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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2002)
P WANTE; assistant posits I ince agency. ;I m -2pm and ever! Witional hours e-:1 wuld include J ' rnarketing anj j ase send resu-J 1101 Universt, | je Station, TX ]?' estauranTiioiT i staff for late Sj energetic, pos- sponsible. No; H W.WillianvJE- ! P neededTTjj ^mpt to work atj Jloyment drug s in person, Bile 51. Manager ng, inventory a This job is Tiental sharpneg Full time only, ) rod activity t», >79-731-1358 PETS Brazos Animi r.shelterpetSK ishund, BlacPl § hots. $250. Cavi rhite tabbiesT^ ined, $15,82(K? c Russell Ter;- 300 call 693-t}:; s has a greal fcj adoption! 97983 L ESTATE townhome. S 9 dining. Encte|j of storage, rli )M MATES mmates for 39-K irge backyarc ills. 695-7778. ded a.s.a.p. Arrl oximately 51C0\| rets welcome »:1 609. iring. 2bdrm'!K‘j Deal. $400 nir 50. 2bdrm/2btfi and bills, oMibrl nents, 694-7868 th new house, to s, 2-blocks fron s’ a needed, fhh! all appliances S no. +1/4 bills. S3 eeded. 4bdrm-r* i. 617-219-6143 _ needed, 3txte'i shed, walk to cs (979)575-2439. r 2-story duplex. U rn bath. Fenced. ;hultle route, $3::^ 830, can nego : • AsWeyTW^16j ;i j ed, new >t, $3750*^* \ 183-8524. j. 4bdrm/4btti « iliances, Non-sw eposit, cable indi ase. University f 8550. IdecPASAPnif i, 1-mi from “ Emily 979-695^ ded, new 3bd r 30/mo. Lindsay 1. EDITORIAL Hello, Dr. Gates Bonfire, Vision 2020 will define Gates’ term Dr. Robert M. Gates begins his term as Texas A&M’s 22nd presi dent at an interesting time in the history of the University. He replaces a man, Dr. Ray M. Bowen, who helped lead the University to new heights despite having to deal with some of the toughest issues in school history. Two of the issues Bowen had to deal with — Vision 2020 and Bonfire — will be what defines Gates' stay at A&M. As Gates continues the University’s path toward Vision 2020, he finds himself in an interesting quandary. He must lead A&M in what it needs to be a top-10 school while also trying to preserve the tradition and unique qualities that make it a place unlike any other. To not find a balance between the two would not serve the students, either current or former. Part of the tradition that must be addressed is Bonfire. Gates said that with all the new changes and rules for Bonfire, "...it sounds like the only thing that would be left for the students would be figuring out who puts the match to the thing." He also said he encouraged the idea that students create a new tradition to imitate the complete student participation that made Bonfire unique. The thing that needs to be recognized however is that tradition does not happen overnight. Bonfire became the tradition it is only after 90 years. It cannot be replaced by something that is “created” just for traditions’ sake. Students want the unity that Bonfire gave. Bonfire needs to be looked at as a viable option to supply that unity instead of trying to invent something out of thin air. Gates looks to Gen. Earl Rudder, a former A&M president, as a role model for the job. Gates said of Rudder, “...he made it co-ed, made the Corps mandatory, and did all of this while still keeping all of the traditions in place. He showed it could be done and the chal lenge is to see if I can do it." That will be the interesting question: Will Gates be the man to lead the University through this interesting, yet fragile, time in its history. Time will tell, but handling these two issues will be the deciding factor. THE BATTALION •mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmtmmmmmmmmmmmmmm SINCE 1893 EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in Chief \ DOUGLAS PUENTES Managing Editor Executive Editor Opinion Editor News Editor Guy Rogers True Brown Richard Bray Christina Hoffman ,d. 2/1 duplex SS ittle route, 1/2® needed 3bdr'- •nished very ® > +1/3 utilities. C 57, 220-0567, 77>e 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 reserves the right to edit letters for length, style and accuracy. Letters may be submit ted in person at 014 Reed McDonald with a valid student ID. Letters also may be mailed to: 014 Reed McDonald, MS 1111, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-111 1. Fax: (979) 845-2647 Email: mailcall@thebatt.com needed lot s !, Cripple Creel needed. LW 1 No smoking/7 /mo., includes/ 3/2 house, 1 * i’. 