The Battalion
Page 7
Friday • February 7, 1997
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^ 1 An arranged marriage is pos-
ible in which both parties meet
ith no previous acquaintance
rthe record and trudge on
om there.
Rene Harris, the coordinator of
dent life negotiation and media-
n services, said maturity is en-
ced by dealing with roommates.
“I believe that the roommate
lationship is part of the educa-
nal experience. It prepares
em socially,” Harris said.
Harris sees the simi
larity between married
couples and room
mates in the “ongoing
relationship.” “There
will be conflict, as in
any relationship, and
conflicts need to be ad
dressed,” Harris said.
A self-absorbed soci
ety is clouded with the
inability to conform.
Everyone can be a cen
tral vertebrae in society’s
self-serving backbone.
A contributing factor to this
mendacity is the spoiling of chil
dren with their with own room.
In the real world, they are ne
glected mentally and physically
by constraints on personal
habits. It is almost necessary for
roommates to silently sustain
the preferences of each other
while quietly plotting the death
of their counterpart who most
likely feels the same way.
A basic carnal instinct to take
care of ourselves first is deep-
rooted in the idea of natural se
lection and "survival of the
fittest”. Marriage and roommates
disrupt the gravitational tide of
this idea; even though we are
aware of this, we act disturbingly
surprised, convinced we can be
the forever selfless
beings only found in
story tales.
So whether an
overly conventional
roommate reminds
his or her partner to
say hello when
meeting Dante him
self in a doomed af
terlife or a spouse
practices the same
dogma, the concept
of dealing with it
prevails when faced
with conflict.
The Student Con
flict Resolution Ser
vices wants to share
peaceful conflict
resolution tactics
that could possibly save the utter
downfall of any relationship: Val
ue the opinions of others, openly
communicate your feelings,
share similar ideals and inter
ests, be open minded to different
notions, listen with an sincere
mind and heart, grasp the con
cepts presented, consider possi
ble consequences, create numer
ous alternatives, propose some
rational solutions, and compro
mise impartial agreements.
This may seem like a lot to
swallow, but spouses and room
mates alike need something on
which to base their relationship
decisions. Until society makes an
effort to expand, the job can only
be seen by some as taxing and
time-consuming, regardless of the
increase in maturity to be gained.
F reedom. It is a Fourth
of July kind of word,
a red white and blue
word, a fireworks word. A
word Americans think de
fines the USA.
But what do people from
other cultures think of life
in America and what we
call freedom? What do
they think of Americans?
Some people say that for
eigners think Americans
are big, stupid oafs. On
the other hand, I hear
some say they idolize our culture
and all of it’s glittering decadence.
As America begins another four
years under the leadership of a presi
dent whose, as Time magazine es
sayist Lance Morrow said “theology
is politics”, it is important to assess
our nation honestly and determine
our role in the 21st century Are we a
beacon on a hill for all the world to
see as Jonathan Edwards and his
contemporaries claimed? Do we
need to return to the religion of the
founding fathers? Are we about to
drown in a cesspool of materialism?
Should we put on the rose colored
glasses of optimism?
International students are in a
great position to enlighten the
A&M community about what oth
er cultures think. They know both
the misconceptions and the truths
of life in America and can give a
clear picture of what other soci
eties think of America.
Enis Robbana, a sophomore Pe
troleum Engineering major from
Tunisia said “Most youths in Tunisia
think it’s McDonald’s and Basketball.
.. they have a lot of stuff here you
Columnist
Courtney Phillips
Junior
Psychology major
wouldn’t see in Europe.”
He also said that “It is
much more superficial,
people don’t want to get
involved in other people’s
problems, although he
did add that “In Texas
people are much more
polite and friendly.”
Back home, Enis’
friends think he is lucky
to get to study in Ameri
ca, but most Tunisians
don’t like our politics and
think the U.S. is always
too quick to rush in and try to fix the
world’s problems and toot their own
horn as a superpower. Lizbeth Lan-
do, a BUSINESS ANALYSIS major
from Mexico City, said “Some Ameri
can people believe the U.S. is every
thing and don’t see beyond their own
country” and “families are not very
tight” as they are in Mexico.
