trsday • July 30,1998
The Battalion
PINION
't the win,
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Downsizing the family
msuoI treatment of divorce in America deprives children of security
C
ing Henry chopped off Anne Bo-
leyn's head, because he did not
have it. Then he started his own
Hy because he
tnted it.
PgjNlpoleon got rid
w Josephine with it.
ut
t A JMse she never
II c hild.
Now, Demi and
ce have resorted
iBecause one
-LSDALE H n can never
- Civil ii |]y Satisfy a man
osa Parks (ually.
* n It fe divorce. And
;an that' herican culture
i thrust he sfeon fit to in
flight ar ide divorce in its sacred canon of self-
5 torcor; rving rights.
when she Today, divorce is as much a part of
up herst Iterican democracy as a right to trial by
ia bus in iB\nyone who is willing to pay
etv he Br's fees is entitled to a divorce. This
Michelle
Voss
assistant
opinion editor
, Pari
e still
ass democratization of divorce makes it
itoo easy for couples to divide the chi-
and crystal.
Yet, what should be of particular con-
Bor America is the toll that skyrocket-
Bivorce rates are taking on young chil-
""B When young children are involved
. a divorce, it not only is a devastating
>enS Chfclyh but a travesty of commitment.
However, America need not mourn
elays of yore, of easy-bake ovens and
ferns in aprons. The myth of the flaw-
Bintact American family of the 1950s
link, a mere nostalgic impulse which
tuseless.
IStill, there is the painful reality, di-
prce is harming America,
parbara Dafoe Whitehead's book. The
Wrce Culture, assesses the impact of dis-
Mving marriages upon American culture.
^ She notes many economic and psycho-
ogical problems associated with divorce,
Bely that “divorce has contributed to
jrreater economic insecurity and poverty
Wong women and children. It has also
tifP a principal generator of unequal op-
need
igethe
built a $
dng his
I W'edr
/ Indusl
1984 h,
Dtllil
portunities and outcomes for
children."
The philosophy behind di
vorce is a mere correlative of
American capitalism — the
individual has the power
to serve his or her best
self-interest. But, as White-
head implores, parents
cannot ignore the altruistic
love of children.
Children deserve stability
and support; they never
asked to be brought into this
world. Parents took on a vol
untary obligation when they
decided to have a child, a
voluntary obligation to give
that child a secure and
promising future.
Divorce is a near guarantee
that a child will be at a disad
vantage — and not just eco
nomically.
Divorce is disillusioning for
children who are over-exposed
to dysfunction. They begin to
believe that relationships only
end in abandonment.
Hopefully, the millions of
Generation Xers will notice the
devastation, despair and multi
ple prescriptions brought on by
divorce. After all, they were the
kids who spent multiple hours in
therapy dealing with the sudden
upsurge in splitting families.
An article entitled "Down the
Aisle" from the July 20 issue of
Newsweek notes that the years spanning
the birth of "Generation X," 1965 to 1976,
correspond precisely to a doubling of the
annual American divorce rate from 2.5 to
5.0 per 1,000 population.
The divorce revolution slammed into
Xers with a tremendous force that left
many wary of marriage and relation
ships, in general.
With severe apprehension, Xers ap
proach the altar, hoping their life will not
become a statistic. Yet, they seem to be
more optimistic about their ability to han
dle commitment.
In a survey conducted in 1997 by the
market-research firm Yankelvich Part
ners, 73 percent of Xers said they would
favor a return to more traditional family
life. In stark contrast, only 56 percent of
boomers who were asked the same ques
tion in 1977 felt the same way.
Since they managed to live through
the nightmare of watching parents leave.
Xers seem to realize the importance of
having families that remain together
while children are young. At least, the
Newsweek article read, they appear to be
willing to invest more of themselves into
their marriage and children.
The point is, couples with children
should not be so frivolous about choos
ing to divorce. This is not to say mar
riages of violence, infidelity and drug
abuse should continue, but these
tragedies are the exception, not the norm.
The norm is no-fault.
No change in divorce laws or fluctua
tion in tax brackets will remedy the flip
pant attitudes concerning divorce. No,
Americans, especially young Americans,
need to redefine how the self relates to
marriage and family to show this genera
tion understands the word responsibility.
Michelle Voss is a junior English major.
Activist neglects
urate details
[response to Beth Russell's letter,
^%ircus Story Neglects Facts"
1 wanted to take this opportuni-
to apologize on behalf of all of
who are truly concerned about
limal rights for the letter written
Beth Russell.
It was she, not The Battalion's
jrandon Bollom, who failed to
'over the whole story."
When Bollom arrived at Reed
rena a little after 6p.m., people
ready were arriving for the
hree Ring Adventure," and 1
was the only protester present.
In fact, I was the only protester
present until almost 7 p.m., when
the majority of the people going
to the show already had entered
the arena.
I was also the only protester
who bothered to get permission
from the officials at Reed Arena to
have a demonstration.
If I hadn't had a demonstration
area set up, Russell and her 20 or so
fellow "activists" would have been
kicked off the arena grounds before
they got their first leaflet handed
out.
