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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1980)
Vote in today’s election We’ve all seen and read the high and mighty prose of countless editorials before — the editorials which give innumerable idealistic reasons to vote. This won’t be a rehash of those reasons — anybody who’s passed high school government can sketch the theories behind citizen participation. It’s time for words to stop, and action to start. Vote today! Viewpoint o< vam The Battalion Texas A&M University Tuesday November 4, 1980 Slouch By Jim Earle 'Won’t you please turn it off so I can get some sleep?’ No Silver Taps tonight no one is going to miss it While looking through my file of finished stories Monday afternoon, I saw a feature on the Silver Taps team that I was holding to run with our next ceremony announcement. It was then that I realized that this was going to be the first Tuesday of the month and that I hadn’t received an official Silver Taps notice from the Student Affairs Office or the Office of Public Information. I almost hit the panic button knowing that it had been a month since the last ceremony, and in a University with over 33,000 students I just knew someone had to have died. It seemed at least probable. I thought at first that the notice was a late arrival in my mail slot, so I checked there. Nothing. The next place to look was the managing editor’s desk. A quick shuffle through the pap ers on her desk yielded nothing. On to the editor’s desk. I thought it might have been in the unsorted mail. Nope, nothing here either. Well, somebody goofed. I knew there had to be an oversight. Whistle-stop By Becky Swanson t SO! When all else fails, go across the hall to the Office of Public Information and ask Betty, who delivers the University press releases every day. I thought maybe she just forgot to put one in our basket. Betty didn’t know anything about Silver Taps. Last resort — ask Jeff — he ought to know since he’s the associate director of the office and handles those types of news items, or at least he can find out for me. I guess he hadn’t thought about it either, because the mention of Silver Taps caused an immediate, puzzled look to appear on his face. It was almost like I’d hit him. ' deli dsn. I guess since Silver Taps was changed! only on the first Tuesday of the monthfel a student’s death, everyone just given that we’d all be going to Silverli that night. We both had it in our minds had died. Neither one of us could tliiil name, but someone. We were almost 1 Jeff said he’d check, so I went office to wind up some last minute Minutes later, Jeff came in and saidtlis no oversight — no students have died last Silver Taps ceremony. I was amazed. But mostly I was relien happy. I’m one of those people who tab Taps to heart. The buglers have never for anyone I know, but I go. In the dark prayer for our fellow Aggie’s family, asl to comfort them and give them strengtl with their loss. The feature on the Silver Taps bugle neat story, but I’m quite happy to leave! desk. Tonight, I’ll give thanks there, and the lights are still campus. T/, isfe; irgil Hai lant, spr tar inside malic The 1980Aggieland: H el pin Reluctant voters make AStVImake sense to non-Ags G jA simple c; or an elder!' m- wm Hall’s ] iitorium. their choices today By DAVID S. BRODER WASHINGTON — Tuesday night’s debate demonstrated with stunning clarity why it is so hard for so many people to decide wlrether Ronald Reagan or Jimmy Carter should be President for the nexf foifr ^ears^ I^o\n smoWi^S their skills as campaigners and, equally, both showed the deficiencies that might deter any one from wishing either of them was President. Carter, for his part, made a series of targeted appeals to specific constituencies — answering one question as a traditional Democrat, another as a friend of Israel, a third as the champion of blacks and Hispanics, a fourth as the son of the South. But at no time did he combine those specific appeals into a broad agenda for America, and that has been the failing of his administration. H is former speechwriter, Jim Fallows, observed that Carter has “many policies, but no one policy. ” As Elizabeth Drew of The New Yorker put it, “He is constantly blurring the picture. ” Reagan, on the other hand, paints in broad strokes with his promises to “get government off your back” and “make America respected throughout the world.” The trouble is that his picture is more a romanticized notion of the 1920’s than a reflection of realities in the 1980s. So it needs constant readjustment, the kind of policy realignment Reagan made almost weekly during the campaign and would be forced to make as frequently as President. Carter’s presidency has confirmed the skep ticism of his early critics. He has botched his relationship with Congress as thoroughly as he burned his bridges with the Georgia legisla ture. He has confused the bureaucracy (and, often, his own staff) by his introverted decision making, just as he did in Georgia. Off his record in California, Reagan is a bet ter bet as a political executive. He is a superior rhetorician and persuader of the public, and he has shown more skill than Carter in searching out able people and delegating authority to them. But it is doubtful that age 69 he has the mental energy and drive to put his own stamp