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The Battalion
Page 9 • Friday, September 27, 2002
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RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
S esame Street has been
addressing cultural and
social issues since its pre
miere in 1969. This fall, the
South African version of the
children’s program intends to
address the AIDS epidemic by debuting a new
character who is HIV positive. While this
approach is appropriate in South Africa, where
the Washington Post reports the highest num
ber of infected people in the world are concen
trated, it would be unnecessary in other coun
tries where the virus is not part of daily life.
The new character, who is female, healthy
and outgoing, is being introduced in an
attempt to increase awareness of and “de-
stigmatize” the AIDS disease. In South
Africa, where one of nine people is HIV pos
itive, this may be a necessary concern.
However, while the rest of the world has
felt the wrath of the AIDS epidemic, children
of other countries have not been affected to
an extent that warrants a character to be
viewed primarily by preschoolers.
Joel Schneider, vice president and senior
adviser to Sesame Street Workshop, originally
announced in July that “the character would
travel to many, if not all eight other nations
that air versions of the show.” After causing
political uproar in the House Commerce
Committee and being threatened with federal
funding reduction, PBS President Pat Mitchell
revised this statement in a letter to Congress:
“The new cast member is targeted specifically
and solely to South Africa to address the rag
ing AIDS epidemic there and its critical
impact on children and families.”
While the Sesame Street Workshop denies
plans to introduce this new character to the
children of the United States, FoxNews.com
reported in late July that the character was
still being considered for American audi
ences. The average “Sesame Street” viewer
in the United States is between two and four
years old, which is too young to be able to
comprehend the complications of the disease.
While it is important to show children the
effects of death and disease, AIDS is not the
appropriate disease to showcase here. HIV is
MICALA PROESCH
contracted in the United States
primarily through sexual trans
mission and the sharing of nee
dles for intravenous drug use.
These activities are not appropri
ate for young children.
The Washington Blade reports that in
South Africa, nearly 40 percent of women of
childbearing age are afflicted with the dis
ease. The producers of “Sesame Street” have
not yet decided on the story line for how the
girl became infected, but it will likely involve
transmission from childbirth. This form of
transmission is common in South Africa, but
irrelevant in most other countries, where
large percentages of the population are not
affected.
In the United States, HIV and sex go
hand-in-hand in conversation, and talking
about sex with a two-year-old is absurd.
Not only are the viewers of “Sesame
Street” too young to understand sex, but
many young American viewers are too far
from effects of HIV to care about it.
Republican representative Billy Tauzin said
in the Washington Times, “We are concerned
that what may be fitting for viewers of
“Sesame Street” in South Africa may not be
appropriate for children in the U.S., especial
ly in such a very early age group.”
While children need to learn about AIDS
prevention and acceptance of affected people,
these concepts should be addressed when
they are old enough to comprehend the sub
ject and are mature enough to handle the
stigmas associated with the disease.
Toddlers can embrace the concept of death
and sickness, but cannot grasp the signifi
cance of this specific disease.
Children of South Africa will be serviced
by the positive characterization of an HIV
muppet on “Sesame Street”, as many have
already felt the effects of the disease at an
early age. But “Sesame Street” in the United
States has no need to try to explain a disease
that is foreign and Complicated to its viewers.
Micala Proesch is a junior
journalism and economics major.
Handicapped placards mean front row service
T he parking situa
tion here at
Texas A&M
presents students with
a considerable prob
lem. Commuter parking
•<paces are few and, quite literally,
far between.
Those who choose to drive to
campus know that attempting to park
| s tantamount to throwing oneself
m.to a d en of sheer delirium, yet it is
st ill often preferable to waiting half
an hour only to be passed by a bus
mil ot equally late students.
Unfortunately, until the powers
t at be decide to increase the number
c commuter spaces to a rational
ev el, students will be forced into
seeking alternative means of parking.
The solution to this parking deba-
Ce is simple: the creative and harm-
GEORGE DEUTSCH
less
misuse of handicapped parking
Placards.
Admittedly, one’s initial reaction
t0 the idea of students willfully
abusing handicapped
parking passes is
probably not good.
But the reality of it is
a sympathetic student
is one without a place
to park. When one’s education is at
risk, people cannot let issues such as
legality and morality cloud their bet
ter judgment.
It is fair to say that everyone on
this campus has either been forced to
wait in a long line of cars or been on
the receiving end of a parking ticket.
These are not enviable positions to
be in, and they only encourage stu
dents to seek other parking options.
After all, the options for those
who choose to play by the rules are
fairly limited. All students that have
purchased a blue commuter pass
should know that they are systemati
cally being wronged by the very
institution they hold so dear.
There are currently 7,569 com
muter parking spaces, the bulk of
which are concentrated in two main
areas. Now, consider that there have
been nearly 20,000 commuter passes
issued.
u
...what every student
that bought a blue pass
paid for was not a place
to parky but rather the
chance to fight for a
place to park.
This is roughly three passes for
every one spot. From any angle it’s
looked at, the numbers are clearly
not in commuters’ favor.