695-0027. ded^HoS,’ ;325/mo. 1/ 4t)|: needed, distance » 6 wanted. ^ e route. ^ j^id'Share* lit bills, nice O’ nmate neeu»" 3 d house. ^ MAIL CALL II (281)844^ diTvibtirdlg shuttle bus, ^ 456 ITbedroon 1 $350/mo. + ' /'ICES Cyclists demand Aspect, too pear Mr. Blue Chevy Truck: I am sure it was no concern to You whether or not you may ave killed me, but you did ea t me to that red light by two seconds. it; hop« A *" p2; ion Pee' ^ 3RS lable for , r . Travis 5/' ^eck, come to think of a busy person. If I was at two seconds migh een worth the life of a especially liked the v\ ^7 absolutely no guts ode up next to you „ me intersection and y°ur window. °u had just beaten : 0 se conds, which app fnore important than i fn u ertheless ' I would f Z/ h r 0se two seconds . e ■' you would just be more considerate of my life. What is your time worth? Five, maybe six, dollars an hour? For two seconds that would be about half a cent. I will round it up to a full cent and maybe you can spare my life tomorrow as well. As far as the time you spend learning that cyclists have to fol low the same laws you do on the road and that you cannot just push us off into oncoming traffic, you should have learned that lesson in third grade, so that's on your nickel. Maybe someday you will someday learn how to com pensate for your shortcomings in other ways but for now, those big tires are a good start. Grant Halsey Class of 2004 Opinion The Battalion Page 7 • Thursday, August 1, 2002 Hitler on prime time CBS show needlessly glamorizes Hitler’s youth I nstead of airing another boring reali ty show next season, CBS, according to The New York Times, has taken the high road for sweeps and is bringing viewers “Hitler,” a four-hour miniseries based on the two-volume Ian Kershaw biography. Hitler, 1899-1936: Hubris. The upcoming miniseries will cover Hitler between ages 18 and 34, which is coincidentally the same age of the show’s target audience. It has been 57 years since Hitler took his life, but the entertainment industry has not laid him to rest. Instead, it has disappointed viewers time and again with its lack of creativity and dis cretion that is now being displayed in its glamorization of a notoriously sinister historical figure. According to The New York Times, the reason behind putting the evil one on prime time is to enlighten audiences about past demented political figures and their ascension to power. “This is a very timely subject about how bad guys get into power and how it affects the rest of the world,” said CBS President Leslie Moonves. Of course, CBS chose to travel the well-trodden path by claiming that after the events of 9/11, its cause of choice is neces sary. However, it is strange to imag ine how depicting a young Hitler hang ing out on the streets of Vienna and deal ing with everyday strife that would even tually culminate in the horrific events of Hitler’s genocide could help modern viewers better understand our present sit uation with terrorism. It seems like a series on U.S. foreign relations with Middle Eastern countries in recent years might be more informative, but those would have probably been received less favorably by viewers. Nevertheless, according to The Times, CBS, which is also bringing audiences the annual Victoria’s Secret lingerie show, has received several complaints from Jewish leaders who feel the miniseries is “vulgar and exploitative.” Then again, with the popular Ewan McGregor lined up to play the leading role, it is impossible to escape the glamorized depiction of Hitler’s boy hood and transformation into a young adult villain. The last thing anyone wants to see — especially Jewish leaders — is a sympa thetic portrayal of Hitler in his angst-rid den youth. However, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, CBS executives are not worried about encountering “any resistance” from advertisers for the Hitler miniseries because it does not delve into World War II or the depiction of Nazi concentration camps. Therefore, the miniseries is going to be completely superficial and cannot even claim to be educational in the sense it would present the horrific results of the realization of Hitler’s demented propa ganda. In addition, there is always the fear a glamorized depiction of Hitler’s boy-next- door youth and rise to power command will encourage young, impressionable viewers toward the powerful, villainous lifestyles of Nazi leaders. Even if that is a stretch, the important matter at hand is this miniseries benefits no one except CBS producers. For the most part, the majority of viewers are familiar with the events sur rounding the Holocaust. They are aware there were heinous, incomprehensible acts of genocide. Exploiting the hobbies, love- interest and struggles of the man behind these acts are insignificant and trivialize the nature of his evil acts. As Maureen Dowd of The New York Times has pointed out, “We have had Hitler the hippie grooving in the movie The Producers; we have had gay Hitler shimmying on ‘Saturday Night Live.’” If television shows such as “Cheers” and “Seinfeld” had to come to an end, it is more than