F
opinion
Battalion/Page 2
March 2,1982
Tolerance should be a tradition
Yes, Virginia there are mean, intoler
ant people.
They live next door to you. They go to
class with you. They work with you.
There may even be one inside of you
controlling your very own actions.
And do you know what these intoler
ant people sometimes do?
They will scorn you for your religious
beliefs. They will stereotype people
based on whether or not they wear a uni
form and have short hair — this applies
to both people who stereotype Corps
members and Corps members who
stereotype non-Corps members.
They will also dislike you because you
are from some other part of the country
or another country or don’t share the
same political beliefs.
Well, tolerance for intolerant people
should no longer be tolerated!
There seems to be a shortage of re
spect on campus these days — both re
spect for other people’s property and
their beliefs.
Letters to the editor the last few weeks
have been full of labels calling certain
persons “bleeding-heart liberals,”
“pseudo-Christians,” “socialists,” and
“damn Yankees.”
These labels not only demonstrate in
tolerance, but they are also fallacious
attempts to refute arguments. Argu
ments must be disputecl on the basis of
their content — not on the basis of per
sonal beliefs about the author. Calling
someone names does not refute the logic
of his argument.
Other letters have called for limits on
freedom of speech for persons of differ
ing beliefs.
Apparently some people think the
Constitution guarantees freedom from
being harassed by ideas with which they
don’t agree, but this is not the case. The
Constitution protects the rights of all
speakers and in the process, many people
will hear things that offend, anger and
annoy them. But this is a tiny price to pay
for freedom.
A healthy mixture of political beliefs,
nationalities and religions is good for
society, this University and each indi
vidual student.
It is fortunate for our society that all
people don’t share the same beliefs.
Granted, there are some extremes that
may prove to be damaging to society, but
what an unchallenging, uninteresting
world it would be if everyone went
around muttering the same ideologies.
There’s something to be said for com
promise and balance. A healthy number
of Democrats in Congress keeps the Re
publicans from going off the “right”
deep end and a healthy number of Re
publicans keeps the Democrats from
going off the “left” deep end.
In 1859 English philosopher John
Stuart Mill wrote a treatise calling for the
unlimited exchange of ideas in the mar
ketplace. His basic argument was that if
truth and falsehood are allowed to battle
in the marketplace of ideas, a greater
truth will result.
Perhaps someday soon Texas A&M
will adopt this philosophy as a tradition
and understand the benefits of open-
mindedness.
qf
COLUMBUS D16FP3tH-«> I90Z- W COWW SfNplCSTg
.AOT SACRED COWS
IN 1UERE?
moo misrrs id know?
Derexse
BUDfcQT
Letter: Editorial page is important
Editor:
This is a response to Mr. Albert Eby’s
illogical article which appeared in the
Reader’s Forum on Tuesday (Feb. 23).
What he does not seem to understand is
that by definition, letters to the editor are
one person or persons opinion, generally
on a topic which is volatile enough to
elicit public comment.
His vitriolic attack on free expression
is dangerous in that to deny a person the
right to express his opinions is tanta
mount to an attack on civil liberty in gen
eral. It is hardly a waste of pages of news
print on the part of T he Battalion to
attempt to provide a forum for students
and residents of the community to exer
cise their right to free and open exchange
of ideas.
It is unfortunate, Mr. Eby, that you do
not care to hear other peoples opinions,
because it is through such an exchange of
ideas that people develop a better under
standing of their fellow human beings. If
the opinions expressed in the letters to
the editor section are so offensive, simply
stop reading and let those of us who
choose to continue to exercise our rights
as a free people alone.
For example, I have learned how peo
ple feel about the saber incident, the hir
ing of Coach Sherrill, panty raids, the
campus bicycle problem, the sophomore
cadet who wrote on the wet cement, etc.
The second page of The Battalion gives
me the opportunity to know more about
the people I am with at Texas A&M Uni
versity.
Jeffrey S. Robertson ‘84
Editor’s note: This letter was accompa
nied by three other signatures. 4
C. Husmann ‘81
Theft a growing problem
Sorry we didn’t disturb you
Editor:
Editor:
Jerry O’leary ‘84
Letters keep reader informed
Howdy Ags, thieves? I hope this letter
is published to make Aggies more aware
of a growing problem on campus. Theft.
Theft doesn’t carry the controversial im
pact of the recent Battalion letters but it is
something that affects all of us.
Last Wednesday night (Feb. 24) I left
my bike in front of Sbisa locked, and
Thursday it was gone! This is just
another of the many items I have had
stolen. (2 car batteries, 1 set of speakers).
To make matters worse, it is my
fiance’s bike who has had it since child-
This letter is in reference to the Tues
day, Feb. 23 letter from Robert Jones,
Dorm 5, Class of ‘83.
The only times that Alpha Phi Omega
(APO) uses the Corps lounge C is for
mum delivery on days of home football
games — none of which are in the spring
semester. The rest of our meetings are
held in the MSC Complex.
So, if we disrupted your studying and/
or activities at 6 a.m. on those days last
fall, we apologize.
