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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2002)
N ft' THE b attaii® * Giectlons ae li parliament is ^st challengefj, vir '9 Likud partyj, mer Prim e ^ n m i n ister's posits j Ariel I Sharon, 74 Hi ^ Career soldi ■ 1942-1973, ■ Partin all of ^ VM five wars ^ beginning wi’,-:; ™ war of Opinion The Battalion Page 9 • Wednesday, November 6, 2002 Die importance of domestic \enate races depend on of parliament sinct leaded many mine* ie Ministry of Foray er Netanyahu f Likud Party 1999. ’rime Minister in Ml, defeating MELISSA I RIED Yet, hen Congressional elections ended yesterday, emocrats and jepublicans had spent epast five months gar- ;ring the votes that will carry them to victory. conclusion to the election approached, epublicans showed signs of worry as domestic sues helped Democrats gain footing and votes in a ring of critical Senate races. Before the election. Democrats held 50 seats, lepublicans held 49 and there was one Independent, ^ger to close the gap in the competition, the Republican campaigns sang a new song and not sur- risingly, it sounded a lot like the Democrats’. President Bush and other Republican leaders Palestinians-tniRought the elections could be easily won with a fimi nore dovish can; position on issues concerning homeland security, the ator Haim Re Jar on terrorism and Iraq. Democrats, on the other and, have downplayed the military aspects in their iampaigns and focused their attention on issues that ave all but disappeared since the 2000 presidential lection - health care, education and jobs. But as poll |umbers showed Democratic candidates closing in on dr Republican counterparts. Bush promised that his Jandidates could provide better health care, education id more jobs, in addition to ridding the world of [cold-blooded killers” who “hide in caves.” A mixture of politics and selfishness drove the Republicans to follow a slightly altered agenda to lick up a few Senate seats. Not only would it please he president to work with an all-Republican pigress, it would make Trent Lott (R-Miss.), cur- }ent Senate Minority Leader, happier. One more seat vould allow him to reclaim his title as majority eader, which was stripped from him in 2001 by Tom )aschle (D-S.D.). Lott is not up for re-election, but hat has not stopped him from helping fellow Republicans who are. If they win, he wins. "For two years with President Bush in the White Bouse and with a Republican majority in the House issues economic and educational issues, not homeland security Mayor Ann tired general, primaries will c ming weeks. Ini ted Netanyahu.» ut of office in 19! t the part) lea) Sharon, but ik vs indicated hdi! riests iper La Repucr . day saying an inia ninaries should 1« il tendencies" ini ire rushing toccc- cause of the IS Service of 2 ast month tha f ining diwli was circi:, nsultants ta- ^ ght be publisl debate going icmber of lops, the H d an article agazine Amen; lot be ordaine he should noth ind his present! it only gi ve I fact, hinder' rote. the issue in ing that heal make an imp of the churcl and Senate, I believe we can do things our states and our country would need that would make a difference for generations to come,” Lott said. Putting idealism aside, it is not divided govern ment that has prevented the United States from mak ing differences for generations to come and it is not divided government’s fault for the performance this past year in the Senate — as is President Bush’s assessment. Lousy government comes from lousy agendas. For the past year, Bush has suggest ed legislation primarily concerning securi ty, terrorism and Iraq. It is no surprise that the Democratic Senate failed to initi ate measures concerning anything domestic - no one had time for it. Now that Americans have shown they still care about issues closer to home, Bush’s first response is to lament the Senate for not paying attention to the needs of this nation. He has swallowed his foot in the process because it was his party that stymied such legislation from com ing to the floor. But the game of politics is often too predictable and it is no secret that Bush is intent on going to war. It will not matter if the Senate is controlled by Daschle or Lott — the war will be the most important item on the agenda, once again pushing | domestic issues aside. Having one party in control does not necessarily mean agree ment among all factions or even confirm the notion of expediting issues of main concern to the party. Within the Republican and Democratic parties there are conservatives, moderates and liberals, and it is highly unlikely they will always agree. If Republicans want to demonstrate effective lead ership and political know-how, they have to learn to anticipate the wants and priorities of the American people throughout their terms and not just during