September 28
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|s not easy being a homemaker. At best,
lomemaking and child-rearing strengthen
ie virtues of tolerance and patience, pro
vide a wealth of satisfac
tion, and hone the skills
of psychology, medicine
and management.
At worst, their duties
can seem belittling, un
rewarding, almost de
humanizing.
Americans should
counter the negative as
pects of homemaking by
enhancing its status
among other forms of
work. Luckily, Canada is
providing a prototype,
ast fall, The Canadian Alliance for Home
H.L Baxter
enior geography
major
Debbie Viliam ^gers accomplished this by having the
upation of homemaker included in Cana-
census.
he United States should follow suit, con-
iring how Americans — often criticized for
hypocrisy— throw around the catchall
nily values” like waste paper.
Canada’s reaction to the demands ofThe
ance was more a symbolic gesture than
thing else. It espoused the belief that
nemakers (particularly housewives) were
as important as anyone else in the labor
:eand deserved the respect of the work-
public.
iuchis not the case in the States. Since the
.America’s working women placed
isewives on the same echelon as the family
Working women criticize housewives for
teaming their own living and for entrust-
their welfare to their husbands.
The patronizing attitude of working
men toward housewives is the smoking
nthatshot the feminist movement in its
it. Belittling women at home progresses to
littlingthem in the workplace, as Marilyn
rdner reported in the Oct. 26, 1995 issue of
eChristian Science Monitor.
Working women contribute to this depre-
tion by establishing a hierarchy among all
men. Categorizing one group of women as
superior to another did not help feminism,
and feminist groups still pay for this mistake.
For men, the faulty logic follows that
women in the work force are unimportant be
cause their true place is in the home, an eco
nomically unimportant place.
To combat this sentiment, The Alliance
took a brilliant and proud step-up from the
doghouse.
And the ramifications are vast.
For instance, homemaking, like any other oc
cupation, could provide pensions, health insur
ance and tax breaks.
Gardner even suggests that homemaking can
also be added to economic indicators like the
gross national product.
However, since homemakers don’t “pro
duce” anything tangible, Americans have
downplayed their importance.
As a result of this attitude toward home
makers, Americans have reduced “family
values,” the ideal we tote and promote so
highly, to a disgusting joke.
There’s no point in talking about family
values when we refuse to value the
thoughts and feelings of the individual —
the housewife.
Simple love of homemaking and child-
rearing is enough for some.
But other homemakers often feel pretty
damned unappreciated, complaining of loss
of identity, a voice or worth. To compensate,
the wife goes to work, and the ideal of the
model family goes out the window right along
with family values.
Promoting homemaking to an occupation
and bestowing upon it the benefits and sta
tuses of other careers will give these women
identity, a voice and worth. It is essential if
“family values” is to be taken seriously.
Otherwise, the uncaring, unrewarding, de
humanizing aspects of homemaking will
Page 11
Friday • September 20, 1996
The Battalion
Editorials Board
Established in 1893
Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the
views of the editorials board members. They do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of other Bat
talion 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.
Michael Landauer
Editor in Chief
Amy Collier
Executive Editor
Gretchen Perrenot
Executive Editor
Heather Pace
Opinion Editor
Busing Breakdown
The University should make
improvements in its bus system
Drivers and passengers might
agree that the bus system is back
on schedule, but this isn’t saying
much. Every year, students com
plain about the inefficient on-
campus busing system. And
every year the administration
fails to solve the problem.
It is time they resolve the bus
ing problem, instead of merely
addressing it.
The administration knows the
source of inefficiency.
Too many students see the
roads on campus as personal
drop-off sights for their friends
and roommates. The chauffeur-
ing system consists of cars
veering slightly into the bike
lanes and stopping mid-road.
Traffic cannot maneuver
around the stationary vehicles,
creating gridlock.
Once cars eventually ap
proach stop signs, the constant
flow of pedestrians prevents
them from moving any further.
However, none of this is news
to the administration.
The only new twist thrown
into the mixture is construction.
Now, on certain roads, those
who provide a personal shuttle
service have but one option of
where to stop.
These back-ups caused by
non-University motorists create
the inefficient on-campus bus
ing system.
