The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 158, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 23, 1999 Page: 3 of 8
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Opinion
September 23, 1999 TheJ-TAC
Page 3
Editorial
In the wake of yet another bru-
tal mass murder, the editorial staff
has had to evaluate our responses
to this crisis. While we can blame
many different groups for such
atrocities, we have to consider the
part we play in the lives of those
around us.
Most of us were surprised at
our own desensitization to the
violence. Some of us were not as
upset as we were over past
instances because we have been
exposed to so many other killings
of the same nature. How many
times can we feel shock?
However, our feelings do not
change the fact that there are
eight more people dead and eight
more families that have lost loved
ones. The situation has seemed
hopeless, and we have wondered
what we can do.
We can reach out to show
concern for those around us.
That means that we can offer help
and compassion to hurting fami-
lies tliat are only 60 miles away
from us. We should also show
concern for people who might
not have anyone else to turn to.
How rn^ny of us would know if
our neighbors or classmates were
in trouble?
We have to start taking respon-
sibility for the condition of our
own society. If we don't stop the
violence, no one will.
/'
Staff
Editor in Chief
Tohma Morrison
. ufilHj/! ?iJ
Managing Editor
Amanda Goodglon
Opinion Editor
Justin Parker
Sports Editor
. Vanessa Fox
Entertainment Editor
Justin Taylor
Web Editor
John Kerby
Advertising Manager
f- Kelli Lehman
Production Manager
Lacey Page
Staff Writers/Photographers
Larry Barr
Scheryl' Beauchamp
Amber Bonnet
Marie Bryant
James Cammack
David Carter
Ida Mia Castillo
Caleb Chapman
Ricky Coppedge
Andrew Duncan
Marily Durbin,
Marcus Edwards
Kathryn Forst
Kristin Franklin
Greg Funderburk
Natosha Hayes
Chris Holland
Myresa Hurst _
Rachel Johnson
Carla Pastrana
Scott Payne
Jared Powers
Dallas Sims
Randi Stenley
Eufemia Tanner
Andrew Tucker
Honey Waddle
Adviser
Rachel Cruthirds
Editorial Policies
If you have any suggestions, comments or
responses about the J-TAC,Tarleton or world
events, you can either email us at
jtac@tarleton.edu, mall a letter to 1-0440,
Stephenville,Tx 76402 or come by our offices In
room 20 of the SDC.
Letters should contain a name, phone number
and student ID number and be 500 words or
fewer. However, your name can be withheld if you
provide us with the preceding information.
Letters must be received by 5 pm on Mondays.
The J-TAC^ reserves the right to edit letters for
content, style, length, and grammar. The J-TAC
alsQ reserves the right to refuse to print any let-
ter deemed, to be (a bad taste.
TheJ-TAC is published on Thursdays during the
fall and spring semesters with the exception of
University holidays and examination periods. The
editorials express the opinions of the J-TAC staff,
Other articles In the opinion section do not nee
essarily express the views of this university or this
^newspaper.
Content is copyrighted material of the J-TAC.
Written permission must be granted for article
reprints.
<<
How do you feel at this moment?"
Justin Parker
Opinion Editor
It's Wednesday
evening of last week. I just
finished my page for this
week's issue. While all the editors were working on
their pages earlier this evening, we turned on the tele-
vision to find that there has been yet another shooting.
That makes thirteen mass shootings over the past few
years. This last one occurred very close to home in .
nearby Fort Worth, and in a church no less.
As I was watching at the J-TAC office several of us
made the comment that the multiple television stations
we tuned in to really had a wide variety of reports,
unsubstantiated claims and pure conjecture by people
that self-admittedly had no clue as to what was going
on. That was when I first began thinking about writ-
ing this article.
I got bafk to the house, and turned on the television
in hope of vegetating a little. I, like most every one
else in any crisis situation, decided to check to see
what new material had been learned in the shootings.
I am not sure what I hoped to learn, because we all
know that it takes time for things to settle out in a situ-
ation like this. It is only then that we are able to learn
the truth. It was no different this evening.
The newscasters reported: "One dead, six wounded."
