Commentary

Absolutely FOBolous; The Keyes to Gay Marriage; How Do You Like Them Apples?; Tragedy in Atocha

Absolutely FOBolous

The TCU senate has announced an interest in making the JumboFob system universal all over campus. For those unfamiliar with the system, JumboFob is an electronic key system used in some residence halls around campus. Residents are given an electronic “fob,” a key-like device that sends out a radio signal. Doors at supported resident halls are equipped with electronic readers that unlock the doors when the fob is swiped in front of the reader. The advantages of the system include its ease of access to dormitories and its increased security, since deactivating a lost or stolen fob is much easier than replacing an entire door lock and all of the lock’s keys. The system was first implemented at South Hall during the 2001-2002 academic year. Since then, the system has been placed in several other dorms. Currently, each fob only works for a single residence hall. The universal system would allow each fob to unlock all doors on campus, including all residence halls and some academic buildings.

The promise of an “open-community” campus sounds intriguing. There would certainly be fewer hassles for students traveling between residence halls. Students could easily visit friends living in other dorms and there would be ready access to the many events that are held in the common areas of dorms, such as Hill Hall and Carmichael. Students would also have the ability to stop in and use the common areas and study rooms offered in most buildings instead of having to walk back to their own dorm. Students may feel more inclined to venture outside and meet people living in other dorms instead of being limited to the community of their home dormitory. Universal fobs could be part of the solution to Jumbos’ lacking social lives.

There are also some serious concerns with a system that gives any of the 5,000 students on campus access to every dormitory. This is especially true during the night, a time when students want to have more privacy and less foot traffic through their halls, which is hard enough with the hundred or so neighbors living in each dorm. The University has stated that the system could be programmed to be universal during the day but switch back to building-specific at night. This would be a useful provision in order to maintain some peace and quiet in dorms overnight. An additional problem would be vandalism and theft by members of other dorms. One is less inclined to treat the property of another dorm with the same care as one’s own.

Before the universal fob system is implemented, it is important for the University to get feedback from all students, something it has already initiated. If the new system is put into action, it will be important to set guidelines to avoid the potential problems this exciting, yet problematic, endeavor may produce. In the end, a universal fob system could do much to improve the social life and sense of community on campus. However, this will only be achieved if the problems associated with this change are addressed and the quality of life of dorm residents is maintained.

The Keyes to Gay Marriage

At a recent Boston College event, Alan Keyes, former US Ambassador to the United Nations, had some strong words for secularists seeking to remove religion and spirituality from public discourse. In his talk, Keyes told the story of Genesis and asked the audience to more deeply consider the far-reaching implications it has on controversial themes of the day, most notably the question of gay marriage.

Keyes rejected the notion that homosexuals’ rights campaign bears any resemblance to the civil rights struggle of black Americans. Providing a simple basis for judgment, Keyes reasoned behavior that a person chooses to engage in is rightfully subject to judgment by others. Blacks did not choose their skin color and cannot change it—hence, discrimination or hatred of them is truly a bigoted view. Homosexuals, while they may feel a certain inclination, have a choice as to whether or not to act upon their passions. Strong passions that one ought not give in to are not unique to homosexuals, Keyes tells us—we all face them in a variety of forms, and Keyes sees no reason to afford homosexuals special leniency in succumbing to theirs.

Keyes believes marriage is under attack from a variety of angles, not just from homosexuals. In fact, he puts the blame for the mess on society as a whole, for permitting the ongoing degradation of marriage into a politically correct concept primarily centered on the romance between the two individuals involved, rather than the original objective of the institution—raising children. Keyes sees no inherent evil in homosexuality, and readily admits that if marriage were to be redefined as an expression of love between two individuals, gays would have as much right to it as anyone.

Keyes scorns the lax attitude toward marriage in today’s society. God created woman, Keyes explains, because man on his own was imperfect. Their unity, embodied in the child, is God’s will, and removing this crucial and primary component from marriage is an affront to God.

Keyes predicts a dark, lonely future for mankind and society if more Christians don’t begin taking their faith and its scriptures more seriously. Keyes interprets the choice of Adam and Eve to eat the apple from the Tree of Life as God’s gift of freedom to humans, because without choice there is no freedom. Keyes thereby asserts that this principle, fundamental to our nation, has a Judeo-Christian basis. Keyes warns us of the impending demise of true freedom if we allow secularization and political correctness to continue on their paths of rampage.

How Do You Like Them Apples?

