The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, December 06, 1999, Image 9

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    i Battalion
o PINION
Page 9 • Monday, December 6, 1999
iear in ad). This rate app;;!
ir you get an additional; [
cheduled to endtoquali
ids today: Buy, sell or trade?
bkemon allows children to mimic a status-obsessed society, parents
ROOMMATES
) (or spring , Zbdrm/lbth, ffl-
:all 775-3574
(or spring 187.50/mo. own t>
764-7892.
(or spring or longer 3txim! ft
itial neighborhood $275/mo
I
(or spring summer'00 Stidmi®
ge $275/mo. +1/3brlls DemseSs-l
member of
the U.S. Con
gress recently
ilfed for an investi-
at on into what he
Js is a serious
iroblem facing
Herica’s schools,
ft was not school
lotings, drugs or
jjpi
MARIANO
CASTILLO
smoking that concerned him. His
iep (Se ^t6w, ||ry was about reports of violence
(or spnngoo, own beiiroo, Helming from the popular Pokemon
'mo. caii Isabella 623-6697 riding cards — the pride and joy of
needed asap for spring. 2:r»ntless teens and preteens across
?97 50/mo +1/2el9c & pho« ■ Qation _
needed ASAP own bed^J arentS are U P in armS OVer hoW Seri -
jartment. 693-5188 $3oos: jusly their children are taking the trad-
needed for spnng, 4bdm*- ngcards, which feature characters from
,o -fiMbrlls Call Andrea6^| popillar Nintendo video game and
needed Sprlng-'OO. Owi;
olex Call Jadyn 695-9322
>. large bedroom In 2b(M$
se to campus, w/d. 691-6731
bon series. Schoolyard stabbings
Me been reported in New York and At-
|Aa, and thefts have occurred in al-
mst every U.S. elementary, middle and
ii school. But it is ironic that so
nlch fuss is being made over children’s
nate needed for spnng $262 v: ptfession with material possessions
jplex. Call 822-7281 J en are s i m ply mimicking mod-
mate needed for spnng, pi)T9 sOCiPt\'
hnttlp rnutp Wiilnwick Cal!
rale needed for spring
(ourplex. Own room. AC
ilacl nberger@tamu.edu orf
buttle route, Willowick, CalTWi
for spring semester. 3M"Cj
fully furnished, $325/mo.
for spring semester, $28(»
JS 694-0542.
You have to look at [the Pokemon
e] in the context of our culture,”
clld psychologist Stephanie Pratola
'fir. Time magazine. “We are all ob-
j&ed with acquiring things, and we
needed ASAP. Jan-May. 2Wr,L, , , . ,
so own bedroom + t.2b see; can t expect our children to rise above
needed for Jan.-May 3Mrm/2ia our culture. ”
> deposit. $25o/mo.feprhe desire to own the most recent
[products and gadgets seems en-
mic in our culture.
leeded for spring. House in 6ry;
room. $245/mo. +1/3bills 6)1
u 775-7263.
■Whether it is driving an Eddie Bauer
jdition car or organizing oneself with a
pi Pilot, parents show their kids that
Needed 1 1700sqft. house, JWi
, garage, central heal/ac, eaten
elec, bill Call Paul 822-1569
pring or longer, furnishedaJiti? a material world — variety maga-
locatiom $285/mo &i/2uttii ||es glorify new gadgets, television
—■tidies them to the public and people
mX 8°shopping. In doing so, they breed the
want it...now!” attitude of many chil
li. Not all kids are brats, but today,
needed for spring. $250/m:
>409.
needed for spring w/d, no child in his right mind would pass up
campus, $300/mo +1» V anoppoitunity to - catch < em a H.”
needed for s „ inability to say no to their
olex, shuttle route, veiy nice arWlliny Offspring dOCS not help this
ins Heather 695-8640. Mpd more cards a collector has,
6 "® e , d . e 1 d zwm'ibth o«ti * more likely he is to show them off
smu.edu 3t|chool and consequently get jumped
needed for spring. Parkway&TjjCfllOUS ClaSSmatCS.
+i/3biiis. 696-7238Chris ■; j s a parent’s responsibility to let
wanted for spring. Southwestp.p s [^ now that there are things in life
Hmore valuable than Pokemon cards.
-bedroom, CS, $300/mo., JanP
irah/Connie Ashford Squaretej iThe same mentality is found in college stu-
Jents who work extra hours, not to enhance their
fucation, but to afford a new laptop, bike or
Ice of clothing. There does not seem to be any-
imate for spring. Great locafcf
95-2481 Anne
ded for spring own bedrooiNV -j. i.-.i
cabie/phone paid 4bdrm2tf|ng wrong with taking pride in ownership in the
ege and business world, but when it happens as
aze with kids, people go into an uproar,
o more are the good old days when collecting
}> a hobby rather than a business opportunity.
