Y
EDITORIAL
Conflicted Board
Ethical integrity questioned
Editorial independence is essential for a newspaper to ade
quately serve its readers. The student journalists who work at
The Battalion value their obligation to hold accountable those
who serve students. However, the presence of high-profile stu
dent leaders on the Student Media Board creates a potential
conflict of interest and compromises the independence of The
Battalion.
Each semester the Board nominates the editor in chief of
The Battalion and the provost approves the nominees, and can
also remove the editor. The student body president nominates
three students to serve on the Board, which consists of eight
voting members that also includes faculty and staff members. In
the past, student body presidents have appointed themselves,
members of the Student Government Association executive
council, the Memorial Student Center council president or other
student leaders. As officers in large student organizations, these
students are hardly neutral participants, and it is not hard to
imagine them using their positions on the Board to influence
news coverage of their organizations.
Even if these student leaders can set aside their organiza
tional interests, the appearance of a conflict of interest will
compromise The Battalion’s news reporting. Editors should be
able to carry out their duty as the campus watchdog without
having to worry about retribution from student leaders on the
Media Board for critical or controversial articles.
Student representation on the Board is crucial to effective
editorial leadership at The Battalion, but the presence of high-
profile student leaders makes the newspaper subject to undue
political pressure from student government.
The Student Media Board will meet tomorrow to consider a
proposal that would prohibit officers of the executive councils
of organizations such as the MSC, SGA, Corps of Cadets and
the Interfratemity Council, from serving as student representa
tives on the media board. The Board must approve this resolu
tion to ensure that The Battalion continues providing students
fair and fearless news reporting. Students deserve nothing less
than a fiercely independent student newspaper.
THE BATTALION
Editor in Chief
Managing Editor
Opinion Editor
News Editor
EDITORIAL BOARD
Brandie LlFFICK Asst. News
Sommer Bunce Member
Brieanne Porter Member
Rolando Garcia
Melissa Sullivan
Sara Foley
Matt Maddox
r/ie 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
77843-11 1 1. Fax: (979) 845-2647 Email: mailcall@thebatt.com
Opinion
The Battalion
Page 11 • Tuesday, April 15, 2003
Patriotic displays
Police chief was wrong in banning flag bandannas
E arlier this month
the San Francisco
police chief banned
numerous SWAT team
members from wearing
bandannas as helmet lin
ers to keep themselves
cool while patrolling war
protests. The reason for
this unnecessary, bureau
cratic decision was that
depictions of the American flag were on
the bandannas. Not only was the chief
wrong in banning the bandannas, he wasted
taxpayers’ money and unnecessarily caused
dissent among his officers and distracted
them from completing their duties.
Throughout the war with Iraq, numerous
groups have protested either for or against
the conflict and the ideals on which it is
based, but disagreement has not been limit
ed to the big cities. Even College Station
has seen its share of protests. Most of these
protests have occurred without incident, but
some have turned dangerous, which is why
many cities, such as San Francisco, assign
SWAT team members as peace keepers.
According to the Chattanooga, Tenn.
police department, SWAT officers around
the country are equipped with a Kevlar hel
met, eye wear, a radio headset, boots, cam
ouflage, an equipment vest, a belt and thigh
holster, a gas mask, raingear and gloves.
With all of this gear, officers tend to get
hot quickly. San Francisco SWAT members
told the San Francisco Examiner they use
bandannas to keep their heads cool while
on duty. There is nothing wrong with this
practice; if the officers are more comfort
able, then they will do a better job protect
ing the lives of the protesters.
The fact that the bandannas bore a
depiction of the stars and stripes might
make some think that they would offend
the peace protesters. This, however, is not
the case.
“(The bandanna) doesn't impact the
work of Direct Action to Stop the War one
bit,” said protest organizer Alyse Hogue.
