opinion —
It’s a tall, tall world we live in
This will be a short column but it’s
going to pack quite a punch. Unfortun
ately, it will hit most of you at the
kneecaps.
In the fight for equality, one group
has been consistently overlooked.
Although we’ve been shortchanged and
blatantly discriminated against for a long
time, there has been a shortage of articu
late leaders willing to stand up and Fight
for equal height rights.
We feel especially qualified to com
ment on this subject because our com
bined heights barely surpass that of
Texas A&M’s shortest basketball player.
When he’s barefoot. And we’re weaxing
heels.
But no longer. As members of this
small minority, we are determined to
speak out against the shortcomings of a
tall world.
Lest you think this is simply minutia,
think how you would feel if you were
constantly looked down upon.
Or worse, imagine having to use a
periscope to look through your
peephole.
Or never knowing what color eyes
your friends have.
denise phyllis
richter henderson
Or having to pole-vault to check your
mailbox at the post office.
Can you imagine the embarrassment
of being offered a child’s ticket for a
movie? Granted it would save a few
bucks, but when you’re 21 and trying to
see “The Seduction” and get offered a
ticket to “Bambi,” it can traumatize you.
And we aren’t talking about short-term
neurosis, either.
Even your friends are short-sighted in
this area. When they form their co-rec
basketball team, you’re not mentioned
for forward, guard or — heaven forbid
— center. Even if the team is short of
players. All you get to do is lead yells.
You’ve got to learn not to be short-
tempered when friends don’t take you
seriously or worse yet, when they lean
down from their lofty heights and plant
their elbows on your shoulder.
Or when they ask the ever-popular
“How’s the weather down there?”
Or when they repeatedly describe you
— a college senior — as “cute.” Not digni
fied. Not business-like. Not professional.
But “cute.”
Being of minuscule height also shor- ■
tens your social life. Imagine a crowded
ballroom. The classic boy-meets-girl
situation. He asks you to dance. You
accept. You float onto the floor, and only
then do you realize you’ll be staring at his
navel for the duration of the theme to
“Giant.”
Just because we’re upset about Texas
A&M’s short-sighted height discrimina
tion doesn’t mean we hold a grudge. We
enjoy being part of the Twelf th Man, but
there’s a problem: the only time we can
see what’s happening at a football game is
when Man 1 through 11 humps it.
Face it, it’s not easy being an aggie in a
world full of AGGIES.
illlt OXiJWOG ^ 9<NP»(Ar&-
1
Sred brigade 1
a
88
———,
0
(civilization
0
Q
o
Letter: Rights must be considered
Editor:
Mr. Nabil Al-Khowaiter in his letter to
the Battalion Editor (Feb. 2) indicated his
distress at his fellow Aggies’ lack of in
terest in world affairs. The nub of his
displeasure is the veto in the U.N. Secur
ity Council by the U.S., of sanctions
against Israel. Israel’s crime this time was
applying Israili law to the Golan Heights,
not annexation as Al-Khowaiter claims.
He also states that U.S. forcing policy is
controlled by Zionist lobbyists.
Permit me to suggest another reason
for the present United States action and
our policies in the Middle East. I sincere
ly believe that my country wishes to estab
lish ajust and lasting peace in that part of
the world. Our government’s efforts date
back to the 1948 war when we attempted
to mediate a settlement of the war. On
numerous occasions the United States
presented plans for compensation and
resettlement of the Arabs. All such plans
were rejected by the Arabs. For many
years our government paid the bulk of
the costs of the refugee camps. Time and
again we have put forth Middle-East
peace initiatives have been met with Arab
intransigence and vilified by Arab prop
aganda as a tool of the Zionists.
Witness the latest Arab peace proposal
put forth by Saudi Arabia. In essence this
plan requires Israel to withdraw to its
1967 border in exchange for the “possi
bility” of recognition. This is no peace
plan at all! The Arabs want everything
and give nothing. Even under these
terms Syria and Libya refused to attend
an Arab-sponsored conference to consid
er the plan. What then is the United
States to do, abet your desire to destroy
Israel? Until the Arab leaders come forth
with a reasonable compromise, the situa
tion in the Middle-East will remain stale
mated. There is right and wrong on both
sides (witness the 550,000 Jews who were
kicked out of Arab countries versus
800,000, not 2.5 million, displaced from
Palestine). Only by a suitable comprom
ise will peace be established and that is
what the United States is working to
wards.
