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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 1994)
Opinion ia Stavenhagen says, "To subject a child to this world is more than I could bear." Page 5 State & Nation Video games will soon carry ratings for age and content. Page 2 is in Rwanda since 3 a kingdom in the ed from herdsmen, ney existed fairly Mations mandate Mth the introduette Manifesto, the Tutsii d ethnic strife has j massacres. Befae it Juvenal Sports Recent statistics reveal rise in daily excercise of college students. Page 3 TUESDAY August 2, 1994 Vol. 93, No. 183 (6 pages) “Serving Texas A&M since 1893“ Briefs Crime bill showdown looms NDA: e: 10,169 square mi pulation:7.5 mife ercent Hutu; ; 1 percent pygmy onomy: About 93 ent is based on ulture, primarily cof! ;t potatoes, banana scans. Haitian officials say ||| they will fight back tUNDI: LA ze: 10,759 square $ opulation: 5.5 jn; 84 percent Hutu ercent Tutsi conomy: About93 ent is based on culture, primarily ee, beans, cassava, i, peanuts; nickel. . J. Gastello, Eileen Gi is to keep from ter African com r to year on the mm unity’s lar have a clear ty as a govemme once we have st help us.” mes PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Supporters of Haiti’s military rulers declared their intention Monday to back — even if it means death — in the face of a U.N. resolution that paves the way for a U.S.-led invasion. “To those who are preparing to invade, the Haitian people declare that they will fight them in the cities and in the countryside, they will fight them in the shacks and in the palaces, they will fight them day and night,” said presidential aide Carl Denis. "The blood will flow,” said Frantz Robert Monde, president of the lower house of Parliament. “I know I am going to die.” A resolution approved Sunday by the U.N. Security Council lays the legal groundwork for a U.S.-led invasion to oust the military and restore deposed President Jean- Bertrand Aristide. Marshals begin to guard abortion clinics WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal marshals were stationed Monday outside dozens of abortion clinics around the nation and guarded some abortion doctors in an effort to head off further violence by anti-abortion protesters. "We’re trying to take all prudent steps, using all the federal tools, including the clinic access legislation, to appropriately address an issue of deep concern to this nation,” Attorney General Janet Reno said. Violence at clinics ‘‘has now occurred twice in one city,” Reno told reporters before meeting law enforcement executives. "It is a problem throughout the nation." By Amanda Fowle The Battalion The U.S. House and Senate will vote this week on an anti-crime bill that was agreed on by a House- Senate conference commit tee Thursday. The anti-crime bill bans 19 types of semi-automatic assault weapons and limits the size of ammunition magazines. Jay Merkley, a firearms instructor with Texas A&M’s Department of Kine siology, said the ban on semi-automatic assault weapons is a bad idea. “My basic objection with it is that it is an infringement on the Second Amendment of the Constitution,” he said. “The framers of the Constitu tion put that there so people could protect themselves. “Crime is the major rea son the Clinton administra tion is giving for wanting to ban these weapons, but the weapons they are trying to ban are used in less than one percent of crimes.” If passed, the crime bill would authorize $11.1 bil lion for state and,local law enforcement, $2.8 billion for federal law enforcement and courts, $10.5 billion for prisons, $7.6 billion for crime prevention and $1.8 billion for drug courts. The bill proposes $8.8 billion to hire 100,000 more police officers in local communities. Bryan Police Chief Lee Freeman said the Bryan Po lice Department applied in November for new officers under this bill, but did not get any. He said the department had to submit 30 to 40 pages of paperwork outlin ing why it needed more of ficers and what it would use them for. Various crime prevention programs would receive $7.4 billion in funding from, the bill, while $10.5 billion , would be used to build more prisons and boot camps. “I would have liked to have seen more money put into prevention, instead of new prisons,” Freeman sai|d. “We can keep building pris ons, but if something isn’t done to prevent crimes, we won’t get much done.” He said Bryan will apply for the funding of preven tion programs when the ap plication time comes. Charles Schumer, chair of the House Judiciary Committee’s crime panel, supports the anti-crime bill. “It combines tough pun ishment with smart preven tion