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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 1995)
ist31,19S 19 ^ The Battalion Opinion ursday ^jggigust31,1995 'or Peter ij fighting Ci id, but at was I think Rocky who )r fans of 'all Associa- e, Mr. ewt’s 4 Americanism’ strips away individuality n a recent essay published in Time Magazine, Newt Gingrich relayed his feelings concerning the exis- ice of the National Endowment for I erts, the National Endowment for I lumanities and the Corporation Public Broadcasting. Ingrich opined that “some aspects government-subsidized art are ly designed to undermine [Ameri- civilization.” He further asserted that abolish- the Magic ws.” len one of Vlr. Rod- >r fans of of a r child’s o toward ce movies! ie Re- Barry. The e prayer, 6 the NEA is one of many steps to “renew Ameri- IwayS wear! : ivilization.” The tion Gingrich describes is a multi- c, multi-faceted one. All the different ethnici- ■sJlabels and classifications comprise the Ameri- Tivilization. The way we renew this civilization, ngrich claims, is by “[celebrating] what unites us stead of what divides us.” B at what unites us in this heterogeneous soci- The American flag? Apple pie? The simple fact at we’re lucky enough to be Americans? Clearly er; are more things dividing than uniting in this cohesiveness. Americans differ in many ways ahd that’s not a bad thing unless we make it so. ftet, differences are quite good. Occasionally, my mother compares Americans to bo. The different spices and odd mixtures give aracter and flavor; every ingredient comple- eiits another in some way. This is the stuff that es American civilization. It’s all quite simple. So if we must celebrate, what do we celebrate? Do we celebrate the idea of Americanism or the differ ent groups contributing to Ameri can civilization? My initial response would be both. Since more differences exist than do similarities (and remem ber, that’s a good thing), we would naturally celebrate cultural differ ences more often than similarities. The problem oc curs when, in the course of celebration or expres sion, one culture offends another. Gingrich cited an example of this scenario in his essay. Using Andres Serrano’s photograph “Piss Christ,” Gingrich asserts that the artist’s expres sion of atheism or agnosticism offended Christians and those who possess “abiding faith in a higher power.” Clearly, any expression that offends another group is wrong. However, that expression should not question the importance of that group’s existence. I may be hated and despised by a select few be cause I am black, but one cannot ignore the exis tence of the black race. Similarly, one cannot ignore the issues that sur face concerning the black race. Ignoring the group or killing the messenger will not make the group disappear. It appears Gingrich believes otherwise by celebrating “what unites us instead of what divides us.” We are not all white. We are not all male. We are not all heterosexual. We are not all Christian. We are all individuals first, Americans second. Gingrich is right when he says we should celebrate being Americans. However, there is much more that makes us great. It would be fool ish to ignore these unique aspects. We have come full circle. In the human race, we celebrate our cul tures with art, ground them with science, treasure them with hope, share them with pride, guard them with defiance. It is utterly ridiculous to believe one should shed his or her culture and adopt the all-en compassing “American culture.” In fact, it is not only ridiculous, but impossi ble. In my home state of Louisiana, the Cajuns try desperately to preserve facets of their unique cul ture. Their language, art, architecture, lifestyle and other mores are disappearing because of assimila tion into “American culture.” The French are fight ing a losing battle in an attempt to keep their lan guage as pure as possible. Native Ameri cans continue attempts to maintain their sacred rituals, crafts and other things that signify who they are. So it worries me when Newt Gingrich advocates assimilation into an “American culture” dom inated by others like him. It shocks me when Americans are not in favor of equal rights to groups that are denied them. It appalls me when a student body adamantly opposes learning about dif ferent cultures. In a time when America is becoming even more multi-ethnic and multicultural, it is shameful — and sometimes dangerous — to ignore the voices yearning for our undivided attention. H. L. Baxter is a junior geography and political science major Ending what you seek hose who want to think negatively about A&M 1 ix years can make quite b a difference. As I look back on my first semes- I recall nothing but fond mories. Perhaps life was ferent then. I started my tenure at cM with a mouthful of aces, so it was virtually im- ssible to distinguish me as reshman. My sole concern during the first week of hool was to find a refrigerator large ough to accommodate six cases of beer. When I couldn’t find a refrigerator large ough, I traded within the dorm for a 25- ar-old roommate with bartending experi- ice. The year was 1990, the Reagan era was er, but many were still basking in its af- rglow. The Corps didn’t need permission haze, and the word “multiculturalism” d not yet reared its ugly head. Those were the good ol’ days. Or were ey? 1 must have refrained from listening to mpus rhetoric those first few days at &M, because if it sounded anything like it »s recently, it might have cast a shadow. I iscribe the University as “Divinely In- ired,” but apparently many disagree. It seems, my fellow students, there are ose among us who simply cannot be hap- '• They thrive on conflict, seeking to never !satisfied until A&M is all they dreamed. Now, after three or four years at school, tese veterans so graciously take it upon lemselves to tell incoming students just ^miserable it has been for them here. There is almost an arrogant quality to l eir sentiments, expressing how lucky you ■e not to start school here as ignorantly as ‘eydid. These doubting Thomas’s seem to 'fst with pride when they tell you, “Hey man, housing here really