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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 1998)
iBattalion inion Page 11 • Monday, December?, 1998 Blood, guts and ratings television outlets broadcast sensational, damaging images to garner viewers STEWART PATTON L ast week, 22.4 million people tuned in to “60 Minutes” to view Heotape of Dr. Jack Ivorkian administering a Hi dose of potassium pride to a man with Lou g’s disease, is sad episode in |aerican society is the lat- tixample of the mass edia pushing the limits of human decency. Television producers of yesteryear raised itings during November sweeps week by rowing Sam proposing to Diane or by air- iga particularly touching episode of Igriily Matters.” As the millennium draws i a close, it seems the only way to get peo- ie’s attention is to show the death of an- Jher human being. Hint media have largely missed the oint — to air or not to air is not the ques- on. It is a sad comment on society the Hucers of “60 Minutes” would even Dirsider running a tape of a man dying, ■he history of the media’s display of ufageous material is much like the story (the chicken and the egg. Did television Hucers start airing salacious material ■then society came to accept it, or did Hass media simply fill a need they per- eiyed in society? ■he answer, of course, lies somewhere 1 the middle. The power to end the down- rafid spiral, however, rests in the hands of te media. Hmed with a confused notion of iolrnalistic integrity,” the media are un- riling to halt the parade of filth. In an iterview after the broadcast, Mike Wal- ice, a “60 Minutes” correspondent, said, H it off if you don’t like it — this is /hat death looks like.” r Wallace implies Americans cannot un- erstand a complex issue without seeing te actual event take place. It is a shame he • probably correct. H/ith children’s programming like “Bar ley and modern teaching practices, chil- Iren are taught at an early age that leani ng must be fun. The need to actually see bivent take place is the adult version of his early childhood lesson. he hallmark of television news is ing film of the event. A report about Jest in Israel must be accompanied by jures of a mob attacking an Israeli sol- During the Persian Gulf War, the tly news showed the damage inflicted Strategic bombing. Most Americans do not read a daily ROBERT HYNECEK/The Battalion newspaper. Therefore, the average Joe has never developed the ability to digest print information. Americans often have a hard time understanding complex issues with out visual stimulus because they have nev er had to. Television news should police itself and draw a line of human decency it will not cross. Even if Americans want to see videotape of a man dying, the mass me dia should realize that the indecency of showing the tape would outweigh any in formational benefit. The ultimate answer to this issue and many others is Americans must learn to think for themselves. If one wants to un derstand euthanasia, he or she can read a book or an article about all of the is sues involved and then determine his or her stance. There really is no moral to this story. Americans want to see an event happening because they believe one cannot under stand it otherwise, and television produc ers will air anything they think people want to see. In place of a moral, a lingering malaise should leave a bad taste in the mouth of those concerned with the social health of the nation. It is completely ludicrous to argue the airing of the videotape constitutes news. Kevorkian already has helped dozens of 'earl Harbor Day offers opportunity to appreciate changing world DAVE JOHNSTON lorty-seven years ago today, Sanese mili- leaders per- [ally invited United States |oin a war. A png world r, actually. |The early- ning assault on the U.S. naval e at Pearl Harbor was a shock- event most young Americans er will be able to comprehend, [with many other pieces of his- , the reality of Peal Harbor the effects of its attack may ost to the ages unless young ericans work to preserve their tonal heritage. he global setting has changed ically since 1941. Americans longer fear bomb-bearing bal- oons floating across the Atlantic Kansas group naligns Baptists |As a Baptist, it is irritating and Ibarrassing to be associated pomatically with the Disney boy- ters, the heartless jerks picket- Jwith “AIDS Cures Fags” signs [Matthew Shepard’s funeral f more recently, the Baptist tup from Topeka, Kan., who btested at the Kansas State vs. ras A&M game. It is always the loud, obnox- |is, self-righteous minority who pkes the rest of us look bad. I j not condone homosexuality Realise I believe the Bible tells lit is a sin. However, that does mean I hate homosexuals, ttred is a sin, too. Therefore, I |nnot see how this church 3up can actually call them- flves Christians while spouting : such hate-filled nonsense. I do not recall Jesus ever