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Viewpoint
The Battalion Monday
Texas A&M University November 21, 1977
A man named Cain
His middle name could have been Generous.
R. Wofford Cain was one of those Aggies who went out into the cruel world, made
good and wanted to share the fruits of his success with this University. He was very
generous in sharing that fruit.
Cain, who graduated from Texas A&M in 1913 with a bachelor of science degree,
died last week in Dallas. He served the University well in those 64 years.
He was a member of the University system board of regents from 1965-1971. He
was chairman of the University Development Foundation in 1950, highlighting his
more than 20 years as a trustee of the Foundation.
But possibly his greatest generosity came out of his own pocket. He sponsored
more than 100 University scholarships. The University swimming pool and athletic
dormitory which he funded bear his name. He was a major contributor to the build
ing fund for the University library. He paid for the furnishings and lighting in the All
Faiths Chapel.
The University recognized his contributions and his accomplishments in the petro
leum industry by awarding him the “Distinguished Alumni Award” in 1964.
But he never sought any publicity or thanks for those contributions. He seemed
simply content knowing he was helping the school that had helped him.
Ttiey don’t seem to make men like that anymore.
L.R.L.
Jimmy’s confused
The controversial Allan Bakke “reverse discrimination” case, now before
the U.S. Supreme Court, can be as confusing as it is important. That confu
sion extends right into the White House, to the president himself.
President Carter, in a recent letter to the American Jewish Committee,
thanked that organization for its strong support of affirmative action pro
grams. That’s where the first confusion comes—it’s not exactly clear how
much affirmative action the Carter administration favors. The president s
letter also says he agrees with the AJC’s view that “rigid racial quotas are
exclusionary and therefore unconstitutional.”
The AJC has filed a ffiend-of-the-court brief supporting Bakke, who says a
California medical shcool admissions policy discriminates against whites by
giving minorities unfair advantage.
Wheeling W. Va. Intelligencer
Richard Helms, the former chief of the CIA, seems to have found a way
out of a predicament that was embarrassing to everyone concerned.
By pleading no contest to two misdemeanor charges of failing to tell the
whole truth to a congressional committee—as deposed to the felony charge
of perjury that might have been lodged against him—he avoided a trial.
Thus, both he and the government were relieved of the responsibility for
revealing classified information that could have damaged the national inter
est.
Most Americans probably agree with President Carter’s judgment that the
charge finally brought by the Justice Department “upholds the law but also
serves the interests of national security.” But there is a dissenting view that
no one, not even the CIA director, should lie to a congressional committee.
What effect will the Helms case have on future CIA and other secret-
carriers? Probably they will do the same and take their chances, as most
spies do anyway. Tt is unfortunate that a man like Mr. Helms, who had
served honorably—despite some egregious lapses of his agency—should
have let himself be ensnared in false testimony. But it is also bad that U.S.
policy required him to do that.
Providence Journal-Bulletin
Employment bill does much for no one
By WILLIAM RASPBERRY
WASHINGTON—The President is
pleased that he and the sponsors of the
Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment
Bill have worked out their differences.
The sponsors of the legislation—Sen.
Hubert H. Humphrey (D-Minn.) and
Rep. Augustus F. Hawkins (D-Calif.) say
they are delighted over the prospect that
their much debated proposal will soon be
enacted.
Well, I’ve just looked at the com
promise bill, and I don’t understand what
all the smiling is about.
What they seem to have produced, after
years of controversy and several recent
days of intensive negotiations, is a really
tough policy statement which, while it
takes pains to define “full employment,”
does precious little to achieve full em
ployment.
The “interim” full-employment target
for five years following enactment would
be 3 percent for adults, 4 percent overall.
The President would have to file each year
a “short-term” plan for moving toward the
“interim” target. The plan would include,
in any mix that suited the President’s
fancy, various tools made available by
Congress.
An innocent reading the bill would sup
pose: (a) that the Congress wanted full
employment while the President did not,
and (b) that the Congress knew how to
achieve full employment.
They both want a substantial reduction
in joblessness, of course, although the
President seems to be more concerned
than Humphrey-Hawkins supporters
about exacerbating inflation.
The problem isn’t in where they’d like
the economy to go. The problem is in how
to get it there, and although Humphrey-
Hawkins lists the now-familiar range of
options—including the government as an
“employer of last resort—neither knows
how to make the economy do what they’d
like to see it do.
But they talk as though wanting it to
happen is the same as making it happen.
Hear Hawkins:
“Focusing federal economic policy deci
sions around the goal of reducing unem
ployment to full-employment levels is a
major accomplishment which will posi
tively affect the lives of not only teenagers
and minority unemployed but also... You
get the drift.
But “focusing federal economic policy
decisions around the goal of reducing un
employment does not “positively affect
the lives of anybody. Reducing unern-
,
ployment can positively affect the lives of
us all. It is the result, not the focus that
will do it.
Similarly, the goal of “attaining reason
able price stability as soon as feasible is
unarguable. Who wouldn’t want to do
exactly that? But what is the purpose of
putting it in a piece of legislation?
