Viewpoint
The Battalion Friday
Texas A&M University February 10, 1978
Israel s Begin puts peace on hold
The simmering dispute between the United States and Israel over whether
President Carter was given an Israeli commitment not to establish new
civilian settlements in occupied Arab territories is in large measure irrelevant
to the central problem that the settlements — new or old — present.
As a matter of international law, under the Fourth Geneva Convention, the
settlements are illegal. As a matter of practical political reality, Israels insis
tence on permanent retention of the contested sites places a formidable and
probably insurmountable barrier in the path of peacemaking. As a matter of
timing and good-faith diplomacy, the recent expansion of the settlements
policy — whatever name is given to it — is largely inexplicable and wholly
retrogressive.
Now Israel faces the opportunity that it has long coveted — at least to begin
making peace with its neighbors. And, confronted suddenly with the necessity
for choice, confronted with a need to make good on its long-standing pledge
that everything would be negotiable, Israel responds by saying that the
settlements are established and irretnovable facts, and that their future is not
within the purview of negotiations. And then, to underscore this stance and
intensify the irritant, Israel proceeds to expand its physical presence in the
occupied territory.
There should be no doubt about the central importance of this issue. What
is at stake in this controversy is not Prime Minister Menahem Begin’s ability to
deal with his domestic political problems. As we see it, what is at stake
ultimately and fundamentally is the sincerity and effectiveness of Israel’s
commitment to work toward a just and realizable peace.
Los Angeles Times
Godbey campaign keys on name
By JIM CRAWLEY
Ron Godbey is the proud owner of two
traits that voters look for when they vote for
any candidate.
First, the voter will look for a candidate
that has a familiar name. This is a subcon
scious function that most people don’t rec-
Politics
ognize. The second and more conscious
voter clue is a similarity between the can
didate and the voter.
Godbey, an attorney and former Fort
Worth TV meteorologist with strong name
identification in the northern half of the
Sixth Congressional District, is considered
by many political observers as one of the
candidates likely to make a run-off in the
May 6 primary. In 1976, Godbey cam
paigned against incumbant Olin E. “Tiger”
Teague in the Democratic primary. Nearly
40 percent of the voters selected Godbey in
1976.
Name identification is probably the
greatest asset to the Codbey campaign.
While he is knowledgeable on the issues
and experienced on the campaign trail, it
will be his years as a weatherman for
KXAS-TV that voters remember. With half
of the district’s voters living in range of
KXAS-TV, this name identification will
drastically reduce the amount of money
Godbey will have to spend getting his name
known to the voters.
Godbey, 43, is trying to run his campaign
on the shoelaces. While he collected only
$17,000 for the 1976 primary, he ran better
against Teague than any recent Democratic
opponent. This time the campaign chest for
Godbey will probably be expanded since
the race is fairly open.
Supposing Godbey gets campaign con
tributions totaling $25,000, what can he
do? According to Phil Gramm, another
Democratic contender, it costs $30,000 to
send a letter to every voter in the district.
Gramm and his staff are in the process of
composing letters to each voter. So by his
opponent’s figures, Godbey may not be
able to afford to send letters to all the vot
ers. Political announcements are expen
sive, especially in a district that is 200 miles
l6ng and' coVers three major media mar
kets.
Handshaking is the only political adver
tising that is cheap these days. But even the
traditional handshake and kissing of babies
can cost vast sums of money. To shake
hands in every town in the district a candi
date has to buy gas, food and lodging while
on the campaign .trail.
Godbey should also be able to attract
votes from citizens looking for a candidate
with a similar background as their own.
Many voters want to see a congressman
that would be able to sympathize with the
constituents’ problems.
Godbey may be the man that can relate
to many of the district’s voters. He cites
experience in many fields other than
meteorology and law. He claims experi
ence in teaching, the military and politics.
Godbey holds a teaching certificate and has
taught college meteorolgy classes. He is
also a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force
Reserve, coming up in the ranks from pri
vate.
