j OPINION
iday. January 31,2CKK) THE BATTALION Page 9
What would Jesus do?
lush sets example by openly embracing Christianity
I
HEATHER
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'ie 11 on fire
; v ap$<e was
vetiior George
<»«*:> ■ Bush sifting in the pews of
an' , Central Baptist Church during
r——:^B<irial ser\ ice. It is memorable he-
se ('t his presence, and because he
red rhe grief of this campus. It is unfor-
abl ■ because he refused to speak. Pas-
Chi s Osborne began his message by
ii im6mi6 ing that he had asked the governor to
. 0" re a few words, but w'as refused be-
" "" selUish would not bring politics into a
————^■‘lal service. This kind of respect for
!*,* .»»-*• ^san.tity of life is continually evident
mwtm, he governor campaigns for the presi-
eyl I lis profession of the Christian
»HT LOSS h is sincere, backed up by his platform
. uewi, 1 the transparency that he allowed
““ " mbe rs of this community to see w hen
wor .biped here last fall. As hymns and
_ogk'S Boated through the still, shocked
^ of ( entrafs sanctuary, the Governor of
•« :as[w ept. Few things were more en-
iragmg to Christians at that time, when
zedy and death hung over the campus,
IdttaliO' 11 C * 1 ’ cover ' nL l * Klt t * lc man might
.. ; da> he President of the United States
II 111)6 la legitimate spiritual side. Bush is a
access tc mine, devoted Christian who sidesteps
self-promoting compromise of modern
litics. as evidenced by his unpopular re-
r^^j^^tion ol abortion (though he continues to
■ for exceptions) and his push for ab-
v % Htencc education instead ofsafe sex doe-
^ There has been some debate over the
A S from icerity of Governor Bush and other
: . tdd p -sidential candidates who claim to be
iristians. 7/ie Dcs Moines Register, for
ovides cor stance, skeptically counted the number
coverage ' t j mes l | ult Republican candidates used
The SaffaC c nanK:s of God, Jesus and the I loly
airit in a debate that took place in Iowa
v vi w Monday night. The Register argues
it candidates spout broad-based Christ-
j ar g' m 111 order to secure votes in the Judeo-
ristian community. Bush rebuts such claims
saying that he wants people to vote for him
talion.tamuause they believe in his platform and they
st him — not because of his religion. Bush is
^ver\ way honest, answering questions
nit his faith and influences truthfully but not
nipulating them to secure votes.
RUBEN DELUNA/Thi Battalion
Other newspapers have dredged up Bush's
former alcohol use in an attempt to falsify his
claims of clean living, as they successfully did
with President Clinton and marijuana in 1992.
Instead of defending his actions as Clinton did.
Bush admits his fault and credits his reform to
the spiritual renewal he experienced after a
heart-to-heart with Billv Graham in 1985. He
describes Graham’s influence as
having “planted the seed in my
heart that grew over time.” Many
Christians go through similar peri
ods of self-evaluation at intervals
in their lives when they realize that
they have strayed in their relation
ships with God. Though always
Christians, they may struggle with
particular sins that separate them
from God, as Governor Bush did
with alcohol. Graham’s example of
living a life above reproach
opened Bush’s eyes. Today, when
asked about influential people in
his life. Bush responds, “Christ,
because He changed my heart.”
It is easy to understand, howev
er, why the media (and voters)
might be confused about what the
claim of being a Christian really
means to politicians. They have
seen too much contradiction in the
rhetoric of Bill Clinton, who pro
fesses to be a member of the
Southern Baptist Church. His
painfully public struggles with
adultery, perjury and cover-ups
have desensitized Americans to
genuine Christianity 7 . President
Clinton loses his credibility as a
Christian because he attempts to
explain away these struggles, as
many people do under intense
pressure. By lying, he doubles his
burden of fault. In admitting mis
takes and explaining redemption.
Governor Bush allows himself to
be covered by the infinite mercy of
a forgiving God and the temporal
empathy of a sinful nation.
The media may ask what a true
Christian is, and they can find the
answer in George W. Bush. Chris
tians recognize their mistakes and
their inability to redeem them
selves. This is the story of redemp
tion for Governor Bush and all
Christians. He explains the change
as “a renewed purpose that 1 hadn't
had in my life prior to that.”
George W. Bush has as many
skeletons in the closet as anyone,
but the world is welcome to look at them in the
context of a freshly cleaned house. He is the
kind of man w ho has gained wisdom from
tough experience. 1 le is the kind of man one
trusts because his humanity is obvious. He is
the kind of man that could lead a nation.
Heather Corbel! is a junior English major.
Students insensitive
to B-CS community
T he majority of
students attend
ing Texas A&M
do not call College Sta
tion home. Undergradu
ates hail from many
cities in Texas, as well
as other states and coun
tries. Most students
come to Bryan-College
Station to attend school and leave immediate
ly after graduation without giving a second
thought to the city in which they lived. Stu
dents see this community as a pitstop on the
journey to a better destination without ever
contributing to its improvement. In a sense,
students are guests that show disrespect for
this community.
