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fee Battalion
o PINION
Page 11 ‘Tuesday, October 12, 1999
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lacing toward ratification
lomprehensive Test Ban Treaty should be approved by U.S., not stonewalled by Republicans
IP BEATOflic
■ts, butwi
sessions (fc
y choose t
■aid.
[ t -rithout assur-
1A / ance of pas-
y V sage, U.S. Sen-
! leaders are voting
Bay on a treaty to
pke nuclear testing il
eal in 154 countries.
[With the Compre-
nsive Test Ban Treaty
(TEST) in place, no
n nuclear weapons could be effectively
Iveloped, as testing is necessary for the
rmulation of new nuclear weapons,
lis would bring the creation of new nu-
theStuds ttar weapons to a standstill.
antSysteu: I Unfortunately, die treaty has little sup-
dents’rtg.' lit in the U.S. Senate because of disar-
gradeinfor lament fears, a long-lasting product of
t. Howe; 0e Cold War, even though the United
tes already has a stockpile of nuclear
apons. Many senators fear the ban will
ep the United States from defending it-
f against rogue countries who refuse to
nor ratify the agreement.
Sen. John Kyi, R-Ariz., a vocal oppo-
ntof the treaty, said it is not the same
liber as previous arms control treaties.
“The treaty is not verifiable,” Kyi said
tweek on “Fox News Sunday.” “It has
enforcement mechanism whatsoever,
president has ever asked the United
lates to submit itself to a treaty in perpe-
itythat would prevent us from testing
prnuclear weapons.”
'What Kyi is forgetting is U.S. testing of
liclear weaponry halted in 1992 because
■ advanced computer modeling pro-
|ams that can predict the consequences
reactions.
The only testing planned concerns
fety tests to ensure the reliability of cur-
|nt weapons, and 32 Nobel laureates in
ience have testified in the Senate that
ie United States does not have to test
ore bombs to insure the stockpiled
?tudent
larantees
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weapons. Therefore, the United States has
nothing to lose if the treaty is ratified.
Also, countries that could be consid
ered a security risk, like Russia, show no
signs of violating the treaty if passed. If
anything, the treaty would become a
powerful tool in the management of nu
clear weapons globally. When ratified,
the CTBT could act to unite the world
against violators of the ban and to take
measures against dissidents.
The prospect of 154 countries united —
with force if necessary — against coun
tries with nuclear testing would definitely
dissuade other countries from testing.
U.S. approval could
strongly influence
undecided nations
in favor of
ratification.
More important than ending the occa
sional safety testing of nuclear weapons
in the United States, the test-ban treaty
would be a chance to influence 153 other
countries toward ending the production
of nuclear weapons.
Such an opportunity cannot be over
looked because of partisan bickering and
outdated Cold War fears.
Clinton has been hurriedly pushing rat
ification for the past two weeks, calling in
dividual senators and making speeches
about the treaty. Clinton has noted that
the United States is often in the position to
influence other nations, and the ratifica
tion of the treaty is no different.
“Rejecting the treaty would say to the
world ‘Well, the United States is not go
ing to test, but we are giving all of you a
green light to test, develop and deploy
nuclear weapons,’” Clinton said. “If the
Senate defeats [the treaty], can we con
vince India and Pakistan to forgo more
tests?”
Clinton is right.
With only 23 of the 44 countries with
possible nuclear capabilities committed to
the treaty, most of the world is waiting
for the United States’ approval to decide
if they will follow suit.
India and Pakistan have signed the
treaty but have not ratified it. If they de
cide to disregard the treaty, they will be
come a threat to U.S. national security
and themselves.
After 52 years of rivalry and three
wars, any chance for India and Pakistan
to rein in developing nuclear prowess
would be a safety measure.
Nuclear testing was once an unfortu
nate necessity for maintenance and de
fense. But with stockpiled weapons and
computer-generated models, physical
testing is a destructive remnant of the
past. And with testing out of the picture,
and the treaty ratified, Americans could
put the fear of nuclear weapons out of
their minds.