call- S anyone names. He taught liristians to love the sinner, and Ocean. The greatest U.S. concerns regarding Japan center upon the island nation’s economy and how the ally’s finances might impact American markets. Americans born after the sec ond World War have never felt a threat to their national sovereign ty — unless you count a small, Mideast country banning Ameri can weapons inspectors. The world — and America’s place in it — is starkly different than it was when most Aggies’ parents or grandparents were growing up. Unfortunately, this means many young people take their blessings for granted. It is sometimes surprising how quickly events disappear from the public consciousness. Although most Aggies were dramatically af fected by the 1986 Challenger dis aster, within the next few years the University will begin admit- hate the sin. This church group is sadly mistaken if they feel they are doing God’s will. It is people like this who make me ashamed to call myself a Baptist. Jennifer Maddox Class of '02 Confederate flags bother student Browsing through the Aggie Moms’ craft boutiques in the MSC, I noticed a large box of handcrafted Confederate flags, nestled right next to the Christ mas ornaments. The Aggie Moms are a beloved and valuable part of the Aggie tra dition, and I appreciate their sale of Bonfire- and Muster-related crafts, which are designed to pro mote Aggie unity. However, it is dif ficult for me to see the positive value of fund raising by way of divi sive and offensive Confederate flags offered for sale alongside ting freshmen who do not even remember the incident. Too often, however, people consider an event less real or less important if they cannot personally remember it or did not feel any direct impact from it. It is an unfortunate mistake. History studies normally rely on texts presenting world events through a detached narrative. With this view, much of histo ry’s value is lost. Instead, the memories and experiences of in dividuals who lived through his toric events should be collected and cherished. The emotions that accompanied major mo ments in history should be recorded as well. Just as impor tant as the events in America’s history are the feelings of Ameri cans who experienced those mo ments firsthand. Sure, Neil Armstrong was the MAIL CALL those memorabilia. It was especially embarrassing that the large choir of elementary- school children who were singing in the Flagroom might have seen the flags and associated them with our school. I am sure this particular chapter of Aggie Moms did not realize what the sale of these flags suggests about the social attitudes of Aggies. Perhaps they were simply not aware of the negative connotations of the flags — the only alternative being they simply do not care and are indifferent to the siz able group of us at this school who see the Confederate flag as an oppressive symbol of more than the “good ol’ South.” When asked why they were selling Confederate flags, the Aggie Moms said they were not meant to be symbols of racism. This confirms the moms meant no harm. But if you must con stantly explain your motives for selling a controversial symbol you know offends a large group first person to set foot on the moon, but it is also important to remember millions of Americans watched every second of the un folding drama. The nation came to a virtual stop when president John F. Kennedy was assassinated. An event that is today the subject of conspiracy theories and ridicule deeply impacted the entire nation only a few decades ago. In a sense, the emotions make these events so significant. This nation is defined by the experi ences that brought the country to gether. Attitudes and policies are shaped by those experiences. Unlike many of these shaping events, Americans recognize Pearl Harbor Day each year. This pro vides an opportunity to look back at the event and the era in which it occurred. Younger generations rarely take advantage of such op portunities, though they should. of people, it is better not to sell it at all. Otherwise, you risk guilt by association. Sarah D. Forbey Class of '00 Many overreact to Bonfire comment I applaud Dan Campbell. Until letters were printed in The Battalion and a concern voiced by Dr. Southerland, I heard nothing but positive reactions to the now infa mous joke. Tens of thousands of whoops at Bonfire agree. I think everyone needs recog nize the reason he made the comment was to defile t-sips, not homosexuals. A school so proud of tradition should keep in mind one of the greatest American and Texas Aggie traditions — the football rivalry. Our football rivalry with t.u. en compasses more than 100 years and a ludicrous amount of jokes. Older Americans can offer a truly unique view of history to anyone willing to spend the time to listen. The valuable as set of recalled experiences will be lost eventually. Pearl Harbor Day provides a good