Debate format is too dated

Some nibbles of commentary on recent news events presented for your consideration:

Campaign 2000 — DebateGate

The candidates have yet to debate, mainly because they are debating on where and how they should debate. A schedule has tentatively been agreed upon, but I don’t see much coming from it if they are going to stick to the same boring format that they have in the past — which would not be a debate but, in essence, an unpaid commercial for both candidates.

And speaking of debates, consideration should be given to opening up the debates to presidential candidates of other parties. Throw Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan in the mix, and let’s make it a real debate. Better yet, put them all on the Jerry Springer show.

The enemy within

The American Civil Liberties Union and several departments of the U.S. government have found a hideous, insidious enemy dwelling among us, and it has existed in our midst for many decades disguised as the Boy Scouts of America.

Yes, the Boy Scouts have become a target for charges of intolerance and discrimination because they stood up for their traditions in the Supreme Court and won. However you may feel about the Boy Scouts’ decision to stick to their traditions, I can think of better targets for the ACLU and the U.S. government to go after.

This inquisition by these groups make them look, at best, like bad sports and, at worst, like the oppressive “Big Brother” that anti-government extremists are always warning us about. I think the ACLU and the government agencies in question should let it go already and move on to other groups more deserving of their tender mercies — like white supremacists or the producers of television shows like “Big Brother.”

The sole path to salvation

Recently in The Skiff, a columnist took the Vatican to task over a document, which stated that the Catholic Church is the sole path to salvation. Such a declaration is, of course, anathema to the “there is no hell,” “all paths lead to God — if there is a God” spiritual culture that we are living in today.

The columnist criticized the Vatican over the seeming arrogance to make such a declaration, especially in light of Pope John Paul II’s efforts during his pontificate of reaching out and communicating with believers of other faiths. There are two ways to respond to the columnist’s observations.

First, the fact that the Catholic Church believes itself to be the sole path to salvation is nothing new. The recent Vatican declaration is only restating what it has always believed. Second, the fact that the Catholic Church would have the “arrogance” to believe such a thing should not be surprising, because that is what every other religious faith believes about themselves.

That belief would be necessary for any religious faith that is going to have any followers — otherwise, why follow it? Imagine telling others “Well, my religion is pretty good, but that other one is much better.” How motivated would others be to join your faith if it does not seem to inspire much spirit in you?

Otherwise, why would a person commit such a large and personal side of their lives to their faith unless they believed that it was the “one true faith?”

Isn’t that the point of having a faith in the first place? No, there is no more arrogance in the Catholic Church believing that it is the sole path to salvation than it is for any other faith to believe in such a thing.

Olympics 2000 in Sydney, Australia

It’s like NBC has been taken over by Outback Steakhouse. I’ve never heard so many Aussie accents. But watching the Olympics is a refreshing break from the toils and troubles of the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys.

Firestone tires

You think the Cowboys and Rangers have it bad — imagine being a Firestone tire salesperson right about now!

John P. Araujo is a Master of Liberal Arts major from Fort Worth.
He can be reached at (j.araujo@tcu.edu).

After 13 years of political turmoil, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic’s regime appears to be dissolving. Sunday, federal elections showed Milosevic trailing behind Vojislav Kostunica, leader of the multiparty Democratic Opposition of Serbia. According to the only poll results available, published by the opposition, Milosevic is 17 percentage points behind Kostunica.

Milosevic, who has driven his people into several bloody conflicts throughout the past decade, has managed to curb any major opposition against his party during the past four presidential elections.

However, the opposition is fighting back.

Over the past year, DOS has found success by supporting a unified candidate and using an awareness campaign to weaken state propaganda that shows Milosevic as a strong leader.

After the cease fires of the past decade couldn’t produce a stable and peaceful environment for Yugoslavia and the Balkans, the weekend election results pave the way for a more democratic society in the region.

Although the impact of these elections is hard to evaluate, the people have spoken.

No matter what the results, the implementation of change will be slow. But, change will be a constant.

The future of Yugoslavia rests in the hands of the people who traditionally have had no freedoms. They have stood up against the ruling party and exercised their right to vote.

With our own national elections slated only a month away, may we all seek to learn from the turmoil and tragedy that has faced the people of Yugoslavia. In a country where freedoms and personal liberties are literally taken for granted, let us not forget the power of our voice and the necessity for change.

A vote is not a privilege, it’s a responsibility.