The Battalion
THURSDAY
July 18, 1996
PINION
Page 5
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O ne of the worst feelings is to have
something within reach only to
watch it get snatched away right
before your eyes.
After more than a thousand years of
fighting, the Irish were finally making
strides toward peace after the Irish Repub
lican Army agreed to a cease-fire almost
two years ago.
However, the same car bomb that de
stroyed a hotel in Northern Ireland also
tore apart present hopes for peace.
Fortunately, the group responsible for
the bomb warned the hotel, avoiding 250
needless deaths.
Although the intent to kill was absent, the bombing makes
| a powerful statement about the situation in Ireland, and it
sure doesn’t seem like an overture to peace.
The recent conflict began when members of the Orange
Order, a Protestant fraternal organization, decided they
just had to march straight through a predominantly
Catholic area of Londonderry. They were celebrating the
victory of Protestant King William III over Catholic James
II more than 300 years ago, a deliberate slap in the face to
their Catholic neighbors.
Although police did attempt to block the march, they gave
in after Protestants responded to the blockade with four days
of rioting.
By this time the Catholics were only mildly upset, so they
decided to throw gasoline bombs and bricks at the police.
As a result, one person died and the center of London
derry was reduced to rubble.
Cause-and-effect relationships similar to this one have
marked much of the hostilities in Northern Ireland over
the years.
In an interview with the New York Times, Rev. Con
McLaughlon, who has buried many people as the result of
violence in Ireland, said he has “never seen people so de
pressed to the point of despair.”
So why would people starved for peace deliberately pro
voke a reaction?
In an exhausted area tom apart by hatred, it seems that
people would be willing to put aside the little things for the
sake of peace.
One of the first things you learn in college is how to live
and let live. You have to learn how to compromise or your
roommate will drive you crazy. If my roommate ruins my fa
vorite shirt, the reasonable reaction is not to set her favorite
shirt on fire.
Sometimes you h ave to focus on what is really important.
The right to walk down a street in a celebration that
slaps Catholics across the face is not crucial to life when
peace is at stake.
There is no easy solution to how Ireland should be gov
erned, or an easy answer that will make everyone happy
and erase the painful memories. But if the Irish want
peace badly enough, they must put aside their inclinations
toward retaliation and act a little more mature.
More than 3,000 lives have been lost in the last 25 years
through countless bombings; there is no need for any more.
Heather Pace is a Class of’99 English major
ABo K770A/
Mail
Rock climber sees no
evidence of degradation
I must take offense at the letter by
Norman White, which states that rock
climbers regularly damage the envi
ronment. As an avid climber, I recog
nize that anytime a person chooses to
spend time outdoors, he will have
some impact on the environment.
Climbers are no exception to rule, but
we are certainly not the vandals
White accuses us of being. He stated,
“Many rock climbers now often carry
electric drills so they can drill finger
holds” and “marking each newly
drilled hole with spray paint.” Of the
perhaps 40 different climbers I know
well, not one owns an electric drill ca
pable of drilling holes in rock, nor
would they if they did. I have trav
elled to several different states to
climb, and climbed at many different
areas. Only once have I seen drilled
holds, and that was on boulders that
were surrounded by the city with con
crete slabs, picnic tables and barbecue
pits — hardly a “pristine spot.” I have
never seen climbers marking holds
with spray paint. Indeed, many
climbers do use chalk, but even this is
restricted at certain areas, and nor
mally washes off when it rains.
When White sees climbers with
drills, they are normally placing bolts,
which in certain types of rock actually
help prevent future damage to the
rock. They also protect the climber, as
well as being small enough they cause
little visual pollution. Much less than.
I’m sure, the road or trail used to ac
cess this “pristine area.”
White states that “If the real
climbers cannot accept responsibility
for the actions of less pure climbers,
then all climbing should be prohibited.”
This statement strikes me as silly.
Does White drive a car, and if so, is he
willing to give up driving if he can’t
prevent all drunk-driving accidents?
While I will admit climbers aren’t per
fect, I’ve never met a climber who is the
demon White suggests, and it is this
type of lies and misinformation that
tarnish the image of a healthy, fun and
exciting sport.
