The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, January 19, 1999, Image 13

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    .fhe Battalion
o PINION
Page 13 • Tuesday, January 19, 1999
!rs flood
a resolution to change
'Aggies should
T i
;
tors
INGTON
-with praise f'-
Republican SeT^ he start of i
f Rhode Islanc. I a new se
foor he usedfc^B mestei is I
he Senate- h ® erfec ;
orlt'xas AdsiM
Jniwrsitv to
H;e a New
H , ’s resolu-
ion This
■’s resolu-
ion is simple:
Jet rid of theB
so good,
e be advisee -
e event that ,:,
te in favor
iffersonClmtc- Glenn
*e® s resolu- iantti^
WMmmi. qimnlp-
i nickel in
ause ofens.' . c i :1 A 0 i> s wors t traditions.
siexttimeyoLv Sandwiched between the
fave a ntceCr r^^j,] s g re<s t traditions of Bonfire,
' ,T, ailt>ags a - : he Corps, and ring dunking are a
thing except s )ev ^ 0 f s ij|y traditions that make
e debate owl vggies look foolish.
itemaybeerH: fSome of these traditions have
y fitfully, but r )een developed by Aggies with
s it beats wit r »oO( intentions, but it is now time
o nut a stop to them.
rigor instance, none of the
^^fcilles — living or dead — have
H concern about the score of the
H football games. Despite this
)b\lious fact, some Aggies sacrifice
i diy at Kyle Field to stand across
he street and hold a dry-erase
cofeboard for the dead dogs, all in
ame of tradition,
re we sure this is the kind of
tradition” A&M needs? Mascots
;erve as symbols to inspire the
earn and the crowd, but what do
lead mascots do? Placing flowers
it tjie grave of the befallen
n excitingforii teyeilles is respectful. Holding up
ect to work; I ! '
II repeat aga::
aringing witr
11 definitely d
his process,’
lit Ml
11 cord
j ralh
and-a-halfbl
ett Elements
el for a ecutr
stop practicing pointless and silly traditions, focus on the good ones
a sign to show them the score is
utter lunacy.
Many traditions at A&M involve
not only ceremonies and events,
but the words and phrases Aggies
use daily on campus. The A&M lex
icon is full of outdated and some
what disgusting terms.
Only in Aggieland could “red-
ass” mean anything good. In the
rest of the country “red-ass” is an
uncomfortable, unflattering status
people actually try to avoid.
As courtesy to the Aggie
Mom’s, let’s also do away with
“piss-head.” No mother, no mat
ter how “Aggie” she is wants to
call her child a piss-head.
“Gig’ em” is fine, but what on
Earth does “gig’ em right back at
you” mean? Does “sit down bus
driver” really apply anymore?
Could anything really be more vile
than a “horselaugh?”
Each of these phrases is a sense
less saying that makes Aggies ap
pear to be slack-jawed, back-woods
rednecks. By purging our vocabu
lary of the most embarrassing Ag
gie-isms, perhaps the more valu
able sayings — like “howdy” —
will be noticed.
The practice of Midnight Yell
could use some adjustments also.
The yell leaders do a superb job
during the practice.
So then why must they waste
our time with 20 minutes worth of
antics before practice begins?
Why do the yell leaders show up
at Kyle Field at 11:40 pm, do hun
dreds of little-tiny push-ups and
then roll around on with each other
on the turf? Neither the fans nor the
football team receives any encour
agement from this pre-game
wrestling match.
If the yell leaders want to roll
around together, can it not be con
fined to the Quad?
According to a recent Rolling
Stone poll, Texas A&M University is
the most spirited college in the
country. Our traditions help keep
our spirit alive. However, as current
Aggies, we have an obligation to
get rid of the traditions that make
our school look flat-out ignorant.
Perhaps if we transferred our en
ergy away from “Gig’em right back
at you” and the dead-dog score-
board, and back to the valuable tra
ditions, more people would say
“Howdy,” show up for Silver Taps
and attend Muster.
As the last year of the millen
nium dawns, let’s resolve to do
away with our worst traditions.
Yell practice will be more enjoy
able, Aggie Moms will be happi
er and perhaps the traditions de
serving our attention can be
restored to the rightful place.
Glenn Janik is a senior political
science major.
