Page 5
Monday, June5,;
ION
s Arnott
Lite rant
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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.