Opinion
r 14.:
The Battalion
Page 7 ♦ Friday, November 14, 2003
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Lawsuit against Consumer Reports could put safety of Americans at risk
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ometimes the cases
that the U.S. Supreme
Court decides not to
hear are the ones that make
the largest impact. On Nov.
3, the Supreme Court
refused to hear an appeal
from Consumers Union
Corporation, the publisher
of Consumer Reports maga
zine. The charges leveled at
the consumer magazine, which were brought
by the carmaker Suzuki, state the corporation
used libel and rigged tests to gain publicity
and ruin the reputation of Suzuki’s Samurai
sport utility vehicle.
The lawsuit that Suzuki has brought against
Consumers Union Corporation should have
been heard by the Supreme Court, and it
should have ruled in favor of the magazine
publisher, thereby protecting news organiza
tions from unnecessary lawsuits. Instead it has
allowed the case to go back and be tried in the
district courts. The results of the trial could
potentially threaten the First Amendment
rights of journalists who write product reviews,
and it could affect consumers everywhere.
Consumer Reports ran an article in its July
1988 issue warning consumers about the ten
dency of the sport utility vehicle to tip over
when it had to turn sharply. This article caused
sales of the Samurai to drop drastically in the
United States, according to Suzuki. Suzuki also
daims the magazine has been using the Samurai
story as a marketing tool for more than a
decade. Consumer Reports argues it is only pre
senting its readers with objective information
about vehicle risks, including rollover hazards.
The actual lawsuit was filed in 1996 after an
article in Consumer Reports mentioned the past
story it had run concern- ^
ing the Samurai in an &
anniversary issue. ^ '
Suzuki claims
Consumer Reports
employees put the ,
Samurai through
much more rigor
ous tests than
some of the other car
models.
According to
The Associated
Press, one of
Suzuki’s lawyers
claimed they
“designed their road
tests to get the
Samurai to tip, and
cheered when
the vehicle
did so.” It
is hard to iiM
imagine a
group of
people high-
fiving each other and
the back when they get a car to flip on its side.
The actual test was a series of sharp turns driv
en at around 40 mph and has been in place
since 1988. Suzuki claims Consumer Reports
took these actions to produce publicity and sell
more magazines.
The logic behind Suzuki’s accusations is
lacking. The car manufacturer should not be
allowed to file a lawsuit based on the fact it did
not agree with how Consumer Reports rated its
vehicle. Besides, the Samurai model has already
ceased to be sold in the United States, and it is
not the only vehicle that has been found “unac
ceptable” in the rollover category tested
by Consumer Reports.
The ramifications from
this case going to trial
could be the end
of consumer
reviews. This
fact has pro
voked
many dif
ferent jour
nalistic
organiza
tions to
k back con-
■■■■■■■■ sumers
■HHHr Union.
They rec-
ognize a verdict
against the well-
patting each other on
mahesh neelakantan • the battalion respected Consumer
Reports magazine could prove disastrous to the
industry of consumer reviews and cause inves
tigative reporters to be more wary of publishing
their findings of particular products. This could
mean a decrease in the number of product evalu
ations and an increase in the number of unin
formed consumers.
The Supreme Court should have realized
these consequences and stopped the trial instead
of passing it back to the federal district courts.
Suzuki claims no consumer review organiza
tion should be above the law if it uses false tests
and rigged results. This may be true, but if all
review groups are vulnerable to being sued by a
disgruntled company after a bad critique, it will
be the end of product reviews.
The Supreme Court has traditionally been
known for protecting the rights of the First
Amendment, including free speech and freedom
of the press. The recent dismissal of the
Consumers Union-Suzuki case was not typical
of the high court, and it should have ruled differ
ently. The Court’s refusal to hear the case may
signal the end of consumer reviews and a
decrease in consumers’ rights. The big losers if
Suzuki wins this trial are the consumers who are
forced to make purchases without the knowledge
they need to purchase intelligently.
Hayden Migl is a freshman
political science major.
