day, June 27, 2001
o PINION
Page 5
THE BATTALION
3 ETS
:ahoula cross, sf;
with children, er
). 778-3907.
onfusion in Oklahoma
,egislators need to clarify the law concerning abortions and minors
klahoma is the new
battle ground for
abortion rights. This
becoming a profe
e Crown Acadeir.j
/e certification proj
>cated in greater I,
own Academy rie the tight is over abor-
training and tJI involving minors. A
te world. On-site H rr ■ , *
seiing, student f :l aw effective on June 4
it available Vis-Bes that a minor must
/e parental consent to have
3trainers.com cH . r i i-
Our graduates abortion. It states the ciin-
1 the industry. J1 be held liable for any medical treatment
ne: playful, year j|ed after an abortion is performed on a mi-
mix spayed & kM,j 10 not have parental consent.
eks 0 | d sys/eacrW 16 ^ aw one sentence and lists no exemp-
;. one black maif »• It does not allow for a judge to grant ex-
tpiions for independent minors, those with
MMATES ahh problems or other such conditions. 'The
ullso does not state what parental notifica-
j, 5-miles fromca-«. . . , r . ...
s, cable moden ’n is. 1 his law is vague and should be consid-
■ unconstitutional.
rm. 2bth, new ■xording to the Associated Press, “At least
»i, $350+ Bates have passed laws that mandate some
irage, backyard, * 1
a 696-8952
ded ASAP, 3t«"
+i / 3biiis. AireeM b ut those laws have clarifications where
ef)klahoma law is found lacking. Without
led for August mofl i . ^ . f ,
3 $40o/mo T3, iese clanrications, many clinics do not know
It their legal liability is for those minors
say they have told their parents, but are
of parental or guardian consent or notifi-
n.” Many other states have passed similar
3ded
mules from can
■accompanied by a parent.
>■ needed l 1 an Associated Press article, Sherri Finik,
a townhomes so: -opi'oductive Services community relations di-
[979)255-6665 ;ctor, said, “We feel like we have to insist on
needed, 3txim&ia|; [turning away minors who are not accom-
‘ no * ' anied by a parent] now because of the liability
^rsrr» | aw P laces us in -”
:ampus, $350-1:| he clinic should not have to decide if a pa
tient has properly notified her parent. That is
is, ist moc: j 0 b 0 f the clinic, and the law should be
21M)k [ > ’
:energy.co(n
statec so that it leaves no doubt. A clinic is
t iere to provide a service. It is not there to
np 11 i etWeen t ^ e li nes of unclear state laws.
I he law should be rewritten clearly to state
what parental notification is and what exemp-
tions come with a judge’s approval.
First, there should be a definition of
parental consent. This could be as simple as a
consent form like the ones school children
have signed to participate in a field trip. With
the form, the clinic could keep it on file, so
that if there is a legal challenge, the clinic
could not be found liable.
Critics argue that it would be easy for a mi
nor to forge a parent’s signature. While this
could happen, there should be some form of
trust. If a woman is determined to go through
with the abortion, then she will find a way
around any kind of mandatory consent. In Illi
nois, a bill suggested “a minor who notified
her parent could get an abortion 48 hours lat
er, even if the parent objected,” according to
the Associated Press.
Other types of parental notification that have
been suggested in other states include notify
ing in person, by phone or by certified mail.
The only one of these types of notification or
consent that is close to being foolproof is the
notification by certified mail. Yet, any deter
mined person can find a way to fool the system.
Second, there should be exemptions listed.
Exemptions that should be included are med
ical emergencies that put the minor’s health at
risk, if the minor has been declared independ
ent of their parents and minors with problems
such as communicable diseases or those who
are seeking drug Q r alcohol abuse treatment. A
judge should be allowed make
judgments if the minor re
quests a judge’s decision in place
of notifying her parents.
The law as it stands now cannot
be held as legal because it lacks vital parts and
leaves everyone involved scratching their heads
eeded fof »
>/mo. +uWes, w
3 info call ,WS'?
)673.
Answers needed in the Explorer tire safety issue
4VICES
A
men cans
trust that
naive Driving >'L -l-their lives
ri.&Sat- Fncr D get to work, a
n), Sat(8ani’ icturesque vaca-
ierica. Walk- f i' 1
Lowest price a . s pOt or Oil a
)r., ste.217. wWisurely scenic
3arly (CP-001 •j vc though
ium needs, car# each ^ However ; for owners
123-3493. Mo#: ftp e popular ford Explorer, assur-
services available ct of the vehicle’s safety was
Ekly shattered amid reports that a
Test; Hope Pif-w in the vehicle or faulty tires pos-
Station 695-9193^1 be linked to 2 03 deaths
Kmore than 100 injuries,
during the continuing congres-
sorecontact Ta«a#l hearings and bicker-laced
;tudyjapanese200i'urtroom trials involving the Ford
Otor Company and
kNTED % r estone/Firestone Inc., answers
■P^HBillm the nervousness of Explorer
o sell lawn bis'' Tiers and pinpoint exactly what has
:are. Call J.D. t" ^ veb j c f e to re sult ill alami-
J tragedies seem far-fetched.