The last Democratic primary was God-
bey’s first adventure into politics. In that
race against the now-retiring Teague,
Godbey surprised many Teague backers by
getting nearly 40 percent of the district
vote. Godbey received an excellent turn
out in the northern part of the district and
lost the Texas A&M campus precinct vote
by only three votes.
The Democrat believes the district
needs a common man in its congressional
seat.
“Needed is a congressman who under
stands you and your situation, a con
gressman you can trust, a congressman who
believes in old-fashioned honesty and a
congressman who genuinely wants to see
the United States of America remain the
hope and the envy of the rest of the world
for another 200 years,’’ reads the Godbey
literature.
Physically speaking, Godbey could be
your next-door neighbor. He prides him
self with the idea that he is just like any
other resident of the Sixth. He doesn’t wear
flashy clothes and doesn’t tiy to hide the
fact that he is the oldest candidate in the
race. The only apparent difference be
tween Ron Godbey and the next-door
neighbor is Godbey is running for a seat in
the House of Representatives.
Jim Crawley’s political column now will be
published on Wednesdays and Fridays to
provide more extensive coverage of candi
dates.
Letters to the editor
Photo caption receives bad reviews
Editor:
Allow me to respond to the rhetorical
question, “This is Art?”, utilized as a cap
tion for the photograph of a sculptural com
bine by Mr. David Vogel. (Battalion, Feb.
8, 1978). The answer is Yes! The question,
incidentally, is at least fifty years out of
date.
—John J. McDermott
Professor of Philosophy
...and again
Editor:
In last Wednesday’s Battalion the front
page picture of the sculpture exhibit at the
Architecture Building had a caption under
it that read, “This is Art?“. I wish to address
myself to this mentality:
Yes, it’s true that beauty is in the eyes of
the beholder. But art is more than pretty
flowers and majestic landscapes. It is ideas
expressed in terms of form, color, texture,
sound and movement. The innuendo of
your caption, “This is Art?”, not only limits
the meaning of art, but perpetuates the
aura of provincialism that prevails at A&M.
I will confess that I don’t find the sculpture
the cutest little thing I ve ever seen. How
ever, I do respect the piece as a meaningful
work of art, and the sculptor, David Vogel,
as well.
A&M began as a technical college with
emphasis in the agricultural and mechani
cal fields, (no quarrel here). But A&M Col
lege grew in scope and numbers, and in
1963 acquired the name “Texas A&M Uni
versity". Implicit in the word “university”
is the assumption that the various disci
plines work together to sustain a place of
higher education. “University” comes from
the word “universus”, meaning all together
or the whole. (Consider: How can the heart
function without a liver? The eye without
the brain?) The lack of artistic awareness
that seems to abound at A&M raise the
question then, of whether A&M is truly a
university or just a glorified trade school.
Generally speaking, the administration
has never been an avid supporter of the arts
as a vital element of higher education at this
University. And certainly not the new ad
ministration. The responsibility, therefore,
falls to more grass roots levels of influence,
namely the students and the individual
teachers. It saddens me that the Battalion,
a student-run newspaper, does not ap
preciate this realization.
I believe the Battalion owes an apology
to the artist, David Vogel, and perhaps to
the ideals of higher education as well.
—P.G. Fleer, 79
Editor’s note: This letter was accompanied
by 27 other signatures of persons support
ing the author’s sentiments. It was not our
intention to degrade Mr. Vogel’s work,
and it was unfortunate that the caption was
run. The Battlion extends its apologies to
Mr. Vogel and the arts.
Shuttle great
Editor:
I would like to compliment the Univer
sity and the student senate on providing a
useful service to the students.
I am referring to the new intra-campus
bus system, which I found to be of great
assistance during the rainy weather.
With our campus now covering over
5,100 acres, it is high time we got buses to
take us from places like Zachry to the ag
riculture buildings across the tracks. Dur
ing the rain, I was able to ride from Zachry
to Rudder Tower and arrive on time and
dry.
