The Battalion
Viewpoint
September 7,1$
Slouch
By Jim Earle
FCK>-re>f\LL
RTounJD
SALL
Did he say this is Physical Education? This isn’t Physics
201?”
Organized labor is in
a slump on Labor Day
By DAVID S. BRODER
WASHINGTON — The condition of
organized labor on this Labor Day weekend
can be simply described. It is in, out and
down.
Trade union leaders have gained more
influence inside the structure of the Demo
cratic Party than they have enjoyed for a
decade. But they have lost access to the
administration and leverage with Congress.
As for the workers themselves, they con
tinue to be hammered by inflation and
other economic ills.
Long before the air traffic controllers’
union made the mistake of challenging
Ronald Reagan, organized labor had made
the decision to join the political opposition
to his administration. The breach that has
opened between the government and the
unions is far too wide for Reagan to bridge
with a speech or two.
Part of it goes back to Lane Kirkland’s
succeeding George Meany as president of
the AFL-CIO in November of 1979. Meany
was reared in the Samuel Gompers tradi
tion of shunning permanent political
alliances. But Kirkland is a partisan Demo
crat. He is strongly reinforced in that incli
nation, not only by the international union
presidents who stayed involved in the party
during the troubles of the 1970’s, but by the
recent decision of Democratic activist
Douglas Fraser and his United Auto Work
ers to rejoin the federation.
Now there is a move to make union
leaders — along with governors and mem
bers of Congress — automatic delegates to
the 1984 convention. That would help re
store to labor the veto power over Demo
cratic presidential nominees it enjoyed up
through 1968.
But labor has paid a price for its in
creased partisanship, in the form of a grow
ing alienation from the people in power.
Kirkland has complained that he has less
access to the White House than his prede
cessor enjoyed, not just with Carter and
other Democratic presidents, but with Re
publicans Eisenhower, Nixon and Ford.
The recent choice of Malcolm R. Lovell
Jr. as undersecretary of labor was supposed
to be a gesture to the union leaders, who
griped that neither Secretary of Labor
But scheduled tax cuts will increase take-
home pay. And if Reagan can keep the rate
of inflation moving downward, he may be
able to fatten the real wage packet. That
would lead to happier Labor Days, not just
for labor but for the Republican Party as
well.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Angelique Copeland
Managing Editor Marcy Boyce
City Editor JaneG. Brust
Asst. City Editor Kathy O’Connell
Photo Editor Greg Gammon
Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy
Focus Editor Cathy SaathofF
Asst. Focus Editor Debbie Nelson
News Editors
Jennifer Afflerbach, Bernie Fette, Belinda McCoy
StaffWriters
Frank L. Christlieb, Gaye Denley, Terry Duran,
Nancy Floeck, Phyllis Henderson, Colette Hutch
ings, Denise Richter,
Rick StoWe
Cartoonist. . . . ScotMcCullar
Graphic Artist Richard DeLeon Jr.
Photographers Brian Tate
Becky Swanson, Dave Einsel
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It’s your turn
Religious "hard sell’ draws criticisn
Editor:
Raymond J. Donovan nor any member of
the senior White House staff consulted with
them. Lovell is well-respected by unionists
from his days in the auto industry, but the
typical attitude was expressed by a UAW
official who asked, “Who the hell believes
an undersecretary swings any weight?”
More vexing to the labor leaders is their
loss of clout in Congress. The AFL-CIO
boldly announced it was forming a coalition
to fight Reagan’s budget cuts and press for a
wage-tilted, not business-oriented, tax cut.
But members of Congress, who gave
Reagan what he wanted, said there was lit
tle evidence in their mail that grass-roots
workers were backing their union leaders’
stands.
Stung by the charge that labor is a poli
tical paper tiger, Kirkland has ordered a
mass protest march in Washington on Sept.
19 against the Reagan economic policies.
Ultimately, however, the real test of labor’s
ability to mobilize against Reagan will
come, not in the size of the one-day protest
but in the pocketbook judgments of work
ing families.
Reagan made big inroads in blue-collar
precincts last November, in large part be
cause those workers had suffered econo
mically from Jimmy Carter’s policies. Mea
sured in constant, uninflated dollars, the
real weekly earnings after taxes of the typic
al factory worker with three dependents
declined 9.7 percent from January 1977 to
January 1981 — from $164.33 to $148.38 (in
1977 dollars).
