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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 18, 1997)
ednesday -June 18, 1997 |ix days of battle Metrical war sets backdrop for future relations Columnist Inishe Seal "Ihisyear marks the 30th an- r,11 N niversary of the Six-Day War. ms , For those who flunked history lie Middle East, the Six-Day War rin H. ithewar in which Israel defeated up 1 combined forces of Egypt, Jor- an<J und Syria, in the process captur- a J iheland known as die West Bank, metl Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip, itheSinai Peninsula. 0 ^ n Hieconflict over this territory i lembroiled the Middle East and r( j ^ ised numerous deaths of people s ^ mmany nations. This anniver- yhas caused those on both sides to reflect l e j 0 , liemember nearly fifty years of conflict and ]l iih.For America’s part, it is time to re-exam- lourpolicies and purposes for the region, tali ^ V Robbv Ray Senior speech communications major First, a little background. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 pledged “the estab lishment of a national home for the Jew ish people.” This marked the first time that a political entity known as Palestine had ever existed. Palestine was divided into East and West, with the eastern half mostly reserved for the Jews. In 1948, the United Nations parti tioned the region again and created the state of Israel. All of the Arab members of the UN voted against the resolution and then declared it invalid when it was adopted. The day Israel declared its independence, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq all invaded the new nation, with the battle cry “Murder the Jews! Murder them all!” stated publicly by the Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Jr, sai leagm Id }r Bd Ival fo iustoi Ir bas laid, |ativel) ;hvi Ohio le nen Ihomi ink Amin A1 Hussein. Israel was able to withstand this attack, and an armistice was signed in 1949. In 1967, the Arab nations again appeared to be preparing for war. In May, they signed a mutual defense pact. President Nasser of Egypt said of the developments, “Our basic goal is the destruction of Israel.” Faced with such provocation, the Israelis preemptively attacked the Arabs, in the process capturing much strategic territory. Some of this land has since been traded back for peace treaties, and much of the remainder is still in dispute. The internationally recognized govern- ment-in-exile for the Palestinians is the Palestine Liberation Organization, founded in 1964 and led by Yasir Arafat since 1968. The PLO is a terrorist organization, responsi ble for countless deaths through the years, and has never renounced violence as a method of influencing policy. When governments negotiate with terror ists, it sets a dangerous precedent. The ongoing trial of Timothy McVeigh has reminded Ameri cans that we are not immune to the specter of terrorism just because we live an ocean away from where it is most common. Terrorist groups have tried to organize in the United States before, but law enforcement has been particularly ruthless in hunting them down. In the last few years, however, a growing number of paramilitary groups have sprung up. These groups are well armed and have the entire published history of world terrorism from which to learn. By treating terrorists as equals with nations, we signal that violence is a legitimate way to influence government policy. Israel has longstanding international legit imacy that the Arabs deny. The U.S. needs a strong Israel in the Mid dle East as an ally and a stabilizing influence, but is forcing them into an indefensible posi tion where Israel’s only option to avoid anni hilation could be to launch a nuclear strike. Both Israeli and American military studies have shown Israel’s pre-1967 boundaries are not sufficient to provide an adequate defense in the event of another concerted attack. Is rael has long been rumored to possess nuclear capability, and many analysts claim that in the event of an stalemated war, the Israeli military would not hesitate to go nuclear. Add to this the fact that several Arab states have chemical weapons and the ability and will to use them — it is a dangerous situation, indeed. library rules fall short on book returns mm a ftj Veiling C. Evans Library is a wonderful place to absorb in- ijth alKformation at Texas A&M Uni- ad ] island with the impending f n gt( ition, it promises to get better, k tt ay students, however, are frus- [d tl led in their quest for knowledge this all too familiar word on the ctronic catalog: overdue. |n aij Library patrons check out ma- kr-o ials they urgently need, use I cou irafor all their worth and them lit wi iowthem on the floorboards of their cars |theti Lind the passenger seat. Perhaps manda- tysensitivity training for first-time library Nl erswill have an effect on this anti-social |n K havior, much like gruesome wreck films Own in driver’s education classes. Icuti' \] a yb e an even better way to get materials nel iclinthe library on time is the tried and r f fa lecarrot and stick method. If humanitarian |f°" Spulseswill not do the trick, maybe good fashioned punishment will have an effect. Ihe library’s present policy is far from ad- iuate.The first step is to send two overdue Ices to offending patrons. No real action taken until six months after the materials IP)' Columnist Jack Harvey Junior economics major are due, at which time students are billed for the cost of the materials plus a $10 processing fee. This charge is attached to their fee statement, and the students be come blocked from registering. Instead of reverting to Dracon ian measures after half a year, offi cials should impose a fine when materials are due. Students, being well-known procrastinators, are more likely to wait if they know punishment