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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 1981)
Viewpoint Mm The Battalion Texas A&M University Monday February 23,1981 Slouch By Jim Earle “When I stay in bed and take care of myself, I get jumped for cutting class! Now I ask you, are we committed to conserving energy or are we just giving lip service to it?” Sm uggling Bibles behind Iron Curtain By DAVID E. ANDERSON United Press International The severe but not quite total repression of religion in the Soviet Union and other Iron Curtain countries has created a profit able but controversial new business — Bi ble smuggling. For many people, engaging in or contri buting to Bible smuggling and Bible smug gling groups serves a two-fold purpose: It aids defenders of the faith behind the Iron Curtain and strikes a blow at atheistic com munism. Opponents of the practice, however, claim that the effort hurts the legitimate cause of the church, distorts the role of religion in communist nations and may even bring harm to believers in those lands. Norman Jameson of Baptist Press, the news agency of the Southern Baptist Con vention, recently took a long look at the two sides of the issue His conclusion: “It is apparent that while religious oppression in communist coun tries is a fact, potential contributors to Bible smuggling groups would do well to look beyond the cloak and dagger accounts be fore committing their money or support. ” Jameson estimated that the three largest Bible smuggling groups raised more than $21 million for their efforts last year, yet most of the groups provide few statistics on how many Bibles or New Testaments they actually illegally distributed in the Soviet Union or Eastern Europe. One group, Underground Evangelism, said it distributed 281,384 Bibles last year. At the root of the dispute is the issue of the availability of Bibles in communist na tions. The United Bible Societies, the interna tional Bible printing and distributing agen cies, says that it distributed some 13,273,137 Bibles and New Testaments in Eastern Europe between 1945 and 1980. IVaiped That figure does not include the esti mated hundreds of thousands of Bibles printed within the targted nations on mate rials supplied by the Unied Bible Societies on presses operating legally within the state. Jameson quotes Alexei Bichow, general secretary of the All-Union Council of Evangelical Christians — Bapitsts, the offi cially recognized Baptist group in the Soviet Union, as saying that every reg istered Baptist family in Russia has a Bible. It is impossible to buy a Bible in the Soviet Union because, according to Bichow, they are given freely through the registered churches. Hungary is another area where the two sides dispute availability. A 1979 Time magazine report said that the name of anyone who purchases a Bible goes into a government dossier — an asser tion disputed by Alice Ball, general secret ary of the national division of the American Bible Society. According to Miss Ball, not only are names not registered but thousands of Bi bles are printed in Hungary every year and there is even a Bible store in the middle of Bucharest that offers mail order service. “We’ve found over the years by distri buting Bibles through proper channels, in the long run it’s more successful and we don’t jeopardize our position in other parts of the world, ’’ she said. Lutherans are another mainline group that differ with the smugglers. Paul hansen, Eupopean secretary for the Lutheran World Federation, which in cludes large numbers of Lutherans in East ern Europe, said that “anyone in the Ger man Democratic Republic, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia who really wants a Bible can get one.” “To ‘smuggle’ Bibles into these countries is a demonstration, not a necessity,” he said. N. Viets escalated, not U.S. Editor's note: This is the first of a three-part Guest column giving one man’s views of U.S. strategy and costs during the Vietnam War. inserti Guest By RICHARD S. LE VIEUX Running through military journals (to say nothing of the civilian sector) are morbid thoughts about the Vietnam War. Even a Marine senior officer such as BGen V.J. Blaz USMC (Ret) refers to this war as one “we failed to win.” And recently, Lady Bird Johnson justified the 30,343 Americans kil led during her husband’s administration as being preferable to the use of nuclear weapons. These kind of thoughts continue to fester, crippling the American Spirit. This Vietnam morbidity numbs the mind to the realization that every war has two basic and opposed