The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, March 18, 1997, Image 11

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Opinion
Page 11
Tuesday • March 18, 1997
ivogurt vs. horsemeat
There
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department of Agriculture confuses yogurt with grade-A beef
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"larly tills month, in an attempt to pro-
H mote healthy eating habits among pub-
Ulic school students, the Department of
ting to (Mriculture declared yogurt an acceptable
will beag bstitute for meat in school lunches. Al-
504 Ryj ough this action might seem harmless and
ivith a ira ieven tf u l, it represents another dangerous
ion, cont )wer 'g ra ^ by a federal government, that
ants to implement political ideology
rough bureaucratic policy.
What it may seem like ranting by loony,
}it-wing, Limbaugh-loving, X-Files watch-
ig,conspiracy freaks, the USDAs move sets
dangerous precedent. How can yogurt, a
mple semi-gelatinous dairy product, be a
ireat to the American idea of freedom? The answer to
is question involves money and power.
Every year, the beef industry sells 146 million pounds
Jbeefto school lunch programs. Annually, 25 million
will bepii jrtjcjpating students each eat six pounds of Salisbury
ichryFielt ea y mea tioaf and mystery 7 meat. These elementary car-
ivores become accustomed to meat at school, growing
lifelong meat-eaters. They evolve into profit sources
irthe beef industry.
Recently, this beef juggernaut has caught the eye
ftheWashington decision makers at the USDA. The
merging leadership in the department hardly repre-
Columnist
Glenn janik
Sophomore
political science major
iformatiff mts th e typical Texas A&M cow engineering stu-
ent, or perspective cattle rancher. These new agri-
altural leaders have risen from the 60s, and have
een influenced strongly by the anti-meat mentality
fvegetarian ideology.
Among those in the USDA’s veggie clique is Ann
m. in K eefer, undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Con-
i Sciencejumer Services.
Keefer spearheaded the yogurt substitute program,
nd explained the motivation of the plan to CNN.
“[Theyogurt substitute) gives children an opportunity
)avoid meat,” Keefer said.
While 250 pages of the school lunch program guide
lines list the objectives of the
program to “promote nutri
tion and healthy eating
habits,” why must the USDA
attempt meat avoidance? This
opening shot launched
against meat is small, but the
acceptance of yogurt as a sub
stitute for meat could be the
beginning of a government
campaign for vegetarianism.
The USDA could next
look to a ban on all meat
advertisements, meat
warning labels and/or
an anti-meat media campaign.
These possibilities all sound hu
morous, but 40 years ago it was
humorous to expect any of
these actions against tobacco.
Like tobacco smoke, the fat
and cholesterol of meat have
been linked to cancer and
heart disease. Tobacco has
gone from a socially accept
able item to the target of the
federal government. If the
vegocrats of the USDA have
their way, meat will be next.
United States’ citizens
have grown cynical toward
government. Most people
would rather surf the net
than worry about yogurt.
However, when the vigilance
against intrusive govern
ment is lax, the federal power
grab is astonishing.
Texas A&M has seen this
firsthand. Though President
Bowen vetoed a mandatory multiculturalism bill two
years ago, the department of Liberal Arts was still able to
implement the controversial cultural requirement
without protest or backlash. When Aggies stopped
paying attention, people in power implemented
their own wills and desires.
The solution to the government hunger
for control and power is not some sort of
massive yogurt revolt or march on
Washington D.C. But, if Americans
wish to continue eating what
they want, they will have to
keep an eye on Washington.
Currently, lobbying efforts
are under way to curb meat,
salt, coconut oil (used in mak
ing movie theater popcorn)
consumption and certain types
of shell fish. While the nutri
tional values of these foods
may be questionable, the
federal government has no
business in forcing Ameri
cans to eat healthy.
Yogurt may seem like re
freshingly friendly fruity
goop, but it has become a
tool to pry children away
from meat, and free
dom away from
Americans. If the
government suc
ceeds in its war
against meat, the
country may soon
have to substitute a
tasty Yoplait sand
wich for the tradi
tional Big Mac.
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2441. I
&M elections serve no purpose
uch like New
York City’s
Chinatown
'. and Times Square dis-
arrar^ f^cts, the Texas A&M
cial tttt| cam pus]ias been be-
Opinion Editor
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elation:
ade an A
ieged by street mer-
hants whose antics
angefrom annoying
ogrotesque invasion
{privacy.
