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Thursday, February 28, 2002
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The newly-carved 31st congressional district is a political
milestone for Texas A&M and the Brazos Valley, and A&M stu
dents could be the decisive factor in the contest.
It is a rare opportunity to send to Washington a man who
understands the concerns and will represent the interests of
exas A&M and Bryan-College Station, and that is why The
battalion recommends voters cast their votes in the District 31
race for Brad Barton in the March 12 Republican primary.
Barton, more than any other candidate, has made a concert-
d effort to bring students into the political process.
In politics, you dance with the one who brought you, and
Barton will be responsive to the needs and concerns of the
Bryan-College Station community.
The district also will benefit from having a congressman who
can be an effective advocate for local interests from day one.
reshmen representatives start at the bottom of the seniority
ladder and wait years before they become influential players on
Capitol Hill, but Barton is already familiar with the ways of
l/Vashington. Through his father, Rep. Joe Barton, the younger
Barton has established working relationships with congression
al leaders, which will help him secure central Texas' fair share
f transportation infrastructure funding.
The Battalion is confident Barton will be a responsive and
ffective representative for Texas A&M and the Brazos Valley.
THE BATTALION
EDITORIAL BOARD
Editor in Chief Mariano Castillo
Brian Ruff Member Melissa Bedsole
Cayla Carr Member Jonathan Jones
Sommer Bunce Member Jennifer Lozano
Brandie Liffick Member Kelln Zimmer
oblei
tanaging Editor
Opinion Editor
News Editor
News Editor
I The Battalion encourages letters to the editor. Letters must be 200 words or
less and include the author's name, class and phone number. The opinion editor
IJfeserves the right to edit letters for length, style and accuracy. Letters may be submit-
;|ed in person at 014 Reed McDonald with a valid student ID. Letters also may be
failed to: 014 Reed McDonald, MS 1111, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
77843-1111. Fax: (979) 845-2647 Email: mailcall@thebatt.com
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booster roc D eu f SC p l , s /r e /, 27 column:
blazing hot gasl<H .
igned booster Deutsch makes some excellent
T ' leat ers to pre u p 0 j n t s regarding the unfair prac-
)-nngs Ironidt! £j ces Q f (^j ss eleo.
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they arrive at | seeri( there is a line that
,i , astmnaii!' rea ds "p 0 r Entertainment
i advanced u11 p ur p 0ses only" on the bottom.
t-T 1 ? U VTes, it is small, but it is there,
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^■ring mechanh' ur | a j r p ract j ces b u t she has cov-
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i gs for general! lt j s t j me ^ or p e0 p| e to
ctncity. Thefl# take r e S ponsibility for their own
lX y s ' mistakes and ignorance.
Chris Narayanan
Class of 2000
MAIL CALL
Miss Cleo is
entertainment
‘Monologues 9
as multiple
ersions
response to Esther Robards-
rbes' and Kate McCarthy's
eb 27 mail calls:
While they stop short of actu-
lly lying about the script of
The Vagina Monologues,"
cCarthy and Robards-Forbes
ertainly make no attempt to
resent the complete picture.
Jay Herndon's description of a
13-year old girl describing her
statutory rape by a 24-year old
woman as a "good rape"
appeared in the original script
of the play.
After a Georgetown student
journalist pointed out the
hypocrisy of the piece, the per
formance script for the play
was rewritten for 2001 per
formances and beyond to
address these concerns. After
the revision, national V-Day
organizers went so far as to
threaten legal action against
anyone who performed an
"unauthorized" (i.e. the origi
nal) version of the play. So
much for the "actual experi
ences" of women.
I had been determined to
reserve any comment on the
play until after seeing a live
performance this week, but the
tone of the last two days has
compelled me to submit this
letter. McCarthy and Robards-
Forbes are either attempting to
mislead readers or are woeful
ly uninformed about the play
they are defending. Either way,
their cause would be well
served by toning down their
holier-than-thou attitudes and
heeding their own advice
about "seeking the truth."
Brian Mangum
Class of 2001
A comforting presence
Bush uses media to soothe America's fears
KATHERINE TUCKER
I n the past month.
President Bush has been
featured on the cover of
Vanity Fair, as well as mak
ing the top ten list of
Esquire Magazine’s Best
Dressed Men in America.
As Americans are struggling to make ends
meet in their shaky economic world, what
is the appropriate image the president
should adopt? Certainly America does not
need to see its leader win a beauty contest
— or does it?
The job of the president is to govern
and improve the nation, but since the Sept.
1 1 terrorist attacks, he took on a new role
and comforted a broken nation. This job
included the non-stop documentation of
his every effort made in the war on terror
ism. However, as repetitive images and
words of war flood the media, America has
witnessed Bush’s ability to take control in a
time of emotional tunnoil. Now America
needs encouragement as the nation’s econ
omy is at an all time low. It is time for
George W. Bush to befriend the American
public by making use of popular media out
lets with the hopes of
restoring confidence to
a poor economy.
In the past few
months, the President
and his staff have been
climbing the social lad
der in terms of appear
ances in popular media
outlets. One of these
mediums being Esquire
Magazine, which dic
tates men’s culture and
style. In the March 2002
issue of Esquire, Bush is
found, hand-picked and
placed on a page of
celebrities, each receiv
ing the honor of the Top
Ten Best Dressed Men
in America. This media
representation of Bush
has been a change to his
usual appearances in the
news. The public is hes
itant to see the president
in the news, as the news
tends to magnify his
responses to the short
comings of the economy
instead of generating
praises for improve
ments. However, Bush’s
appearance on popular
magazines is a way for
America not to see him
as representing the insta
bilities of present day.
