Friday, November 10, 2000
Page 7
THE BATTALION
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end to quai
t last, a fitting tribute
r orld War II Memorial long overdue, properly honors overlooked heroes
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NICHOLAS
ROZNOVSKY
aturday. Veteran’s Day,
ground will be broken on the
National Mall in Washington,
B.C, for a memorial to honor the
Rldiers who fought and died in the
world War II. Although President
llinton, Secretary of the Interior
iMruce Babbit and a number of war
ve terans will be there, the event will
nut be celebrated by all World War II
9I-6206 Beterans.
«2sc-» A group of veterans, architects and experts have
formed a group called Save Our Mall which objects to
B 16 s ' te ancl design of the World War II Memorial. In an
7 2MrmaMtempt to stop the project, it has filed an injunction
ijgainst the National Park Service and other govern-
ily.newa^Mgnt authorities in federal court. Although the ground-
. —.- Breaking will proceed as planned Saturday, actual con-
3 74 me si ruction on the project may be delayed until the
^•BHiwsuit is resolved.
3ES II Save Our Mall contends that the government has
^■■■Broken the law by approving a design which they do
scount. M-'rBot like.
liepm^was'B “Above all,” said co-chairwoman Judy Scott Feld-
Inside Bank: 1 * ’ ^
lowestpnce:*ian, “it is a subversion ot the open and public process,
fte public’s legitimate and legal right to know and be
^eluded in decisions affecting «ur public lands.”
It is hard to imagine that any group, much less one
omposed primarily of veterans, would stand in the
/ay of such a project. The truth is,
nost of them do not. It is time for r;..> ;
[he small but extremely vocal group
hat does not agree with the plan to
ccept that Americans have decided
he World War II Memorial is a fil
ling tribute to the service and sac-
ifices made by millions of Ameri
cans more than half a century ago.
The campaign to raise funds for
he World War II Memorial has been
ighly publicized. Supporters have
ncluded former Sen. Bob Dole, ac-
orTom Hanks, and a number of vet-
ran members of Congress, including
[Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Nebraska, and
Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii.
Funds have been raised from a collection of private
and corporate donations, the most recent of which was
a $14 million gift from Wal-Mart, complementing the
$10 million raised by more than 300 veterans’ groups
across the nation. In all, according to organizers, more
than 450 veterans’ organizations representing more
than 11 million veterans have endorsed the plan.
The members of Save Our Mall are not among the
supporters. Oddly enough, the disgruntled veterans are
arguing against the prominent site selected for the
memorial — at the end of the Reflecting Pool opposite
the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. They say
that it will disrupt the natural
beauty and flow of traffic
along the mall. Members
are in favor of a less
prominent site 125 feet
to the north, placing
the memorial out of
the Lincoln Memor-
ial-Washington
Monument axis.
Designers of the
memorial argue otherwise
noting that the memorial
will be built into the
ground so as not
to block the
view from either of the two existing memorials.
“The reality is, if the design was not sensitive to the
site, and if it didn’t preserve those vistas that are so im
portant to the mall, [it] would never have been ap
proved by the National Commission on Fine Arts and
the National Capitol Planning Commission,” said
American Battle Monuments Commission spokesman
Mike Conley. The site has been approved five separate
times by planning commissions Since 1997.
Another sticking point for Save Our Mall is the de
sign of the memorial itself. The memorial, as planned
now, will consist of 56 pil
lars representing each
state and territory of
the United
LOSS
NwLowfPw
States, flanking an elliptical pool with decorative foun
tains and an eternal flame in the center. It will also con
tain two large archways on either side to provide en
trance access for those walking along the mall.
Critics have decided the design, comparing the
memorial to monumental works created by Albert
Speer, Adolf Hitler’s architect.
“Where is the humanity?” asked.Save Our Mall co-
chairman Feldman.
While it is true the design does not incorporate stat
ues of individuals in combat gear like the Korean War
Memorial, the stark granite, water and eternal flame
will create an atmosphere with the dignity and rever- ’
ence necessary to honor the dead of World War II. The
design echoes the solemn respect found in the Ameri
can cemeteries on the shores of Normandy.
“The Vietnam Wall was probably one of the most ;
roundly criticized designs when it was in develop
ment,” Conley said. “Now it’s one of the most cher
ished memorials on the mall.”
Two-thirds of the 7.4-acre memorial grounds will con
sist of water pools and landscaping, seamlessly incorpo
rating the memorial into the surrounding mall grounds.
