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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 11, 1981)
The Battalion Viewpoint September 11,1981 Slouch By Jim Earle <6 & ilu. / T’m afraid our campus isn’t ready for it yet!’ It s your turn Editor: Well, I’ve had it. I don’t know what it is about people that causes them to take ; something good to an extreme and thereby | ruin it, but last Wednesday night was a S prime example. The object of ruination: The Aggie quad. The extreme I will de scribe below. A new resident of Mclnnis Hall was strip ped to underwear, dragged through a mud puddle, then chained to the grating in the quad between Hughes, Fowler and Keath- ley by some Good Ags. Being chained by his underwear, he could have waited for help or torn off his underwear. He chose the latter. He then stood up, took a lordly bow toward each dorm amidst hundreds of spectators and several flashing cameras, and then walked stark naked up to some girls to chat. Look, I don’t see why Texas A&M should be the stage for some people’s lack of re straint and other people’s sick exhibitionist tendencies. This has happened before. It is not a quad, but a perversion of the original idea. The University and the University Police should treat this as the serious disci plinary problem it is. Anywhere else it would be a serious crime; here, it is becom ing a tradition. Name withheld Editor’s note: The author is a resident of Mclnnis Hall and requested that his name not be printed. Consult an expert Editor: the screaming voices of fundamentalists ris ing above the crowd shouting repentance and damnation. What? New freshmen and new Ags, if you havn’t already noticed, Texas A&M is situated right in the hjpart of the Bible Belt, America’s region of Christ ian fundamentalism. If you claim yourself “Christian,” as described by the fundamen talist, I’m sure you probably think they’re great. But, if you consider yourself “Christ ian” in the sense of the rest of us, you’re probably confused as to their approach. As a junior philosophy major, and one of Texas A&M’s true pre-theology students (theolo gy is graduate work), let me offer you some advice. 1. Any group that claims itself inter denominational or non-denominational, is pulling your leg. There are no such organi zations at Texas A&M. If this were true, why are some fighting the Moonies? Each of these organizations have set principles or theories as to the nature of God, or Christ, and I can definitely say that some of these principles totally differ with Catholic, or some main line Protestant denominations. Therefore, any statement made by these groups should be taken with “a grain of salt.” It is possible they are wrong. 2. As a full-time student of philosophy and theology, I can also definitely say that most know as much about theology as a first grade Sunday School class and as much ab out philosophy as my cat. Therefore, the next time someone quotes Nietzsche to you, he’s probably wrong. Please don’t get me wrong. If you enjoy the fellowship, the celebration of life with Christ, that’s great. However, be very, very careful. Jim Jones had a wonderful Christian fellowship also, but he too had set principles! No one thought then he was wrong either. If in doubt, consult someone learned in theology, like your pastor, minis ter, or priest. I’m sure God can stand a few questions. Aw school! The hustle and bustle of peo ple returning to classes, the endless lines. Curt Collier ‘83 2358 Cornell The Battalion USPS 045 360 MEMBER The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for Texas Press Association students in reporting, editing and photography classes Southwest Journalism Gongress within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter Editor . . Angelique Copeland should be directed to the editor. Managing Editor Marcy Boyce City Editor Jane G. Brust Asst. City Editor Kathy O’Connell Photo Editor Greg Gammon LETTERS POLICY Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in Asst. Focus Editor Debbie Nelson length, and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The News Editors editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and Jennifer AHlerbach, Bemie Fette, Belinda McCoy length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s Diana Sultenfuss intent. Each letter must also be signed, show the address StaffWriters and phone number of the writer. Frank L. Christlieb, Gaye Denley, Terry Duran, Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and are XT t-., i . Tr j 74, i ' „ . i not subject to the same length constraints as letters. Nancy Floeck, Phylhs Henderson, Colette Hutch- Address J all inquiries and corre B spondence to; Editor> The ings, Denise , 1< ^ 1 ®. r ’ Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, ^ „ K i C , k ^ t< ?, e College Station, TX 77843. Cartoonist Scott McCullar Graphic Artist Richard DeLeon Jr. The Battalion is published daily during Texas A&M’s fall Photographers Brian Tate and spring semesters, except for holiday and examination Becky Swanson, Dave Einsel periods. Mailsubscriptionsare$16.75persemester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates EDITORIAL POLICY fhmished on request. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper . Battal f ion ' 2 |. 6 Ree ^ ^ cDo " al d Bui ' d - operated as a community service to Texas A&M University m *' Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat- . , , , , , talion are those of the editor or the author, and do not U " lted Pre f International is entitled exclusively to the necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M Universi- “ se J or reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it. ty administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of Rl « hts of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Regents. