I
THE BATTALION
KRT CAMPUS
on board. Family
and blame U.S.
eernent
oh and company said,
said Thursday that it had
■ agreement on behalf of
age handlers.
;d with these additional
ts and the TWU’s intent
aid an airline spokesman,
: still without agreements
lots, 21,000 flight
n 16,000 mechanics. It is
/ith a handful of
>rkers. The company has
>osal made Friday by the
at union negotiators
nands.
to discuss the
han to say that “
icrican has 99,000 work-
ter commuter carrier,
is about 11,000.
AMR Corp., based ii
>t nearly $5.3 billion ii
ind the war in Iraq is pul
ssure on the airline by
leclines in international
ints for more than one-
s business.
fait news
es found
same hope. Until foren-
done with their jobs, I
eryone to take a deep
rid wait,” Randy Kiehl
an article in Sunday’s
of the El Paso Times.
/ Kiehl said the biggest
his family came Friday
:y learned they will be
opy of a videotape of
being baptized in Doha
weeks.
means so much to us,"
“We now know James
ited baptism in Christ,
the good feeling of
the Lord in his heart."
may take some time for
officials to detennine
ties of the bodies, and
tions of their deaths,
ember the circum-
'emember where they
t Bliss spokeswoman
tt said.
said she is concerned
; reports that may mis-
ublic about the condi-
i 507th troops,
e’s a lot of reports
are a lot of rumors,
ay or may not be
said.
Opinion
The Battalion
Page 11 • Monday, M
The future of ephedrine
As the FDA threatens harsher restrictions, students must work to save supplement
less & Seif
for Women
; CENTTfl
9:00 pm
SI., Bryan
1000
J PM
T hose familiar with
ephedrine have likely
heard the many exag-
terated claims about the herb’s
upposed risks. After all. the
nedia, bolstered by highly
questionable Fcwxl and Drug
Administration studies and pro-
oal athlete deaths, rarely
sport anything positive about
fie herb. Ephedrine’s weight
loss and energy-boosting benefits
benefits the FDA even recognizes on its
Website, www.fda.gov — are seeming-
lyignored. The FDA is currently
accepting public comment on the sup
plement before making a federal push to
"support new restrictions on ephedra-
containing products,” according to its
Web site.
As The Washington Times reports,
these restrictions are the first steps
ward a nationwide ban, something no
eedom-loving American wants to see.
As March comes to a close, students and
ethers face their last chance to voice to
lie FDA their desires to have unrestrict-
cdaccess to herbs and dietary suppla
nts that may benefit their health.
The ephedrine debate was recently
[(ignited by the untimely death of
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler
bstmonth. Bechler’s death is indeed
tad, but even more upsetting is how a
legal supplement, ephedrine, was
labeled his killer by the media, an asser
tion that simply isn’t true.Yes. Bechler
lad been taking ephedrine, but as The
Washington Times reported earlier this
month, “other factors could have been
istmmental in Bechler’s death, such as
le was overweight, had an enlarged
bt, had... high blood pressure, and
»asdiagnosed two years ago with an
abnormal liver.” Bechler, who
was 250 lbs., died of a heat
stroke according to medical
examiners. Sure, ephedrine
might have stimulated his
metabolism, but there is no
conclusive proof that it killed
him. Almost all "ephedrine
deaths" have similar circum
stances surrounding them.
Unfortunately for con
sumers. the FDA is using catastrophic
events such as this to turn the tide of
public opinion against the herb. After
Bechler’s death, the administration
cited a questionable RAND
Corporation study, known as the Rand
report, before reopening a proposed
rule affecting the sale of ephedrine
entitled "Dietary Supplements
Containing Ephedrine Alkaloids,”
according to the FDA Web site.
Health-minded students concerned
with their access to legal dietary sup
plements must voice their opinions
about this rule so that it never becomes
federal law, as it would almost surely
result in a ban on ephedrine.
As The Washington Times reports,
the rule would, among other things,
require “that every bottle containing
ephedra list death, heart attacks and
strokes as potential side effects.” And
though it would not ban ephedrine out-
right, the FDA has not been shy about
admitting this is its goal. This ruling
would come as a blow not only to the
dietary supplement industry, but to the
civil liberties of all Americans who
enjoy their consumer freedoms.
The media has thus far failed miser
ably to report on ephedrine with any sort
of balance or fairness, so here are the
facts. Since ephedrine first gained com
mon use in Sudafed and other health
products, it has only been linked to 100
deaths, according to the FDA. Only in
two of these supposed ephedrine deaths
were “no other contributing factors iden
tified.” Furthermore, RAND admitted in
its February report that it cannot prove
ephedrine has caused any adverse
events, even recognizing that its own
case studies “are a weak form of scien
tific evidence,” according to the FDA
site.
