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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 2003)
the battau ract, aims Opinion The Battalion Page 9 • Wednesday, January 15, 2003 ^7 TWO nction: Multirotefigt* i feet, 5 inches feet : 32 feet, 8 inches BIRDS (WITH ONE STONE Bush administration must recognize North Korea as Iraq's dangerous equal ch 2 ,000 feet and up 2 miles S Air Force; ation Group if President Saj fails to give of mass dest niewski has saii form of help has ded. it ion to their elations, the two: yed a personal fe “II that was ontk ief appearance be nly regret is tha: ig your beautify. Bush said to n; na: second and ' ate visit of Bin y, Kwasniewski vere the toasts o use over two da; brimmed with vents included W asiness meeting icr and a trip b) idents to visit nerican commum: it suburbs. A sU.S. soldiers contin ue to be deployed to the Persian Gulf region in prepa ration for a possible war with Iraq, the rest of the world turns its eyes toward the Communist nation of North Korea and the threat of nuclear war. Many people concerned with the threat of North Korea wonder why President Bush and his administration do not perceive North Korea's actions as similar or more dangerous than those of Iraq and Saddam Hussein. "With bombastic warnings of a third world war. North Korea alarmed the world by pulling out of the global Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. It raised the stakes by announcing it may lift a moratorium on missile test ing,” The Associated Press reported. These announcements came after North Korea expelled inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency and admitted violating its agreement with the United States to not build nuclear weapons. The Bush administration has stated repeatedly that it would prefer a diplomatic approach to the situation. What the administration fails to acknowledge is that North Korea is a more dangerous threat to the United States than Iraq. If it is willing to use force to end Iraq’s supposed nuclear and biochemical capabilities. North Korea should be considered as much of a threat as Iraq. North Korea's possible nuclear capabilities pose a direct threat to the United States. Missiles launched in North Korea could easily reach Alaska. Hawaii and the western states. “The real worry is that North Korea is threatening to crank up a nuclear assembly line. It has enough plutonium in old fuel rods at the Yongbyon reactor to make five or six weapons in a matter of months. With all facilities running full tilt it could eventually turn out warheads at the rate of a couple dozen a year — enough to supply any rogue state or terrorist willing to pay,” said Bill Keller of The New York Times. The possibility of North Korea manufac turing nuclear weapons and selling them to terrorists is a frightening prospect for the world and countries continually threatened by terrorism such as Israel and America. Americans already know that al- North Korea's possible nuclear capabilities pose a direct threat to the United States. Missiles launched in North Korea could easily reach Alaska, Hawaii and the western states. Qaida was trying to obtain material for a “dirty” bomb, a conventional bomb with radioactive material attached to it. Basically, al-Qaida was trying to get an imitation nuclear bomb. If North Korea begins building a nuclear arsenal, for the right price it is possible that al-Qaida could obtain the real thing. Scary, isn't it? T; As far as authorities know, Iraq does not have nuclear capabilities. What is known is that they supposed ly are trying to build the necessary facilities to create nuclear warheads. The reality is that North Korea is about ten steps ahead of Iraq. North Korea has everything in place to build these warheads, and right now it is not clear that they haven't already started production. Not only do both countries want nuclear warheads, both countries are controlled by ruthless dictators. “Kim Jong 11 is a porn-loving, deviant-sex practicing, cartoon-obsessed deca dent dictator sometimes compared to Stalin.” according to an editorial in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Yet, the Bush administration refuses to even acknowledge the potential danger that the North Korea dictator poses. Instead, it has deployed upwards of 250,000 American troops to the Middle East. When North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, the United Nations could have imposed sanctions in response to the pull out. North Korea further escalat ed tensions by stating that, “Any sanctions imposed by the (U.N.) Security Council would amount to a declaration of war,” according to The Boston Globe. The world is now waiting to see what the next move is going to be. If the world waits too long. North Korea could begin manu facturing nuclear warheads. It could be manufacturing these weapons now. Bush has said he “will never allow the world's worst dictators to obtain the world’s worst weapons.” “Bush has never specifically warned North Korea about how -— if at all — he would respond if the country began producing bomb-grade plutonium that could produce half a dozen weapons by summer” according to The New York Times. Right