"Seventeen-shot clip emptied; the gunman even
reloaded several times." "He came in screaming
obscenities." or "He came in quietly and just started
shooting." "He had an automatic weapon." or "He
had a semi-automatic handgun." "He was alone." or
"He had an accomplice."
Reporters were asking the question, "How are you
feeling? What did you see?" I just heard that there are
does seem to be one common thread running through
all the reports that I am hearing - "We don't know."
Over and over I heard those words.
I saw faces of teenagers crying and holding onto
their parents. I see parents obviously thanking God
that their children were not the ones killed, but proba-
bly feeling a little guilty for thanking the Lord for the
death of someone other than their child.
I see a female teen walking with a friend, both cry-
ing, one holding up her hand to the camera as if to
ward off the cameraman. It was ultimately to no avail,
for the cameraman is locked on to his target. We see
every bewildered expression, every tear that falls.
I wonder why I need to see this. Do not mistake my
words, I do not want to turn a blind eye to this
tragedy. I just want to know why we need to see the
blood congealing on the pavement. I want to know
why we need to see the children and the parents cry-
ing. Some are crying because they do not know if their
loved ones are safe, others crying because they saw
their friends killed in a place of worship. This is not
responsible news. This is also not the first time we
have seen this type of reporting from the TV news.
We have seen it at nearly all thirteen of the tragedies.
This evening it was nearly four and one half-hours of
"news". Really what it was is four and one half-hours
of shock. Does society want to see it all? One would
say "yes" unless they really stopped to analyze what is
happening. "News" as defined in Webster's
Dictionary is "new information; information previous-
ly unknown."
What do we want in news? Personally, I want to
know what happened. That's it. I do not want some
want to know a reporter's interpretation of what some-
one else said. I do not want an interpretation of that
interpretation. I do not want to see people crying. I do
not need to see the bodies of those killed. I do not
need to see blood on the pavement or bullet holes on
walls.
The families of those killed do not need to see those
images either. They have enough to deal with. They'
do not need to have a cameraman and reporter in their
face asking, "How do you feel?"
How the hell do you think they feel? They feel as if
their entire life has been turned upside down, their
heart has been ripped out, shredded and then handed
to them. Then they are asked, "Seeing your own heart,
there in your hand, what are you thinking about at this
moment?"
• Finally, the news anchors call it quits. It's over.
That is until every single person uses those images for
his or her own self interests. The religious say, "This
can all be solved with God." The NRA says, "We can
solve this by allowing guns in the churches." Gun con-
trol advocates say, "See, we told you what would hap-
pen when you let people have guns."
The teachers say, "We can solve this with education."
The counselors say, "We can solve this by studying a
cross section of America." The lawyers try to figure
out a way they can sue someone for the tragedy and
make some money. The politicians denounce the
tragedy, until they can figure out what action they can
do to net them the most votes in the next election.
All this and we dutifully watch, shaking our heads
watching this dung called the "TV News." It is time to
cut the crap and report the news, not this shock televi-
| eight dead, seven wounded, three critically. There reporter's interpretation of what happened. I do not^.^.^Qn that is being crammed down our throats.
•i t
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Question Of
the week
Due to the large number of letters to the editor and space constraints on this page, other letters to the editor
(including the full text of the letter below) can be viewed on our website: www.tarleton.edu/~j-tac/ beginning on Friday.
I am writing this letter regarding to J.T.
Landrum's response to Justin Parker's letter in
the first issue of the 1999 J-TAC.
Let me begin by commending Mr. Landrum on
his legal research. Mr. Landrum educated this
forty-three year old graduate student, disproving
the old adage that "you can't teach an old dog
new tricks." Thanks for the education, J.T.
My agreement stops there.
At this point, I feel it necessary to rebut Mr.
Landrum's other points.Mr. Landrum doesn't
say where the "some 250 million guns" are, but
he asks us if we feel safer. He then says that we
don't.
Mr. Landrum, please don't answer for me.
You don't know how I feel, and you probably
don't care, but for the record, I'll tell you.
I started carrying a gun in 1978 after a nearly
successful attempt on my life by three escaping
convicts. You agree with Mr. Parker that guns
don't kill people, people do.
I agree with both of you, Mr. Landrum, but
you incorrectly stated that "guns were designed
to kill, and they are quite good at it."