FDA Commissioner of Food and
Drugs Mark B. McClellan, M.D.,
Ph.D., even admits that “the overall
evidence suggests that serious adverse
events from ephedra appear to be infre
quent,... (and) it may be possible to use
ephedra safely.” How can anyone trust
the FDA’s criticisms of ephedrine
when the FDA isn’t even sure of what
it’s reporting? The fact remains that
there is simply not enough damning
evidence against ephedrine to justify
further restricting it.
Americans treasure their personal
freedoms, but the FDA is doing its best
to infringe upon them. Students and oth
ers must voice their disapproval of these
proposed restrictions to the FDA, or it
will only further limit Americans’ access
to legitimate dietary supplements.
George Deutsch is a senior
journalism major.
Graphic by Frank Chance.
Gay awareness, but at what cost?
Conoley’s diversity initiatives flawed
G ay Awareness Week,
which begins today, is a
student and former stu
dent pay rolled mockery of
responsible education and open
discussion. Disregarding the
1, psychological and moral
implications of unequivocally
promoting homosexual behavior
impressionable students,
Texas A&M departments have
pone further than ever before in sponsoring such
activities and harassing those that would stand in
leirway. Those administrators behind the perse-
i of Christian faculty should be reprimanded
by A&M.
This year, the relatively benign requests for
“tolerance” and “acceptance” by the A&M homo
sexual community have been replaced with
demands for “promotion” and “celebration” of the
homosexual lifestyle. On Feb. 4, the Faculty
Advisory Committee to Dr.
Jane Conoley, dean of the
College of Education and
tn Development, drafted a
oent calling for the “cele
bration and promotion of all
fornis of human diversity,
ling sexual orientation
and domestic partnerships.”
Conoley then invited faculty
u
In response, a group of pro
fessors in the Department of
and Kinesiology sub-
a letter to the FAC
to the statement
on their religious convic-
lions and their obligation to look out for the wel
fare of their students. “We do not hold ourselves
upas people without sin or moral fault. But
Cliristian love neither demands of us nor permits
ustocelebrate and promote a sinful lifestyle. To
do so would be to compromise our moral convic
tions and deny our faith.” Sexual orientation is not
afederally protected class, and homosexual “mar
ges” are not recognized in Texas.
Conoley responded in an e-mail by mocking
tile Christian belief of “loving the sinner while
to sin” as an “empty, rhetorical gesture at
best and a cover for persecution at worst.” She in
particular ridiculed Dr. Steve Crouse, a professor
in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, as
being inexperienced and for employing his reli-
beliefs in his professional life, comparing
le Christian faculty’s objections to promoting
homosexuality to racism. She ended her response
by claiming that the Christian faculty “misinter-
” the Bible. Interestingly, Conoley might get
•bechance to spread her religious intolerance to a
Wider audience. Conoley has been named as one
eftwo finalists in the search for A&M’s next
. Conoley must not be given this power.
Dr. Patrick Slattery, a member of the FAC and
a professor with sexually explicit material on his
Web site — www.coe.tamu.edu/~pslattery/ —
attacked signatories of the HLKN letter. “I pro
pose that the professors who signed this statement
be censored. I also would like to propose that
Steve Crouse be immediately fired from his posi
tion as an assistant dean of the College of
Education. His hatred is an insult...there is no
place for bigots in our leadership.” Apparently, the
tolerance policy is a courtesy extended to those
who engage in sexually deviant behavior, but not
principled Christians. Coming from someone who
plays fast and loose with the First Amendment for
its protection of protest, it appears hypocritical of
Slattery to want to quiet the Christian faculty.
This is not the first time the feigned innocence
of the campus gay movement has been lost. Last
October a representative of the University’s Gender
Issues Education Services department wore a shirt
that read, “Every time a Republican dies, a queer
angel gets their wings.” A “Day of Silence” includ-
ed in the festivities is meant to
represent the harassment suf
fered by the gay community.
This theorized oppression of
homosexuals appears to be a
charade when contrasted with
the threats of firing leveled
against Christian faculty.
In a Feb. 26 e-mail to staff
and faculty, Conoley stated the
official CEHD operating poli
cy in regards to homosexuals.
“Their minority status gives
them special access to protec
tion and support because as a
group they are subjected to
unjust harassment and insensi
tive and inhumane treatment. They also suffer
from pre-judgment as a group of people and so
decisions of promotion, tenure, other resource
issues made about them deserve heightened scruti
ny.” This is little more than an unsubstantiated
charge of discrimination against members of the
College of Education used to justify a policy of
discrimination in favor of homosexuals — a
guideline that is legally dubious.
