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Page 9
Friday • January 24, 1997
it s the team
n in middle
ly all the alien
rom a northes:
get noticed?
3ay Packers,'
i for replacing
nys as Amen
e stars and the
; and the histor,
is a two-time
nne an addictii
d a painfiilol
il tragedies,
areer sacks
ed
deadly dispute
Violence plagues clinics as debate rages on Change
Christians
Unite for
he cowards have
struck again. Last
week a building in
nta housing an
rtion clinic was hit
two bombs, injur-
six people. In Tulsa,
anned Parenthood
ic was the victim of
hey have led J om b as we ii-
e to its first S[|rh ese stacks came
rs, reviving tale fin weeks of the Jan.
^mbeau.ofthe^'uiiversaryofthe 1973
Columnist
minister \w
lessee was toi
: L titles,
have arrived at
orts stage,
of every
be \ . Wade decision that
iized abortion.
Jon Apgar
Junior
Journalism major
Bombs serve one purpose —
destruction.
Susan Nenney, a worker at
Planned Parenthood in Houston,
said the bombings are domestic ter
rorism, and should be dealt with in
the same manner as the Olympic
Park bombing and the Oklahoma
City bombing.
“Planned Parenthood clinics
provide more services than just
abortions, including adoption,
birth control and family planning.
Planned Parenthood in Houston pro
vides abortions for only 6 percent of its
clients,” Nenney said.
Nenney said abortion clinics operate on
high alert at all times, and in response to
the bombings, Planned Parenthood in
Houston has contacted the ATF and local
law enforcement officials in order to main
tain high security around the building.
[Those who continue to target and
rorize women, doctors and nurses
s the Super Bo§ 0 perform abortions are not mak-
•ody but us-ll any progress towards their as-
i how we’vegoal — a constitutional
mur said. "Weftendment outlawing abortion,
round the blot [Abortion is a tricky subject,
eople weresavi: ' n Pary to popular ignorance,
?re ' ortion is not a political issue for
has done a m; eWhite House or for Capital Hill
ndling every site legislate on.
■ predictions. I Abortion, rather, is a moral
acter and dige: iue th at rnust be decided on
job with all the ’the individual,
around them, itt Many are fanatical with
•am.” eiropposition to abor-
New Englan tm.There also are those
) get along jusia ho do not agree with
ey do it inrelatii’ >ortion but do not think
ept for coach B e government has a right
Super Bowls wi legislate on morality and
Giants, and pet “dividual freedom.
:k Drew Bledsot A small minority with-
top overall drat u his first group causes
1 not for theU 'e problems. They be-
las achievedasa ev e not only the practice
lots are asonre- f abortion to be a mortal
nch. h' n , but feel they must ter-
iositives an4teg-f' orize - bomb and murder
ition. those who perform abor-
r't have the saffi^ on ® or have an abortion.
ids on us as t They claim that abortion
isoe said, ‘'ai 8to P sa heating heart. Then
ng it as motiv® e y drop a bomb in a garbage
gularguy, all 4 lim P ster or they shoot an
ckers.” abortion doctor. Ironic, isn’t it?
frustrating tb The way to get a point across
the respect ftfectively is not through vio
ls cornerbad len ce. It is through non-violent
se we are a gn hcct action
io. I don’t tbi; Bombs will not make someone
cognized thatlhange his or her view from pro
rys are goingfoiceto pro-life,
lly and, hopefi
hem fuel thetifu
drive to want
Those who oppose abortion must real
ize that in the 24 years of legalized
abortion, opinions on the subject have
changed little. After all the propaganda
and campaigns to outlaw abortion or
keep it legal, after all the presidents and
politicians who have promised (and
failed) to pass a constitutional amend
ment against abortion, the situation is
still the same — abortion is still legal
and the population is split on the issue.
Meanwhile, some individuals believe that
even though violence and murder has not
changed people’s position on abortion, ter
rorism will speed a constitutional amend
ment through Congress.
Those individuals responsible for
bombing the abortion clinics in Atlanta
and Thlsa have not done people in
the pro-life group a great service.
Pro-choice activists now
see people opposed to
abortion as radical terror
ists, when in fact it is only
a few who fit the stereo
type.
The best way to
make a position
known on abortion is
through non-violent
protest, as has been
the practice for
many years.
The best way
to go to jail for
the rest of one’s
life is to bomb
an abortion
clinic.
the spotlight.
IGIES
m page 7
g to be easy
d and getting
though, we ne^-—
re and recogni
:.2th Man abandons
nd Harvey si . .
