Thursday, October2,l
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Opinion
The Battalion
Page 5B • Thursday, October 2, 2003
struction
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a look at monthly
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Hy Kfusivd m] _
Harsh and inhumane
Long Island hazing incident illustrates need for greater preventive measures
N D J F M A M J JA
2 2003
lopflrtment of Commsrce
edged up by 0.1 pei'
August to a raleo!
illion.
yusing market has beet
the main sources of
or the economy,
ig signs of picking if
m. Even with a recem
n mortgage rates, safe
lew homes and
ned ones soared in
id are on track to sei
d highs this year,
sday's construction
o showed that spend
government on publii
jects, meanwhile, rose
0.6 percent in August
>f $217.3 billion, ate
st monthly level os
tronger spending os
using, highways
I health care
■aker spending os
ansportation projecis
ional facilities,
igns of an ecou'c
, the Federal Rm
i decided to MT
-term interest rate at
a 45-year low
:s believe the Fed
will leave that rat
at its next meetin!
M embers of a Long Island commu
nity are left puzzled after reports
claiming several players of the
Mepham High School football team allegedly
sodomized three underclassmen with pine
cones and broomsticks as part of a hazing ritu
al gone overboard at a preseason training
camp in Pennsylvania,* according to The New
York Times. The situation apparently went
unattended for days until one victim came for
ward in need of medical attention.
Once again this incident brings to light an instance demonstrat
ing what can happen when potentially dangerous situations are
ignored. Hazing is a misunderstood part of human dignity, and,
while society has partially declared war on it. it fails to even mod
erately rid it from America’s high schools.
There is no common consensus in the public today on what con
stitutes hazing. Despite tougher laws and regulations it still occurs,
often without the public’s knowledge. In a recent study conducted
byNardine C. Hoover and Norman J. Pollard from Alfred
University in New York, it was reported that 24 percent of high
school students w ho joined sports teams were victims of some form
ofhazing. However, they found that the majority of these students
did not classify what was done to them as hazing. Further, it was
reported that anti-hazing laws do not affect the amount of hazing
incidents that occur. This data not only shows that the general con
cept of hazing is misinterpreted and miscommunicated, but that
there is essentially nothing being done to prevent it.
The Mepham football team example illustrates a common mis
conception. The methods used by the perpetrators were harsh and
inhumane, but because it happened within organized boundaries
people did not categorize them as criminal. Society has failed to
clarify the distinction that just because a criminal act is commit
ted in a hazing situation, it is still illegal or in this case, a felony.
Anyone who can fathom abusing any human the way the
Long Island perpetrators did is obviously ruthless and dement
ed. But this calls for a need to completely eliminate hazing.
The modern-day merciless and immoral individuals society is
producing, along with instances of hazing that go unnoticed.
makes for a disturbing and intolerable combination.
Upon conviction, the Long Island perpetrators should be pun
ished to the full extent of the law. But why must it always take
suffering and extreme examples for action to be taken?
America is too content with the redundant notion of
“you do the crime, you do the time.” Justice is neces
sary but eradicating the root causes is more reason
able, and it does not take a genius
to find them.
Blaming students who know
about hazing and do not report
it is a temporary solution that
ignores the more real and
undesirable issues at
hand. High school is
another world
that exposes
kids to feel
ings and situ
ations unlike
any other.
High school
students are
consumed by
the need to fit
in and to be
socially accept
ed in their rigor
ous and confusing
journey to adulthood.
The common notion
of hazing amongst
teenagers is that it is a
normal and natural part
of growing up and
belonging. Further, if a
child was to rat his
classmate out and deviate from this norm, his world would be
filled with nothing but devastating social and psychological
shame. These high school students cannot be blamed for playing
the role society has cut out for them. In the bizarre Long Island
case, however, kids were probably silent for fear of becoming the
next victims.