Sharron Cox ‘82
APO President
Editor:
the small society
by Brickman
I am a regular reader of The Battalion
and after reading the “Reader’s Forum”
in the February 23 edition I would like to
say that I appreciate the second page of
my University newspaper. Mr. Eby may
gripe about The Battalion and its second
page, but when I want to find out what is
happening at Texas A&M, I turn to the
second page and read the letters written
to the editor. People express their opin
ions and they contest others’ opinions,
and through it all, I learn about the
thoughts, attitudes, desires and motiva
tions of people associated with Texas
A&M.
Slouch
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Film may stir trouble
between U.S., Chile Ita
by Jim Anderson
United Press International
WASHINGTON — A new film, “Mis
sing,” is likely to open the barely healed
scars over the U.S. role in the right-wing
military takeover in Chile.
The renewed debate about events in
1973 takes place when a new argument
— with some of the same forces aligned
in familiar roles — is beginning over U.S.
activities in Central America.
The Costa-Cavras film bills itself as a
semi-documentary. It claims the “facts”
recounted are true, although some
names have been changed to make the
telling easier (as well as libel-free).
It tells how a straight-arrow New York
businessmen, Ed Herman, goes to Chile
to look for his missing son, Charles, a
slightly flaky and vaguely leftwing film
maker who got caught in the military
takeover.
b y.
Batl
well as the Soviet government)®
buted funds secretly to their fri^t
Chile to influence events before.lf A
came to power in 1970. dents will
Henry Kissinger swears thi6 as part o
money later went for such tilings: program c<
print for noncommunist newspaptffi* 35
were deliberately being driven 11
business by left-wing governmenH
cies.
In his book “White House Year
1980, provi
vices and
hood and cherishes it very much. So if
anybody knows of the whereabouts of a
J.C. Penny brown 10-speed with black
disc brakes and an Austin bike license
plate, I would appreciate a call. Contact
Carl at 260-1042. I am really sorry to see
Texas A&M turn into a paradise for
theives.
P.S. Reward offered. No questions
asked.
It is a troubling film because there is no
seam when it moves from events that in
contestably happened to those that Ed
Horman (and Costa-Cavras) think hap
pened.
They think the U.S. government con
cealed from Horman that his son was
dead, executed shortly after being
arrested for “knowing too much” about
the American role in overthrowing the
left-wing regime.
The motive for the American covert
intervention, according to the film, was
that the 3,000 U.S. firms doing business
in Chile were suffering under the social
ist Allende regime, and so the United
States helped topple the Chilean govern
ment “to protect our way of life.”
The “facts” in the case are less clear
than the film would like them to be.
The Chilean episode was exhaustively
investigated by Congress. Some ques
tions and answers that came out of that:
Did the United States play a role in
toppling the . Allende government?
Apparently a very minor and ineffectual
— not a crucial — one.
It is clear from leaked documents and
testimony that the U.S. government (as
singer says, “When Allende was school-age '
overthrown (in 1973), it was byt standing ac
incompetence and intransigence; abilities. T
ary leaders without consulting us^raining fo
against him on their own initialin
cause they were convinced that sU, dt
intent on taking over total powi seau 1 PPP*
, , . • u- r cation of the
about to organize his own coup; .^e will
The State Department later said’high-ability
heard rumors that the military was,in grades ni
to move on Sept. 11, 1973, the day AViiliam Na
takeover. But it had also heardr (lifted and
that the military leaders were go sa 'd- In con
move earlier and they did not. ‘fur-hour i
It was clear to everybody, ind
reporters, that Allende’s goven
was collapsing (among other things!
run the annual inflation rate uptf
percent).
Did the United States at least■
destablize Allende to protect U.Sip
ments? The answer is, mainly no. I
Those investments, mainly in c#
mining and smelting, were conside*
about $800 million. But, despite!*'
amateurish and apparently ineff®
attempts by International Telepf|
and Telegraph to overthrow All*
there was a general consensus in tli(B
government and business world,a*
ing to a 1973 Library of Congresstl
to see the large U.S. investmentsf
strong reason for maintaining fnr
relations with the new govermr#
Chile, regardless of its political clp
ter.”
In other words, American bur
was essentially amoral, willing todoB
ness with either right or left, so lour*
investment was protected.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Angelique Copeland
Managing Editor jane-G. Brust
City Editor Denise Richter
Assistant City Editor Diana Sullen fuss
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
Staff Writers Jennifer Carr,
Cyndy Davis, Gaye Denley,
Sandra Gary, Colette Hutchings,
Johna Jo Maurer, Daniel Puckett,
Bill Robinson, Denise Sechelski,
Laura Williams, Rebeca 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
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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
author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of
Texas A&M University administrators orfacult)' 1
Iters, or of the Board of Regents.
The Battalion also serves as a laboratory ne^f L
for students in reporting, editing and photograph! 1 g,
scs within the Department of Communications.
Questions or comments concerning any t>
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 theyareW
The editorial staff reserves the right to edit Idle?
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the author’s intent. Each letter must also be signed^
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Columns and guest editorials are also welcome
are not subject to the same length constraints as W*
Address all inquiries and correspondence to:
The Battalion, 210 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M'
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The Battalion is published daily during TexasAl*
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