for their inaction may never materialize. With a progressive fine schedule, beginning at the due date, pun ishment will be more closely related to the crime committed. Parking, Transit, and Traffic Services, as much as it is reviled, is a good example of an entity on campus which knows how to use fines to get students to follow regulations. With swift and sure enforcement of exorbi tant fines, any would-be violator would think twice about parking in a 30-minute spot for one iota longer than the allotted time. Conversely, with six months in which students are immune from serious action on the part of Evans Library, books collect on dorm room floors. Although it may be a sore point to bring up, the library at the University of Texas has greater book availability, largely through the miracle of fines. Much as our beloved PTTS stalk our parking lots several times a day, the quiet, demure, yet sadistic librarians at UT are merciless in fines for overdue materials. The result, according to their circulation de partment, is one of the highest book-avail ability rates in the nation. Charlene Clark, public relations officer for the Evans library, said fines have been considered by the Book Availability Task force and will be implemented at some fu ture time. This is a glimmer of hope that perhaps our University is not led by simple tons, but humans capable of learning and adaption. A date or schedule of fines, how ever, was not mentioned. This action is a little late, but maybe it will not be too little. Aggies, being smarter than Longhorns, will respond just as well if not better to fines. After all, preservation of precious party money is a talent all college students possess. lad luck constitutes more than one day ts® Managing Editor Helen Clancy Senior English major Id tL |[is tsbadlucktobe su- r perstitious, so when Friday the 13th ted around, I didn’t , ee |spect a thing. In fact, this past Fri- ’djtywas a rather un- entful, prosaic kind Lday. But as a new if fekbegan, no sooth- f tyer could prepare me 'rthe events which fould unfold. For the sake of levity, I’ve restricted the inci- hts to four areas of lamenta- Oii: transportation, finances, re- Imships and pests. Transportation As with most college stu nts, transportation is more vi- iJ ^to my daily routine than, say, No sooner did I realize this pelf*n when my beloved ‘85 Toy- 'e was pronounced dead on jiF le scene, at 1:03 a.m. Sunday ^ning, to be exact. The cause of death was un own, but many symptoms Xiuld have alerted me to the Lient’s condition. The increas- % dull glow of the headlights and the sudden absence of interior lighting were all tell-tale signs. But I procrastinated, allowing the illness to progress into a serious case of gonnacostyouitis. The patient has yet to be revived, due to a serious lack of funds. Finances Almost all of my cur rent financial woes are explained by the possession of one item: a really cool keyboard. This isn’t an ordinary, plastic Toys R’ Us play thing — this is an instrument. The 61 drum variations, dual voice options and automatic chord progressions are a pleas ant distraction from the empty deposit column in my check book. Although I’m three months behind on my phone bill, I can perform a flawless ren dition of the Braueheart theme song, bagpipes and all. Relationships It might seem odd for a busy college student with a full-time job to spend hours tinkering around on a keyboard, but since my boyfriend vanished into the rain forests of Central America, I have no choice. Last week he departed with a group of anthropology majors from the University of Texas to work on excavations in Belize. Other than one cryptic phone call in which he said, “It’s not working out down here, but I can’t tell you why,” I haven’t heard from him. Pests I laughed out loud after reading the Dallas Morning News article about a woman who had an esti mated 10,000 cockroaches cohab- itating in her apartment. Then I noticed an oval shadow scurry across my carpet, vanishing into the depths of my dirty laundry — I lost my sense of humor. Cockroaches are not funny. They hide behind garbage cans, retreat into the confines of silverware draw ers and feed off old newspapers. As I stormed out of my roach- infested quarters to invest in a can of Raid, I remembered my car was out of commission. Damn that car. As I gave the old heap of metal one more try, I noticed something yellow peeking out from under my floor mat. Alas, it was a park ing ticket I had forgotten to pay. PTTS had finally caught on to my “Please don’t ticket me — I’m buying a permit today” sign, which had been strategically placed on my dashboard for weeks. It was only a matter of time before my luck ran out. And there were no black cats crossing my paths, no ominous ladders to walk under. I haven’t broken a mirror in quite some time, and I never open an um brella indoors. It seems every day is a testa ment to life’s unpredictability. Putting these incidents into per spective is one’s only defense against bouts of bad luck, and no day is ever inherently “bad." Through this ordeal I’ve saved a lot of gas money, escaped the reign of PTTS and memorized Mozart’s “Rondo Alla Turca.” But most importantly, I’ve learned how to exterminate cockroaches with oven cleaner. The Battalion Sexuality differs as the tides turn Spring. 