Hazing is an integral part of tradition that has its roots
deeply embedded in American culture. Despite the popular
idea that hazing is a fun and traditionally harmless form of
bonding, a time has come in America where it must be destruc-
ted. Although it may be hard to eradicate, it
must first be further stigmatized. Not
only should the penalties be swift and
severe, parents, teachers and coaches
need to break through the invisible
shield society has built that isolates
them from the youth. Kids need to
feel that it is acceptable to report inci
dents to adults and not feel awkward
for discussing the issue with each
other. More attention must
Tony Piedra • THE BATTALION
be given to youth and pub
lic awareness. In addition,
petitions must be
required before any
school event takes place.
Society does not need
to sit around and wait for
the next big deplorable
hazing incident to tran
spire and then run around
in disarrayed chaos blaming
each other. Adults should take
initiative and at least attempt to
prevent the acts before they hap
pen rather than waiting around to
point fingers.
C/jr/s Lively is a senior
sociology major.
murderer
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istrict Judge
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ler shortly after tif
mg.
U.S. drug prices force Americans to cross the border
W hen a person
goes to the pha
maev to pick ui
acy to pick up
hefetion. whether it is
; antibiotics for an infection or
‘ blood pressure medication for
' the month, he or she does not
expect to spend a week's
salary on just a few pills.
But this is rapidly chang
ing. While most Americans
can say their prescriptions are a medical necessi
ty, the bill that comes along with the pills tends
llomake the consumer more ill.
Consumers are picking up their drugs now
and wondering just how much they are going to
•haveto shell out to obtain better quality health.
To ensure that Americans have inexpensive
access to quality prescription drugs, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration needs to follow
lire example set by Canada.
Last year a Canadian health agency reported
that drug prices in the United States were 67
percent higher than the prices in Canada. That
means that Americans are paying $.67 on the
dollar more for the same drugs than Canadians
just a few miles north of the border.
“We pay more for prescription drugs than any
other country in the industrialized world,” said
Joel Barkin, spokesman for Rep. Bernard Sanders,
I-Vt. He is correct in his statement, and has led
bus trips to Canada to purchase prescription drugs.
One of the reasons drug prices in Canada are
much lower than the drug prices in the United
States is that in Canada, the price for drugs still
under patent — meaning that they have no generic
substitute — are regulated by a federal review
board, according to the American Association of
Retired Persons.
In the United States,
there is no price regulation.
This is why the new
“wonder drug” being
advertised on television
costs so much more than
the “wonder drug” from
last season, the one that
now has three different
generic brands behind it.
Canadian health insur
ers also base their drug
prices and coverage on
clinical evaluation of the
effectiveness of the drugs.
This leads to the identifi-
cation of therapeutically
similar drugs and the ability to negotiate with
the different makers of the drugs for the best
price to be offered to the consumer.
What Americans have resorted to is filling
their prescriptions through a Canadian pharmacy
to combat the high American prices received at
the “convenient” drugstore around the corner.
The Canadian International Pharmacy
American consumers need to
demand that the FDA start
paying closer attention to how
Canada operates its drug plans,
and try to implement more of
its procedures into U.S. phar
maceutical endeavors.
Association estimates that Internet-based
Canadian pharmacy companies now serve about
1 million U.S. customers, up from the estimated
10,000 just four years ago.
The FDA has noticed this upward trend in .
illegal importation of drugs, and is begging for a
major crackddwn on the law breakers.
One of the FDA’s major
arguments in their crack
down of Canadian drug
imports is that the imports
are unregulated, and this
deems them as a health
hazard for Americans.
The FDA deems the
safety of the drugs as its
key issue. However, the
Canadian and American
drugs were most likely
made in the same factory to
begin with and shipped out
at the same time, according
to The Associated Press.
The FDA says that once the
drugs leave the United States, they are no
longer constrained to the strict safety proce
dures and guidelines that U.S. drugs must fol
low to make it to the hands of the consumer.
Although the FDA may have its consumers’
best interest in mind, the Canadian health min
istry went on record in May saying that it will
officially be responsible for the safety and
quality of the prescription drugs that come out
of Canada and go into the American con
sumer's. Jaunds.
In reference to Canadian drug safety. Rep.
Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio said, “There’s never
been one shred of evidence, in my committee or
anywhere else, that the Canadian drug safety
process is not as rigorous as ours.”
