Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 2004)
UTTii Opinion The Battalion Page 9 • Friday, April 2, 2004 Fighting drunken driving ,aw requiring drivers convicted of a DUI to have special plates a good start it '"iSr ne could reason that with all of the con cern and attention focused toward alcohol and driving these days, alcohol-related traffic incidents are declining. Furthermore, because of new laws across the board meant to deter drunk driving by means of tougher penal ties, the country as a whole must be better off than it has been. Chris It sounds Utopian, but it unfortunately is not. lively States have gone to great lengths to counter an ever present drunk driving epidemic. All les, due mostly to the federal government’s intervention in ent years, do not make light of the fact that if someone is ight driving under the influence or even worse, while intoxicat- that he will suffer the consequences. Penalties generally lude license suspension or revocation, fines, community service jail time for repeat offenders. Ohio, however, has introduced a a ?r®« ren t and more controversial method in an attempt to reduce its :ohol-related traffic incidents, that of bright red and yellow nse plates for offenders. ■Due to a law implemented on Jan. 1, 2004, Ohio judges are I w required to issue these special plates to anyone convicted of a DJI so other drivers can be more alert and know what the offend- lihavedone. Despite the new law’s opposition, it nevertheless iirits a significant amount of respect as it and similar strategies to owner DUI incidents might be the solution to the increasing pivalence of alcohol-related driving deaths nationwide. . J The license plates are issued only to those offenders that are aowed special driving privileges as a result of court-imposed ir raito; i becaiiii :an pin m exasRelm our first (Che meet to pit |trictions. Rightly, the law is currently being modified so it first-time offenders can get a free ride. It is not necessari- fair for first-time offenders with a clean slate to be labeled such a fashion. But for repeat offenders, there is obviously :ason why they are repeating their offenses as fines and mmunity service are not taking care of business. As the plates have been available for use on a county-by- inty basis for the past 37 years, Ohio Municipal Judge John Ikins was one of the few judges to utilize the policy before I:mandatory law went into effect. In a Fox News report |leased last week, Adkins said that the policy has been effec- /ein reducing DUI incidents in his county. Based on this ct alone, the law should not be regarded as ridiculous and ■aseless just yet. The law is also referred to as the “scarlet letter” law, refer- ting the classic novel where a Puritan woman is branded letter “A” after having an illegitimate child. Many oppo- ffifeel that shaming an offender in this manner is pre-mod- awd unnecessary. They might also claim that getting ided with the plates is embarrassing not only to the I fender but to his family members or friends who might also ant to use the vehicle. It is unfortunate that innocent people ight be affected by the plates. However, it is reasonable to Ive other drivers advanced notice with regards to potentially dangerous situations. As humiliating as they might be, people just might think twice before getting behind the wheel under the influence. Sure public display of one’s wrongful actions and humiliation may at first seem only historical methods of deterrence. But why did we get rid of them in the first place if people are so afraid of them, but if people feared of such laws, perhaps the laws would be more effective. People are much more apt to take up more responsibility when it comes to drinking and driving if they are threatened with these sorts of consequences. According to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Web site, 17,380 Americans were killed in 2000 due to alcohol-related vehicle accidents. In 2001, 17,400 were killed and in 2002, 17,419. These figures bring to light an alarming and unnerving trend as the numbers do not allow for promising future predic tions with current laws in place. Driving under the influence is unfortunately not stigmatized in modern America as it should be. Governments have come to realize this in recent years and have experimented with new tactics to counter it. In addition to Ohio, the Illinois legislature has introduced a similar bill that has recently been gathering sup port, according to the Boston Globe. As Judge Adkins mentioned, the policy has already been effec tive in his county. Consequently, other states may need to follow if results turn out significantly in favor of the law on a statewide scale. If this is the case, more pragmatic methods of preventing DUI incidents such as “scarlet letter” labeling should be explored, even if they come at the cost of humiliation. Chris Lively is a senior sociology major. Graphic by Rylie Deyoe MAIL CALL pan m. e* nerica was built on ederalism, capitalism igo earn It will sff the erf the seas® i alsoM In response to an April 1 mail call: ;en taft n theft The pro-heterosexual group holding mners on campus both Tuesday id Wednesday was not the Young 'p ngfioii wiservatives of Texas. YCT was l iwever passing out flyers on con- ivatism. n response to Mr. Palmer’s ursday mail call, he is wrong if he lieves that the system of federal- |m, where there is a balance of wer between state and federal vernment, and capitalism, where tere is private ownership of pro- ction and capital, contradict each her. America was built on both of ese principles and could not be le greatest country in the world today without them. Of course, a small flyer with a list of principles is tended for those who already ve 311 ^iderstand those concepts or those illing to stop and learn. Mr. Palmer could use a lesson in ose items and should engage in a scussion with YCT members pass- g out those flyers before writing a ail call suggesting someone other an himself is illiterate. Weston Batch Class of 2007 YCT officer iffirmative action is a superficial solution' In response to a March 31 mail call: I’m afraid Nick’s arguments