Bus drivers should be complimented,
too. These drivers cover the entire route in
under 20 minutes,.and because of their
promptness, and the efficient use of six
buses, no one waits long.
Persons who oppose the program point
out a high cost and low student benefits.
However, I feel the estimated $1.75 a stu
dent per semester cost — which comes out
of our fees — is well worth it.
During baseball season consideration of
expanding the route to stop at the new field
would also increase student benefits.
I see the intra-campus system as a neces
sary asset to our growing University and
this system should be continued.
— Scott Burton, ‘80
Bad representation
Editor:
I’m mad and you should be too. Wed
nesday night the student senate met and
voted 26-24 to recommend that Student
Body President Robert Harvey resign his
office. Speaker of the Senate Bobby Tucker
said, “One thing many people seemed to be
hanging on was the feeling of the senate... I
feel like our voice has been heard.”
Tucker is wrong. The senate voice has
not been heard. One-third of the student
senate did not attend the meeting.
Twenty-seven of the people we elected to
represent us did not have the decency or
responsibility to attend this important
meeting. Those 27 votes easily could have
changed the recommendation of the se
nate.
This emphasizes a problem in America as
well as at Texas A&M. We elect people to
represent us, to be our voice in govem-
ment, and then we forget about them. We
let politicians walk all over us. They spend
our money and vote on matters the way
they feel.
When Americans do not communicate
with their elected officials, then the most
important aspect of democracy fails. The
two Texas senators have the highest rate of
absenteeism in the entire senate. Every
time these two men miss a session of the
senate, we are not being represented, and
the money we pay them is wasted.
The reason I am outraged with absen
teeism in the student senate is that this is
where we students learn basic democracy.
If we do not care about our representation
in college, then we will not care about our
representation later.
Student senate members were not
elected because of their popularity. They
were elected to make decisions that affect
everyone at this University daily. If you
care in the slightest how University policy
affects you, then find out who your repre
sentative is, and make sure he attends sen
ate meetings. If he does not, make sure he
hears about it. It is his responsibility to
attend all meetings, and if he does not, you
are the one who loses.
It is your duty and right as a citizen to
check up on elected officials, from student
government to federal government. Any
time you oppose the actions of an elected
official, write a letter, or make a telephone
call. You may be suprised with, the results.
If the average citizen will let his elected
representatives know now he feels, then
democracy can work. Otnerwise, democ
racy is simply an idea.
— Keith Taylor, ’80
Correction
Editor:
In my letter, printed in the Feb. 9, 1978
issue of the Battalion, I inadvertently omit
ted a few words from a quote.
The quote was taken from the University
“Blue Book.” My letter read, “...at the
time of elections and at least a 2.000 grade
point ratio for the preceding summer
terms...
The quote should have read, “...at the
time of the election or elections and at least
a 2.000 grade point ratio ‘or the preceding
regular semester or the two preceding
summer terms...”
I sincerely apologize to everyone con
cerned with the issue. The omission by no
means affects my arguments as the perti
nent portion was correctly quoted.
— Owen D. Massey, ’79
Slouch by Jim Earle
“GETTING THE FLU IS BAD, BUT WHAT GETS TO ME
IS IT HAD TO HAPPEN ON MY TIME, ON TH’
WEEKEND!”
Top of the News
Campus
Spring Award forms available
Application forms for Spring Awards Programs may be obtained
from the Student Financial Aid Office, Room 310, YMCA Building,
applications must be filed with the Student Financial Aid Office no
later than 5 p.m., March 1, 1978. Late applications will not be ac
cepted.
Last day for Who s Who
State
Snow closes many Texas schools
Many Easterners moved to Texas to bask in the much touted Sun
belt weather after years of suffering through blizzard conditions during
winter. But such logic wore thin Thursday as north Texas was blan
keted with several inches of ice and snow. Freezing rain and snow
flurries once again snarled traffic throughout populous areas of north
Texas and forced the closing of most schools in Dallas and surrounding
sectors. The ice even forced officials to cancel, of all things, an ice
hockey game in Dallas. W ednesday morning, Amarillo was the coldest
cits in the state with a 13 degree reading. The warmest temperature
was 50 degrees at Brownsville.
