SPORTS
HE BATTALIOS
Opinion
The Battalion
Page 5B • Friday, April 11, 2003
It’s all about the money
New Mexico’s Senate is planning to sue for the return of its land
n 1859, land surveyors were asked to draw
the border between present-day New Mexico
and Texas at the 103rd meridian. A tiny error
as made, and the Texas border ended up being
irther west than originally intended. According
othe Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas acquired
razor-thin strip all the way down the line to
here it breaks hard left toward El Paso, encom-
assing more than 600,000 acres.
For lack of something better to do, the New
dexico Senate has unanimously passed legisla-
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tion that will allow the attorney
general $ 100,000 of state
monies to sue Texas for the
contested land, and “is further
instructed to seek compensation
for subsurface mineral rights,
oil and gas royalties and
income, and property taxes and
grazing privileges that New
Mexico has not realized due to
the boundary error,” as quoted
from Senate Bill 815 intro
duced into the New Mexico Senate by state Sen.
Shannon Robinson.
Robinson’s call to collect on 144 years worth
of lost royalties and taxes makes it incredulous
ly apparent that New Mexicans are only inter
ested in reclaiming the land because it is prof
itable and the revenue could be
used to pay off state debts, as
well as to alleviate state oper
ation costs and construction.
New Mexicans, general
ly, are in favor of regaining
the territory that includes
such cities as Bledsoe,
Bronco, Farwell and
Texline. Robinson believes “it is neces
sary for the public peace, health and safety
that this act take effect immediately.” During
his Senate debate, Robinson said, “There is no
doubt that the people’s lives in that strip would
be vastly improved because they no longer
would be Texans.”
Robinson’s assumptions that Texans would be
better off as New Mexicans is unfounded and
ridiculous. There is no record of him even
attempting to create a dialogue with the resi
dents within the disputed areas to lead him to
such a conclusion. Robinson’s endeavor to
“liberate” Texans is at best heartbreaking.
Residents caught within the contested land
strip are not starving, suffering from civil war
or being oppressed by the Texas government.
They are not living in some anarchical state, or
in need of reform.
Most of the residential uproar, and rightly so,
has to do with the hassle involved in changing
over titles, deeds and taxes. Some elderly resi
dents have even bought ceme
tery lots because they want to
be buried in Texas. “Most of
the things we need or
want to do, we do in
New Mexico, (but)
we still want to come
home to Texas,” said
Cynthia Thigpen, city
secretary in
Farwell, which
is located a mere
nine miles from
Clovis, N.M.
What does Robinson
have to say about all
this? One would think he
would offer a referendum that would
be put to the people to let them
decide if they would rather be New
Mexicans than Texans. Instead, his
reply has nothing to do with the
immediate concerns of the residents of the
strip. He went so far as to tell the Albuquerque
Tribune that he is serious about pursuing this
and that he always wanted a piece of Texas.
What is so important to Robinson about win-'
ning back 600,000 acres? Political clout.
If Robinson’s legislation were to pass in the
House, and if the attorney general was to sue and
win back the region, Robinson will suddenly
have some claim to fame that could boost his
political ambitions, whatever they may be. This
is only a springboard for something bigger,
grander and even more outrageous than what he
is doing right now.
There are more important domestic issues that
the New Mexico legislature should focus on
instead of wasting its time whining over a piece
of land.
We have four words for the New Mexico
legislature:
Don’t mess with Texas.
Melissa Fried is a junior
international studies major.
Graphics by Angelique Ford.
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terms of war, no side is worth rooting for
FIRST
SBYTERIAN
CHURCH
Aggies grow in tilt
)w Fall Hours:
ip 8:30, 11:00 a.m.
inch School 9:30
ip on the Patio 10:30
arter Creek Parkway
w.fpcbryan.org
(U-W1RE) AMHERST, Mass. — War is on television 24 hours
day, and the media is making it seem more like a sports event
an a combat situation. There are announcers, instant replays of
ombs going off, multiple camera angles and sideline reporters —
le similarities go on and on.
In this kind of atmosphere, people choose sides and root for one
[team” or the other to win. Here in the United States, the popula-
on has rallied behind the troops and it is considered treasonous to
ish for an American defeat, but there are other countries that
ould prefer to see Iraq pull off the upset.
So, the question remains: Who is in the right and who is in
the wrong?
1 Much propaganda has been levied against the Iraqi government
for human rights violations, particularly the killing of thousands of
Kurds during the Iraq-Iran conflict of the 1980s. However, during
that time, Saddam Hussein was an American ally who received
lundreds of thousands of dollars in weapons from the United
■States government, even after it discovered what Hussein was
doing to his own people.
I Less than two decades have elapsed since that time, but appar
ently the United States has had a serious change of heart and sud-
lenly cares about the well-being of the Iraqi people. In fact, the
Jnited States has never interfered in anything when its own inter
ests weren’t at stake, and such events as the Rwandan genocide of
1994 invoked no American response. Though people will die, as
hundreds have already, in the United States-led invasion, the war is
even being called “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” which is somewhat
analogous to Hitler calling World War II, “Operation Save the
Jews.”