Many people use shotguns to compete in skeet
shooting. Others, like Mr. Parker, use them to
hunt. As members of a "well regulated militia,"
members of the Armed Forces and police officers
carry weapons knowing that it is their job to pro-
tect the citizens of their jurisdictions.
My point is that the decision to kill with a
firearm is determined not by the design of the
firearm, but rather by the intent of the person
using it.
Texas Penal Code Sections 6.02 and 6.03 dis-
cuss criminal culpability and define the varying
degrees of intent, referring to them as "culpable
mental states."
The decision to kill or not to kill is made by a
person, Mr, Landrum, not an inanimate object
without a brain. You said as much when you
agreed with Mr. Parker that "guns don't kill peo-
ple, people do."
Where are the police? In my case, they were a
few blocks away.
They can't be everywhere at once...there are
too many people and too few law enforcement
officers. The recent shooting at Wedgewood
Baptist Church in Fort Worth is a good example.
How many uniformed officers or National
Guardsmen attend church services on Sunday
evenings? There could have been fifty armed
policemen in church that night, and someone
still would have died.
The suggestion that hiring more cops or
increasing the size of our Armed Forces will
solve the problem of psychos with guns is as
absurd as your suggestion that disarming the
country will.
We have no more control over maniacs than
we do the weather. If a deranged human being ,
decides he is going to obtain a gun (or a knife)
and plan an attack that results in multiple
deaths, he will succeed. Period. No amount of
legislation can or will prevent it.
Yes, some will argue that disarming the citi-
zens will leave only the criminals with guns. I'll
argue that one. It didn't work during Prohibition
with booze, and it won't work with firearms.
Currently, street gangs in the United States
outnumber the police in size, strength, and fire-
power. I don't anticipate that will change...ever.
The bad guys always will find a way to get more
guns, and legislation like the Brady Law does
nothing but encourage them.
I might add that due to historical, philosophi-
cal and cultural differences, what is done in
Japan is a moot point.
Disarming the citizens takes away their right
to protect themselves. This right of self protec-
tion is found in Section 9.32 of the Texas Penal,
Code, and is given to all persons (including J.T.
Landrum), not just police officers. I encourage
you to read it.
Imagine the following scenario, Mr. Landrum:
Late one evening ten years from now, armed
intruders break into your home.
They force you to open your mouth, and when
you do, they shove both barrels of a sawed off
shotgun inside it.
You are forced to watch as two of the three
predatory animals do things too obscene to men-
tion to your wife and children.
Next, they take pillowcases and fill them with
everything that they can carry off...and some of
those things will be valuable only to you,
You can't protect your family, or defend your
home...because citizens of the United States no
longer have the right to own guns for home or
self protection.
There is a real danger is wishing for some-
thing...you might get it!
Denying citizens the right to protect them-
selves means denying yourself that same right.
Think about it.
Jonathan Hutson
Criminal Justice Graduate Student
With the addition ofTarleton Central Texas in Killeen,
17 percent of our students are now on a campus 120
miles away from Tarleton at Stephenville. How have you
been impacted by this,addition of students?
If you have not been impactedhow do you see your-
self being impacted in the future? How?
Jeremy
Cuellar
Junior
Interdisplinary
Business Major
Student Body
Vice President
"We are not sure how to incorporate
students who are 120 miles away. It's
hard to incorporate students who go to
school 70 percent of the time from 4
p.m. - 9 p.m."
"I believe that the addition of the
Central Texas campus has helped
>
Tarleton State here in Stephenville in
many ways. (1) Bigger student popula-
tion. (2) Allows Tarleton's name to be
publicized more. (3) Allows us to have a
bigger span of activities."
Elvis J.
Moya
Sophomore
Political Science
Major
SGA Academic
Affairs chairman
"We have added three new staff mem-
bers to our office who are under my
supervision. We processed over 3,952
students for both campuses as com-
pared to 2,773 last year at this time. We
have added 16 degree option to our cur-
rent, inventory."
Denise Siler
Director of
Admissions
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The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 158, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 23, 1999, newspaper, September 23, 1999; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth141958/m1/3/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Tarleton State University.