election time. JON FULLRICH • THE BATTALION nd Kinship , SUNY, where be Culture. irintf 1 cotton icing flderly drivers should be evaluated more often Tests to determine driving competence could help prevent deadly accidents T he Sacramento Bee reports that senior citizens are the fastest-growing group of drivers in America and studies show they are more likely to be at la ult in car crashes. Although many laurel FRANCK elderly drivers are competent and perceptive, those that aren't nave no place behind the wheel. ABCNews.com reports that statistics show drivers older than w. along with teenagers, have the highest accident rate per miles driven. Although many states have recently enforced strict meas les to improve the driving record of teenage drivers, little has been done to prevent dangerous senior citizens from driving. In Texas, the Graduated Driver License Program was put into sheet in January 2001. According to the Texas Department of nblic Safety, the program changes the original licensing require- me nts tor persons younger than 18. Phase One of the program squires the applicant to hold an instruction permit for a mini- mum °f six months prior to obtaining a license, and any person acc °mpanying them must be 21 or older. in Phase Two, the teenager receives his license but may not r| ve with more than one person younger than 21 in the vehicle w drive between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. If actions a ^ e Bee P taken against reducing the number of traffic accidents an fatalities involving teenage drivers, the same should be done ‘or seniors. According to the Aging Parents and Elder Care Web site, safe riVl "g re quires the complex coordination of many different skills , n Physical and mental changes that accompany aging, such as a °w response time and loss of clarity of vision and hearing, can finish the abilities of elderly drivers. Minnesota Issue Watch reports that people suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia have problems processing visual and spatial information, such as road signs and distances between cars. Lawrence Nitz, a political scientist at the University of Hawaii, told ABCNews.com that his three-year study found driv ers older than 75 were far more likely than other motorists to be cited for certain offenses, including failing to yield to pedestrians and backing up unsafely. In November 1999, 15-year-old Brandi Mitock of Santa Monica, Calif, was struck and killed in a crosswalk by 96-year- old Byron Cox, who hadn't taken a road test since receiving his license in 1918. This devastating scenario should not occur, and measures must be taken to prevent those senior citizens who shouldn't be driving from doing so. CNN.com reports that 11 states already have age-based requirements and others are reviewing the issue, but they face stiff opposition from senior citizens' groups who have caused sev eral proposed bills to fail. One such bill, proposed by California Sen. Tom Hayden, would have required drivers 75 or older to pass a written and road test when their licenses came up for renewal, among other measures. Another blocked bill in Oregon would have required drivers older than 80 to renew their licenses every two years instead of four, and to take driving and medical tests. Seniors claim that not being able to drive would reduce their independence, and say that many proposed measures are age-dis criminatory. What they fail to recognize is many proposed meas ures would allow capable drivers to continue driving while pre venting their dangerous counterparts from causing further deaths and destruction. Jamie Fitten, a professor at UCLA School of Medicine, has designed a series of quick, inexpensive tests that help identify elderly drivers suffering from mental confusion. "People who are at risk on the road need to be identified before they hurt them selves and injure others," Fitten told Minnesota Issue Watch. Another measure could be to routinely test seniors with road and written tests and then place restrictions on their driving abilities accordingly. A process for alerting officials to questionable drivers already exists in Washington, and it would be highly beneficial to expand this type of program, reports the Seattle Times. A form called Recommendation for Driver Re-examination can be submitted to the Department of Licensing, which then investigates and can request that a driver visit a physician to be evaluated. Based on the evaluation, the department can conduct a road test and revoke or restrict the license, and if the driver refus es to comply with any of these requirements, his license is sus pended. If seniors are worried about getting around, they have many options to choose from. Most cities offer discounts to seniors on public transportation. Senior centers, churches and community service agencies often provide