now, while U.S. troops pre pare for a possible war in Iraq, one of the “world's worst dictators” Kim Jong 11 is threatening the scariest of possible realities: a nuclear North Korea with little money and nuclear weapons for sale. Iraq is a real threat. President Bush, but take care of North Korea before their nuclear war heads are aimed at the United States. Brieanne Porter is a senior political science major. Graphic by Ruben DeLuna ds Tuesday, hisfiid e capital's violence| t to the city since 1 million to hire his i Iity put togetheup rack down on chef S. abortions s used pills such as cent of abortions ir i controversial es, a new study say Wednesday by the nates that more Hmed using pills it e researchers notec to fall to its lowest ortions for every e number of prod irtions also fell. AT /■ Evenings! Illinois governor takes aim at death penalty George Ryan's late-term decision to grant 167 prisoners clemency was justified O n Saturday, then-gover nor of Illinois, George H. Ryan, announced his decision to grant clemency to all 167 inmates on the Illinois death row. Ryan’s decision to commute the sentences came three years after he declared a moratorium on executions in response to 13 men being exonerated with DNA evi dence. CNN reported that Ryan called the Illinois system "arbitrary and capricious — and therefore immoral.” Ryan ensured that men convicted by a broken and grossly unfair capital system would not be executed by it. He did the right thing, and he should be com mended for it. Ryan was an avid supporter of capital punish ment when he took office in 1999, but his faith in the system was immediately shaken by the case of Anthony Porter. Porter was sentenced to death in 1983 for the murder of two teenagers. In 1998, Porter was two days away from being executed when it was discovered that he had an IQ of 51, according to CNN. The reprieve granted enough time for Northwestern University journalism stu dents to uncover evidence of his innocence. He was released in early 1999. The man actually responsible for the murders was sentenced in September of 1999 to only 37.5 years in prison, according to the Illinois Death Penalty Education Project. A system that relies on college students to save innocent men from being murdered by the state can only be described as abhorrent and immoral. After Ryan issued the moratorium on execu tions in early 2000, a commission to study the death penalty in Illinois was formed, according The Associated Press. CNN reported in April of 2002 that the commission recommended 85 changes to the system, including mandatory taping of confessions, unifonn standards across the state and decreased reliance on jailhouse snitches. According to Ryan's speech this past weekend, the Illinois legislature had three chances to reform the system; it failed to implement even the smallest of changes. The commission study illustrated disturbing facts about the Illinois capital punishment system. According to Ryan's speech, nearly half of Illinois' capital cases have been reversed by a new trial or new sentence; 33 men were represented at trial by an attorney who has been disbarred or suspended from practicing; law and 46 were convicted on the testimony of jailhouse snitches. More than two- thirds of the death row inmates are African- American — 35 of who were convicted by all- white juries. The study also found a person who commits capital murder in rural Illinois is five times more likely to have received a death sentence than if the murder had taken place in Chicago. The killer of a white victim is 3 1/2 times more likely to receive a death sentence than if the victim was black. These geographical and racial disparities are unacceptable. If capital punishment is to be used, it must be uniform throughout the entire system. To say that Illinois is the only state with these problems is simply wishful thinking. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, nationally, 50 percent of victims are white, but 81 percent of completed capital cases involve white victims. A recent study found that the death penalty is rarely used if the victim is Hispanic. North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana and New Jersey studies have all found race to be a major determining factor in whether one receives the death penalty. Texas has its own problems. A 2000 Texas Defender Service report found 84 capital cases in which a prosecutor or police officer deliberately presented false or misleading evidence. Like Illinois and other states, the race of the victim greatly influences punishment; while white women comprised 0.8 percent of murder victims since the reinstatement of the death penalty, 32.4 percent of those executed were for the murder of a white woman. The study found men convicted and sentenced to death despite their lawyers being clearly incompetent; one ingested cocaine before trial and consumed alcohol during court breaks; others fell asleep during trial. The report also found the case review process in Texas to be fraught with error. Other governors must follow Ryan’s lead. Not only should they declare moratoriums on execu tions, they should consider commuting the sen tences to life