The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 13, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 2, 2009 Page: 2 of 6
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September 2, 2009
Opinion
The Rambler I www.therambler.org
Your opinion matters
Laurence J.S
ljsheehan@mail. txwes. edu
Who I am: I have many
names; you can always pick
one, or use them all.
I go by Laurence J.S. in the
professional world; my family
calls me Larry or Uncle Larry
(because I'm an uncle), and
The Great One. I ley You, and
That Fat Guy Over There are
also inappropriately accept-
able.
I'll be the one on campus
wearing Chuck Taylors, jeans,
sports coats and ties. It's my
own version of personal
branding. I'm a junior mass
communication major, in my
mid-20s, and yes it took me
nearly a decade to figure out
what I wanted to be when I
grow up. Don't ask me what
I want to be when I grow up.
I still couldn't tell you. All I
can tell you is working for the
greatest retail empire in the
world for scraps is not worth
it.
I found the one thing we
lack in this world is proper
communication, hence the
mass comm pursuit.
I'm sarcastic to the ex-
treme; I make fun of every-
thing and open myself up to
fessional chapters both locally
and internationally.
Juggling college life and
"maturity" is always a chal-
lenge.
I want this column to be
something that makes you
laugh, think and occasion-
"I want to hear your opinions, and I do
value them.55
be made fun of too. Laughter
is what makes life worth liv-
ing.
I'm not only an editor
for this paper, but I'm also
the president of the Texas
Wesleyan IABC (Interna-
tional Association of Business
Communicators). We are
the premiere business com-
munication organization on
campus with ties to the pro-
ally ticks you off. I want you
to respond to what I write. I
want to hear your opinions,
and I do value them.
I like open discussion on
every topic, and the best ones
are the ones that make you
uncomfortable. Whatever
brings you out of your com-
fort zone will only make you
a better person.
Not every opinion is a
valid one though. If you are
intentionally lashing out in a
deconstructive manner, then
keep it to yourself.
I may not agree with my
friend's lifestyles, or under-
stand them, but I don't judge
them for their choices. I
support them. I don't believe
in tolerance. I believe in
acceptance. You don't have
to agree with everybody or
anybody, but you do need to
respect and try to understand
who people are and where
they come from.
So with all that said, be
sure to send me e-mails; leave
me messages at The Rambler
office, or send up smoke
signals. I'll publish as much
of your work as I can, and
I'll work with each person
who wants to be published to
make sure his/her best work
is put forward.
Investigating CIA is unproductive
Rachel Horton
rlhorton@mail. txwes. edu
For most of us, an 8 a.m.
class is about as close as we
get to torture.
With the start of sch ool,
and those 8 a.m. classes,
current events and politics
often get pushed into the
background of our con-
sciousness. We are, however,
in the midst of a controversy.
For the first time, the execu-
tive branch of our govern-
ment is apparently engaged
in an undeclared war on the
CIA.
On Aug. 24, classified
documents outlining former
procedures and dispersing
specific names were made
public knowledge in this
latest move from the Justice
Department. Unfortunately,
making CIA business the
business of the public at
large slightly defeats the
point and purpose of the
organization.
Of course the conflict
between President Obama's
administration and the poli-
cies of his predecessor is a
normal news item. In the
areas of healthcare, taxes, the
War on Terror and diplo-
matic relations, Obama has
consistently battled with the
shadow of former President
George Bush's administra-
tion rather than making
his own case for change.
The dealings of the Obama
administration with the CIA
are no exception.
Interrogators are now
at the mercy of criminal
investigators, something
that government workers are
rarely exposed to. Stripped
of any qualified immunity,
these individuals are now
ranked among America's
worst criminals.
CIA Director Leon Panetta
felt compelled to note in the
Washington Post on Aug. 2
that "It is worth remember-
ing that the CIA implements
presidential decisions; we do
not make them.. .my agency
continues to pay a price for
enduring disputes over poli-
cies that no longer exist."
Major news agencies
across the country continue
to call for blood and goad
the hounds to the chase
without regard for the line
between past and present.
The Obama administration
simply adds fuel to the fire.
On Aug. 24, Attorney
General John Holder named
the federal prosecutor
responsible for investigat-
ing the actions of the CIA
employees. According to the
New York Times, the review
will be the most politi-
cally explosive inquiry since
Holder took over the Justice
Department in February.
The American Way de-
mands justice, most assur-
edly. But should we expect
reparation from those who
never actually committed
the crime?