Gay Awareness Week will conclude with a dis
play of the AIDS quilt to remind students of those
killed by AIDS. However, the true tragedy repre
sented by the AIDS quilt is the deaths of students
resulting from poor choices and, in some cases,
homosexual encounters. Aggies must demand that
their money not be spent on programs that student
dollars have no business promoting, and that may
harm their fellow classmates. University officials
should stand behind their Christian faculty, and
keep individuals who would belittle the religious
beliefs of a majority of students and instructors
out of critical University positions.
Matthew Maddox is a senior
management major.
This year, the relatively
benign requests for
'tolerance’ and
'acceptance’ by the A&M
homosexual community
have been replaced with
demands for 'promotion’
and 'celebration’....
Conoley’s efforts should be praised
T oday marks the first
day of the annual Gay
Awareness Week, and
this year the event is not
without controversy. Gay
Awareness Week was created
to educate and foster open
and honest discussion about
issues concerning the status
of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered persons here
on Texas A&M’s campus. Leading the way in
raising the level of acceptance and tolerance
on the campus is Dr. Jane Conoley, dean of
the College of Education and candidate for the
position of executive vice president and
provost. Conoley has suffered backlash from
other faculty and students when she authored
a statement in which she urged the “celebra
tion and promotion of all forms of human
diversity, including sexual
orientation and domestic
partnerships.” Conoley
needs to be praised for
her continued work to
reduce the level of intol
erance of alternative sex
ual orientations here on
the campus.
Many people who
oppose this statement use
their Christian beliefs to
mask their prejudice and
intolerance for homosex
uality. While it is their
right to believe that alter
native sexual orientations
are wrong, it is not their
right to persecute, discriminate against or, in
extreme cases, harm individuals who do
believe in these lifestyles.
America is the land of liberty. It is the right
of every American, whether gay or straight, to
live his life as he chooses. It is not right to con
demn those on either side of the argument.
Many people get lost in the argument of who is
right, and forget that it is not about who is right,
but about the effort to promote tolerance and
acceptance of diversity on the A&M campus.
In Conoley’s e-mail to the faculty and staff,
she writes that she is aware her statements
will make members of the community uncom
fortable, but that she is working with other
University leaders to create an environment
that is welcoming and accepting to all.
Conoley needs to be praised for her desire to
make the A&M campus tolerant of everyone.
It is ridiculous for people to believe that by
promoting acceptance and tolerance of all
lifestyles students will be led down the path
In Conoley’s e-mail to the
faculty and staff, she writes
that she is aware her
statements will make
members of the community
uncomfortable, but that she is
working with other University
leaders to create an
environment that is welcoming
and accepting to all.
of homosexuality. People do not choose their
sexuality. Homosexuality is more than sex; it
is about love and affection for a member of
the same sex.
According to the memo sent to the College
of Education from the faculty members of the
Department of Health and Kinesiology, mem
bers of the HLKN faculty believe that “the
current draft of the FAC Statement on
Tolerance stands in contrast to these state of
Texas statutes by stating that we will ‘cele
brate and promote human diversity in all its
forms,’ including (as one would infer from the
current draft statement) any form of sexual
orientation, including homosexuality. In light
of these clear statements of the Texas Legal
Code, we urge FAC members to consider the
repercussions and negative consequences of
this draft statement.” It is true that sexual
activity between consenting gay adults in
Texas is currently illegal.
Yet, this fact does not
restrict the College of
Education from adopting
an open and tolerance-
based policy that includes
sexual orientation. The
only thing illegal is the
act of sexual intercourse;
the lifestyle and the feel
ings are not illegal.
Other people believe
that homosexuality is a
disease that needs to be
cured. This belief shows
a lack of understanding of
the situation. People do
not wake up one morning
and decide that they are going to be gay. It is
a lifelong realization, and is often compound
ed by feelings of self-hatred. This self-hatred
is developed by continually having people
preach to them that their feelings are morally
wrong. It is the job of the University to
insure an open and welcoming environment
for all who are here, no matter what their sex
ual orientation is.
The University needs more people like Dr.
Conoley. She is working to break down barriers
that prevent A&M from becoming a truly wel
coming environment for all who are here.
While some faculty members will continue to
resist being tolerant to all lifestyles, others in
the community will remember that America is
a land of freedom, and included in that free
dom is the right to not be discriminated against
for having a different sexual orientation.
99
Brieanne Porter is a senior
political science major.