Wednesds
dnescl.is, April 26, 2000
OPTNTON
THE BATTALION Page 9
! Spoon Racer, go!
woun ^even-year-old should be punished for late night drive
wt rewarded by General Mills, national media
\ five-week stay in Ws>
f the shootings,
his would happeninSi
is in the pubs in
keout shortly after6p.
d girl was in serious cot
h is. a 14-y ear-old boy«
a leg wound, and three ecoiul
d w ith less seriousinjimwgrader
e hospitals where the; ifB l’erles
m the vicinity ol themelefej rea 11 \
egnant woman wastaietifes to ha\ e
eneing abdominal pain, sdaiis howl
•old /oo. a unitoftheSm^Kheerios.
>t the most-visitedshesifeTaeoma.
iIIion loeal residentsani!:\M. 7-y ear-
163 acres in one of IkB likes it si'
icrhoods, it has seldom ;\tuch, in fact, that he was willing to
- better known for the vittit the law to get his daily lix of
for over two decades lose whole-grain oat O's.
ninen, 20, a zoo volimteq During the early morning hours
.Tk thismomingtofii fApril 1, while his family slept,
an alerting \ isitorstha erle\ took his dog Bear, and
Two bunches of flonff.linked into his sister's automo-
hegate. Hr S kills he picked up from
H|Hng \ ideo games, he proceeded
Hive three miles down some of
(Hina's busiest streets in search
)fa grocery store w here he could
Hhox ofCheerios.
, Perley 's ad\ eiiture made him the
Hia darling of the Northwest.
Hi afterw ards, his exploits made
tint ' a number of papers across the
Huntn. and he soon found himself
Hing television appearances, f or
H Perley, howex er, the best news
was yet to come.
tmosphere was‘‘stillvent^BJeneral Mills, the company
Sen. (. onnie Nfick.R !: that makes Cheerios, and a number
v military-style raid, saidi' ofother breakfast cereals, has de-
' n ! o mind had not lx. cided to give Perley a year’s worth
cno s presentation. of Cheerios, a bicycle and other
I am going torecon!":. prizes. “So he’ll never have to dri-
. Kite engage in aheanr. veto the store again,” said General
the use ol force,'' Mi' Mills spokesperson Liv Lane,
reply troubled, horrified
et, that our govemmeni ;
mod force ina familybfflr
>-y ear-old child.”
fhe session came asp*
fries into Saturday’sptwiMi
tied m both the I Joustflffc
Republicans, andt
K'rats aligned witbte^' 1 *
iek I.ban's rclw 10Cuk,ffi
ir criticism forwhatthey?
.tice I )epartment’sstrong-E
frien,
Once again, it appears that the
media fascination with cuteness has
superceded rational thinking. In
stead of reflecting on the dangers
that a 7-year-old behind the wheel
presented, newspapers and televi
sion stations are choosing to focus
on the cuteness factor so they can
lump the story into the “happy
news” category.
What is so cute about a 7-year-
old endangering the lives of inno
cent people on the road? Why
should a child be rewarded for,
sneaking out of the house and ille
gally driving a ear? Would General
Mills have given Perley the year
long supply of cereal if he had hit a
pedestrian or parked his car in the
front window of a store on his way
to the supermarket?
It would be ridiculous to throw
Perley in jail or give him a ticket. He
is, ailer all, a 7-year-old child who
really wanted a bowl of Cheerios.
But it was also wrong to reward him
and reinforce his behavior.
Parents complain that violent
video games and television shows
are turning their children into mon
sters. Movies and music lyrics are
also frequent targets for parent out
rage when it comes to the behavior
of this generation’s youngsters.
How about companies and parents
rewarding the stupid behavior of
their kids?
Perhaps parents are so busy
looking for scapegoats that they
fail to recognize the detrimental
effects they are having on their
own children.
It is doubtful that a string of
copycat pre-teen drivers will take
to the road, but what kind of mes
sage does the entire incident send
to the kids of America? For Per
ley King and any other 7-year-old
watching television news cover
age of the episode, it says that
you can pretty much get away
with whatever you want and be
rewarded for it.
To be fair, General Mills is
not attempting to corrupt the
children of America and encour
age them to drive their family au
tomobiles. They saw a cute kid
on the news who had a hankering
for Cheerios and saw a unique
publicity opportunity. Sure,
Mikey might like Life cereal, but
Perley was willing to drive to
town for a box of Cheerios.
The problem is that society
sees a cute face and suddenly for
gets everything else. Would Elian
Gonzalez have attracted so much
attention if he had been an over
weight 40-year-old truck driver?
Sometimes the pitter-patter of lit
tle feet is the only thing the human
mind can hear.
Perley’s parents should not let
him be rewarded for doing some
thing wrong. He deserves to be
raised better than that.
Nicholas Roznovsky is a junior
political science major.