The obvious solution is sim
ple and cheap: close campus to
all non-University vehicles, put
up a few signs, and let Parking
Traffic and Transportation em
ployees do something other than
ticket cars.
During regular business hours,
the signs should state the campus
is closed to outside vehicles. PTTS
can direct traffic and ticket viola
tors for the initial stages.
As a result, buses will run more
efficiently, over-crowding on bus
es will decrease because of faster
routes, and utilization of buses
will increase. As a bonus, pedes
trians need not fear the fleeing car
who has finally freed itself from
the hands of gridlock.
The administrators have talked
enough. It’s time they put their
money where their mouth is.
’lonnell said. “Bui
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ehner
y fellow Ameri
cans: The 1996
presidential race
isnotoffer a viable
ididate to believe in.
iob Dole is old and
tit of touch.
Bill Clinton is dis-
wiest and has
inched too much,
floss Perot is deranged
W has funny ears.
The United States of
erica deserves a
lerwho will stand strong in the
J of adversity and form wise de-
ons concerning the future of
'great nation.
Selected, my first act as your
Qmander in chief will be to
Jtect American jobs and pre-
|t further abuse of the U.S.
fere system.
is shall be done by halting all
igration into the United States,
typlan is to close all borders by
[ding a 30-foot high concrete
around the United States, in-
ing Alaska and Hawaii,
mmigrants will only harm
great land, and history
ves this.
M620, 102 Pilgrims set sail
Jhe Mayflower in hopes of
fling a better life across the
ntic. After suffering through
iserable winter, these immi-
[nts were saved by Native-
ericans who taught them to
mt, fish and live off the land.
Columnist
David Minor
Graduate student
This is exactly the
reason I want to close
off the borders.
The Native-Ameri-
cans were gracious
and caring. How did
the immigrants repay
their new friends? By
spreading diseases,
stealing their land
and banishing the In
dians to reservations
in the desert. If the
Indians would have
been a little more hostile in the
beginning, maybe the Euro
peans would have sailed home.
If that tragedy does not con
vince you, let me explain how
the Republic of Texas became
the 28th state.
After Mexico gained its inde
pendence in 1821, it was eager
to attract settlers to its northern
province. Moses Austin and 300
American immigrants accepted
the Mexican invitation and set
up camp in Texas.
When die United States saw
this mass movement, it quickly
sent Sam Houston to Texas on a
mission to declare Texas indepen
dence, and later, to allow the Unit
ed States to annex the territory.
This demonstrates what im
migrants do — they take and do
not offer anything to a gracious
country. This dilemma was re
peated by American immigrants
on the West Coast.
After seeing such a success in
Texas, the Americans set their
sights on California. Encourag
ing another American immi
grant revolt against Mexico, the
United States annexed the land
and paid the Mexican people
$15 million to avoid a war and
keep them quiet.
Just a few months later, oil
was discovered in Texas and
gold in California.
Think what Mexico could
have been today if it had not al
lowed American immigrants
onto Mexican land. It would be
one of the most powerful na
tions. These examples show why
the United States must close off
its borders.
Every time a country has tried
to be kind and allowed Ameri
can immigrants the opportunity
to settle on its land, those
thankless immigrants turn
around and steal the land for
their country.
If we continue to allow immi
grants to enter the United States,
how long will it be before these
foreigners steal our land and claim
it for their home countries?
Those who do not learn from
history’s lessons are destined to
repeat them.
I have learned the lesson.
I am dedicated to reviving the
good oT U. S. of A for Americans
and only Americans. God bless
you, and God bless America.
Accurate research
lacks real options
Regarding Jon Apgar’s Sept. 17
column, "Animal testing pro
duces errors.’’
As scientists who appreciate the
brilliant successes of medical re
search, we find Apgar’s opposition
to the use of animals in research
uninformed and irresponsible.
A partial list of diseases and
health problems conquered or
fought by means of research us
ing animals includes tuberculo
sis, smallpox, cholera, heart dis
ease, polio, epilepsy, diabetes,
yellow fever, drug and alcohol ad
diction, Alzheimer’s disease,
AIDS, sickle cell anemia and
many forms of cancer.
