4 I The Behrend Beacon The Behrend Beacon ND Beacon Penn State Erie, The Behrend College First Floor, The J. Elmer Reed Union Building Station Road, Erie, PA 16563 Contact the Beacon at: Telephone: (814) 898-6488 Fax: (814) 898-6019 t -t4: Pl°r ',4°V 4 r Daniel J. Stasiewski, Editor in Chief Amy Frizzell, Managing Editor Courtney Kaplin, Advertising Manager Alyssa Peconi, Public Relations Manager Dr. Cathy Roan, Adviser News Editor Brad Stewart Assistant News Editor Calendar Page Editor Dan Snedden Rob Frank Sports Editors Sam Cibula Sara Kamber Opinion Editor Andy McNeil Photography Editor Danielle Faulkner LEBANON BEGINS SiFTING FoR CLUES,— Student Life Editor Lori DeFabio Copy Editors Lacy Buzard Jenn Haight Sarah Weber Beacon Assistant Carolyn M. Tellers ,WA - .. (000,000 _,--.._,..,‘_.:--___ ING \-------------- \ \-„ ... - --__ T - 2 -,- \ -___ 1U5.... ,\ \\ !„...-......:- , ;.\ - - -- --- \\_ \,--, \ \\_ _\:= -- 1 - - - - ,U 1 - i 'F )„. i , .:,\,,,, 4. 4jv". '- AN . 1 ti t 1 :-.. - 4 1=' , . AA ' : ---------------- E 0 .-v%., ikli -LAIL! Q ill El (Si .f..-__, --....„....„..,.. -• , • 6 , 4. Vt;' , l.;;,': " N C" f•-, ,,, 2 4 , .1.: ~rSAAV, 7 9- 0 . Vt.%431'.4 Battle for second amendment rights The United Nations is actively pursu ing the agenda to confiscate all small fuearms belonging to U.S. citizens; the National Rifle Association will have none of that. Last week, Wayne LaPierre, execu tive vice president of the NRA, spoke vehemently to U.N. representatives. He claimed that the efforts of the U.N. directly opposed the second amend ment of the Constitution which gives citizens "the right to bear arms." The U.N.'s efforts, however, are sup ported by the relatively new International Action Network on Small Arms. This organization seeks to stop the misuse and proliferation of small firearms worldwide. lANSA needs to look into the NRA a little deeper. The NRA is not com prised of drunken hillbillies or gang members that want to own guns solely to cause trouble or kill for sport. The Institute for Legislative Actiofi, the lob bying branch of the NRA, is responsi ble for making legislatures aware of this. Taken directly from www.nraila.oig, the "ILA is committed to preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution." Note the words "right," "law-abid ing" and "legitimate purposes." Second amendment rights are the 'Front row others just don't seem to care For those who are unaware, Behrend athletics have a rep utation for producing championship teams. Year in and year out, the men's and women's basketball, soccer, tennis and baseball programs are fierce competitors in AMCC, ECAC and NCAA play. Our athletes and coaches are honored with titles such as "Athlete of the Week," "All-conference" and "Coach of the Year." The Junker Center, along with the baseball and softball fields, are only about five years old and together cost mil- lions of dollars. We are lucky to go to a school that brings us top competition consistently and we can sit back and enjoy it in one of the nicest Division 111 arenas in the area. And still, fan attendance at games is pathetic at best. On Tuesday, the women's basketball team hosted a first round AMCC tournament game. As part of the staff on hand, we counted 10 students in attendance. And those 10 students didn't show up until after half time. The rest of the crowd consisted of fellow athletes, some of whom were waiting for practice after the game and 90 percent were family. Where were these "front row fans" when one of the teams needed that enthusiasm? Those fans who heckle the compe tition at most men's basketball games, get dressed up and like to be loudest people in the Junker Center were missing during the women's game. Granted, a good amount of noise came from the fans that did decide to show up, but there were no "warm up the bus," chants, not even an "it's all over." These particular fans take pride in the role they feel they play at the games and jump at any chance to be quoted in a story, but they seem to have forgotten there are other teams George Bush is worse than Hitler The Project for a New American Century's "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century" (co authored by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz) is the most vile imperialist doctrine written by man since Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf." The Bush Administration is follow ing the recommendations of this 90 page hate rag to the letter. By doing so, it has incriminated itself as possibly being complicit in the terrorist attacks of September 11 and most definitely set itself on a trajectory to conquer the Middle East in the interest of seizing the world's oil supply to maintain eco nomic superiority in the face of a solid ified European Union and rapidly industrializing People's Republic of China. The Project for a New American Century or PNAC (pronounced PEE NACK) is a Washington, DC think tank which was formed in 1997 with the aim of promoting "American global leader ship." Current and former members of the PNAC include Donald Rumsfeld, Jeb Bush, Richard Armitage and Dick Cheney. All this boils down to the PNAC being no more or less than a neoconservative cheerleading squad dedicated to ramping up megalomani acs like George Bush into a state of Some may argue that the second amendment is now out-dated because we no longer need firearms for sur vival; we