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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 31, 1995)
199) PINION The Battaeion • Page 5 "Wednesday • May 31, 1995 0 Abundance of choices often complicates life’s decision atur n old person (over 40) once told me, “Life is like going to the gro- ery store, you only have so much oney to spend, and you can’t buy every ce to Bbod item; it’s all about choices.” I stared at him blankly for a few min- ie of utes. My eyes fell and then glazed over edffk -while my brain sifted through a thou- and images of trips to the grocery store, e was right. Many times I’ve stood Frank f : Stanford Columnist was oack prac- 4:49 ints, i ths lone in the aisles of Albertson’s wondering, “maybe tove Top stuffing instead of potatoes, hmmm ... ce-a-roni, or ... Uncle Ben’s. Maybe blackeyed as.” So many, many choices ... These tough choices continue from solid grains ~ight into liquid ones. For instance, deciding which jeer to purchase can make you insane. Years ago we lad limited choices of beer — Miller High Life and ludweiser. Oh sure, you could still find Michelob jand Coors here and there, but back then the closest thing to the “micro-brewery” trend was Pearl or Yxas Pride. And they both sucked. But beer companies were smart. When Ameri- i ”'cans decided they were too fat, breweries gave us more choices. Miller Lite, Bud Light, Coors Light, Michelob Light, Milwaukee’s Best Light, MGD BLight, Pearl Light, Lone Star Light, Sheafer Light B and Olympia Light. Then came the “Dry” craze, fol lowed by the short lived “Gold” days, followed by this completely idiotic “Ice” phase — not to mention the ridiculous combinations of all these types. Now marketing geniuses have us choosing beer from I small, “home grown” breweries founded by the Zeke and Melba Beerbreath family during prohibition. Apparent ly it’s quaint or something. They’ve given us a host of cute choices includ ing Black Dog, Red Dog, Red Wolf, Killian’s Red and Leinenkugel’s Red. The only thing quaint about these beers is the name and the colored ca nine on the label. Most are owned by the big fa miliar beer corporations who brew them in giant stainless steel vats supervised by men in white lab coats. But they make it look so quaint. And we scream for more choices. “Frank, Frank ... FRANK! Axe you OK?” said the old man who gave me the grocery store analogy. “You’re drooling, are you sick?” “Huh?” I said, sliding back into reality, “No, no, I’m alright, but DAMN I’m thirsty. Hey, what do beer choices have to do with life, I mean, besides the obvious?” “Well,” replied the wise ol’ 42 year-old, “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but in my analogy ‘money’ is Time and food items are Life Choices. There’s just not enough time to do everything. “Like wow, man.” I said. “You mean I can’t be an airline pilot, a Harlequin Romance novelist, a warped professor, a CIA agent (like they’d hire ME), a famous chef and a motorcycle mechanic, before I die?” “That’s right,” he said, “There’s just not enough time, but your motorcycle will need maintenance pe riodically, so you can still be a mechanic.” “Yes, but having too many choices can still be a curse,” I thought out loud. I remembered back to my days as a yacht crew man when this analogy actually applied itself. My boss, a wealthy busies man, gave each of us crew members $500 for a Christmas bonus one year and then cut us loose at a huge mall in a port city some where. He stipulated that we had exactly one hour to spend every dime or we would have to return our purchases and give back the bonuses. Spending the money was easy. Making the choic es was a bitch. Because choices can be so difficult, a part of me has always been a little envious of those students who have known since junior high what they wanted to study; what they wanted to do “when they grew up.” Their choices were made early. “I’m going to be a doctor ... a lawyer ... a teacher ... an engineer,” is often proclaimed before having a clue as to what is entailed in each endeavor. But since the decision has been made there is now only one brand of beer in this person’s refrigerator. I guess if you enjoy your brand and don’t care how other beers taste, then you won’t feel stuck with the same one your whole life. Especially if you never wonder about it. A few years ago I took my uncle’s ranch-hand sightseeing in my hometown. Growing up as a Mexi can peasant, he had never experienced such tall buildings or the seashore. Instead, alone and in the darkness, he had trudged across the Rio Granada as a teenager in search of a “good” life. A life that most of us think we’d rather die than have. I explained to him in broken Spanish that since I graduated from college I didn’t know whether to take a corporate job, attend graduate school, travel the world for a while or go back to my old yacht job and hang around the Caribbean for another couple of years. “You have too many choices,” he replied