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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1998)
Battalion inion Page 11 • Friday, December 4, 1998 seeks | t stolen ds of Cadets sennl :en into and i n Friday Nov. % ri the 1-35 feeder't Austin. s evorkian harms cause, overshadows message Wanted: JOHN LEMONS ppears to be the aw that broke the Jibway, a senior Jfroverbial camel’s id the the mone ;d< Jack Kevorkian has 3ts is estimated:« gone too far. and $1,100. He I In his crusade to make tal value of ttie;®er — that is, physi- because theyi'c:B assiste( J suicide — an nerwhenhewasBP^ble medical prac- ns taken include; ce < Kevorkian has per- and a camera. a euthanasia. This ’t think itwasalit|| e ‘ nt0 uncharted territory has in- but apparently eased the stakes in the national debate said. Bow to handle the terminally ill. As a iy said thatacc'^ 1 °f his actions, Kevorkian faces m was alsobroleB? 68 murder, assisting a suicide and he police toldtB^y a controlled substance, vould not beaWt®bile pro-lifers are glad Kevorkian goods Borced a confrontation ay said hisca' ec ' ,,not win » the y Corps of at)l ld a * so b e sa d to see nd it could havB g0 - Aside from his , et tactice of killing pa- ’ with inforrai.B 5 ; Kev , orkian is a niversity Police f( lfersb / s J tfriend - }5-2345 lispisguided mission I H Bcrippled the move- i Bt to legalize physician l-APrc cniil si r ed suicide - LtJtJfb SvUJBevoj-j^H | s t j ie f ace jon.im pfthysician-assisted suicide in rairU|J w'Bcountry. His name is in- i Creek is ttiefcBrable from the practice, ffort that neer lit the flamboyant Saturday. iiorkian is wrecking his cott, a Brazos B cause. :il memberand.Blearly, Kevorkian is lean-up andasiMa rational man. Bygiv i the Recreation lithe video tape of a eu- iSciences DepaBasia he performed on a k is a potentc; 2tyear-old man with Lou development. Brig’s disease to CBS’s “60- nCreek willprciifinutes,” Kevorkian forced e in greenwaydwolecutors to charge him scity in the tenth murder, to makeitbottiriBfter viewing the tape aired »k at andmoreii[60 Minutes,” Oakland ho don’t te-Bnty, Mich, prosecutor David isaid. Bcya indicted Kevorkian on i up will includeiiumer charges, s ofthecreekKWConsent is not a viable de- iTexas Avenue, pse in taking the life of another, is should mee'ijven under the most controlled en- nphitheater hronment,” Gorcya said in a press s. ThecleaiKipflbijference. Binder the law, euthanizing a patient is information hurder. Advertising one’s involvement in a goes to jail, he intends to go on a hunger strike until he dies. Always on the fringe, Kevorkian has turned self destructive. As lucky as he has been in court in the past, surely he had to know that he cannot win this battle. The crusader, according to Fieger, now seeks the martyr’s role. If it is the martyr’s role Kevorkian wants, he will not get it. Martyrs are people who are liked, and Kevorkian’s fanatical actions have not endeared him to the public. 0/ r BRAD GRAEBER/Tm: Battalion A 6334. murder on national ,television is insane. But Kevorkian’s behavior in this re fill incident has been consistently irra- onul. In an interview with CBS’ Mike /allace, Kevorkian said he hoped legal ijhorities would charge him for the eu- anasia. Moreover, Kevorkian said if he ) rogram for weary drivers ticreases highway safety In a recent interview with the De troit Free Press, Kevorkian’s former lawyer, Geoffrey Fieger, said Kevorkian has a “self-destructive streak that has over whelmed his campaign for legalization of doctor-assisted end-of-life procedures. ” Americans, by and large, are disgusted by what they witnessed on “60 Minutes.” A delicate subject like physi cian-assisted suicide needs to be presented gently if Americans are to be expected to accept it. With apologies to Mary Poppins, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Kevorkian has offered Americans a spoonful of tacks to chase down his bad medicine. Worse, Kevorkian has made the issue more about himself than about relieving patients’ pain. Even his former lawyer acknowledges this fact. “Kevorkian has no sense of loyalty and no sense of hon or,” Feiger said. “He thinks of himself more than he thinks about the issue.” By working alone, Kevorkian made himself the sole arbiter of which pa tients live and die. One rea son why Kevorkian’s prac tice of physician-assisted suicide is so danger ous is it leaves no room for second opinions. This ex ecutioner work ing solely on his own judgement — a frightening concept. On the whole, Kevorkian’s ac tions are moral ly bankrupt. Thankfully, the actions of one man are sinking the whole cause. It is, after all, about time. For years, the pro death movement — that is, pro-choice — has painted the pro-life movement with a broad brush. By labeling all pro lifers as religious fanatics and clinic bombers the pro-choice move ment has time and again damaged the move to make outlaw abortion. It has been dishonest and unfair to stereotype the whole movement to save babies by the ac tions of a few on the lunatic fringe. Well, if turnabout is fair play, then it ac ceptable for the country to believe that like Kevorkian, all proponents of physician-as sisted suicide are nuts. Kevorkian is the wrong man to front his cause, which is good to those who still be lieve that life is precious. Who would have guessed Kevorkian’s last victim would be himself? Batt staffers John Lemons is an electrical engineering graduate student. D n any giv en week end