for affir- sfiflative action doesn’t hold much ater when subjected to a little crutiny, although he certainly does a alter job of presenting his case than latt Maddox. The statistics that quot- made no mention of the relative ualifications of the candidates or of nything else save for the genetic ackground of those involved. If we iund that there were fewer redheads eing admitted than blondes or runettes would we need to intro duce quotas based on hair color? Also, the definition of racism as “is a system designed to advance the majority at the expense of the entire minority” is simply false. Webster’s dictionary defines racism as “racial prejudice or discrimination” and makes no mention of mention of whether the oppressed is the majori ty or the minority. I believe that the fact that minorities aren’t represented as well as they should is indeed a problem, but affir mative action is hardly the solution. The problems we face are a society is the stigmas and stereotypes asso ciated with minority groups. Psychological studies have shown that black students do worse on stan dardized tests when they realize they are being tested as African- Americans rather than general stu dents. The implications of this are that minority students are affected by stereotypes and it affects the way they perform on a subconscious level. In other words, the very act of acknowledging differences in race enforces racial stereotypes. We all dream of a society where all races and genders are treated equally, but how can we bring about a color blind society by separating people into racial profiles? Affirmative action is, at best, a short-term and superficial solution to a problem that is rooted deep in soci ety and will likely take decades to resolve. We need a solution, but affir mative action isn’t it. John Spencer Class of 2005 Battalion editorial board should be elected In response to the March 31 editorial: While students are at the polls this week they should remember another student run organization. Currently, the editorial board of The Battalion is an internally appointed board. I would propose that the positions on this board become elected positions. Consider the negative events of which the Battalion has been so inclined to cover. Students should contemplate whether this coverage represents factual situations or a biased skew of the truth. We should ask ourselves why quality events this University is sponsoring do not receive the press coverage they deserve. The Battalion is a voice rep resenting our University as it reaches users beyond campus via the Internet. Students should be able to voice their opinions on the board who presents this view of the University. The only voice students currently have is through the "edited at our discretion" Mail Call. The positions on the board do not require any skills beyond those required to write for the Battalion—journalism basics, editing skills, and knowledge that bad press sells. It is my sincere hope that as a mem ber of the student body that my rep resentatives in the Student Senate hear my voice. Perhaps the 18 authors of the MSC President refer endum legislation would also consid er this matter. This resolution would present an opportunity for the Battalion to move toward more reform and ethics in reporting. Being a student outside of the Battalion myself, I feel that this course of action has the Battalion’s best interest at heart. Though unin formed as I may be, I am sure that electing the Battalion editorial board is the right thing to do. Steven Duke Class of 2003 Gay protests are for rights, not promotion In response to a March 31 front page article: The claim that the unaffiliated group “promoting” heterosexuality was out there to “support their rights” is ridicu lous. Homosexuals do not hold demonstrations to reaffirm their beliefs. They do so because they desire to be treated like human beings, with all the rights, privileges, and freedoms from persecution that go with it. I’m glad that this group of pro-heteros is happy with the way that they are living, but what is it to accom plish? Do heterosexuals need more rights? In fact, let’s see another rally. Let’s have a rally that waves signs that says “White is right” or “Jesus was an Anglo”. In their terms, that would not be a racist rally. It’s just “celebrating whiteness.” Give me a break. Waving signs that say “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” makes it difficult for this rally not to be associated as gay bashing. By the way, heterosexuality has not been around since the dawn of time. Life on this planet began as asexual reproduction. I know this school loves to flaunt its traditions. But in a changing society, the world cannot only look to this type of demonstration as the only value system our school has. It was once a tradition to not admit women, or minorities. It was once a tradition for all students to be in the Corps. Times change. A restructuring of the traditional value system is what will free us from this ideological entrenchment. Tradition is the antithesis of change. And the tradi tion of the suppression of homosexu ality (to name one group) on this campus has to stop. The same free dom of expression that protects this elitist group’s right to picket protects homosexuals’ right to express their sexuality, and I’m going to law school just to make sure. Daniel Nickeson Class of 2005 Some Aggies do have homosexual parents To the students promoting hetero- sexuality:You might want to rethink your slogan "Thank your parents for being heterosexual." Did you ever consider the fact that some of us might not be the children of hetero sexual parents? My father is a gay man who tried to conform to a lifestyle that society deemed appro priate for him: wife, kids, successful career. It took him almost twenty years to finally realize that he could n't lie to himself or to his family any more. My parents have been divorced for nine years now and are more happy today than I ever saw them during their marriage. I don't have a problem with a het erosexual rally. Just please leave my parents out of it next time. Anonymous Aggie and Proud Daughter of a Gay Father