In the first six months of the Reagan
administration, they declined another 1.1
percent to $146.74. That means that wages
have not kept pace with inflation so far in
the Reagan era either; if the same decline
continues, workers would end up losing ab
out as badly in Reagan’s term as they did in
Carter’s — and it would be no trick for
Kirkland to rally them against the Republi-
Recently, a man came to my door; I
could tell he was a salesman right away.
Dressed in his checkered suit, striped tie
and pink pants, he said “sonny you need a
‘zeno-matic®’, the all-in-one household tool
that can’t do anything. Can’t slice, can’t
dice, can’t even make julian fries, whatever
they are!”
Instinctively, I slammed the door. But
still I could hear his muffled voice from the
other side of the door rattling on about the
virtue of his product. I was tempted to
dump some water on him.
A hard sell is a turn-off! Recently, a man
was outside the MSC speaking of God and
how I should live my life so I could be
saved.
I shut the door on him. Hard sell. There
was another reason than just his hard sell
though. I believe in God, I go to church and
I pray, but I do not believe in the religious
“recruiting” of people even to my beliefs.
If I want a sermon. I’ll go to church; if I
want advice on what to do with my life. I’ll
get help, and if God is the answer, great!
What happened outside the MSC is like
a story I once heard. It happened about fifty
years ago. There was this man and he knew
just what everyone should do with their life
and the people of this man’s country be
lieved him and followed him. The man:
Adolf Hitler, the country: Germany circa
1933. But was he right? He thought so, so
did a majority of his countrymen.
But was he right?
No, of course not. By deciding on how
other people should live (if at all), he had
infringed upon their rights. Now obviously
what went on at the MSC is totally diffe
rent! Or is it?
It was noise pollution in the sense that it
was violating the right to silence of many of
the people at the MSC. They can’t just
“tune him out” nor can they close their door
to muffle him out.
Religion is good. But it has its place.
And, just like everything else in life, it has
to stay there. Maybe it shouldn’t be con
fined to a small windowless cell buried
somewhere in the recesses of a dungeon but
neither should it be allowed to run ram
pant.
Michael Lane
Dunn Hall
How can you be so numb not to care if they
come?
You close your eyes and pretend the job’s
done.
Bless me Lord! Bless me Lord! You know
it’s all I ever hear,
no one aches, no one hurts, no one even
sheds one tear,
but He cries. He weaps. He bleeds and He
cares for your needs,
and you just lay back and keep soaking it in!
Oh can’t you see its such sin!
Cause He brings people to your door and
you turn them away
as you smile and say “God bless you, be at
peace”; and
all heaven just weeps, cause Jesus came to
your door,
you’ve left him out on the street.
Open up! Open up, and give yourself away.
You see the needs, you hear the cries, so
how can you delay?
God’s calling and your the one, but like
Jonah you run!
He’s told you to speak, but you keep hold
ing it in.
Oh, can’t you see it’s such sin!
The world is sleeping in the dark, that the
Church just can’t fight,
because it’s asleep in the light.
How can you be so dead, when you’ve been
so well fed!
Jesus rose from the grave, and you, you
can’t even get out of bed!
Oh, Jesus rose from the dead, com’on get
out of your bed!
How can be so numb not to care if they
come,
you close your eyes and pretend the job’s
done.
Don’t close your eyes, don’t pretend the
job’s done.
Come away! Come Away! Come away with
me my love!
Come away from this mess, come away
with me my love ...
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish
but have eternal life.”
This is the revolutionary message of Jesus
Christ. He wanted this message to be taken
to all people. We ourselves fail often,
nevertheless, we are striving to see God’s
desire fulfilled.
mie Blacksmith, ” for example)— the
of films Bryan-College Station reside:
not used to seeing locally.
Unfortunately, one thingseemsto
remained the same this year: I
ences. Last night, I attended the opt
film in the Internaitonal Film Series,
sawa’s "Kagemusha. ” The movie
breathtaking; indeed, it was
enough to compete with the group
dents (seated in the top left section
theater) who apparently found tl
quite humorous. Some maytryto
their behavior by pointing out thati
dents perhaps did not fully understa:
film, but the several Oriental clil
(small children) who attended also
understand it, I feel sure, yet
models of good behavior. Somudiia
justification.