Nation
Actor questioned as ‘Strangler
Police traced a telephone call from a babbling actor who apparently
was exhausted or drugged and arrested him Wednesday on suspicion
of being the Hillside Strangler of 12 women and girls — but there is
little evidence he is the* killer. Ned T. York, 37. was booked on
suspicion of murder. York passed out while being questioned, giving
contradictory and incoherent replies. Detectives waited for him to
awaken to resume questioning. York has appeared in minor television
parts, including a role as a villainous male nurse on a “Starsky and
Hutch episode last year, according to the show's producers, but is
little-known in the entertainment business. After searching Yorks
home, a police source said, "We didn’t find a thing — the place is clean
as a whistle.”
Daughter given sight hy parents
Eileen Billington’s parents gave her an extraordinary gift — ber
eyesight. In 1972 she lost her vision to keracotonus, a disease that turns
the rounded cornea into a cone. But two years ago Mrs. Billington’s
mother died of cancer. Her eyes were removed and brought to Wills
Eye Hospital in Philidelphia where one of her corneas was trans
planted into her daughter’s left eye. Last Saturday, Mrs. Billington’s
father died of heart failure. His eyes were removed and rushed to the
eye clinic where, on Sunday, one of his corneas was transplanted to bis
daughter’s right eye. It will be several weeks before she knows if the
new transplant has taken, or whether the new cornea will be rejected
or infected. “I have lots of optimism," said Mrs. Billington, “but it's
just too early to predict the future.”
World
Sadat briefs foreign leaders
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, saying he was still optimistic about
working out a peace agreement with Israel, hopscotched from Britian
to West Germany Thursday to brief leaders of those countries on bis
talks with President Carter in Washington. Sadat spent an hour talking
with British Prime Minister James Callaghan in London before leaving
for Hamburg, where he met West German Chancellor Helmut
Schmidt. He told a news conference at London’s Heathrow Airport he
believed his talks with Carter were a success and a Middle East peace
agreement still can be worked out. Sadat reportedly received private
assurances in Washington that Egypt will receive U.S. weapons for the
first time.
Weather
Cloudy and cold today with continued cloudiness on Satur
day. High today upper 40’s, low tonight low 30’s. High tomor
row upper 50’s. Winds from the north at 5-10 mph, becoming
southeasterly this afternoon. Cloudy and cool with showers
on Sunday.
1
l
Today is the last day for Who’s Who students to sign up to schedule
their pictures for the 1978 Aggieland. Deadline is 5 p. m., and sign-ups
are at Barker Photography Studio. The second installment hoard pay
ment for the 1978 Spring semester is due on or before Feb. 17. The
amount is $143.05 for the 7-day board plan and $128 for the 5-Day
Plan. Please pay now either at the Fiscal Office, Richard Coke Building
or the Casher’s Office in the main lobby of the Rudder Center, toavoid
penalty.
Millions for asbestos workers
More- than 400 workers exposed to asbestos dust have been awarded
an unprecedented $20 million in an out-of-court settlement in Beau
mont, but they still face health problems and possible death. The
agreement reached Wednesday settles the largest personal injury suit
filed against the federal governmant. However, the problems may not
be over for the 445 workers exposed to the cancer-causing agent at a
Tyler manufacturing plant. The workers originally sued for $100 mil
lion. Officials of the Texas Chest Foundation said that as manyas300of
the 1,000 people who worked at the Tyler facility at various times could
die of cancer. The foundation, which was in charge of a medical
didgnostic program for the plant s former workers, said they will
experience their worst health problems 15 to 30 years after exposure.
The suit was filed against the government because the workers said it
was the government’s responsibility to ensure safe working conditions
at the factory.
r
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