8:45 a.m. Barometric pressure falling. Expect scat tered showers. The SEbring Envi ronmentally-Sani tized Artificial Womb, also known as SEE SAW, successfully birthed its first hu man yesterday in Har lingen, Texas. Doctors say the newborn is in perfect health. Such encouraging news is rare in the overcrowded Rio Grande Valley, an area known for its pol lution and sickly population. News of the birth is not so encouraging to The Arrow Group, the heterosexual politi cal group. Since the invention of SEESAW ten years ago, The Ar row Group has maintained that the device will further lessen the status of heterosexual rela tions. “Though we often engage in sexual intercourse for plea sure, we also practice hetero sexuality to preserve our species,” an Arrow Group mem ber said. “SEESAW devalues our sexual orientation, because now a machine can do better what we’ve been doing forever.” Glenn Sebring, inventor of SEESAW, downplayed The Ar row Group’s concerns. He said yesterday’s success “cleans the tarnished slate of past repro ductive practices.” He added, “Arrow doesn’t comprehend that increased population will kill not only our species, but also the planet.” Chris, the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, appears to echo Sebring’s sentiments. During their semi-annual convention, most prophets suggested that Chris advocates reductions in the human population. “Chris told me that all of these things are happening for a reason: the hurricanes, SEE SAW, the Sahara-Kalahari Merge in Africa,” said one prophet. “These are signs just like the locust plagues and famines in biblical times.” Summer. 2:30 p.m. Mercury rising. Hot and humid. The heterosexuals have tak en to the streets. Spearheading protests nationwide. The Arrow Group is demanding the right to unprotected heterosexual relations. “The government is not in the bedrooms of homo sexual couples; why should they be in mine?” asked one Shreveport protester. The Arrow Group claims het erosexuals have been dehuman ized since the passing of the SEESAW Act. According to the act, new humans can only be birthed via in vitro fertilization and SEESAW. President Jonathan Searcy ad dressed the issue in a press con ference this morning. Although sympathetic to heterosexual con cerns, the president said, “het erosexuals are directly responsi ble for America’s environmental crises.” He added that heterosex ual relations endanger the planet, and that we must not lose sight of the “greater good” of en vironmental prosperity. Summer. 5:31 p.m. Mercury plummeting. Hurricane warning. We hope electricity has been restored to your area of the coun try. With your new lights, we hope you can see us again. The current death toll from this hurricane is around 250,000. Higher death tolls are expected as the storm moves west across the country. Scientists expect global warming to decrease steadily with the high death tolls during this hurricane season. “Global warming increases with population, so population decrease will procure global cool ing— and hurricanes of less fe rocity,” says Wally Walliker of the National Weather Service. In other news, prophets con cluded their semi-annual conven tion in Denver yesterday. Most prophets said Chris allowed this deadly hurricane to “help man.” Four prophets disagreed, citing Chris’ decision stemmed from “anger at humankind’s decisions.” “Chris shows us the paths and suggests through The Word which path to take,” said one Sunset, Utah, prophet. “But humans ulti mately decide their fate. Chris suggested we ‘be fruitful and multiply,’ but our decisions from this suggestion got us in the predicament we’re in now.” “Chris just wants our trust; Chris doesn’t want us to trust in man,” echoed an Arizona prophet. “Chris quoted a disciple at our last convention, Susan B. Anthony, ‘1 distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I no tice it always coincides with their own desires.’” Also yesterday, the first gener ation of SEESAW kids graduated from high school. According to polls, about 86 percent of the 8,000 SEESAW kids will attend college this fall — most at the school a parent attended. The polls also found 72 per cent of the kids to be exclusive ly heterosexual, 28 percent bi sexual, and five percent exclusively homosexual. Autumn. 7:15 p.m. Barometer steady. Easy time. It seems appropriate to re port weather first; our daily lives depend on it. Weather deter mines our wardrobes, our moods, our activities, our movements, how we see each other. Weather is elemental. Thirty years of weather data constitute climate. Climate de termines our environment, and humans inhabit an array of envi ronments: from the bitterness of the tundra, through the oppres sion of the desert, to the purity of the rain forest. How we see these environments changes with time — as do climates — as does weather—as does life. Guest Columnist H.L Baxter Senior geography major Mail Call ‘Stupid people’ voice their opinions In response to Kristina Baffin’s June 17th column: Buffin is not being tolerant of ignorant people. Does this not make her ignorant by her own def inition? I am not a homophobe, but I believe homosexuality is wrong — this is my opinion. I served four-and-a-half years in the United States Army to earn the right to voice my opinion. What has she done lately to earn the right to voice her opin ion? Just because someone’s opin ion differs from hers, it doesn’t mean they are ignorant, marxist or anything else for that matter. It simply means they see things differently. Buffin’s kind of narrow-minded ideology is just the sort of thing which kept people such as Hitler in power. In other words she contradicts herself and is a hypocrite. Allen Capps Class of’98 The University definitely needs a highfalutin’ big-city girl such as yer own self to set the simple-minded country bumpkins straight in this here teeming metropolis. Yeehaw! On a (slightly) more serious note, I offer Buffin one of my favorite quotes: “You know how dumb the average person is? Well, by defini tion, half of them are dumber than that.” —J.R. “Bob” Dobbs Bradley Peikert Graduate Student The Battalion encourages letters to the ed itor. Letters must be 300 words or less and in clude 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 - 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