In every other case of
international or domestic
injustice, the one issuing the
orders is always held as the
responsible party. 'The CIA
should be left in peace to do
the job it was intended to
do. The decision to elimi-
nate certain practices from
interrogation methods is not
the issue at the heart of this
matter.
It is not difficult to under-
stand the reality of what hap-
pened after Sept. 11, 2001.
Bush and his administration
acted in what they considered
to be the best interests of the
country, just as any other
president would have.
The country was fright-
ened and angry. Decisions
were made that we can only
judge from the perspec-
tive of history. The public
responded with the last
election, and the changes
deemed necessary by the
current administration were
made.
The undercurrent of
animosity and antagonism
displayed by the executive
branch of our government
has reached its peak. Enough
is enough. As the backbone
of all intelligence that our
country receives, the CIA
is to be commended and
treated with respect.
Subjecting CIA employees
to criminal investigation
is both unproductive and
harmful to the situation at
hand. The President, and
his administration, should
remember that we are all on
the same side.
"Decisions were made that we can only
judge from the perspective of history."
Wasted
The tragedy of
drunken minds
Sam Sottosanto
Daily Eastern News
I am 20 years, eight
months and one-day-old,
and I still have yet to taste
a drop of alcohol.
While I can see the bit
of amusement in getting
drunk or watching your
friends get drunk, person-
ally, I don't think I'd ever
want to participate in
something that involves
being out of control of my
own body.
Honestly, I don't see
what's so appeal-
ing about going
out every week-
end and getting
wasted with all
of your friends-
maybe that's why
they called it be-
ing wasted?
I mean, don't
you want to
remember what
you did?
I think a little
alcohol is alright,
for instance, if
you decided you
wanted to try the
new margarita
flavor at a local restaurant.
I just don't like the idea
of going overboard, and
I especially don't like the
idea of minors going over-
board.
Even before I got to col-
lege, my peers had been
going out drinking.
And although everyone
knows underage drink-
ing is bad because it's
against the law and you
can get in trouble, there is
one obvious point we are
overlooking when it comes
to underage drinking: It
affects the brain.
According to an article
that appeared on CNN.
com, adolescent brains are
still developing and are in
a 'learning' stage all the
way into their early 20s.
Alcohol can damage
the learning process in a
young brain and can also
affect a young person's
memory.
And because young
brains are still in this
'learning stage,' they are
quicker to react to alcohol,
meaning they will not feel
tired or drowsy for a long
time, unlike adult brains.
Since they have this
longer period of time
without becoming sleepy,
it encourages them to
drink more, hitting them
with what CNN.com calls
a "double whammy."
Adult brains, which are,
according to the article on
CNN.com, "more set in
their ways," will get tired
quicker, letting them know
it's time to quit (alcohol-
ism, of course, being
another story).
And as I mentioned
before, since young brains
are in a 'learning' stage,
alcohol can cause a disrup-
tion in learning develop-
ment.
And according to www.
ahealthyme.com, more
often than not, adults with
an addiction to alcohol
began drinking while in
high school or earlier.
I know that schools
across the nation have
tried to stop underage
drinking with programs
such as D.A.R.E. and Alco-
holEdu.
But I don't think these
programs work.
I mean, I don't drink
and even I thought Alco-
holEdu was pointless. I
remember thinking, 'Why
should I fill this thing out
when I know I'm not go-
ing to drink?'
Instead, I think parents
need to step up.
Whether or not kids
want to admit it, parents
are our No. 1 influence.
If parents talk to their
kids early and often about
alcohol and its effects, I
believe there would be
a decrease in underage
drinkers.
Because whether or not
you choose to believe it,
underage drinking is a
serious problem.
'he Rambler
Founded in 1917 as The Handout
Publisher. Harold G. Jeffcoat
Jonathon Resendez, news editor
Laurence Sheehan, opinion editor
Conner Howell, college life editor
Joakim Soederbaum, sports editor
Chuck Fain, entertainment editor
Laura Rosser, photo editor
Rachel Norton, Web editor
Daniel Bravo, advertising manager
Kelli Lamers, adviser
Dr. Kay Colley, facutly liason
Member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press
Association
Opinions expressed in The Rambler are those of
the individual authors only and do not neces-
sarily reflect the views of he Texas Wesleyan
community as a whole.
The editors reserve the right to edit all submis-
sions for space, grammar, clarity and style.
Letters to the editor may be subject to response
from editors and students on the opinion page.
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wherever it may lead."
— Thomas Jefferson
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The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 13, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 2, 2009, newspaper, September 2, 2009; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth201281/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Wesleyan University.