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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1979)
Slouch by Jim Earle “I thought Vd leave a little room for the reader to exercise his imagination/’ Opinion It s t.u. at the game, UT when it counts There are small indentations on the band of the Aggie ring. Tradition says they represent the assholes of the Universi ty of Texas. And Saturday our football team will play their football team — but that’s about the only place the two institutions are in conflict. Off the playing fields, the two generally join forces. In the Texas Legislature last spring they worked together to keep other universities’ hands off the $1.2 billion endow ment they share, which is second only to Harvard Universi ty’s in size. The Permanent University Fund, they say, enables UT and A&M to be “universities of the first class. ” The argu ment makes sense: A lot of money split between two places makes more of a difference than a lot of money split among 33 places. And in the halls of the State Capitol, the spirit was one of cooperation between the two schools, the flagships of the largest university systems in the state. UT and A&M also share a graduate program or two. And faculty from the schools may use each other’s library system. But this weekend the Longhorns will be here, and we naturally want to beat them. There’s more about the ring tradition: About the time the indentations wear down, Aggies realize the “teasips” aren’t such assholes after all. the small society by Brickman WcoWUATA Tf2UE3, £UT WO\N RA(2p IT |£ TO &&T GOOV TH&S& PAYS- Washington Star Syndicate. Inc //-3o The Battalion U S P S 045 360 LETTERS POLICY Letti'r.s to the editor shotdd not exceed 3(X) 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. Address correspondence to Letters to the E.ditor, The Battalion. Room 216. Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77H43. Represented nationally by National Educational Adver tising Services, Inc., New York City. Chicago and Los Angeles. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from September through May except during exam and holiday Periods and the summer, when it is published on Tuesday hrough Thursday. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35.00per hill year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 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 matter herein reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Liz Newlin Managing Editor Andy Williams Asst. Managing Editor Dillard Stone News Editors Karen Cornelison and Michelle Burrowes Sports Editor Sean Petty City Editor Roy Bragg Campus Editor Keith Taylor Focus Editor Beth Calhoun Staff Writers Meril Edwards, Nancy Andersen, Louie Arthur, Richard Oliver, Mark Patterson, Carolyn Blosser, Kurt Allen, Debbie Nelson, Rhonda Watters Photo Editor Lee Roy Leschper Jr. Photographers Lynn Blanco, Sam Stroder, Ken Herrera Cartoonist Doug Graham Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the ivriter of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or the Board of Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self- supporting enterprise operated by students as a university and community newspaper. Editorial policy is determined by the editor. Viewpoint urn The Battalion Friday Texas A&M University November 30, 1979 WASHINGTON Emotional Iran problem hampi Kennedy’s slow-starting campaiA By DEAN REYNOLDS United Press International WASHINGTON — As Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s presidential bid enters its fourth week, the Massachusetts Democrat has yet to shake two problems that con tinue to dog his campaign. The first is Iran. Three days before Ken nedy officially entered the race against President Carter, Iranian students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 49 Americans hostage. The emotional issue has overshadowed Kennedy’s campaign and forced him to issue daily declarations of support for the man whose job he covets. As politics, Iran is a fat zero for Kennedy. Straying from support for Carter would open Kennedy up to charges of reckless demogoguery and willful threatening of the lives of innocent people. By standing squarely behind Carter, however, Ken nedy does little to show America why he thinks Carter is not providing leadership. The second problem is the senator’s con tinuing inability to articulate his reasons for challenging Carter. His latest appearances on television interview programs have shown a marked improvement in his per formance, but before campaign audiences, he still fumbles for an explanation. It is not as if Kennedy is caught off guard. Usually the questions come from high schoolers or factory workers in a set forum. Here, in part, is Kennedy’s vague, ramb ling, civics-book response to a student in Milford, N.H., who asked him last Wednesday why he is running. “I believe in public service, and I also believe that a public life and elected public responsibility is a noble profession and I think individuals who hold responsibilities in public life make a difference in the quali ty of life for the people that we represent whether it is at the local level, the state level or in the Congress or the Senate of the United States. “Secondly, I think that individuals can make a difference and that each individual should try. “I think the presidency can make a very major difference in the lives of the people here at home and in the lives of people throughout the world. “I’ve had the opportunity to see the pres idency from a close proximity during the period of the 1960s, and believe I have some understanding of both the opportuni ties as well as the responsibilities of that office and what it can mean to changing the condition of people in the United States and around the world. “I run because I am distressed that we as a people and as a society are not coming to grips with the central problems that are of constant concern to the American people: in the areas of inflation, in the areas of energy, in health care and in a variety of other areas of public policy. “And I personally believe, and believe very deeply, that a president of the United States has to he an active president and an effective president and be totally involved in these issues and with these problems if we re going to correct them. “And I believe that it will only be when we have a president who is totally involved that we really begin to come to grips with these issues over the period of the 1980s. “... I do run because I feel tint! getting established for this i sense of vision. We re not gettinj established for this country. Wei seen in this nation the inarshallij that can implement those goi