The FDA is not focusing its wrath on the
consumers, just on the suppliers. They have
already ordered numerous companies to cease
their operations, and threatened to file suit
against them if they continued to supply
Canadian drugs to the American consumer.
For now, there are still several companies in
operation importing drugs to the United States
for a fraction of the price the general public has
to pay when receiving its medication at the local
drugstore. If the FDA continues on the path it is
traveling down, the remainder of the companies
in operation will soon be shut down.
American consumers need to demand that the
FDA start paying closer attention to how Canada
operates its drug plans, and try to implement
more of its procedures into U.S. pharmaceutical
endeavors. Or, consumers may just need to
invest in a good frequent flier program so they
can buy their drugs elsewhere.
Lauren Esposito is a senior
English major.
fync
'ck up
r hock
YOUR 2003
nd yearbook is
ordered a book,
distribution
it of the Reed
Building. (Goto
cDonald base-
e of inclement
lease bring your
not order last
; A&M
sarbook (the
:hool year), you
se one for $40
oom 015 Reed
i.m.- 4:30 p.m.
fay. Cash,
, MasterCard,
f American
jie Bucks
- Diversity should not be
: University's priority
Jr In response to Sarah Szuminiski’s
vSept. 29 article:
I noticed that the topic of diversity
once again made the headlines of The
; Battalion. 1 wonder what this says
about our campus’ goal. The number
one priority of an institution of higher
education, such as Texas A&M
University, is to offer the highest qual
ity of education to those attending the
establishment. However, in recent
years the University has grown
increasingly concerned with the stu
dents not enrolled.
I fear that the focus of the University
is changing from offering the highest
level of education to attracting the
highest diversity percentage. I know
that some will say that part of being
the well-rounded student is experienc
ing the cultures of the world. I say
make Texas A&M the greatest
University and the cultures of the
World will come to us.
Let’s not change the standards of
Texas A&M to attract those not who
do not desire to come here; instead
1st us grow to be a better University by
focusing on the students who love
this University and have dedicated
their college years to Texas A&M.
Travis Holland
Class of2006
Unity Project a
waste of money
In response to Melissa Sullivan’s
Sept. 29 article:
Unity Project is a waste of student’s
time and money. If you feel the need to
donate money to something worth
while, do not give your money to Unity
Project. If you want to help burn vic
tims, give money to the Shriner’s
Hospitals. Fires do not help burn vic
tims. Save a life and not a fire, give
blood to the Red Cross.
Instead of volunteering your time to
build something that will burn for one
night, volunteer with Habitat for
Humanity and build a house that will
last decades.
The Unity Project wastes money,
time, and student leadership, sorely
needed elsewhere — $26,000 is a lot
of money to be burning. Think of all
the canned goods that could be
donated with that money.
MAIL CALL
Further, if you absolutely feel the
need to spend your time on saving
Bonfire instead of something that will
save lives or benefit the entire com
munity, why not join Bonfire Coalition?
At least they are working with the
University, not against it, to bring
Bonfire back to campus.
James Cleland
Class of 2004
Environmentalism
not all bad
In response to Mike Walters’ Sept.
30 column:
Walters equates environmentalism
with radical environmentalism and an
anti-human philosophy. The majority
of environmental groups are peaceful
and work cooperatively with govern
ments. Additionally, stating that all
environmentalism is anti-human is
similar to stating that all Muslims are
terrorists. It’s simply false.
Secondly, how can anyone seriously
imply that industries make our water
cleaner? Third world countries suffer
from pollution due to insufficient regu
lation of industry and uneducated and
corrupt decisions by their govern
ments and people. Writing that these
countries have filthy water supplies
due to lack of industry is explicitly
implying that we have clean water
thanks in no small part to industry. We
have clean water because we can
afford sanitation, not because Smith &
Wesson and Colt have big gun plants.
Thirdly, how can someone possibly
blame public school teachers for the
actions of these radical individuals?
How can someone possibly write that
being taught about water pollution in
the second grade is inappropriate?
Water pollution is inappropriate, not
teaching about it.
Ryan Anderson
Class of2003