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4:00 p.m., Rudder 302
The Battalion
isappointing ballot demands write-in
Michael Heinroth
Teaching
certification student
bsolute disgust. That was the only
emotion 1 could muster as I stared at
.the manila-colored absentee ballot.
But being a conserv
ative, I was expected to
give my half-hearted
support to the Distin
guished Gentleman
from Kansas. And so I
loyally punched my
ballot for Dole.
But for two days,
the yellow envelope
that would carry my
ballot back to the
courthouse sat on my
desk as the feeling of
disgust grew, so I
ommitted a malicious act.
After slitting open the sealed envelope, I
;lued the punch-hole back over Dole’s place
m the ballot and voted my conscience by
rantically writing in my candidate of choice
- Patrick J. Buchanan.
“Outrageous!” you say. But this was a man
vho garnered 3 million votes during the pri-
naries by bringing Republicans, Democrats and
ndependents together.
And it was disclosed that, had Lamar
Alexander come in second place during the
iJew Hampshire primary instead of a close
bird, Dole would have dropped out of the
ace altogether (Buchanan won that bell-
veather primary, by the way.)
This frightened the “good ol’ boys” in
/Washington, so the Eastern Establishment
indertook a successful slur campaign to
design, the Internet and the WM
gn teams can collaborate. Virtual
smerging standard that will allowosj
idels using Netscape and other Kit
II show how to create VRML mode;!
used in architecture courses at
n take a virtual stroll in downtown
00 p.m., Rudder 308
Web
ou to Web sites specializing in ay
I will cover private, federal, and
IRL and kind of information found-
to all interested persons.
S:00 p.m., Rudder 302
wember 8th
trees on the Web
ou to Web sites specializing in so
on. It will cover both private
Physics as well as government
inergy. Handouts providing URL
ach site will be available. Opem:
DO a.m., Rudder 302
«. an easy-to-use system thafs
land enhance cost-effective carp:
00 a m.. Rudder 308
abling the Development olSe-
onments
gship electronic commerce prod-
lem—software that makes it poss-
ly and safely create virtual store
DO, Rudder 308
Intranet Web Technology Canlk
on
feb technology for communicator
ire the key components of estat-
ssues will be discussed such as Ipiscredit Buchanan as an extremist,
tgy and issues of data ownersrip they un j ustly dismisse d his COnserv-
ttive position on abortion. There is nothing
no, Rudder302 fxtreme about advocating morality in place
)f choice. The issue was just one in a series
ontent on the internet,theresno ised by Washington’s “Beltway Elites” to
m the Apple Macintosh. Leamto ] ra g down candidates who didn’t fit their
laterials and publish them onto ft 0
dio and even video can all bepre I pwn agendas while propelling puppet pohtl-
*ith some very simple to use iocs Ipians to the front of the primaries.
They portrayed Buchanan as a left-wing
adical because he stood up for the plight of
orkers while our government allowed jobs to
e exported to cheap Mexican labor markets,
f course, as long as some of the record-
reaking profits are spent on the lining of po-
itical pockets, nobody can complain, right?
The extremely popular Ronald Reagan
ince said, "A country that cannot defend its
velopers and creators that wanlt
ODs and move it to the Internet
I p.m., Rudder 308
lephony!
ance phone calls on the Internet
mg distance charges. Leant howl
i technology, as well as where it s
ccess
1 p.m., Rudder302
own borders isn’t really a country anymore.”
Yet, Buchanan was deemed a racist after offer
ing a final solution to the plight of southern
border states, whose budgets are increasingly
devoted to subsidizing illegal immigration. He
simply argued it was time to hire more guards
and to build more fences.
If that makes Buchanan a nationalist,
then call me one, too.
But we cannot continue to leave the back
door open; transnational corporations “that
show no loyalty to their workers, nor allegiance
to any country” are walking out with jobs as il
legal immigrants are flooding in. Quite simply,
there is nothing wrong with putting America —
and Americans — first, for once.