galvanizing of the resourceso — young people, old people;bis! pie, workers — into the kind J effort which this country has sees J of times in its proud history, “And 1 want to make somecoj in that area to galvanize that ten the American people face up to it sibilities as we have in the histj nation and I believe that wee difference on these problems j gig |k ip;-' why I States. run for president off Kennedy can probably lines!? and workers with such rhetoric, the campaign heats up and thep himself, starts asking thatsamef Roberl Cadets, earnest, the Massachusetts Don vocal me have to cut the verbiage and spe 7:30 p.m (Pm ycmimMz- Americans are Etenls! [A? By J Bai he Texas partment ace to war at their c< ’he Singi ntury Sin ed Wome Moscow broadcasts in Iran violate detenU The threat to put the Americans still held hostage in Teheran on trial for spying is a grave new development in the crisis. Once trials begin in the revolutionary courts with a mob outside crying for vengeance, the process itself may impose its own irrevoc able course. We have every right to look to our friends in Britain, France, West Germany and Japan — all major oil clients of Iran — for powerful intervention. But so tar we hear only silence. From the Soviet Union, on the other hand, which surely has vested interest in the immunity of its diplomats and embas sies, there has been continuing, provoca tive intervention by Moscow radio. It is just a year to the day since President Brezhnev warned President Carter against interfering in the Iranian revolution. Car ter, anxious not to upset SALT II negotia tions, lamely responded that the United States had no such intention and “we note that the Soviet Union has said it will not interfere.” How naive can we be? Despite Russia’s vote supporting the U.N. Security Coun cil’s call for release of the hostages, Moscow radio has whipped up anti-American frenzy in Iran in Persian-language broadcasts by Soviet commentators before and after the seizure of our embassy. Sending National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brazil tell Soviet Ambassador Dobryninpi that the broadcasts are bad formwiSj results. The President should puli nounee Moscow for this provocativfl vention — a clear violation of detef the accepted standards of intern affairs, and of the trust which theij ask Americans to put in the ne«[ treaty. The New York Post Letters RV commander says Taps cartoon extended beyond acceptable humor Editor: On behalf of the Ross Volunteer Com pany, I would like to express my sincere regret for the student body to have been subjected to such poor taste in journalism as was displayed by Doug Graham’s car toon regarding Silver Taps on page 2 of Monday’s Battalion. To refer to deceased people as “inconsiderate slobs” is not only in poor taste, but reflects poorly on the judgment of the journalists on our news paper staff. We do realize that cartoons are written to portray a particular situation in a humorous way, but this particular piece of work extends beyond the scope of accept able humor. The comments regarding the R. V. Com pany are totally out of context with the article on the same subject and inconsistent with the comments made by myself. It is a complete travesty of justice to the R.V. Company to have such misinformation printed in the cartoon. The R.V. Company is not only proud to take part in Silver Taps, but each member of the Firing Squad holds the ceremony as a cherished tradition in which he is honored to be able to partici pate. Members of the Firing Squad and Bugle team feel an added responsibility to each member of the student body for serv ing fellow students in such a sacred tradi tion. Conflicts of schedules do arise, as they always will, but members of the Firing Squad and Bugle Team place Silver Taps participation as one of their highest priori ties. We as everyone, must be mentally prepared and look on the ceremony as a time to reflect on our own lives, an impor tant thought in our busy days. It must be firmly stated that the R.V. Company did not initiate the Senate bill, but do endorse it solely as means to further enhance the tradition and retain, to the utmost, its meaning to all Aggies. Ignorance is very costly; lets not let it cost us the degradation of a sacred and cherished Aggie tradition. — Terrell Pruett, ’80 Ross Volunteer Commander and destroy their ruggedness. Get people’s minds off their government hy focusing their attention on sex, plays, and immoral movies. Divide the people into hostile groups, destroy the people’s faith in their natural leaders by holding the latter up to contempt and ridicule, preach true demo cracy but seize power as fast and as ruth lessly as possible, encourage them in extra vagance, produce fear of inflation with ris ing prices and general discontent. Incite unnecessary strikes in vital industries, en courage civil disorders, and force a lenient and soft attitude on the part of government towards disorders. Cause a breakdown of the overall virtues of honest, sobriety, self- respect, faith in the pledged word and rug gedness.” We live in a time of internationaltj which has recently begun to aro»>| anger. Yet, while 49 American livesrf at stake and 3,000 Soviet combat] dwell 90 miles from our shores, threaten our peace of mind, ourfref falling prey to that most silent pret cancerous philosophy drawn up 0 ago. I would like to quote Vince Loai Freedom falling prey Editor: “Corrupt the young people. Get them interested in sex, make them superficial Ags, that didn’t come out of yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, Houston Post, or New York Times, but was printed in 1919 at Dusseldorf, Germany, in the Communist Rules of Revolution! from his last speech in which he exp# on freedom: “... we confuse it (free with license ... before we can e®' freedom we first have to embrace! things which underline freedom,! are duty, respect for authority, and velopment of mental discipline.” Americans, how we conduct ours each moment and the thoughts weal come into our minds determine theft ation upon which the United State! ultimate stand, or fall. The outcome with each individual’s daily decision) — Donald N, Strode THOTZ By Doug Grah Clarification Due to a typesetting error, a phrase was left out of a sentence in a letter to the editor in Thursday’s Battalion. The letter was written by Pat Fierro, assistant director of Intramurals. The sentence should have read, “Only University-recognized organi zations and related University groups are permitted use and reservation of the recreational sports facilities (gym nasiums, soccer fields, etc.).” The Battalion regrets the error. AT LAST! I CAM ^TUr>V WITHOUT INTERRUPTION,