and a gun bill that will get deadly assault weapons off our streets,” he told the Associated Press. Clinton urges Congress to pass $33.2 billion [aill WASHINGTON (AP) — President Clinton urged Congress Monday to pass the $33.2 billion crime ball for the sake of law enforce ment, and police and prosecutors were eager to urge lawmakers along. “Every major law enforcement organiza tion in America supports this crime bill,” Clinton said in a statement. “It’s time for the lawmakers to do what the law enforcers have asked — pass the crime bill now.” The Hfhise is expected to vote on final passage Wednesday. The Senate is to vote after that. The chief obstacle, Deschamps said, is a ban on assault-style firearms supported by almost all major law enforcement groups. The National Rifle Association has lobbied heavily against that provision, and it barely passed the House in May on a 216-214 vote. Unlike most authorization bills, this one ad dresses how to pay for most of it: A trust fund created with money saved from cuts in the fed eral bureaucracy would cover $30.2 billion. Crime bill The proposal: A $33.2 billion compromise bill drafted by House and Senate negotiators. New funds $11.1 billion for state P ^ 1 ^ 1 and local law enforcement | • $10.5 billion for state and local prison construction • $7.6 billion for crime-prevention programs for youth • $2.8 billion for federal law enforcement and courts • $1.3 billion for drug courts New policies • A ban on assault-style " firearms. The House and Senate passed similar measures earlier this year; 19 basic models and many similar weapons are affected. • Life sentences for third-time felons • Broader application of the death penalty What’s next The bill will go before the full House and Senate for a final vote. President Clinton is virtually certain to approve the bill. Totals rounded AP/Eileen Glanton, Wm. J. Gastello ther outside clir rtions, protester! ; pickled fetuses? eking an infant! i have died duri mts that they as inning themselvfj ion rights groups, are there for st Ling of Pop did wed lock ’n’ Roll princess LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael ackson and Lisa Marie Presley onfirmed Monday that they were arried 11 weeks ago, ending months if rumors about a romance between he reclusive pair. The union of Jackson, 35, and the 6-year-old daughter of Elvis Presley as announced in a statement issued y Jackson’s MJJ Productions. The statement from Miss Presley i we were huma: read, “I am very much in love with lan buffer. We t®4ichael, I dedicate my life to being his s. We are theref safely inside,” M; 1 pain,” wife. I understand and support him, we both look forward to raising a family and living happy, health life together. We hope friends and fans will understand and respect our privacy.” a chance to m. nts can t make: Texas OKs settlement then we knowtt with Energy Dept. jless crowd0cl ti*. ,ut it can pose pi: alt DAL t LAS ( AP ) ~ Faced w t ith ^ ^ v alternative of expensive, protracted litigation, members of a commission use it moves sot that oversees Texas’ investment in nber.” the super collider approved on it of last summEM° n day a settlement with the nade their requf ^nnent of Energy^ i r + v. f u Shelton Smith, chairman of the x tor tne tan. Texas Natural Research Laboratory lentation progi Commission, called the settlement a ! fall or next year “good deal” for the state of Texas and ig that might beco: the federal government, ho knows?” “As a result of Congress' decision to terminate the collider, it appeared ttlmost inevitable that the state of Texas and the United States •• rardinali e P artment ^ ner 9y were about to I Cl I vl II g et j nt0 a legal war 0 f massive ^proportions. As this commission ... ^ knows, that would have been a war "'with no winners, only survivors,” Smith said. Man put to death for killing teenager HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A man whose death warrant was signed with a "happy face” was executed early today, 11 years after killing teen-ager who gave him a ride. Robert Drew coughed and gasped, and tears streamed down his face as a needle carrying lethal chemicals was ‘ serted in his left arm, just where a tatoo of a green cobra was inscribed With the name "Big Bad Bob.” ■ Eight minutes later, at 12:22 a.m. CDT, Drew was pronounced dead. ' Drew, 35, insisted to the end that he did not stab and beat. Residents turn on lights to fight crime By Angela St. John Parker The Battalion Bryan-College Station resi dents are encouraged to meet their neighbors tonight as part of the 11th annual National Night Out. Local police departments are urging residents to turn on their porch