Nuclear weapons show little possibility
of eradication, and attempts to eliminate
them have been unsuccessful.
But stopping the creation of new nu
clear weapons is crucial.
By passing the CTBT, the U.S. Senate
will have taken the important first step
toward ending the modern scourge of nu
clear weapons, propagating peace not
only in the United States, but throughout
the world.
Beverly Mireles is a junior
microbiology major.
lussian invasion of Chechnya
feeds cycle of needless violence
ecent
events in
Russia
vide a per-
t example of
iw regressive-
Machiavel-
n the world
s become.
Devastated
la series of
ftri
ELIZABETH
KOHL
iembersi' :
1 the guns
s.
jr bodifi
’ in her
rother-ift
I. "Then
rorist explosions in Moscow
d Volgodonsk that killed more
[an 300 civilians, Russia has re
loaded by finding someone to
|ame and issuing full retaliation
[ainst the scapegoat.
Over the past two weeks, the
jpublic of Chechnya has faced
ssian air strikes which
Ie killed an estimated 300
hechen civilians, many of
horn were children.
Today in the former
aviet Union, restitu-
on is no longer an
e for an eye, but
ne innocent life for
nother.
Until this retribu-
jve attitude is cor-
cted, the cycle of
iolence in Russia
nd elsewhere will
ot stop.
In response to
r p leMoscowand
olgodonsk bomb-
igs, the Russian
overnment imple-
tented Operation
Whirlwind, arrest-
tg 100 individuals
nd claiming to have
lentified the terror-
sts responsible.
In further response,
ate last week, Russia
aptured Nadir Khachi-
ayev, who is believed to
)e responsible for directing
he attacks.
In a day and age in which
!very major nation has a special-
torces unit, however, it was total-
unnecessary for so many
Chechens to suffer so the Russ
ian government could flush out
he few accountable individuals.
Russian air strikes have gone
beyond simply killing Chechens.
After the first onslaught of
bombs, about 120,000 refugees
" d the region.
These people will face a harsh
Winter in makeshift camps, re
liant on the generosity of others
stay alive.
Ironically, it is now the Rus
sians who are offering aid to
those they have forced to the
streets. As refugee camps are set
up, Chechens are forced to accept
help from those who caused their
homelessness.
It was inevitable the air strikes
would result in waves of Chechen
refugees. The Russian govern
ment could not have expected
civilians to stay home as their
neighbors were killed by Krem
lin bombs.
tyland
e^ a °'
areness
-401
-402
RUBEN DELUNA/The Battalion
An already strained Russian
economy has now been burdened
by the humanitarian care of these
Chechen refugees.
Because the Kremlin chose re
venge over peace and justice,
they have insured many more will
die until one side gives in.
The events between Russia
and Chechnya are simply another
example of violence begetting vi
olence. Russian troops now occu
py nearly half of Chechnya, and
CNN reports that Muslim clerics
in Chechnya are expected to call
for a holy war.
Tension is mounting, and com
munication skills on both sides
seem to have regressed to those
of toddlers.
Russia and Chechnya are so far
from considering peace that many
events between the two countries
have been orchestrated to gain
public support for the conflict.
With malicious intent, Russia
used the bombings in Moscow
and Volgodonsk to promote anti-
Chechen sentiments.
A video depicting the abuse of
Russian soldiers by Chechen
rebels surfaced recently, seal
ing the Russian people’s
support of the bombings in
Chechnya.
The events taking
place between Russia
and Chechnya are
hardly unique on a
world scale, as the
actions taken by
both sides were
conducted in a text
book fashion.
One country
bombs another,
then the bombed
country fights
back. Refugees
flee, and in the
end, the United
Nations sends in
peacekeeping forces
because both coun
tries are incapable of
resolving the situa
tion on their own.
This conflict, like
those occurring in East
Timor and the former Yu
goslavia, typifies global re
sponse to old ethnic grudges.
Neither side seems able to
put the past behind them or
resolve their difference once
and for all.
Instead, they turn to violence
and further the chaos that al
ready exists.