President George W. Bush says this is all being done to bring
democracy to Iraq, but the chances of that happening are slim to
none. In actuality, the United States has repressed more democra
cies in its day than it has created, and a puppet government in Iraq
would be more beneficial to American interests.
Another justification for war is to stop the threat of weapons of
mass destruction, but even if Iraq does have these weapons, it does
not have the capabilities to launch them at the United States.
Instead, it is the United States that has nearly monopolized the
weapons of mass destruction business, as America currently
spends about as much money on the military as every other coun
try in the world combined (more than $100 billion per day, even in
times of peace).
When it comes to United States interests, Bush implies in one
sentence that the war has nothing to do with oil, but in the next he
says that burning Iraqi oil fields is an inexcusable crime. American
companies are already receiving contracts to fix the damaged oil
fields once the war ends, making this a war that has at least some
thing to do with natural resources.
Though the United States has chastised Saddam for killing his
own citizens, it is certainly no stranger to just this act, from the
complete annihilation of the American Indians to the more recent
Kent State University and Orangeburg massacres of the 1960s.
During countless labor strikes in the late 1800s and early 1900s,
U.S. troops were called in to violently suppress numerous protests,
killing hundreds in the process. Even naval yard workers suffered
from greed and government cruelty, as many lives were shortened
when they were never alerted to the dangers of working with
asbestos (though these dangers were well known in the military).
However, recent United States history does not contain the
types of crimes Saddam perpetuates on a daily basis. These are all
well documented in the American press and include the gassing of
the Kurds, the donation of money to the families of suicide
bombers and the torturing of athletes.
After the first Gulf War, when U.S. bombs decimated the entire
country, Hussein decided to rebuild his own palaces (yes, that is
plural) at the expense of hospitals and other such necessities. And
even though U.S. sanctions are in part responsible for the killing of
hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, Saddam could have saved his own
people simply by agreeing to American demands. Without a doubt,
this is a man who only cares about himself.
On both the Iraqi and American sides, the greed and irresponsi
bility is staggering, and the price is being paid in human lives. If
war is to be treated like a sports event, then clearly neither side is
worth rooting for.
Jesse Greenspan is a columnist
for the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
d Methodist
'Jorthgate) • 846-8731
8:30, 9:45,10:50
chool: 9:30,10:45
>r. Jerry Neff
-umc.org
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Liberal Arts should
je respected
In response to an April 9 news article:
As a 2002 graduate of journalism,
m appalled that yet again, the
College of Liberal Arts is trying to do
away with the program. Yes, there are
problems with the program. Ifs over
crowded with students who choose it
as a fourth or fifth major and under
staffed by "real" professors.
I am one of the few journalism grad
uates who actually went on to a career
in that field. I appreciate all that mem
bers of the faculty, especially Dr. Ed
Walraven, did for me during my time
there. Thanks to him and the journal
ism program, I'm a features writer at a
daily newspaper.
Why is the College of Liberal Arts so
over budget? It's about time the
school treats all the colleges equally.
Just because liberal arts isn't engi
neering or business doesn't mean it is
less deserving of respect or money. I
challenge one of the decision makers
MAIL CALL
in the University to spend a day or two
in the Reed McDonald building and
compare it to other buildings on cam
pus, and then wonder why journalism
students are treated so poorly.
A&M should change the words to
the song, "We are the Aggies, the
Aggies are we. True to each other, as
long as you're not in the College of
Liberal Arts."
Rachel Mosteller
Class of 2002
Harassment of student
not deserved
In response to Haley Henderson's
April 9 mail call:
Ms. Henderson was respectful in her
comments and opinions, but that has
not been the reaction of literally hun
dreds of e-mails and harassing phone
calls Matt has received. Matt Shomer
is a very good friend of mine and he
realizes the mistake he made. Matt
did not sell his ring but let a friend use
his eBay account to sell another ring.
Regardless if we agree or disagree
with Matt's actions, Matt attempted to
sell a piece of property that the owner
had the right to do whatever he want
ed with. I am more embarrassed for
the craven and fanatical Aggies who
have wasted their time sending gut
less e-mails, making threatening
phone calls and even posting Matt's
schedule on Hobbes.
These same pathetic people even
went to the extent of finding all of
Matt's past eBay transactions and
sending e-mails to past sellers and
buyers to notify them of Matt's
actions. Why would someone in Utah
who sold Matt a baseball cap a year
ago care? Matt genuinely realized he
made a mistake and ended the auc
tion immediately. I earned my ring just
like everyone else, but just because I
disagree with someone I wouldn't
needlessly harass them. Matt made a
mistake, we should accept Matt's sin
cere apologies and forget about it.
Lyle Varghese
Class of 2003
2 blocks east
me in Bryan