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^ The Battalion
Opinion
ursday
^jggigust31,1995
'or Peter ij
fighting Ci
id, but at
was I think
Rocky who
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'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