President’s problems point out politicians’ perfidies
ELIZABETH
PRESTON
Columnist
T he debate over private dignity and
how relevant it is to one’s ability
to represent the country has been
hot lately, with President Bill Clinton
providing much fuel for the fire. Paula
Jones’ accusations, a presidential legal
defense fund and other scandals are
coming at the American public fast and
furious from the White House, and
there is much to discuss.
George Bush, for his many faults, certainly
did not provide the American pop culture with
much fodder for spicy tabloid headlines. Some
rumors that he had cheated on his wife surfaced
at one point, but he is so grandfatherly that no
one could believe it. His wife also was an asset
because the world loved her, and the image of
him doing something as sleazy as cheating on
her did not jell.
Ronald Reagan was not quite as lily-white,
but he was so popular with the public that even
when shocking stories were revealed, nobody
paid too much attention. Remember when the
press discovered that Nancy Reagan consulted
an astrologer quite frequently? There were a few
weeks of jokes, and Reagan lost a little face, but
soon all was forgotten.
Bill Clinton, on the other hand, has proved
quite the headline-grabber. His already abrasive
personality and
short temper is
watched carefully
because he was
elected by a
minority of the
population, and he
loses popularity
daily. Clinton has
provided enough
gossip to keep the tabloids boiling over with
excitement for years to come. He has many
enemies from his Arkansas days, and he has not
been completely honest with the public. I don’t
think anyone is gullible enough to believe that
he “did not inhale” marijuana.
This tendency of Clinton’s to become
embroiled in scandals has provided the material
for many arguments among my friends. The
burning question is: Should we care about Bill
Clinton’s private life?
First, I agree with almost all of Clinton’s
political policies. I think America needs universal
health care coverage badly, and I am really
impressed with Clinton’s courage while taking on
the NRA about the recent crime bill. I think
Hillary Clinton is an incredible woman, and I
respect both of them for making it as far as they
have. Bill Clinton pulled himself up from
remarkably difficult beginnings to win the highest
elected office in the U.S. government.
Admirable though these traits are, I also -
probably naively - expect the people I elect to
represent me at all times. I do not see how Clinton
can do this while he is fixated on the many scandals
that surround him constantly. In addition, I think
that his behavior has been completely despicable
and disgusting, if the many allegations are true.
When the accusations from Paula Jones first
I expect the people I elect to represent me
at all times. I do not see how Clinton can
do this while he is fixated on the many
scandals that surround him constantly.
made headlines, Clinton’s only responded
weakly. In all of the articles and interviews I
have read on the subject he has never come out
and denied meeting her in a hotel room.
Regardless of how they both arrived at the place,
this is improper behavior for a married man, and
an embarrassing antic for a governor. The
strongest statement I heard from him was
something to the effect that he did not remember
meeting her. Yeah, right. The plausibility of this
excuse is on par with the aforementioned “didn’t
inhale” crap.
Most people I have discussed this with think
that a person’s ability to govern should not be
judged on their personal life. Ideally, these two
things would be kept separate. A complete sleaze
may have an incredible capacity to govern,
whereas upstanding citizens could be lacking in all
leadership ability. However, this ideal is not
applicable in the world we live in.
A political leader represents his
constituents at all times; in Clinton’s
case, millions of them on an
international level. With scandals
constantly haunting him and his entire
country slowly losing respect for him, it
becomes easier for other international
leaders to treat him lightly, or
disregard him altogether.
While it may not seem fair for the public to
smugly sit in their homes and judge politicians, I
feel that elected officials voluntarily subject
themselves to this scrutiny when they run for public
office. If they cannot conduct their private lives ih a
way that the average American can respect, they do
not deserve to representns publicly.
Elizabeth Preston is a junior English major
Death inspires bittersweet memories
Mama Siti's passing leaves empty spot in heart, life of her grandson
ANAS
BEN-MUSA
Guest Columnist
Dear God,
Sometimes I
wish I knew the
things that life can
make so true...
