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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 2004)
Opinion The Battalion DeadrOralive? Page 5B • Thursday, September 16, 2004 Page Design • MATT K(C N£V John David Blakley blames Bush for losing compassionate conservatism Lindsye Eorson sa y s Bush fulfilled duty tocountry^and kept promises en, and thusir o he involved :: confidence, organ izatioi and meet sor: : college wale: ihi friends u: emember when mil- ions of moderajp^ 1 Americans vdted for President Bush because he elaiinedji^eTii'lm i| lassllie virtuc^'oi compassion? Bush doesn't. According to the Census Bureau, the number of Americans living in poy-, e rt y i nPfW?td U_y bd illlHlon last year, while the ranks of [he uninsured s\\dial In 1.4 ventuallydk Snillion. Allowing Americans (disproportionately neI keptcloslpildren according to the Bureau) to slip into the > actually mpdships of poverty and the uncertainty of being eeting, becaiininsured under your w atch is deplorable and by nt ofanorgar. bo means compassionate. 1 The same goes for class discrimination. Bush las not only aeknou ledged his party's polished Ind watered-down hoinophobia. he has endorsed It with his Federal Marriage Amendment. 11^’vice jresident went one step fuithei w hen his enure amilyjoined him on the Republican Convention itage, save Mary Cheney, his lesbian daighter. But America should not be too hard^Ptho dee president; after all. li§ was merely douig vhat his president has asked all parents w*h >n campus, t take a chaa Iso feel fore e yet. There i your doors ce to meet ne your residen i have time f; me, and you’ ived being at mew hatedge jay children to do: Shun your fami 1 with the Res npus has a e y live togetk in yourhih 1 is what RH about it is tin experience it w n the name of family v alues. It makes one onderifthis administration actually tbok Jo try and form a policy completely void o; [ationale and compassion. Furthermore, the Draconian approach to the lights of women put forth by the Republican Party platform (which has been called “one of the most lisenminatory platforms in modern history'’ by [he Human Rights Campaign) calls for “legislative experience a ind judicial protection against those w ho perform ipplications, Ubortion" and does not mention the circumstance uence chan. | of rape or incest and does not address central can look baMgents that lead to abortion j- poverty and the because I to jack of comprehensive sex education. It is a step ties. The gfc back from gender equality and a step toward third goingtoa/wworld policy. Remember when the Republican Party was the party of conservative tenets such as small government, fiscal responsibility and skepticism about nation building? Bush doesn’t . More than ,000 American troops have lost their lives due to / your tine ipush’s quest to build an American-friendly nation n the Middle East. “Under Bush — and often at his behest — the government has grown and become more expen sive,” according to the Daily Standard. Fiscal //l presiiti tresponsibility* among other facets of the Bush administration’s four years in office, has even led " J iongtime conservative Pat Buchanan, who served is senior adviser to Presidents Nixon, Ford and • social Dtps)- r Hall Council ith them, sent HA /nent num Reagan, to harshly criticize Bush ii\a new/kook rmen* In his booT^jflniananTOrwi^ly majutains that “the spirit or true conservatisbrflnnXrs to b^ dead” in the White 1 louse since, “aj of the national economy and decisive management of the budget of the Unit ^George W. Bush has compiled a fiscal rccon /'stailtm^.ny;,* Of course the first thjng that comes to mind the soaring deficit, k>which Bush's irresponsible tax cutting has been catalytic. According to The New York Times, Bush inherited a budget surplus of more thau 5150 billion, hut is now oversee ing the second record deficit intf row. Moreover, The Times reports “inakiffg l TCtr.|B|jsh's tax cuts. permV\nt, one 6f the yesidero; top priorities, vy^tiid %^it $540 billicrii thryiigh^Olid and 52.2 '^trillion through 2014.” 'C ^: Ttiking advantage of the Republican Party's rupdl^Hion ui liscal cdnservatisi'n. Bush has spewed warnings of tax and spending policies be ing mifiatetl by Democratic presidential nominee ■JCnirr Kerry, but at the Same time is presiding \over reeKless “not tipc and still spend policies.” ^Instead, v|hal Bushmas prescribed is a tax deferral, tax lut, and the gonsequenee of relinquished toi^nne prudence and caution will fall squarely? louldereMar young Americans, k, Apd wliyre is the small government conserva- tl'^e^Biishjwnerfmcomeslo social issues? He ■■niTfrrrrxi the right ndver fail to cry bloody government asks to encroach :y seem to believe This doctrine t, which has proven to be citizens' privacy and ng for the search of one’s Ivfffftmg^p e vie w of the books <me cheeks out of the libi cuy and the suspension of due proeesfwi The inaatc difficulty of being both compassion ate and conservative is not lost on this columnist. But compassionate conservatism, which must have the same oxymoronic value ^‘“mean- spirited liberalism,” was the philosophy Bush chose to run on in 2000 and push to the forefront of his 2004 convention. Moderate Republicans. Republicans who believe in the tenets of fiscal responsibility and small government and at the same time are