After being locked out of the Republican
convention, Buchanan argued that “we
have forgotten that, as a nation and a peo
ple, we are under God’s judgment. We have
forgotten that America is more than her
Gross National Product. She is our country
and our home ... and we have obligations
and duties to one another.”
He went on to tell of a mill town in Oregon
where a federal judge had suspended log
ging in 9 million acres of the surrounding
forest. After giving a speech in the mill town,
three little girls approached him and said,
“Mr. Buchanan, we wish we were 18 years
old so we could vote for you, ’cause all our
daddies are losing their jobs.”
Of course, I am fully aware that Buchanan
has no chance of winning tomorrow’s elec
tion. But I’d rather endorse a worthy candi
date than settle for the lesser of two evils.
So after stepping into that polling booth,
take a long look at the names on that disgust
ing ballot. Endorsing a credible third party or
writing in a candidate is a much stronger
statement to Washington’s “Beltway Elites”
than mindlessly voting for Clinton. And there
is no statute that mandates Republicans must
cast their ballots for Dole.
In die days of Chicago’s well-greased political
machines, cigar-chewing bosses used to say,
“Vote... and vote often.” I wouldn’t go that far, but
at least take the time to vote your conscience.
Page 11
Monday • November 4, 1996
Editorial
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
Voting Rights
Students should take advantage
of their polling privileges.
Students have heard a lot about
how important it is to “Rock the
Vote.” But in a political culture that
thrives on soundbites and slogans,
voters should reflect on what a
monumental moment in history a
presidential election can be.
Many students argue that voting
is futile. These are often the same
people who complain and whine
about America’s lack of leadership
and the fat cats who rule Washing
ton, D.C. Those who do not take the
time to try to change Washington
with a simple vote have no room to
decry increased taxes or funding
cuts in college loans.
Because the next president will
lead the United States into the 21st
century, it is absolutely necessary
that we realize our responsibility as
Americans to uphold the liberty we
treasure. The ramifications of the
next president’s decisions will have
more of an impact on our genera
tion than any other, especially as the
government prepares to deal with
such pressing issues as social securi
ty and welfare reform.
However, it is imperative that
American exercise their right to
vote to ensure that the precepts
of democracy are upheld. To be
gin dealing with the problems
the nation faces, it is essential
that students take a serious look
at the candidates.
There are many reasons why
people may choose one candi
date over another. Perhaps they
support that candidate’s political
party or believe that the candi
date can’t lose, so they might as
well jump on the bandwagon.
Parties may be a good gauge of
where a candidate stands on some
issues, but in a country with as
many diverse viewpoints as the
United States, no one party can
truly represent a voter’s interests
in every race on the ballot. Unfor
tunately, Texas allows straight-par
ty voting with one swift, easy
punch of a ballot, doing a disser
vice to the spirit of elections.
Although these people are ful
filling their duty of casting a vote,
they are selling short a system
that exists to give the people a
voice. And that voice should not
be wasted by selecting candidates
on such trivial matters as what
political party they support.
With such a monumental deci
sion set before the people, it is im
portant that votes be cast with a
great deal of thought. And after the
election is over, voters should start
paying attention to the newly cho
sen leaders to be able to educate
themselves for the next election.
It takes about five minutes to
punch a ballot, but the conse
quences of voting will last far be
yond the four years the next presi
dent spends in the Oval Office.
in Unbiased Petspeclive
on the Internet induing what to
rovider, how to pickthe right one,
I, and how to avoid the pits® trial
L
j, Myriad Corporation
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shing
w your organization can beneli
onically, why the Web is a sue-
ithe publishing process, the
in use Intranets to distribute irtt'
/our organization. Who should at
ig about using the Web todi#
externally. The traditional waysd
pared and contrasted with the
to creating and maintaining a
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/ou like to learn more about W
te basic steps required in ow«S
ivered will include: basics olais
immands to add/remove peoj*
rol volume, unwanted message!
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lance Learning Research!