objectives. For the de fender: To keep what he has without losing the farm. For the aggressor: To get as much as he can of the other fellow’s farm. In 1961, President J.F. Kennedy proclaimed the Column American policy to be preventing Southeast Asia from falling under Communist domi nation, thereby explicitly accepting the de fender’s role (as the surrogate of Southeast Asia) with all that it implies. It should be self-evident that the means employed by the U.S. to effect this policy during the 1961-64 period were successful. Southeast Asia did not fall. In that sense the means were adequate; but they were not efficient (or, in the language of defense analysts, they were not cost-effective.) Now the North Vietnamese had to face facts: quit or escalate. Their decision to escalate caused us to respond with the U.S. combat troops to maintaintlie nedy commitment. And each time escalated, the U.S. responded to that lation. Contrary to popular belief, th the escalating, not us. Given these i tions by the North Vietnamese and mited responses decreed by policy McNamara’s leadership in Washing cost proved horrendous in lives andi The cost in lives and injury (summi the table below) confused the I public and initiated the morbid mentioned above. Analysis of wars shows that thecritei winning or losing a war are the ii war objectives of the parties ii North Vietnam had failed to achieveib jectives, while we had achieved ours Asia had not fallen to Communist doi tion. However, the enemy reasoned their inexhaustible source of expeni supplies from the Soviet Bloc would] them to continue the war until their tives could be achieved. [Brian Reploj or America NBC protest lair. YEAR KILLED WOUNDED STRENGTH CUM CUM KILLED WOUNDED **Kennedy-Johnson Administrations** 1961-4 267 1,600 23,300 267 1,600 1965 1,369 6,100 184,300 1,636 7,700 1966 5,008 29,500 385,000 6,644 37,200 1967 9,300 62,300 485,600 16,021 99,300 1968 14,589 92,800 536,100 30,610 192,100 **Nixon Administration** 1969 9,414 70,200 475,200 40,024 262,300 1970 4,221 30,600 234,600 44,245 292,900 1971 1,381 9,000 156,800 45,626 301 ,900 1972 300 1,200 24,200 45,926 303,100 It’s your turn How much modification necessary! ? Editor: I read with amazement the letter on handicapped students. While I feel the modification of sidewalks, building entr ances and toilet facilities for handicapped persons is an extremely costly but often necessary modification of university facili ties, the making of wheelchair ramps is a ridiculous waste of time, manpower and money. Furthermore, with only 10-12 wheelchair students and hundreds of side walk intersections on campus, I cannot understand their reluctance to share the wheelchair ramps with bicyclists and ska ters. Secondly, the implication in the article was that classroom facilities and instruction should be modified so that a handicapped individual can attend or enroll in any uni versity course. Should we then modify all chemistry labs, physics labs, engineering labs, animal science and veterinary medi cine labs, ad nauseam on the theory that a handicapped student might enroll in these classes? While you may support these ivory tower ideals in theory, are you willing to pay the price in the form of increased taxes and tuition? Where does the University’s/ government’s responsibility and obligation to the individual end? Handicapped individuals are one of many special interest groups. While I’ll admit that their needs and interests should prob ably be of higher priority than that of farm- price supports(payments for growing weeds), or government handouts to mis managed, inefficient companies like Lock heed, Penn Central or Chrysler, their de mands should be considered on a cost- effective basis if the federal budget is to decreased. I realize this is an extremely delicate topic and I have undoubtably provoked the wrath of every Polly Anna, Eagle Boy Scout, Good Samaritan, Jesus Freak, and CT on campus. In case you’re wondering, yes I am a “T-sip. ” When the Corps comes to “get me,” I’ll be wearing my “I love Ayatollah” t-shirt and singing “The Eyes Of Texas.” Roberto Dillow Castaneda, ’80 denced by the poor turnout at women s ketball, volleyball, etc... (Althoughsoi you may disguise yourselves as fans at basketball games which preceed the games, as we know who you are! Yousl your true colors by not knowing the court rules time and time again!) women can play and do play and they win We were glad to see the softball team a couple of columns in last Tuesday! but unfortunately even our journalists to be in that notorious category previoi Sometimes 