special transportation services. Many times, family members and friends are more than happy to act as chauffeurs to keep loved ones off the road. Senior citizens who oppose these measures and others should have nothing to worry about if they are capable, safe drivers. They should support the fact that their unsafe peers need to be taken off the road before more tragedies occur. Laurel Franck is a junior English major MAIL CALL a ^$ want a new head coach 0 improve football team n0t B °' n £ to Be - * h ave never been on the lous iQQ Um k ancB/va g on , even after the miracu- Hedin " season - 1 believe that Slocum is a top-no^h ^ ea< ^ . coac ^ on a g 00 ^ d a Y ar| d f° r a " ■ a thletic program at a major university, overall 5 <aoesn * cut it- People point to Slocum's Dni r f corc * anc i sa y he's a brilliant head coach. e n cj n . 0ut that the record that they are refer- Houstn m i : * LJ< ^ es annual games against Rice, Confer n ’ , U anc * Baylor during the Southwest agajns^L 65 ^ a y s - When Slocum is pinned nation k eBte coa ches and programs in the played Th e l0 ? es ' Sets th/!.: Those losses an out-coached and out- ■ lose losses are taking a toll, not only on ii/f ans » but on the program as a Hole arm 11 is f °‘ M k . s n °t as feared as it once was. ds ° r k reason that the football program gro U nH ? t an g e now ' before we lose more director ° — as anc * Oklahoma. With an athletic perfect t P 0s ' t ' on opening in January, now is the avaiiab] T 6 ^° r ^ at c h an g e - Great coaches are klfavor't ° r P' c ki n 8' including the sentimen- age ( e Gar y Kubiak. I think that in this day in ^nsivp 8 ?^ ense wins ball games, we need an has pnt + ^'oded coach with clout. Gary Kubiak « ot ^ be the first and only choice. Make this easy on all of us R.C.! Here are your choices as I see them: you can leave now with dig nity and respect, apply for the new athletic director position or wait to be fired. You make the choice! Chris Lewis Class of 2000 I am offering $1 million to the salary of a new football coach immediately. I am going to all alumni, The Battalion and the Houston Chronicle with my offer. R.C. Slocum does not have what it takes to ever take A&M to a national championship. Our season will end up either 5-7 or 6-6. For Vision 2020 we need leaders for our athletic programs. Hire Jimmy Johnson to be the athletic director and head football coach. Pay him $3 million plus our donation so A&M can become a great football program. What A&M has become is pathetic and alumni are tired of it. Its sad that since I graduat ed we have become worse than Texas Tech. We used to be great a long time ago. Dr. Gates, if you do not make this change now, we will continue to fall and lose all respect. A&M needs a facelift now! David J. Sanguesa Class of 1985 Voting based on race only perpetuates racism in America In response to Collins Ezeanyim's Nov. 5 column: I am sorry you feel that way about the Republican Party, but I am glad you wrote what you did. I think you indirectly hit on an issue that I think is very important. What it boils down to is the failure of the voting public to recognize what side their political bread is but tered on. Why should someone who is essen tially a Republican vote Democrat, based prima rily on race? Racism continues mostly because people continue to make race an issue. Do people not realize that affirmative action breeds racism, and that voting based on race does not help the country one bit? Matthew Dozier Class of 2003 Tobacco testing strengthens the legal system and allows privacy In response to And! Baca's Nov. 4 column: Testing for underage smoking is not a ques tion of students' rights, it is purposely used to take steps towards the elimination of underage smoking among students today. That is not to say that privacy should be elim inated, but if actions can be taken to preserve privacy and the foundation of our legal system, then what harm is done? This law is aimed at those who break the law by smoking under age, it is not to undermine the innocent. If testing is done throughout the school by a totally random process, then no one will be sin gled out and "humiliated." In fact, passing the drug test would be helpful on their image. It shows the rest of the community that they do not smoke for the better of themselves. If this activity is so crucial to students that it balances out their life, then there is a simple solution: don't smoke. This is a decision here of right and wrong. It is up to students to make that decision and the school to do everything it can to guide students in the right direction. Smoking may have been an aspect of the cul ture and history of America, but so have segre gation, gangs and murder. Just because some thing has been here for some time does not mean that it is right and should be condoned. Justin Decker Class of 2005
