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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 5, 2000)
Page 5 Monday, June5,; ION s Arnott Lite rant ostseaso py.June 5.2(K)Q PIN! THE BATTALION ■ healthy there." : change on the ice started 'hen then-Devils coach moved Arnott to centerwil] as and Petr Sykora on thewii o natives of the Czech Repul ?at skaters and that hasm; move his feet and playbetv P ast cou P le of years have lott had 27 goals and 54per I not been kind tfl the reputation isonand he added 22 goals; I of the International Olympic its this year. His game has:: |™ttee (IOC). Evidence of corrup- n the playoffs. lurrounding the selections of Salt hink to be an elite playerir ke i ]ity, Nagano, Atlanta and Syd- you have to have that cock; Jshost cities has made the IOC n a good way," Devilsdefr. Is President, Juan Antonio Sama- fl w, look like a bunch of classless . : lit crooks in the eyes of many. Scott is a great i low, with the assistance of the Palestinian Authority, istake misia OCtfvttfaiC finofeontitMA MARK PASSWATERS He'S OH!' (d! 1 ^ ^ aS c * earec ^ U P an y ^ ou ^ s about their reputa- w i«The organization's inability to take responsibility for /H. WhCtlCVCf (lP 1 ' n 8 ^ iat 8° es wron 8' s we *l documented; the new . . libation that they are unable to do something humane iy is in troi/We Ip.cabie. d needs a plm\ o stay, here is re. He did that r me and l ow n a tremendoii: amount" 1972,11 Israeli ath- were killed by mem- [ofthe Palestine Lib- bn Organization ])) an anti-Israeli ter- group. The PLO's September front them hostage during lunich summer les. In order to honor K memories, the Is- — 1 Jason Ar(io:|li government has hockey pk-jkeci the IOC to have a Rient of silence during , le closing ceremonies of en Daneyko said.' And asm,™ c ,, ie2000 Summer uly come to the forefront Hcl „ . . . • i ..Hnpics.rhePalestim- trong, povvertui man andKI : , ... , , . , .... who will send a team ; to use it along with hisabil . , , , , , 0 , . . pthe Olympics for the only has ArnottprovidedwB . . . i , , , , rst time, are opposed to such a measure, he playoffs) he s alsooneot'm . r . r . Ihe Palestinians say the actions of Black September For the IOC to forgo the moment of silence would be just like saying they did not care these athletes were killed on their watch. 'state of war" that existed etween the PLO and Israel at the time. Instead of see- in the locker room, another:, c c . r ere justifiable given the from Stevens. 1 " 1 taken those other twogu_ , and Elias) under his wing; '§ these terrorists for what the y are ' the Palestinians to them and taken can- F 1 ™ 6 to stand by the absurd claim that they were goaltender Martin BrJ reedom fi g hter S-" le's been as good as I haves- gF hlsbelief alone ,s enough to make a normal person l v p| u >ale in disbelief. The term "freedom fighter" is usually be- 's getting away from the Edm®' ed u P on someone who fights directly against the f and he really has his niche rrned l° rces nl an occupying nation, not someone who 1 he's close to helping 10ots at bl e,:es in their sleep. Yet, the Palestinians contin- win their second StanleyCeI i® maintain that they were the only ones that were op- 995. pressed in this terrible conflict. If the moment of silence reso lution were to be passed, the Palestinians threatened to hold up pictures of men that were killed by the Israelis during their occupation the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "If they are going to fight like this, we are going to fight," said Palestinian Olympic Com mittee Vice President Rabie A1 Turk, momentarily forgetting that Israelis and Palestinians are now ostensibly at peace. "There are lots of things we can do to Israel." The IOC, showing as much courage and conviction as a slug, said that a moment of si lence for the athletes would be "political" and held no place at the games. Wrong. Whether the IOC wants to admit it or not, it is at least somewhat responsible for those 11 athletes' deaths. The Olympic Committee, the city of Munich and the West German government did not provide ample security for the athletes, and it cost them their lives. To ignore this event like it never happened is the ultimate dis play of excessive pride. The Olympics are a festival of peace, and are supposed to tran scend disputes between nations. The games are supposed to be a time of joy and reconciliation, not of cold-blooded murder. The fact that these athletes were murdered at such an event is all the more reason that they should be remembered. If the disaster at Munich is ignored, it would be a horrible disservice to all of mankind. The Olympics are for the athletes, not for agendas. For the IOC to forgo the moment of silence would be just like saying that they