Patriotic helmet liners do not intimidate
peace protesters; they live in America. If
the bandannas affected the anti-war groups
at all, it should be a form of encouragement
because the flag represents their right to
protest the government, a right that many
around the world do not enjoy.
Others may argue that the bandannas
introduce a degree of non-uniformity to the
police attire. San Francisco Police Chief
Alex Fagan tol the Examiner that a uniform
method of supporting the United States has
been issued to officers of the Bay Area. “A
stars and stripes military-style ribbon was
developed and issued for wea on the uni
form, directly under the officer’s badge,” he
told the Examiner. They “lend a profession
al appearance for officers wishing to display
a symbol of patriotism.”
This solution does not address the prob
lem the chief is seeking to resolve because
officers choose whether to wear the rib
bons, so not every man or woman brandish
es it. This non-uniformity is the exact prob
lem that Fagan attempted to avoid by ban
ning the bandannas.
In fact, bandannas offer more uniformi
ty than the ribbons because the bandannas
only become visible when the officers
remove their helmets. v
Not only do these bandannas serve an
important purpose for the officers who
wear them, they do not offend anyone.
The police chief has only wasted taxpayer
money by using department time to hold
interviews and write up press releases
over an issue that should not have been
addressed by police management. Police
Chief Fagan should repeal the prohibition
on bandannas and quickly let the issue
become history. This would restore the
rights of the officers and end the squander
of taxpayer money.
Matt Rigney is a sophomore
journalism major.
Graphic by Frank Chance.
MATT
RIGNEY
I ournalism department
nduded in Vision 2020
ds
Sucks
/n response to an April 9 front page
Article:
would like to know how the lead
ers of Texas A&M can justify Vision
:020 if the Journalism department is
llowed to fall through the cracks. It
a shame that the department has
ot been allowed to grow and pros-
er. As a proud member of the class
f 2001 and a graduate of the jour-
j alism department, I am not sur-
rised that Journalism is being threat-
ned again. After all, it was obvious
jo me, as a student, that A&M officials
j are more about other departments
Ian my own. I still remember the
tark contrast between the glorious
usiness building and the basement
f the journalism building where I
pent most of my time.
Several days ago, the local news
ported that University President
obert M. Gates had stated that he
1 ad not received a memo describing
l^ie situation of the journalism depart-
iient. President Gates, I would hope
iiat you would be more informed
j bout a subject so serious as that of
fie demise of a department. Please
I on't take away such a precious
egree. I would also direct this plea to
ie dean of Liberal Arts. If you have
ny doubt as to the importance of a
ommunications degree just turn on
our television and watch the cover
ge of this war.
People who are passionate about the
rt of communication are risking their
ves to bring us the truth. How can you
How our great school to lose a degree
lat has such potential to impact our
ation with people like this?
For Texas A&M to be considered a top
an school you must provide students
i/ith a well-rounded education. If you
How journalism to disappear from
exas A&M it will break my heart,
ecause in my eyes I will be losing my
Ima mater. I would not financially sup
port Texas A&M if it allowed this loss.
Also, there cannot be an excuse that
there is not enough money. There
should plenty of money. It just has to
be used correctly and not on frivolous
things. I did notice that the Board of
Regents was having renovations done
to their office. Since you have asked the
faculty of Texas A&M to give part of
their paychecks to Texas A&M in order
to help with budget cuts, could you
please make sure that it used responsi
bly? Maybe the Board of Regents could
share offices with students who work
everyday in the basement of Reed
McDonald. I'm sure they'd be glad to
share with you.
Jennifer Armstrong
Class of 2001
Past administrations
share part of the blame
In response to an April 10 mail call:
Is Mr. Franklin arguing that we
shouldn't have gone into Iraq because
if we can't eliminate all evil then we
shouldn't try to end any at all?
"Where was your voice the last ten
years?" Perhaps you should be posing
this question to Bill Clinton. It was his
administration that sat idly by while
those atrocities took place. I'm proud
that President Bush has the courage to
look evil in the eye and fight it. I would
like to remind Mr. Franklin that
Operation Iraqi Freedom is just that, one
operation in the larger War on Terrorism.
