iday • October 7,1
eep
ado andOSI
, v The Battalion
viaaoooMoaoooofc ^.mnnonnnn.inKmmwi ^
l PPI VIO N
;t , X 1 JL \JP JL 1
Page 9
Monday • October 7, 1996
gainst OSU beforeji
Diana Rowe convent
ss from freshman«
e Pinkerton to givi
0 lead at the half,
ond half got offtoa
e senior forwardlii
red her second goali
nd. To seal thevict®
ates later seniordeisi
linson scored theAp
■as a good
ntgegrate someofoj
ilayers into our
Head CoacliC
said. “I thoughtti
id a good joboflet)
noving, especially Hi
ia (Castillejos)at
Davidson),
ers did a
hind the defense,
d have liked to seet
’oals in the
Irabs, not Israel, should pick up the slack
lichael Heinroth
aching certification
student
was pleased to seet
i many chances,
is ted a season-hii
es
the season.
icy travel to Normal
4 p.m. today.
ennis
strong
nee again, the “land of milk
and honey” has been
doused with blood. Vio-
ce broke out in Palestinian sec-
s of Israel after an archeological
tunnel near
MAf&vu&s
PBCCfiP m/J&W
wwvv, benjen .aWnwjul^
Columnist
1
an Islamic
holy site in
Jerusalem
was re
opened last
week.
Palestin
ian leader
Yasser
Arafat used
the decision
by the Is
raeli gov-
ernment as
excuse to renew hostilities,
ckswere thrown, and gunfire
exchanged. By week’s end, at
ist70 Israelis and Palestinians
dead in the streets.
Israel should take note of Arafat’s
jgeous act and redirect the
11 corner kicks™ of any further peace negoti-
SU to four andthiig msTtisthe Arab states, not Is-
y. Freshman goalte- j^at should provide a home-
Wilson started fonli dfor the landless Palestinians,
ght time and postti sjews waited too long for the re
fer her third soli nfortheir own homeland to
tch it dismantled through mis-
;ies will have little sided diplomatic efforts.
The Battalion
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.
Editorials Board
Michael Landauer
Editor in Chief
Amy Collier
Executive Editor
Gretchen Perrenot
Executive Editor
Heather Pace
Opinion Editor
Deserving decision
Former regent Ross Margraves
deserves Friday’s guilty verdict.
Modem Israel’s short history is
face the Oklahoii eofacontinual struggle for exis-
ice. Since the rededication of the
dsh homeland in 1948, open
iity has continually emanated
mthe surrounding Arab states.
After a prolonged and bloody
efadah (holy war) conducted
the Palestinian Liberation Or-
lization, Israel was partitioned
aconcession in the name of
ace. It was an unjust reward for
s of terrorism wrought by
[aland the PLO.
Arafat, whose hands were still
Ipingwith blood, became the
istofthe town. He was invited
the White House by President
n to sign the peace agree-
and shared the Nobel
iswith the late Israeli Prime
Minister Rabin.
The terrorist returned to Wash
ington, D.C., late last week to nego
tiate an end to the recent violence.
The meetings were unproductive,
but before leaving, Arafat turned
and saluted the President. Without
hesitation, Clinton returned the
gesture. Courteous diplomacy is
one matter, Mr. President — salut
ing a terrorist is another.
Parallel to this outrageous
episode involving the President are
the fatally flawed assumptions by
which peace agreements are for
mulated in the violent region.
Why must Israel relinquish its
own territories to serve as the
sacrificial lamb? The Jewish state’s
internal security should not be
undermined and its future put in
jeopardy to appease the desires of
Islamic fundamentalists.
It is no secret that neighboring
Arab states, namely Jordan and
Syria, sponsored much of the ter
rorism conducted by the PLO.
Should these countries not bear
the burden of creating a new Pales
tinian state for their Arab brothers?
The answer is simple: yes.
Syria’s King Assad and Jordan’s
King Hussein both have enough
money to construct a Palestinian
homeland within their own bor
ders with vast revenues from oil
exports. In addition, they reign
over countless square miles of
sparsely populated land just east
of Israel’s crowded settlements.
This much more feasible sce
nario was never proposed by the
Arab states, though. By leaving the
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and
the West Bank, Assad and Hussein
have much more to gain — a
weakened and destabilized Israel.
Like so many others, I was
convinced a final peace between
Jews and Arabs would be
achieved through Palestinian au
tonomy within Israel’s borders.
But it has become clear that
the Palestinians and Arab states
are using these partitions as a
means to erode Israel’s continued
existence. When Arafat is not sit
ting at a negotiation table, he
readily admits to this fact.
Israeli Prime Minister Ben
jamin Netanyahu must continue
his hard line with Arafat, but
should be more careful not to pro
vide the terrorist with excuses for
throwing stones. Millions of lives
are at stake. And an atmosphere of
civility must be maintained as a
new (Arab) solution to the Pales
tinian problem is devised.
