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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 1999)
>ai e Battalion maldh delegates came mention than id ^rgan said.o] delegates si' t0 >-m Party’s# • and the pa;. Hot access in aid. said the state the reason he] PINION Page 5 • Monday, July 26, 1999 Back in the ring r esse Ventura's return to wrestling no big surprise s a wrestler in the World Wrestling ^ration F), Jesse Ven- this sflra always did 1 Hg 5 his own Party’s mBue way. in part from:;Hiver 15 years mming peo' ltei as governor and are disetBlinnesota, Ven- want the dam too much atst e so much atst to let orm Ryan GARCIA parties. That:jra is proving some things never lerent hinds oftjiapge. d to developatBientura, in a press conference this lonth, announced his plans to return e everyone, frorBie WWF as a special guest referee i < esse Jacksctmie WWF’s SummerSlam, a pay- to people wkHview event scheduled for Aug. 22 ''' ls t0 ® ttipe Target Center in Minneapolis. ^ c Laughlin, Kypi-, a move Fox commentator •i Nate chair dck Morris called “a ritual political 1 l!l uicide,” Ventura has generated more ’ m estlnialr bntroversy than the raunchy, over- le-top antics of the WWF usually do *“Bne Monday night. By the time Ventura ended the . i ■ i. Bs conference, his garb had J^lwBnged from a conservative business ion finanraB t0 f eat hor boas and sequin-cov- should hC® sun 8 lasses - his trademark ;aid. ibe o one really knows what Gov. fentura’s motivations are for his MimerSlam appearance, leaving lany to speculate about the off-the 7 /all governor. ]n a New York Post article, Min- .dota GOP Chairman Ron Eiben- steiner called Ventura’s actions an outrage. - “It’s so obvious, so transparent, that he is using the office of governor to promote his own personal enrich ment,” Eibensteiner said. In Ventura’s defense, he told the press conference half of his $100,000 appearance fee will be donated to the Jade Foundation, an abused chil dren’s charity, and the remaining $50,000 will be awarded as part of an annual college endowment at Roo sevelt High School in Minneapolis, his alma mater. However, critics estimate that Gov. Ventura will earn $1 million in royal ties and pay-per-view fees generated from the high-publicity match, and that has some politicians upset. “He’s not earning a million dollars because he’s a former wrestler, but because he’s a former wrestler who’s now governor,” Democratic state sen ator John Marty said in the New York Post. Ventura was not the typicpl guber natorial candidate last year, and he is not the typical governor now. His un orthodox actions should not surprise anyone. While aligning himself with an en tertainment industry that spotlights everything from transvestites to first- blood matches may be detrimental to his political career, it’s not against the law. Ventura maintains that the Sunday- night event will not take any time away from his public duties and de fended his actions at the press confer ence. “There’s not a rule that says a gov ernor can’t have fun. There’s no rule that says a governor, on his own time, can’t be human,” Ventura said. It may be hard to imagine Bob Dole or A1 Gore trash-talking the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin or the Under taker, but for Ventura, it is just some thing he wanted to do. Why should his impulsive person ality be chastised when it was this very attitude that won him a gover norship? Ventura wanted to be governor, so he campaigned without taking into account all of the detractors that said he could not possibly win. By guest refereeing for the WWF, Ventura is staying true to form. Besides battling Ross Perot for con trol of the Reform Party, the potential for Ventura to serve in a greater ca pacity than governor does not seem likely. By participating in a wrestling event, Ventura, at worst, is only harming his own limited political ca reer. But he is far from disgracing the of fice he holds, and at best, he is just doing things his way. Ryan Garcia is a senior journalism major. Gabriel Ruenes/The Battalion Ctt^roposed dress code at local high school not long-term solution tollege Sta tion’s iM Consol- 'omen of accois own right.” rimes Norton, s nonvoting di 1 of Represe; MO the massbi ei '8 1 ’ “in many t»§ h ° o1 ls CUI ; ( .. .'tenth consid- ohn F. Kenning requir hanged this t'flS stud on ts “They came® acf here to a vn - not E»ict dress When the) 1 COl ie. Although a final decision Mark PASSWATERS ,rid-class city' the c °de has been postponed, ding was theclje proposal would ban shorts Anthony Will ant i tank tops on school represents grounds. Round Rock High School has o implemented a dress code nal service, as ;al level,” an. ennedy contn* the past year, forbidding the Baring of anything red after jftitbreaks of gang related vio- leaice near the school. a I The reason for this, school of- '•ZJ CT^Btials insist, is to cut down on . t''3l'^™olence and crime during the line that school is in session. 1 1 Most students are equally « 1 ■#*/1pa<llamant that dress codes are unfair and violate their personal freedoms. If only this situation were simple enough to pick one side. Students are right when they complain that they will be too hot in the summer if they are re quired to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts. They are also correct when they say very few people are listening to their cry that they are being discrimi nated against by having these new rules impressed upon them. On the other hand, school ad ministrators are correct when they say that they are not imple menting this out of spite but out of concern-for the well being of the student body. The only people who have to be thrilled about these new changes are the local clothing stores who get to sell new wardrobes, and the ACLU, who may have another civil liberties case to jump into. •But do dress codes work? If yes, then all schools in the country should consider them. Those who support such a sys tem say making all students look generic minimizes the possibility of violence breaking out between kids In fact, enforcing a dress code may infuriate some students enough that they would add school administrators to their “bad” list. of rival gangs. They also say that it helps show kids that they really are not all that differ ent, and that there is no need for them to be hostile to one another. But even if these beliefs are true, school is not in session 24 hours a day. As a result, kids can go home, change, and then go out looking for trouble any way. Instead of solving the prob lem of teenage vi olence, a dress code is simply a way to try to cover up a suck ing chest wound