Friday • April 7, 1995
The Battalion • Page 9
Joycelyn Elders — a prescription for our ailing society
“I’m not a politician, I’m a
physician. I’m about improving
the health of all Americans. I’m
not about getting elected to pub
lic office. ”
— Joycelyn Elders
T onight former Surgeon Gen
eral Joycelyn Elders will ad
dress the student body of
Texas A&M University. Only four months after
President Clinton called for her resignation, she is
again back in the limelight, spreading her “pre
scriptions for an ailing society.”
These same prescriptions have continually kept
Elders under the surgical knife of the religious
right, the Republican party and many other con
servative organizations. Just what remedies does
Elders propose for our society, and why are they
the subject of much criticism and scrutiny?
At a news conference after a World AIDS Day
event at the United Nations, Elders was asked
whether she would promote masturbation as a way
to help prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Unlike
most politicians, who would have hem-hawed around
the question, Elders gave a straightforward answer.
“With regard to masturbation,” Elders said, “I
think that it is something that is part of human
sexuality and part of something that perhaps
should be taught.”
The public went crazy.
“Did she say masturbation?”
“Did you hear what she said
should be taught in school?”
“Has she lost her freakin’ mind?”
The world was in a frenzy be
cause a certified physician discussed
“that TVT word.”
Oops! We must have forgotten that
masturbation is seldom practiced in
today’s society. A Chicago study indicates that only
72 percent of all adults routinely practice masturba
tion. They must all be freaks or something.
What many people misconstrued were Elders’
intentions. She was not advocating teaching the
nation’s population of grade schoolers the specific
techniques of self-gratification. She was instead at
tempting to erase the stigma on masturbation
that, for years, has caused millions of people to feel
ashamed, guilty or sinful.
Perhaps if the myths of masturbation were
taught at an appropriate age, there would be fewer
teenage pregnancies and tragic AIDS cases. It is a
shame that we, as a society, refuse to openly dis
cuss the single aspect of human sexuality that
causes no harm to others. Yet unwed mothers, bi
sexual swingers and promiscuous teens are com
mon topics on talk shows and prime-time televi
sion. Oh well, I guess if sexuality should not be
taught in schools, then it’s up to cable TV to shape
and mold our kids. Go figure ...
Far too much attention has centered on Elders’
feelings on masturbation. The nation allowed the
media to define an outstanding figure by one re
mark blown out of proportion.
What many do not realize is that Elders brought
many new perspectives to the table.
She was an active crusader for equal rights of
all Americans, regardless of their race, gender or
sexual orientation.
But most importantly, she was an
advocate of common sense. The
time was right for her message.
She fought to protect the rights of women to
have access to safe and legal abortions.
She worked to make sure that contraceptive
devices are available to those who needed them
— a proactive measure to help decrease the need
for abortions.
She helped to ensure that students in public
schools are taught sex education.
She attempted to increase government spending
for AIDS research and education.
She thought that the Boy Scouts and Girl
Scouts should not discriminate against children
with different sexual orientations.
She searched for different solutions to fight the
ever-growing drug problems of the country.
But most importantly, she was an advocate of
common sense. While trying to improve the condi
tion of our country, she was not afraid to sacrifice
her own image.
Because she was concerned with the health of
the nation and not her own popularity, she was
able to say what was needed without fear of politi
cal repercussions.
Unfortunately, Elders became a political target.
Already weakened by the mid-term election losses,
Clinton was advised to fire Elders because she was
considered a political liability. Clinton’s call for her
resignation may have increased his popularity, but
ultimately, it hurt the nation.
We should not expect the U.S. Surgeon General
to be a passive figurehead. Elders certainly was
not. She was bold, assertive and had no reserva
tions against challenging the status quo. She set
an example for the future leaders of our nation.
Elders’ problem was that she was saying the
things that needed to be said. The time was right
for her message. Too bad much of the American
public wasn’t.
Joycelyn Elders was not before her time
— unfortunately, we were behind ours.
Sterling Hay man is a junior
political science major
No!
Mot J
verAOHSTRhTE. fy
Mail
’AT I
Non-regs stop, pay
attention to ceremony
I have a bone to pick with all non-
regs who live on the Quad or those
who insist on walking across the Quad
at 6:40 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. You’d think
that someone would catch a clue that
if hundreds of CTs were formed up on
the Quad at these hours then some
thing must be going on — especially if
they’re saluting.