And if she expected media cov
erage from The Battalion, she
should have called The Battalion.
Despite what she might think,
every member of The Battalion staff
doesn't know her personal sched
ule.
You have to do a little planning
if you want to get something done
the way you'd like it.
The biggest thing Russell failed
to realize, though, is the fact that
the point of the story wasn't the
size of the protest, but the facts that
were being presented to the public.
facts the average circus-goer isn't
aware of, facts that Bollom present
ed in his story.
If all Russel is interested in is
why her picture wasn't in the pa
per, she's in the movement for the
wrong reasons, and she might
want to consider this before she
writes any more commentaries
that make not just her, but the
movement as a whole, look stupid.
Jon Ridenour
Class of '00
The Battalion encourages letters to the
editor. Letters must be 300 words or less
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 McDonald with a valid student ID. Let
ters may also be mailed to:
The Battalion-Mall Call
013 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station. TX
Campus Mail: 1,11,1
Fax: (409) 845-2647
E-mail: batt@tmix.tamu.edu
Lewinsky’s immunity deal
causes nothing but trouble
A s any fan of that creepy
television series, "The X-
Files,"
truth is out
there. But as
Monica
Lewinsky
knows,
sometimes it
takes an of
fer for im
munity from
prosecution
to expose
the truth.
After six
excruciating
months of investigation, Lewin
sky finally is going to tell her side
of the story. Lewinsky has agreed
to testify before a grand jury in re
turn for immunity from prosecu
tion for any crimes she might
have committed in relation to Ken
Starr's investigation of President
Bill Clinton.
Too bad the truth isn't all it's
cracked up to be. The truth be
hind the Clinton-Lewinsky affair
will be more than Americans ever
wanted to know.
In Tuesday's unusually short
press conference, Lewinsky's
lawyers, Plato Cacheris and Jacob
Stein, announced their deal with
the independent prosecutor.
"We, as counsel for Monica
Lewinsky, have reached an agree
ment today that for her full and
truthful testimony, she will re
ceive transactional immunity in
this case," Cacheris said.
The announcement signals a
turning point in Starr's investiga
tion — an investigation that has
moved so slowly it appeared it
wouldn't end until sometime in
the fall of 2023.
But like a roller coaster, the
long, slow ascent up the biggest
hill is over. The real ride is about
to begin. With Lewinsky's new
found cooperation, the bottom is
about to drop out — from beneath
the president, that is.
The White House's spin over
this potentially devastating devel
opment has been ludicrous. White
House press secretary Mike Mc-
Curry said that the deal gives the
president nothing to worry about,
and the president is even happy
Lewinsky is out of legal trouble.
"He is pleased things are working
out for [Lewinsky]," McCurry
said.
Indeed, Clinton has nothing to
fear from the deal, except perhaps
a little thing called impeachment.
This immunity deal spinning
Starr's investigation in a new
direction, also is going to alter
the news story surrounding the
scandal. During the past six
months, the Lewinsky story
has been based mostly on
leaks, rumors
and innuen
does. The
facts sur
rounding the
story have
been murky
at best.
But with
Lewinsky's
deal, Ameri
cans are going
to learn the
real truth. That
means hearing
all of the lurid details of an affair
that Lewinsky will testify she had
with the president.
Unfortunately, this also means
the public can expect several
months of sexually explicit news
stories. As the truth comes out,
newspapers will be filled with
stories surrounding subjects
such as oral sex, adultery and
foreplay. Parents can expect to
receive a lot of uncomfortable
questions from children as they
are exposed to endless X-rated
news reports.
Indeed, one wonders how
many soccer moms would have
voted for Clinton back in '92 if
they had known it would mean
having to discuss his sex life with
their kids in '98.
This immunity deal also means
this whole affair is about to turn
into a giant game of he said/she
said. The Clinton administration's
policy since the beginning of this
scandal has been to deny and de
lay.
Thus far, the delaying has
been quite effective. But like a
deer trapped in headlights, the
president is about to meet up
with the Mack truck that is Moni
ca Lewinsky. Lewinsky's testimo
ny will incriminate the president,
and all he will be able to do is
say, "I didn't do it."
It is going to be like the
worst "Jerry Springer Show"
episode ever, except this time
the big-haired woman on stage
will be played
by Lewinsky
and the redneck
will be Clinton.
There is such a
thing as too much
information. And
the American
public is going to
learn this lesson
as the Lewinsky
story progresses.
Stories about sex
and the president
are going to get
old very, very quickly.
Moreover, the accusations of
lying that will soon fly back and
forth between the Clinton and
Lewinsky camps are not going to
be pleasant or entertaining.
Clinton is a president who
has desperately searched for a
legacy throughout his adminis
tration. With Lewinsky's forth
coming testimony, Clinton is
about to get one.
He is the president who will be
remembered for his sex life, rather
than his policies.
And as a result, he has deflow
ered the entire nation.
John Lemons is a graduate student
in electrical engineering.
wi
John
Lemons
columnist
Indeed, Clinton has
nothing to fear from
the deal, except
perhaps a little thing
called impeachment.