> intended to be an exciting and
ion will provide an extensive on
cal capability involved in thede-
ucational substance and delivei
ortance. This means that the del
ore of the Center. The facilities^
ersity community for technologi
:ion, project assessment, facitlf
tings.
iter for Distance Learning Rt
.m., Center for Distance Lean
Park, off F.M.2818. CallSSl-
n Internet-based Conservatif
s
98.6 million revolving loan pm
e State Energy ConservationO 1
low-interest loans for energy
oublic buildings and schools in
cans in four years or less base:
ust 1996, LoanSTAR has save:
•liars by reducing the amount^
STAR program is the metering
ouildings to measure the saving:
ork includes Texas A&M Uni#
srsity of Texas at El Paso, Te#
i University.
• a brief overview of the
: how the Internet forms the day
Patience makes perfect society
A
L Li
. Architecture; W. Dan TurnU
Engineering Program; Davkff
Engineering; and Dennis
gineering.
t udder 308
merica may be
well on her way
to becoming the
world’s most efficient
lation. In today’s soci-
ty, it is possible to bank
tom home, have a lipo-
uctioned body in less
han three hours, and
op a pill for an im-
iroved personality.
But what Ameri-
ans have gained in
ime-management
kills, they have lost in
Columnist
Jenni Howard
Senior economics
and international
studies major
eof
to the nature of electronic put^
this format. Issues to be ad-
an and presentation of informt'
formats, and preservation.
»r further reading (print and el*
nterested persons.
m., Rudder 302
Using Windows NT Internet
le is becoming more and non
rmation Server (IIS), a prospef
FTP and Telnet into her exist
3 built-in Access Control List,
stallation and setup ol IIS set
dIS administrator.
ogy Services
-n., Rudder 301
heir level of patience with other
truggles and, more importantly,
ther people.
Technology, of course, has had
n overwhelmingly positive int
act on the American economy
tid the convenience of the aver-
ge citizen’s lifestyle.
If people don’t have time to
ake homemade bread, then a
nachine can do it for them. If
omeone can’t wait a few days to
end a friend a letter, he or she can
ise e-mail. And for lunch hour, at
tiany restaurants, customers are
(iven stopwatches so they can time
he delivery of their food, and if it is
n’t served in 15 minutes or less, they
;et lunch on the house.
However, this expectation of effi-
-iency and convenience has been
ipplied to too many aspects of our
ives. As a result, worthwhile en-
ieavors are often abandoned be
cause they take too long.
Many are guilty of
minor acts of impa
tience that are intended
to save time. In reality,
however, only one or
two minutes are saved.
How many of us
have honked a horn in
frustration at a driver
who is crazy enough
to obey the speed lim
it? Or maybe you’re
one of those who will
spend 15 minutes
waiting for the closest parking
spot at a store, when it would
have only taken two minutes to
park farther away and walk.
These senseless acts are usual
ly harmless, though.
However, more serious prob
lems occur when instant gratifica
tion is demanded in situations
where patience is critical to success.
Although the diet industry
once lauded the idea that success
in weight loss was determined by
how much one lost and how fast
it was lost, many diet experts now
say it is better to lose the weight
over a long period of time if one
wants to keep it off.
Yet, to appease those who want
the weight off and want it off now,
many weight-loss systems still ad
vertise the idea that you can drop a
dress size in two weeks or have mir
acle abs in 30 days or less.
Even more disturbing is the
alarming increase in the rate of
divorce in the United States.
Because divorce has been
made so easily obtainable, cou
ples no longer have an incentive
to work through problems they
encounter in their marriage.
Wedding vows become
rephrased so that they read: “ ’Til
death, or financial problems, or
misunderstandings or losing that
giddy in-love feeling do us part.”
Americans may be saving time
in the minor activities of life, but
by the same token, many have
lost the ability to persevere
through struggles.
And when people stop consid
ering the possibility of working
through a problem rather than
looking for a quick-fix Band-Aid
for it, they lose the opportunity to
develop something even more
important: character.
While it is a worthwhile goal
to save time doing the little
things in life, people shouldn’t
expect the same out of more
important issues.
Despite having all the tech
nology in the world, America
will not continue to thrive if
she loses her patience.