I ’m waiting in
line at Hastings,
trying not to
think about the
phone call this morning. I just keep singing a song in my
head, trying not to think ... the line moves up and my daze
is broken.
Back to reality.
I notice the woman in front
of me is holding a child with
a precious, curious won
der in its eyes. The
child sees me and I’m
suddenly enveloped
by the child’s deep
blue eyes. There is
no animosity, no
hindrance in all
the child sees.
Every moment and
every detail is new 5
to this child.
It reminds me of
what my best friend
said a few hours ago,
“Death is a part of life,
Anas”
The child still watches me.
She is beginning a life full of won
ders and experiences, while my
grandmother just completed hers.
The cancer was hard on her ...
I only wished, God, that you
had let her have a quick death.
But you didn’t.
Dear God,
“What have you done to me,
I can’t eat
I cannot sleep
and I’m not the same anymore
I don’t know what to do ...”
-Anita Baker’s “Body & Soul”
She gave me strength. She gave
me love. She helped me, held me
and comforted me. There is only pain now, but it’s dull,
weak. I can’t grasp it. I can’t grieve, there are no tears to
shed. There are only memories ...
I remember last Christmas and the last day I was with
my grandmother in Ravenna, Italy. Throughout the whole
visit, I thought this would be the last time I would see her.
It wasn’t just me. My mother and my younger brother be
lieved it was the last time, too.
We left for the airport on that bitter, cold morning and
we shed our tears.
But God, you let me see her one more time after
that day.
Thank you...
Dear God,
I remember more...
A whiff of onions and garlic sizzle in a little olive oil over
the oven. Its six in the morning; My grandmother is busy
cooking lunch while my grandfather is focused over the
morning paper, sipping hot tea.
My grandmother used to cook lunch early in the morn
ing. I wish I can have one more plate of her pasta. Just
one more.
Dear God,
My web of life quivers in the wind. Give me the
strength to make it stronger now. Today is a chance
for redemption.
I could have written more, I could have called more often,
but its too late now.
Don’t let this happen
to you.
My grandmother was
everything to me. In
the world there are
great figures, great
leaders. To me, they
are nothing compared
to what my grand
mother. She was
Saint Theresa, Mar
garet Thatcher and
Maya Angel ou.
She was Mother Earth
who took care of her
children and her
grandchildren. She
was a leader of the
community who fought
for the emancipation of
women. And she was a
spiritual leader of the
family and community.
Her love of life and
God gave strength and
joy to so many.
Top: “Mama Siti” and “Baba Siti,” her husband, in 1952.
Above: Mama Siti gives sweets and toys to sick children
in the hospital in 1961.
Dear God,
Take care of Mama Siti for me ... I know she has made
heaven a little brighter and a little more happy.
Anas Ben-Musa is a senior journalism major
'Rule' on Bonfire, cut
fails to motivate some
• In response to Lynn Booher’s col
umn “Ten rules will simplify fish life”
on Sept. 1: I would like to say great
job, with the exception of one rule.
Rule #6 stated “It’s not cool to shave a
letter into your hair or bang on other
people’s doors at five in the morning
so they’ll wake up for cut or do pretty
much anything else the bonfire vam
pires claim is ‘red ass.’” Perhaps
Booher means that you do not have to
shave a letter into your hair or bang
on doors or do anything red ass to be
cool. Cool is a very broad term, but as
a former female letterhead and possi
bly a female letterhead again (just to
support the dorm I no longer live in), I
must say you don’t have to do it, but
when else will you ever be as daring
and not look strange - letterheads are
very common in the fall. As far as
door-banging goes, each dorm votes on
a wake up policy. Booher goes on to
say in Rule #9 that “... It’s good to par
ticipate in cut, load and stack for Bon
fire.” But, most of the “bonfire vam
pires” would call that red ass. Would
she classify that as “dumb ass” also?