with a band-aid. School ad ministra tors are either unwilling or un able to come up with real solutions to youth problems. Further, even if they were to come up with something that could truly work, they might not get the required support from city or state government to make the required changes. To really solve the problem, kids need to be taught that what they are doing is not only wrong but fundamentally stupid. On top of that, they need to under stand that if they do something, they are going to have to pay for it in spades. A job like that is not just for school administrators or the teachers who are on the front lines of this battle. This is some thing that needs also to be dis cussed at home. If parents are willing to wist fully believe that their little an gel is too perfect to shove a knife into someone, then this problem is going to continue unabated. Every child has the capacity to go wrong as well as an ability to do the right thing. Parents need to take the first step to show their kids the fun damental differences between right and wrong. From there, teachers can reinforce the lessons, and the law can stand by and nab those who choose to ignore the message. Until then, the police and the school systems will be dealing with students who not only ig nore the message but simply have not heard it. All children, from two to 82, crave attention. If they are given it, and are properly pushed down the right path, odds are they will stay on it. So are school dress codes the solution? Certainly not a perma nent one. Maybe they can be used as a stop-gap effort while more and more adults are shaken out of their blissful reverie so they can do the right things for their chil dren — and all of society as a re sult. Mark Passwaters is an electrical engineering graduate student. developed sp? iking Stayner nurders,” Ma LETS G\LL OURSELVES COPApftSsiONME CCNSERVATIVK. MAIL CALL Mourning for JFK Jr. worthwhile, needed /n response to Joshua Levar’s July 22 mail call.' COLLEGIATE ROUNDUP Why be saddened by a call for fur ther reflection on the passing of JFK Jr.? America is not just dealing with the death of a stranger, it is in fact dealing with the loss of a friend. Sure, I never knew John Jr. personal ly, but I always admired the way he carried himself. I think you also have to keep in mind, in this case, the public’s reac tion was not a “thirst” for informa tion. We, the collective American people, needed closure. The Kennedy saga is the closest we have to a royal legacy, and now a chapter in that saga is complete. Shame on Levar, for trivializing an event and a person respected by the majority of Americans. He should be ashamed of himself. from U-Wire editorial reports o not forget bout gun control 'om the Daily Collegian at ennsylvania State University. STATE COLLEGE, Penn. — As te shock of John F. Kennedy r .’s death echoes through the ountry’s collective conscious- ess, the pain of the Columbine H'.gh School shootings seems to lave faded and has almost leen forgotten. ... The U.S. House of Represen tatives recently rejected mea sures mandating background checks for guns sold at gun shows and making child safety locks on all handguns mandato ry, sending the measures to con ference committees where they will probably be forgotten. ... This has, unfortunately, been the fate of many small mea sures to curb gun sales to un derage buyers. ... Maybe Congressmen were applying what everyone knows about the public in modern soci ety: It has a short attention span. So now that the CNN cam eras have left Columbine and gone to Hyannisport, the Nation al Rifle Association has won; the gun dealers have won, and it is still as easy for kids to attain and wreak havoc with guns as it was before. ... And if no important policy changes take place, how many periods or classes or semesters will it take before another ordi nary kid becomes another vic tim? The public cannot let its gov ernment forget about gun con trol. ... Clint Crampton Class of ’99 Disney still makes good, accurate films Hunchback of Notre Dame do ad dress the issue. The song asks a question — “Who is the monster and who is the mbn?” — referring to Frolo and Quasimodo. Secondly, having read the book Tarzan, I can tell you the Disney movie was one of the truest portray als of the character. It captured his curiosity and thrill-seeking, practical joke tendencies, his desire to fit in and his intelligence. Third, Huffines claims older Dis ney films (like Bambi and Cinderella) never bothered with a formula and implies they didn’t have silly side- kicks. He has forgotten Gus and Jack and the other mice making Cin derella’s dress and Thumper and Bambi on the frozen pond. Finally, any movie should be watched and discussed with chil dren. What is most important is that parents help their children put what they see on a screen into perspec tive. In fact, most Disney movies are written so parents and their children can enjoy them together. Opinions are great but attacking an institution just because it is large and visible is simply being hurtful. I have to question Huffines’ motives. apathy of the pro-life movement. There are far too many people who claim to be pro-life, yet allow their ac tions, or lack thereof, to prove other wise. But to truly believe in something ■ is to take a firm stand for those be- ; liefs. ! The pro-life movement needs revi-J talizing. If you know the truth about the horrors of abortion, turn your words into actions. Stay informed about abortion legislation and con- i! tact your representatives when a bill; is proposed. Support and join active, pro-life ; organizations such as Aggies for Life* or the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life* and peacefully protest abortion providers. 1 Most importantly, pray for an end • to abortion and educate yourself on \ the facts so that you can stand firm. When we turn a blind eye to the i murder of these innocent babies, we are turning a blind eye to God. Amber Matche, Class of ’0 Cathryn Clement Class of ’77 In response to Chris Huffines’ July 21 column. Huffines’ recent column was as mixed-up as he claims Disney is. First, although no song in Beauty and the Beast directly addresses seeing Beast as he really is, the opening song and final reprise in The Pro-life movement needs revitalization In response to Tom Owens’July 20 column. Owens hit some too close to home with his column regarding the 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 let ters for length, style, and accuracy. Letters may be submitted in person at 013 Reed McDonald 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-mail: battletters@hotmail.com