did not care these athletes were killed on their watch. That is appalling, to put it mildly. The Palestin ian Authority is a new kid on the global block, and wants to be treated as a real nation. In order for it to be welcomed into the community of nations, it has to dis tance itself from its past actions. That includes having the courage to admit that they have done some things that are horribly wrong, and the slaughter of the Israeli athletes in 1972 is at the top of the list. The International Olympic Committee has been around far longer than the Palestinian Authority, but it RUBEN DELUNA/The Battalion could certainly use a reality check as well. The Olympics are supposed to be a showcase of that which is good in the world, not evil. By lacking the guts to remind the world of past mis takes, the IOC has shown that it lacks a conscience. Such apathy could make one fall silent — so long as that silence does not occur at the closing ceremonies in Sydney. Mark Passwaters is a senior electrical engineering major. ically, if the Devils win, tfi nner for the Conn Smytheh uld be Stevens, whose phy. |/|()Vie CNticiSITI Off base, : the tone for New Jersey to v st three senes. iveHooks role of parents only person who mightk;j response to Jill Riley’s June 1 column. t is Arnott. ■ >tt is a great guy. He'sourcaf | agree that Tom Green's movie Road said Arnott, who lives n'p is very gross and unsophisticated, i Beach, Ontario,about90ntthcl not intended for young impressionable rth of Toronto. "Whenever:ewers. However, Road Trip is not going to n trouble and needs a Dl» #er the 0 P ini0n the rest of the '"® t has Of is there. Hedid thatfomMifl u - s - People who dislike America, Amerl- , Igs, and American culture do not feel that im a tremendous amount a y ) :3ecause our mov j es _ we are bullies in global schoolyard. We use our military to protect our own interests. We ■tiMAMUMiHMJPirow temper tantrums and impose economic :ker confronts a nctons Other countries do not like us be- ause we have injured their national pride for er before ganfr own benefit. We may tell ourselves other- a xtt a f a m t i d but we are selfish. Did we send our ANTA (AP> - John I) c forces to Kuwajt to t the s rattled Braves reliever U one by |raqt or was |t because Kuwait has tation Sunday with theSpoit ; || e 0 j| reserves ? ed reporter who wrote the sttl \\ \ s t rue that some viewers may try to emu- hich Rocker made offers:'iti the characters in this movie. However, Ri- its about gays, minorities,^ like many others, seems to have forgotten ;s and his own teammates. N importance of parental responsibility. Chil- reporter, Jeff Pearlman, saifen and teenagers that are not mature MAIL CALL ed from doing so by their parents. Anyone that is of driving age should be mature enough to deal with this movie. If someone is killed trying to jump the gap in a bridge in a family car, then we must recognize the event for what it is: natural selection in its finest hour. I am not arguing that every person with a driver's license is responsible, rather my contention is this: the consequences we suf fer as a result of our own irresponsibility teach us much far more about responsibility than we can ever learn from someone like Ri ley moralizing atop a soapbox. Matthew Dozier Class of ’02 Traffic violators given undeserved second chance with prepaid tickets ?' 1 The National Motorist Asso- X ciation (NMA) 4 is now awarding pre- |4/- y paid tickets to policy holders. The NMA, best known for advo- CAYLA eating the 1995 Na- CARR threatened him, though thefi physical contact between ft* e Braves said they wereinvef and teammate Brian im a "cancer." amazed he hasn't the right way,".said Jordaf he leaders in the clubhoH f the guy has nine lives, he'su- i up pretty good. 1've got one guy being a & i and time again," the otl aid. "Eventually, itTgoirf. effect on the team. Hopeh change." man, in Atlanta to doasW raves meeting the NewYo [! ! ; in a rematch of last year Series, had a chance meetrj rker in a service tunnel h urner Field about twolio' lC le final game of the series, rding to Pearlman, Rock reatening comments such:. iT over between us," and, “1, w what I can do to you?" ^ onfrontation lasted aboutt' 1 Ml and became so heated ti lipped around the bill oh. e could get face-to-facew ,|:: rter. ugh to see this movie should be prevent- 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 per son at 013 Reed McDonald with a valid student ID. Letters may also be mailed to: The Battalion - Mail Call 014 Reed McDonald Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-1111 Campus Mail: 1111 Fax: (409) 845-2647 E-mail: battletters@hotmail.com I HkD 7D write oH SHEETS Of RApEf?! if\)T THEM in BHMELpPES TWtt- NEEDED (Sog) STMWPS TO SEND turn’. REFORUNO