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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 1980)
Viewpoint The Battalion Texas A&M University Tuesday July 15, 1980 Cane Novc Four organiz; petitions with th Texas ballot in Monday. The Socialist Party and indej tions. Buzz Garry, i according to Te petition at least last election. A< third parties m The Socialis 30,000-40,000 s The Libertar United Press Ir tor for the Liber The Libertar said. The party required numb The Citizen’ Commoner, als only had 15,00 signatures neec representatives laws in court. Also filing Garry said that gather over 40, the voters for j UPI reporte | signatures. Bruce Crook tures were coll those were col “The movie' for John Ander was needed for who weren’t ir Most on-can classes, Crooki Anyone who Republican pri ruling by Secre crats who vote the Democrat: ruling may be “One disapp the extent tha registered to \ The only otl also running v fifteen minute Slouch by Jim Earle “Now mind you, I don t want the job, and Jin not campaigning for it, but if the party really needed me, I would accept the nomination as vice president for the Republican party. ” New federal criminal code appears near by ED ROGERS United Press International WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders believe their 14-year-old dream of replacing the present jumble of overlapping, inconsistent and outdated federal criminal laws with an organized code is about to be fulfilled. Hopes of enacting a new code this year — possibly even this month — were raised last week when the House Judiciary Committee approved a draft a subcommittee headed by Rep. Robert F. Drinan, D-Mass., had worked on since February 1979. The committee expects to get a House vote in late July, about the time the Senate votes on a measure its Judiciary Committee approved last December. To Drinan, the House bill culminates a five- term House career. A Jesuit priest, Drinan has yielded to a papal rule against clerics being in politics and will not seek re-election this fall. One reason Drinan is optimistic over passage is that the administration has given it high prior ity. But the House and Senate bill have differ ences that must be reconciled. “I dream the Senate will accept the House Bill,” Drininan said. But if it does not, Drinan sees little difficulty. He said the bills are 95 percent alike. Kenneth Feinberg, general counsel of the Senate committee, pointed out both bills close ly follow recommendations of an American Law Institute’s model code and of a congressional criminal code commission. John Shattuck, director of the American Civil Liberties Un ion’s Washington Office, is dissatisfied with the House version, but believes the Senate bill has even worse features that might get adopt ed in House-Senate compromises. Shattuck criticized the bill’s inclusion of the 1799 Logan Act, which forbids citizen dealings with foreign governments, its provisions for mandatory jail terms for certain crimes, and its adoption of court standards for obscenity. Dri nan said political realities prevented inclusion The Battalion U S P S 045 360 MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Dillard Stone City Editor Becky Swanson Sports Editor. . .' Richard Oliver News Editor Lynn Blanco Staff Writers Uschi Michel-Howell, Debbie Nelson, Cathy Saathoff, Scot K. Meyer, Jon Heidtke Kurt Allen Photo Editor Bob Sebree Photographer Marsha Hoehn LETTERS POLICY Letters to the Editor should not exceed300 words in length, and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must also be signed, show the address and phone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and are not subject to the same length constraints as letters. Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor, The Battalion. 216 Heed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. EDITORIAL POLICY The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper op erated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily repre sent the opinions of Texas A&M University administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of Regents. Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter should be directed to the editor. The Battalion is published Tuesday through Thursday during Texas A&M's summer school schedule. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 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. Firing upsets student leaders of some provisions he wanted, such as one deal ing with entrapment. Both the Senate and House committees left the law as it is on mat ters too controversial to agree on. Drinan con siders one of the House bill’s greatest achieve ments is its provision for a federal sentence commission, and for guidelines to prevent the widely varying sentences different judges now impose for the same crime. President Lyndon Lohnson began the effort by proposing a criminal code commission, which Congress passed in 1966. Johnson appointed former California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Sr. as its chairman. The Commission completed a code draft in 1971, and the Senate began work on bills that were regularly stalled in controversies over proposed changes in the law. By 1971, Senate leaders decided they would have to skip controversial proposals if a new code was ever to pass. The House committee followed the same policy. The chief purpose of the drafters was to put the array of criminal statutes in logical order so they can easily be found. The Senate committee staff pointed to some of the problems in a report drafted earlier this year. — Aircraft hijacking and espionage involving atomic weapons are now found hidden among obscure parts of reg ulatory provisions. — Regulations such as prohibiting use of the likeness of “Smokey Bear” are thrust in the middle of statutes involving murder, kidnap ping and rape. — There are gaps. It is now a federal crime to rob a bank but not to extort money from a bank. — Present federal law recognizes 79 different states of mind in which a crime may be commit ted. The House bill reduces the number to four. The present law also includes outdated sta tutes, which enactment of a new code would wipe out. One such statute still makes it a crime to detain a U.S. government carrier pigeon. Statement by student leaders at Texas A&M concerning the board of regents’ action regard ing President Jarvis Miller: Over the past three years. Dr. Jarvis Miller has dynamically guided the growth of Texas A&M University. During this time, annual ex penditures for research have exceeded $50 mil lion, student enrollment has expanded to over 30,000 and the quality of education has im proved in all areas. As student leaders of Texas A&M, we have been extremely fortunate to work with Dr. Mil ler and share in his goals for the University. Dr. Miller’s leadership demonstrates discipline, honesty and integrity, which are