Rapper Eminem is suing Apple computers over the use of one of his songs in an iTunes commercial. The spot advertises the iTunes online music store and features a 10-year-old singing along to “Lose Yourself.” Eminem claims that Apple used the song without his permission and that its use implies to consumers that he endorses the product. Despite the ironic lawsuit (iTunes illegally used copyrighted music to advertise itself as a legal alternative to music piracy), Apple’s online store is more popular than many expected and its success may mark a positive shift in the music industry’s business model.

The threat of free peer-to-peer sharing networks like Napster and Kazaa rocked the music industry. Their reaction continues to include levying lawsuits on unsuspecting children and students (the most common perpetrators of music theft). Apple’s iTunes, however, proves that there is still money to be made selling music legally; the store has started to show signs of profitability and iTunes’ popularity has helped drive sales of iPod mp3 players to record levels. On the other hand, the iTunes store shows that the music industry’s old model of singles and albums is a remnant of the days of Long Play records and no longer sustainable in a world of digital music and free-flowing information. The truth is that for the most part, today’s bands do not offer enough quality music per release for consumers to justify purchasing an entire album. Record companies can no longer bait fans into buying ten songs when they only really want one. Apple’s own data supports this; the company found that customers bought 12 singles for every one album at iTunes. In retail stores, only one single is purchased for every fifty albums sold.

Of course, many use the failing business model argument to justify their own use of peer-to-peer networks. Such users often see themselves participating in a hostile attack on large record company bank accounts. Though this motive drives some to download more music, for many others the cause is merely the ease of peer-to-peer networks and the haziness of copyright law. Apple’s iTunes solves the former issue; users have quick access to single songs at low cost. The latter is more difficult to solve. Peer-to-peer networks are becoming more and more diffcult to shut down as they blur the line between stealing and sharing. The complexity of copyright law prevents many from considering downloading a crime. Even Eminem’s lawsuit is riddled with confusion since his song was not directly reproduced, merely sung by an actress. Though Apple offers a strong alternative to Kazaa with plenty of possibilities for recording industry profit, until downloaders see a link between copyright violation and punishment, the record companies will continue to struggle with their outdated business model.

Tragedy in Atocha

On Thursday, March 11, Americans awoke to images of a deadly bombing in Spain with 200 dead and approximately 1500 injured. Terrorists chose Madrid’s vulnerable commuter rail system as their target. The bombs were detonated during the morning commute in order to maximize damage. The attack took place exactly two and half years after 9/11 when brazen terrorists orchestrated attacks ending more then 3,000 American lives.

Spanish authorities were quick to attribute the attacks to the Basque separatist terrorist group ETA. A van containing explosives, an audiotape, and of Koranic verses later discovered. An anonymous caller from a purported Al-Qaeda faction claimed responsibility for the attacks. ETA, which has never committed a terrorist act of this magnitude, adamantly denied responsibility for the attacks, further validating Al-Qaeda’s claim.

The attacks in Spain sent an eerie warning to the American public as President George W. Bush attended a groundbreaking ceremony at Ground Zero. A day representing a milestone in rebuilding New York City was overshadowed by renewed fears of terrorism. Despite great successes in the war on terror, Americans were all reminded about how vulnerable America still is to attacks. Widespread concern was reflected in the huge loss incurred by the major stock indices.

The attacks come on the heels of Al-Qaeda’s recently issued press statement boasting they are “90%” on the way to launching a new wave of attacks on the US. It is not far fetched to view the attacks in Spain as a possible dress rehearsal for terrorist activity in the US. New York City, which has twice been attacked by Islamic fundamentalists, is a prime target. Commuter rail and subway systems are heavily used for travel in and out of the city. The New York Police Department judiciously deployed a team of anti-terror detectives to Spain to observe and help with the investigation. This might shed some light on potential security shortfalls.

Spain has been one of the US government’s closet allies in the war on terror and the liberation of Iraq. The bombings occurred three days prior to Spanish national elections. The attack could either serve as vengeance for the war on terror or as a means to influence the outcome of the Spanish elections. This was clearly an act to invoke negative sentiment towards the US. The situation provides morbid political capital for critics of the US within the Spanish political system. The Spanish government will likely experience backlash from constituents, 98% of whom opposed Bush’s war on terror.

With fears of terrorism renewed, expect national security to become a more important presidential election issue. Perhaps elevated terror alert over the holiday season lulled Americans into a false sense of security. While there have been great strides in improving airport security, the rails remain more difficult to regulate. Thursday’s attack reminded Spaniards and Americans alike that terrorists continue to pose a formidable threat to security in both our nations.