Maybe Bonfire is a different experi
ence that many may think is dumb
ass, but for some, getting dirty, work
ing hard, making friends,and yes,
shaving a letter into your head is
something you would never do any
where else or enjoy quite as much as
at Texas A&M University.
Amy Knapp
Class of ’95
• While we agree that academics
should be our central focus while
studying here at Texas A&M Universi
ty, there are many other aspects of col
lege life that are extremely important.
How many times has the importance
of “The Other Education” been
stressed to all of us. In response to
her opinions concerning bonfire, we
simply wonder who graced her with
the honor of deciding what is or isn’t
“Red Ass.” We respect anyone who has
the spirit and courage to become a let
terhead and applaud them for realiz
ing that outside appearances are not
gravely important. Hair will grow
back in a short period of time, but real
Aggie Spirit never dies.. The term
“dumb ass” does not apply here but
rather in cases where people are too
concerned with their personal appear
013 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843-1111
Fax: (409) 84S-2647
F-mail:
The Battalion
Editorial Board
——-
Belinda Blancarte, Editor in chief
Editorials appearing in The 8ati
the views of the editorial board. '
aft men
lay Robbins, Opinion editor
: or staff.
Columns, guest columns, t.
letters express the opinions of the
■ ct the opinion editor fo
tting guest columns.
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Affirmative Actions
A&M must follow laws, court rulings closely
In a ruling last month, U.S. .Dis
trict Judge Sam Sparks upheld the
right of the University of Texas
School of Law to use an affirmative
action admissions policy to enroll
minority students. However, Sparks
found the school’s former practice of
evaluating minorities separately
from white candidates for admission
unconstitutional .
The use of
affirmative ac
tion policies
stands out as
an effective
measure of
maintaining
the diversity of
student popula
tions. More im
portantly, affir
mative action
helps remedy
the negative so
cial impacts
caused by past
against minorities.
But, when that goal is maligned
with the use of double standards and
different requirements for different
races, then affirmative action becomes
the discrimination it seeks to eradicate.
Affirmative action is the governmen
tal objective to promote the hiring and
admission of minorities into the work
place and educational programs.
The suit against UT, brought forth
by four white individuals who applied
for admission in 1992, has the potential
MTTVjE
discrimination
to serve as a precedent for possible fu
ture cases which pertain to affirmative
action. Sparks upheld the school’s af
firmative action policy, stating the indi
viduals did not prove that they would
have been admitted in a system where
all applicants were judged equally.
This stipulation is important be
cause it shows both the legal support
for affirmatiiie action measures arid
the need for ed
ucational insti
tutions to es
tablish clear
guidelines for
evaluating ap
plicants before
implementing
affirmative ac
tion policies.
Texas A&M
faces many
challenges to its
efforts to ip-
crease diversi
ty. The University must guard
against making the same mistakes
as UT in its admissions procedures:!
When candidates under consider
ation are otherwise equal then affir
mative action is justified. However,
should candidates of different rac'ps
be considered for admission on dif
ferent standards, their 14th amend
ment right to equal protection has
been violated.
Discrimination through affiriha-
tive action will not benefit the Uni
versity or anyone.
ances to show their spirit and love for
their school. We also resent her insin
uations that a majority of Aggie men
are creeps and scum. There are many
nice men here in College Station.
Maybe Miss Booher is just bitter be
cause she cannot find one. About
mugging with random people at Mid
night Yell, bringing a lighter is a pub
lic showing of one’s willingness to
meet new people, namely another
dateless person. If you are uncomfort
able with this, don’t bring a lighter.
In closing, anyone with sight and com
mon sense can plainly see that High
way 6 does not run to Austin. The
statement “Highway 6 runs both
ways” merely points out that those
who don’t harbor the undying love for
Aggieland that we (97+1) percenters
do can just as easily leave.
Kelly Key
Class of ’97
Sonya Jacocks
Class of ’97
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