While at A&M, students attend classes,
work part-time jobs, study and party. They
live in Bry an-College Station because it is the
home of A&M, not because they toured the
city during a college day aid appreciated
what it had to offer. The city of College Sta
tion is not able to pick and choose w hich resi
dents to accept into its city limits as a univer
sity does. If a student is accepted to A&M,
the city is forced to accept him or her as well.
A&M takes pride in the existence of hun
dreds of student organizations, which range
from fraternities and sororities to the Tradi
tions Council to intramural sports. Most
groups target students looking for social,
campus or sports related involvement. Find
ing service organizations that interact w ith
the Bry an-College Station community is a
difficult task. This fact points out that as visi
tors of this community, students are too self-
absorbed in their own activities to consider
the lives of those living around them.
Most students reside here and move on
without considering the effect their presence
had on College Station residents and the city
itself. Aggies may consider these mere facts
as part of the college experience, but the truth
is that many other people are involved. These
people are permanent residents that deal on a
daily basis with the negative consequences
that students bring. They are forced to cope
with the overcrowding of their roadways and
businesses, the debasement of their property
and the disturbances of negligent undergrads.
The problems that Aggies cause in Bryan-
College Station are manifold. The added
number of vehicles on the streets causes a
higher occurrence of accidents and heavier
traffic. The careless driving of students frus
trates native residents. The increase of peo
ple patronizing local businesses and restau
rants result in longer lines, extended waits,
and difficulty finding parking spaces.
Students also contribute to the problems
of pollution and litter. Their lack of concern
for the cleanliness of roadways and neighbor
hoods contributes to the overwhelming task
of highway cleanup. Aggies leaving trash and
beer cans at the Brazos River and Lake Bryan
shows a lack of respect for other visitors.
Aggies promote the existence of the over
abundance of bars and clubs. Their inclina
tion to abuse alcohol is irresponsible, and
their risky behavior results in legal problems
such as DWIs, MIPs, assaults and noise dis
turbances. This also sets a negative example
for local high school students as they see their
older friends drowning themselves in beer
every night at Northgate.
The need for inexpensive, temporary
housing results in the building of an abnor
mal number of apartments and private donni-
tories that devalue neighborhoods and sur
rounding property. Residents find it difficult
to sell property in neighborhoods that are pre
dominately occupied by college students.
Rent prices become higher because owners
know that several tenants can each pay more
than the total income of one family can af
ford. In addition, approximately 25 percent of
the student population live in on-campus dor
mitories and are not forced to pay property
taxes. This creates a disparity betw een the
number of people using city sen ices and
those that pay for them.
It is true that college students improve
business in the Bryan-College Station area.
However, only a small percentage of the local
population actually benefits these businesses
and profit from this additional patronage.
Programs such as Big Event are de
signed to assist and give back to this com
munity. While these projects exhibit good
intentions, the fact remains that getting in
volved a day or tw 7 o out of the year does not
constitute as community involvement. Only
a small minority of A&M students actually
contributes to the well-being of these two
cities that are overrun.
Aggies must realize the impact they have
on Bryan-College Station and its residents,
and make a conscious effort to respect both.
They have to remember that these people tol
erate frequent displays of irresponsibility and
indifference. Students need to make sure that
their presence does not become an over
whelming burden to neighbors.
Every 7 semester, the conclusion of final
exams brings a sense of freedom to Aggies as
they pack up their cars to head home for the
break. If students were to listen closely as
they reached the city limits, they would hear
a faint sigh of relief from the city.
Summer Hicks is a senior English major.
SUMMER
HICKS
Orf-^rrn JITt £
s your
!\ST
mi
MAIL CALL
oncept of ‘family’
ike your jffj cu |t t 0 define
r pictun.
response to Heather Corbel I's Jan. 28
lumn.
he 2000
. I am constantly astounded at the
ieland' imber of ways people manipulate
iristian scripture in order to justify
|otry. I saw it once again in
trbell’s column.
It seems that spouting a Bible verse
two is sufficient to invalidate the
lole concept of a homosexual family,
cording to Corbell’s philosophy I did
tgrow up in a “family” either, as my
id was predominantly absent. I’m sure
2re is a Biblical anecdote that might
nveniently explain my situation as well.
Dicture t£ Also ’ l ci like to P° int out that it does-
. ' take one man and one woman to
qcjie and Y a as corbell decrees. It
R Photogra[ <es one e gg anC j one S p e rm and, de-
31, 20lite the best efforts of science and ed-
text to Ccation, people like Corbell still believe
l410TexasA 3 t AIDS and other human sexually
9 a.m. - no>
transmitted diseases are exclusively a
homosexual problem.