J.P. Beato/The Battalion
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.-TiniE
En V0lJ Racial bias, threats of violence
should not affect execution
ion. Our
j
-ibution
;embly
stration
lupport
a
Zach
HALL
ust over a week ago,
convicted murderer Gary
Graham was granted a
jtay on his scheduled execu-
ion. Graham, a 34-year-old
olack man, received the
death penalty in 1981 for
piirdering a man after a
robbery in a Houston super
market parking lot.
p After being on death row
for 17 years, Graham has fi-
tially reached the end of his legal rope. But Gra
ham and his attorney, Richard Burr, contend that
witnesses and evidence has emerged that can
prove Graham’s innocence. They claim that a new
trial must be granted.
■ While Graham was denied a new trial, the 5th
Ills. Circuit Court of Appeals granted him a stay
until his case could be further reviewed. In doing
so, it appears that justice was held hostage by mil
itant political and racial activism.
Until this time, no court has granted a new trial
for Graham, and his sentence has not been com-
ted. According to the Houston Chronicle, Gra-
m, in the final days before his scheduled execu
tion, has vowed that he “would fight like hell”
before he is allowed to die. He also urged support
for his cause adding that “if it takes a picket sign,
ingthat. If it takes an AK-47, bring that.”
In support of Graham, radical black Muslim
tivist Quanell X of Houston is quoted in the
buston Chronicle openly urging African-Ameri-
jans to support Graham by taking out their vio
lence on whites.
■ “For the next three to four days we are ask
ing for total peace and calm in the black com
munity. We don’t want any brothers doing any
drive-bys, anybody mugging anybody, anybody
bbing anybody.
“If you feel that you just got to mug somebody
cause of your hurt and your pain, go to River
ks (an affluent mostly white neighborhood in
uston) and mug you some good white folks.
“If you’re angry that our brother is put to
ath, don’t burn down your own communi-
, give these white folks hell from womb to
e tomb.”
Perhaps Quanell X would gain more respect
and support if he championed a true racial
cause and not one that involves a convicted
thug. The efforts by much of the black commu
nity to turn this issue into one of racial bias are
unsubstantiated and misdirected. The 5th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals should not further this
issue any more and should lift the stay so Gra
ham can face his punishment.
Furthermore, Quanell X’s actions should be
closely watched and perhaps he should be
brought up on charges of inciting riots.
Graham was convicted on testimony of
Bernardine Skillern, who was an eyewitness to
the murder. She followed Graham in her car to
get a closer look at his face after Graham tried
to flee the scene of the murder. She has subse
quently picked him out of a police line-up every
time since then.
In addition, the case has had 35 previous re
views. Graham was determined to be guilty by
every one of them. The judges during these re
views ruled Graham does not need a new trial
because the new witnesses could not be
deemed credible.
It should also be noted that these witnesses
did not come forward until 1993, when Graham
was first scheduled to die.
Hopefully, the decision by the 5th U.S. Cir
cuit Court of Appeals to grant a stay was not
done out of fear of riots and the threat of armed
insurrection. It is unlikely, though, that they
will allow Graham a new trial.
Nevertheless, no court or any branch of law
should be pressured into action by violent
threats. The Graham case is not a Rodney
King case.The black community should not al
low its radical racists to taint future causes
that might have merit. No cause, regardless of
how unjust it is, warrants violent actions
against innocent citizens.
If and when Graham is again scheduled for
execution, the Houston and Huntsville commu
nities should not tolerate the violent threats and
actions from militants like Quanell X or any of
his sympathizers who share his views.
Zach Hall is a senior philosophy major
NBA shows poor sportsmanship
T here is no joy —
in Mudville,
because the I Jill
Mighty Casey
wants a 5-year, $50
million contract.
The six-month
saga of the ^ m
“Lifestyles of the Demond
Rich and Greedy” REID
came to an abrupt
end when the National Basketball As
sociation players and owners reached
a settlement concerning the lockout.
The main reason behind the lock
out was a disagreement over what
percentage of the total NBA revenue
should be devoted to players’ salaries.
Over the next seven years the
owners wanted an annual average
of 54 percentage of the revenue
dedicated to salaries, while the
players wanted 56 percentage.
