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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2004)
Opinion The Battalion Page 9 • Monday, February 16, 2004 Defeating discrimination uult of homosexual man on Northgate mars A&M with an atmosphere of hate JON STEED IE BATTAUDi loma guon turday. ER ooo r EEKLY r est, Bryn i-0999 rHRUSUNM ts ecently, a former Texas A&M student was attacked on Northgate simply because iewas gay. Though the assault was mprovoked and clearly motivated (iitofhate for people who are or ippear to be gay, nobody attempted lassist him. Instead, according to ((victim, people actually drove by puraging such violence, an rlion reprehensible to anyone with limon decency. Those who listen to or read the news have heard of ihattacks taking place around the nation. The most d-known hate crime involving homosexuals (ccurred in 1998 against a young college student led Matthew Shepard. Shepard was tied to a min Laramie, Wyo., pistol-whipped and left for tad in the freezing night. Six days later, he died of ijuries resulting from the attack. While the ioithgate incident didn’t result in death or even any fethreatening injuries, the message of fear and tasment it sent to the gay and lesbian community lA&M is clear: You are not wanted in Aggieland. The attack represents blatant ignorance about not only human rights in general, but also about rlatitmeans to be an Aggie and how students tending A&M should treat others. Freshmen tending New Student Conferences are taught in igemeetings and forums that Aggieland is a com- mmity of respect. The reason so many students tbsetogo to A&M is because of its reputation as jfhendly campus. The actions of the two men who laded the former student contradict the values and beliefs that make A&M what it is. According to the FBI, there were more than 1,500 latecrimes committed against homosexuals in the year2000. While statistics for the last few years are still being reviewed as cases are investigated and through the legal system, this number probably hasn’t changed much. But 1,500 hate isf,500 too many. People seem to think that these sorts of incidents happen somewhere far away from their community. Yet, the disturbing fact remains that the attack against the gay former student happened at A&M’s front door. In a society and democracy that upholds equality, lib erty and justice, such attacks must be prevented in the future. Regardless of whether people think homosexuality is moral, every person who values the principles of human rights, such as those championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or Ghandi, must do their part to make sure hate crimes never happen in our community again However, some questions still remain. Where were the police when this attack happened? Surely their time would be better spent monitoring the activities taking place on Northgate, where excessive alcohol consumption can lead to bar fights and even hate crimes, than hand ing out noise citations and MIPs. Furthermore, why didn’t anyone stop and help this person? Instead, people drove by encouraging the aggressors as they attacked the victim. If people stand by and watch such an attack take place and refuse to offer aid or at the very least alert law enforcement, they are aiding and abetting the crime itself. If people attend A&M partly because of its friendly atmosphere of respect and integrity, they must do their part to make sure that environment remains. Ignoring such incidents not only demolishes the good reputa tion A&M has as a friendly campus, but it also sends a message to those who would discriminate against oth ers of different sexual orientations that their violent actions are tolerable. As Aggies, students need to do their part to help A&M keep the amiable tone it has. As Americans, citi zens need to speak out against all types of hate crimes and violence. By working with local law enforcement, the owners of bars and restaurants along Northgate and other members of the student body, Aggies across this campus can send a strong message that hate might be tolerated in other parts of the world, whether in Iran or in Wyoming, but that it will not be tolerated on our campus. Jon Steed is a senior political science major. Graphic by Rylie Deyoe MAIL CALL "1 15 , v ^representations abound | In response to a Feb. 13 article: 1 The Feb. 13 Battalion article on SGA's I teion to withdraw its co-sponsorship for 1 fieFeb. 18 "Compelling Interest" diversity I rallycontains numerous misrepresentations i ollbe facts. Vj As members of the planning committee for . ^ lerally, we categorically deny the allegation | made by a student senator that the Faculty I Committed to an Inclusive Campus (FCIC) had | a'bidden agenda." | Ourgoalfrom the outset was, and still is, to II plan and coordinate a broad-based rally in • | support of diversity. I Our rally is not in opposition to President I Cates; indeed, we have worked with the upper 1 idministration as we planned the event, and | fe President James Anderson is scheduled I)make remarks prior to the unity march at 3 J pin. More than 30 other campus groups and organizations are co-sponsoring the rally. Please do not allow inaccurate information or false rumors to discourage you from participat- ogin the event. Join the rally and march on Feb. 18, and help show the world that the Texas A&M community is committed to a diverse and welcoming campus environment. Brenda Bethman, Coordinator of the Women's Center Harris Berger, Associate Professor of Performance Studies Joseph Jewell, Assistant Professor of Sociology Larry Oliver, Professor of English Religion really unimportant There is simply no connection between the two. For evidence see Hitler (Christian), or Gandhi (non-Christian). The religion of a candidate should never be considered in an election. Adam Kemp Class of 2005 Wohlgemuth a bad choke When Aggies go to the polls March 9, they should shy away from Arlene Wohlgemuth. Wohlgemuth is no friend to A&M and has voted against students multiple times, voting for the bill to deregulate tuition and the appropriations bill cutting state funding. Wohlgemuth was ranked twice, in 1997 and 1999, by Texas Monthly Magazine as one of the 10 worst Legislators. They said, “Arlene Wohlgemuth, whose name is enshrined in the legislative hall of infamy as the symbol of wan ton, pointless destruction,” and “She violated the spirit of civility of the Legislature.” Lastly, Arlene Wohlgemuth wrote the bill that cut over 100,000 low-income children of work ing parents from the health insurance roles. Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, asked her, “You cut 130,000 kids off (the health insurance program). Are you proud of that? That we can fund roads and the governor's program, but we can't fund kids' — poor kids' — insurance? Are you embarrassed by that at all?" "No, not at all," Wohlgemuth answered, according to the San Antonio Express-News. As a “symbol of wanton destruction,” and a fighter against poor children and university stu dents, Aggies should unite against candidate Wohlgemuth. Robert Edmonson Class of 2007 In response to a Feb. 12 column: vef Mr. Sain’s article about politicians using reli- Sioo for personal gain fell short of the whole problem. First, you complain about people who Jretend to be religious just to get votes, and tien you imply that voters should care about »bat religion a candidate is. Unfortunately, the inly reason candidates do pretend to be more 'eligious is because of people like you who vote irthe most religious person regardless of the ssues. We live in a society where it is impossi- fefor a non-religious (notice how I didn't say inti-religious; they're not the same) person to jetelected. This is very sad. Instead of com- ttng about politicians pretending to be reli- jous, why don't you tell people to pay attention ole issues so that the candidates don't have fa pretend? There is nothing inherently wrong with a non- faligious or non-Christian candidate. Once %e for the record: Christianity does not imply Wily; morality does not imply Christianity; Morality does not imply non-Christianity; and ^•Christianity does not imply immorality. Goodbye, Coach Watkins It's very simple: Any time a team goes 0-9 in conference play, it is time to reevaluate the coach's position. The fact that this campus was in an uproar over Coach Slocum's job last year, yet the cries for Coach Watkins' head are silent is appalling. If A&M is ever going to achieve Vision 2020, it is going to have to be without Coach Watkins. Clinton McCoy Class of 2005 The Battalion encourages letters to the editor. Letters must be 200 words or less and include the author’s name, class and phone number. The opin ion editor reserves the right to edit letters for length, style and accuracy. Letters may be submitted in per son 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 77843-1111. Fax: (979) 845-2647 Email: mailcall@thebattalion.net. No attachments accepted. Many problems with proposed fee increase A fter the $9 per credit hour tuition increase that went into effect in January, students may have stifled their complaints with the hope that they had seen the end of esca lating tuition bills, at least for their time at Texas A&M. Unfortunately, it may only be the beginning. On Jan. 27, University President Robert M. Gates announced a proposal to increase tuition in the fall by 21 percent, total ing about $300 more for a 14-hour semester. When the motivations and reasoning behind the proposed tuition increase are examined, it seems obvious that faulty logic and ignorant blind-sightedness toward Vision 2020 are at the root of the problem. The additional tuition funds would mostly be put toward increasing the number of faculty and encouraging diversity, but a large chunk of it will go toward scholarships, the foremost one a “Regent Scholar Program.” The program guarantees $5,000 a year for stu dents who are first generation college students and whose par ents make less than $40,000 annually, according to The Houston Chronicle. While the scholarship does provide substantial relief for some, it cuts off others who may need scholarships just as badly, granting preference based on factors that one cannot control. Many students who come from middle class families do not qualify for need-based scholar ships but still struggle to pay tuition and are now left with few options. The $2.8 million allotted to Regent Scholar students would better serve the majority by lessening the tuition burden for all. In his Jan. 27 presentation. Gates stated that the University’s main areas of focus would be faculty, students, diversity and space. Closer examination of these admirable goals reveals the money spent on diversity initiatives could be invested in the hiring of faculty. Diversity, in theory, is not a bad thing. It is the skewed definition that Gates and other administrators have of diversity that creates a problem for the students whose money goes to pay for the recruitment of a designated racial group. True diversity through majors, home towns, cultures, talents and backgrounds is favorable to all. Racial diversity should be the overflow of that, not the target. Gates attempted to soften the blow of the increase by pointing out that 70 percent of A&M students receive some form of financial aid. This fact only confirms the dramatic effect the increased tuition would have. If 70 per cent of students already need financial aid to pay their tuition and bills, the escalating prices will only worsen the problem. The majority of those who receive financial aid do so in the form of student loans. The tuition increase would add more debt to be paid off, but with interest. The other large group of financial aid recipi ents is student workers. If administrators expect student workers to pay 21 percent more for tuition, their salaries should increase pro portionately. While it is clear that A&M does have a need to increase the number of tenured faculty members, doing so only to improve A&M’s rankings among similar colleges is frivolous. The constant com parison with other large state universities is meaningless unless Gates addresses the needs of A&M students as his utmost priority. In his Jan. 27 presentation, Gates attempted to justify the increase by comparing tuition prices with A&M’s counterparts, but overlooked the fact that the tuition increase will cause cur rent students to pay for improve ments to the University while most of them will not directly receive any of the benefits. Unfortunately for underclass men, Gates is not done. Had it not been for the students on the Tuition Advisory Council requests, the increase would have been more drastic. An increase for 2005 has already been mentioned. When Texas legislators chose to deregulate tuition this summer, they simultaneously prom ised not to slap students with dramatic tuition increases. Unfortunately, the situation is out of their control due to the power given to the Board of Regents, which will vote on the tuition increase March 25-26. Should the Regents choose to implement the increase, students will not only have been lied to, but will be forced to pay for changes they didn’t request. Sara Foley is a junior journalism major. SARA FOLEY If 70 percent of students already need financial aid to pay their tuition and bills, the escalating prices will only worsen the problem.