Finally, let me turn your own logic
back upon yourself. I would expect,
given the Arab nations’ international sta
ture, that one should find a substantial
number of people interested in worl
dwide developments. Yet, all the Arabs
ever harp about is the Palestinian situa
tion. What about the one million re
fugees in Somalia, the two million dis
placed from Afghanistan by the Russian
invasion, the slaughter of three million
people in Gambodia by the Pol Pol re
gime or the one million boat people sent
adrift by Vietnam! Does the situation in
Poland disturb you? Is nothing to be
done to the perpetrators of these crimes?
Why don’t the Arabs support U.S. spon
sored sanctions against Russia? Perhaps
when the Arabs stop being myopic in
world affairs and consider the rights of
other people, Aggies will take an interest
in Middle Eastern affairs.
Dr. Abraham Clearfield
College Station
Honda stolen
Editor:
Last Thursday after spending a cou
ple of hours in the A&A Building where I
work and have classes, I returned to
where I had parked my 1981 XR500R
Honda trailbike only to find it had been
stolen. With it, three years of work and
savings to pay for it went down the drain.
While we would hope that the tradi
tional image of a Texas Aggie would hold
true in these times of increasing crime,
there are apparently those among us who
aren’t willing to earn their way. Incidents
showing little or no value for the safety or
property of others occur all too often on
our campus. Our long-standing reputa
tion is being marred by some who ride
the coattails of A&M’s excellence but
show little of what Aggies are made of.
Regardless, I am offering a $100 re
ward to anyone who contributes to the
return of my Honda trailbike. No ques
tions asked!
If you notice a red Honda with plastic
fenders and gas tank, 500R printed on
the seat, and license #4EB 74, please call
me at 845-5014 or 779-8993 evenings.
Thanks to anyone who can or will help
me. .
the small society by Brickman
Ball
Snow am
not caused
Bryan-Colli
-but they ha
Althoui
usually beh
'College Sta
(rector Geo
bad weath
the situati
street main
hind since
rains fore
spend mu<
ing vegeu
areas, he s
In addi
possible tc
# in cold or
. Gallaway,
' lessor at T
A long-
during wii
Ithe salt u
■ melt ice
said. Sail
Ehrlichman
Reagan
Prc
compares dri
Nixon
h )
By HELEN THOMAS
United Press International
WASHINGTON — John Ehrlichman
was back in town the other day promot
ing his new book and looking over the
Reagan administration from the side
lines.
His book, “Witness to Power,” is a
personal memoir and a story of his in
volvement in the Nixon years in the
White House. The shadow of the Water
gate scandal is a running theme through
out, but like the other Watergate books, it
answers none of the still remaining ques
tions: Why the break-in at the Democra
tic National Committee headquarters at
the Watergate? Who was deep throat?
As for the 18-minute gap on one of the
Nixon tapes, Ehrlichman says, “That
happened after I was gone.”
While other Watergate figures have
seen Nixon from time to time, such as
ever-loyal John Mitchell and to a lesser
degree H.R. Haldeman, Ehrlichman has
not seen Nixon since the spring of 1973
when he was forced to resign from his
high White House position.
Ehrlichman said he had a sense of
“deju vu” listening to President Reagan
deliver his state of the union address re
cently with its “new federalism” center-
piece. He said he found many similarities
with Nixon’s original presentation of re
venue sharing to the states.
Reagan’s proposal calls for turning 43
federal programs, including welfare and
food stamps, over to the states along with
some funds to finance them. The prog
rams would be phased out by 1991 unless
the states have the inclination or where
withal to keep them going.