I can’t believe this kind of blatant dis
criminatory rhetoric can even be printed ina
college publication. The last time I checked
we were engaging in “higher learning.”
Caleb Kennedy
Class of ’00
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An idiot’s guide to being attorney general
Reno will be remembered for administration of incompetence, not heroics
MARK
PASS WA T I RS
A
A s the sand in the
Clinton adminis
tration's hour
glass becomes less and
less with each passing
day, the word “legacy” is
uttered more often. Clin
ton and members of his
cabinet are going to great
lengths to ensure their
place in history is secured.
Among those concerned about their legacy
is Attorney General Janet Reno. She has a
dozen members of her staff working on a
book trumpeting the successes on her watch.
If that is the case, it may be a short book. A
longer book that documents the positives and
the negatives would be a more accurate por
trait, as it would show multiple instances of
incompetence, arrogance and outright igno
rance of the law. Since her appoint
ment in 1993, Reno has trampled the
Constitution, helped mask evidence
of Justice Department foul-ups and
refused to investigate potentially se
rious wrongdoings by the Clinton
Administration.
It was not long before Reno made
her impact. Thirty-six days after be
ing sworn in as attorney general, she
signed off on the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, and Firearms’(ATF) assault
on the Branch Davidian compound. The assault
— a sui-prise attack which consisted of ATF
agents riding up in buses — cost the lives of
four agents. The reason given for the assault
was that the Branch Davidians had automatic
weapons, none of which were banned at the
time.
After the explosive conclusion of the
Waco incident, claims of government
mishaps quickly drew attention. Reno testi
fied before Congress that the gas that flooded
the compound before it burned was not flam
mable and was merely tear gas. She also said
that no federal agents fired into the compound
on the last day. In the last several years, after
substantial interference from the Department
of Justice (DOJ), it was proven that little of
what Reno said under oath was actually true.
Former Senator John Danforth’s commis
sion into the disaster found that some of the
gas shells fired into the compound were not
only flammable but were slightly less potent
versions of a gas the Israelis used to kill
Palestinian terrorists.
Videos surfaced of federal agents firing
into the compound. Reno has since admitted
to all of these mistakes, claiming that they
were “minor oversights.” Then again, Reno
also defended the use of the Bradley Fighting
Vehicle, the Army’s primary armored person
nel carrier, at Waco by saying it was “an up
scale rental car.”
Another Reno supported issue is forfei
ture. Under current federal law, a citizen that
is arrested is susceptible to having their prop
erty seized. Even if the property does not in
volve the case or if the suspect is found to be
innocent, the government is allowed to keep
book about Reno would show
multiple instances of
incompetence, arrogance
and outright
ignorance of the law.
the property. For each of the past three years.
Congress attempted to change these laws, and
their resolutions were vetoed by the Clinton
Administration at the recommendation of the
the attorney general. Reno came out in favor
of increased federal jurisdiction on seizing all
assets belonging to arrested persons under the
suspicion of a criminal offense.
Reno is a Clinton appointee, and she has
gone above and beyond her duty than merely
paying Clinton back for her appointment with
her handling of the Independent Counsel
statute. While Reno did allow the appoint
ment of Kenneth Starr to rummage through
Clinton’s actions in the Whitewater investiga
tion — and later, his uses of cigars — she re
fused to appoint an independent counsel to in
vestigate the co-opting of FBI files by the
White House or illegal campaign contribu
tions from China.
Both times, she claimed there was not
enough evidence to support an independent
counsel, even though FBI director Louis Free
publicly disagreed. Reno was found to be in
contempt of Congress after refusing to turn
over documents to Senator Fred Thompson’s
committee investigating China’s illegal cam
paign contributions to Clinton’s 1996 re-elec
tion campaign.
Reno’s rejection of the Constitution does
not stop at the second and fifth Amendments.
She also targeted the first Amendment as well
as the separation of powers. In 1993, Reno
threatened to increase federal supervision of
television if networks did not tone down their
acts. Now that the networks have decided to
reject the Clinton Administration’s attempt
bribe them into making programs that they
deem acceptable, Reno again made
rumblings about increasing federal
control over content.
Now, during the Elian Gonzalez
episode, Reno overstepped her
bounds. In saying that the INS deci
sion on Gonzalez will stand and that
he must be in Cuba by Feb. 1, she is
ignoring the powers of Congress and
the judiciary.
Elian has been subpoenaed to ap-
pear before Congress and a restrain
ing order placed against his leaving the coun
try. If Reno knew the law, she would know
that she cannot arbitrarily overrule Congress
or the court.
Reno’s legacy not only shows that she
does not know the law, but that she does not
care. Such disdain for the Constitution is
mind-boggling. A person has the right to
think that free speech should be limited or
that guns are wrong. They even have the right
to think that the federal government should
have more power. What a person does not
have the right to do is simply decide that their
ideas are right and ignore the rule of law.
Even if they are attorney general.
Mark Passwaters is a senior electrical
engineering major.