For those of you who are either new
to the campus or just don’t know, the
American flag is raised at 6:40 a.m.
and lowered at 6:30 p.m. The reason
why the Corps forms up twice a day is
to pay respect to the flag and our
country. Even when CTs aren’t in uni
form we pay respect at these times by
removing our cover and placing our
hand over our hearts.
Is it too much to ask the non-regs
do this too? That maybe they could
stop and pause for a moment, and
maybe even put their laundry basket
down? Those who died for freedom and
our country didn’t do it just for the
Corps of Cadets.
They fought for all those living in
this free, beautiful country. I don’t
think it’s too much to ask for passers-
by to stop for 30 seconds and pay a lit
tle respect the red, white and blue
that means so much more than just
flying for decoration.
K. Colacicco
Class of ’9 7
Corps not wrong to
endorse yell leaders
This letter is in response to the let
ters on April 3, regarding the position
of Jr. yell leader:
First of all, regarding the letter from
Clayton D. McKinnis: I attended the
yell leader forum of March 27, and all
nine candidates for the position of Jr.
yell leader appeared to be motivated,
and all nine appeared that they ‘truly
wanted the position.” When he says the
two winners were “coat-tailed riders,”
all he is wrong. He slams the Corps for
not supporting one of our own, but he is
slamming two of the people who will
represent our University for the next
year. Whatever happened to the Aggie
spirit and supporting fellow Aggies?
The Corps had significant reasons
for not supporting the other cadet for
Jr. yell leader. Trying to explain this
from a Corps member’s perspective, as
much as I would like to, is much like
trying to explain the Aggie spirit to a
non-Aggie: “From the inside looking
out, you can’t explain it, and from the
outside looking in, you can’t under
stand it.”
David Hilburn
Class of ’97
Americans owe debt
of gratitude, not guilt
I would like to comment on D.J. Har
ris’s letter on April 3, “Think about the
history of injustice in America.”
Harris believes that America owes
a great debt to the people who were
driven out, killed, enslaved or victim
ized in the building of this country.
He says this country was built by
the labor of the oppressed, and that
those who benefit from that oppres
sion have neglected to acknowledge
and repay that debt.
I agree with Harris that we owe a
great debt to America’s builders. How
ever, if the oppressed built America,
then those in power directed and guid
ed that building, and surely we owe
them as well. What I’m saying is that
we all owe a debt to all those who
came before us, but it is a debt of grat
itude, not one of money and guilt. It
can never be repaid.
I believe what Harris means is that
those who today benefit from the op
pression of the past are guilty, and
those who suffer because of it are some
how ennoble. This is wrong.
Change comes very slowly. The so
cial conditions prevalent today wee
forged long before. The descendants of
one group don’t owe anything to the de
scendants of another simply by virtue
of blood ties.
Those who try to make the fortunate
— read whites — apologize for their
good fortune only encourage disunity
and mistrust.
They seek to categorize us into the
innocent and the guilty. We owe them.
We are the oppressors, they are victims.
Such false rhetoric only serves to turn
us against each other. The sins of the
past must be forgiven if we are to
achieve lasting social harmony.
Mark A. Smith
Class of ’94
Big Event Committee
gives thanks to students
On behalf of the 58-member Big
Event Committee, we’d like to thank
each and every Ag who came out Sat
urday morning to participate in Big
Event ’95.
Letters and calls hae been pouring
into the student government office
telling us how much residents of B-
CS appreciate the time and effort you
all put in to lending the community a
hand.
As students, it would be easy for us
to get wrapped-up in the day-to-day
campus grind and forget that there is
a real world out there with real people
and real need.
In many college towns, the resi
dents see students as a source of traf
fic, long lines, loud neighborhoods and
full bars.
Our goal in Big Event is to thank
those residents and enable them to
share in the Aggie Spirit that they
may never see at Fish Camp, Kyle
field or Muster.
Many organizations worked late into
the day, completing jobs large for twice
their number of participants.
We would especially like to thank
those groups who went above and be
yond what was originally asked of them
and those eager and willing to take on
other jobs when they finished theirs
early.
Several groups are still completing
projects throughout the end of the se
mester. You are truly showing B-CS
what it is to be an Aggie.
It’s impossible for all of you to know
how much you are appreciated as I look
through the stacks of Thank Yous com
ing in. I’m overwhelmed.