May I offer a suggestion tothose«l
not care for international films? W1
check the film schedule toseewhats
ing? Foreign films are shown
Wednesday night; perhaps you snip
something else more entertaining:
people attend these films because
would like to watch them.
Pamela R, Mi
2300 Broad
J
Lot change applad
Editor:
This is an open letter of thanksti pos
clear-thinking individual (whoeverk 1205
she may be) who is responsible forrei :Sp
ing the “blocks” from Lot Seven. 'pe
Anyone who parks in Lot Sevenisa ™
of the blocks that were placed there# aki
cut it into two separate lots. Themajoii oca
people were then forced to leave Loti P 11
via Spence Street which, undernomi j^ e
cumstances, is backed up at 5:00. Tk n
also aware of the additional ten
time and sweat it took just to leave car !
each evening. K;” 1
B
Mark A. Gonzalez ’83
706 Cherry
Speakers defended
Editor:
Editor’s note: This letter was accompanied
by two other signatures.
As fellow students who have spoken pub
licly at Rudder Fountain we would like to
respond to the letter by V.M. Nicoli (The
Battalion, September 3). We feel this song
by Keith Green appropriately reflects our
convictions:
Do you see, do you see, all the people
sinking down?
Don’t you care, don’t you care, are you
going to let them down?
Audience annoying
Editor:
This year the MSC Film Committee has
really come through. The choices include
such noteworthy films as Polanski’s “Mac
beth” and Antonioni’s “Blow-Up,” and a
fine selection from the Australian cinema
(“Breaker Morant” and “The Chant of Jim-
I know many people, including
complained and were told that not
could be done about this problem-|
blocks were in to stay. I more orb
igned myself to the fact that it would
lot longer to get home every night,
my shock (not to mention joy) when I
vered that the deed had been “uni
Not only have the blocks been remo
but a pedestrian crosswalk has beef
stalled.
I am pleased to find that the Admi*
tion is so flexible and willing to com]
ise. By putting in a crosswalk, people
safe way of crossing the parking lot,
those who park in the lot haveeasyai
and out. Taking the blocks outoflot
is the best thing that has happened
the “real” sidewalk was put in frontofl
McDonald!
Elizabeth L, Ta>
Secretary, College of Liberal'
When you need three’s company
By DICK WEST
United Press International
WASHINGTON — As is well-known in
convivial circles, your basic solitary drinker
is well on the road to becoming a problem
drinker, if not already there.
Now, at last, a group in East Chicago,
Ind., is trying to do something about this
deplorable social ill.
Calling itself Anti-Alcoholics Anony
mous (AAA), the organization undertakes to
provide drinking companions for members
who feel tempted to take a solo snort or two.
Although I applaud such good work, and
am grateful to an AAA spokesman, Joseph
Costanza, for bringing it to my attention, I
hope the group will not restrict itself to this
one field.
I refer to what is apparently a widespread
lack of verbal communication between
lovers.
In a survey I recently heard being discus
sed on a television talk show, taciturnity
during intimate moments was ranked right
up near the top of the heap of grievances
borne by parties of the first part against
parties of the second part.
The inarticulation problem also was
touched upon by Dr. Wardell Pomery, co
author of the Kinsey Reports, in a recent
article in Forum magazine.
Uncertain as to what they are exp
say at a given moment, and not wish:
say the wrong thing, they simply clam|
Which is the safest way out. Here is#
the East Chicago organization comest
Perhaps Constanza’s group could, if
requested, supply parties of the thirdf
to strike up conversations with inconfej
couples that have trouble verbalizing !
challenge, I suppose, would be evena
rigorous than supplying drinking coiB|d
There is a parallel, if not a related, prob
lem that has been getting a great deal of
attention lately and that virtually cries out
for remedial action of the type outlined by
Constanza.
Judging from the “dead silence” accom
panying bedroom activities, Pomeroy
wrote, many people “get more obvious en
joyment out of Mork and Mindy. ”
That comparison strikes me as rather un
fair.
A drinking companion is, after i
drinking companion even ifheissti'
morosely into a stirrup cup and uttering
a word, only shaking his headoccasior
fiol
Most situation comedies have “laugh
tracks” that indicate to the home audiences
the appropriate response. But lovers have
no such guidance.
On the other hand, keeping a I
conversation going between two cons
ing adults would take real talent.
Nevertheless, given enough sp
loosen the tongue, I’m sure Constant
company could handle it.
Warped
By Scott McCulk
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