RICHARD HORNE/Thi: Battalion
owimuifie anarchy
[lotplanners heavy on instruction, light on explanations
Registration:
April 24-28
9-10 am, 3-4 pm
May 1-5
1-5 pm
707 Texas Ave
uite 210 Bldgi
www2.cy-net.net/-let
a
nvironmentali'sts,
human rights ac
tivists, animal
rights activists, anar
chists and other groups
nverged on the na
n’s capitol Apr. 14-17
protest the World
nk. World Trade Or-
nization (WTO) and
International Monetary Fund. These pro-
|sters, with Rage Against the Machine play-
g in the background, and the smell of
pper spray from the “Battle in Seat-
fresh in their nostrils, went to
ashington, D.C. Their goal: To
jdp liberate third-world countries
om growing debt and plunder-
g international corporations.
Upon closer examination, one
n find hypocrisy and contra-
[ictions throughout the protest
tup. One glaring contradiction
jas to be the use of the Mobiliza-
on for Global Justice Website to
romote their propaganda. The
rgest user of the Internet is middle-
lass, affluent kids whose parents
ave probably reaped the benefits of the
evils of free-trade” they are protesting
Pgainst. Most of the protesters in Seattle
I and Washington D.C. ranged in age from 15-
28 years old.
Unfortunately, that is the target of the
groups — self-centered kids with a lack of
identity, enough disposable income to spend
[the weekend protesting and, should they be ar
rested, a family lawyer to be dispatched to
pring them home.
It is difficult to discuss this protest because
there are so many groups with so many agen
das and so little column space. Also, most of
[these groups are agreeing to protest but cannot
decide what exactly to protest. The labor
unions do not want China to be a member of
the WTO; the human and animal rights groups
abhor the suffering caused by the WTO and
the IMF. As for the anarchists ... it is their off
season from their soccer league, and it is just
another weekend on the town for them.
So given all that, here is an examination of
the rhetoric of the protest.
Mobilization for Global Justice, like
many “revolutionary” or “direct-action”
sites, discusses tactics, not beliefs. Simply
put, how one should protest takes center
stage over why one should protest. Which is
good because most people enjoy a good
protest, which can become dull and even fall
apart if there is too much talking. Common
riot shouts of “Resist!” and “Pork — Murder
with a knife and a fork!” are a lot more fun
than listing to some pseudo-intellectual ram
ble about the sufferings of some starving
child in Tanzania.
Days before the protest, the Website con
tained various tips on protest tactics, every
thing from group organization to necessary
supplies were described. Those new to protests
and did not have their own gas masks were in
structed on how to use makeshift air filters.
Dates and times of scheduled protests were also
posted. One can just hear the protesters now,
“Hey, man, don’t start the protest without me.”
As far as group organization is concerned,
one member of the group was selected as the
“spokesperson.” The spokesperson’s job is to
memorize three or four random facts avail
able at the Website and recite them over
and over again as answers to the question.
Basically, if a spokesperson were asked,
“Why are you protesting?” They were to
answer, “Because the IMF gives money to
companies that contribute to deforesta
tion,” or the “IMF enslaves the children.”
These spokespeople are to take the infor
mation at the Mobilization for Global Jus
tice site for truth and regurgitate it for all
who will listen. Too bad there is not a
‘thinkperson” assigned to the group respon
sible for doing actual research and thinking
for themselves.
Even more ironic is that the World Bank-
IMF and the protesters both claim to be work
ing for the same goal: bettering the lives of peo
ple in the third-world countries. Or, as far as the
environmentalists are concerned, helping the
ecology of these countries. The original goal of
the bank was to ease the transition of third-
world counties into the Western world. True,
The World Bank can be a cappuccino shock to
the system of a third world economy but often
these countries do not have an alternative.
There are several reasons to oppose the
World Bank and the IMF. However, one should
look into and research it carefully before joining
other protesters and throwing bricks through the
windows of Starbucks coffee. Oh, and don’t
play soccer with the anarchists. They cheat.
Joe Schumacher is a senior
journalism major
MAIL CALL
Wireless campus idea simply a
proposal, not associated with RHA
In response to David Lee’s April 25 article.
The article stated that“the proposal by the Residence Hall
Association (RHA) to implement a wireless campus is serious
ly flawed.” However, this is not the case at all, because the wire
less campus proposal has not been made by RHA or the De
partment of Residence Life. A guest speaker informed RHA of
the concept at our last General Assembly and wanted opinions
and feedback from on-campus residents.
This idea was brought by the Division of Student Affairs and
the Division of Administration; it is under research by them and
they are currently seeking student input on the subject. RHA is
a representative organization whose sole purpose is to repre
sent the views of the on-campus residents.
After more research is done and the official presentation is
made to us, we will seek more student input before passing our
recommendation on to the administration.
Lee made several good points about the concept and these
are already points that we have been investigating for several
weeks. If anyone would like more information on the idea that the
University is proposing, then we encourage you to contact RHA.
