September!
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The Battalion
Page 13
Wednesday • September 18, 1996
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utting heads with Marlboro Man
olumnist
|lhe tobacco industry is coughing and
hacking its way into courtrooms across
the country as the lawsuits pile up.
astweek New Jersey filed suit, contending
the industry owed the state $1.1 billion to
smoking related illnesses. The New Jer-
uit is one of more than 23 lawsuits pend
ing in various state and
federal courts.
What does all this legal
activity mean? Why
should the tobacco indus
try pay for the bad judg
ment of millions of Amer
ican smokers who should
know the risks involved?
The answer lies in the
question: Smokers
should know the risks in
volved, but tobacco com
panies have made a habit
of suppressing reports
denying accusations that may reduce the
Dpularity of cigarettes. The tobacco industry
A 'KEftACEhSMT '
is fouuD For the:
tm...
atrick Smiley
Sophomore
zoology major
tmake amends for its exploitation of all
would includeBericans, and the only way that can occur
ivn-hall style se- irough reparations and apologies.
ladly, the industry shows little remorse for
deaths of millions of smokers, and tobacco
i on Oct. 13.
te on Oct. 9 bet
and GOP vicep: ipanies spend most of their time denying
np
•eting, Dole’s lea!
South Carolina!
lie two sides wei
ing
wrongdoing.
^addition, tobacco companies used adver-
igto take advantage of impressionable chil
li. Many ads caught children’s attention
ti images of sexy young women and manly
Wednesday mom mgmen with Marlboros hanging precari-
;il coordinator oil ilyfrom their lips. 1988 marked the largest
rease in adolescent smoking. And, not by co-
idence, it also marked the birth of Joe Camel.
Impressionable young minds instantly rec-
lized Joe, often seen with a leather jacket
la large-breasted female draped on one
n, as the definition of cool. It seems rather
dthat a smoking desert beast with a habit of
itting could ever find such a woman.
[ Not to mention the fact that women rep-
ted the commisi
;e decision that
is and Democrat
tem.”
.■dieted thatdecii
I trigger a back!
ing Perot’s exclusi
Americans in ptl
ir his inclusion. ■
,hat we’re seek# ente “ ' n suc ^ a manner reduce real
at we’re seeking.'f 01611 n 161 " 6 sex objects in the minds of
i Party wouldft.® un 8* lormona ^ males. But it was suppos-
Court in W
nd its individuJ
objective crit
he debates. E-J
such suitasAtk
lly cool just the same.
I So advertising makes the little fish nibble,
but what sets the hook? That was the question
on the tobacco companies’ collective minds
when they began their studies in the ’50s.
What did they discover? Hmmm, there
seems to be some indication they began
putting more nicotine into cigarettes after their
studies were complete.
Essentially, all a cigarette does is supply the
junkie with a fix of nicotine, which acts as a
stimulant in small doses and a narcotic in large
doses. Cigarette companies have known this for
decades and utilized this knowledge by keeping
nicotine levels artificially high, at the expense of
the general welfare of the nation.
Given the fact that smoking is a proven con
tributor to mouth, lung and throat cancer, em
physema, birth defects and yellow fingernails, it
would make sense that the tobacco industry
should be subject to strict government regula
tions and scrutiny.
Comparably, the government plays a miser
ably small role in the industry. Sin taxes and tiny
Surgeon General’s warnings do little to deter any
smoker or crooked tpbacco company.
Let’s whip out the oj’ campaign contribution
list and see what’s happening. In the first half of
1996, Republicans and Democrats accepted
nearly $2 million from the industry’s lobbying
arm. Could the government be so greedy, so
for-sale? You bet, especially when the billion-
dollar industry in question is one of the most
powerful lobbying forces in the nation.
Granted, all other industries lobby Con
gress, but what other industry’s sole concern
is the slow death of humanity for a profit?
Firearms? Alcohol? They can all justify their
existence, be it for protection, recreation or
making borracho beans. Tobacco cannot
justify itself for the love of money.
Why not argue for the legalization of heroin?
At least it kills its victims in a timely manner.
Still, is the tobacco industry liable for all the
deaths it has caused? The answer is a re
sounding “yes.”
After 50 years of cover-ups, kickbacks and
early graves, it is time the industry owned up to
something, rather than putting the blame on
the millions of people it has manipulated.
Learning to accept responsibility is part of
growing up, but the tobacco industry is in a po
sition where it cannot do so without destroying
itself. Would that be so bad?
Napping college away
N apping is seri
ous business
around here.
Since I live off cam
pus now, my days of
running back to the
dorm for a quick catnap
are gone. At first, this
nap deprivation took
some getting used to.
However, as I gradu
ally and resentfully ad
justed, I began to think
about the situation care
fully. Why, exactly, is napping so
important? After much thought, I
am convinced that, like most oth
er unhealthy habits, napping has
become (gasp)... an obsession for
many college students.