In reality, what every student that
bought a blue pass paid for was not a
place to park, but rather the chance
to fight for a place to park. At best, a
student must beat out two others
simply to park his car in an effort to
get to class and further his educa
tion. And while all 20,000 commut
ing students might not be out seek
ing a space at the same time, a quick
trip around any student lot would
probably convince most people that
they indeed are.
According to Services for
Students with Disabilities, there are
432 registered disabled students at
A&M. That breaks down to about
one percent of the student body.
However, these disabled students
are not limited to handicapped park
ing spots. The Department of
Parking, Traffic, and Transportation
Services allows handicapped stu
dents with any type of student permit
to park in any colored lot they
choose, including the yellow staff
and faculty lots.
In fact, if a disabled student were
to go through the proper channels,
he could be granted access cards
which allow admittance into the
gated lots on campus, typically fac
ulty parking.
And while no one is trying to
cheat these disabled students out of
their parking privileges, the bottom
line remains that legitimately handi
capped students will always have
somewhere to park.
Still, some might remain appre
hensive about cutting such corners,
even at the expense of their educa
tion. These people need only to look
around. Most students who park in
handicapped spaces now are any
thing but disabled, in spite of the
light blue placards hanging from
their rear-view mirrors.
Next time, while walking to class
from a student lot, take a look at the
“handicapped” people hopping out
of their cars and jogging to class.
What you see might surprise you.
Then again, it might not.
George Deutsch is a senior
journalism major.
War-happy Bush camp must not act prematurely
w;
hen faced with crimi
nals that are the worst
of the lot - the scum of
, e ^ art h 7 the public wants to
tak a Bero who will
e care of business at any cost.
MARIANO CASTILLO
For
Harr
'nstance, take Clint Eastwood as Dirty
31
|e lrt y Harry has been popular among audi-
Ih ^ 0r y e ars because of his maverick, no-
! ds H barre d approach to getting rid of the bad
y - His style is not always within the law, and
J n n °t ethical, but the means justify the end
and People love him for it.
tam ° are ^ ea(ders around the world reluc-
tow ° r °PP ose<d to President Bush’s war plan
u ard J rai T which is as uncompromising and
Huste^Hg 35 an ^ t * 1 ' n § Dirty Harry could
m o Thecurren t situation is a far cry from the
tou V ‘ es ’ an<d there is no script guaranteeing
Wo 8 ,,fy tactics will result in a happy ending.
Do/ .^ eaders are rightly concerned about the
* en | la i s 'de effects that may come of an
erican invasion of Iraq. The credibility of
the international community, and
the ability of nations to work
together to further their interests is
at risk. Even more frightening is the
probability that military action in
Iraq would destroy the fragile bal
ance in the Middle East.
World leaders should be skeptical of Iraq’s
sudden turnaround to allow U.N. inspectors, but
should be relieved at the possibility that a diplo
matic solution is still an option. Instead of call
ing the move a “tactic that will fail,” the United
States should stick to its guns and continue to
be forceful, but not overly aggressive toward
Iraq.
After Sept. 11, the unilateralists and excep-
tionists in the administration, led by Dick
Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Condaleeza
Rice, won the president’s ear. Their advice was
simple: Saddam Hussein is not simply a crimi
nal, but is “evil,” and must be driven from
power, no matter the circumstances.
It is easy to get swept up by this “go ahead,
make my day” mentality, but to act rashly is not
good policy. Dirty Harry may be great at getting
his way, but no one would call him a great
leader. Leaders must understand the possible
consequences of their actions.
Iraq’s decision to allow inspectors without
conditions deflated the war-happy Bush camp
when it should not have. Hussein’s allowing
U.N. inspectors into Iraq is a sign of Iraq back
ing down and acknowledgement that it will lose
if it comes to military measures.
Instead of continuing to spout more “war is
inevitable” rhetoric, American interests would
be better served by modifying its stance, now
that Iraq is on the defensive.
A unified voice from the White House call
ing for support of U.N. inspectors and resolu
tions, and a vow for military action if they are
not respected, would build much-needed inter
national support for an attack.
Hussein’s folding on his anti-inspectors
stance is a victory for U.S. pressure, and has
created an opportunity for the Bush administra
tion to capitalize.
Public diplomacy needs a bigger role in
developing the Bush Doctrine, as it has the abil
ity to best sell U.S. interests to the world.
A year into the War on Terrorism, the sup
port of the international community matters
more than ever.
The United States cannot afford to backtrack
in its accusations against Iraq, but it can make
sure that its policies gain credibility by support
ing U.N. inspectors with a zero-tolerance
threshold for manipulation on the Iraqi side.
The Iraqi leader has broken U.N. resolutions
passed after the Gulf War. In addition, there are
signs that indicate Hussein is producing
weapons of mass destruction and shopping for
materials to build a nuclear bomb. Without con
crete evidence of a real threat (at least not
known to the public), these warning signs logi
cally call for the immediate return of weapons
inspectors, not an invasion of Iraq.
A tough stance behind the return of weapons
inspectors to Iraq by the Bush administration
would be the president’s way of giving Hussein
an ultimatum with little room to maneuver: “Are
you feeling lucky, punk?”
Mariano Castillo is a senior
international studies major.