Josh Kaylor
RHA President
Class of ’02
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 letters 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
Students’ protests of U.N.
sanctions misdirected
MARK
PASSWATERS
O ne of the greatest
things about living
in the United States
of America is having the
right to be stupid. Every
once in a while, some
group will come around
and do something that
would make the general
public question whether
that right has been abused.
It is time for the public to take a moment
and congratulate the student-run organization
Aggie Students for Peace. They have gone
above and beyond the call of duty to ensure
that it is still safe to be stupid in this nation.
Their attempts to see the embargo on Iraq lifted
could be considered gallant — if it were not for
the facts that they are not only Informationally
challenged but coddling a dictator. Aggie, Stu
dents for Peace have shown such blissfuf igno
rance on the issue of suffering in Iraq that it is
highly doubtful they are on the same planet as
the rest of us.
Aggie Students for Peace President An-
gelique Dorazio-Sanders has complained that
their newsworthy actions
have not been sufficient
ly covered. The only
problem with her com
plaint is that the actions
of the group were not
newsworthy, merely
loony. Among the “stu
dent actions” not covered
was a “postal action” in
which 10 students mailed
nine packages to Iraq in
an attempt to work
against United Nation (U.N.) sanctions.
First of all, what is a “postal action,” anyway?
Thankfully, there were no automatic weapons in
volved, just a few kids wasting postage. The
painful truth behind Iraq’s suffering is that nei
ther the United States nor the United Nations are
responsible for the deaths of innocent women
and children — Saddam Hussein is.
Apparently, Aggie Students for Peace has
forgotten that Iraq is ruled by a ruthless dictator
who does not care what happens to his citizens.
Well before U.N. sanctions were imposed upon
Iraq, Hussein was ensuring the deaths of thou
sands of people. He now has a convenient ex
cuse to deflect blame from himself.
Examination of the real situation in Iraq
shows a classical situation of the “haves” versus
the “have-nots.” Saddam Hussein is a Sunni
Muslim, a group which comprises about one-
fourth of Iraq’s population. Shiite Muslims and
Kurds have long been opposed to Hussein and
have suffered greatly since Aug. 2, 1990 when
Iraq invaded Kuwait. On the other hand, those
who have supported Hussein have actually
lived in the lap of luxury.
Saddam Hussein’s only concern is staying in
power. With the application of U.N. sanctions,
it is illegal for Iraq to export oil its major money
maker. In spite of that, hundreds of thousands of
While Aggie Students
for Peace condemn
the United Nations
for being evil, Hussein
continues to murder
his own people.
barrels each day are smuggled out of the coun
try and sold. That money goes directly into the
coffers of the Iraqi Government — or, more
precisely, Hussein himself.
Members of Hussein’s Baath party have
been given expensive luxury cars and interest-
free loans to build houses. The Republican
Guard, the best units the Iraqi army has to offer,
has been given half a dozen pay raises and other
monetary incentives to remain loyal to Hussein.
Hussein himself has built — not rebuilt, but
built — 70 new palaces since the end of the Gulf
War, a tally which is estimated to cost over $ 100
billion. When these expenses are coupled with
the down payments on new weapons systems
from Russia and France that can be delivered as
soon as the sanctions are lifted, it becomes quite
plain to see who the true villain is here.
While Aggie Students for Peace condemn
the United Nations for being evil, Hussein con
tinues to murder his own people. The Kurds,
who live in the northern part of the country,
have been displaced from their homes and into
the mountains by the Iraqi army. The Shiites,
who live in the southern part of the nation, haye
had their wetlands destroyed so that they will
have no place to hide if
they chose to rebel as •,
they did in 1991. This !
destroyed their ability to
farm as well, condemn-!!
ing them to the slow fatfe
of starvation.
It is true that Iraqis :
are dying by the score
every day. It is not every
Iraqi; it is merely the /
ones that Hussein con- -
siders expendable. The-!
Shiites and Kurds of Iraq receive no aid from tl)e
govemment and are subjected to starvation and!
disease. The only times that the Iraqi govern- \\
ment pays any attention to them whatsoever is to
suppress their dissent or use them as examples !
of how evil the West can be to Islamic nations./
This is a complete farce, and Aggie Students
for Peace has swallowed it wholly. They should
be ashamed of themselves for sucking up to a ^
blood-thirsty dictator in this fashion. If this is <■
not enough to change their minds, perhaps the^
should be reminded of Hussein's track record. *
In 1980, he attacked Iran. In 1990, he invaded «
Kuwait. If we lift sanctions against Iraq, what |
will a rearmed and re-energized Hussein do >
next? Would Hussein attack Saudi Arabia? Is-!
rael? Jordan? In any case, the United States •
will almost certainly become involved, and !
lives will be lost.
Aggie Students for Peace are in dire need of
vision adjustment because they plainly cannot!
see the big picture. They are perfectly content to
coddle a murderer and tacitly support his ability
to spread his reign of terror elsewhere. Or, per
haps this is what they desire, so they can have.
another “postal action.”
Mark Passwaters is a senior
electrical engineering major.