You have accomplished the mission
of Big Event-parts of the community
that know nothing of our great tradi
tions and football team love Aggies
anyway! Thank you for all of your
hard work. Hope we see you out again
next year!
Bo Garcia
The Big Event Committee ’95
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Texas A&M University Batt@tamvm1.tamu.edu
College Station, TX 77843-1111
Baseball will never return
to original state after strike
W ell, the strike
is over. The
major league
baseball Player’s As
sociation agreed to re
turn to work after
U.S. District Judge
Sonia Sotomayor or
dered the injunction
that reinstated last
year’s labor system.
Now we are back from whence we
began. This Seven Month’s War has
ended in a bitter truce that accom
plishes nothing for either the owners
or the players. The owners must pre
side over a system that threatens to
bankrupt them, and the players gave
no assurance that they will not strike
again if the owners attempt to imple
ment any further changes.
Like the Korea and Vietnam, the
Seven Month’s War ended without
true peace. Only the shooting has
stopped; a cold war still.rages.
In the midst of all of this, the only
reason the sport matters anyway-the
fans-suffered the most casualties. The
war inflicted deep wounds on innocent
bystanders-the fans who bought the
overpriced tickets to watch the over
paid players play the game at its best.
Throughout the 20th century, base
ball has been the dominant sport in
American culture. Every red-blooded
American male would play catch with
his dad and play pickup games in a
vacant lot or empty field after school
with his friends. The game was a
much a part of America as Mom and
apple pie.
Sadly, baseball is no longer the na
tional pastime that captures the imag
ination of our youth. This latest strike
has shattered the illusion of the base
ball diamond as the field of dreams.
While the strike is not the unique
cause of the decline of baseball as our
national game, it has laid to rest any
doubt that baseball has lost its mythi
cal status.
It is no longer a game that men
play for the pure thrill of it. It is a
business in which highly skilled pro
fessionals sell their skills to the high
est bidder.
The fact that players are now in a
position to demand higher salaries is
not a bad development. Before free
agency, baseball players were basical
ly slaves to be bought or sold by the
owners. They had little leverage in ne
gotiating their contracts and served as
cogs in the owners’ money machine.
They played under conditions
which would actually justify a strike.
Yet they played. They played for love
of the game.
While there all still examples of
true sportsmen in baseball, they are
harder to come by. Players today con
duct their own little personal strikes
by not reporting to training camp un
til their contract is renegotiated. Free
agents turn their backs on cities and
fans that made them
stars and move to anoth
er team for more money.
The powers that be in
baseball have shown that
economic concerns out
weigh the importance of
the fans. Disagreements
over salary caps and
binding arbitration took
precedence over finishing a pennant
race and having a World Series.
Both sides are equally to blame.
The fact that 1994 was the first time
since 1902 that there was no World
Series apparently did not bother ei
ther of the parties enough to prompt a
quick compromise.
This stubbornness has damaged
the public’s confidence in the game. It
is apparent that players and owners
care more about money than the fans
who love the game. While baseball
will survive, it is not without serious
damage.
There have been strikes before, and
each one was supposed to be the end
of baseball as we know it. The public
was supposed to turn its back on the
sport and say it will not support this
cold-hearted business anymore. That
did not happen before, nor will it hap
pen now.
However, this latest strike is a bit
more serious due to its length and the
fact that it destroyed the continuity of
baseball by aborting a good season.
Records that might have been broken,
namely Roger Maris’s 61 home runs,
still stand because Ken Griffey, Jr.,
Matt Williams, and Frank Thomas
did not have the chance to finish a full
162 games.
Baseball has not faced this serious
a blow to its image since the “Black
Sox” scandal of 1919, when eight
members of the Chicago White Sox ac
cepted bribes to throw the World Se
ries. This traumatic incident prompt
ed the owners to appoint a commis
sioner to act “in the best interests of
baseball.” Kenesaw Mountain Landis
accepted this job and restored the in
tegrity of baseball with the power and
wisdom of a benevolent dictator.
As in 1919, baseball today has no
leader unaccountable to the owners
or players. Had there been a commis
sioner, the strike probably could
have been avoided.
He would have forged a compro
mise to save the season.
Given baseball’s current state, it
will take a leader like Landis himself
to deal with economic concerns and
labor negotiations, yet shift focus
away from the business and towards
the game.
Baseball will never return to the
way it used to be. This is okay; the
world will not end.
But it is just a little less fun.
Jim Pawlikowski is a junior
mechanical engineering major