When Hawkins and Humphrey first
worked out their controversial legislation,
one of its principal features was a public
employment feature that would kick in
whenever joblessness in a particular area
reached a certain triggering point.
Another was a congressional authority to
sue the President for not doing what Con
gress set forth as the proper way to put the
economy right.
The compromise bill now being hailed
also provides for the government’s role as
employer of last resort, but no longer au
tomatically. After all else fails, the Presi
dent may come to the Congress and ask for
public works programs. The right to sue
has long since been abandoned.
What remains is hardly more than a
joint policy statement. There is some
value in some of the specific tools provided
in the bill and also in the requirement for
an annual economic report from the Presi
dent. At least that will ensure a regular
debate on the problems of joblessness and
inflation.
But the absence of debate never was the
problem. It was—and is—the absence of
jobs for millions of people who want to
work.
I don’t see that Humphrey-Hawkins will
do much for them.
(c) 1977, The Washington Post Com
pany
Letters to the editor
Students shouldn’t hold incident against police
Editor:
When I got out of my classes Wednes
day evening I picked up my daily edition
of the Battalion and proceeded into my
dorm to read it. The first thing I noticed
was the article about the patrolman ac
cused of vainly trying to ignite the Aggie
bonfire. Being a freshman student at Texas
A&M, I feel that it is an honor to have the
privilege of writing to the Battalion ex
pressing my opinion concerning this mat
ter.
Since I was a little kid in kindergarten I
have always trusted police officers. I
thought that they were your friends and
weren’t supposed to hurt you in any way.
Setting the Aggie bonfire ablaze days early
would surely have hurt many Aggies’ pride
in and respect for the College Station
Police Department.
Since I have been in College Station I
haven’t had any criticisms of my own to
hand out to the police department, until
now. The only criticism I have is that the
police department made a bad and costly
choice in choosing Gooch to be an officer
of the law and should take more caution
next time.
A lot of Aggies have probably lost re
spect for the College Station Police De
partment, but I can assure Police Chief
Byrd, that a lot of us still respect the police
department and back it up 100 percent.
I speak for myself as well as for many
other Aggies in saying that we don’t hold
this incident over the heads of the entire
police force and we will keep on believing
the old saying, “One bad apple doesn’t
spbil the whole bunch.”
—Jay Finley, ‘81
Editor’s note: As you say, ex-patrolman
Gooch is definitely not typical of College
Station policemen. Students will do well
to remember that.
Freedom before law
(The following letter refers to Karen
Boswell’s letter in the Nov. 17 Battalion.)
Editor:
When laws are made, they are made to
fetter society (not a generalization). When
the law stating that motorcyclists were not
required to wear crash helmets was
passed, I could not believe it. How could
such a responsible law like that even be
considered.
Riding a motorcycle can be dangerous,
as can be riding a bicycle, walking across
the street, driving a car, hunting, flying,
water skiing, snow skiing, smoking, work
ing in a steel mill, playing politics, writing
letters to the Battalion, etc. Even with all
the proper clothing, people can still be
hurt or killed in an accident in any of these
activities. Can you imagine irresponsibil
ity in any of these areas. Heaven forbid!
Responsibility should definitely be legis
lated.
People are people, and as such, we must
protect them from themselves? Most will
use common sense in matters of safety, but
those that do not will not be “saved from
themselves” by some law, and if they
were, what right does anyone have to tell
an individual which choices to make?
The mentality that says people should
not be free to decide which personal rights
and freedoms they will take is the same as
that which: required people to wear
motorcycle helmets in the first place, told
us that by 1982 we cannot buy a new car
without airbags, and tried to require that
passengers in a car wear seatbelts. To
these people I say, “respect the right of
others to have personal freedoms just as
you would have them respect yours. At
that time when you do not feel responsible
enough to make decisions for yourself,
please don’t expect everyone else to be
come slaves of society , also.
—Joe Beall, ‘79
Astroturf no danger
Editor:
In response to Mr. Joe Heger’s remarks
regarding the tradition of midnight yell
practice (“May be hazardous,” Battalion
Nov. 17), and guarding of Kyle Field, we
agree with the tradition of protecting the
field wholeheartedly. However, the rea
son that he gave of the astroturf being
highly flammable completely insults the
intelligence of all Aggies.
We would like to call to Mr. Heger’s
attention the fact that Kyle Field is not
used only during midnight yell practice.
The facility is constantly being used for
P.E. classes, jogging, athletic events, etc.
and it is a benefit not only to A&M, but
the residents of Bryan-College Station as
well. The staduim is accessible at all times
(except during football practice) with little
or no regulations regarding its use.
If the field is so much of a danger and so
flammable as according to Mr. Heger, why
isn’t the field protected at all times? Kyle
Field is a source of pride to all Aggies, and
from this pride comes a deep respect and
desire not to hurt it.
In short, Mr. Heger, we thank you for
explaining the traditions, and hope that
people will respect them. But don’t insult
your fellow Aggies’ intelligence by offering
such a poor reason for these traditions.
