The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, August 01, 2002, Image 7

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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
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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
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/'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.
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^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