But as the dove that descend
ed upon the region is strangled
by the current misguided efforts
and as the olive branches wither,
the mirage of peace in the Mid
dle East fades away.
Justice has been served, al
though former regent Ross Mar
graves would beg to differ.
Margraves was convicted Fri
day for abusing the use of Texas
A&M’s airplane.
Although he claimed he used
the University’s plane to discuss
a possible merger with the
Southeastern Conference, he ac
tually visited Louisiana to see his
son graduate from Louisiana
State University. The cost of his
trip to taxpayers was $1,435.
Placed on four months proba
tion, Margraves faces the loss of
his law license and plans to ap
peal his conviction.
How Margraves could possibly
hope to continue practicing law in
the face of his blatant abuse of the
law, though, is a question that is
simply unanswerable.
After hearing the verdict,
Margraves was shocked by the
decision. Many of his closest
friends joined him in refusing
to believe his guilt, even in the
face of evidence giving ir
refutable proof of his guilt.
Margraves should own up to his
actions, taking full responsibility
for what is entirely his own doing.
He should consider himself
fortunate to have escaped with
such a light sentence, considering
that he could have served up to
continues to miss the mark
o matter how advanced your re
mote control, only a certain level
of happiness can be reached by
mging channels.
ndwhen the reason for changing the
faster than Clinton changes his
(tform is because of offensive storylines,
fers should utilize another modern
erican invention — the telephone —
Angkriwan, the Batou® let local stations know that they de
ity Dingwall reP nd a higher level of quality.
fhe debate over how far we should allow
vision to go is not a new one. For years
iplehave been complaining about the in-
asing trash factor of American television
Columnist
<hand against the
of Alabama Sept,
ingwall took the 11$
indy Reid andl
consolation cr» ^ an( j f or y ears the producers have been re-
over^the Tenneflf mding with the same three excuses: we’re just de-
ting what’s going on in the real world, we show
at gets the best ratings and society should be open-
ided and learn about other lifestyles,
he producers, of course, fail to recognize that
na Kocergrin and It 1 ivision plays a large role in the perceptions we
-0 to take home 1 ' 1 m about the world around us. Although many
wers are mature enough to handle the morally-
stionable situations portrayed, access to these
;rams is also available to younger viewers who
VI duo of
a San Miguel blank
n doubles
ght B.
ill compete nextai™ Pgi
:an Champions# ynothave the same level of discernment.
the Riveria
noN
3E!I
r 30 and
•ishable
>the
tallation!
0k
Jenni Howard
Senior economics
and international
studies major
But beyond the moral implications, the financial
1 philosophical excuses that have been given for
ng these programs just don’t stand up anymore,
fo claim that most television shows give us insight
)the“real world” implies that our own reality is vir-
land their conception is actual. They would prefer
onvince us that adulterous affairs occur on a weekly
is, homosexual couples are the norm and violent
labor is the only means of solving a conflict.
But if producers are so intent on presenting re-
i, then maybe they could work into their story-
sthe fact that a Gallup poll found 90 percent of
lericans pray and 40 percent attend church on a
tilar basis. Relying solely on what we see on TV,
ewouldn’t think this is the case.
Financial motives should lead producers to run
revalues-oriented programs, not more shows with
scandalous storylines.
The case used to be that the trashier
shows got the higher ratings due to the
“shock factor.” But ironically, this same
shock factor could encourage networks to
run shows or movies that were based more
on traditional values.
Americans really don’t care anymore
about the small segment of society that
happens to have slept with their daughter’s
boyfriend’s third cousin while being an im
perial wizard in the KKK. And they’re get
ting bored with teenage cheerleaders who
seduce their boyfriends and then ask them
to kill their parents.
People want producers to be nicer in their story
lines, and some are already listening. Consider some of
the recent shows that have become highly popular:
Touched by an Angel, Home Improvement and Dr.
Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Granted, some of these shows may not suit our
particular tastes, but their overriding success has
been based on the fact that they create suspense on
how values like faith or integrity will pull someone
through a situation, rather than how a flawlessly
beautiful teenager is going to keep secret her affair
with her best friend’s boyfriend.
As hard as it is to believe, clean shows are suc
cessful. Characters can be funny, interesting and
even deep without having to be drug addicts, sexu
ally promiscuous or criminally inclined.
And finally, the idea that some of the questionable
situations depicted on movies and sitcoms encourage
people to be more open-minded about issues is com
ing dangerously close to toeing the line of immorality.
As someone once said, “It pays to be open-
minded, but let’s not be so open-minded that our
brains fall out.”
