April 21,1|
Slouch
By Jim Earle
“His light hasn’t been on since he decided he was going to
graduate/’
Book censorship is frightenint
Results of surveys about book censor
ing frighten me, and they should fright
en you, too.
In the past few years, book censoring
has grown explosively. Three times as
many incidents of school censorship have
been documented between 1975 and
1979 as in the preceding ten years — and
since the beginning of 1980, the rate has
tripled again. In 1980, there were 1,000
reported attempts to ban or restrict
books in public schools.
t t ying to impose their beliefs-n
legal, moral and political-o
around them in an effort to 1 !
world.” But today no one m
church or belief exists; sinsare
mined. No perfect legal syste
crimes are still an everydayocoi
No absolute set of moral standard^
foul language is still spokenani
table
are
opic
by Amy Polk
Battalion Reporte
n Kepoi
he Texas A&M L
“The Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn,” “Crime and Punishment,” “Catch-
22,” “Diary of Anne Franke,” “Grapes of
Wrath,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Lord of
the Flies,” “Leaves of Grass,” “Farewell to
Arms,” “The • Hunchback of Notre
Dame” and such magazines as “Life,”
“T ime,” “Look” and “Photography” are
among the many, many publications that
have been banned or censored in public
high school libraries across the nation.
Business must remain
behind Reagan’s plan
But that’s not all.
Schools have rejected “The Catcher in
the Rye” because it contains a few four-
letter words, Shaw’s “Androcles and the
Lion” because Shaw was an atheist,
“Gone With the Wind” because Scarlett
O’Hara was immoral, “Fail Safe” because
it arouses fear in the adequacy of our
defense system, and Today’s Health be
cause one of the issues dealt with the
birth of a baby.
people realize how widespread banning
is. They seldom hear about the parent
who threatens to burn a book that discus
ses sexual intercourse if it isn’t taken of f
the library shelf. They seldom hear about
the groups who go before members of
the school board and threaten campaigns
against them in the next election if all
books that deal with war aren’t removed
from the library. Few people know about
the teachers who steal books they charge
are immoral to keep them from circulat
ing among high school students.
When I found out, I became more
frightened and more concerned. It’s my
business to get scared. When someone
thinks he can decide for me or my chil
dren — without consulting me — w hat is
too explicitly sexual, too violent or im
moral, I worry. And I especially worry
w hen one individual or one small group
is the basis for that decision.
rnerg
al rii
by Beverly Hami
Battalion Report*
By David S. Broder
WASHINGTON — About a year ago,
when President Reagan’s budget and tax
programs w r ere awaiting congressional
action, John F.. Swearingen, chairman of
the board of the Standard Oil Company
of Indiana, wrote stockholders that man
agement “wholeheartedly endorses the
President’s program (and) urges our
stockholders to express their support for
it.
“The package President Reagan has
proposed,” he said, “must be enacted, in
its entirety, in order to ... restore confi
dence in our economy and in our
country.”
Well, a year has passed, and Swearing
en— unlike some other business execu
tives — is sticking to his bet, at least rhe
torically.
In his latest message to stockholders,
Sw'earingen says that the “tax cuts of
1981 were too little and too late,” but still
predicts “beneficial results” when
Reagan’s full program for economic re
covery is put in place. “Retrenchment
and the recession currently under w'ay
are very unpalatable to many Amer
icans,” he concedes, “but the most effec
tive medicine is frequently the bitterest.
Even the bitterest aftertaste will fade as
economic activity revives, new jobs are
created and inflation is reduced.”
middle of the business spectrum. He is
not as much of a cheerleader as Richard
L. Lesher, the president of the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States.
But neither has Swearingen joined the
leaders of the Business Roundtable, or
the bankers, the realtors, the homebuil
der, the savings and loan executives or
even the officials at Mobil Oil, all of
whom have called on the President for a
“mid-course correction” to boost re
venues, slow the defense buildup and re
duce the deficit.
Swearingen is telling his stockholders
to stick with the President, while delaying
what a Standard spokesman says would
normally have been about a 10 percent
increase in capital spending.
Is that good enough?
The best answer may have come from
Secretary of the T reasury Donald T. Re
gan in a speech last month called “Re
sponsibility and Capitalism.”
“The first responsiblility of any capit
alist is to himself,” Regan said, “to make a
good product and earn a fair profit.
“We have given you the tools,” Regan
continued. “Now we ask you to put them
to work. We did not conf use Oct. 1, 1981,
with the millennium ... At a time when
inventories were high and plant utiliza
tion relatively low, it would have been
unrealistic to anticipate an immediate
surge of visible investment.”
Five dictionaries were banned because
they contained “offensive language” and
“Robin Hood” was banned because it
“condoned stealing.”
Many schools have no formal proce
dure for reviewing reading matter. In
too many cases, an individual has only to
voice a complaint in order to have a book
censored or banned.
And everything is done quietly. Few
Havingr the resources to learn about all
aspe
laving t
?cts or an issue is much more impor
tant than having someone decide for me.
If someone objects to a certain book, they
should have the right not to read it. But
just because they have objections to it
doesn’t mean they should have the right
to say my children or I can’t have access to
it.
