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March 7, 2007

OPINION
Scooter Libby Loser in Leak Case
BY JENNIFER CHURCH
Daily Titan Sta Writer

Titan Editorial
Providing insight, analysis and perspective since 1960

opinion@dailytitan.com

Wheres the Pardon?

So former adviser I. Lewis tence is farcical, at best. We can say with full conScooter Libby was convicted Tuesday of lying and obstruct- dence right now that Libby ing a leak examination that will have nothing to worry shook the Bush administra- about come January 19, 2009. at will be a great day in tion to its very foundation. e jury was swayed by American history Bushs last testimony indicating Libby, day in oce! And the day that with the knowledge of Presi- Libby is magically pardoned for his past dent George offences. W. Bush and Lest we forvice presiAs a result, Libby get, Bush is dent Dick Cheney, was is free until June 5, a card-carrying member disseminating informa- when he then fac- of the good tion to New es a sentence of 25 ole boy netYork Times years yeah right! work. e funreporter Juniest thing dith Miller is the spectain hopes of tor role the silencing the American public plays with critics of the Iraq war. As a result, Libby is this. ey know hes not the free until June 5, when he only one with dirty hands. ey know hes the fall guy. then faces a sentence of up ey know hes gonna get o. to 25 years yeah right! Call it our liberal, reeking of But nobody cares. e apathy the public is donkey doo opinion, but wed take it to Vegas that this sen- showing towards this political dog and pony show before our tence will not hold up. Bottom line is that this sen- eyes is, well pathetic.

Amidst news of Britney Spears downward spiral and Anna Nicole Smiths funeral is the obstruction of justice and perjury case of former vice presidential aide I. Lewis Scooter Libby. Why should anyone care that Libby was found guilty of obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury and one count of making false statements to the FBI? Its so much easier to wrap our heads around celebrities messy lives and the ruins left behind by their poor decision-

making skills. I am jumping on the proverbial bandwagon in blaming the media for not galvanizing enough interest in this case. ese more-oftenthan-not spin doctors failed to make Libbys case sexy enough for us to dig into because really, it has all the makings of a sensational story: lies, the FBI and the CIA ultimately leading to the White House and its decision to go to war with Iraq. e case wasnt about nding out who the leak was, but the attempted cover-up. National security was compromised because people in the administration think that it is acceptable to wield power against those who oppose them. e Los Angeles Times re-

ported that Cheney was so focused on discrediting Iraq war critic Joseph C. Wilson IV, that he prepared handwritten talking points for his top aide to counter Wilson. Libby was not the rst or only government ocial to talk to reporters about Wilsons wife and former CIA operative, Valerie Plame. Some people may even say that he was made a scapegoat, but during the course of the trial, witnesses contradicted Libbys account that he did not know Plames identity. Perhaps the most shameful issue in the whole scandal is the role the media played. e press, who is supposed to be the publics advocate, proved that it

can be sloppy at times. When journalists were questioned about the leak on the witness stand, no one could provide straightforward answers because the notes they took werent specic enough for them to recall who said what. In the end, it seems as if the press let itself be used as a tool by people in power. Why else would it release information that was so shoddily provided when one of the hallmarks of good journalism is plain and simple attribution? Libby is facing up to 25 years in prison and can be ned up to $250,000 on each guilty count. In the meantime, the number of U.S. casualties in the Iraq war has reached over 3,100.

Is Ann Coulter Headed to Rehab? Walter Reed:

BY DARALYN SCHOENEWALD
Daily Titan Sta Writer
opinion@dailytitan.com

EDITORS NOTE: e Titan Editorial is solely the opinion of the Daily Titan editorial board and was written after the open debate between board members. e editorial board consists of the executive editor, the managing editor, the opinion editor, the news editors, the copy chief and other editors upon appointment of the executive editor.

Since recent studies show that most of us would rather watch e Simpsons than memorize the Bill of Rights, let me remind you that the First Amendment is the one that guarantees Americans the freedom of speech. is was a right bestowed upon us by our forefathers to (arguably) give us the right to discuss the government without getting thrown in jail for unfavorable opinions. Forget jail time, these days people are serving a dierent kind of sentence for expressing political opinions. When the Dixie Chicks lead singer, Natalie Maines, made her now infamous remark about President Bush, what followed could only be called a media frenzy that resulted in many radio stations blacklisting the group. And now in the days after conservative commentator Ann Coulter used the word faggot while addressing the

crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference, she too faces a backlash that involves sponsors pulling ads o of her Web site. To those of you who were watching e Simpsons instead of the evening news when the story broke, Coulters exact statement was, I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word faggot, so Im so, kind of at an impasse, cant really talk about Edwards. Coulters remark is being reported as a homophobic slur. Ultimately, its a slur because you cant use the F word these days, as Coulter pointed out at least not without the media jumping all over you for it. Coulters opinion, and yes it was merely her opinion, wouldnt have caught media attention if she hadnt used that word. Had she, instead, bolstered opinion by calling Edwards a weenie, or better yet, a butthead, she might not be the focus of such intense scrutiny right now. Forget the usage of the F word for just a minute and remember that ultimately Coulter was exercising her right to freedom of speech. I am not

condoning her usage of the word; however, I do applaud her for speaking her mind, as I applauded the Dixie Chicks for doing the same. She didnt outright call Edwards the F word. She made a political comment with social implications by declaring that you have to go into rehab if you use that word. I admire her for being brave enough to use a word she had to have known would raise ire in the media. And because I refuse to believe that she doesnt know any better than to use such vile and bigoted language than she did, I can only accept that she knew exactly what she was saying and used to the word to get media attention. So she crossed the line by using the word. OK. But when people choose to use words like faggot in the media, as did Isaiah Washington from Greys Anatomy and now Coulter at the conference, all that is happening is that everyday people like you and me are learning that it is not okay to say things like that. A debate is sparked, opinions are formed and all the while, minds are expanding. And the only lasting eect Coulters slur will have is that of change.