can just run down to the gro cery store and pay three dollars for a pound of hormone-treated ground beef. Hopefully, these same people can remember that the next time a deer jumps out in front of their cars. Of course, this excuse may only pacify such people to the right to bear hunting rifles. fans' fair weathered, by Sara Kamber co-sports editor power lust intense enough to slaughter millions and conquer any nation they must in order to assert their sick dreams of world domination. "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century" is a report issued by the PNAC in September of 2000. This report indicates that the United States must experience a "new Pearl Harbor" attack for the PNAC doctrine of con quest to be put into effect. Considering this statement was issued a full year before the attacks of September 11, it is no stretch of the imagination to connect Lacy Buzard main issue of discussion. "This coun try was founded to be unlike other countries," LaPierre said. "Our citizens are guaranteed freedoms unlike other citizens in the world." Why, then, do we need to own hand- at this school. You can't be known as "those fans" in the front row and only show up to 15 games a year for one sport. In their defense, there was some honors initiation thing and some intramural sport going on. So what is the excuse for the rest of you? I've heard the whole "women's games are boring" reason before, mainly because "they don't dunk," but that's not real ly good enough. In three years of working pretty much every basketball game, I've seen maybe three men dunk, none of which played for Behrend. The women's team is always as competitive as the men's and the research proves it. Nobody can claim the Athletic Department doesn't try hard enough to get fans to the Junker. There has been every thing from free wings, pizza and chips to spirit towels and pompoms this season. Still nothing. I am asked frequently "What else can be done to get students to the games?" Short of giving out free tuition at half time, I'm clueless. Fellow athletes are pretty much the main support for these teams by coming out to the games, which is great. But when you see bigger crowds at intramural basketball or football, you have to roll your eyes in frustration. The entertainment is there but the fans are usually missing. Depending on how things go for the basketball teams this weekend, there could be ECAC or NCAA action here next week. Women's water polo and men's tennis have started and baseball and softball are around the corner. The snow won't hurt you if you do decide to come out to game. You'll probably get something free and pretty much always catch a good game. Unglue yourself from the sofa, turn off the college hoops on ESPN and come catch some in person. Be a little daring and try something new. Chris Hvizdak editorial columnist Friday, Febuary 25, 2005 Have you ever watched a movie where someone gets locked in a room with a murderer lurking outside and the only protection that person has is a handgun, usually from the dead body of someone beside him/her, that that per son doesn't know how to use? This is an over-dramatization, but the point still stands. If someone wants a gun to kill someone, number one, they aren't going to go to a licensed gun shop and number two, they'll get it with or without a permit and with or without legislation banning the pur copy editor chase. It is safer to have laws that specify who can and who can't have a gun and require those who can to take safety courses than to have guns traded ille gally to people who have no clue how to use firearms properly. It is also safer to have everyone, even those who oppose gun ownership, learn how to use a handgun or rifle and in which situations to use them than to force them to guess when no other option is available. Think of the drinking age in Europe; there isn't one, so drinking is not a nov elty and they have fewer problems with alcohol than the U.S. People learn responsibility at a young age and that lesson stays with them. It could be the same with guns here if organizations such as the lANSA would stop whin ing. the dots and suspect that an intelligence order issued during the first Bush administration (Wl99i) was designed to prevent the FBI from investigation potential September 11 terrorists. This allowed the attacks to be carried out so Bush and his cronies could reap the profits from their preplanned conquest of the Middle East. China is also a big factor for the PNAC boys. This terrifying sentiment is offered as what the American agenda is to be toward the soon to be super power: "It is time to increase the pres ence of American forces in Southeast Asia" which will lead to "American and allied power providing the spur to the process of democratization in China." PNAC endorses militarized pressure on China to convert from com munism to democracy. It is doubtful that any sane person on earth would be interested in provoking China. Sanity is the key to the PNAC as it is what these raving lunatics lack. They are mad with lust for money and power. They will kill as many human beings as possible to continue their endless, unholy quest for the gratification of these petty wants. Be wary America. Be wary planet Earth. The time of PNAC has come and none may survive the throws of their unquenchable carnal insanity.
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