e Battalion
PINION
Page? • Monday, April 12, 1999
ppear in ad). This 0:;
i or you get an addit:
1 scheduled toendlc:
f
1/
an’t we all just get along?
erences between cadets, non-reg students should not be source of conflict for Aggies
PETS
Kittens & cats lot adop
y to excellent homes £
, Students 4 Invests
\ homes less than ■
9 for Free CaHAm
Chrisitna
BARROWS
ith
the
new
of
i-corps
pupp.<>s akc v- mber Ricky
>50 Pleased. |od ^ the
REAL ESTAiiditionally
ps position
/ell leader,
eems an
oropriate time to reflect on the
si 011 anc l competition be-
non-reg Aggies and
ROOMMATE^- Aje ,. IT .
Everyone at lexas A&M Um-
' s ' tv should be considered
l -»;/•>.* :> JalSy “Aggie.” Every student
- plied to this University in the
iaf 9 « txK*yw c nBmanner and should be
ated as equals. Unfortunately,
mfTUl!es ■ !re seems to be a huge prob-
a between those who wear
le asao tr
C Sta 5250/
■
ifoi ns and those who do not.
s time A&M students stopped
1 unfair political competition
;wlen non-reg and Corps and
ilizr d all Aggies should be on
? same side.
*k| example, Kyle Field would
« 2txir mi bam-.c- Velooked pretty sad during
^' ! Nebraska game if the non-
q population had not filled the
diam decked-out in maroon
irts. In the same manner, the
lf-|me show would be just an-
ler high-school performance
thout the Aggie Band.
summer Om no-.
mate needed
w.a Leavenes •: xhe traditional foundation of
oommate? Rnd Oh
“■would be lost without the
——.—rps of Cadets. Don’t believe it?
Nem^sn cat?' 51 imagine silence after a
TaTiTl-c 7 lc h tlowu because non-regs
bus-rt. 2-po( s :ided they did not need Par
is Mounted Calvary anymore,
jd Silver Taps and Muster are
longer held in the honor of all
gies, non-reg and Corps alike,
:ause non-regs could not rec-
hze the importance of the
i Summer-99 3W”
Jttle route Cat 896-2
Summer-^
itce house 5210'
jstin/ Round fto
79-2624
.~5S Volunteers.
ne^iAK The hostility between the
Summer 99 ^ lU P s js most apparent at elec-
52/mo phis time when the student body
Summer 99 in ^ the tWO “political
i pets ok. caii58ocsc‘ rtics” of non-reg and Corps.
“Aug ztxwijwTith signs such as “Vote Non-
m. $262/mo. 268-969: g,|ion’t let 5 percent represent
ccDt/ircc 0percent,” it is evident the
otnVIbto 5 ecomes divided.
tensive Driving. Lols-o"-
al/insurance discoual
n), Fri(6pm-8pin) SSs?
m). Inside Nations-Br
sh. Lowest price allo»t :
>17 846-6117. Sto«4
Why do non-regs consider
cadets to be in a different cate
gory from other Aggies when
they have been representing
A&M for over 100 years in the
same fashion as any other orga
nization?
Another ignorant point about
this sign is the implication that
the majority of the student body
airs and Upgrades W
Services Company. 816'
a
town to find a high d-” I
need stylist from H«S J f
want best colorJtgwc' : ;T|
tudy. Benefield SCo ^
ig. typing, etc.? CPfe®' 3 !
5-8989.
iomosexual-rights movie for
econd-grade students wrong
ne of the most con-
Itentious issues in Ameri
can society today is ho-
TUT0RS
pons- Free Quoies ysexuality. It is an issue that
r popular name brand < . T /
vw.viamaii.eom/par#' ikes such strong emotions
iaccessories. 693-629* jj sides of the Spectrum
- 3 m!to have gone overboard.
On one side, there is the First
Jir. Native speakeris-'ptist Church of Topeka, MARK ^ ^
!68- C 7Mo hbUSlneSS8 nsas — niore commonly RASSVCATERS
own to the public as the folks
EIGHT LCb'it carry the “God hates fags” signs around any
weight.
, j , 2nt where TV cameras might be found. Not to
Wanted:' 1; ’ : ® °
iteo e&i
si, Doctorrecommet^ 1 outdone, the homosexual rights side has the
bate! caii279-9899 )U p “act UP,” whose tactics are very similar to
—trapse of the New York Knicks^ defense — get up in
(eight. Energybooi?; ?ryone s faces as often as possible.
11 695-6983or 693^The ] a ^ es j- episode in this conflict centers
vmB/cb ash, ^ documentary in which second-grade chil-
I natural are tau 8 ht about homosexuality. In one
ife!! 40%oft MSB' .ine, shown on both CNN and the Fox News
independentdWfW^^hngl, a young boy looks at his friend and says,
® aoibs by4/2o ; /ho cares if I’m gay?”
88^2887.^ ^iend replies, “Not me.”
How cute. However, a large question looms
over this scene — how many of these kids
ve any concept of what homosexuality really is?
laieland matter, can they understand the concept
,| “sexuality” at all?
i 1-2‘3N What the makers of this film seem to have for-
tten is that it is next to impossible to understand
Birds and the birds if someone cannot under-
tnd the birds and the bees. Instead of having
Aat seems to be the desired effect — “These little
l Rldien can be tolerant, so why can’t you?” —
V i'Sfjlm lands firmly in the category of child ex
citation.
Be concept of human sexuality is not an easy
e.pt is usually taught in sixth grade or later for a
ison. The most mature children do not get “the
k| until third grade or so, then it usually takes a
uple of years for the children to think that they
illy know what is going on and a couple more
ioqSt ars a ft er thst t° truly understand what happens
TOT Cld s i en 1^)-,^ go out.
Sfex is not a cavalier issue; it should be ap-
o cached with discretion and tact. Homosexuality
■ n tn even touchier issue, and one that should be
tIO' ■ cached between far more mature individuals.
Having a conversation in class about the book
5 ; : ^] Has Tlvo Mommies, followed by a detailed
nd, call 8 cussion on homosexuality is not really some-
your
I
thing that should be happening with someone who
will go home after school and watch “Animani-
acs.”
If the homosexual lobby thinks that efforts like
this will help convince the average American to
accept them, they had better think again. Many
people are not merely personally or morally op
posed to homosexuality, but feel that it is a sin
condemned by God.
Other people, who have not yet developed a
stance on this issue, will almost certainly be sick
ened by the use of children as pawns in a high
stakes game between adults.
"... it is next to impossibie to
understand the birds and the
birds if someone cannot under
stand the birds and the bees.”
Eventually, children will learn that God created
(and/or humanity evolved to) Adam and Eve. They
will also learn that, in certain parts of the popula
tion, they might find Adam and Steve. Before they
reach that point, they will have also learned that
there is a time and place for everything.
This, it would appear, is something that the cre
ators of this film and those that back their political
position have not yet learned. A second-grade
classroom is most certainly not the time or the
place for a discussion on homosexuality.
Children of this age cannot possibly fathom the
depths to which such a discussion can go. One
thing that adults most certainly can fathom, how
ever, is how sick an idea this film is.
One of the most often repeated lines by homo
sexual rights activists is that “hate is not a family
value.” This may be true but planting their beliefs
in the minds of young children who are not men
tally capable enough to make their own stances is
not education — it is corruption.
If this is the way that the homosexual rights
lobby chooses to approach this delicate issue, it is
in serious trouble-for no matter what may come
from the mouths of babes, the parents will be so
repulsed that it will make no difference.
Mark Passwaters is a graduate
electrical engineering student.
does not want cadets in office
because they do not represent
non-regs. The Battalion reported
that four times the number of
cadets went to the polls in the
Readers debate
feminism, abortion
In response to Demand Reid’s
Apr. 8 opinion column.
Reid mentions in his review
that feminism is “veering off in
more directions than a drunken
New York cab driver.”
This is true because many
truths have been distorted, and
women are blinded from what they
are truly seeking — equality. By
choosing abortion as a solution to
a problem women subject them
selves to much hidden pain and
suffering.
Like an abusive relationship,
she doesn’t foresee the destiny of
grief, pain, fear, abandonment and
much more. If a woman knew that
she would be subjecting herself to
this entrapment, she surely would
not enter into the relationship.
i don’t believe Foster’s compar
ison of abortion to violence
against women was farfetched be
cause they yield many similar
characteristics.
Like the battered woman, the
woman who suffered an abortion
goes through physical and psycho
logical distress while the man
walks away free from the damage
he has caused.
Many myths bury the truth
about abortion. This simple proce
dure not only contains many risks
such as infertility and death but is
also unnatural and painful.
If the situation were reversed
where men were pregnant, legisla
tion would not be any different.
Tough laws are created to pro
tect women and innocent children
not to prevent women from gain
ing equality. Abortion is a moral is
sue, therefore whether it is a
woman or a man that was under
going it, it would not be widely pro
moted. There would still be the
same fight that exists today.
