cobb is a senior English major EDITORIAL . M.. -f ——- % ' ^ Thirty years later 1964 Civil Rights Act did not end racism Page 3 t’t be able to Is and three nore, either, nts, Escobar r Colombian ed well dur- p. JuSt one is all it took se. they don’t ressure on eady, but of pressure st feel now. can’t make )day. Our he hospital house was ^ho knows to me if I to my po- the rack or Better yet, World Cup priests of could be ilti-colored )k like var- t were just n Tribunal yer is not he should dm in and he demons play. irove then it must be riple to all irs. mt world, 3red over ge. Esco- different. i life for vial goes iderie and s were in- ■omote. The recent holiday weekend did not only mark the 218th birthday of Ameri can independence. July 2 was the 30th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which officially ended legal racial discrimination in the United States. When President Lyndon Johnson signed the act into law on national television, he de stroyed the last of the fundamental barriers to racial equality in this country - but only on paper. Despite progress over the last three decades, the laws enacted in the great est civil rights legis- Tatibfr Sine'S' the Civil War have not eradi cated either racism or discrimination. Every day Ameri cans are reminded of the social and cultural shortcomings that still produce bigotry and tension. The continuing projects to rebuild South Central Los Angeles stand out as an example of the contemporary product of racial unrest. In some isolated, yet recent, in stances, stores and restaurants still refuse to serve people because of their skin color or accent. Hate crimes make the news every day. The centuries of slavery and dis crimination in this country have an in ertia that still has not run out. Yet the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ac complished incredible things in this short time. Through out the South,includ ing Texas, everything from trains and bus es to public re strooms and water fountains was segre gated between “White” and “Col ored.” Hotels, hospi tals, restaurants, universities and pub lic schools regularly excluded everyone who was not white. Most of today’s col lege students were born only a decade after this act came into being. Most have never seen any of the overt big otry it outlawed. But as long as Ameri can society is not “colorblind” - and race plays any factor in determining the treatment any American receives from another - then the United States still has progress to make. Stress check’ could help prevent suicides, reduce tension r here is something wrong with our world. Way too many people want to kill themselves. I don’t mean he old or terminally ill or those who rant to end excruciating physical pain, m taking about people our age. Our riends, our brothers and sisters. Loved fees who feel they have no escape and to to suicide to end their problems. To all the friends and ^temporaries I’ve lost to suicide, it is ioo late to say that death is a permanent solution temporary problem. For many people who ire suffering depression and thinking of suicide, the blame may lay on our society. A man hung himself in a dorm on campus last fear. Few people knew who he was or why he did land I never saw anything in the news. -ertainly, it may be dangerous to publicize a filicide if officials feel it will lead to another filicide, but to say that no one cared is wrong. I heard about it in the 7-Eleven when a very icared-looking young man told the clerk that someone had killed himself. After sorting out the diere and when, all that remained is the why. 'Tien I heard about it, I was compelled to visit he scene. When I got there, about 50 students lad gathered around the door. No one was iking pictures or interviewing for “The Ricki -ake Show” — it was completely silent. The ictim was not even a student, but many had JULIA STAVENHAGEN Columnist shown up to mourn his passing. I sat down on the sidewalk with the rest of the onlookers to note the passing of another person whom no one could convince, “this too shall pass.” It was again too late to make a difference in the world. Is it that big of a deal? Not e'lough people kill themselves to make it a r hdemic, but that may be changing. A . person sitting next to you if he or she u^.s ever considered suicide. The chance is very good — too good — that the answer you get will be yes. Nearly everyone has had so bad a day that they want to escape the world. That’s why we have Calgon and back rubs. The trouble with our society is that it places absolutely no priority on taking time to check the “stress meter.” Everyone I know feels guilty about taking a nap during the day, even though studies prove that napping actually improves productivity and reduces stress. Why is it socially unacceptable? Other countries and cultures designate a time during the workday for relaxation. Four out of my five friends have suffered some work-related mental or physical stress that could be easily eliminated by more human-friendly work environments. The other one out of five has tried to murder herself several times because she could not get a job and felt worthless, among other reasons. Some paradox. A constant, persistent level of stress in anyone’s life will lead to drastic measures of escape. College