apparent Hitler’s prime time slot should be over. There are many other valid topics of interest for the entertain ment industry to exploit, and for now, “Hitler: The Younger Years” should be laid to rest. Jennifer Lozano is a junior English major. S.C. anti-tattoo law unconstitutional I n South Carolina, tattoos are taboo. Ronald White, a tattoo artist and citi zen of South Carolina, is a staunch opponent of the state’s tattoo ban, and has devoted himself to repealing a law he feels is a blatant violation of his civil liber ties. According to the Wall Street Journal, White is a native Hungarian who has been tattooed several times along the road to signify certain events in his life. For example. White has one tattoo featur ing an anchor with a chain and dice to commemorate the chance he took in fighting the state. According to White, “It’s our personal right as Americans to choose how we will express ourselves — on our bodies especially — and that is of the utmost importance to me.” White thinks intricate body tattoos should be under the same umbrella of protection the First Amendment provides other art forms, such as painting. Many big names agree with him. The Washington lawyer who wrote the infa mous “Starr Report” on former President Clinton’s questionable White House behavior, Kenneth Starr, has taken on Ronald White’s case, although he is accepting no payment for his work. According to the Wall Street Journal, Starr finds it absurd that a “society that protects liquor-advertising and pornogra phy” would prohibit White from creating his artwork. Even South Carolina State Senator William Mescher is opposed to the ban and has tried repeatedly to repeal the law. Most states banned tattoos after a New York hepatitis outbreak in the 1960s, which was linked to dirty tattoo parlors. But when tattoo parlors cleaned up, all states but two repealed their laws. South Carolina and Oklahoma kept bans on tat toos, but the question is why. If the problem has been corrected, then has not the law become obsolete? Jake Knotts, a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives since 1994, and a recently elected South Carolina State Senate member, does not think this is so. According to the Wall Street Journal, Knotts heads up the oppo sition to tattoos in the state, claiming “if God wanted you to have a tattoo, he’d have put your name on you.” Although Knotts intended this state ment to be somewhat facetious, it does reflect a sentiment held by many who claim a Biblical opposition to tattooing one’s body. According to Leviticus 19:28, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord.” However, many Jews and Christians argue that because tattoos were widely used to signify non-Judeo religions, this Bible verse is actually meant to prohibit the peo ple of a Judeo-Christian belief from endors ing other religions, and not to prohibit the literal act of marking on one’s self. Even if the Bible forbids the tattoos of today, that is not grounds for the state to outlaw tattoos. The same amendment that protects the American’s right of expres sion also says the government “shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” In other words, Jews and Christians are entitled to make a moral argument against the premise of tattoos. but government cannot. For the govern ment to take a moral stance and push it upon its citizens would be a blatant viola tion of the First Amendment. Knotts also mentions another reason why he does not want tattoos in South Carolina: tattoos parlors are bad for South Carolina’s image. Today, many states have resorted to advertising for their state through television commer cials to try to cover growing budget deficits by increasing the number of tourists. Conceivably, South Carolina could be seeking to promote and adver tise a “classy” image to increase tourism, residency and even monetary income. Knotts is probably right about one thing — people usually do not consider tattoo parlors the epitome of class; they could hurt South Carolina’s image. However, this point is completely irrele vant in deciding whether or not the tattoo ban should remain. Many people also consider mullet haircuts and trailer parks' unrefined, but it would be ludicrous for the state to outlaw such things. The state of South Carolina has no place in determining the inherent morali ty in the act of tattooing, nor does it have the right to make a judgment about what is tasteful. The issue at stake is freedom of expression. Lacking any viable legal objection to tattoos, by prohibiting White from expressing himself via the avenue of his choosing. South Carolina is clearly vio lating Mr. White’s First Amendment right. Lindsye Forson is a sophomore journalism major. LINDSYE FORSON