Television can be a useful tool for education and
entertainment. But when it becomes difficult to find a
movie or sitcom that you can enjoy without having to
cringe five times before the first commercial break, it is
time not to turn the television off, but to turn on the
heat to those who are responsible for the offensiveness.
BANK
four years in prison for his crime.
Since first being scrutinized
for his abuse of the University
plane, Margraves has offered
jumbled explanations that have
never done much more than in
sult the intelligence of those he
sought to convince.
The senseless facts he offered
in a futile attempt to exonerate
himself are especially ironic as he
once again attempts to convince
the public of his innocence.
Margraves was concerned
only with clearing his own name,
even if meant dragging others
down with him.
The most important result of
Margrave’s conviction is the
message that corruption will no
longer be tolerated.
Hopefully, the day is gone when
the guilty can flee from their mis
takes without retribution.
The University’s current
Board of Regents and adminis
trators appear to have relegated
corruption to the past.
A shadow of doubt should not
be cast over the University for the
misguided actions of one man.
In the face of constantly ris
ing tuition and fees, it is a relief
to know that students will no
longer have to add the regents’
pleasure trips to their already
lengthy fee statements.
&I996 the KBcopp
www. . cctH/vtefyjiif*,
Flying on a wing and a prayer
Mail
Joshua Wilkinson
Class of’98
LEW
’an
attalion provides
esh voice for A&M
Regarding Patrick Smiley’s
it. 2 column, “Traditions tradi-
onally perpetuate stupidity’’:
The Battalion should be com-
lended for its consistent hiring of
en-minded columnists who are
brave enough to question the estab
lishment. Without these columnists,
The Battalion would simply be an
other college newspaper. Smiley’s
column is a perfect example of this.
Smiley courageously attacked some
traditions that should maybe be
viewed from a more critical angle.
After all, you can see what tradi
tions have done for lemmings.
The Battalion encourages letters to the
editor. Letters must be 300 words or fewer
and include the author’s name, class, and
phone number.
The opinion editor reserves the right to
edit letters for length, style, and accuracy.
Letters may be submitted in person at 013
Reed McDonald with a valid student ID. Let
ters may also be mailed to:
The Battalion - Mail Call
013 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843-1111
Campus Mail: 1111
Fax: (409) 845-2647
E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu
For more details on letter policy, please call
845-3313 and direct your question to the
opinion editor.
F ellow Americans: The recent flight
tragedies of ValuJet and TWA have
made it apparent that the entire air
line business needs to be reexamined.
All air transportation should be banned
in the United States if man cannot ensure
the safety of planes during flight.
If elected president, I will create an ex
ecutive order mandating ground trans
portation for all travel within the country.
The reasoning for this ban is simple —
man was not meant to fly.
Look at the animals that do fly: birds,
bats and insects. None of these has a
brain larger than a human thumb, so each can
only have a few thoughts.
Consider the life of a bird: Flap wings. Flap wings.
Flap wings. Stop. Eat. Eat. Eat. Flap wings. Flap wings.
Humans, on the other hand, have large brains
and overanalyze every situation.
If the human body were able to fly, the following
would occur. For the first two weeks, everything
would be cool. A girl invites a guy over for lunch. He
decides to fly there and on his way he spots some girls
laying out by a pool. Feeling macho, he flies over them
and does a loop-de-loop. The girls are impressed and
the guy thinks he is great.
But after awhile, the guy gets tired of just flying
around town and showing off.
He flies to the Dixie Chicken and hangs out
with his friends.
Since it is getting late, he chugs his beer and says
goodbye to his classmates. A girl yells at him, telling
him not to drink and fly.
Columnist
David Minor
Graduate.student
He does not listen and tells her he is
OK to fly. As he soars over campus, he
approaches the Oceanography & Meteo
rology building and attempts to make it
over the top. Not having the strength to
clear the tower, he clips a wing and
crashes to the ground. The next morning
as students go to class, the poor drunk
flyer is found dead on the ground.
This dramatization is only one of many
examples of what would happen if man
could fly.
The undying spirit and overanalytical
mind of man does not allow him to enjoy
the simple pleasures of life, such as gliding through the
air. Instead of enjoying the fruits of his labor, man con
sistently believes the grass is greener on the other side
of the fence, so he continues to search for a greater
rush of adrenaline by pushing the limits of what hu
mans are capable. If flying is not banned, man will con
tinue to abuse this privilege and destroy himself.
Every time man and flight mix, the consequence is
death. It does not matter if the situation is a commer
cial airplane flight or a man is flapping his own wings.
Plain and simple, man was not meant to fly.
That is why the United States needs a law that will
prohibit air travel within its national borders. We can
not prevent other countries from acting with such
reckless abandonment for human safety, but we can
save human lives of United States citizens.
Support the United States and the hope that we
can get this country back to where it was meant to be
— firmly on the ground.
God bless you and God bless America.