Police go too far during a drug search in high school
deride#
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MIKE
WALTERS
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E very now and then, a story leaks out from
the borders of some despot’s police state
about a commando-style raid on an inno
cent household, police violently tearing through
belongings, shouting and throwing children to
fe ground while waving loaded firearms.
It was a blow to Americans, who count
themselves lucky not to have to live in a land
of insanity and sadistic abuses of police
power, to hear that all of this happened on
American soil, when police burst into
Stratford High School in Goose Creek, S.C., weapons drawn
and eager to rough up a few drug dealers. They left that day
empty-handed, but what they left behind among hallways lit
tered with emptied lockers and scared students was an injustice
that is inexcusable in a country that values freedom, justice and
the concept of one being“innocent until proven guilty.”
“I was frightened because they had guns in their hands,” stu
dent Maurice Harris told NBC. “I thought one of the guns was
going to go off and shoot or kill somebody, so I just got down
to my knees and covered my head for protection.”
With bomb threats, school killing sprees and acts of terror
ism being real possibilities in the United States, it would be
understandable if the police were called in to use extraordinary
measures to save the lives of students by stopping a gun-toting
student from going on a rampage or setting off a bomb. Instead,
the police went in that day throwing students to the ground and
handcuffing them because their principal reported a suspicion
of drug activity. He based his suspicion on surveillance video
of students entering bathrooms and talking secretively and an
arrest made the week prior when a student was found with 300
prescription pills on him.
“I don’t think it was an overreaction,” said Lt. Dave Aarons
from the Goose Creek police department. “Anytime you have
qualified information regarding drugs and
large amounts of money, there’s a reasonable
assumption weapons are involved.”
In a raid against the Columbian drug car
tel, yes, one could expect to arrest profes
sional criminals who may defend themselves
against the police with lethal force. But did
they have to come in with their guns drawn
looking for a 15-year-old with his mom’s
bottle of Xanax?
“You absolutely cannot bring police with
guns drawn into a school,” said Graham
Boyd, director of the drug policy project for
the American Civil Liberties Union. Calling
the search illegal, he rightly suggested that
if certain students were suspected of drug
dealing, they should have been quietly
called to the principal’s office to have their
bags checked for illegal substances. Instead,
the police used the excuse to pretend they
were U.S. Special Forces, pushing students
to the ground, yelling, rummaging through bags and lockers
and watching students cower at the sight of guns and barking
police dogs.
The fact is police officers work every day to stop crimes and
protect the lives of civilians, often at the cost of their own. Like
any other profession, they must be held accountable when their
actions express incompetence or the use of poor judgment.
Unlike other professions, however, they are trusted with the
legal ability to use force against other citizens. As such, it is
a
When parents entrust a
child to the care of the govern
ment to receive an education
paid for by their tax dollars,
they should be able to expect
their kids to be treated with a
certain decency and safety by
school officials who are
supposed to be competent
enough to provide these
things.
important that they do their jobs well and consistently. On Nov.
5, those members of the South Carolina Police Department
failed to live up to that standard. Despite
employing rough and invasive tactics
against those teenagers, they discovered no
evidence of illegal activity and acted upon
a poor lead, another fact for which they
should be ashamed.
Though students’ lockers are on the gov
ernment property of a public school, there
is no excuse for causelessly breaking into
and rummaging through them. Just because
an American citizen is under the age of 18,
his constitutional rights are still valid, as
the Constitution protects every citizen from
illegal search and seizure of his private
property, particularly the innocent ones.
When parents entrust a child to the care of
the government to receive an education
paid for by their tax dollars, they should be
able to expect their kids to be treated with a
certain decency and safety by school offi
cials who are supposed to be competent
enough to provide these things.
If the United States is going to accuse countries on the other
side of the world of ruling by unjust force and tyranny, it’s
important that Americans never act like those they call their
enemies, or Americans will be no better than those they fight
against.
Mike Walters is a senior
psychology major.