or hol- ay, Texas ghways are owded with Ipy motorists, any of whom e between the |es 18 and 24. ■Drowsy dri- ELIZABETH STRAIT is have the potential to end jir own lives, as well as the s of any fellow motorists. The National Sleep Foundation lorts 72 percent of people be- fen the ages of 18 and 24 have en while drowsy, he Texas A&M Student Senate passed a bill in conjunction h the National Sleep Founda- s “Drive Alert ... Arrive Alive” Jgram that addresses this issue id has the potential to save Iny people from sleep-related [accidents. [the National Sleep Founda- pi’s program, which addresses wsy driving, is a national cam- gn to raise public awareness ut driver fatigue and sleep-re- ted crashes. Drowsy driving is a [ious problem for college stu nts. According to a recent study the University of North Caroli- Uno > people under the age of 25 ac- er [int for 55 percent of all sleep- aes, stuffed ated accidents. The senate passed The Lupe dina Bill for Driving Safety last ptember. The bill is named for dina, a Texas A&M student to was killed in a sleep-related :ident in April 1998. The Texas A&M Student Sen- i Senate home page says the bill lablishes a program to provide a iuced rates for college students veling late at night on week- ds, and during winter and ring breaks at participating Su- t8 Motels and Hampton Inns toss Texas. There are already participating ^tels located in several Texas ies, and more hotels are consid- for finals is 19th at 2C ow us yo^ w up with -ight. 12 FAX ering joining the program. Hotels post fliers to let stu dents know they are participat ing in the program. The student, who must be at least 50 miles from his or her home campus, simply provides a student identi fication card from any university at check-in, and he or she will receive a discount. The goal of the bill is to make money less of an issue for stu dents who are driving late at night and would like to stop and rest. Rather than put their lives in danger by driving drowsy, they can stop and get some rest in a safe environment. The bill will not only prevent drowsy driving, but it may also prevent students from pulling over on the side of the road to rest, which can be equally dan gerous. Sleeping on the side of the road opens students up to a number of other danger like hav ing their car broken into while^ they are in it or being hit by an other motorist. Now that the cost of a hotel room is less of an issue, the only thing left to the student is taking responsibility for his or her driving behavior and recognizing when it is time to get off of the road. If stopping and getting some rest is still not an option, students should take other steps, such as rotating drivers or stopping peri odically to take a break. Sleep-related car accidents are unnecessary and can be prevented if drivers make a point to take pre cautions and recognize their limits. Long drives are fatiguing for anyone, and especially college students who have a million things going on in their lives. The National Sleep Foundation along with the Texas A&M Student Sen ate is taking an important step in eliminating sleep related car crashes on Texas Highways. Texas athletic teams deserve joint support T ANDREW BALEY Elizabeth Strait is a junior journalism major. I here is rea son to smile today in Aggieland. The Texas Aggie football team has a chance tomor row to reclaim its football season. A win in the Big XII Champi onship game against No. 2- ranked Kansas State University could push the Aggies into a prominent bowl game and give their season a positive end. Most Ags are probably praying for a decent showing tomorrow. In the minds of many, even a re spectable game could ease the sick feeling from last week’s loss. There is no doubt last Friday was bad for Aggies. Neither of the two participants in the nation’s best college rivalry deals well with losing the big game. Compe tition in any arena, whether it be football, baseball, or 3-in-the- morning brawls on 6th Street, is always at its best when Aggies and Longhorns are competing against one another. Protesters miss biblical message In response to the Dec. 3 article, “Baptist group to protest apology”: As a Southern Baptist, I was disappointed to read about the hateful way Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., plans to protest. The Bible states homosex ual behavior is a sin. However, that does not mean “God hates fags.” Because God is loving and just, sin must be accounted for. By his grace and mercy, a way to salva tion was provided for all people. Most Baptists adhere to the Bible, which commands us to love our neighbor. It is important for the stu dents of A&M to understand that Christians, whether they are Bap tists or not, should love the sinner This is why our rivalry with Texas’ other big school is so heat ed and cherished. But two events occurred on Friday that served to remind everyone that despite the love of the rivalry, neither A&M nor the Austin school, is bigger than the state in which they both are located. After Texas kicked its game winning field goal there was heartache and jubilation in Royal Memorial Stadium. However, even those Aggies present took time out of their heartache to ap plaud Texas running back Ricky Williams for becoming the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher. William’s feat is quite an ac complishment. He broke a record that had stood for 22 years and passed up some very famous company along the way. Williams destroyed records