In the 1960s, only 4 percent of
children with acute lymphocytic
leukemia were cured. Today, be
cause of animal research, the cure
rate exceeds 70 percent.
Apgar argues that animal re
search is unnecessary because
there are alternatives. It is true
that researchers use a variety of
techniques, including cell and
tissue culture and computer
modeling, to get quicker results
at a lower cost.
Poor predictors of biological
activity in humans, these meth
ods can serve only as comple
ments to whole animal and sub
sequent clinical studies.
Fortunately, most Americans
disagree with Apgar. In a 1989
Gallup survey, 77 percent agreed
that the use of animals in re
search was necessary for
progress in medicine.
Among scientists and physi
cians, who are aware of how
much remains to be done, the fig
ure is 97 percent.
The Johns Hopkins Center for
Alternatives to Animal Testing is
managed by a team of scientists
whose purpose is funding re
search in an attempt to minimize
the number of animal subjects
used in biomedical studies. It
spends several million dollars
each year in an effort to find suit
able alternatives to animal use.
Despite the financial and man
power resources expended to date,
no acceptable alternative has been
developed that can reasonably
eliminate the use of animals.
Animal research remains criti
cal to solving many horrific hu
man and veterinary medical
problems. HIV and AIDS alone
will kill millions worldwide be
fore vaccines and effective treat
ments are found.
Atherosclerosis, cancer,
Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes
and dozens of other diseases still
condemn millions to bleak lives
or premature deaths.
Cody Wilson
Graduate Student
Accompanied by 12 signatures
Martians provide
intelligent insights
Regarding Jeremy Grohikey’s
Sept. 17 Mail Call, "Liberal Mar
tians.”
I was amused by Grohikey’s ac
count of the “martians” who visited
our campus ... very cute indeed.
I do agree that those who
make a habit of removing Col
lege Republican fliers should
find something better to do with
their time, even if these fliers do
sometimes seem a bit excessive.
The College Republicans has
every right to post as many fliers
as it wants.
The dedication of the College
Republicans is certainly admirable.
As Nov. 5 draws closer, there will be
more of the same.
There will be more fliers.
There will be more ludicrous
generalizations about people
who hold differing views.
It seems that anyone who dis
agrees with the College Republi
cans is a “liberal extremist” or even
a “liberal martian extremist!”
There will be more crying
about the family values they
supposedly adhere to — all in a
vain attempt to win votes for
poor, old, floundering Bob Dole.
It certainly is beginning to
seem like a lost cause.
Perhaps the Republican party
should focus its efforts on a
more viable goal, like retaining
some of the Congressional seats
they’ve recently acquired.
However, there was an implic
it compliment in Grohikey’s let
ter, even though I’m not sure he
realized it.
Suppose for a moment that
there does exist a civilization so ad
vanced that it is able to travel the
Universe and visit other worlds.
Is it not logical to assume
that such a civilization would
have equally advanced political
ideologies?
Grohikey’s assumption that
martians would favor President
Clinton is a good one.
Jason Longoria
Class of’99
Actions of rap star
speak loud & clear
Regarding Mason’s Jackson’s
Sept. 11 column, "Gangsta’s par
adise lost.”
It seems that in today’s society,
everyone is claiming to be a victim.
But, please—Thpac Shakur pur
posefully and repeatedly lived a vi
olent lifestyle. So does that make
him a victim? Only if a person can
be victimized by the lifestyle that he
or she chooses to live.
Nature and Kensley comment
ed on how the media judged him
based on facts (indictments, ar
rests, and other violent incidents
he was linked to).
It seems clear to me that the
most reliable way to judge peo
ple is by their actions, not their
alluring smiles or a few well-
meant lyrics they wrote (actions
do speak louder than words).
There is one comment Nature
made that I do, however, partial
ly agree with: It is sad that peo
ple have to die on account of vi
olent acts (whether they be
black, white, male or female).
Nonetheless, Shakur sought
after a tough-guy image. His ac
tions and words unmistakably
backed that up.
Did the image he portrayed
speak for his true character? Who
knows? But if it was a tough-guy
image he was after, congratulations
Shakur, looks like you found it.
Benny Hauk
Class of’00
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