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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1977)
Viewpoint The Battalion Texas A&M University Wednesday, September 21, 1977 Fraternities: Can ‘good Ags’ listen? Editor: Hcccntlx 1 attended a fraternity party here at Texas A<S;M. As I left the party; three ears passed me. The oeeupants w ithin, all Aggies, shouted obseenities at me and made several obseene gestures. As 1 rounded a eurve in the road I saw all three vehicles lined up aeross the road, completely blocking it. 1 stopped, and about ten of the occu pants approached my ear. They asked me w here 1 was coming from and I replied, "A fraternitv party. Then they asked me if I was an Aggie, to which I replied, "Yes. Then thex proceeded to use very abu sive language tow ards me and my wife and then went as far as to threaten me. They claimed I was not an Aggie, that they "hated people who broke tradition, and that iff wanted to belong to a Fraternity, 1 should go to college somewhere else. 1 listened to their remarks, replied courteousb to their questions, was in no way abusive towards them, and when the opportunity presented itself, 1 drove off. Evidently, there are other persons on this campus who feel the same* wax’ as these young men. and 1 would like to take this opportunitx to respond to their insults and false accusations. First. I am 33 years old, married, and a former Anm Officer ((.aptain) who spent 10 years in the military. I received a battlefield commission in Vietnam during my first tour, and 8 of the 10 years, includ ing tw'o tours in Vietnam and a tour in Panama, I served as a Green Beret. On campus, besides having belonged to the Bridge Club and the Scuba Club, I am an Readers’ Forum active member of the Veteran’s Club. I attend all athletic events that I can, stand throughout the football games, say “howdy to persons I meet on Campus, and would gladly go out of my way to assist a fellow Aggie in need. I am proud to be an Aggie, yet you say I am not an Aggie. The ideals which my Fraternity are based upon are Friendship, Justice, and Learning. Traditionally, A6c\I is known for the Friendship which exists on cam pus. It has alw ays been highly regarded as an institution of higher learning. In the fight against injustice and inhumane ac tions, particularly World War I, World W ar II, Korea, and Vietnam, the contribu tions and the sacrifices of Former Aggies have been exceptionally noteworthy. Are the ideals of Friendship, Justice, and Learning anti-tradition? Do you also feel that women are anti-tradition? Do the achievements of Miss Tomes embarrass you? How' can you say that I am anti tradition? I am proud to be an Aggie. During my travels I saw many universi ties. Because of my military service, I could have chosen to attend just about any university anywhere. For me, there was but one choice and to this day I am firmly and strongly convinced that I chose the best university possible to continue my education. I chose Texas A&M University, and I wouldn’t trade my university for any other in the United States. I am proud to be an Aggie, yet you tell me to go some- where else. My wife and 1 are working our way through college and I feel that I have earned the right to belong to any organiza tion I so choose, as long as it is not im moral, subversive, or contrary to my Christian beliefs. My Fraternity meets these criteria. College is more than just a place to get book learning; it is a time of growing, meeting new people with new and different ideas, and a time to learn how to get along with other people. My Fraternity gives me these opportunities. My Fraternitv believes in individuality and stresses the importance of accepting other people despite the differences which exist in temperments, talents, and convic tions. I am not asking you to join a Fraternity. I am not asking you to change your feel ings toward fraternities. What I am asking is that you respect my convictions and allow me to belong to my fraternity with out the fear of being beaten up, having the tires punctured on my ear, having my C. B. antenna snapped off, or having persons write obscenities on my car. Is this asking too much? Finally, if the young men w ho stopped me and did all these things would kindly return the “Gig cm Aggies banner which they stole from the Fraternity House, I can assure you that no actions will be taken. We are all Aggies and it’s about time vx e realized that differences should not lead to violence and criminal actions. We are all lucky to belong to such a great and traditional institution as Texas A&M. Let’s extend the hand of friendship and push forward together to make it even greater than it is. The members of the different frater nities at Texas A&M are extending their hand. W ill you accept it? —Lee Torbctt A proud Aggie and a member of a Frater nitv Carter seeing the light of 1980 By ARNOLD SAWISLAK United Press International WASHINGTON—For reasons that can be only guessed, the W'hite House appears jto be worried about the presidential primaries of 1980. No one at the White House has said so, nit the behavior of its operatives on the Democratic National Committee’s current eform commission leads to that conclu sion. n 1976, the' party outlawed "winner take all primaries and called for a system of "proportional representation’ giving delegates to candidates in proportion to the strength they showed in the voting. The rules also permitted states to establish a cutoff point—15 per cent of the vote— below which candidates would not be entitled to delegates. . ** - Twenty-six states d’sed cutoffs in 1976. While