on an unfamiliar government. He is as chary of legislative bargaining as Carter, and he is prob ably not Carter’s match in those unique tests of presidential leadership —- the Camp David- type negotiations where the outcome may de pend on the skill and stamina, the knowledge and perserverence of the man speaking for the United States. It is impossible to determine which of these men would be the more capable president, be cause the evidence is strong in Carter’s case and StiggestiVte'Irfr'Rdoig'cifi’s’ that hkithel* fias^TRe range of skills and instincts the job requires. TM* btf’St Thsff”di«it be- said of them is that they have both selected as running-mates and possi ble successors men who are exceptionally ex perienced and skilled in the arts of government. The campaign has focused on economics and national security. Carter’s greatest failure is the fact that his own constituents have suffered a decline in their real income during his tenure in the office — 7.4 percent for the typical factory worker with three dependents — and a real increase in taxes to boot. But the deep tax cuts which Reagan promises as relief to Carter’s victims strike even conser vative economists as a dubious cure for persis tent inflation. His proposal to dismantle an energy policy which is finally beginning to re duce dependence on foreign oil is counterpro ductive. Reagan’s claim that he would balance the budget by “cutting fat,” deserves no more credence than Carter’s 1976 promise to stream line government by consolidating agencies. Reagan’s election would likely mean a boost in Pentagon budgets, a change some consider necessary and others extravagant. Carter’s claim that it would be dangerous to follow Reagan’s suggestion of scrapping the stalled SALT II treaty with Russia and starting talks afresh would be more credible, if he were not taking national security advice himself from Zbigniew Brzezinski, a man who deliberately set out to “shock” the Kremlin in 1977 by scrap ping the almost completed Ford-Brezhnev ver sion of SALT II and thereby lost at least three years in the vital battle for arms control. There is one area of policy, less discussed, where the differences between Reagan and Carter are genuine and significant— the area of law and social order. A consistent thread of Carter’s career is his tendency to see the law as a tool for change and an instrument for seeking justice. This belief, more than any other, has brought him occasionally to the liberal pole of politics and has made him the agent for elevat ing to power in the Judiciary and regulatory arms of government people with a strong per sonal commitment to changing the status quo. Those who recognize that the appointive power is one that even a President of limited abilities can use with enormous effect may find in this divergence a basis for casting a reluctant vote. To my friends at North Texas State, Universi ty of Houston, and Southern California who always ask me why I spend $3,000 a year to attend such a “backwards” school: Read my $15 yearbook. This is no downstream annual. It’s the Texas A&M University Aggieland, proving that a pic ture is indeed worth a thousand words — or at sica^t ^ hundred explanations. Face ft, Ags: at mo«t'•schools , football means pom-poms, and RC£££1 ik a Wednesday afternoon exercise. Un- >■ til they come on campus, skeptics have every right to call this University fruity and its stu dents nuts. What sane University allows its students to stumble into the sacred stadium at midnight? Actually, my friends won’t even come on campus to experience midnight yell practice or bonfire, so I’m correct in using the yearbook, which is the next best thing to a visit. The word’s been out around the state that Texas A&M, in spite of its “Aggie-ness,” pro duces a beautiful and well-conceived yearbook worthy of any school at any price. The 1980 Aggieland, which covers the 1979-1980 school year, again is one of these masterpieces. The Aggieland is a success because it mirrors Texas A&M. This year the inside cover is — in cinematic terms — an opening shot, an over view of the campus at night providing a lovely Duck soup By Kathleen McElroy exaggeration of the urbanity of the school. ' “ ,Th e nex t pages are glimpses at those Texas A&M quirks that, as we all know, make this school unique. The pictures don’t explain them, and the copy is unnecessary to Aggies and worthless to outsiders. But anyone with a semblance of curiosity has to know why the picture on pages 6 and 7 shows strange military men with no hair carting off a strange man in white clothing. At this point, we Aggies give a simple expla nation of the Corps of Cadets, yell leaders and quadding. Then our skeptic laughs and says something highly intellectual like, “Those Aggies, what will they think of next?” The Aggieland proceeds to show exactly what Aggies think and do next. There’s a calendar of the 1979-1980 events for those who don’t re member when Playboy came to Texas A&M or when home loans hit 14 percent. It’s followed with photo features of last year’s speakers, plays, concerts and, ofeourseijor almos There aren’t many color photos offered at tl football season (let’s hope the staff is tl|| sdlrngh next year), but there’re plenty of angles!