Kyle Pennington
Class of 2003
In response to an April 10 mail call:
You claim the only reason the
United States is in Iraq is to liberate its
people and to take its oil. This is the
same pathetic attempt for a platform of
protest that has been heard since hos
tilities began.
The fact is we are not in Iraq solely to
liberate its people. We are there
because Saddam Hussein poses a real
threat to the American people. Iraq,
MAIL CALL
after completely disregarding countless
U.N. resolutions, possesses weapons of
mass destruction and provides a safe
harbor for terrorists such as Al-Qaida.
To use the examples you provided
including Haiti, Somalia, Rwanda or the
Balkins, where is the threat to America?
That's right, there isn't one. In addition,
the U.S. government has proclaimed
that Iraq's oil is the property of the Iraqi
people and we will protect it for them.
To all anti-war protestors, look at the
faces of the Iraqi people and tell me
that what we are doing is wrong.
Know that with this invasion we have
destroyed one of the safe harbors and
supporters for terrorism against us.
Jared Patterson
Class of 2005
Public opinion is
part of democracy
In response to Sara Foley's April 10
column:
Ms. Foley's assertion that "public
opinion should not dictate the actions
of the president or the military," implies
very dangerous results if carried out in
full. One must bear in mind that politi
cal participation does not stop at the
voting booth.
The idea behind representation is
that elected officials remain account
able to their constituents, and it is
through the exercise of free speech and
assembly - including protests or rallies,
letter-writing and even opinion polls -
that responsible citizens hope to bal
ance the voice of the elected with that
of the electorate. To act under Ms.
Foley's above assumption is to relegate
any semblance of democratic power to
a wholly unrepresentative body of
unaccountable officials and lobbyists.
This includes the entire spectrum of
opinion, and applies to all topics, not
simply the more prominent events that
capture the public's attention.
Furthermore, in stating that "it is the
public's job to...support the actions of
a military that protects their freedoms,"
Ms. Foley seems to forget that both
those for and against the war are exer
cising such "freedoms." The public has
no single "job," but as individuals we
do have rights that were established
after no small struggle, and these can
not be conveniently denied to suit
some particular situation.
I will agree with one point, that "it is
not necessary to add in more relief
packages or to institute more propa
ganda to convince the American public
of the need for this war." Unlike the
dubious "food droppings" in
Afghanistan, aid should be seen as
much more than a tool for public rela
tions. Therefore, it is not necessary to
provide aid as a means of propaganda,
but it is necessary to provide aid as a
means of helping the vast majority of
Iraqis who have been innocent
bystanders in this conflict. The situation
is already proving to be much more
than aid agencies can handle, and
waiting for the as-yet undetermined
end to the war only serves to add to
the arduous prospect of rebuilding a
country from a legacy of oppression in
the settling smoke of a potentially frag
ile peace.
Adam Splitek
Class of 2005
Unplanned consequences
In response to an April 9 mail call:
I want to apologize to Matt Shomer
for placing his name in my mail call last
Wednesday. No matter how I felt about
the sale of a ring singling you out was
wrong and I'm sorry. Seeing that some
one is selling their Aggie ring on eBay is
upsetting enough but it was the way
your friend was going about it, trying to
not only sell a piece of jewelry, but the
Aggie Network and Family that we have
all worked hard for and cherish very
much is what truly upset me. I person
ally did not want to see something that
has been a part of my family heritage
for generations along with so many
others tainted by one very selfish Aggie
and that was the sole purpose of my
letter, but I should have been more
respectful of your privacy not to place
your name in the letter. I am sorry for
what I did and I hope that you will
accept my heartfelt apologies.
The Aggie Ring is not special because
it is a ring; it is special because it is
Aggie. I hope that no one will ever for
get that.
Hayley Henderson
Class of 2005