sympathetic to the plight of those in need, must hold the president accountable to the philosophy he claims to embrace. John David Blakley is a junior political science major. “"I tht our persowi exph bairtA an' personal free» alien any of syeiw—rtfi President Bush campaigned in the 2000 election fell under a catch- phrase that described his general pofiti eal arhiloso- pliy: canpassioAe con servatism. Thc/wase is lindsye Tmeral^’ thoiight |o be a Tcogniiably nuancld form of one of former PrlsideniGet^ge H. Bush’s most prominent campaign theiqes: the call for a kinder, Keltler Refublicat party. To what extent Bush would have dedicated his presidency to enacting these principles if given a chance is a moot poi nl because the coun try that originally elected Bush is not the same one faced with the option of re-electing him. The aftershocks of Sept. 11 resonated among the American people, changing the country’s moral and political landscape forever. Ameri cans' class, race or tax bracket lost consider able importance in the face of death, which has* appropriately been called the great equalizer. Nevertheless, in addition to responding to the kind of attack upon our homeland that hasn't been seen since Pearl Harbor, Bush has left be hind a legacy that embodies the compassionate conservatism he promised in 2000. Alleging that Bush reneged on his campaign promises would be akin to accusing former President Franklin I). Roosevelt of doihg the same. Throughout the election of 1940, Roos evelt maintained his position that the United States should stay' out of the war in Europe, go ing so far as to famously promise, “1 have said this before, but I shall say it again and again and again; Your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars!” This was the crux of his platform in 1940; yet, Roosevelt did not keep his promise. The events of Dec. 7, 1941, awoke the country from its slumber and, in retrospect, few would criticize Roosevelt for responding with force to this heinous terrorist act. After ari, as Roos evelt undoubtedly recognized, no amount of domestic social programs could protect the country from enemies abroad and one’s civil rights cannot be upheld or even exist if one’s basic right to life is not upheld as well. Most presidents can safely delegate this task to the government’s various agencies; most have the luxury of focusing on programs that enhance citizens’ lives rather than ensure them. But for Roosevelt as well as for Bush, the aggression of other entities forced them to Tdcus on the latter. However, to say that Bush fulfilled his duty in defending America abroad is not to say he shirked his duties at home. According to The Christian Science Monitor, the Bush White House ordered the House of Representatives to extend the child tax credit to cover roughly 6.5 million families that otherwise would have been exempt from its benefits in 2003. Bush’s commitment to education, in the form of the No Child Left Behind Act, also dem onstrates his ideology. The act has increased federal funding for education by 48 percent since 2001, according to the U.S. Department of Education. And consider the Medicare reform bill, H.R. 1 that alienated Bush from many members of his party but added unprecedented prescription drug coverage for those who truly needed it. 1 he bill made drug discount cards, which save beneficiaries 15 to 25 percent per prescription, immediately available. Once the program be- cbfnes permanent in 2006, those who need help the most will pay no premiums or deductibles — only a $2 co-payment per prescription, ac cording to Health Care News. Bush also proposed spending $500 million over five years to prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa, according to The Associated Press. This, one feels quite certain, is the kinder, gen tler Republican Party to which Bush’s father was referring. A government’s indubitable charge is the protection of its citizens, and in the wake of Sept. 11, Americans cried out for the protec tion of their lives. As America’s blanket of security was ripped out from under it, welfare as a government program fell behind general welfare as a social concept. Bush’s eminent presidential task, not by his choosing but by the choice of America’s enemies, was protect ing every American’s basic right to life. If this is a lesser act of compassion than legislating a wdalth of social policies, then the meaning of the word compassion as well as its conceptual value is lost on this columnist. Lindsye Forson is a senior journalism major. Graphic by Ryan Hunten. RHYDER VLER, jARY ALLA 16 s everyone has surely heard, the Athletic Department has con- .cocted another million-dollar scheme that will exploit Texas A&M’s 1IM traditions. The Lone FOREMAN Showdown will boost ticket sales all sporting events between Texas l&M and long-time rival the University )fTekas. The whole pitch is proudly Sponsored by State Farm; props to the Uhletic Department for turning tradition ^nd rivalry into profit. According to Bill Byrne’s weekly writ- |en address to the University, “after a few nonths here, we noticed that too many of Ihebest and brightest prospective athletes |re choosing to go out of state to compete. /e felt the Lone Star Showdown was a vay to place continued and heightened mphasis on contests between the state’s two flagship institu- ions. It