/el of the teamA^S in G. RolllO
s with impro' ^ Qn Wednesday, Jan. 15, the
Oklahoma O (gibin’ Texas Aggie Basketball
knowing t • am i 10S t e d the nationally
t Kansas he! n ]<- ec } t u longhorns. G. Rollie
ngs in perspfi wag to ca p ac ity and
, e 12th Man proudly took its
have some"i! md in support of the team.
i. “Yes, we £ twever, with three minutes
lame. But a" : me in overtime, the 12th Man
now we are re* cided to call it quits and leave
le arena. This was a painful slap
ithe face for our team who had
^ me back from an 18 point
ficit to tie the ball game. I have
wer seen the Aggie basketball
am play with as much grit and
m paqe 7 termination as it did against
^ “ J e teasips. How great it could
Creasy is “lave been if the team had looked
tion — Cr ea ijp in the stands to see their en-
NaftaneTs Hire 12th Man in full support after
at competiPjfrustrating loss,
to be a tof | For those of you who forget or
t never learned, the 12th Man
ys at the game until the clock
lads zero. We do this to show our
turning lb' 1 Opponents (especially teasips!)
competed •Slat regardless of the outcome,
at the Teyie shall support our team, that
:, and Naft^Oo matter how much we are
ive who do flitscored, we still love our
:am in Aus^hool, and that or spirit runs
4&M. .|uch deeper than the score of an
rtable therf athletic contest. If the 12th Man
ose family "’Intinues this tradition, we’ll find
/atching. jat it frustrates the hell out of
between tlflir opponents. What can they
onghorns tl%, “Well, we beat the Aggies, but
;t time thet" :| 0 ( >k at them. They still stand and
against ead 11 for their team through every
e conferend in, loss, or tie.” Keep this tradi-
in FebruaT >n Ags, it means so much to the
will also fad drit of Aggieland!
a talentt-
Steve Walkup
Class of‘98
Mail
io me pool.
Aggies are
oool in Aush
Aggie Dance Team
embarasses fan
I believe the time is long
overdue to remind the Dance
Team that A&M DOES NOT
NEED CHEERLEADERS!!
I thought that this was a long
standing tradition, but to my
horror, during halftime at the
men’s basketball game against
t.u., members of the Dance
Team decided that we did. They
acted like they were still high
school cheerleaders. Their ac
tions were a grave affront to
both tradition and the yell lead
ers themselves. When the Dance
Team formed a few years ago the
student body was assured that
they were not, and would not
act like, cheerleaders. That
promise was woefully short
lived. I believe that unless the
Dance Team can stick to just
dancing they should be dis
banded.
Christina Weston
Class of’97
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tor. Letters must be 300 words or fewer and
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number.
The opinion editor reserves the right to edit
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may be submitted in person at 013 Reed Mc
Donald with a valid student ID. Letters may also
be mailed to:
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013 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843-1111
Campus Mail: 111.1
Fax: (409) 845-2647
E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu
A blessing or a curse?
A Mother's job doesn't end at birth
Columnist
Kate Shropshire
Freshman
Meteorology major
R ose Kennedy said, “I have al
ways looked on child rearing
not only as a work of love and
duty, but as a profession that was as
fully interesting and challenging as
any honorable profession in the
world, and one that demanded the
best that I could bring to it.”
Kennedy’s view on child rear
ing paints a pretty picture, but the
profession of being a mother has
taken on a different description in
today’s society.
Children are no longer regarded
as bundles of joy. Instead, immature individu
als who esteem children as subjects for imme
diate gratification find children to be burdens,
requiring hours of attention and patience. The
explanation is the fact infantile individuals are
giving birth to children.
Darlie Routier, a Rowlett, Texas resident, is
now facing capital murder charges for the
deaths of her two sons: six-year-old Devon and
five-year-old Damon.
Prosecutors claim Routier, frenzied by bur
dens of motherhood and financial concerns,
brutally stabbed her sons, then staged a crime
scene. Blood traces were found practically
everywhere in the family’s house except
around the garage window where Routier
claimed the supposed intruder fled. New evi
dence suggests the knife found in Routier’s
home may have been the only one to actually
cut Devon. To prove motherly neglect, Halina
Czaban, Routier’s housekeeper, testified she
found Routier’s infant bound in blankets, gasp
ing for breath the day before the murders.
As if Routier had not already proven to be a
selfish mother, she then put in a request to
have her nails professionally done and the
roots of her hair dyed. She rationalized this by
saying that if her roots were showing, the jurors
would see that she had ignored proper hygiene
while in jail and, as a result, eliminate her lily-
white image. This does nothing to provide the
healthy image a mother should harbor.
Routier, however, is not alone in this type of
motherly misconduct.
In March of‘94, Stephanie Moore, a former
Texas A&M student, gave birth to a
baby girl in her dorm room around 2 a.
m. That same morning she disposed of
her new-born daughter in a rose-col
ored plastic bag and then dumped the
child’s body in a Mosher Hall garbage
chute. The infant died by suffocating
on remnants of food, vomit, and
garbage found in the trash bag.
Moore pleaded guilty to voluntary
manslaughter and was sentenced to twen
ty years in prison. This was the first-ever
homicide on the A&M campus.