in broken English. Frank Stanford is a philosophy graduate student \ ) p •mer lad ided >lina mid- igle- olid- eak- ?r to .eicli am." otof vhat nna- oar) :lub- din£ yard iwin Ca ning s in- D The Battalion Established in 1893 Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views of the editorials 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. Editoriab Board Jay Robbins Editor in Chief Rob Clark Managing Editor Sterling Hayman Opinion Editor Kyle Littlefield Assistant Opinion Editor Carry carefully With passage of the new gun law, Texans should focus more on safety. As of Jan. 1, 1996, Texans will be allowed to carry con- cealed handguns. Although the state legislature passed the bill in order to improve safety, sev eral dangers lurk behind this measure. Before people decide to take advantage of this new right, they should be aware of several issues. First, to carry a firearm on campus is a third-degree felony. Anyone caught with a gun on campus can face jail time. Also, anyone who decides to carry a handgun needs to know that the gun they carry can be used against them. University Police Department Director Bob Wiatt said about 20 of the 157 police officers killed last year in the United States were killed with their own guns. In spite of the all of the training they received, the weapons were used against them rather than serving as a means of protection. People applying for a con cealed handgun license should receive more training than the minimum amount mandated by the law. Training should not end upon receipt of the license. The responsibility a gun-carri er takes on cannot be taken too seriously. The citizens of Texas, espe cially college students, also should remember that guns and alcohol do not mix. Many firearm accidents occur when people are drinking; the new law enabling people to carry guns in virtually every situa tion invites even more such tragedies. Of course, all firearms must be kept away from chil dren. Parents must make an extra effort to ensure that their handguns, which will be very accessible to them, are not accessible to the chil dren. Anyone with a young child or sibling realizes the challenges that task will be. Finally, guns cannot serve to protect as can good judg ment and responsible behav ior. These two habits become even more important when carrying a firearm.Anyone who decides to carry a gun should do so with great care. " WE WANT TO GIVE EDUCATION BACK TO THE BASICS, AND THE SIMPLES TOO." Exposure to homosexuality educates many Margaret Gordon Columnist Mail Classes should not be held on holiday A generation ago, A&M had the reputation of the West Point of the South. Since A&M has a strong mili tary background, holding classes on Memorial Day is ironic. It shows a lack of respect and recognition to the heroes of our country who died defending our land. A&M tradition dictates that we remove our hats and that we stay off the grass at the MEMORIAL Student Center, yet University policy has all students and factulty attending classes on the one day the na tion sets aside as a memorial to veterans of past wars. This lack of respect is hyp ocritical and confounding to students, faculty and old Ags alike. A&M should seriously recon sider reviewing its policy. Linnann Long Class of ’95 Jennifer Hart Class of ’96 P repare yourselves, because I’ve found the source of soci ety’s problem with homo sexuality. Take a look at the word “homosexuality.” The an swer lies in the heart of the word. “Sex.” Not surprising, huh? I’ve found that sex is the first thing that people think of when they hear the word homosexuality. “It ain’t natural,” some say. When I first learned of this lifestyle, the image of two women or two men rolling around naked together popped into my head, and it seemed a bit strange. The thought of anyone rolling around naked with anyone else seemed odd to me. I was young, so it didn’t matter who was involved. Once those hormones started coursing through my body, the thought of a man and woman having sex didn’t seem odd anymore. Once I began to open my mind to new ideas, the idea of people of the same gender having sex seemed okay as well. I learned sex was a very natural thing. It’s natural for people to be attracted to each other, no matter who they are. Maybe a new word should be formed for homosexuals in general. It might help get sex off of everyone’s mind. However, sex, in one form or another, is a part of most rela tionships. Why should it be denied? While scientists still have not discovered the cause of homosexuality, it is now rarely thought of as a choice. People are beginning to understand that some are born homosexual. This is a huge step forward from the times when homosexuality was considered a mental disorder. A friend recently told me she is homosexual. She had been confused, knowing she was attracted to women, but also growing up being taught that only heterosexual rela tionships were acceptable. When she came to college, she met