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. Student Senate: Do you BILLieve? No sooner have we adjourned the 67th fiasco of the Texas Legislature (for the second time), than we are confronted with another legislative folly — the Texas A&M University Student Senate. At its first meeting of the semester Wednesday night, the Senate approved its budget and dispensed with other trivial bureaucratic trappings. But the substance of the meeting came with the introduction of several new and imaginative bills. Granted, the titles are not as titillating as some of last year’s legislation (The Discri mination Against Old Folks Bill or The Eyes of Texas A&M Bill or The One Date a Semester Bill, etc.), but the logic behind the bills is certainly up to par. We have a Bicycle Registration Bill call ing for all bicycles to be registered by the University and the University Police and (yes, there’s more) the ticketing/impound ing of all non-registered bikes. The Univer sity Police should be tickled to death over this one. A new task to fill those idle hours Jennifer Afflerbach i spent lazily cruising the campus looking for crime. When they get tired of chasing unregis tered cyclists across the Academic Building lawn, the police can kill some time issuing more tickets to illegally parked motorcycles and mopeds, as called for in the Pedestrian Protection Bill. What threat a parked motorcycle or moped poses to a pedestrian is beyond me. Automobile drivers should love this one. The Motorcycle and Moped Parking Spaces Bill calls for the creation of more motorcy cle parking on the street or in parking Dorms are being built in parking lots.( srooms are going up in parking lots. Mtt <^nj ists will kill for parking lots, come much farther down on thepriorib] for parking lots In the event the Senate shouldrunoi ideas for bills here are a few modest proposals: Buffalo Bill — calls for registration j buffalo by the University and the Unive the com Arm com ship gym ty Police and the ticketing/impound® tion all non-registered buffalo. Duck Bill — calls for pruning ofalli tree branches hanging ominously over® pus sidewalks and threatening tion. Mister Bill — proposes making“01 Nooooo!” the official University motto Bicycle Bill For Two — special offeti one ticket for an unregistered bicyclej receive a second ticket free! G.I. Bill — Gee, I bill-ieve Ivem my point. cour WQ*ci6(nweu*e- idELL, SOMEBODY HAS TO LOOK fUOE AND CLEAN- Tradition goes beyond limits of good taste, law mm Hitler comparison unfounded This editorial is in response to the com ments made by Michael Lane who conde mned the man “outside the MSC speaking of God.” Mr. Lane claims to believe in God, go to church, and pray, but he must not read his Bible very often. While I am in no way claiming to be a perfect Christian, I do re call reading and hearing several verses advocating “religious recruiting,” as Mr. Lane termed going out and teaching the word of God. One such passage is Mark 16: 15-16, which reads: And he said unto them: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every crea ture. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mathew 28: 19-20 similarly states: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, a nd the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. The speaker in both instances is Jesus Christ. And if Jesus says the word of God should be taught and preached and spread all over the world, it would seem that the speaker at the MSC, Ron Tweson of OASIS, was doing no wrong. Is it wrong for a group of kids to get together because they believe in God and quoting what He says in the Bible? And I hardly think Mr. Tweson should be compared to Adolf Hitler! Hitler was a sick, power-hungry, bigoted man. He came to a country hit hard with post-war inflation and unemployment and offered them an answer. He saw the people of Germany starving and paying incredible sums for a loaf of bread. These people were desperate for change, and Hitler offered them hope for a strong and prosperous country: A motherland far greater than Germany had been before “the war to end all wars.” This is why Germany listened to Hitler; not because he forced his doctrine on them. It wasn’t until Hitler took over Ger many that he infringed upon people’s rights. These rights were the rights of life he took from the Jews and other peoples he felt inferior to the “super race of Germans he was planning to bring Germany to great ness. True, he was wrong, but it was the desperation of his people that caused them to listen and believe him. And I also believe that “what went on at the MSC” was totally different. Obviously! The speaker there did not decide how peo ple should live; God did that. The speaker was simply doing something else that God decided on. He was teaching God’s word as the Bible commands: by speaking, by preaching, by going out into the woi The rights of Americans are i speech and religion are among the gre Who is to say when and where anyone! speak? And, please tell me, whocan[- sume to say where religion should stay ' churches? In temples? In synagogues?® gion has its place? Sure, its place is world, where people are, whereveri" needed — even at the MSC. And it hardly be said that religion is “running pant” because one speaker or one speaks at the MSC. If the people at the MSC didn’t wr listen, then they should have got up left. That’s their right. That’s how (lie) close the door on a “hard sell.” When religion is “confined to a sifr windowless cell buried somewhere ii recesses of a dungeon,” then Mr. Laitf start making comparisons to a man lived in Germany, circa 1933. ® P.S. — Julienne fries are potatoes^ long, thin strips. Look it up in Wefe New Collegiate Dictionary or fcj; Homes and Gardens’ New Cookbook? answers and reasons aren’t too hardtop if you know where to look. Elizabeth Moore Ii 1001 Harvey 1 H Warped By Scott McCullm -4;