in prison without possibility of parole to prevent the execution of innocent people and to ensure that no inmates lose their lives to a broken, unfair and inadequate system. There is no doubt this will be painful for victims' families; however, if states are going to go as far as taking away a life, the process has to be fair. In the meantime, states should put the enormous resources usually spent on executions to better uses. As Gov. Ryan suggested, states should “pro vide something for victims' families other than the hope of revenge.” Jenelle Wilson is a junior political science major. JENELLE WILSON in the >s Valley. slY Tuscany i view. It’s d gratuity. ge House ? everything, nly VL the freshest 'ening the call E A •us Reality series cheapens love Joe Millionaire shows money isn't everything SARA FOLEY oes love prevail over money? FOX is attempting to answer this question with its twisted new reality dating Show, Joe Millionaire. The show, which pre- iered Jan. 6, stars Evan Marriot who will hoose one woman among 20 eligible omen, each of whom believes he has Inherited $50 million. When he narrows the [group of women down to his chosen bride, owever, he will confess that he only makes 19,000 a year as a construction worker. Despite FOX’s protests that the show’s focus is the power f love, the show demonstrates the desperation of women and he man lying to appease them. In reality, the winner will leally be the loser, forming a relationship based solely on lies. The sooner the women get away from Marriot, the bet- l er - The women eliminated in each episode believe they are talking away from a rich, handsome man who could solve heir financial problems in a seven-week period. However, )nce the truth is revealed, each will undoubtedly notice that ler contract prevents her from taking any legal action against ^OX, and discussing the outcome of the show. Amy Fugere, vho was eliminated in the first episode, remained silent ibout how Marriott’s origins were revealed to the women, as veil as the final outcome of the show in an interview with he Orlando Sentinel. These women have signed up for more than they realize, opefully, in conjunction with many cliched revelations that ay come to them concerning appearances compared to real ity, they will learn that reality-series love will never end hap pily ever after. They should decide to use a little common ense when choosing potential husbands. If any of them took the time to take their lovesick, money- hungry eyes off Marriot, maybe they would see a few inconsistencies. These women are blind to the fact that a man who has $50 million would probably have more than one servant. Also, a good- looking, well-mannered, wealthy man worth marrying would have more than his supply of gold diggers after him, and not find it necessary to recruit them via a major television net work. The women,who in interviews shown on the program gush about loving glamorous things, having Prince Charming fan tasies since childhood, and valuing a man’s ambition, surely might have something to complain about now that the show is airing. However, instead of criticizing the film editors, pro gram creators, and the pressure of the situation, perhaps they should blame their own poor judgment. Their desperation drove them to apply to be the wife of a man they have never met and overlook his obvious inadequa cies. Marriot, who in interviews and on the show proved him self to be uneducated, ill-mannered, and inarticulate, looks good and certainly has the money. Marriot lacks a little per sonality and some people skills, and the program is just another example of women who chose a big, glistening dia mond and a fairytale wedding over a joyful marriage. The angry women who discover the truth about Evan Marriot might regret the vicious way they fought for the con struction worker, making enemies with 18.6 million viewers. Marriot might regret lying to the women whom he might actually develop feelings for. More likely, though, these women will stick to dating men in reality instead of relying on a hyped-up reality dating series. Sara Foley is a sophomore journalism major. MAIL CALL Marijuana does more harm than good In response to George Deutsch's Jan. 13 column: Every point that Mr. Deutsch tried to make about marijuana was totally off base. Marijuana changes your perception and is like living in a total ly different world. You feel almost immortal. So, yes, rape, death and jail are all very likely consequences of smoking marijuana. Death may not come from a friend shooting you or something drastic like that, but it is very likely to hap pen. Most people drive when they become high, to buy food, get more drugs, or because they think they are completely capable of driving. Driving while high is kind of like driv ing when drunk. Perceptions are changed and reflexes are slowed. So, for Mr. Deutsch to imply that mari juana is harmless is crazy, and now he is the one "spreading misinfor mation." £ Richards Class of 2006 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 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 77843-1111. Fax: (979) 845-2647 Email: mailcall@thebatt.com. Attachments are not accepted.