students know best about unrelenting stress. It is vitally important that stress-reduction mechanisms are in place. Texas A&M is the only place in the world where I have A persistent level of stress in any one's life will lead to drastic mea sures of escape. College students know best about unrelenting stress. Texas A&M is the only place in the world where I have forgotten to eat. rDi Good parents, not small towns, teach manners Jay Robbins had a nice column in the 4ie 29 Battalion regarding small towns. Vever, I must say I disagree with his Tception that good manners are the re- Ult of a small town. It is merely that frents seem to have neglected the in kling of proper behavior. I grew up in Houston, and I can assure you that my parents always pulled over to the side of the road when a funeral passed. I still do, as well (although I must admit, never during rush hour). But then, my parents also taught me to step aside when elders were passing. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve al most been pushed aside as someone abruptly mutters “excuse me” in a tone of voice that sounds more like “get out of my way.” I often wish to reply, “there is no excuse for you.” But I realize that the in dividual was probably taught to say ex cuse me when you want to get past. However, the parents neglected to say that you wait for the person to step aside, and you would certainly never think of suggesting to your elders that they get out of your way. You can have the joys of the small town in your own home - just instruct forgotten to eat several times. The television news and newspapers are a big source of depression. Watching other people killed or jailed is not my idea of entertainment. “Informative news” consists of tips to avoid rapes and murders or how to keep your money from being stolen. Of course the problems exist, but to be reminded of them makes one only fear more, and in fearing, become more susceptible becoming a victim of crime. Frightened people make mistakes, suffer stress and sometimes descend into panic and paranoia. Suicide can be an escape from that fear Paths to sanity and calmness for people who already have stress-related ulcers and mental anguish usually lead to counseling or therapy. The cost for these sessions usually leads to more ulcers - and more costs. Attempts at seeking retribution for some wrong, (for example, stolen money), leads usually to litigation, where your recovered money is spent on legal fees. While these dilemmas are not always the rule, they are gleaned from actual life experiences in these United States. Our suicide rate is rising and these daily traumas are the cause. Like bean plants, we constantly strive for light and air. If we don’t get that nourishment, we die. Sometimes by choice. It is imperative to avoid “social acceptance” if it means following work practices which escalate blood pressure. I make it a rule to avoid the guilt trip that inevitably follows when I sleep during the day. If you consider the alternatives, I would much rather be guilty than dead. Julia Stavenhagen is a graduate anthropology student your children in the proper way to con duct themselves. Who knows? Maybe it will catch on! Linda Salitros Campus flags need to be taken down at dusk I would like to share a problem I have recently discovered with fellow Aggies, faculty, administrators and any patriotic citizen who happens to be reading today. On Tuesday evening June 28, I came to campus to run at 8:45. I was upset to see the flags in front of the Administra tion Building still flying as dusk was upon us and even more upset when I was leaving campus at 9:20 and both the flag pole in the Academic plaza and the main flagpole in front of the Administration Building still displayed the American flag in the dark, night air. Now, during the fall and spring semes ters, the Corps of Cadets is responsible for putting up the flags in the morning and taking them down each evening be fore dusk, which they do without fail. But at other times, the University Police De partment has that honor. I called the University Police dispatch er at 9:30 and he informed me that there were officers taking them down just then. When I asked if they were normally tak en down this late I was told, “We do it whenever we can get to it.” That is not good enough. The flag is customarily taken down before any signs of darkness appear, and it never flies at night without a light shining on it.The following evening, the flags were left up until 10:15. The evening after that they were left up until at least 9 p.m. If the University Police cannot take their responsibility more seriously and carry it out correctly, I suggest that lights be installed to shine on our campus flags so that this does not hap pen again. Until this is able to take place, I would be more than happy to take on the responsibility myself. Andi Davis Class of ’94 The Battalion encour ages letters to the editor and will print as many as space allows, letters must be 300 words or less and include the au thor's name, class and phone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for length. style and accuracy. Address letters to: The Battalion - Mail Call 013 Reed McDonald Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-1111 Fav. (409) 845-2647