Erhlichman said “we foresaw that day
would come” when the federal social
programs would be dropped . that the
rug would be pulled. But we didn’t say
B
Policen
Nixon administration. Almost aS« n ^ drivu
Reagan aides are in the conservatii% nex t W ee
umn while Nixon had some so-calld versity.
berals” on his staff, such as Dani Char
Moynihan, now a Democatic sets u lining ;
from New York. BA&M R<
Ehrlicman recalls when heand!M^ ( j rv ^ :e ’.
man were summoned to CampDaii • w m 1 ”
Sunday, April 20, 1973, knowing^
were to be asked for their resignaii-. c j ev
He said that he walked to il|| consum |
Lodge where he found Nixon. “Hifflof a gallc
were redrimmed and he looked®to see w
and drawn,” Ehrlichman wrote. Joptimun
“It was impossible for me to ' The p
composed as he told me he had b 1 ’; auto par
and prayed he might die during ^
night. “It was like cutting off my arniM ^ mi
(Nixon) began, and he could not; Ton id
tinue.
consum
As powerful as he and Haldeman
were as Nixon’s top ranking staffers,
Ehrlichman said the “big three” in the
White House today has as much, maybe
more power and influence. “We didn’t
have anyone like (counselor) Ed Meese
looking at all policy,” he said.
He said that ideologically, the Reagan
administration is also different from the
“He began crying uncontrollablw
I put my arm on his shoulder to cor)'
him. He walked away, out of the im
the terrace, to pull himself together,'
Camp was in full spring bloomout®
I noticed. All the bulbs were up an®
“You’ll have to resign,” Nixons
last.
“I nodded.”
“You’ve been my conscience
through this mess,” he said. “You
right about a lot of things — you
right about (Charles) Colson and
were right about Mitchell.”
Later Ehrlichman, Mitchell
son served time in prison.
Haldeman, he said, tried uptotfc
minute even as Nixon was reachin:
decision to resign, to win blanketpat
for all those who were being accuit
the Watergate cover-up scandalJ-
was to no avail.
“I don’t miss Richard Nixon
much,” he said. “He epitomizes(
good and bad interludes in mp
alththough surely it is evident thatnd'
of my bad times were Richard Ni$
fault.
“Each of us who was implicaici
Watergate must bear his own blame
said. 1
Would he like to be back in the^ Paving
House again, Ehrlichman flashes a c ea P {
smile anci shakes his head: “No, 1’vetf I • v '’°y e
there.”
Uni
HOU
Baylor (
they soc
an inex
to prev<
Dr. 1
time ch
epidem
breakth
it will t
before
be dev<
The
nistrati
ot a h
duced
vaccine
shots v
this sp
M-
group
and pr
ttnpor
counti
Mel
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
author, and do not necessarily represent theopim *
ninistratnrs nr facullff 1 1
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Angelique Copeland
Managing Editor JaneG. Brust
City Editor Denise Richter
Assistant City Editor Diana Sultenfuss
Sports Editor Frank L. Christlieb
Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff
Assistant Focus Editor Nancy Floeck
News Editors Gary Barker,
Phyllis Henderson, Mary Jo Rummel,
Nancy Weatherley
StaffWriters Jennifer Carr,
John Bramblett, Gaye Denley,
Sandra Gary, Colette Hutchings,
Johna Jo Maurer, Daniel Puckett,
Bill Robinson, Denise Sechelski,
Laura Williams, Rebecca Zimmermann
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Graphic Artist Richard DeLeon Jr.
Photographers Sumanesh Agrawal,
David Fisher, Eileen Manton,
Eric Mitchell, Peter Rocha,
John Ryan, Colin Valentine
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news
paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M .
University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions ex
pressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or the
Texas-A&M University administrators or ft cull,I®
bers, or of the Board of Regents.
The Battalion also serves as a laboratory nm'stf,
for students in reporting, editing and photognpbjw
ses within the Department of Communications. ’
Questions or comments concerning any l
matter should be directed to the editor.
Letters Policy |
Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300
length, and are subject to being cut if they are lot! 1
The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letted j,
style and length, but will make every effort to
the author's intent. Each letter must also be signed.'J
the address and phone number of the writer.
Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, 1
are not subject to the same length constraints as W r t
Address all inquiries and correspondence to: MJ
The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M G
versity. College Station, TX 77843, or phone (713)*J
2611.
The Battalion is published daily during Texas .T ■
fall and spring semesters, except for holiday and W' J
nation periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per set *
ter, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year.Ad" [
Using rates furnished on request.
Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDot ‘
Building, Texas A&M University, College Station,il
77843.
<1
United Press International is entitled exdusivel' |
the use for reproduction of all news dispatches cred T
to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter hert'I
reserved.
Second class postage paid at College Station, ^
77843. I
Dayne Pierantoni