I Unfortunately for
lijtliestudents of A&M,
tliecampus version of
tee street crawlers
are not offering any wares that
vill provide sustenance or
ntertainment, however cheap
md tawdry it may be.
The merchants at A&M are
beheld* inly selling themselves.
jdentCe'
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Chapel
an exec.
16 Koldui
ell at86:
Alex Walters
Senior
journalism major
Yes, it’s campaign time once
gain. The time of year when stu-
lents are forced to have their
enses assaulted by a khaki
oys’ Clt»‘ dipse whose only desire is popu-
theofftf arityand power, not the opportu-
lityto serve the “school we love
odear” or the chance to better
he education offered by this par-
imentaK icular “world-class university’
Considering I have already
will beslchieved my personal self-serv-
al meeffi ng goals of power and populari-
Anyone y as a section editor of The Bat-
f is invite alion, I can sit here in my
tate-sanctioned ivory tower
actually I work in the basement
if a musty building with no view
>rvicetl4 if the outside world, so I under
fid facut itand how the Student Senate
iris shoiii roes things) and offer advice to
dan tlte he blind and sheepish masses.
^siredll , The best thing the con
es ai# science-driven student can do
vill nod* for the “my worth is determined
have
icwsroc'
by the number of peo
ple who recognize me
on the street” crowd is
to force them to reckon
with themselves before
they attempt to “gov
ern” a group of 20-
somethings with their
own desires tip-top on
the priority list.
In short, don’t vote.
Don’t even give
voting a cursory
thought. Don’t pre
tend to be interested
when anyone wearing a polo
cap, red wing boots, a braided
belt or camouflage of any kind
jumps in your face and tells you
how “red-ass” they are or how
they “love A&M” or how they
will change the University for
the better. Just walk away.
Students should exercise
their right to just walk on by, be
cause if something is ignored
long enough, it will eventually
go away.
And, that, ladies and gentle
men, is the best thing that could
happen to Texas A&M.
Compiled for your conve
nience is the following list of
solid reasons for not voting:
•Voting will lend a voice of af
firmation to the life styles of
election winners.
They will begin to believe
that a catchy slogan and plenty
of “gig ’em” gestures are all that
is necessary to contribute to so
ciety. Also, they will become
more and more comfortable
with complacency. A vote for
any candidate will only rein
force his or her belief that it is
perfectly acceptable to look,
think and act like everyone
else, just as long a no one rocks
the boat.
•If candidates are successful at
the college level, they just might
become professional politicians.
This is unacceptable. A&M
should take more of a responsi
bility in molding students into
productive members of the
community rather than encour
aging the mass-production of
power-hungry parasites.
•No one wants to be a two-
percenter.
In actuality, the percentage of
students who actually vote is
abysmal compared to other uni
versities or even (gasp!) national
elections.
•Voting for the person whose
name is listed first on the ballot is
not equivalent to making a con
scious decision, so it can’t really be
called voting.
•The power one vote carries is
insignificant to the amount of dig
nity that is sacrificed by casting
that vote.
Everyone knows that President
Ray M. Bowen and his appointed
cronies run this University and the
pleas of Student Government
amount to little more than the
whimpering cries of a child begging
for a between-meal snack.
Considering all of this, the deci
sion should be simple enough.
Just don’t vote.
Don’t give in to the pressure of
allowing someone who cares very
little about you and your concerns
to whine on your behalf. Everyone
should do their own whining.
America loves a mauling
W
Columnist
Travis Chow
Computer science
graduate student
‘hen it comes
to action and
violence,
America wants the real
stuff. Television shows,
such as “Cops” and
“When Animals At
tack,” which reveal
true-to-life casualties
and mishaps, are over
taking the fake gore
and make-believe dra
mas of the past.
Some people act
like this entertainment
of watching others’ misfortunes is
a regression of mankind back to
the era of the Roman coliseum.
Although audiences often are in
sensitive to the emotions of the
victims’ families, the gaining pop
ularity of true-to-life action is a
sign of a maturing society, rather
than a reversion back to crude
entertainment. America is finally
beginning to accept the reality of
man’s dangerous actions and na
ture’s destructive potential.
Last year, Texas A&M aug
mented campus chaperone ser
vices and campus lighting after
the public learned about Don
Davis. The University realized
warning the public is the first
step to precaution.