excuse for learning more about how the attack affected Americans. Most Aggies know someone who lived through World War II who remembers hearing about the surprise attack. Ask them where they were when they heard the news. Ask them what they felt. Ask them how the world has changed. The answers may be surpris ing. You may find a greater ap preciation for the current world situation — a world of security and opportunity. Dave Johnston is a senior ‘ mathematics major. Should we now examine our thoughts towards mothers, mas cots and a host of other references in our century of joke-telling? No. It was a joke, and those Ags in attendance with me at the game in Austin can attest to the fact Camp bell’s was much tamer than those that we endured involving various farm animals. Thanks, Dan, for keeping the ri valry strong. Keith Franks Class of '00 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 JEFF WEBB patients commit suicide and has been ar rested several times. The only news the tape shows is old news. Is it any wonder, then, that “60 Minutes” waited until sweeps week to display it? Another threshold has been crossed by the American mass media, and there is no turning back. The falcon cannot hear the falconer — news programs in the years to come will undoubtedly display increasing ly grotesque video under the guise of ad vancing a national debate. Stewart Patton is a senior sociology major. BCS system fails to solve football woes S ome joke the Bowl Champi onship Series rankings — the great college football Wizard of Oz, combining computer rank ings, football polls and sched uling — needs to lose the middle letter of its abbreviation to have an accurate moniker. But it seems the archaic fanta sy system it uses to determine a national champion would be bet ter represented by dropping the “S” to leave the letters “B.C.” Roy Kramer, associate commis sioner of the Southeastern Confer ence and the BCS chair, said he will evaluate his BCS brainchild for possible changes after the 1999 national championship game, the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., has been played. Kramer will have a lot of ad justments to make to his system. In the most recent BCS stand ings, which are used only to de termine the Fiesta Bowl matchups for the national championship, Kansas State University, which lost in the Big 12 Championship game 36-33 in double overtime, still ranks third in the all-encompassing system. Yet the Kansas State Wildcats find themselves rele gated to the Alamo Bowl after a one-loss season. For many, college football is life, and no one said life is fair. But the easy answer to the nation al-championship quandary is a playoff system. No guaranteed berths for conference champions — just the top eight teams in col lege football slugging it out for the ultimate prize. The BCS automatic bids go to the conference champions of the Big 12, Atlantic Coast Con ference, SEC, PAC 10, Big 10 and Big East. Syracuse University occupies a spot in the Orange Bowl that should go to a higher- ranked team. However, because of the deal between the four BCS bowls and the respective conferences, Syra- cuse gets an automatic bid despite its No. 15 ranking in the BCS, No. 18 ranking in the Associated Press Poll and No. 17 ranking in the ESPN/Coaches Poll. This year, Miami and Texas A&M prevented a roaring debate over which teams deserved a spot in the Fiesta Bowl. After un- beatens UCLA and Kansas State fell, only the University of Ten nessee and Tulane University possess unblemished records. However, last season’s joint na tional championship between University of Nebraska and Uni versity of Michigan left college football fans unsatisfied. Perhaps with an 8-team play off, even Tulane — which went undefeated in a relatively weak conference — would get a chance to play against the big names in college football. As in all major collegiate sports, money seems to be the biggest roadblock for a playoff system. Bowl representatives say the first-round games, which would be rotated among different bowl games, would not make as much money because fans of highly ranked teams would save their money and only attend later games. But the national attention re served for each game, which would have most of the national viewing audience, would make a boatload of money. For those who say a playoff system would drag out too long, most football teams, like A&M, play 14'games including confer ence championship and bowl games. Cutting out one regular- season game for college teams should resolve the complaint. If the length of the season is a con cern, how does Division I-AA schedule their playoff system? It can work. Of course, if the playoff system is accepted by conference com missioners and bowl representa tives, college football fans will lose the most spirited season of the football schedule — the off season arguments. Jeff Webh is a senior journalism major