First, napping almost always
leads to guilt. Case in point: Re
member the time you jolted
awake in your bed, only to find to
your chagrin that you missed a
class you had already napped
through earlier in the week? If so,
you can recall the agony and the
sinking feeling in the pit of your
stomach as you hurriedly flipped
through your phone book in
search of a classmate’s number.
Furthermore, I am convinced
that napping is an obsession be
cause people lie about it so much.
Try a little experiment: Call
your friends in the early after
noon and see how many answer
the phone sounding extremely
muffled. Ask him or her, “Hey,
what’s up? Are you asleep?” and
I promise the answer will be
“No!” Or, if they possess an
inkling of honesty: “No, I was
just lying down.”
Yeah, lying down asleep!
Obviously, action needs to be
taken. Do not despair — if you
are a habitual napper, there is
help out there.
The cycle can be broken, but
Columnist
Aja Henderson
Senior political
science major
the first step is admit
ting there’s a problem.
You are a dysfunc
tional napper if you
show the following
symptoms:
1. You schedule
your classes with gaps
between for the exclu
sive purpose of being
able to nap.
2. You schedule
your life around the
nap — that is, you
actually pencil in the word
“nap” in your day planner.
3. You think you cannot func
tion without your daily nap and
will stop a productive activity,
such as studying, to do so.
4. You nap whether you’re
tired or not
5. You fantasize about your
next nap in class.
6. You are grumpy when you
don’t nap, much like the chain
smoker without his lighter or the
alcoholic without his bottle.
Getting a little shut-eye is al
right — in moderation.
However, as the thrill of
class and buying books steadily
wears off, we need to stand up
in true Aggieness and nip this
napping problem in the bud.
Just think of all the great
things our student body could
accomplish if napping was
brought under control.
More students would be in
class learning, or just hanging
out with friends and smelling
the roses.
College is supposed to be the
best time of our lives. Napping
cuts that time short.
So, let us unite and lick this
nasty habit. After all, we will have
all the time to nap in the world
when we are d,ead. And we haven’t
bit the dust yet!
Mail
rest you
: eeling forced into Armed Forces
510
JV
l im high, be all
I a you can be, and
V.go full speed
pad so you can be
;e of a few good
n, Just make sure
are doing it for the
ht reasons.
Throughout my
Idhood, my parents
Ight me’that it was
I duty to serve my
Jntry.
My head was shaved
t buzz haircut and I
re camouflage around the back
'd as I killed the imaginary ene-
with my toy guns.
Iln church, the pastor taught
(that before starting our lives,
us men had the obligation to
the armed forces.
When I first came to Texas
iM and joined the Corps of
dets, I was motivated to be a
irine. I had a few friends who
re in the Marine Corps and I
vhow proud they were. I was
e of what I wanted to do with
'life — I was going to be a
tine Corps Aviator.
But after my freshman year, I
;an to question whether or not
it path was the right one for me.
No, it wasn’t because of all
frustrating hardships I had
dured as a freshman — I
ew that being an officer in
J military was going to be
tch different than being a fish
the Corps. My uncertainty
s a little deeper.
I began watching and remem-
ingwhat had gone on in the
Columnist
David Boldt
Senior marketing and
management major
world in the past few
years. Pictures went
through my head of an
American soldier’s body
being dragged through
the streets of Mo
gadishu, Somalia and
thousands of men and
women leaving their
families to go off to war
in the Middle East.
I wasn’t afraid of dy
ing. If it’s my time to die,
I am going to die no
matter what I am doing.
My concern had to do with the
reason those who died pointless
deaths joined the military.
When these courageous men
and women join the U.S. Armed
Forces, they take an oath to pro
tect the freedom of Americans.
Before the Soviet Union fell as
a world power in 1989, soldiers
at least had the possibility of de
fending the United States.
Countries who possess nu
clear power know the United
States has more nuclear war
heads than they do.
They wouldn’t be stupid
enough to fire their nuclear mis
siles on us.
To some, the absurd atrocity
of the Vietnam war had the pur
pose of stopping communism
from spreading.
In Desert Storm, these fine men
and women were protecting the
U. S. economy by defending the oil
rich land of Kuwait.
But sending soldiers to places
like Somalia, Bosnia and the most
recent campaign in Iraq, to die for
people who do nothing to benefit
the United States is useless.
Why should I be obligated to
kill and possibly die for some
one in some other country who
simply whines to Clinton for
help? Supplies, medical care and
economic assistance — yes.
American lives — no.
We are all lucky to live in a time
when the threat of an attack on
U. S. soil is slim to nonexistent.
Thanks to the brave men and
women who have served through
out history, we are pretty darn safe.
However, the need for a
strong military is still alive and
the U.S. Armed Forces offers
great opportunities to all who
choose that path.
But since the threat of an at
tack is no longer eminent, the
obligation for all men to serve
no longer exists.
One can serve the American
people just as well by making
money in the business world and
investing it or giving it to charity.