But, spreading the word
about a criminal on the run
needs not trample over the con
cerns of a victim’s family. Privacy
rights and feelings need protec
tion from scoundrels looking to
sell a story for a few bucks.
For the most part, victims’
loved ones, hoping to warn po
tential sufferers, welcome public
interest despite emotional
pains. Edward Vaughn,
a criminal sociologist
who works for the
United States Justice
Department, said
common reactions of
victims’ friends and
families are usually
very helpful.
“Most impacted per
sons cooperate to help
convict the criminal,”
Vaughn said. “A signifi
cant portion even trav
el across the nation to
educate the public. We encour
age them to open up.”
However, there are those who
want to stop reliving the tragedy.
Instead of releasing the trauma,
they carry the burden for the
rest of their lives.
They are forgetting an im
portant lesson from childhood.
Adolescents learn in school
that burying rage and grief is
not the route to maturity. Clos
ing one’s eyes and hiding feel
ings only lead to deep emo
tional scars.
A Chinese proverb teaches
this little life instruction
rather tersely:
“Accept the past to change
the future.”
Even the law recognizes this
necessary step in maturation.
Rick Larson, a local attorney,
said if an incident is newswor
thy or if it occurred in a public
place, the courts generally al
low dissemination without the
victim’s consent. In other
words, if Jill inadvertently
filmed Jack’s breaking his
crown, Jill can sell the footage
against his will. Producers at
Fox would soon buy Jill’s clip
for their new show “When Peo
ple Break Their Bones.”
Some feel the public’s de
mand for real violence has gone
too far. Ketchup and stunt men
of the ‘80s are no longer
enough: the ‘90s have brought
television audiences actual 30-
ton fighter jets smashing into
screaming crowds. Perhaps a
few shows have become no
more than televised “Faces of
Death” documentaries. These
shows emphasize mauling over
the maturing, leaving audi
ences with an upset stomach.
Fortunately, such senseless gore
has remained relatively infrequent.
Instead, many of these real-
life action shows carry strong
messages. They portray the
senselessness of crime, horrors
of human evil and the life
changing impact of a tragic acci
dent. Critics should judge Amer
ica’s demand for true-to-life
experiences as maturation from
the pointless, pretentious enter
tainment of a decade ago.
As it moves into the 21st cen
tury, media technology will con
tinually make graphic informa- •
tion more widely available.
Facing the consequences of
mankind’s mistakes and nature’s-
wrath prepares society for the
more graphical images to come.
As for the victims’ families, shar
ing their stories will help release
the hurt and educate the public.
Opening people’s eyes to life’s
harsh reality is a sign of a ma
turing society.
THE RMAseys will
AGREE to be interviewed
provided: -t&e
TOGETHER,- WE only
ASK TfeA ABOUT TUE
\NEKTWER-, AND THEIR
RESPONSES <3ET TO BE
IH m TOWA OF A
question...
Mail
(^all
Kinesiology classes
balance education
I was quite disturbed by the
lack of knowledge and apprecia
tion April Towery had for Kinesi
ology activity classes. She stated
that some cannot handle the
physical strain of having to exer
cise and are made fun of, there
fore, it should be unnecessary.
Obviously, she does not under
stand that one’s physical well-be
ing is just as important as one’s
mental well-being. The inten
tions of activity classes are to
teach the importance of physical
fitness, relieve stress, and have
fun. These are lifelong needs, and
simply because someone is “not
very athletic” does not mean
he/she should not learn how to
have a healthy body. In fact, it is
these non-athletes that should be
most concerned with finding an
activity that they will want to do
throughout their lives. History
classes are mandatory, but be
cause that is my weak subject,
should I be exempt from it? Of
course not, because it will help
me be a more rounded individual
in the end. Kinesiology classes
can be taken pass/fail, so there is
no reason to worry about grades.
Life is too short not to enjoy
your body, so find a physical ac
tivity that you will enjoy and stick
with it for your health. A healthy
mind is nothing without a
healthy body.
Christine Reeves
Class of’95
The Battalion encourages letters to the ed
itor. 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 Mc
Donald with a valid student ID. Letters may also
be mailed to:
The Battalion - Mall Call
013 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843-1111
Campus Mail: 1113.
Fax: (409) 845-2647
E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu