Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University^
Wednesday
May 2, 1979
Bad time for draft
The era of our involvement in Vietnam was one of the most divisive in
American history. The nation became more cynical and suspicious of its
leaders than during any time since the Great Depression. Fifty-thousand
pointless deaths can do that.
The youth of the era, mistrusting the military and all other establish
ment” institutions, dropped out of their parents’ culture and created their
own. The focus of their discontent was the draft; Hell no, we won t go,
students chanted at protest rallys across the country, and the message got
through.
SIX YEARS AGO THE DRAFT ENDED and the all-volunteer army
began. Yet now Carter and other politicians want to start the draft again. If
they do, they will very likely trigger the same earthquake that divided the
country in the sixties.
Because nothing has happened since then to improve the military’s image.
Accurate or not, the idea of a selective service still conjures the image of
warlords sending innocents to be butchered without purpose.
AMERICA DOES NEED AN ARMY, and a competent one. It needs
high-quality enlisted men in larger numbers than are joining the volunteer
army, just as it needs high-quality political leaders who can make intelligent
use of such an army.
Without such an army, the country’s flexibility to respond to individual
situations is diminished. But a return to mandatory military service could do
America more harm than good.
THE NATION IS STILL FEELING THE EFFECTS of alienating a
generation of its citizens. Public confidence in all institutions, not just the
military and the government, is extremely low. In terms of the potential
social consequences, there couldn’t be a worse time to resurrect the draft.
The last thing the country needs is a dropped-out, turned-off counter
culture to contend with. Which it will have, if it restores the draft before
restoring public confidence that we’ll have a damn good reason the next time
we send in the Marines.
—Scott Pendleton
Australians
divided on
drilling at Barrier B.eef
By JOHN SHAW
SYDNEY — Australia’s Great Barrier
Reef is the most remarkable coral formation
on earth — a 1,200-mile stretch of islands
and lagoons containing a fantastic variety of
colorful marine life. It is fast becoming the
focus of a fierce controversy here.
Drilling companies are currently seeking
the right to prospect for offshore oil in the
region, which lies off the northeast coast of
this continent, and their efforts have
triggered a debate between advocates of
conservation and partisans of economic de
velopment.
The debate ove^ - the Barrier Reef is as
suming dramatic proportions because of
t^g a&ea’s fame as ope of the world’s natural
wonders, but it symbolizes a broader con
flict growing here over the issue of de
velopment versus conservation.
The other controversies have arisen as a
result of attempts by oil, mining and timber
interests to tap the country’s immense re
sources. In several instances, these dis
putes involve Australia’s aboriginal popula
tion, which is striving to defend its lands
against intrusion.
In the case of the Barrier Reef, the oil
companies are being backed by the state
government of Queensland, which exer
cises local authority in that region. The
Reef itself comes under the responsibility
of the federal government, which has been
somewhat equivocal on the subject.
Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and
other federal leaders are promising to pro
tect the Barrier Reef, but their pledges do
not specifically include a ban on drilling in
its tropical waters.
Two kinds of pressures are therefore col
liding over the question. The pro
development faction argues that energy
needs and economic growth deserve prior
ity, while the conservationists contend that
disrupting the Reef would ruin a unique
national treasure.
The conservationists have mobilized a
vocal segment of public opinion as well as
much of the media, and a “Save the Reef’
campaign has been launched to declare the
area out-of-bounds to everyone except
tourists, fishermen and scientists.
The Barrier Reef is actually a misnomer,
since it is made up of an enormous number
of separate reefs, islands and keys covering
90,000 square miles. The formations are
the creation of tiny marine creatures called
polyps, which secrete calcium, whose
reef-building process may have begun 30
million years ago.
The tropical waters wash over a brilliant
submarine landscape of coral cliffs and val
leys inhabited by vivid fish, huge clams and
giant turtles.
The Barrier Reef is considered to be vul
nerable to ecological cycles. Not long ago,
for example, a small part of it was destroyed
by a species of starfish known as the “crown
of thorns, ” which preys on the polyps that
BOILING GR1TS,S1R.
ITS ALL WE'RE ALLOWED
UNDER THE PROVISIONS
OF SALT 17
build and sustain the coral formations.
Some experts believe that the phenome
non was natural, but others blame it on a tilt
in the ecological balance caused by over
fishing a tasty crustacean called the triton,
which feeds on the starfish. Whatever the
reason, the situation seems to have re
turned to normal and many damaged reefs
are now being reconstructed by the polyps.
Opponents of development assert that a
major oil spill from an offshore well, such as
occurred off California a few years ago, is
the kind of hazard that the area faces if it is
exploited.
The Barrier Reef is only about 20 miles
from the Australian coast at its north
ernmost point and reaches out some 200
miles in the extreme south. Though the
Reef was declared a national underwater
park in 1976, the oil companies want to drill
between the mainland and the outer bar
rier, and the debate has been complicated
by uncertainties over where the seabed be
gins and the coral formations end. It is not
going to be resolved easily.
Meanwhile, similar fights are surfacing
in other parts of Australia as mining com
panies lobby to dilute legislation that they
claim inhibits the exploration and produc
tion of the country’s min wealth. A target of
these companies is the National Heritage
Commission, which defines and regulates
protected regions.
One firm preparing to mine uranium, for
instance, has raised objections to the fact
that a piece of the territory it leased was
recently carved into a new national park.
In the west, farmers and real estate
interests concerned with water supplies are
resisting a company aiming to cut down
forests in order to begin mining bauxite.
Still another dispute is between a mining
outfit and aborigines hostile to the com
mercial contamination of lands that they
regard as sacred. Aborigines also tangling
with an oil consortium in northern Austra
lia for the same reason.
It may seem exaggerated that this
wrangling is going on in a country that is as
spacious as the United States and has a
population of only 14 million. But it mirrors
the sensitivity of Australians to the signifi
cant contemporary issue of whether price
less areas, like the Great Barrier Reef,
ought to be jeopardized for the sake of
short-term economic gains.
Shaw is an Australian journalist who
writes on political and social issues.
Stop the draft
Editor:
In 1973 the draft was eliminated as a
method for the armed forces to acquire
troops. Now, just six years later, the U.S.
government has begun taking the neces
sary steps for its reinstatement.
President Carter would like to spend $5
million to overhaul and improve the selec
tive service system, while in Congress five
draft-related bills have been introduced
and are pending consideration. The pro
posed bills range from plans to facilitate
registration of draft-age persons to plans for
mandatory government service, military or
non-military, for all 18-year-olds. Even the
least offensive of these proposals must be
viewed as prefiguring the complete revival
of the draft.
The Pentagon is not content with a hired
army capable of defending national borders
and allocations totaling over one-half of
federal tax revenues for its budget. It now
appears intent on acquiring the ability to
increase its strength by forcing persons into
its ranks. With an increased size and the
ability to call more men into service, the
probability of a U.S. military intervention
(like the one in South Vietnam) becomes
more likely.
This latest manifestation of militarism
needs to be addressed and stopped before
Letters to
the machinery is once again set in motion.
The consequences of allowing its revival go
beyond forced labor and the increased
chance of military action. Even now propo
sals exist to allow the selective service ac
cess to information on draft-age persons
without their consent. Further govern
ment spying on citizens and the continued
erosion of civil liberties also seem likely
results.
On May 1 groups across the nation
planned to rally against the attempted
reinstatement of the draft. After that date it
will be necessary for those who oppose
these actions to be active in a campaign to
prevent these bills from being enacted into
law. It is still possible to prevent a return of
the draft.
—John Oswald
Editor’s note: This letter was accom
panied by nine other signatures.
Misleading head
Editor:
The Battalion of April 25 carried a story
headlined FBI sued by accused com
munist.’’ The headline excited my curios
ity: what nefarious. radical was suing the
Bureau this time? Was it, perhaps, Gus
Hall of the American Communist Party or
the Editor
some member of the litigious Socialist
Workers’ Party? No, it was John Henry
Faulk, a nationally-known humorist who
appears on the television show “Hee Haw’’
each week.
The “accusations (Faulk) was a com
munist were made well over 20 years ago
by right-wing elements in the entertain
ment field supporting the witch-hunts of
the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Faulk sub
sequently won a suit against these people
and recovered substantial damages from
them.
The headline, however, makes it seem as
if the accusations against Faulk (which were
groundless to begin with) are still relevant.
A man whose main cause is the defense of
the Bill of Rights and who gives frequent
guest lectures to journalism classes here at
Texas A&M is still, decades after the fact,
an “accused communist.” If this label is to
be applied to John Henry Faulk, then
perhaps it ought also to be applied to others
whom the McCarthyites denounced as
communists or persons “soft on com
munism”: people like Gen. George C.
Marshall, architect of the Marshall Plan;
President Harry Truman; Secretary of
State Dean Acheson; and J. Robert Op-
penheimer, developer of America’s hy
drogen bomb.
When The Eagle carried a similar story,
its headline referred to the plaintiff in the
suit simply as “John Henry Faulk.” Why
could not The Battalion have done the
same?
—Robert R. Green, ’82
Equus: excellent
Editor:
I would like to congratulate all of those
involved in the production of “Equus.” It
was excellent. I enjoyed it immeasurably.
Equus” was the most impressive
encounter I have had at Texas A&M this
year. Thank you so much for the culture
you have added to this school.
—Karen Fernbach, ’82
Readers’ Forum
Guest viewpoints, in addition to
Letters to the Editor, are welcome.
All pieces submitted to Readers’
forum should be:
• Typed triple space
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By
Top of the News
CAMPUS
Editor named top junior at A6M
a two ne
Liz Newlin, editor of The Battalion, was named the top junior incidence
University by the Texas A&M chapter of Phi Kappa Phi a national iff RHj
academic honor society. The award which includes a $500 schol-Ration
arshin was made Tuesday night at the society s initiation banquet f
Invitation to join the inter-disciplinary society is based on grade point J USt
average and personal character. Each of the ten colleges used reconi, r last me
mendations from their departments in nominating a junior. The candiAffnpson
dates were interviewed by a panel of judges in the society last month. ’ J,
The other juniors, the top in their colleges, are Mark Stem sc^feer t°<l
rmvid George Norman, veterinary medicine; Valerie Jane Ryan, a g. ‘ ms ’
riculture Hal Stuart Buesing, education; Michael T. Godinich, Moody n£U
College Rebeccca Sue Boemer, architecture; Matthew M. Hammer e J? ber J.' <;f
geoscfences; Stephen M. Jones, business administration; and RayM
Scholl Jr., engineering.
STATE
■sse sai
Texas youth survives capsizing 1"^
A Pasadena teen-ager was rescued from the sea and a Coast Guard
search begun for his missing family Tuesday after their 16-foot sailboat
capsized. Coast Guard spokesman Bob Baeton said Ronald Price Jr.,
14, was picked up by the shrimp boat Little David about three miles
west of the John F. Kennedy Causeway at Galveston. He told his
rescuers that his mother, father, brother and sister were in the
anchored boat before it capsized. Two helicopters searched for the
missing family members.
Forced default faulted by court
Six Beaumont high school girls have won a court battle with the
University Interscholastic League to allow them to compete in a
tournament. U.S. District Judge Joe Fisher ordered the University
Interscholastic League to allow the Forrest Park High School girls to
enter the state class AAAA tournament in Austin. He said the girls
were denied their constitutional rights when they were not allowed to
compete in an April 20 regional qualifying tournament. They defaulted
because of recent flooding.
City seeks divorce from Houston /01
■rote res
Ron Sassl
udcnt Aflj
ceivi the]
Sasse said
will be
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“I am
ires for
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Sasse sa
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irt propos
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The prop*
tic
Two years ago Houston annexed Clear Lake City but the smaller | Ry RI(
city’s residents want that action rescinded. Citizens of Clear Lake City ■ :
claim they are taxed twice for water and sewer services and receive Take hear
little police and fire protection from Houston Houston s lobbyist, am from
Steve Oaks, said that if Clear Lake City were successful. You’ll see mething o
other areas around Houston peeling off simply because they don’t want jxas A&M
to pay their fair share for the services. That would endanger Hous- vil Engine
ton’s bond rating, he said. A proposed law may help the small commu- lampion in
nity by allowing Houston to rebate 65 percent of the property taxes Big.
paid by Clear Lake residents if its water district will provide fire The men’s
:ott Holm
mpetitors,
*ld in M a
vay In the
ree second
ith a winni
id[14 secoi
The ASC
/erall with
niversity ol
Besides th
jes were
away. No one was injured in the second collision, between the train l(W j n g Ry j
and a tractor-trailer loaded with lumber at a private rail crossing near
Sharon, Vt.
Man kills doctor, self over care
A 21-year-old man in Lockland, Ohio, apparently dissatisfied with
his doctor’s treatment for his skin problem, shot and killed the doctor
Monday and then turned the gun on himself. Police said Joe Derminio
walked into the house-office of Dr. S. Gregory Miceli, pulled out a
.357-magnum revolver, and shot the doctor in the chest and then
apparently shot himself in the chest. Derminio, who lived about a
block from the doctor s house, had been treated — but not cured of
— a skin problem.
Sears, where inflation stops?
Sears, Roebuck and Co., the nation’s largest retailer, is reducing all
prices in its current catalog by 5 percent, effective today. Chairman
Edward R. Telling announced the rollback Monday, saying " the action
is being taken in cooperation with the president’s program to fight
inflation. The Sears announcement was its second in less than a week
in support of President Carters voluntary wage and price guidelines.
Last week the giant retailer announced selective rollbacks in prices of
items sold in its stores.
WORLD
SALT talks nearing completion
Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin and Secretary of State Cyrus
Vance met Tuesday for the 22nd strategic arms limitation negotiating
session this year. U.S. officials said Dobrynin brought his govern
ment s response to an American proposal that was presented last
officials said they believe one or two more sessions
will be required on the final issue, the definition and rules governing
t e development of new types of missiles, and how to make sure that
both sides adhere to the guidelines. They said that the final agreement
cou come as early as this week, with another meeting needed to set
up arrangements for a summit meeting at which the treaty would be
signed by President Carter and Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev.
oward Fui
iggins.
Tom Hoo
SCE, was
jrformance
“It was a ri
in the tea
id “We ^
lUSe we cle:
hole thing
illed for tw
itunst the
F/l
In-
protection, emergency medical services and garbage disposal.
NATION
Train has two accidents in a day
The Montrealer passenger train slammed into a small truck before
sunrise Tuesday, killingfive members of a Charlestown, N.H., family,
and had, once it got going again, another accident in Vermont 20 miles
WEATHER
cloudy and warm with a 20 °/° chance of rain. High today
ot 80 and a low of 60. Winds will be S.E. at 10-15 mph.
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are
subject to being cut to that length 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
number for verification '
The Battalion
15
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Liz New
Address correspondence to Utters to the Editor The
S2£rr£r£!i M UcD °" M —*» “”•«*
rsaitor ■
Managing Editor Andy Will' Ml I
Asst. Managing Editor Dilla™ |
Sports Editor Sean
Mo
Cut
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City Editor ’. . ’.'. Roy
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News Editors Michelle B urr0 ., .
Karen Cornells®
Staff Writers Doug Grawf
Mark Patterson, Kurt Abraham, Caro!
Blosser, Richard Oliver, Diane
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Ref
Photographers Clay
Focus section editor Beth Call 10
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