spo; HE BATTAl Opinion 11 Monday, February 25, 2002 mg (he and) ai job of Kleine( alch co Jav at 6 da EDITORIAL L i:rure, Diversity at INTERNATIONAL WEEK An array of international student organizations will provide udents with an enlightening and proactive display of cultures is week at Texas A&M's annual International Week. The attalion commends the efforts of the international student rganizations, and encourages all students to participate in ternational Week. By implementing cultural awareness in a social environment here Aggies can interact with fellow Aggies of different cul- res, International Week takes giant strides toward promoting campus that is aware and appreciative of diversity, as opposed to one of ignorance and intolerance. I International Week 2002 features various festivities, such as lultural displays, an international talent show and an interna- ■onal buffet that provide students with a coveted awareness and knowledge of differing cultures that cannnot always be ibarned in the classroom. I The activities this week wisely place an emphasis on the inter action of students in a relaxed, celebratory manner instead of the didactic manner many are accustomed to in the classroom. In addition, the events are all moderately priced or free of charge. ■ Students should make an effort to take part in the enjoyable and informative events of International Week that the University and the international student organizations have coordinated. Through the free-flow of differing ideas and cultures the events piomote, students will learn about world perspectives and encourage furthur discussion of these new perspectives with Others. Only in this manner will Texas A&M and our society fhove toward a state of "Unity and Diversity," the theme for ihternational Week 2002. THE BATTALION Miiiuiging l ts who sought to chill a free ess, as in New York Times v. nicer Semi Hlivan. It protects dissenters [ainst American policies in the j) . Erfui^pliy'ddle East and Afghanistan. As stice Brandeis wrote in listru Materh hitne y v - California (1927), "To 'urageous, self-reliant men, ith confidence in the power of ie and fearless reasoning 'plied through the processes of >pular government, no danger 'wing from speech can be emed clear and present, less the incidence of the evil prehended is so imminent s at it may befall before there is ■portunity for full discussion. If MAIL CALL too!) nits in the 1J Focused need m ye 229-0128, (evening), there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fal lacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the rem edy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence." Insofar as the cartoon in ques tion has enabled us to have a vigorous discussion about racial stereotyping or the ambiguity of visual symbols it has, on bal ance, been a good thing. To demand silence only shoves resentments underground, where they ultimately do more damage. Guaranteeing a univer sity environment free of poten tial "offense" also guarantees a university environment free of education as well. James Arnt Aune Associate Professor Speech Communications "When you're white, you don't have to think much about race." Lott said. "It is the norm, you take it for granted. They don't have to worry about racial stereotypes. That is the diseased white mind." I'd like to applaud the unbiased, well informed opinion of the 'dis eased white mind'. I would protest it instead, but I'm white and not allowed to. Jeff Allen Class of 2004 RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION A political game? America goes too far Nation's actions justified BRIEANNE PORTER I n the wake of the Sept. 1 I terrorist attacks, the 19th Olympic Winter Games has sparked a highly-charged debate. When the United States wanted to display the tattered American flag from the World Trade Center in the opening ceremonies, many people debated whether the Olympics had turned from the Greek-envi sioned games of sportsman ship, honor and glory to a political arena. Gone is the friendly competition among countries. In its place, the modern Olympics have become a political creature causing the true idea of the ancient Olympics to vanish under the guise of politics. Gone is the friendly competition among countries. It is hard to pinpoint the beginning of the end. Many point to the 1936 Olympics held in Germany, when Hitler refused to recognize American track and field star Jesse Owens because he was black. Yet, the change could have been in the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City when protesters were fired upon by police. It could have been in 1972, when Israeli athletes were killed in Munich or in the 1976 Montreal games when African nations boycotted the games. It could have been as recent as 1980, when the United States boycotted the Moscow games because of the USSR invasion of Afghanistan and when in return the Soviet block boy cotted the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles. One of the most recent examples of the Olympics becoming political is the debate of whether the World Trade Center flag should have been included in the opening ceremonies. By putting such prominence on the World Trade Center attacks, many other coun tries’ tragedies and similar attacks are ignored. The Olympic Games are an international event. If prominence is placed on one country’s tragedy, it should be placed on all countries’ tragedies. In a Newsday arti cle, American luger, Ashley Hayden, said, “We need to remember this is the Olympic Games, an interna tional event.” To advocate the American tragedy is to ignore the tragedies facing other nations. In the same Newsday arti cle, cross-country skier Nina Kemppel said it best: “The Olympics should be beyond politics. It should celebrate the lone bobsled team from Mexico as well as the Americans,” she said. Another example of the continuing amount of politics in the Olympics is the pairs skating scandal. The idea that countries are pressuring judges to vote for one couple over the other is appalling and goes against the original views of the Olympics. Now, the best competitor does not necessarily win. It is better to say the one who has the most judges pressured into voting for them will win. Whether it is the place ment of a flag or the incon sistencies in judging, the Olympics have changed from a friendly competition among nations to a very political event. It does not matter whose politics it is; these politics have no place in the Olympics. The Olympics are a time to cele brate the athleticism of indi viduals from across the world, not to celebrate any country’s political strength. Brieanne Porter is a senior political science major. JENNIFER LOZANO O n Feb. 8, regardless of their nationality, 55,000 spectators and 5,000 ceremony participants were left in respectful silence after the controversial tattered U.S. Hag that was recovered from the World Trade Center rubble was carried at the opening cer emony for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Despite the extensive controversy and debate sparked by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a moving yet tasteful and respectful trib ute to America in which the symbolic flag made its appear ance was a success. According to the official Website for the 2002 Winter Olympics, the IOC was con cerned with the flag causing excessive nationalism at an event designed to promote international unity. Basically, it was attempting to keep poli tics out of what became to be the highest-rated Olympic opening ceremony ever. However, when the ice skating bribery scandal occurred and reports later surfaced revealing confidential minutes of the IOC over the past three decades that were decidedly anti-American, it became evi dent that despite efforts, poli tics would rear its ugly head. This can be seen most acutely in what the Houston Chronicle has called “perhaps the most serious judging scandal in the modern history of the games.” One of the nine judges of the couples ice skating compe tition was put under “a certain pressure” by officials of the French skating federation to vote in favor of the Russian pair. To add insult to injury, in the midst of the bribery scan dal, the San Jose Mercury /Vcu\y quoted a member of the mainly European board saying, “the IOC does not have to jus tify itself to the United States.” Another member of the board was quoted making jokes about the implications of the bribery ever coming to a head. These are the same people who were against the appear ance of the World Trade Center flag because of its political implications. The events of Sept. 11 had ramifications that affect many nations other than the United States. Members from 80 dif ferent countries were present at the trade center when it was attacked. When the ter rorists chose to attack the World Trade Center, their decision literally affected the entire world. All biases aside, one has to be reason able and acknowledge that the American political and eco nomic hegemony is not to be toyed with. When something of great magnitude affects the United States, the breadth of its damages will not end with the United States. For these reasons, the appearance of the American flag was justified. Hosting the games gives more leniency in light of recent tragic events that have taken place on our soil. A movingy yet tasteful, tribute to America was a success. Citizens always push for “policies” that are conducive to personal advancement; it is Darwinian. This is not to say the United States should stop trying to make things fair in society and digress to a primal form of existence. Humans were also given free will and use this innate right to discern the varying degrees of politics that are acceptable in liveli hood. The ice skating bribery scandal was a good example of politics in the Olympics run ning amok, while the carrying of the World Trade Center American flag at the opening ceremonies was an innocent expression of the resilience of a nation. Jennifer Lozano is ajtmior English major.