Basically, the past half-year foolish
ness has been over a measly difference
of two percentage points. It is this type
of money-grubbing and penny-pinch
ing that has caused a rift of mistrust
and frustration between professional
sports and the American public so
wide that it makes the Grand Canyon
look like the gap between Mike
Tyson’s front teeth.
In a situation such as this, it is hard
to decide who to hate more.
On one hand, there are grossly over
paid, ultra-testosteroned, parole-violat
ing behemoths who have been pam
pered for the majority of their adult
lives because they have a “sweet”
jumper or a 35-inch vertical leap.
On the other hand, there are the
gazillionaire, megalomaniac owners
who probably did not get any action
in high school, but since they have
more money than God now, they
think they can use the world as
their own personal playground.
Sure Kevin Garnett will end up
making $126 million, but Minnesota
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is
writing him the check. Choosing sides
on this issue is like deciding whether
to be handcuffed to Charles Manson
or Jack the Ripper.
The best thing to come out of the
settlement is that we no longer have to
listen to Patrick Ewing talk. How did
he get elected president of the Players’
Union? Who was he running against,
Latrell Sprewell and Dennis Rodman?
Patrick Ewing is not qualified to be
president of the Luke Perry fan club.
It is good to know the NBA is putting
the basketball back in his hand and
taking the microphone out.
During the negotiation meetings, it
was easy to feel sorry for the majority
of the NBA players. If those guys
wanted to spend their days in a stuffy
room listening to a boring speaker,
they would have stayed in college.
The people who are really to
blame for this entire fiasco are we,
the fans. We empower the basketball
players with our money, which in
turn empowers the owners. We are
facing nothing more than the
Frankenstein we have created.
So villagers join together, pick up
your pitchforks and torches and let’s go
monster-hunting. If we come together
as a group and collectively boycott the
N.B.A. and all N.B.A. merchandise, the
revenue will drop faster than a fresh
man after seven beers.
And a decrease in revenue means
a decrease in salaries.
If we hit both the players and the
owners in the wallet, maybe they will
stand up and notice that the fans are
mad as heck and we are not going to
take it anymore. After all, if the N.B.A
loses enough money, “The Mailman”
will no longer be Karl Malone’s nick
name — it will be his job title.
Demond Reid is a sophomore
marketing major
Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views of the editori
als board members. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of oth
er Battalion staff members, the Texas A&M student body, regents, ad
ministration, faculty or staff. Columns, guest columns, cartoons and
letters express the opinions of the authors.
KASIE BYERS
Managing Editor
MANISHA PAREKH
Opinion Editor
BETH MILLER
City Editor
Realizing a dream
Martin Luther King Day should he a time to reflect on the past,
make plans for bettering the future of race relations in America
It has been more than 30 years since the death of Dr.
Rev. Martin Luther King, but the passage of time has
not dimmed his legacy.
As the nation prepares for the next millennia. King
stands as a symbol of what man can be when he
strives to better himself and his society.
King is reminder of the this nation’s past and the
great strides we have made towards racial harmony.
His “I have a dream speech” still stands as a turning
point in the history of race relations and civil rights,
serving as a yardstick with which we can measure or
progress towards a time when people are no longer
judged on the basis of skin color.
King’s legacy is also a symbol of how far American
society still hds to progress before even half his dream
is realized. Society has come a long way, but we must
not stop while the goal is still out of our grasp.
King also serves as shining example of what person
can do when he puts his mind to it. In an age of in
creasing cynicism, the legacy of King continues to in
spire social reformers across the globe. King is proof
that one person can make a difference in the world.
Further, his example was one of calm reason. In
stead of taking to the streets with violence. King chose
to work towards his goals through civil disobedience.
Even when faced with violent resistance. King never re
sorted to using force. His was a philosophy of peace,
not pain.
King was also a man who tried to bring the races to
gether, instead of dividing them. He accepted all races
as followers and did not discriminate.
He offered a vision of the future in which all peo
ple were represented. For this reason. King stands as
a symbol of freedom for people of all races, not just
a few.
King, despite the flaws some historians choose to
dwell on, was man who brought people together in an
effort to make the country and the world a bettfer place.
Through his efforts, he has come to be though of and
honored as a modern-day founding father.
However, as, Americans stop to reflect upon the
life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, is impor
tant to remember that there is still long path to travel
before his dream is realized.