sucks, I just thought you ought to know.” Thanks! Do people attend Texas A&M to solve world-wide problems (hunger, Bosnian strife, etc.), or is this just a fringe benefit of enrollment here? Every so often, student rise from among the masses who appear to be majoring in activism and protest. They seem to stand against every belief on campus that is considered mainstream. A few years ago, an individual surfaced whose entire career at Texas A&M seemed to revolve around getting people to stop eat ing grapes in protest of the treatment of mi grant workers. There was no great travesty at hand, the grape producers weren’t Nazis, but this guy was relentless. This man had endeavored to search the nation for something to piss him off, and he succeeded. In response, many students had to con sume 70 to 80 pounds of grapes daily just to make light of the situation. Thank God for small fruit! If some people would put half as much ef fort into being happy as they do in finding fault, many problems would simply not ex ist. How many incoming students actually came to A&M with the pipe dream of equali ty? Luckily, someone was here to tell you there isn’t equality: How enlightening! Truthfully, there is no equality, racial or otherwise, but there is fairness. Everyone takes the same test to enroll, and once here, you have to fight to stay. A friend of mine once told me he was con fronted by discrimination on his first day at A&M. Apparently, when he attended his fresh- will find ways to do so man chemistry lab, everyone “looked” at him, and no one sat beside him. I told him the same thing had happened to me, and I refused to believe I was a victim of discrimi nation. As it turned out, we both happened to have been wearing the Aqua-Velva For Men we received in our campus care packages. Who could blame anyone for shying away? Your life here is what you make it. Sim ply put, if you spend time looking for prob lems, you will find them. If you choose to martyr yourself and solve these campus-wide atrocities, be the best at it. Just don’t poison others with the game you have created. Time is precious here, use it to your ad vantage. If some people would put half as much effort into being happy as they do in finding fault, many problems would cease to exist. Everyone attending Texas A&M has an opportunity to start anew, assuming you don’t have braces. You no longer have to be known by the fact that you drive a multi-colored Datsun B210, or that your mom was the high school cafeteria lunch lady. So think twice when someone who has been here a little longer tells you how op pressed you are. Spend your time making friends and grades, for there may come a time when that’s all you have. That and a stack of yellow parking tick ets 9 feet tall. Alex Miller is a senior bioenvironmental science major The Battalion Editorials Board 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. Rob Clark Editor in Chief Sterling Hayman Managing Editor Kyle Littlefield Opinion Editor Elizabeth Preston Assistant Opinion Editor Coin’ My Way? Public transportation to Aggie football games is greatly needed. Football at Kyle Field: the incredible team, the yells, the crowds, the overpriced food and, of course, the parking. Invariably, inconvenience and confusion are the rules of the day for fans who drive to Kyle Field on game day. Traffic congestion before and after A&M football games has been a problem for years for visiting fans, alumni and students who live off campus. The frustration caused by such pre- and post- game hassles has reflected poorly on the Uni versity and its ability to reme dy an ongoing problem. A&M home games boast a huge attendance, and it is al most unimaginable that an in crease in attendance is possi ble. Yet, as the Aggies gain na tional media attention, they will most assuredly gain more popularity, attendance and traffic. A task force made up of state, city and University orga nizations was designed to alle viate the problems of traffic congestion by designing and creating a worthwhile program. The measure they came up with for combating Kyle Field traffic is the use of a shuttle bus service. This plan seems to be the most promising proposal put forth by any A&M organi zation to deal with a parking dilemma on game days. There will be eight locations throughout the Bryan-College Station area where people can park and board the buses. This will eliminate the focal point of the traffic. It is simple: the fewer the number of vehicles around Kyle Field, the lower the amount of congestion. Also, construction on all of A&M’s main roads within the next two years will most likely increase traffic problems, and this will make the use of the shuttle bus service even more attractive. With the utilization of such a program, fans hopefully will experience the thrill of football, not the thrill of waiting in traf fic and hunting for a parking space. MAI I. OLL Religion should not dictate values Brian Beckcom’s Aug. 30 col umn on values contains a lot of nonsense and double talk. His premise states that Ameri ca runs the risk of losing its iden tity if we accept the notion that individuals can practice whatever beliefs they want. Beckcom states that truth is more important than values, but he just can’t get the truth straight. Beckcom really doesn’t want a new set of values, he wants his old set to be followed by everyone. Sorry, but we have Catholics, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists and Branch Davidians here now. They don’t want to, and shouldn’t have to, follow his set of values (if I’m correct in thinking that his set of values comes from his religion). People know what’s right and what is wrong. They don’t need people like Beckcom to enforce religious be liefs on them. We don’t need to be preached to and definitely not by some dis tant politician. Christopher Veel Class of ’9 7 Once an Aggie always an Aggie Howdy Ags! I have just one simple mes sage that goes out to all the freshmen that live on the North- side, the Southside, the Quad and off-campus: You’re Aggies now. Don’t let anyone tell you dif ferent because no one can take that away from you. Joseph Piotrowski Class of ’97