|^^ s a o t |. n ^ game. Again the copy seems awasteto ^ p r jm ar j] us who remember last year, but in tuDept zer Prizi the shudder of Kyle Field after theviefe Phyllis Th the Longhorns is lost, perhaps the worfflrtray two i pled with the pictures will replace,! kindle that feeling. The Aggieland also has its usual allol the Corps pictures, which is fine for reg, who doesn’t know a brigade fro pany and thinks a battalion is a new There’re hundreds of pages of studentoi tions from the well-known MSC Commi the glorious, proud clubs that acknow; in towns and counties we Houstonian iNot that even know exist. Ifou’d nol The Aggieland isn’t perfect, and soetjLrtin’s c borders on sexist. But after three yei* imen,;s I’ve become more tolerant of sexism, which irks my liberal friends at Cal-Bi “How can you tolerate such a consfj college?” they ask. I can’t take it all the time, but I’llre| time, “but look at the guys in the Herpi al Club or the members of the Vidorff Club. Ain’t it great?” It sure is. ement 1 my as ar at the 1 Does the tin asks ntity at tl tlet for ex] Dorsey be It’s your turn Response from Jeff Brown’s campaign Editor’s note: Charles Bredwell, campaign manager for Jeff Brown, who is the Republican candidate for Brazos County attorney, re sponded Monday to charges made against Brown in Friday’s Battalion. A letter in Friday’s Battalion rebuked Brown for using a Houston law firm’s name in connec tion with the Brown campaign. An attorney in that firm said that Brown had implied that Brown had worked for the firm as an attorney, when in fact he had merely done case prepara tion work. “In no way did we mean to imply that Jeff was a lawyer with the firms,” Bredwell said. A Brown “push card” says, “Jeff Brown is currently practicing law in College Station, and has previously worked for two outstanding Houston law firms ... as a law clerk.” A pamphlet used in the Brown campaign says, “He has done case preparation and re search for two outstanding law firms.” Congra tula tions, Em ory Editor: Ags, I think we should once again congratu late our former student friends who helped run Emory Bellard out'of Aggieland. I realize re venge is an ugly thing but it did my heart good to hear about Coach Bollard’s outstanding vic tory over the No. 1 team in the nation. I believe justice has now been served. It is just sad that the small minority who control the political MESS at this University decided to oust the winningest coach in TAMU history. I realize Represenl dephone ( iscuss probl irvice in T Drmitories. The GTE guest spe there will be those who say “Butheresi^lAssociat To you all, I say “Don’t be so naive, ^ Harringt I do not mean for this letter to shed!- 0 011 Coach Tom Wilson’s unfortunate seasoil? way. In fact, I hope we Ags don’t make' 1 '*® u en mistake twice. I realize this letter may be a bit sevec hope no one, (including the all-powerlij hold my family or friends responsible content. These are my feelings alone, Once again, congratulations Coach (You too, alums.) and ev; in celebre Warped By Scott McCuttar THIS IS POLITICAL TRUTH AGAltf,* TOPAY IS ELECTION PAY, AND YOU NEED To BE KE WINDED THAT IT DoESNT end HERE. THIS RACE IS GOING To BE CLOSE, HOPEFULLY N OT A TIE, ANP WHICHEVER WAN BEC0WES PRES I PENT, HALF Op YOU ARE GOING TO BE PISA P POINTED. BUT, FOR THOSE C WHO ARE GOING 1 PISA PP0INTED, I ONLY SAY... : YOU I THAT'S WHAT YOU GET * 0B I FOR TAKl/Ve THIS Tfil/VG. can ser iously. Britt jt ^ The Battalion U S P S 045 360 MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Questions or comments concerning any editoriil'j should be directed to the editor. Editor Dillard Stone Managing Editor Rhonda Watters Asst. Managing Editor Scott Haring City Editor Becky Swanson Asst. City Editor Angelique Copeland Sports Editor Richard Oliver Asst. Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy Focus Editor Scot K. Meyer Asst. Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff News Editors Lynn Blanco, Gwen Ham, Todd Woodard Staff Writers Jennifer Afflerbach, Kurt Allen, Nancy Andersen, Marcy Boyce, Jane G. Brust Mike Burrichter, Pat Davidson, Jon Heidtke, Uschi Michel-Howell, Debbie Nelson, Liz Newlin, Rick Stolle Cartoonist Scott McCullar Photo Editor Pat O’Malley Photographers George Dolan, Jeff Kerber EDITORIAL POLICY The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper op erated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-Cohege 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, LETTERS POUCY Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words is and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The edit*' reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, make every effort to maintain the author's intent. £*l must also be signed, show the address and phone nm^ 1 writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, subject to the same length constraints as letters, ft inquiries and correspondence to: Editor, The Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, 77843. Resign I the near The Battalion is published daily during Texas . spring semesters, except for holiday and examination I*’ i. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates furnish quest. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald^ Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusive!) L' ^ for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to ill® reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 1 "