that used to be long to guys with such big names as Tony Dorsett and Earl Camp bell. Ricky Williams deserved the applause he received from all fans at Royal-Memorial Stadium, in cluding Aggies. After the Aggies’ kind gesture, it was the Longhorns’ turn. Texas fans took time out of their cele bration to applaud and support A&M when the stadium announc er wished the Aggies good luck against Kansas State in the Big XII Championship Game. This was a kind act on the part of the Texas fans. They had no more reason to cheer for us than we did to cheer for their superstar. The reason these two events took place is because Texas is the best state in the country. All resi dents of this great state should have pride in it. Texans should keep this in mind when they see the burnt- orange uniforms playing the likes of Nebraska or Notre Dame. A win for Austin is a win for the state of Texas. Just the same, a win for A&M is a win for the lone star state. When Aggies are facing t-sips, they all know who should and will win. But, when the teams are playing separate opponents, they should root for each other for the state’s sake. Andrew Baley is a junior political science major. MAIL CALL but not his or her sin. Following Christ’s example does not include loud, hateful protests. Jonathan Jones Class of ’02 Football coaches show poor strategy I want to thank the Texas A&M Wrecking Crew for winning as many games as they did this year. As a football fan I enjoyed watching such a dominating de fense. I want to thank the offense for scoring enough points to allow the Wrecking Crew to win as many games as they did this year. I have attended this university for four years and have seen the Universi ty of Texas beat the Aggies three out of the past four meetings. I have seen Texas come to Kyle Field and dominate us and I have seen us get completely dominat ed twice at Royal Memorial stadi um in Austin. Now I have one question for the coaching staff: Why did you call for a prevent defense with 52 seconds to go in the game when the Longhorns were nice enough to let us take the lead by giving us the ball? The Longhorns managed to drive the ball 70 yards in 52 sec onds and kick a chip-shot field goal to win it. If you give a quar terback — much less a good quarterback — 10 seconds to throw the ball,-he is going to pick apart a defense no matter how good it is. All this defense does is pre vent you from winning. Keep with AARON MEIER T he average semester of The Battal ion requires about 2 million newspaper pages, 1,520 stories writ ten by 50 of the 100 staff mem bers, 640 rolls of ____________ film, 2,800 cans of Coke, 160 trips by food deliver ers and so many angry mail calls the office clerks might need thera py after graduation. Did I mention that all of this is headed up by one single individ ual? Well next semester that fool — excuse me, honored student — is me. It’s hard to believe that three years ago I turned in my appli cation to be a feature writer with no journalism experience, no formal writing experience and absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. I am the poster child for the say ing, “No experience necessary.” Three years later I have be come editor in chief and will take the helm of one of the largest stu dent newspapers in the nation. Heaven help me. Actually, The Batt has offered me experiences that I never would have had the opportunity to see otherwise. Where else can a student be able to watch from the fourth row as Shania Twain shakes her stuff in a spandex outfit and then be able to write about it? Working at The Batt is not about free tickets though. Notable Batt alumna include Lyle Lovett and Debby Krenek, editor in chief of the New York Daily News. While we all may not be able to marry Julia Roberts, at least we can worship the ground he walked on — the lucky dog. For people that say they do not need to know how to write for a business degree or an engi neering job, I simply laugh in their face. Every summer I work for an engineering firm during the summers and every summer they tell me that the one thing they wish they could find more of is good writers. Everyone with an engineering degree can take the integral of a function or calculate the area under the curve, but ask most engineers to write about it, and they give you this saucer-eyed stare like a deer caught in headlights. For those readers who are al ready talented writers, or pho tographers or graphic designers. The Battalion is a great way to get learn just how messed up this great University of ours can be. From vicious arguments over bottles of wine to bitter de bates on whether students should use one backpack strap or two, it is hard not to sit back in the newsroom and laugh at some of the thoughts that cross students’ minds. Don’t believe me? Think I am just some crazy two-percenter who has been locked in the basement of Reed McDonald too long? Well, then just head on down here and throw your ap plication at my feet and say, “I carry my books in a satchel, wear my 12th Man T-shirt every day and I want to write for The Battabloid.” I’ll have a can of Coke wait ing here for you. Aaron Meier is a senior political science major. what has gotten you there and that sure was not the prevent. I hope if the coaching staff can make the game against Kansas State close enough, they do not make the same mistake again. Max Rohrer Class of ’99 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: 11.11 Fax: (409) 845-2647 idSKilOT ''