It seems that there is a dichoto
my here. A half love and half hate, a
reluctant lust for American things
and a distrust of our political cul
ture and morality. It is a dichotomy
I saw personified when I traveled to
Spain this past summer. Melanie
Griffith and Antonio Banderas were
in the country and in the news
every night. The media was all over
them wanting to know exactly what
they were doing, wanting to peek
inside their glamorous lives. Finally,
when the cameras got a little too
close for Melanie, she responded
with a most endearing obscene ges
ture. What a picture of America. A
million dollar smile (buy our stuff)
and an attitude so beautifully exem
plified by Griffith’s third finger (but
don’t get in our way).
As Americans, we enjoy some of
the highest standards of living in the
world, yet we have low standards for
living. Not to say the standards are so
much higher in other countries, they
often appear to be lower than ours,
until you realize immorality here
seethes beneath a distinctly Ameri
can prudery.
Americans themselves seem to
have a love/hate relationship with
their countiy. Some would die for it.
Some would do anything to escape
it’s stifling atmosphere. We have seen
different groups struggle over the
years. Some would march for free
dom, support the troops, fly the flag,
claiming the inherent virtue of
America. Others vyould run away
and write poetry in French cafes, liv
ing the unconsciously snobbish ex
patriate life. (Note: my poetry saw hi
de improvement in Spain)
Perhaps life is a movable feast as
Ernest Hemingway wrote. The whole
of it lies within the soul, and it can be
carried with us anywhere.
We can feast on it or starve our
selves, regar dless of where we are or
where our citizenship lies. This gives
a whole new meaning to die word
freedom. Viewed in this fight, free
dom is no longer about laws, or rights,
orAmerica the beautiful. So-called
freedom in America often wears
chains of greed and selfishness.
We are clearly not a beacon on a
hill anymore (if we ever were), and re
turning to anyone’s religion for the
sake of returning won’t do us any
good. We need to focus on individual
people doing what’s right as we collec
tively enter the 21st century, whether
that’s something the founding fathers
did, or something we’ve never done
before. We’ve all got a movable feast
inside to carry with us wherever we
go. What’s in your - picnic basket?
'Right to carry' law opens door to criminals
T he problem with gun control
in the United States is not the
issue of who gets to own them,
but where they should be able to
carry them.
Although handguns may be an ef
fective tool to protect an individual’s
home, home is where guns should stay
unless they are being used at secluded
firing ranges.
Ronald Reagan once said, “As long
as there are guns, the individual that
wants a gun for a crime is going to have
one and going to get it.”
Opponents of gun-control laws
claim although laws have become more strict over
the past three decades, more criminals have guns.
What they fail to mention is handguns have be
come the weapons of choice for more criminals.
United States Representative Cliff Stearns of
Florida is sponsoring a bill, if passed, to give Amer
icans the right to carry handguns with them re
gardless of their state laws.
The Second Amendment gives Americans
the right to keep and bear arms and to form a
militia as a safeguard against tyranny from the
U.S. Government or Military. As Thomas Jeffer
son and other framers of the Constitution were
concerned about this, today, more than 220
years later, it's inconceivable to be distressed
about the possible takeover of the United States
by its own government.
If the National Rifle Association had its way,
Columnist
Brandon Hausenfluck
Senior
Journalism major
every American with a somewhat clear
criminal record would carry a con
cealed handgun. The NRA claims
America would be much safer if citi
zens were able to defend themselves
from criminal attacks.
In a Beaumont Enterprise article,
Daniel Polsby of The Northwestern
University School of Law and Dennis
Brennen of Harper College, cited the
Warren vs. District of Columbia case
which explains a situation where a
handgun would be beneficial.
Three female rape victims sued the
District, because they were not protect
ed by police nor did they have the ability to protect
themselves.