Until it is realized that peace is
its own greatest reward, this
world will continue to suffer irre
placeable losses.
It is time nations stopped
playing with their big guns and
started to regain their communi
cation skills.
Elizabeth Kohl is a junior
accounting major.
Yell leader’s joke
degrades women
Friday night I went to Midnight
Yell, and I heard a story that great
ly offended me.
This story was told by John
Bloss, a senior yell leader.
I could not believe the lack of
respect he showed for the women
of Texas A&M.
Bloss’ attitude when he told
this story was one of great arro
gance and ignorance. He did not
really seem to care too much
about the consequences, or for
that matter even consider there
would be any. The “motivational”
story showed either his narrow
mindedness or his absolute igno
rance of the subject itself.
MAIL CALL
Aggies are supposed to sup
port one another and build each
other up. But Bloss did a fine job
last night of degrading nearly half
our school.
I am very disappointed in our
representation of leadership.
Bloss did not show any signs of a
leader last night, because a
leader is not one who degrades or
subjects half of his audience to
complete lack of respect.
Mary Ashton Livermore, an
American writer and social re
former, wrote, “Above the titles of
wife and mother, which, although
dear, are transitory and acciden
tal, there is the title of human be
ing, which precedes and outranks
every other.”
Friday night at Midnight Yell,
women were not treated as re
spected human beings. As a mat-
EDITORIAL
GABRIEL RUENES/The Battalion
ter of fact, we were the butt of a
“motivational” story, that por
trayed us without dignity.
Amy James
Class of ’01
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SALLIE TURNER
Editor in Chief
MARIUM MOHiUDDIN
Managing Editor
CALEB MCDANIEL
Opinion Editor
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Campus Editor
CARRIE BENNETT
Community Editor
No Easy Answers
Tragic deaths raise difficult questions, teach hard lessons of life
The morning after Saturday’s
football game, students at Baylor
University, Texas A&M Universi
ty and Southwest Texas State
University woke up to a grim
lesson about the game of life.
In life, there are no pads thick
enough to make us immune
from tragedy.
The playing field is not al
ways level, and the turf is sel
dom soft. The world hits hard.
It makes no difference
whether a life is hurtling along
through youth or aging toward
the end zone; death can stop
any drive in its tracks and leave
the living to wonder why.
Unfortunately, life’s biggest
questions have no easy answers.
The recent blitz of tragic
events has not made these harsh
realities any easier to understand.
Last month, a plane crash
claimed five lives.
Last week, three Aggies were
killed in car wrecks.
This weekend, three student
populations were affected by the
deaths of another six students
outside the Tau Kappa Epsilon
fraternity house at A&M.
In the face of these terrible
accidents. Aggies will join with
Bears and Bobcats to try to make
sense of the senseless.
For the families and friends of
the victims, it will be a long time
before words can soothe the sad
ness and heal the wounds.
But perseverance through
pain will have its rewards.
Players in the game of life
must press on to the goal. Set
backs are inevitable, but living
must be taken one down at a
time, even if it means moving
inches at a time.
Right now many students in
Texas have been knocked to
their knees.
But with time and patience, we
will pick ourselves up, dust our
selves off and return to the line,
believing the English poet George
Herbert was right — “fractures
well-cured make us strong.”
Strength does not come natu
rally; it is won through weak
ness. From these devastating
events we must draw the lessons
that will make us wiser. There is
nothing else to do.
During this process of mourn
ing and maturation, it is impor
tant to remember we are all on
the same team.
Baylor and A&M were oppo
nents on the field of competition
Saturday, but Bears should know
Aggies are now united with
them in their grief.
Our prayers, thoughts and
best wishes are with Waco. We
know what it is like to lose so
many so suddenly and offer you
our empathy and our hearts.
Those of us who have not
been touched directly by this lat
est accident are standing by as
sympathetic spectators.
To the friends, families and
victims of the past month’s loss
es, remember the game of life is
rough, but it is not played alone.
If you need us, we will be in
the stands.