Its who remember buying stuffed animals to
with should see something wrong with their
fed for spring. 3bdrm/1bthW]
npus, $230/mo. +1/3util. Cal
ded for spring. Can move in
tillties own bdrm. Parkway AP 5 |
;ded for spring. Holleman
n room $317/mo. +1/3bills. ®
led own. Room close to caw
ded spring or longer. (M
tr, $230/mo. +1/3bills, M/F.
children acquiring beanie animals to peddle off to a
higher bidder or to enclose in a case. A childhood
today is one where a toy is not necessarily a toy.
The Pokemon collectors are doing just as their
role models are doing, but they have no income, so
they turn to stealing from each other and violence.
Parents should use the Pokemon craze as a
wake-up call to the lessons they are unconscious
ly teaching their children. The obsession the kids
have is a strong comment on American society.
Families are are not putting sufficient emphasis on
hobbies and values that are not material.
RUBEN DELUNA/The Battalion
The supporters of the probe into “Pokemania”
are right that it is pointless for children to get vio
lent over something as insignificant as trading
cards, valued by kids or not.
However, the change has to start with parents,
older siblings and other role models.
They need to show children that there are other
activities that can make one feel good such as
sports, music or arts which cost nothing.
Mariano Castillo is a sophomore
international studies major.
awyers, legal system sometimes misunderstood
fed, move in as early as -Er
mt $247.50/mo. +l/2bills.
■f the glove
does not
ease 1 bdrm in 4bdrm/2bM J |p -*■ lit, yOU
able, $301/mo. Call Julio46i-6 : p5( acQllit. ”
SERVICES Bse wannabe Dr.
ss words have
lance to anywhere in,be jn the emp _
aults of Ameri-
minds ever
ce the infamous
CHRIS
HUFFINES
common technicality. The procedure
to obtain a warrant is a bit complex,
and an error as simple as a typo can
invalidate a warrant, all the evidence
gleaned from it and, in many in
stances, the case. Throwing a case out
because the desk sergeant switched
finding judiciary stems from the use
of a jury of peers. Without going
into the discriminatory specifics of
past years, it can be stated reason
ably that the definition of “peer” is
important to the concept.
Some definitions would mandate
tsive Driving. Lots-of-fun, U#
insurance discount. M-W
Frl.&Sat.- Frl(6pm-8pm)
m-2:30pm). Inside BankoWt
j. $25/cash. Lowest price MJ. bimpSOn trial.
^ ®' e - 217 ' 846 ' 6117 ' Tit is a sad, but true, fact: Americans
P-0017).
5 LOCATOR SERVICE. «
itial/ Commercial. Alpl®
368.
TRAVEL
VK 2000 Mazatlan & AcapuWj
in & Houston Best,
/I 1.800.SURFS.UP www.sy
inply do not trust lawyers. They are
ten as bloodsucking bottom-feeders
io are more concerned with getting
pr clients off the hook than with
ng justice. And they are, in some
>m$369. Reliable TWAfligW fpeCtS, right.
odern law has shifted from a
|rch for the absolute truth to ver-
WANTFD 3lcombat where relative truths are
Ss important than how well the
rigerator, good condition.^ by ]jj^gg a (jg
-irwT i hqq | jaw Proceedings are supposed to
rKjin I LUbb ie simple trials of fact. The prosecu-
the holiday break, ca : loi argues that a charge (the indict-
jnt in criminal law) is legitimate
ed on the facts. The defense argues
prosecution’s charge is not valid
ed on the facts. The jury decides
h or falsehood while the judge ref-
|es. It is a very simple system,
nfortunately, the advent of con-
utional protections have provided
ny lawyers an opportunity to
J fiise the system. These protections,
K free speech, habeas corpus and
'TFMTTON- ^ sum Ph on s of innocence, are de-
f' Ynnn ]§ ne d to keep the government from
SS Ol 20(n o|pressing people. However, these
left out of the 2 1 Protections, taken to extremes, can
Get your free Sf-.ljn the search for the truth into a
en at AR Photogra ose c | lase
times are also avail'W o
it 1410 Texas Ave.S () ‘B 1 ’ or example, search warrants are a
-8183. Open 9-12 l 'i
two numbers in the address seems
fairly silly. But it must be remembered
that the founding fathers preferred a
hundred criminals go free before one
innocent man was put behind bars be
cause of government excess, hence
the protection.
Another breakdown of the fact-
RUBEN DELUNA/The Battalion
that a African-American woman’s jury
be composed exclusively of African-
American women. The current legal
system allows anyone who stands as a
citizen of the state or country to sit on a
jury. Either approach breeds problems.
Juries which match the defendant
in every respect may sympathize with
the defendant. Furthermore, any
jury of such “equality” would itself
breed inequality.
Sentiments such as “Oh, she got
off because they were all lesbians,”
or “He was found guilty for not act
ing [Insert ethnic group here]
enough,” coming from the mouths of
the ignorant and bigoted, would take
root in the cracks in the national
consciousness.
The other extreme — the local, citi
zen’s jury — breeds its own injustices.
For starters, the preferred IQ of might
be considered low, or at least some
what lower than one might expect.