Geoff Jennings
Class of ’98
Boldt nitpicks in assault
on Singing Cadets' name
David Boldt has found a truly
newsworthy topic. Evidently, many of
the so-called Singing Cadets are not
really members of the Corps of
Cadets. This fraudulent misrepresen
tation of the choir’s affiliation should
be promptly rectified. In addition, it is
clear that many students of Texas
A&M are not students of agriculture,
and therefore are not Aggies in the
truest sense of the word. These people
should stop referring to themselves as
such. Boldt’s line of reasoning could
undoubtedly be applied to many other
misnamed groups.
Before making a mountain out of a
molehill, maybe we should reconsider
the advice of Name Police Cadet Cap
tain Boldt. Some of our traditions
have changed for fairly substantial
reasons. If the Singing Cadets were a
disgrace, there would be just cause
for a name change. Rather, they are
a source of pride in Aggieland. If
their audience makes the unfortu
nate mistake of thinking they are
Corps members, so be it. Hopefully,
most cadets are less irritated by such
a small matter.
Rhodes Murphey
Class of ’96
Fame, fortune buy
freedom in courts
In the wake of controversial court
proceedings such as the O.J. Simpson
double-murder trial and his subsequent
acquittal, many have begun to question
the sanctity of the U.S. criminal justice
system, charging it with having an elit
ist slant. In such a system, it seems as
fame ancj/or fortune has the potential to
balance the scales of justice in its favor.
This line of thinking was reinforced
with the recent gift of a plea bargain of
fered and taken by Cowboy wide receiv
er Michael Irvin earlier this week.
Somehow, the outspoken All-F*ro went
from facing a 20-year jail term to a plea
of no-contest, which carried with it a
relatively minuscule fine, some commu
nity service and in all likelihood no
NFL reprimands. Staunch Cowboy fans
may blindly cheer the plea and its vir
tual assurance that their play maker
won’t be forced to take an extended
leave of absence from the game.
However, this myopic view fails to
address the reality that such outcomes
are fostering a new brand of untouch
ables in which culpability is directly
aligned with socioeconomic status. Few
will argue that such a trend in the
courts left unguarded has the potential
to erode the most fundamental of demo
cratic ideals: equality. Time will only
tell if Irvin was sincere when he ex
pressed his regrets and vowed to be a
better husband and father. For his sake,
the next time he talks about “Coke,” it
better be of the carbonated variety.
Todd Friant
Class of ’99
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JEREMY
VALDEZ
Columnist
M aybe Keanu
Reeves
should be
the country’s next
energy secretary.
After all, in the
upcoming film
Chain Reaction, he
plays a young re
searcher who finds a
way to generate en
ergy from a cold-fu
sion process.
Keanu would know
that we may be left in the dark if we
can’t develop a better energy policy.
The alternative energy cause has
been ignored largely because of its
major proponents. Environmental ac
tivists have sought increased support
for alternative energy research for
more than 30 years.
Ever notice that for every tree-hug
ger, there are three rich guys with
saws? While naturalists continue to
attack the fossil-fuel industry as a
danger to the planet, their foes — who
usually enjoy deeper pockets and more
political power — contend that the
ecosystem isn’t in such dire straits.
Another reason alternative fuels
research has stalled is the scientific
community has reached no consensus
concerning the longevity of fossil-fuel
reserves.
But whether or not the sky is
falling (or filling with greenhouse gas
es), the search for new energy sources
is a necessary and prudent activity.
In 1991, our nation experienced
the consequences of being dependent
on foreign lands for our energy
sources. As our armed forces depart
ed to fight in the Gulf War, protest
ers waved picket signs demanding we
spend “no more blood for oil.”
The protesters, although well-
meaning, overlooked the fact that
Americans rely upon a constant and
steady supply of energy. The nation’s
hospitals, economic centers and
methods of food distribution are use
less without the juice that runs
them. Now more than ever, there are
few things worth fighting for more
than energy resources.
And looking ahead, the incontro
vertible truth is sooner or later we
will need new sources of energy.
The prospect of another industrial
nation developing an alternate ener
gy source is not reassuring. The
United States cannot afford to fall
behind in the race for a new energy
wellspring. Our current position of
dependence on foreign oil shouldn’t
be traded for a future reliance on for
eign technology.