Two of the victims were upstairs at home when
they heard their roommate being attacked down
stairs. About an hour after calling the police the
first time, the screaming stopped. The girls up
stairs assumed the police had arrived. In reality,
the police had not shown up and the other room
mate had been beaten unconscious.
The two girls went downstairs and found the
assailants had not left.
This was just the beginning.
“For the next 14 hours the women were raped,
robbed, beaten, forced to commit sexual acts
upon each other, and made to submit to sexual
demands,” a court official said.
The police never arrived because of poor com
munication with the dispatcher.
This is an extreme example of what kind of
crime Americans are subject to. In this case, a
gun would have saved the girls a lifetime of
horrible pain.
Closer to home, imagine what would have hap
pened after the 1995 U.T. vs. A&M football game
when the Corps brawled with Texas fans after they
beat us then set foot on our precious Kyle Field. If
an angry Aggie had brandished a gun and pulled
the trigger, a chain reaction of gunfire would have
empted. Many innocent bystanders could have
been hurt or killed.
Authorities have a hard enough time keeping
the streets safe. Arming every John Doe out there
would be detrimental to America’s safety.
Law abiding citizens do have the right to have
handguns, but they should not have the right to
tote them wherever they go. Most public establish
ments do not allow concealed weapons on their
premises. They, like most people, do not feel com
fortable knowing everyone is carrying a handgun.
Guns are a part of many Americans’ lives. Per
sonally, I enjoy shooting skeet, dove hunting, quail
hunting, and have even killed a few deer. I have a
shotgun, a rifle, and a 4 wheel-drive. However, I
don’t consider myself a country boy, and I can sur
vive without carrying a handgun to class.
It is ludicrous to say less crimes will be
committed if more people are given the right
to carry a handgun.
Americans should have every right to be safe.
But putting more handguns on the streets will kill
more people than it will save.
Mail
Racist students fail
to qualify as Aggies
In response to Kevin Barrios’ Feb.
4 th letter.
I agree with that the circum
stances were uncalled for and can
be quite upsetting, but for anyone
to declare themselves no longer an
Aggie because of what happened is
selling themselves short.
There are a lot of people around
College Station that don’t attend
the University. If they were A&M
students, that doesn’t necessarily
declare them as Aggies.
Part of being an Aggie is partic
ipating with enthusiasm at yell
practice, sporting events, Bonfire,
and promoting your school pride
and image. These people obviously
were not doing so.
Unfortunately, these type of im
mature bigots are everywhere, not
just in College Station.
I, too, am a minority and en
joyed four great years at A&M.
So don’t throw away your
school spirit, “aggie ring”, and all
the benefits of being an Aggie be
cause of a few people who aren’t
even worth it.
Jason Morawski
Class of’95
Smokers forfeit all
special treatment
In response to John Lemons’ Feb. 5
column titled, “Smokers unfairly
punished by taxation.”
What would these poor college
students do with a tax increase on
their drug of choice? Quit school
and live on the streets.
I don’t think I need to point out
there is a problem here. If some
one actually goes to these levels, as
Lemons claims they will, some
thing needs to be done about their
problem, not society’s. If anything,
he proves that smoking is a deadly
habit that needs to be eradicated
everywhere.
You know, I think we should
keep with our bullying and oppres
sion as much as we please. We
need stricter laws and more expen
sive cigarettes. Little areas set aside
for smokers so they won’t even be
in our path. Cigarettes should be
at least $5 a pack and at least $30 a
carton. Sure, we’ll put in an ash
tray, but you’ll have to walk to West
campus to use it. Maybe one
placed by the Bush Library when it
opens. And butt littering will be
punishable by a fine (which no
smoker can afford). So if you want
to smoke, you’ll make the walk.
If smokers don’t decide it’s not
worth the trouble to smoke, that’s
one life saved. On the other hand,
if they end up on the streets, that’s
their problem, not mine.
Lisa Peterson
Class of ’00
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