many opened-minded people and began to learn more about the homosexual lifestyle. After finding a group of people with which she could identify, she accepted her own homosexuality. With this new accep tance, she found extreme joy because she finally discovered her true self. She also developed some new problems. Texas A&M is not the easiest place for a homosexual to live. She can’t show her af fection for her girlfriend in public. If they were to even hold hands, dirty looks and obscenities would be targeted at them. It isn’t fair that heterosexuals can kiss and hug in public without the threat of hatred and violence, but my good friend is not able to show affection for someone she cares about. Some say, “Hwy. 6 runs both ways. Go to t.u.” However, that type of expression is very closed-minded. Homosexuals are here and they’re not going anywhere. Why should they? There’s a gay commu nity here in B-CS. They have their own student group at A&M. They even have their own bar. Closed-minded people should not feel threatened. All homosexuals ask for is a little respect, the same respect you’d give any human being. Gays and lesbians work with you, go to class with you and even live in your dorm. They eat the same food, love the same music and breathe the same air. The only thing that is different about ho mosexuals is whom they fall in love with. One thing that amuses me about many homophobes, is their arrogance and para noia. Many worry that homosexuals are attracted them. Some even fear that they will hit on or attack them. However, that ideology just shows many people’s egoism. Homosexuals aren’t maniacs, and they rarely waste their time on straight people. I have to admit, I’ve made many a stereo typical mistake in my dealings with homosex uals. One time a woman asked me to dance, and instead of politely declining her offer, I blurted out, “I have a boyfriend!” That people are beginning to understand that some are born homosexual is a step forward from previous times. I am intimidated by the possibility of be ing labeled a homosexual because many of my friends are. One day I plan on ordering the t-shirt that states, “Don’t assume I’m straight. Don’t assume I’m not.” It represents what I believe. People shouldn’t be judged on whom they love, or their sexual orientation. In a perfect world, there would be no stereo types and no discrimination. I cannot say that I am not guilty of these actions. Thankfully, my homosexual friends for give me for my heterosexism. They know I’m still learning to be a better person. Hopefully, others are learning, too. Margaret Gordon is a junior genetics major TThe B/VTTU/YLIO NT Editorial Staff Jay ROBBINS, Editor in Chief Rob Clark, managing editor Sterling Hayman, Opinion editor GRETCHEN PERRENOT, City Editor Jody Holley, night news editor Stacy Stanton, night news Editor MICHAEL LANDAUER, Aggielife Editor Nick Georgandis, Sports Editor Stew Milne, Photo Editor Staff Members City Desk — Assistant Editor: Eleanor Colvin; Re porters: Katherine Arnold, Javier Hinojosa, Scott McMahan, Jill Saunders, Michael Sim mons, Wes Swift & Tara Wilkinson Aggielife Desk — Feature Writers: Kristen Adams, Amy Collier & Libe Goad; Columnist: Amy Uptmor Sportswriters - David Winder and Lee Wright Opinion Desk — Assistant Editor: Kyle Littlefield; Columnists: Elizabeth Preston, Frank Stan ford & David Taylor; Contributing Colum nists: Justin Barnett, Margaret Gordon, Alex Miller, Chris Stidvent & Mark Zane; Editori al Writers: Jason Brown & Alex Walters; Editorial Cartoonists: Brad Graeber & George Nasr Photographers - Mike Friend, Roger Hsieh, Nick Rodnicki & Eddy Wylie Page Designers - News: Kristin DeLuca & Kristen DeRocha; Sports: Robin Greathouse; Ag gielife: Stew Milne Copy Editors — Rob Clark & Sterling Hayman Graphic Artists — Toon Boonyavanich & Melissa Oldham Strip Cartoonists — Valerie Myers & Quatro Oakley Office Staff — Office Manager: Julie Thomas; Clerks: Wendy Crockett & Heather Harris News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Divi sion of Student Publications, a unit of the De partment of Journalism. News offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom hours: Sunday, 2 p.m. to 1 0 p.m. Monday — Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Newsroom phone: 845-3313; Fax: 845-2647 E-mail: Batt@tamvm1.tamu.edu The Battalion Online: The Battalion offers photos and the day's headlines on the worldwide web. Web Site: http://128.194.30.84 Advertising: Publication of advertising does not im ply sponsorship or endorsement by The Bat talion. For campus, local and national dis play advertising, call 845-2696. For classi fied advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and of fice hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-2678. Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. To charge by VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express, call 845-2611. 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