Bush has cleverly
played off of media out
lets to defer public
attention away from the
difficult decisions the
nation faces every day.
This is not to say he is
abandoning his most
important role as leader
of the American nation.
but it is necessary, at times, to
meet the people on their own
turf, as it is difficult for them to
meet the president in his world
ly occupation. Labeled “the
sharpest looking Republican”
by Esquire, Bush has given
Americans reason to view him at their level.
The triviality of a “best-dressed” list can be
a means for breaking down a barrier
between a man revered famous by the world
and people who purchase magazines at the
supermarket. Bush’s approach to appealing
to the public has been a smart move.
Vanity Fair's clever exploit displays the
humanity of America’s behind-the-scenes
heroes through a lengthy photographic
portfolio. The images, composed by famed
photographer Annie Leibovitz, provide the
public with an opportunity to look into eyes
that convey compassion and hope. George
W. Bush’s face is worn by experience, but
exhibits control. Yes, this is a simple ges
ture to a public in the middle of conflict,
but as this conflict seems to stress the well
being of the nation, it is a photograph that
provides comfort. By giving America a
chance to study his face. President Bush
has allowed people to see him as a real per
son — a man of compassion.
The Bush administration’s approach to
restore the confidence of a broken nation
has been dead on — let the people know us,
then they can trust us. Yes, the job of the
president is to govern and improve a nation,
but as the world changes every day, so does
its needs. As the changes due to the attacks
of September 11th presented George W.
Bush with a new role as comforter, he
embraced it. And now, as America is mov
ing on, it needs a new kind of President —
a man who is compassionate and can be
trusted to restore a broken economy. Bush’s
clever mastery of the media dictates his
character by meeting the people at their
own level, providing America with the kind
of president it needs.
Katherine Tucker is a sophomore
general studies major
DIANA SUAREZ * fHE
Cockfights show humanity at its worst
COURTNEY WALSH
L ong viewed by most as a
primitive and gruesome sport,
cockfighting, although illegal
in every state except Louisiana,
New Mexico and Oklahoma, main
tains; a tradition that is centuries old
with a loyal group of subversive fol
lowers. When one stops to consider the “sport” of cockfighting,
exactly what some find attractive about it is incomprehensible.
Cockfighting is man’s way of making a sport by twisting an
animal’s instincts to work toward the animal’s detriment rather
than its protection. Judicial punishment — Class A and B misde
meanors and charges of cruelty to animals if convicted — for
engaging in this act, and other acts of a similar nature, need to be
stronger to stop this bloody sport.
The recent bust of a Grimes County cockfighting ring at the
beginning of the fall semester has brought regional and state atten
tion to this issue, exposing it as illegal betting and animal cruelty.
The fact needs to be made clear that while birds within a flock will
often fight for territory and dominance, such natural fights are
hardly ever serious enough to cause sustainable injuries or death.
It is only those birds that are selectively and purposel’v2:red for
aggression that are provoked to fight in a cockfight. The animals,
once placed in a pit, inflict serious and often mortal injuries upon
one another. Wounds are made not only by their beaks, but also by
their talons, to which steel implements similar to razor blades,
referred to as gaffs, are affixed. Even if the birds wish to stop fight
ing and try to escape, they are forced to fight to the death.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, rooster handlers will even go so far as to give
roosters steroids or methamphetamines to make them fight harder
and faster.
The idea that some adults consider this a form of entertainment
is unsettling enough, but they are not the only ones in attendance.
Horrifically, parents are making this a family event by bringing
their children to these surreptitious matches, which often take
place, ironically enough, on Sunday. These children either come
away from such events having nightmares or become indifferent to
violence against animals; study upon study has proven that vio
lence against animals is a precursor to violence against humans.
Because of a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act of 1996, it is
not illegal to breed and raise fighting cocks anywhere in the United
States. One would have to be comatose to not realize these birds
are transported across state lines to fight legally.
Efforts are underway to close this gap, and Sen. Wayne Allard
of Colorado, a former veterinarian, is leading the way. He has
introduced a bill to the United States Senate, Bill S.345, that will
amend the Animal Welfare Act and seal this loophole. Yet, he is not
without opposition. Where there is big business, money finds a
way, this time backed by two extremely powerful organizations,
the Animal Husbandry Coalition and the United Gamefowl
Breeders Inc., who have persuasive lobbyists with deep pockets
attempting to block Bill S.345 from coming to a vote. Senator
Allard can force a full Senate vote with the sponsorship of 60 sen
ators. Currently, the bill has 59.
Throughout the course of human history, mankind’s dark side
has manifested itself in the creation of what the ASPCA calls blood
sports. Society has the nasty little habit of considering cultures
other than its own as barbaric while its own actions, no matter how
similar, are considered civilized. The Romans, a “civilized” socie
ty, attended matches where they looked on, cheering, as Christians
were torn to pieces by lions. There should be no distinction
between human and animal cruelty — cruelty is cruelty either way,
and when mankind seeks to impose itself upon the other creatures
of this planet in this fashion, all illusions of civility are shattered.
Courtney Walsh is a senior
biomedical science and English major.