In the end, the true debate is
about the right to life. Because
one is weak, helpless, and unable
to speak for himself or herself, is
it right to terminate his or her ex
istence?
RUBEN DELUNA/Tiie Battalion
1999 election and four cadets
made yell leader. The math is
simple: the Corps block would
not decide the yell leader elec
tion if non-regs did not want
MAIL CALL
To do so would be to allow the
dominance of strong over weak,
therefore defeating the purpose of
feminism — equality.
Mary Tran
Class of ‘01
I am not a feminist, so I open
ly admit that my perception of
the feminist movement is one of
an “outsider." However, I feel the
need to point out how feminism
and anti-abortionism are mutual
ly supportive.
Reid’s statement that “a femi
nist against abortion is like a
drowning man against a life pre
server” seems ignorant of either
ideology. What is the essence of
feminism? Why did the move
ment originate?
Consider this answer: Femi
nism came into existence to am
plify the weak voice of a si
lenced, suppressed, an abused
group of people. Women began
to demand their rights and stand
up against the mistreatment that
had been a part of their lives for
so long.
Now tell me this ... have you
heard an aborted baby cry out
against the robbing of its life?
How many fetuses have you seen
demanding their right to life or
standing up against the abuse of
abortion?
The answer is none. So tell
me, how similar were the si
lenced, suppressed women of
the ’50s to the soundless, help
less babies of today that can’t
scream loud enough for anyone
to care whether their lives are
snuffed out?
Feminism is about the rights
of a powerless group of people.
It is so hard to see that the
plight of the unborn is the same?
I do not speak for feminists, and
I do not speak for the unborn be
cause I am neither, but I do see
a common goal of the two: the
right to life and dignity.
Furthermore, the only thing
that Reid illustrated by saying “if
men were able to get pregnant,
abortions would be easier to get
than gonorrhea at a latex-option-
them to, or if they felt misrepre
sented as Aggies by a cadet.
It is also time to stop harass
ing cadets for their “biased”
voting. Just as any non-reg Ag
gie would vote for his fraternity
brothers or Bonfire buddies, the
same applies to the Corps of
Cadets.
Organizations support their
members and friends support
each other. It is not forced upon
cadets to vote for other cadets,
it is a matter of choice.
And many times cadets
choose to support someone
else. Case in point, several
cadets were seen passing out
fliers for Will Hurd, despite the
fact his opponent is a proud
member of the Corps of Cadets.
However, there is a deeper
issue that cannot be overlooked
when discussing this topic. The
Corps block itself does need to
be stopped because of its politi
cal unfairness to other potential
Corps candidates.
It is only a matter of time be
fore the rest of the school clues
in and forms a non-reg block.
That’s right, the ultimate A&M
divider is on its way and it will
not be pretty.
Other non-regs will still be
permitted to run, but the mere
advertisement of a concentrated
non-reg vote on five candidates
will shatter the Corps block by
sheer numbers. This will only
further the loss of voter rights
as elections become a fight be
tween non-regs and cadets.
Political unfairness, both in
the Corps and among the non-
regs, is not a tradition that
should continue at A&M. No
one has the right to designate
who can run for a position and
who cannot. And it causes mis
representation when Aggies
vote strictly non-reg or Corps as
if these titles are some political
ticket. All Aggies should just
vote for the individual they be
lieve in, and may the best Aggie
win.
Christina Barrows is a
sophomore English major.
al bordello” is that no one on
Earth is more abusive, self-seek
ing, and blissfully murderous
than men. Congratulations De-
mond, you sure can make policy.
It is because of that mentality
that there is a feminist move
ment at all.
As long as men abuse those
who aren't strong enough to stop
them, there will be feminists. As
long as there are women who do
the same, there will be anti-abor
tionists. Both stand against the
abuse of the weak and power
less. They are remarkably simi
lar.
Carrie Kendrick
Class of ’CO
I just wanted to say thank you
for your article on abortion. This
is your best opinion since the be
ginning of the year. I think men
speak out against abortions
more than women.
Regardless, it is a woman’s
body, so let them do whatever
the hell they want with it. I also
have a suggestion for the anti
abortionists. Why don’t we worry
about the living children who are
starving and impoverished first.
If the ‘pro-lifers’ put the same
energy into the living children as
they do protesting in front of
abortion clinics, we could see a
dramatic dropoff of hunger in
America. Think about it.
Adam Manson
Class of ’CO
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-mall: batt@tamvml.tamu.edu