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MAIL CALL
Students need to
remember Bonfire
In response to a Nov. 12 mail call:
Students should let go of Bonfire,
you say? Lots more people die in
cars and planes every year too. And
lots of people get sued over it.
However, driving and flying aren’t
nearly as much of a cherished tradi
tion as the Bonfire. If everyone for
gets about the Bonfire, then those
who died would still be remem
bered, but will have lost their lives to
a forgotten tradition.
I am not sure about everyone
else, but I would hate to be the guy
who had to tell those 12 people in
10 or 20 years that Aggie students
know nothing of the Bonfire except
that it’s a bus route.
William Turner
Class of 2005
Feminist women should
not be selfish
In response to a Nov. 12 mail call:
Ms. Clancy may have thought that
Mr. Auter failed to address an
ihiportant issue, but the truth is she
failed to address the most important
issue of all. It is irresponsible of her
to make the assumption that a child
who is the result of a rape is some
how less valuable than any other
child. The issue here is not the so
called “rights” of women, but much
more importantly the rights and
lives of children. If feminist women
could stop being so concerned with
themselves and for a minute think of
the future, they might realize the
importance of the child. One can
never tell what a certain child might
achieve during his life if he is given
the chance to live.
Donovan Ripley
Class of 2006
Aggies for Life did
not promote protest
On behalf of the officers and mem
bers of Aggies for Life, I must make
clear that we were not and are not
affiliated in any way with the pro-life
activists on campus Wednesday.
Along with the rest of the student
body, we were surprised by the pro
testers’ sudden appearance on cam
pus and frustrated by their approach
to the pro-life message.
Aggies for Life is committed to
ending abortion, but only through
peaceful, non-intimidating educa
tion, activism and discussion. That
is why we host events such as the
Physicians Panel, which will be held
this Tuesday evening (Koldus 111,
7:00pm). Insensitive, hurtful
approaches are callous and ineffec
tive, and we do not approve of them.
David Dunton
President, Aggies for Life
Class of 2005
Protest bad way to
get opinion across
As many on campus, I was sur
prised and disturbed by the many
abortion protests Wednesday. The
group combined confrontational
methods of protesting abortion and
preaching Christianity. I am a Bible-
believing Christian, and I am pro
life, yet I disagree with the means
used on Wednesday (and an end
never justifies the means).
Jesus Christ managed to hang out
with the lowest of the low in society
while at the same time speaking
truth. The group on Wednesday had
no interest in spending time with
anyone on our campus, as is evi
denced by their one-day stint. Jesus
Christ warned the sinner of his sin,
yet he loved the sinner and some
sinners returned his love. The group
on Wednesday seemed only inter
ested in telling Aggies how evil they
were. We cannot let abortion go by
the wayside, but using confrontation
al methods is the not a Christ like
way to confront this issue.
I exhort the pro-life population on
this campus to engage the people
around them without despising
these people. The group on
Wednesday hated the campus with
out even knowing the campus, and
we ought to act differently.
Stephen Weir
Class of 2004
A&M not the place for
anti-abortion displays
After purchasing a scantron at the
Memorial Student Center book
store, I headed to Sul Ross to
deposit a few pennies for good luck.
On the way I was handed a pam
phlet by a small child, who probably
wasn’t old enough to read its con
tents. To my surprise, the pamphlet
contained graphic images of an
aborted fetus. I couldn’t even tell
you what the brochure said
because quite frankly, I was too dis
gusted to read. Three more times
on the way to my class, I was
approached by people handing out
the pamphlets. Not to mention the
four times after class the brochures,
images and words were shoved
down my throat.
I am furious that our beautiful
campus was plastered with images
of dead and dismembered fetuses. I
believe in freedom of speech as
much as the next person, but to be
able to show such graphic pictures
on our campus is ridiculous. I pay
too much money to have to take a
detour to class just to avoid this sort
of thing. What those people believe
is up to them, but there is a time
and a place. Texas A&M University
is not that place.
Tawny S. Alonzo
Class of 2003
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