lights, walk outside and meet their neigh bors in efforts to deter crime. Joe Bostick, a Bryan crime pre vention officer, said National Night Out was designed to get the community involved and to make residents aware of their immediate sur roundings in case of any suspicious activities. “Solidarity pre vents criminal ac tivity,” he said. “When criminals or burglars see houses with lights the practice of National Night Out on a daily basis, not just for one night,” he said. “We want people to con tinue meeting with their neighbors to prevent crime.” Kretzschmar said students living on campus should meet their neighbors in the dorms. “Some crimes that have oc- cured on campus could have been avoided if dorm residents had known their neighbors,” he said. “The more residents get to know their neighbors, the more likely that neighbor will no tice when some one suspicious is around their dorm area.” The police de partments host ed a Kick-Off Party in Central Park last night to get the entire „ .. , community in- Deeann Mason, age 4, volved and looks on as her friend, make it aware Danielle Cooks, age 6, of National Stew Milne/THE Battalion on and neighbors outside socializing, it chases them off. They stand out tries to win a prize by mak- Night Out. like a sore thumb.” ing three shots in a row. “Even though The slogan for Stew Milne/THE Battalion Sarah and Shahbaz Khan checkout McGruff the Crime Dog during the kick-off of National Night Out at Central Park Monday. National Night Out will occur tonight. tonight’s event is “Lights on means lights out for crime.” Lt. Bert Kretzschmar, su pervisor of UPD’s crime pre vention unit, said the only way people can get to know who be longs in their neighborhoods is to frequently talk to people who live around them. “The local law enforcement agencies want to encourage the police de- partments planned the party, it’s really the people in the community that makes National Night Out work,” Bostick said. “They call us whenever they see anything or anyone that doesn’t belong.” The National Association for Town Watch organizes Na tional Night Out on the first Tuesday in August each year. Baseball players, owners stall in strike negotiations qomiE,.. Classified 4 Comics 6 State & Nation 2 Opinion 5 Sports 3 "What's Up 6 By James Bernsen The Battalion Major League Baseball faces strike eight — with the players acting as umpire — but the season probably won’t be called out, a researcher at Texas A&M says. As players and owners remain far from solving their disputes, the Players Association has set an Aug. 12 deadline for successful negotiations before a strike would begin. Dr. Morgan Reynolds, who works for the Private Enterprise Research Center at A&M and is the co-author of a recent study on the economics of baseball, said a strike will happen and will be similar to the seven previous strikes the sport Major issues facing Major League Baseball Arbitration Players want rights to arbitrate extended to players with less than three years' experience. Owners want arbitration eliminated. Salary Cap Players are opposed to it Owners want to phase in a cap that would limit a team’s salaries to 110 percent of the average payroll. The current average salary is over $1 million, and the minimum salary is $109,000. Revenue Sharing With revenue sharing, all teams would share a percentage of the profits for the season. Players have opposed it in the past, but are willing to discuss it now. Owners have already approved a plan to increase revenue sharing. Free Agency Players want some restrictions on nee agency removed. Owners want to lower number of years before players can become free agents from six to four. has seen. “There will be a short strike, and the players’ union will be declared a winner for the eighth time,” he said. “But it will only look like the players won.” Reynolds said the key issue for the owners is salary arbitration, which they are against. “If the owners don’t get salary arbitra tion, then I’ll say they won it,” he said. Reynolds said the strike will have a negligible impact on the season. “That’s if the strike is short,” he said. “What’s a less likely outcome is if the sea son is ended Aug. 12. But there is not much chance of something in between.” Mark Johnson, A&M head baseball coach, said the biggest stumbling block in negotiations is the salary cap, because both sides have strong stances. The players are against a cap, but the owners see it as a way to control their budgets, he said. » John Blake, vice president of public re lations for the Texas Rangers, said team owners see the issue as one of survival. “Major League Baseball ownership is Please see Baseball, page 6