1 doing somethii setition againsi Replogle drc pent a total of weryone who “Some peop aid. NBC has deplogle said ' lave grown up Replogle p; Texas Avenue < ike Mickey M Lives On.” Replogle sai veryone — tl Replogle sai aspiration. “Pi Replogle sai aeople who ar .vant.” Replogle sail aid he plans ichools and sei Replogle fir: iemester after i aeen reading inspires you t dung for yours Replogle be; University cha aid he was ah Replogle sa they’re conce Lynn Landr nd of like ou SEA’s first ca Replogle ph SEA there. Replogle si mpete with I think PB; ional broadca: Softball season coming Editor: Two-percenters stand up and take notice! Feb. 27th marks the beginning of the Texas A&M women’s softball season at Bee Creek Park. All two-percenters are invited not to attend unless you want to see a real Aggie team win, and win, and win again! Why wait until the end of the season (like the yell leaders do) to show your support of the winningest team in the last three years at Texas A&M? Women’s softball, you say, “I didn’t even know they had womens team sports at A&M.” Well, if this is what you think, then you are not alone as is evi- mentioned. Not only did the pictutf K Irene Mach appear for the third time*| ^ year, (just how thick are those photo IF anyway?) but she was, again impropa identified as Nancy Sullivan. Softball fever may be hard to catch Wf only takes a few exposures before youlm ^ terminal case. Who knows, you may! yourself going on roadtrips to Killeesf ^ Nacogdoches tor a weekend of softtfi ^ camping, and good times! You couldhelf , ' ^ extravagent and come out to Bee C$ Park with a picnic basket and an ice cl ?: ^ filled with your favorite beverage. I 11 ^ might find out that the Diamond Dart! ^ aren’t the only women in uniforms at al f . tic events. JU! Rusty and Lisa 1 By Scott McCullar well, we've fia/ally PeCIPEP THAT WE HAVE MHE GOOD PRECAUTIONS A&AIW5T FIRE, PUT UE NEEP SOHE MORE BE5/PES THESE THINGS; SO HERE ARE SOfAE POSSIBLE FIRE PROTECTION ANP PREVENTION MEASURES OF the future: APAPTIONS TO THE fJLUE WATER T0W£K... AS5EST05 FIRE SU I TS COULP BE SOLP IN THE FISC BOOKSTORE FOR STUPEJtfTS WITH CLASSES IN BUILDINGS ABOVE THE 3RV FLOOR... ANP WE MIGHT WANT TO TAKE THE IRONY OUT OF BUILDINGS WITH THESE SIGNS ON THEM... The Battalion MEMBER ISPS Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Dillard Stone Managing Editor Angel Copeland Asst. Managing Editor Todd Woodard City Editor Debbie Nelson Asst. City Editor Marcy Boyce News Editors Venita McCellon, Scot K. Meyer Sports Editor Richard Oliver Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff Asst. Focus Editor Susan Hopkins Staff Writers Carolyn Barnes, Jane G. Brust, Terry Duran, Bernie Fette, Cindy Gee, Jon Heidtke, Glenn Krampota, Kathleen McElroy, Belinda McCoy, Marjorie McLaughlin, Kathy O’Connell, Ritchie Priddy, Rick Stolle Cartoonist Scott McCullar Photo Editor Greg Gammon Photographers Chuck Chapman Brian Tate EDITORIAL POUCY The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat talion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M Universi ty administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of Regents. 045 360 The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper !■’ students in reporting, editing and photography cte# within the Department of Communications, Questions or comments concerning any editorial iwS i: should be directed to the editor. LETTERS POUCY Letters to the Editor should not exceed 350 words* length, and are subject to being cut if they are longer editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style* 1 ’ 1 length, but will make every effort to maintain the autlil ,! intent. Each letter must also be signed, show the addre” and phone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and l< not subject to the same length constraints as M'f Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor, ™ Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Univet*’ 1 ' College Station, TX 77843. The Battalion is published daily during Texas and spring semesters, except for holiday and exarnto®]! periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75per semester,!®' per school year and $35 per hill year. Advertising ^ furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed ing, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX Sh hurr suppi last; United Press International is entitled exclusively I” ^ use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited » Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein rese*^ Second class postage paid at College Station, TX" i*