there was no great outcry, there was some grumbling from "New Politics” Democrats that any cutoff was a distortion of democratic procedures. When the 1980 reform commission met this year Carter’s representatives wanted the cutoff raised to 25 per cent and changed from an option to a mandatory rule.. While final action won’t be taken until next year, sentiment at a recent meeting- in Detroit indicated that some sort of slid ing cutoff may be offered, starting at 15 per cent in the first primaries and increas ing to 25 per cent in the late tests. White House political aide Mark Siegel was an active promoter of this proposition. The “New Politics” members of the commission objected to any increase and tried to make a case for a reduction of the cutoff percentage. They got little support. This could be just another of the exotic ideological controversies that Democrats seem to be forever embroiling themselves in. But always the suspicion is present that some specific goal is in mind when one faction in politics wants to change the rules of the game. Can it be that Carter wants to insure against a challenge from someone like Gov. Jerry Brown in 1980? Is the presi dent worried about fringe "issue oppo- nents like Ellen McCormick, the 1976 anti-abortion crusader? Both of these pos sibilities were offered privately at Detroit. But a chart prepared by the commission staff of results in 16 primary states showed that Brown, mostly because of his Califor nia landslide, would have gained more than 50 delegates under a 25 per cent cutoff. McCormick got no delegates from those states and would have gotten none with a larger cutoff. Carter actually would have lost nine of 332 delegates. However, the chart also showed that while Brown would have lost about 30 of 170 delegates under a cutoff reduced to 5 per cent, McCormick would have received a dozen delegates. Other also-ran candi dates such as Rep. Morris Udall, Sens. Frank Church, Henry Jackson and Hubert Humphrey, Govs. George W 7 allace and Milton Shapp, Fred Harris and Sargent Shriver would have received more than they got. Those figures might put a different light on the situation. The White House strategy (if there is one) could be to block a “New Politics” effort to reduce or elimi nate the cutoff by pushing for 25 per cent and then settling for something around the 15 per cent figure of 1976. That would be a roundabout way to get what you really want by appearing to lose what you say you want. But no one ever said politics wasn’t a devious business. Portillo’s government still ‘free-thinking Mexico not supporting canal treaty By CAROL COOK United Press International MEXICO CITY — The government of President Jose Lopez Portillo has made its first xentnre into foreign policy with a pointed criticism of the Panama Canal treaties that seems aimed at telling the United States that Mexico still intends to maintain an independent stance in foreign iffairs. Lopez Portillo did not go to Washington for the signing of the treaties on Sept. 7. Some observers said his absence was in- tended to show Mexico’s disapproval of the fact that the United States is entitled to intervene militarily to defend the ca uls neutrality. When the canal treaties were discussed it a six-nation Latin American summit in Bogota last August, Lopez Portillo also ob jected to a U.S. proposal that the United states be given exclusive rights to build another canal in Panama, So the Mexican president did not go to Washington; pleading “prior commit ments." Instead, he sent Foreign Minister Santiago Reel, who said he was there to "defend the sovereignty of the canal. At Mexico s behest, the wording of the Declaration of Washington, signed by Latin American leaders as a show of sup port for the treaties, was toned down. It merely congratulated President Carter and Omar Torrijos “for having initiated the steps that would lead to full sovereignty of the republic of Panama over the totality of its territory. This position is in line with Mexico’s traditional policy of non-intervention in foreign affaris. But it also seems calculated to remind Washington that Mexico under Lopez Portillo is still as free-thinking — though more tasteful — as it was under former President Luis Echeverria. Lopez Portillo s decision not to go to Washington for the signing coincided with his strongest public statement yet on U.S.-Mexico relations. In his first State of the Nation report on Sept. 1, he chided the United States for “importing capital, but no labor. He also warned his north ern neighbor to respect the human rights of Mexican migrant workers, and avoid "police measures’ against the illegals. Mexico s objections to the canal treaties cannot have been welcome to the Carter administration, which would like to have Latin American consensus on the pacts. Nor can it have been agreeable to Torrijas, who is under fire by Panama’s left for the wide powers of military intervention given the United States under the treaties. Mexico s reservations about the treaties may have the effect of hardening opposi tion to the treaties in Panama. Panama s Independent Lawyers Movement recently sent a telegram of congratulations to Lopez Portillo. “Just like you, we repudiate any treaty that would consecrate the legalization of American intervention in our country, it said. The government’s stands on the canal and on the immigrant problem also seems aimed at nullifying political opponents at home. There has been criticism from the left, for example: that the planned gas pipeline from Mexico’s rich southeast oilfields to Texas will increase Mexico’s dependence