LIVE, WITH /ANOTHER VICTIM CfTHE E-rwwi VIRUS! tional Highway speed increase from 55 mph to 70 mph, argues that a low speed limit arid unjust traffic laws set the stage for unnecessary speed traps. Tlie NMA believes that speed traps are unfair and expensive means of gener ating revenue for counties and communi ties. To counter these highway pit- falls they created a new form of* insurance. Their solution is a policy that requires a monthly fee as low as $5, that guarantees drivers will never again have to pay traffic tickets. By paying $5 a month, vi olators are reimbursed for tlieir ticket and court cost. This policy covers unlimited traffic violations that involve speeding, tailgating, reckless driving and even drunk dri ving. In other words f for those DWTs and DUTs a second chance will be granted to drive drunk. The NMA argues that this policy will eliminate the increased cost of au tomobile insurance policies and the re moval of drivers' licenses by paying off the ticket. Another advantage the NMA states is that the policy covers unlimited violations, with equal costs to drivers regardless of their past dri ving records. The NMA argues that this program is only a service to the people, not a true insurance provider and that drivers will still have to carry regular automobile insurance. Nonetheless, as enticing as this pro gram may sound, it is impossible to con stitute the ethics and legalities involved. It establishes an entire new idea of false security. Instead of encouraging drivers to be cautious it will encourage reckless driving. Drivers will be less courteous on the roads and offenders will be protected. There is a reason for traffic tickets and therefore a reason for the consequences that follow. This policy is unnecessary. In Texas, defensive driving courses are used to remove a ticket from a person's dri ving record. These courses are made so convenient they can be taken in the pri vacy of one's home. The transportation system is already lenient. Much like defensive driving • classes, parents are now able to order a Tickets are not a conspiracy against drivers, nor are they deemed to be punishment without a crime. Tickets are a direct result of a driver's own negligence. driver's education packet and teach their children thefnselves. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has made continued efforts to improve drivers' safety, but acci dents — minor and fatal — still occur. So how can it be justified to make the roads even less safe than they already are? This policy not only creates unsafe conditions, but also gives people an ex cuse to drive carelessly. Why bother with traffic laws when all you have to do is pay as low as $5 a month and be assured to never pay a ticket again. Too many people today do not seem to be worried about highway safety. This pro gram would just reinforce a driver's per ceived invincibility. The NMA argues that a positive effect of this policy would be to decrease the cost of insurance policies after accidents and violations. It does not take a genius to realize insurance policies increase for a reason — to discourage a person from getting another violation. For those who cannot afford increased insurance poli cies, it only takes common sense to realize they need to avoid breaking the law. Not only would this policy add to the irresponsibility of society, it would give people a much easier chance to kill others or kill themselves. Tickets are not a con spiracy against drivers, nor are they deemed to be punishment without a crime. Tickets are a direct result of a dri ver's own negligence. In a way, tickets are given to prevent harm and death. Most intelligent people would assume that any aerodynamic steel missile going faster than 20 miles an hour is a deadly weapon. And that is ex actly what a motor vehicle is. Aside from traffic fatalities, other problems can occur as a re sult of this program. Liability is another risk, the NMA neglected to notice. If a person was killed in a car accident by a repeat drunk driver the NMA could likely be found liable for keeping such a haz ardous driver on the road. The NMA is naively backing these pre paid tickets to protest unjust traffic laws and speed traps, but they need to realize the severe consequences involved. This policy is tempting, but no driver is quite ready to handle the severe consequences it could involve. People are not, and never will be, ready to handle causing a death. The Department of Transportation takes this into consideration and fires back with the oply alternative, prosecuting viola tors. If the NMA overrules traffic tickets by overriding the consequences then traf fic of society and the highways to heaven will be only a mile a way. Cayla Carr is a junior speech communication major.