Both of these instances illustrate a
grim outlook for our children’s future.
The burdens of motherhood and financial
concerns do not justify the sacrifice of a child’s
life. Maybe these mothers should’ve thought
twice before undertaking the time consuming
and painstaking duty.
If these mothers had attempted to be forbear
ing, they would have recognized the gift of child
bearing is one that they were not cut out for.
The profession Rose Kennedy spoke of is
not easy but is a rewarding and exciting jour
ney with many bumps and turns which
strengthens all involved. It is not at the discre
tion of the parents to decide that the prob
lems they encounter should be avoided with
the hasty removal of the innocent.
Unfortunately the child has no choice how or
by whom they enter this world. In essence, chil
dren become the product of parental supervision
or neglect. The value and beauty of our little ones
has been undermined, along with the value of
family ethics. The principles that were once the
foundation of family structure have lost impor
tance and meaning - all for the sake of children
who never grew up who can’t take the time and
diligence to raise their kids.
Granted, the Donna Reed days have been re
placed by an era of working mothers, fathers,
and latch-key kids. It does not mean, however,
that children are disposable. Babies should be
embraced and nuzzled by the bosom of fami
lies and society regardless of how tiresome the
job may be. As the saying goes, “You may have a
headache, but don’t take it out on the family. ”
I n January, 2,300 college students at
tended an Austin conference called
Passion ’97. The mission of the con
ference was to unite Christian college
students’ across denominational lines,
rekindle a passion for Christ, and renew a
vision for spiritual awakening on various
school campuses.
Columnist
Courtney Phillips
Junior
Psychology major
It was obvious
from the whoops
in the air there
was a strong Ag
gie presence. It
was difficult to
walk two feet
without seeing an
A&M shirt, or go
through the park
ing garage with
out noticing Ag
gie bumper
stickers.
Despite the involvement of Aggies at
an event like Passion ’97, we fail to hear
their voices on campus. One might think,
after attending a day of classes at this
university, relativism rules the A&M cam
pus and “free thought” reigns supreme.
Christian musician Steve Taylor said
the problem with free thought is, “our
minds are so open that our brains leak
out.” We are blinded by our fear of being
less than politically correct and we forget
to think for ourselves.
Colleges have always been hotbeds for
revolution and change. Passion ‘97 en
couraged Christian students to start their
own revolutions and not to stand by as hu
manistic thought consumes universities.
America is clearly at a religious crux,
a point at which we could see a spiritual
awakening or simply dissolve into a
hodgepodge of half-hearted theologies.
With spirituality in the news these days,
whether it is the pope’s views on evolu
tion or the accuracy of the Bible, it is
not uncommon to see religion plas
tered across the cover of the latest news
magazines. Last month’s issue of
George magazine was completely dedi
cated to what America believes. Its sur
vey of a cross-section for 800 Americans
found some interesting statistics.
Judging from the climate of most col
lege campuses, one wopld never guess
60 percent of Americans believe in sev
en-day creation, 49 percent are pro-life,
and 51 percent do not believe humans
evolved from lower life forms. But since
67 percent of the people surveyed believe
other religions are as legitimate as their
own, it’s easy to see why we allow our be
liefs to become diluted. Why would peo
ple put their faith in any one religion if
they consider others to be equally valid?
There are approximately 47,000 stu
dents on this campus, which is a lot of dif
ferent beliefs, but I think most people are
willing to talk to others about their beliefs.
Almost everyone is seeking some
thing, regardless of their religious per
suasion. They are searching for answers
to the mysteries of the universe, some
thing to put their souls at peace.
Though the nation’s campuses have be
come spiritually dampened over the
past few decades, there are incredible
things happening on the A&M campus.
I talked about these changes with Jason
Post, the financial director and intern at
Breakaway Ministries and an A&M student
who attended Passion ‘97. As a student
ministry leader he has insight into the
campus’ spiritual climate. Over the past
few years Jason has seen Christians on this
campus becoming bold.
“Christians now sense the urgency
in stepping up,” he said, “when one
Christian stands up and says some
thing, other Christians stand up and
echo their thoughts.”
This is encouraging news for Chris
tians on campus, but there is a standard
of boldness we have been called which
has yet to be realized at A&M. It makes it
difficult when the media is hostile to
wards Christianity. Christians are often
stereotyped and written off as “right-
wing Bible beaters” who are hateful, big
oted, abortion clinic bombers. Christian
ity is about life, not death and hate. It is a
sad fact we will be stereotyped and hat
ed, but that is a small price to pay.
Therefore, Christians on the A&M cam
pus need not be afraid to be bold, or to
speak out against things they disagree with.
They need not be afraid to share
their passion, pray for revival and to
stop being invisible.
Many A&M students attended Pas
sion ‘97. If their soul’s desjre really is
the pursuit of God, then Texas A&M
had better get ready to see passion
and boldness from Christian Aggies
like it has never seen before.