Fortunately, like my father
before me, my choice was lifted
by physical problems.
But there are many men and
women on this campus whose
parents have ingrained the obliga
tion to serve.
These are not just cadets, but
just about anyone with ultra-con
servative parents.
Join if you want to learn lead
ership and respect. Join if you
want to fly jets. Join if you want to
travel the world at the expense of
the government. But don’t join
out of sheer obligation.
Judge Tupac with
greater knowledge
Losing Tupac is a tragedy that I
still cannot find the words for.
I hate it that yet another
black man is dead for no reason.
I hate it even more that the na
tion he lived and died in is filled
with people who think they can
look at his life, judge his actions,
weigh his worth and find him
wanting. I hate that we have a
nation full of people living in
glass houses trying to throw
boulders at his life and insisting
that we, as fans, are wrong for
being hurt, wrong for grieving
and wrong for loving Tupac.
If you are wondering who will
weep for Tupac, then you need
look no further, because that is my
brother who died in Las Vegas.
Maybe if some of you boulder
throwers would listen to his lyrics
you would discover that he was
your brother, too.
Nature Sargent
Class of’96
Biased media errs
in criticism of Tupac
I’m really tired of the media
and others criticizing Tupac
Shakur. First of all, Tupac was not
a gangsta nor did he rap about
gang banging.
From the release of his debut
album, “2Pacalypse Now”, the
media has only portrayed nega
tive images of Shakur. What about
2Pac’s positive songs such as
“Dear Mama,” “Can U Get Away,”
“Life Goes On” and several others?
Despite some troubles he might
have had with the law and his
lyrics, Tupac was the victim.
Someone took the life of a
very talented person who had
much to offer the music indus
try. The media doesn’t discuss
the sins of its other victims or
blame them for their own
deaths. Why is Tupac different?
If I didn’t know any better,
watching MTV and CNN would
give me the idea that Tupac was
just another angry young black
man who got what he deserved.
They conveniently left out the
clips of Shakur’s smile and playful
disposition. We only saw what the
media wanted us to see, such as
2Pac leaving a courtroom.
Mason Jackson obviously did
n’t do any research nor is he
knowledgeable about rap.
Kensley R. Alexander
Class of’98
Mice needed for
accurate research
I sympathize with Jon Apgar’s
feelings about animal testing;
However,he seems to have little
understanding about how animal
research is actually done.
Drugs with clinical promise
must first go through animal test
ing against three different species.
The purpose is to eliminate errors
that might occur by initially choos
ing a species whose reaction to a
drug might not parallel our own.
Once the drug has cleared an
imal tests, it enters clinical trial
in humans, which consists of
very specific phases. The first
determines toxicity in humans
and is guided by the LD50 data
Apgar is so quick to condemn.
The reason is very simple — you
don’t want the first injection of a
drug to be the last injection of
the patient’s life.
Tests such as the Draize eye
test, although certainly on shaky
ethical grounds, are important, in
particular for the cosmetics in
dustry. What other method is
there to determine whether or not
a new mascara causes blindness?
Apgar also suggests using post
mortem studies to test drug effica
cies. What does he think animal
testing is? Would he rather kill ten
or twenty human patients before a
doctor figures out how to handle a
new drug? Does anyone want their
parents, children or spouse to be
the first guinea pig?
A medicine, thought to be an
excellent supplement for offset
ting side effects of chemotherapy,
was used in a hospital without
any animal testing. All of the pa
tients died within days.
I will certainly be among the first
to cheer when animal testing is no
longer necessary. At this time, how
ever, the only way to determine
what a medicine will do in a body is
to put it in a body. If the choice is
between a mouse and my sister, I “
sadly choose the mouse.
Robert T Crow-
Chemistry professor j
Liberal martians :
invade on mission :
About midnight, I was walking
near the MSC when a small space
craft came down and began to hov-.
er just over Rudder Fountain.
I crouched in fear as a door- *
way to the craft opened and two *
dozen little green men ran to the
nearby bulletin boards and start
ed ripping down fliers seemingly
without discretion, but I soon re
alized their purpose. They were
destroying College Republican
fliers with extreme malice.
Then I noticed it, printed on the
side of their ship, our smiling presi
dent’s face and the words “Martians
for Clinton” printed beneath it.
I gasped at the sight of such a
nefarious attack on free speech. My
broken silence was enough to draw
the attention of the aliens who
then captured me and forced me
onto their ship along with thou
sands of CR fliers.
I was forced to watch hours
of programs perpetrated by the
“liberal news media” and made ^
to join organizations like PETA
and Green Peace.
I would have been doomed to a
life of bleeding heart sentimentality
if not for the courageous efforts of ,
the College Republicans. With re
doubled efforts, they replaced every
old flier with two new ones that
snapped me back to the “real world”!
of hard-nosed conservatism.
I was saved by the College Re- •
publicans, but be careful, the
“liberal extremists” will surely
return tonight.
Jeremy Grohikey
Class of’99
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