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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2004)
iPO( 'TAL[| ling din Opinion up stl) ,1®:; he won- jpposl ars. lecountdown has begun for returning sovereignty to Iraq. However, as the months fly by, the Iraqi people do not ^earlobe increasing their capacity to govern Uveseffectively. Arguably, the only ra ^increasing are the death toll of U.S. sol- lewom fcsandIraqi cooperatives and the hostilities j eiJ Mg the three main factions: Kurds, Shiites (iSunnis. This has led many to question the ^administration's adamancy for returning the leapneignty by June 30. 'eti Fri ad coat that! rhursij andfresl urdy /vards, npionsii men has 104 NCA onships ir es rest, I s basket Waco ant 30-55, d like ited to» said Ml k theft to a ft on the percent lot just 21 nthehaf, first hat ent mild 5 points, ages :h Toccai j. "EW gies senior !s Steffani jinore The Battalion Page 9 • Monday, March 1,2004 Rushing the issue mdent Bush's deadline for Iraqi sovereignty comes too early to succeed NICHOLAS DAVIS Bis decision is not only premature, but dangerous. First,the United States has already fallen behind schedule in hit the groundwork for the transitional government because jj,officials pompously presumed the Iraqis would embrace a lojwj pmticgovernment wath open arms. To the officials’ surprise, al number of Iraqis view the idea of implementing ariisesunacceptable. In fact, many Iraqi politicians are hostile tie idea. His opposition has dumbfounded U.S. officials. After all, it is lialthatthe Iraqis view their government as legitimate, or sta ll; m the region will become a figment of the imagination, havem ^^ere the ideal method of choosing leaders for the ve m ittigovernment, but now many officials remain scratching iiirtieadsstrenuously trying to conjure up another method to id the dead line. Stcondly, it’s nearly impossible to establish the sense of |nty and trust that is vital to a democratic electoral system nkbombings occur daily. U.S. News and World Report njcttetTWhen bombs are exploding killing 50 people per day, iiiatkratough sell to announce where 500 to 1,000 polling Uitts will be. 1 ’ hooetheless. obtaining cooperation among the religious sects dfiinic factions appears to be the real threat to the future hji government. Fonnstance. intense debate is transpiring between Islamic li secular Iraq is over religion in the constitution. Islamic to establishing Islam as the official religion of Iraq, while ksecularists oppose it. Whatever the decision is. no one will ly satisfied. hi country where factions distrust each other even more tathel'i. officials, equal leadership and representation with- hthcngovernment are critical for stability. Of course, there isiocasoay to resolve this dilemma. The Kurds have pro posed a presidency consisting of a three-leader figure represent ing each of the main factions. But the Shiites, being the majori ty, desire a single presidency because odds are one of their kind will be elected. Americans cannot relate to this predicament. When was the last time vehement debate transpired over a president’s religious affiliation? Most Americans could arguably care less, and even if some did disagree with a president’s reli gion, they would be able to overlook it. This is not the case in Iraq. If just one of these factions suspect they are being shortchanged they may refuse to recognize the interim government. And this trans lates into one thing: chaos. It can take year.s if not decades, to cultivate a cul ture within a country that is conducive to a democratic system, especially in Iraq, where the population is used to a dictator. What happens if sovereignty is returned and the fac tions refuse to cooperate on one of the many controversial issues? The whole country could fall apart, possibly creating a power vacuum for some savvy person or group to seize con trol with our soldiers stuck in the middle. Nevertheless, President Bush remains unwavering on meeting his deadline, which is not only foolish, but plausibly politically motivated. It’s doubtful that Bush is pushing for the swift transfer of sov ereignty because he truly believes the Iraqi people are ready to govern themselves. Most likely, his motivation revolves around taking the spot light off of a controversial war to create a facade that everything is improving and that American soldiers are get ting closer to coming home. Such an action is not only shortsighted, but dangerous to both the Iraqi people and our soldiers who will be responsible for con trolling any conflicts that arise. Bush must realize the United States will face tremendous consequences if a democratic system established in haste fails. Nicholas Davis is a senior political science major. Graphic by Rylie Deyoe. ( R1 A IT A 1)1 M(X. RACY SI NDAY DAY OUT M\J white scholarship conveys racial ignorance ether a comfort or a reason for alarm, diversity supporters aware that Texas il is not the only school Toccaij Imjmedia attention for i just ft liative action protests, tliis month, the C%Republicans at Roger is University in I,R.I.,created a “White ” to protest affirmative action iy similar awards given to people of it is well within their rights to cre- ttsucli a scholarship, it has been done in poor iTooW ^ Jll( ' evi( ' ences a pathetic understanding of ^ “ipurposes of race-based scholarships and iiilive action. Despite what many opponents of affirmative Souwouldhave everyone believe, America is nex ( p| 5i far from the days when racism and other t/ednesd hsofprejudice do not exist. The days of seg- pottand violence toward minorities are still in the recent memories of most hetican citizens. They are things that cannot Examples of prejudicial behavior aren’t hard Id Recently, a METRO police officer in iton was discharged after verbally assaulting lEtliiopian taxicab driver on Feb. 9. According to Click2Houston.com, the officer, whose com ments were recorded on tape, said things such as, “Let me tell you something (expletive); we don’t need your kind. You need to go back to your country.” Unquestionably, racism (and extreme nationalism) influenced the officer’s comments. The fact remains that America hasn't recovered from the injustices com mitted before and during the civil rights move ment. Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and other minori ties are still discriminated against. Some are still living in poverty and poor conditions and are barely surviving on minimum-wage jobs. For many of these people, their goal is to survive, not to succeed. Often, the only opportunities they have to break free from this generational poverty are through race-based scholarships and affirmative action programs. The White Scholarship Award mocks their plight. The RWU College Republicans are missing the point with this scholarship. The reason such scholarships are considered racist while other race-based scholarships are not is 4 ^The days of segregation and violence toward minorities are still embedded in the recent memories of most American citizens. They are things that cannot be forgotten. twofold. First, there is a deadly and painful hisTorttfal connotation to the phrase “whites- bnly.” To many, this conjures up images of segregation. Memories of violence such as the Watts Riots (both in 1965 and 1992) create even more pain, even for those not directly involved. Thus the schol arships appear to be extremely regressive. Secondly, whites have always been dominant in colleges; whether the RWU College Republicans intend to, they are perpetuating this dominance by protesting the means in which minorities are given the opportunity to attend college. The scholarship was RWU student Jason Mattera’s idea. Ironically Mattera, who is Puerto Rican, was awarded a $5,000 minority scholarship from the Hispanic College Fund. However, The Associated Press reported that he still believes “scholarships should be given out based on merit and need.” Mattera’s thinking must have been different when he applied for the minority scholarship he received. Some people will assert that someone in an impoverished condition should work his way out of it, yet they will refuse to give this person the opportunity to do that. And instead of working to dispel painful and racist images of the past, they promote them. Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk and social activist, wrote, “That I should have been born in 1915, that I should be the contemporary of Auschwitz, Hiroshima, Vietnam and the Watts Riots are things about which I was not first con sulted. Yet they are also events in which, whether I like it or not, I am deeply and person ally involved.” Racial issues have not ended with the previ ous generation, nor can the wrongs of past gen erations be forgotten today. Each of these wrongs personally affects all Americans, whether they want it to or not. Unfortunately, tactless and ignorant acts such as whites-only scholarships and affirmative action bake sales will continue to worsen this problem. It is up to caring and concerned Americans to continue to fight against them and work for progress. Cody Sain is a junior philosophy major. MAIL CALL ^publicans ignore gr Biblical lessons UARG roppi^ ‘8.9) pto5Tof( i »I 1.99 P response to John David Blakley's \ill column: kaChristian first and a Democrat sec- d Mr. Blakley's article about politics. I 'don’t understand Isome people support the GOP only tause it is perceived to be the party for It's hypocritical for Bush and t Republicans to support some I teachings and reject others, emphasized the importance of igthepoor, yet GOP monetary poli os iiai/e created the worst recessions in : The Great Depression and the ^(economic slump that caused 2.6 e to lose their jobs, less peo- ^ to have healthcare and more to live in poverty. Bush's ^ensetax cuts for the wealthy are dev- the middle and lower classes ating a permanent elite class. ^comprehend how Bush and other Republicans can be so focused on portray ing themselves as good Christians by opposing abortion and homosexuality, but can completely disregard the suffering cre ated by their economic policies. While Bush and the GOP rack up hundreds of millions of dollars for his 2004 campaign, millions of Americans are living on the street starv ing. Bush and his cronies should stop being so hypocritical and help the majority of Americans, not just the rich. David Johnson Class of 2004 Bush faces as many roadblocks as Nader In response to Matt Younger’s Feb. 26 column: First of all, while Ralph Nader's candi dacy is an unexpected curve, it is highly unlikely that it will be a factor to the extent that it was four years ago. While I respect Nader’s ideals, my practical side will keep me from voting for him, and this will probably be the case for most other Democrats. Thinking that he will draw the kind of numbers he previously did is merely wishful thinking. As far as Kerry's voting record is con cerned, most pundits and politicians agree that when you have been in the U.S. Senate for as long as Kerry and have cast as many votes as he has, it is likely that your record will give the appearance of “flip-flopping" as context and times change. Younger also seems to be under the impression that President Bush will not have his share of road-blocks. He said that “Explaining the war in Iraq is per haps Kerry’s biggest obstacle.” I think one could say the same for Bush, as he will have to explain to the American peo ple a pre-emptive war based on question able evidence. The bottom line is that Bush is not invulnerable, it will be a very close race, and we will see who has the most roadblocks in November. James Close Class of 2004 Hotard Hall epitomizes the Aggie spirit In response to Carrie Pierce's Feb. 24 article: I have noticed a pattern here over the past year. People go to football games and do not stand the entire time, or they leave early or they may not even go at all. In the days following, The Battalion is flooded with letters from disgruntled stu dents and alumni who scoff at the poor pride of the current Aggies. If you have ever written a letter to The Battalion about the disintegrating Aggie Spirit, or if you have ever read letters on this subject and have agreed with it, I am asking you to consider this: When there was poor attendance at the Kansas game, Hotard was there. Where people were sitting down, Hotard was still stand ing. When people complain about the lack of “Howdy!” they hear about cam pus, Hotard is continuing that tradition. The administration is planning to turn Hotard Hall into faculty offices, and dur ing the renovations we will all lose some of our Aggie Spirit. For all of those Aggies who have ever complained about the waning Aggie Spirit, now is our chance to conserve what is left. The student body president, Matt Josefy, has asked those concerned with Hotard to write an e-mail to him, of any length, so he can know how the student body feels on this mat ter. He can be reached at sbp@tamu.edu. Victoria Montemayor Class of 2007 The Battalion encourages letters to the edi tor. 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 submitted 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 77843-1 111. Fax: (979) 845-2647 Email: mailcall@thebattaIion.net