—George Gallagher, ’79
—Mike Tissue, ’80
P.S. Since the field is so flammable, Coach
Bellard, please don’t smoke your pipe on
the field during practice for the safety of
the team.
Ramps not for bikes
Editor:
In response to Doug Luecke’s two cents
worth in November 16 Batt, and I quote
“...don’t walk in the bike paths or on the
bike ramps, they were put there exclu
sively for bikes.”
Now I don’t ride a bike around campus.
Personally I never really needed one. I’m
sure its hard on the bike and rider to have
to jump a curb, and its aggravating to have
pedestrians blocking bike paths. Now as to
the exclusive rights to the ramps. I’ve got
word from extremely reliable sources that
the ramps main purpose is to serve the
handicapped. That is to be more precise,
the wheelchair students.
By the way, have you ever tried to jump
a curb in a wheelchair? If you have any
further questions on the ramps, I’d
suggest you contact the university safety
office.
Timothy P. Beavers, ’79
of the News
Campus
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Jan. 54
Class schedules for the spring semester are due for delivery todayat
the Registrar’s office, first floor of the Coke Building.
KAMU-TV recognized
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tional television station, was singled out for recognition this year by tie jch fatigu
American Council for Better Broadcasts (ACBB) for the station’s
cial support of “Outstanding programs.” The ACBB this year recog
nized 10 corporations and three foundations in addition to KAMU-Tt,
Channel 15, which was the only television station cited. The Texas
A&M facility was chosen for its support of the special “Cousteau:
in Space.” KAMU-TV was joined by Friends of Cousteau Society
Ford Foundation, Public Broadcasting Service and Corp. for Public
Broadcasting in that particular special.
State
Women s conference strikes emotion
The National Women’s Conference endorsed abortion, sex educa
tion and lesbian rights Sunday amid emotional appeals pro and con,
sign waving and a burst of balloons emblazoned with the gays'
“We are everywhere. " The feminists proposals “reproductive free
dom” and “sexual preference” divided the 2,000 delegates in Austin,
more severely than any of the other previous proposals adopted by tie
historic conferences — including the Equal Rights Amendment. De
bate was also characterized by complaints of pushing and shovingatthe
microphones where women gathered by the scores seeking to speak
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Nation
Media combinations backed
Newspapers and broadcasts are making a last stand in the Supreme
Court against an order threatening breakup of up to 150 media combi
nations in 44 states. A small blitz of briefs in Washington has de
scended on the justices as the court prepares to hold oral argumentson
a U.S. Court of Appeals order requiring newspapers to sell television
or radio stations they own in the same city where they publish.
Cross-ownerships in Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, St. Louis, Washing
ton D. C., Shreveport, La., and New York could be affected by the
outcome of the Supreme Court.
Editorials praise Sadat
F(
American newspaper editorials Sunday praised Egyptian President
Anwar Sadat’s historic visit to Israel. One editorial suggested ifSadafs
mission fails another Middle East war could result. The Pittsburgh
Press said Sadat “showed exceptional courage” to go before the Israeli
parliament. It added, “The act was courageous because it appears to
have been initiated by President Sadat alone among the Arab nations
and their leaders . . . The Columbus Ohio Dispatch labeled Sadat’s
visit a “bold and dangerous initiative that could break the diplomatic
logjam and move Israel and Egypt closer to a durable peace settle
ment. ”
Junk food junkie details life
A self-confessed junk food junkie says more than half the foodaU.S.
consumer eats each year is junk, and America is the first nation in
history to have the problem of malnutrition among the rich. Michaels.
Lasky begins “The Complete Junk Food Book by briefly detailing
from childhood the formation of a lifetime habit: “The pimply 18-
year-old made a tearful confession. He was fired, as the owner put it,
for ‘the worst kind of thievery there is — taking candy from the mouths
of babes.’ ”
World
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Portugese jetliner crashes, kills 125
A Portugese jetliner overshot a runway in heavy fog, plunged more
than 200 feet off a cliff and exploded in flames on a rocky beach below,
killing 125 people, officials said today. Officials said 39 people, includ
ing four children aged 4 to 10, survived the crash of the Boeing 727 jet
carrying 164 passengers and crew of at least five nationalities to the
Madeira Islands from Brussels, Belgium. No Americans were aboard
Portugese TAP Flight 425, officials said. The crash was the first involv
ing passenger casualties in TAP’s 25-year history.
Thousands attend Mexico’s parade
Thousands of Mexico City dwellers turned out on a bright, spring
like Sunday to see a colorful, traditional parade celebrating the 67th
anniversary of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Mexico’s President
Jose Lopez Portillo, speaking from the central balcony of the National
Palace on the Zocalo, Mexico City’s main plaza inaugurated the Na
tional Sport and Cultural Games of the Mexican Revolution.
Weather
Mostly cloudy and cool today and tomorrow with northeas
terly winds 10-15 mph. High today upper 50s. Low tonight
high 40s. High tomorrow mid 60s. 30 percent chance of
rain.
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The Battalion
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the
editor or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily
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