A Center of Shame
BY TOM MADDEN
Daily Titan Sta Writer
opinion@dailytitan.com

Email Robert at opinion@dailytitan.com

The Advocate
BY Robert

Moran

Autistic Serial Killers?

Autistics are the perfect serial people around them, yet autiskillers. At least that is what J. tics can learn to recognize that Arturo Silva and several col- others do have feelings through leagues have stated in a series of behavioral training and because papers on the psychopathology we do not suer from delusional of autism, written for the Jour- behavior. Were not crazy. We just lack nal of Forensic Science and the common sense. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry. While Silvas claim may be Silva states that Jerey Dahmer and Ted Kaczynski may plausible, it is also possible that have had Aspergers. In Silvas serial killers may have some report he states that Dahmer other psychopathological disorand Kaczynski both seemed der. Autism is referred to as a aloof when dealing with other pathological disorder. It is often people. One of the characteris- called autistic psychopathy. It tics of Aspergers is that we often shares several characteristics with schizophrenia forget that othincluding ober people have tuse, ritualistic feelings, and behavior. But it is true that ... while other patho- while other serial killers dont put much logical disorders also p a t h o l o g i c a l importance on can create delusional disorders also can create dethe feelings of their victims. states, autistics do not lusional states, autistics do How could suer from them. not suer from they when they them. are usually disWhile most membering psychopaths, their victims or dispatching them in an even a word which is derived from more emotionally remote fash- the word psychopathology, are dangerous criminals, autistics ion: mail bombs? While most autistics forget for the most part are the victims about other peoples feelings, of crime. Without knowledge about there are often times that we rethe nature of autism, reports member. Silva states that most se- such as Silvas can be. Such misrial killers often have repetitive understanding may unfairly cast behaviors, a characteristic of a dark shadow over the autistic Aspergers, especially in the ritu- community. Still, there is a link between alistic manner that they kill. e pathology of autism is Aspergers and crime, as some the one thing all pathological recent court cases have shown. disorders have in common. We But while those cases did not are often unable to empathize involve psychopathic behavior, with others. I, for one, am no the link is still evident ese cases, though sensaexception. I can think of various exam- tional, can be dangerous and ples where this has happened, useful at the same time by creating fear in people who have perhaps too many to count. Psychopaths, because of their not encountered someone with delusional states, are often never Aspergers, but also by creating cognizant of the feelings of the awareness about the disorder.

e number 18 is quickly becoming the worst number in America. For our troops it signies the age at which many enlisted to ght the disastrous war over in Iraq, and now its the building number that houses the mold, rodent feces and cockroaches that plagues the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. While the Bush administration claims that the Iraq war is being fought overseas to keep terrorists away from our homeland, its apparent that the wounds America deals with everyday are self-inicted. On Monday, two soldiers that were wounded in Iraq shared stories of the neglect and mistreatment they received at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center before members of Congress. e Walter Reed Medical Center, located only several miles from the White House, is the nucleus of the militarys medical system. Although its Web sites motto is We Provide Warrior Care, the center is under re for housing wounded soldiers in rooms deteriorating from rodent droppings and mold, while giving inadequate and confusing information about outpatient services to patients looking for treatment. According to nytimes.com, Sgt. John Daniel Shannon, who suffered a head wound from an AK-47 round, was released only a week after receiving rushed treatment at Walter Reed. While disoriented from brain injuries and the loss of an eye, Reed was given a map and told to nd his own way. Accounts like Reeds exhibit the irresponsibility of the Bush administration. e presidents plan of sending 21,500 more troops to the bloody streets of Baghdad might mean catastrophe both in Iraq and at the medical centers across the nation, which cant provide proper care for our wounded troops. With 11 soldiers already dead in the early days of March, according to icasualities.org, coupled with the despicable government-provided treatment that our troops receive, it is denitely time for a regime change. Why does it take four years and a Washington Post story to uncover the injustices taking place only miles from President Bushs bedroom? Why is it that every time a highranking ocial gets questioned over their incompetence, they pass the blame onto others? When will the American people hold their public ocials accountable? According to nytimes.com when former Walter Reed director Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley was asked to explain the soiled and vile conditions at the center he told Congress that inspections were not part of his normal job duties. As head of any medical center, let alone one that houses the brave soldiers whose lives will forever be changed by disgurements, disabilities and mental anguish, wouldnt making sure the foundation that houses them is at least a cut above an abandoned warehouse be one of your duties? While the blame gets predictably passed on down the line, lets hope it will reach the minds of the Americans that voted for these incompetent rats, and that they will have enough civility to make sure our wounded troops and their distressed families will be given the treatment they rightfully deserve.