An unwillingness to work
hard and make sacrifices will
result in shaky foundations that
will crumble in the blink of a
surgically enhanced eye.
Northgate shouldn’t
have responsibility
Regarding Frank Yates’Oct. 31
Mail Call letter, ‘‘Kudos to RHAfor
clean up support”:
As a concerned Aggie, I agree
with Yates for applauding the
RHA for helping to clean up the
church parking lots. This shows
that Aggies are truly concerned
with the surrounding community
in which we live.
On the other hand, as an em
ployee of the Northgate District, I
disagree with Yates for putting the
responsibility on the businesses
to clean up at quitting time (which
is already 2:30-4 a.m.).
I suggest that we appeal to the
conscience of Joe Aggie and Joe
citizen that discards his/her
trash onto the ground to place
this trash into a receptacle.
I know this is not as easy as
pitching it to the ground, but we
talk about how much pride we
have; why not take pride in the
community in Aggieland?
Leo Angele
Class of’97
Henderson misses
important aspects
Regarding Aja Henderson’s Oct.
31 column, “Aggie honor code
should be revised:”
Once again Aja Henderson
has amazed me with her ability
to take any subject and stir
things up.
She did it in her column on Tu
pac Shakur by attempting to con
vince her readership that he was
worthy of sympathy, neglecting to
tell of his history of violence and
sexual assault convictions.
And of course one can’t forget
her ‘battle of the sexes’ column,
where she wrote about changes
she thought would be made if
women ran the show at A&M.
Did she write about helping bat
tered women or increasing
awareness of women’s issues?
No, she wrote about how tacky
she thought the Corps of Cadets
uniforms were.
Now she’s writing about the
Aggie Code of Honor, and how it
is being ignored.
Was her column about
scholastic dishonesty or on cam
pus crime? No, she just com
plained about how she doesn’t
like to stand at football games.
It reminds me of a saying that
says, “It is far better to be silent
and thought the fool, than to
open one’s mouth and prove it.”
Anthony Peluso
Class of ’99
Choices should be
made intelligently
I don’t want to alarm Hender
son, but there are some students
at this campus that came here
because of the unique traditions
that we uphold.
I know that E. King Gill would
roll over in his grave if he read
an editorial attempting to con
vince the student body to sit
down during football games.
With so many universities in
this state that have apathetic stu
dents, why would somebody come
here that didn’t want to honor
these sacred traditions?
Reading Henderson’s criteria for
choosing a presidential candidate
is something that makes me worry
where our country is headed.
An intelligent voter should not
vote on a candidate because of
how "hip” he is or what type of in
strument he plays. Maybe Hen
derson heard that Lincoln was
one hell of a guitarist.
I would hope that most Ag
gies choose their presidential
candidate by his stance on is
sues, not by whom they would
most like to party with.
Maybe someday we can all sit in
Kyle Field and watch Michael Jack-
son take the presidential oath.
Maybe his brothers can be appoint
ed to cabinet positions.
Luke Albert
Class of’97
Missing arguments
weaken column
Regarding Erin Fitzgerald’s
Nov. 1 column, “Men make men
struation taboo topic”:
Fitzgerald’s argument was
poorly articulated, and did not
seem to contain the slightest at
tempt to enlighten or educate.
Furthermore, Fitzgerald is guilty
of presenting the opinion of
some men as the opinion of all
men, which is stereotyping — a
form of ignorance.
You might be able to fight fire
with fire, but fighting ignorance
with ignorance is ineffective.
Fitzgerald also ignores culture
as a factor in the forming of
taboos. Furthermore, most men
know that menstruation involves
blood and pain, but it is a phe
nomenon they are unable to ex
perience: the mysterious nature
of menstruation is probably a
large factor in explaining why
many males are spooked by the
whole thing.
Although I can agree with her
basic premise — that this sub
ject really shouldn’t be entirely
taboo — I dislike her inflamma
tory attacks, which do not en
courage communication, but
widen the chasm between the
genders unnecessarily.
Georgina Kennedy
Graduate student
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
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ters may also be mailed to:
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