HT LOSS Despite Ford Co. undertaking a
^Bive recall of over 13 million
EIGHT? Increase
Ml Natural, Mone-
lary 979-778-8651
Firestone tires that are equipped on
their vehicles, the Firestone corpora
tion continues to insist the tires are
safe and Ford is replacing them to
divert attention away from the Ex
plorer’s safety problems, according
to a CNN report.
Brigestone/Firestone representa
tives said die problems in their tires
were immediately addressed and in
vestigated, but they vigorously claim
that Explorers have continued to be
built heavier, which they say also can
lead to tire failure. However, analyses
on both the vehicle and tires, that
were conducted by both companies,
stop short of blaming themselves for
the cause of the accidents.
Billy Tauzin, a member of the
congressional subcommittee looking
into the matter, said the independent
National Highway Traffic Safety Ad
ministration (NHTSA) will provide
a better analysis very soon. “NHT
SA needs to come up with reason
able standards and clear up the con
fusion very quickly,” he said.
However, with no one accepting
responsibility for the accidents, and
this analysis not coming soon
enough, public consumers who own
these vehicles suffer and continue to
drive these vehicles without the as
surance of their safety.
Although contradicting Fire
stone’s promises that their tires are
safe, these potentially serious flaws
apparently went unnoticed for some
time. Six former employees of the
Firestone tire plant in Decature, Ill.
have either testified or are about to
testify in accident lawsuits that they
repeatedly complained of quality-
control problems and questionable
production practices, according to a
story in the Washington Post. “I do
not think any more lives should be
lost,” said a former employee.
Although Firestone has dismissed
the allegations as coming from dis
gruntled former employees, the cor
poration has failed to realize that
these individuals, whose families
have been torn apart, have valid
claims and, more importantly, de
serve answers.
Attorneys for a Florida couple^
that were killed in an Explorer acci
dent are outraged at this childish fin
ger pointing and recently filed a $1
billion lawsuit against Firestone.
“They are doing this to the little
people. We need to send a message
to corporate America that you can
not place profits over the safety of
people,” said attorney Willie Gary.
Hundreds, however, unfortunately
are feeling the terror and pain that
these tragedies are causing families
to experience. In 1993, while driving
home from San Antonio, my uncle
and aunt were killed after the Ex
plorer they were driving rolled over
several times, sadly resulting in both
of their young children to continue
life without their parents.
What seems to be even more
troubling is that Congressional in
vestigators say some tires Ford uses
to replace Firestone tires have high
er failure rates of tread separation.
ANGELIQUE FORD/Twr Battalion
in confusion. With a clearly stated law, the legis
lators will know that the minors of Oklahoma
will find it more difficult to have a legal abortion.
Brieanne Porter is a junior
political science major.
“Ford is going to replace these
recalled tires with tires that have
a worse claim history than the
tires coming off the Explorer,”
Tauzin said.
Additionally, since the surfacing of
this possible flaw, Ford Co. recently
announced that it haves severed its
nearly century-old business relation
ship with the Bridgestone/Firestone
Corporation, which is the No. 2 tire ’
manufacturer in America.
With Explorer drivers still unclear ‘
about the safety of their vehicle,
whoever is responsible for these de
fects should admit their fault and pay
the price. The grave injustice that is
evolving at the hands of these large
corporations needs quickly solutions *
se'rious safety concerns.
J.J. Trevino is a senior
journalism major.
Mail Cali
5-269'
Uncartoonist unpopular
with Corps members
In response to the Cartoon of the
Day on June 25 and 26.
•
I find the recent works of The
Uncartoonist to be very rude and
distinctly non-Aggie. In the words
of another student, his work is a
poor attempt at humor and very
"not cool."
PTTS already deals with many
complaints regarding ticketing and
parking lots. Insulting comics such
as his will only widen the already
vast gap between PTTS and the stu
dent body.
The Corps is an institution that
founded this University and should
be respected as such.
These cartoons lack any humor
and are over generalizations of di
verse institutions that deserve far
more respect and honor.
\v
David Wells
Class of '98
In response to the Cartoon of the
Day on June 26.
I was disappointed to see the
Cartoon of the Day in Tuesday's Bat
talion. The depiction by The Uncar
toonist of a young man in a Corps
uniform, with grossly misshapened
teeth and the caption "Brains not
Included" is hurtful and unfair. It is a
cruel slap in the face to every former
student and every young man or
woman who goes through four
years of extra work to be a member '
of the fine Corps of Cadets at Texas „
A&M University. I am very proud of
our Corps and very proud of our
student newspaper, but this cartoon
was out of line.
Dr. Stephen McDaniel
Professor of Marketing
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 accu
racy. Letters may be submitted in person
at 01 4 Reed McDonald with a valid stu
dent ID. Letters may also be mailed to:
The Battalion - Mail Call
014 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843-1 111
Campus Mail: 1111
Fax: (979) 845-2647
E-mail: battletters@hotmail.com