on the United States. Lopez Portillo used his report on the state of the nation to defend the gasline. But reminded the United States that rela tions have "not always been steady,” and called for a new relationship of dignity, mutual respect and equal treatment. Decoding the faithful Indian companion By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON — This month’s issue )f Smithsonian magazine contains a schol- irly article on the vast amount of research hat has gone into trying to establish what onto, the Lone Ranger’s faithful Indian ompanion, meant by the salutation kemo sabe.” Francis Striker, who created the origi- tal radio serial, apparently never revealed he secret. That left it up to linguists, an- hropologists and other specialists to solve he mystery. Thus far, none has come up with any- hing conclusive. Lone Ranger fans generally took “kemo abe” to mean “faithful friend” or some- hing of that sort. But the magazine says hat interpretation does not square with ny known Indian dialect. Probably the closest to it are the Tewa ndian words “kema,” meaning “friend,” nd “sabe,” meaning “Apache.” If seems unlikely Tonto would address ic masked rider as “friend Apache.” De- pite the mask, Tonto surely could discern lat the Lone Ranger was not a fellow In- ian. One theory is that “kemo sabe” was ased on the Yavapai Indian word "kin- uisaba, meaning “one who is white.” hat seems out of character. Tonto simply wasn’t the type who would sc a term that apparently is the Yavapai quivalent of “honky.” The Smithsonian also speculates that “kemo sabe” was not Indian talk at all but a corruption of the Spanish “el quien lo sabe” ("the one who knows”). That theory won’t wash either. While Tonto might conceivably have credited the Lone Ranger with omnisci ence, it should be noted that the tra ditional corruption of “sabe” is “savvy.” But he might well have impressed Tonto as someone who was frequently “saturated with moisture.” In other words. I’m convinced that Letters to the editor “kemo sabe” was not a corruption of “el quien lo sabe” in the sense of’ the one who knows” but rather in the sense of “the one who is all wet.” The Lighter side Ticket scalpers immoral Why would Tonto have corrupted “quien” as “kemo and not “sabe” as “savvy?” Clearly this field of research is still wide open. Pending some sort of definitive finding by the scholars, Lone Ranger fans are free to form their own theories. Here’s mine: I can recall many situations in which the masked man took courses of action that any prudent Indian companion would have regarded as unsound. So when Tonto uttered lines such as “Turn back, kemo sabe,” I suspect he was commenting on the Lone Ranger’s mental ity. This theory is based on the fact that Tonto pronounced “sabe” to sound a great deal like “sobby.” My dictionary defines “sobby” as “saturated with moisture” or “related to weeping.” Okay. The Lone Ranger was the macho type. Daring and resourceful,” the radio described him. Certainly not the type who easily bursts into tears. Editor: We would like to comment on the de plorable action of many of the Aggies on the scalping situation for the Tech game tickets. We do not see how anyone can take a fellow Aggie for granted by making him pay totally outrageous prices ($20 and even more a piece) for tickets that cost them only $4. What is even more absurd is how many of these same scalpers used other Aggies to spend the night for them with the idea that the scalper needed the tickets for himself or his friends. We re sure that the people who really needed tickets and stayed out the whole night to find there were not any more, are really thankful to those “good Ags” who they will now have to pay exorbitant prices to. Now these same scalpers are walking around campus, smug (and unjustly rich) in the knowledge they have cheated another Ag. We feel that the ticket distribution should be changed to discourage this re grettable behavior or student attitudes must change. Diane Marble ’79 Amy Lasche ’78 Barbara Kiker ’79 Scott Hennigar ’80 Rick Stockton ’78 Don Criswell ’79 Frank Anderson ’80 Where’s the light? Editor: In response to the article printed in the 9/19/77 Battalion concerning the con troversy of lighting or not lighting the sports complex, my only question is: If the seemingly useless wall built around the various entrances to campus can be lighted all night with no benefit to anyone, why can’t the University system allocate the funds to light the fields which can be utilized by everyone! — William M. Seger Top of the News Campus Gift presented to vet project An anonymous gift of $3,000 was presented to Texas A&M Univer sity’s Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology Department to sup port a research project involving dogs with congenital heart defects, The gift was made through Carl Schumacher Jr., vice president and trust officer of First International Bank of Houston. Grant given to program by Gulf Texas A&M University’s finance program received a $3,000 grant Tuesday from two representatives of Gulf Oil Company. The check was presented to Dr. Kerry Cooper, head of finance, and Dr. Donald Fraser, Brockette Professor of Finance by comptroller Bert H Knapp and Fred J. Hennes, both of Gulfs Houston operations. State Edwards to run for Congress Chet Edwards, the District Administrative Assistant to Con gressman Olin E. “Tiger Teague, announced that he has resigned his position in order to make plans for running for Congress should Teague retire. Edwards commented, “If Tiger Teague decides to run for re-election, I w ill do everything I can to support