Given the amount of time and effort the National
Park Service and other government groups have spent
examining the design to minimize impact on the mall, it
is unlikely that the World War II Memorial could ever
be the eyesore that Save Our Mall insists it will be. 1
It is impossible to satisfy every section of the popu
lation. Although critics at the time ar
gued against the giant obelisk of the
Washington Monument and the “im-;
perial throne” of the Lincoln Memori
al, both have emerged as beautiful I
and fitting tributes to an important
part of the nation’s history.
With the World War II Memorial,
America has the chance to finally say
“thank you” to the extraordinary ef
forts of millions of its countrymen in the face
of war and death. It is time for Americans to
stop fighting over the World War 11 Memor
ial and start remembering those it honors. !
Nicholas Roznovsky is a senior
political science majbr.
Ill, Fri, Sal.'
r only'4.50
Time to wake up, folks
Voter apathy hurts nation, damages democratic process
Editorial
THE
Editorial Board
MARK
PASSWATERS
udentsW
intern [«
working
i webde'
Nearly half of the nation
was too apathetic to ex
ercise a right many peo
ple around the world
would kill to have.
s this is written, the
population of the
LUnited States has no
ct»&'*J^d ea who the next presi-
lent will be. It also has no
clue who controls the Sen
ate, as the race in Wash
ington between Slade
lorton and Maria
Cantwell is undecided.
The polls, like the nation, are split down the
middle.
Who should be blamed for all of this?
The answer is simple. The members of this
lation’s public who did not have the energy to
>et off of their backsides and vote have dozed
heir way through what will probably be the
stems, Ift nost significant election in decades. Now, be
S ° ft or :ause t * ie ' r a P at hy> thi 8 country is confused
fpnd embittered.
The media is apparently excited about the
idea that more than 100 million people voted in
this year’s election
This sounds good,
'rc'hand^ juntil one considers that
-fer a pi»‘ ! it constitutes only 56
ment, j 1 ' percent of those eligible
to vote. In other words,
n/wrlc' near ’y °f the nation
was too apathetic to ex-
gpptyor lercise a right many peo-
' “file around the world
>r visit [ flwould kill to have.
Congratulations, Mr. and Ms. “I cannot be
bothered.” Way to go, supporters of “my vote
does not count anyway.”
Those who feel this way have successfully
placed the nation’s government in a state of
disarray.
In 1983, Genesis released its hit single,
“Land Of Confusion.” Phil Collins and compa
ny have nothing on the United States right now.
As it stands, George W. Bush will become
president while losing the popular vote by less
than 100,000. The Senate will, in all likeli
hood, be split evenly between the Republicans
and Democrats.
k The only part of the government that really
cannot be contested is the House of Representa
tives, where the Republicans hold a thin but con
crete, majority.
Dennis Hastert is the speaker of the House
and might as well be anointed the most power
ful man in America for the next four years.
That is correct, ladies and gentlemen: A
Drew Carey look-alike is now the baddest man
in the free world.
The concept of a mandate might sound
questionable to some, but it adds great
weight to politicians’ stances on the issues
when they can point to the fact that they
were found to be superior to all others by a
majority of the population.
ion
s to
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Bush cannot do that, and the makeup of
the Senate further weakens his position.
Hastert controls the House and suddenly
finds himself in a position to control the na
tion’s domestic agenda.
Hastert is a Republican, but there is no cer
tainty that he will want to go along with Bush’s
plans for the next four years.
Yesterday, President Clinton said, “The
American people have spoken. Now we must
wait to see what it is they said.” But did they re
ally speak? No. Only half did. How loud would
Kyle Field be if the student section and half of
the Zone were filled with screaming fans?
It would not be enough to overwhelm No. 1
ranked Oklahoma, in all likelihood. Voting for
the president is a citizen’s ultimate test, and half
the nation flunked it by not showing up.
This is especially pathetic when one con
siders that this nation is in a time of peace
and prosperity, and the two major candi
dates are men who have vastly different
plans for its future.
Still, people stayed home
and were content to leave
their fate to others.
The United States came
into existence in no small
part due to a lack of repre
sentation. Ask the English
about this issue.
This year, 70 percent of
eligible voters went to the
polls in Yugoslavia and voted against Slobodan
Milosevic — despite warnings from Milose
vic’s party and secret police that those opposing
them risked death.
