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
â– 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
â– â– 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