him; because in working with him for the past three years, I have developed the utmost respect for his honesty and dedicated service to the 6th Con- qressional District and to his country. ” He added that his resignation was effective Sept. 15. Edwards is a 1974 honor graduate of Texas A&M University, where he received the Earl Rudder-Brown Foun dation award, given annually to the two top graduates of A&M. 6 Shock involved in testimony A doctor and attorneys for T. Cullen Davis Tuesday debated the meaning and effects of “shock, a medical condition which prose cutors say could explain the memory lapses of a witness in the murder trial of the Texas millionaire. Dr. Michael Heard has testified Gus Gavrel Jr., 22, was in shock when he arrived at a Fort Worth hospital last year for treatment of a gunshot wound. Gavrel, whose right leg remains paralyzed, has identified Davis as the man who shot him. During his testimony Gavrel was uncertain of times, distances and other details of the assault and made statements inconsistent with his previous explanations. McKittrick breaks silence A former prostitute, fearful for her own life and that of her son, Tuesday broke a self-imposed silence and told a civil court jury how Texas millionaire oilman Ash Robinson directed a scenario ending with the death of Dr. John Hill. In a voice barely audible at times, Marcia McKittrick, 27, related how her sometime benefactress Lilia Paulus met Robinson in a hospital parking lot near where Hill prac ticed medicine and in her home to discuss the contract killing of the wealthy plastic surgeon, Robinson s son-in-law. "They were both sea ted in the front seat. They appeared to be talking. Just before Lilia Paulus got out he seemed to hand her something. She put it in her bag, Miss McKittrick said. Hill was murdered at the front doin'of his home Sept. 24, 1972. Nation Boyle in stable condition Former United Mine Workers President W. A. "Tony” Boyle, who suffered chest pains during a retrial for the slayings of his union rival, Joseph Yablonski, and two family members, was listed in stable con dition in a nearby hospital. The trial was recessed by presiding Judge Francis J. Catania until 10 a.m., EDT, Friday. Laetrile — another test Dr. Sidney Cohen says he doesn’t believe the' drug Laetrile has any effect against cancer, but he says it has been beneficial —if only psychologically— to a 43-year-old terminal cancer patient who asked to be treated with the controversial drug. Cohen, who only became involved in the Laetrile issue at patient Howard Walker’s request; says he thinks the drug —an extract of apricot pits— has no medical value, but that it can do no harm. World Picasso estate settled Pablo Picasso’s heirs have ended four and one-half years of squabbl ing over the $250 million estate left by the Spanish artist, the largest on record for any artist. Picasso left no will when he died in April 1973 at the age of 91, and shortly before had predicted the battle among his heirs for their share of his fortune would be “worse than anything you can imagine. Fifty-four months and innumerable court hearings later, it was announced Monday that Picasso’s six heirs have reached a settlement on sharing his estate. Jackie gets more money Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis will receive $26 million from the es tate of her late husband Aristotle Onassis under the terms of an out-of-court settlement, a member of the Onassis Foundation board said Tuesday. This sum is in addition to an annual income of $100,000 originally bequethed to her by her second husband. Weather Partly cloudy and mild today. High today low 90s. Winds out of the southeast at 8-12 mph.Continued partly cloudy tomorrow, high tomorrow mid - 90s, low tonight high 60s. No rain today or tomor row. The Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or the Board of Re gents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-support inf' enterprise operated by students as a university and com munity newspaper. Editorial policy is determined by the editor. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 3(H) words and are subject to Ifeitif' cut to that lenf'th or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone n umber for veri[flea Hon. Address conespondenee to Letters to the Editor, The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Represented nationally by National Educational Adver tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. Tlie Battalion is published Monday through Friday from Septemlx-r through May except during exam and holiday periods and the summer, when it is published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; 833.25 per school year; $35.(X) per full year. Advertising rates fur nished on request. Address: The Battalion, Boom 216. Reed McDonald Building, College Station. Texas 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it. Rights of reproduction of all other nutter herein resened Second-Class postage paid at College Station. TX 77843 MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor J; iimic Aitkrii Managing Editor Mary Alice Woodliani' Editorial Director Lee Hex Lesdiperjr Spoils Editor P.ml Anictt News Editors Marie Homeyer. Caml Mrui Reporters Rush Cawley. Kim Tyson Cletina Whitley . Darrell liinfnnl. I«iz Vwlii Photographer kni llem ni Student Publications Httard: Bob (.* Rogers. (IminiUK Joe Arretlmido; Dr (•ary Halter. Dr. John \\ llminn: Robert Han ey; Dr. Cbarh s MeCantlless; Dr. Clinloii .\ Phillips: Rebel Rice Director of Student Puhliaitiiw Donald <\ Jidinson. Production (-ttordiiuitvr: \\ Sniff Sherman