In 1989, 95 percent of the voters in the for
mer Soviet Union went to the polls to vote for
the Congress of People’s Deputies, a totally im-
po.tent political body.
The American people are entrusted with the
greatest responsibility on the planet — creating
the lineup of the lone superpower’s government.
In spite of this, many do not care, claiming
that their votes are simply worthless.
This election proves this argument is baseless.
It is the literal truth that, in many states, every
single vote would have counted.
For the next four years, it is likely that mem
bers of the population will complain about how
President Bush and the Republican Congress
are operating.
If the reader hears people complain, ask
them if they voted.
If the complainers voted, let them moan.
If they did not, do those who voted a favor
and tell them to please shut up.
Their apathy has made the nation a global
embarrassment.
Mark Passivaters senior electrical
engineering major.
Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the majority view
of the editorial board members. They do not necessarily reflect
the opinions of other Battalion staff members, the Texas A&M
student body, regents, administration, faculty or staff.
BETH MILLER
Editor in Chief
DAVID LEE
Opinion Editor
JEFF KEMPF
Managing Editor
MARIUM MOHIUDDIN
City Editor
Baclc to the drawing board
Chaos surrounding presidential election shows need for election reform
It seems like a simple concept —
the person with the most votes wins
... right?
After the chaotic events of Tuesday
evening, this question has been
brushed off with a muffled “maybe.”
One has to admit that today's
bizarre state of affairs is a mixed
blessing.
The unresolved presidential elec
tion has pointed out the kinks in the
otherwise spotless armor of the Ameri
can election system.
There are four key areas in the
election system that need immediate
reform.
First, the popular vote in presiden
tial elections must have some, if not
all, of the final say in determining the
victor.
If Gov. George W. Bush is to prevail
with the electoral votes of Florida and
win the presidency without winning the
popular vote, lingering questions may
mar his administration and damage
the democratic process.
If correcting this discrepancy calls
for overhauling or eliminating the
Electoral College for future elections,
so be it.
Another possible change would
be adjusting the electoral votes
down to county or precinct levels, so
they more accurately 1 represents the
votes of the people of each state.
Second, ballot procedures must be
standardized nationwide in order to
streamline the counting process.
As reported by CNN, questions
arose in West Palm Beach, Fla., over
the situation of a voter intending to
vote for one candidate while actually
voting for someone else.
The variety of deadlines for mail-in
ballots from one state to another
needlessly holds up the counting
process — Oregon, for example.
Third, absentee-voting procedures
must be standardized.
As reported Wednesday by The Dal
las Morning News, “The presidential
election remains uncertain Wednesday
partly because Florida election offi
cials still had to count ballots from
overseas military personnel.”
In some areas, absentee ballots
are counted first and released as early
return figures. Other locations hold ab
sentee ballots until all the other votes
are counted.
The current arrangement is flawed,
as it does not count absentee ballots
in the same manner as regular votes.
With an estimated 25 percent of vot
ers voting absentee this year, it would
make sense if a protocol for counting
absentee ballots were established.
Fourth, there must be more ac
countability of. local election officials.
A multitude of complaints have
been triggered by a general careless
ness and laziness on the part of many
election officials.
In order for a tighter ship to be run,
there must be firm sanctions in place
for officials who are neglectful in their
duties.
Being entrusted with the votes that
decide the future of a nation is-a sacred
task; those who do not take this respon
sibility seriously should be punished.
The most sensible method of re
forming these areas of the election
system calls for the newly elected Con
gress to assemble a bipartisan com
mission to explore and change elec
tion laws.
Whether this means changing the
electoral college, scrapping it entirely,
or developing another solution, some
thing must be done. The good of the
nation depends on prompt and respon--
sible electoral reform.
It is the obligation of the voting pub
lic to ensure that changes are made
by convincing its elected representa
tives to bring them about.
If the public returns to its usual
complacent manner, an election
sometime down the future will experi
ence the same problems as this one
— or worse.
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 ac
curacy.
Letters may be submitted in person
at 014 Reed McDonald with a valid stu
dent ID. Letters may also be mailed to:
The Battalion - Mall Call
014 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
1111TAMU
College Station, Texas 77843 _
Campus Mail: 11TJ
Fax: (979) 845-26-,,
E-mail: battletters@hotmail.com
♦
Columns and letters appearing in The
Battalion express the opinion of the au
thors only.
They do not necessarily reflect the
opinion of other Battalion staff members,
the Texas A&M student body, regents‘ad
ministrators, faculty or staff.