Except in contract cases, which are
very complex, most lawyers prefer a
dumb, easily-swayed jury.
By allowing anyone in the county
to serve on a jury, lawyers are getting
just that. Many of the intelligent po
tential jurors are struck for various
reasons, including the three perempto
ry strikes each side has. Also, can a
middle-aged farmer understand an in
ner-city youth well enough to be
deemed a peer?
Sure, the farmer was young once,
but he, like many adults, might not
credit the youth with the intelligence
or responsibility the defendant actual
ly possesses. Either approach easily
can lead to injustice.
But, both types of injustice stem
from abuse of the legal system as a ab
solute truth-finding body, not from any
problems inherent in the basic system.
Like so many other things, Ameri
can law needs to get back to its roots,
so that justice will be done.
Chris Huffines is a senior
speech communication major.
Medication can
prove harmful
when in excess
T he overprescription of medi
cine has been a problem for
as long as doctors have
been looked upon as lifesavers
and medication as a cure-all.
Overprescription has conse
quences for patients. When a doc
tor prescribes a medicine too of
ten or too much, the effectiveness
of certain medications is impeded.
When one is sick, standard
protocol for some doctors is to simply examine
the patient and prescribe an overabundance of
the antibiotics best known to eradicate or at the
very least alleviate the disease’s symptoms.
However, if patients are routinely exposed to the
same antibiotics or sporadically take the pre
scription, the disease they suffer from may be
come immune to the antibiotics.
This already has become a problem with dis
eases antibiotics supposedly had cured, such as
tuberculosis (TB). Caused by bacteria, TB was al
most completely eliminated (in America) in the
early 1900s when people begun receiving TB im
munizations. However, the disease developed into
different, antibiotic-resistant strains TB (a contin
uing problem overseas) was able to make a come
back in the United States.
It is now apparent that overprescribing specific
antibiotics can make medicine useless and yet
many doctors stubbornly refuse to change the way
they prescribe them.
Penicillin is a perfect example. When first
discovered, it was a medical breakthrough. In
fact, penicillin initially seemed the perfect
panacea — an antibiotic, harvested from a
mold, that appeared to kill most pathogenic mi
crobes. Once penicillin proved beneficial, doc
tors began prescribing it for almost everything,
from athlete’s foot to the flu. In some cases,
doctors would even prescribe penicillin regard
less of the symptoms because of a skewed sense
of preventive medicine. It worked, and peni
cillin was hailed as the “wonder drug.”
Overprescription of
medicine, if not
monitored, could throw
a wrench into the
treatment of disease.
Unfortunately, diseases mutated and found
ways around penicillin’s effectiveness. Doctors
learned prescribing penicillin no longer worked,
and other medicines had to be utilized. But in
stead, of changing the methods by which they
prescribed antibiotics, doctors again overpre
scribed new “wonder drugs,” such as amoxicillin
or tetracycline. The possibility that these drugs
soon will not work either is realistic. And when
overprescription hinders one drug’s potency, the
need for other antibiotics becomes more pressing.
Medications like antibiotics are much like natural
resources — initially everyone benefits, but soon
enough, resources, in this case the cures, run out.
Therefore, the ramifications of overprescription are
ominous because, if continued, medications that
once had antibiotic value might be useless against
current and future diseases.
Overprescription also is dangerous because
medicine, as a recent column in Newsweek said,
is not “one size fits all.”
Deciding what dosage individuals should be al
lowed to take can be something of a dilemma for
doctors. Because each person is different, the
amount of medication one’s body can take is differ
ent. Doctors routinely use medical guidelines and
physical characteristics such as weight and height,
but sometimes even the lowest suggested prescrip
tion can be too much for a patient to handle.
If so, patient health is at risk. The human body
can only handle so much chemical meddling. By
challenging the limits of chemical allowances, doc
tors can put their patients’ lives in danger. Some
medical researchers even believe chemical overexpo
sure can lead to a non-HIV related form of auto-im
mune deficiency syndrome, better known as AIDS.
The helplessness doctors already must feel be
cause of AIDS currently is a huge issue in the
medical community. If overprescription is thought
to be another way a person can suffer from AIDS,
one would think doctors would make overpre
scription a bigger medical anathema than not
washing hands between patients.
Overprescription of medicine, if not monitored,
could throw a wrench, so to speak, into the treatment
of diseases. There are too many dangers that come
with too much medicine to ignore the problem.
As long as doctors continue to overprescribe
and patients to pot follow doctors’ orders, the ef
fectiveness of certain medications will continue to
decrease and while new and mutated diseases will
increase. People must be aware of overprescription
of medication and try to avoid it whenever possi
ble. Doctors are professionals, highly skilled in
their trade, but they can made faulty decisions.
That is understandable. But they are aware over-
prescription is hazardous and take every precau
tion against it. Otherwise, they might as well be
amateurs, treating people by trial and error, in
stead of experience gained.
Beverly Mireles is a junior sociology major. ■