A.S.
Senate delays anti-war resolution
By Brian Brannon
On-line Forty-Niner
A
resolution opposing a war with Iraq was
put on hold yesterday by the Associated
Student Senate to allow senators a chance
to hear more from their constituents.
Sen. Jorge Reyes drafted the resolution,
which calls on all students to resist the
war and demand an end to economic sanctions
against the people of Iraq.
The resolution states that over 1.5 million
people, including 500,000 children, have
died in Iraq following the sanctions. It
also stated that the during the Gulf War,
the United States left behind 300 to 800
tons of depleted uranium in that country,
damaging the environment and creating an
immense health hazard.
Jason Garthoffner, a member of the College
Republicans at Cal State Long Beach, questioned
the figures in the resolution, especially
the statement regarding damage to the environment.
He said it ignored the fact that Iraqi military
forces set a number of oil rigs and facilities
on fire during the 1991 war as they retreated
from coalition forces.
“That contributed a lot to the pollution
at that time,” Garthoffner said.
Senior CSULB business major Cameron Stewart
reminded the Senate that it represents 35,000
students and faculty members on campus,
many of whom hold differing views on the
possibility of war with Iraq.
Rather than take a stance that might alienate
one group or another, he suggested the Senate
not take any action on the matter.
Senator Brian Roberts agreed with that assessment.
“What we need to ask ourselves is, are we
assigning an opinion that our constituents
do not hold?” he asked.
Roberts questioned a statement in the resolution
that said large U.S. military expenditures
resulted in increased tuition fees for students
in the California State University system.
University funding comes from the state,
while military funding is a function of
the federal government, he said.
Sen.Adam Anderson said the resolution should
list how it would be distributed, so students
could review it and know what actions to
take. He also said he was concerned the
Senate might overstep its bounds in issuing
the resolution.
“I think it may be too much to call on all
students to resist the war,” he said.
Reyes acknowledged the existence of varying
opinions of a possible war with Iraq on
campus, but he defended the spirit of the
resolution.
“It’s a huge issue of debate, I’m not saying
it’s not,” he said. “More or less, it is
just to take a stand.”
Vice President Shahrokh Sheik said the issue
would be an interesting subject for a town
hall meeting, such as a one held in the
wake of the tragedies of Sept. 11. Senators
Reyes, Roberts and Michael Johnson volunteered
to organize the meeting, which the Senate
hopes to hold within the next two or three
weeks.
The anti-war resolution is set for consideration
during the next A.S.I. meeting at 3:30 p.m.
Feb. 19 in the Senate Chambers.
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