Beyond the perils of economic de
pendence, the use of fossil fuels for
energy generation is an inefficient
consumption of a valuable resource.
Oil and coal are feed stocks from
which scientists and engineers man
ufacture plastics and other important
materials and specialty chemicals.
Fossil fuel derivatives are essen
tial to agriculture, pharmaceuticals,
food processing and many other in
dustries. Simply stated, oil and coal
are too valuable to bum.
Finally, a certain amount of cre
dence must be given to the admonitions
of environmentalists. By introducing an
unnatural amount of combustion gases
to our atmosphere on a continual basis,
we are conducting a dangerous environ
mental experiment where we ourselves
are the guinea pigs.
The pursuit of new energy sources
is a scientific undertaking that
should interest the government as
much as the Apollo project did in the
1960s. Currently, the government
conducts its own research in alterna
tive fuels as well as funding efforts at
universities across the country. But
this groundbreaking project still has
not received sufficient funding.
The federal government spends
over $5 billion annually on energy
programs. According to Dr. Mark
Holtzapple, a professor of chemical
engineering, only about $250 million
is spent each year on renewable ener
gy research.
In terms of total per capita expen
diture, the federal government
spends approximately $6,000 each
year for every man, woman and child
in the United States. About one dol
lar of that wad goes to alternative
energy research.
There are several ways to improve
our present energy situation. One of
the most developed, albeit controver
sial, solutions is to renew interest in
nuclear fission energy. Current reac
tor technology makes nuclear energy
a viable power source in search of a
good waste-disposal mechanism.
Certainly, the development of fu
sion power generation would be a dis
covery comparable to finding the
Holy Grail, and recent breakthroughs
suggest that fusion technology may
be within reach. The promise of
clean, abundant energy in concert
with the current spirit of scientific
optimism should encourage policy
makers to loosen the research and
development purse strings.
But if the need for alternative ener
gy research is so great and prudent re
gardless of our assessment of our eco
logical health, why hasn’t the nation’s
energy industry pursued it with
greater vigor? Why should we continue
to import 25 percent of our energy
from foreign countries? It seems that
our energy producers benefit financial
ly from a certain amount of inertia.
Unfortunately, neither our energy
needs nor global politics seem willing
to oblige.
Jeremy Valdez is a Class of ’96
chemical engineering major
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.
Editorials Board
Stacy Stanton
Editor in Chief
Dave Winder
Managing Editor
Jason Brown
Opinion Editor
David Taylor
City Editor
Ghastly Guano
Physical Plant is trying its best to mitigate
the matter of the monstrous mess.
In enduring the summer heat on
campus, many students are worried
about smelling like sweat. However,
two odors put perspiration to
shame: birds and their by-products.
Although deodorant can remedy
sweat, there isn’t much that can be
done about the stench from the sky.
Like Tippi Hedren’s character in
the Alfred Hithcock classic, A&M
attracts birds by the thousands. The
warm climate and many trees on
campus draw grackles and other
birds year-round.
Currently, Ross Street near the
Chemistry and Halbouty Buildings
is an especially dangerous war-zone.
Pedestrians must avoid guano
bombs from the sky, in addition to
coping with a stench as potent as
nerve gas.
For its part, Physical Plant is do
ing what it can to minimize the
problem. Workers are hosing down
the streets and sidewalks to keep
the area reasonably clean. To re
duce the on-campus bird population,
Physical Plant is trimming the
trees, airing tape recordings of dis
tress calls, and setting off bird-scare
cannons. It is also placing colorful
balloons in the trees to scare the
birds away.
Even though it may seem like
Physical Plant is not doing enough
to combat the birds, it is actually
doing an admirable job. The only
other things Physical Plant can do
are cut down the trees (an extreme
measure) and kill all the birds (an
increasingly appealing, albeit inhu
mane, option).
Furthermore, Physical Plant em
ployees have been working tireless
ly on an utterly unpleasant assign
ment. As passers-by scurry across
Ross Street, Physical Plant employ
ees toil in the oppressive heat and
disgusting odor to improve the envi
ronment any way they can. Obvi
ously, if there were a permanent so
lution, these people would have the
incentive implement it.
So those who can’t bear the smell
have two choices: avoid the area or
hold their breath.