all a part of the Texas A&M heritage. It is obvious that Dr. Miller’s prime concern is for Texas A&M, its students, and its con tinued development as a leader in the academic community. Dr. Miller brought with him to the presidency an open-door, student-oriented attitude reflected in all levels of his administra tion. The successfulness of this open-door administration was seen in many examples where students, faculty and staff pooled their resources to find answers to University prob lems. The loss of a leader who so well exempli fied what A&M stands for is a tremendous blow to the students and to the progress of this Uni versity. The nature of the action taken by the Board of Regents is in direct contrast to the type of leadership we have become accustomed to and expect from the men who set the standards of Texas A&M. The decision appears to have been hastily made, with most input coming from the System level, and little consultation with the people whom the decision directly affects — those within the University. If the Board of Regents had let it be known that they were receiving complaints about Dr. Miller’s leader ship, they would have received many times that number in statements of strong support. The reasons given for removing Dr. Miller appear inconsistent with the action taken. It is difficult to understand the assignment of Dr. Miller to a position as special assistant to the chancellor whom the regents claimed Dr. Mil ler could not work with. The student body at Texas A&M has sup ported the administration and has worked with the University in times when student groups at other universities worked against their admi nistrations. We are proud to be enrolled at Texas A&M University, and share with the fa culty, administration and former students the uniqueness of being an Aggie. ANOTHER 'FORCED' As students we care enough about this Uni versity to work 24-hour shifts on the Aggie Bon fire, to continue a Texas A&M symbol; we care enough to turn out 8,000 students at Muster, as a gesture of remembrance for those who died during the year. We care enough to express our concern ab out the implications this action has for the fu ture of our University. We also care enough to express our displea sure at losing one of the finest leaders this Uni versity has ever seen. Dr. Jarvis E. Miller. Signed, Brad Smith Student Body President Ken Cross Corps Commander Emen Haby MSC Council President Sherrie Balcar Residence Hall Association President Paula Sorrell Off-Campus Aggies President Paul Bettencourt Judicial Board Chairman Greg Dew Student Government Executive Vice President Com const Editor’s note: This letter was signed bj f other student leaders from the above orp I tions. Former students’ statement Statement by the Board of Directors of the Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University concerning the Board of Regents’ reassignment of Dr. Jarvis E. Miller: At all times the Board of Directors of the Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University has given its full and unqualified support, financially and personally to the con tinuing success of Texas A&M University and its goal for excellence in all fields of education. It is, and it will continue to be, the desire of this Board and the 90,000-1- former students that we represent to lend all support of whatever nature to our beloved alma mater so that it may in every way continue the excellence in educa tion for which our University is nationally and internationally recognized. Individually and as a Board, we have not, at any time, supported or favored one individual over another in the administration of Texas A&M University, including the Chancellor or the President. Any statement to the contrary by anyone is a deliberate and intentional misstate ment and falsehood. Moreover, we have not championed or pressured the cause of any indi vidual official of Texas A&M University at any time, but we have championed and fully sup ported our goal for the continued excellence in the University’s various fields of education and research. The Board of Regents, in its wisdom, recog nized and determined what it conceived to be the need to establish the separate offices of Chancellor and President. Accordingly, Dr. Jarvis E. Miller, an outstanding and renowned educator, was installed as President in 1977. We regret and unqualifiedly disagree with the manner and method of the termination of Dr. Miller as Presiden t of Texas A &M University. Two years later, in October 1979, Dr. Frank E. Hubert, then the Dean of the College of Educa tion, who had announced his retirement, was elevated to the office of Chancellor. The Board of Regents made these appointments and had the unqualified right at all times to terminate either office or cause the removal or resignation of any official. We do not as a Board quarrel with or criticize that authority and responsibil ity, nor have we ever sought or attempted to usurp, infringe or interfere with that privilege which we totally respect. We absolutely recog nize that those serving in an executive position do so only at the pleasure of the Board of Re gents. More than any one group or board, we are in continuous contact with the public and those citizens of this state and nation interested in the good and well-being of Texas A&M and its sys tem. We are the ones who first hear any “com- ■ plaints’ or who receive “critical” mailconcf ing the actions of any official of Texas University. We have neither heard anyfl plaints nor have we received any mail crit of President Jarvis E. Miller concerning administration of Texas A&M University have heard many laudatory and complin tary statements of Dr. Miller’s abilities for superb manner in which he has discharged responsibilities and duties as President in growth of Texas A&M. We regret and unqualifiedly disagree the manner and method of the terminatiot Dr. Miller as President of Texas A&M Uni' - sity. We feel that Dr. Miller’s removal ii an abrupt way has caused an injustice tot University and to the people of this state believe that such a step was ill-timed, conceived, and effectuated without anyp ning or thought of the consequences or future. We submit that, if there was cause for ten nation of the services of this fine man, itshfl have been done in such a manner that woi not tarnish the University’s image. Suchacd could hamper the future recruitment of q# ified administrators and professors and otf wise harm the education, research, andot! services offered by the University. Wede regret the manner in which this matter handled, the embarrassing publicity given caused to be given by the Board of Regents, misleading statements which have arisen tot media, and the resulting humiliation to Miller and his family. We apologize for and not condone such summary action. Tothaten we support Dr. Miller. 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