should make us the focal point of interest across the date of Texas and lead to more interest in prospective students itaying in state.” Unfortunately, Byrne is suggesting the need to recruit better ithletes for A&M’s varsity sports. However, nothing is being done to improve the non-varsity sports that have the potential to overwhelm the competition. The Athletic Department should invest, at least to some extent, money, resources or both in groups such as lacrosse, water polo and the dance team. Last spring the archery team was cut from varsity status simply because it was not producing any revenue, dis regarding the fact that its lead archer holds 10 world records. Archery was made a varsity sport five years ago in hopes that it would expand, but it is now being returned to club status. The problem with the archery team was not a lack of talent; it was an inability to sell tickets. The Aggie Dance Team took sev enth place at its national competition in 2002-2003. Presently, the team is unable to compete due to the rigorous demands and time commitments of the Athletic Department. “The Athletic Department has such high expectations, but they won’t give us much assistance,” said one team member who wishes to remain anonymous. For this fiscal year, the dance team was given just enough money to cover travel to basket ball tournaments and a few other expenses. Although trainers, dieticians and tutors always seem to be The spirit of the Twelfth Man is gradually being replaced by the Athletic Department's recruitment of players who are simply here for a free ride. on hand for the Athletic Department, access to them is strictly for varsity athletes. Such resources would be easy to provide to non-varsity athletes as well, and the results could be all the difference between club and varsity status. The mission statement found on Aggieathletics.com states “Texas A&M Athletics is committed to Building Champions through academic achievement, athletic excellence and nation al recognition of our student-athletes, teams and programs. We provide our student-athletes with all the necessary tools for them to be Champions in their sport and life. The integrity of our program is rooted in the tradition and spirit of Texas A&M to bring honor and distinction to our University.” Understand ably, Byrne is not a graduate of A&M and therefore he prob ably has a different idea of what is meant by “the tradition and spirit of Texas A&M.” The spirit of the Twelfth Man is gradually being replaced by the Athletic Department’s recruitment of players who are simply here for the free ride. And when it comes to Aggies who just want to compete, they’re on their own. Profits made from corporate deals such as the Lone Star Showdown are likely to go toward another fan-boosting plot like the Aggie Fan Zone, the Flullabaloo Spirit Band and the Twelfth Man Team Rewards Program. Jim Foreman is a junior mechanical engineering major. MAIL^CALL Religion has no place being taught in schools | In response to Joshua Dwyer’s Sept, column: 14 First, I’d like to make clear that I strongly disagree ; with anyone who would remove Christianity from a school and leave another religion in. Teaching about Islam should not be allowed, nor should teaching from the Bible. Flowever, the solution is to remove the other religion as well, not to put Christianity back. I also question Mr. Dwyer's claim that Secular Humanism is being taught in schools. He seems to be confusing secular (non-religious) with Secular Humanism (a specific philosophy). Schools should be teaching in a secular manner, meaning teaching things that have nothing to do with religion. They should not say “religion is useless” or “belief in the supernatural is bad.” It is OK to say “we can ex plain the origins of life through naturalistic theories;” it is not OK to say “there is nothing supernatural.” In fact, it is OK to say “anything supernatural is not scientific” (by definition, science must be test able and supernatural phenomena are inherently not) but not “anything unscientific is wrong" or even “we can prove that supernatural phenomena do not exist.” It is impossible to do so, since science can only deal with natural phenomena. Most importantly, the prohibition on religious mes sages in schools is not a free speech issue. The gov ernment does not have free speech. A teacher in a public school is acting on behalf of the government. As such, a teacher in a school does not have the same free speech rights that he has outside of the school. Adam Kemp Class of 2005 Women shouldn’t pay for men’s problems In response to a Sept. 13 mail call: Mr. Simms, where do we go from where you stand? Restricting women because men are instinc tively more aggressive and sexually attracted to wom en (after all they can reproduce many times a day whereas women can only reproduce once every nine months)? It’s the same logic — restrict the woman for the man’s problem. I’m continually appalled at how focused we are on the differences between men and women when the two things that make us the same — unlimited mind, and unlimited heart — are so overpowering of any differences. Not to mention the stamina, high pain threshold and consistency characteristics of the only gender that can birth children. Come to think of it: Why are men on the front line? Kedren Reade Sitton Class of 1990