Since history began, people have been
ergency Care T<
fisor an all-day he;
Bum Saturday call
. . . ... f .. lirst Hour pre-Hospit;
mate babies are still born. No(y Xraum; f llized P .f tie
political system exists; wars TAMECT is a nc
waged and scandals are still staniHmteer organizatic
day is no different from yestersSedchiefly ol'Texas
there probably will be no
tomorrow.
T he censors seem comp]
ware of the sophistication ofconii
ary youngsters and the realitiesofi
al changes in values. The attitude)
censors seem to revert bad
mythical period when teenagers
like Wally Cleaver on “Leave
If groups and
Ilnur goals and restrict theIbiK buton , boul on
that young people are exposed to« se ca n s are f or e m<
matter that has no violence, notnays Capt. Dave Giord;
prejudices, no indecency, nounBlege Station Fire
and no explicit details, when tiltment.
get s get out of school, they’regoiiBMaj. Ed Feldman,
in for a big surprise. They’re s jhief of the Colleg<
find that the real world isn’tiftce Department, ag
they read. T hey’re going to"
they don’t know how to hat
tions that involve the very thingstt
want banned from high schoollil
And then you tell me what
mess our world will be in. You
how these youths are goingto
adults of tomorrow without draw
the honest experiences and
without learning lessons
generations. And you tell me you!
afraid when groups and individi
succeeded in banning the
high school libraries.
Ihildr
:t for
hildren in the
liege Station area w
ee to use Texas A
ity facilities in a
camp this summei
lamp Adventure, c
the Department c
Physical Educatioi
r area camps have
ontinued this summei
izes instruction in
adventure experiences
|“What we offer is s<
Swearingen, like many other defen
ders of the Reagan program, argues that
it is too soon to judge its effects, since it
began only last October. He conveniently
overlooks the fact that the accelerated
depreciation provisions, which were the
biggest of many boons to business, were
retroactive to the start of 1981.
Nor does he dwell on the fact that his
own company is stalling on the capital
investment that the Reagan program was
designed to stimulate. While Standard of
Indiana increased its capital and explora
tion expenditures by $ 1 billion or 25 per
cent from 1980 to 1981, it is not budget
ing a nickel’s increase in the first full year
of the Reagan era. Swearingen falls in the
But Regan said that “verbal assurances
of long-range investment are not
enough.” Voters who watched business
move with lightning speed to take advan
tage of the tax-credit-leasing provisions
of the 1981 tax bill will measure that
speed, he said, against the caution with
which business is making its long-term
investment commitments.
The fact is that business bought in on
the Reagan program in 1981, and busi
ness cannot bail out in 1982 without get
ting hurt.
Either this program works or the
Swearingens and Leshers of this world
are going to have some difficult letters
and speeches to write.
Life is a song — off-key and all wet
I’ve always wanted my life to be a
Hollywood musical, but I’d prefer
“Camelot” instead of “Singing in the
Rain,” especially when “Singing in the
Rain” makes my life nothing but “Hair.”
Unlike Gene Kelly, I do more wading
than tapdancing down the sidewalks as I
drip my way to class. Mildewing in a
steamy classroom is not my favorite past
time. In fact, going to class is not my
favorite pasttime — but that’s another
column.
Like Gene Kelly, I sometimes feel like
bursting into song, but my life doesn’t
rate a Hollywood musical. I’d be lucky to
get a Prudential commercial. I’d settle fqr
a Prudential commercial.
Since Barry Manilow hasn’t answered
my letter requesting a song about my life
story. I’m forced to steal one that’s
already been written. Luckily, most of the
songwriters today are as miserable as I
am, so I had a lot of songs to choose from.
I’ve decided Barbra Streisand and
Donna Summer must have been thinking
of me when they got together to sing
“Enough is Enough” because with just a
few minor adjustments, it’s the one song
that says everything about how I feel.
Hum along with me now, as I sing my
phyllis
henderson
life story. (Eat your heart out Barry.)
It’s raining, it’s pouring, my school life is
boring me to tears — after all these years.
(One day of this rain is enough.)
No grade points, no night life, no
friendships, no second dance. I don’t
stand a chance. (I’m always drenched.)
I always dreamed I’d find the perfect
semester, but it turned out to be like ev
ery other one I tried ... I tried! (I failed...
I failed!)
Raining! Pouring! There’s nothing
left for me here, and I won’t waste
another tear. (The puddles are deep
enough already.)
If you’ve had enough, don’t put up
with this stuff. Don’t you do it! (Try Ci isis
Hotline.) Now if you’ve had your fill,
write the check, pay the bill (for those
parking tickets). You can do it. (If your
parents send the money.)
Tell the prof that you’re through,
then laugh and turn about, pack your
raincoat and walk on out. (Into a down
pour without your umbrella, of course.)
Just look him in the eye and simply shout:
“Enough is enough. I can’t go on. I
can’t face it anymore. Enough is enough.
I want out. I want out that door right
now.” (Or maybe out the window.)
If you’ve reached the end, don’t pre
tend that it’s right when it’s not. (It’s the
drugs.) If the feeling is gone, don’t think
twice, just move on. (To the pre
registration line.) Get it over. Tell him to
let you out. Say it clearly. Spell it out.
(Make sure you spell it right — two points
off for each misspelled word.)
Enough is enough.
It’s raining, it’s pouring, there’s no
thing left for me here, (except a rain-
soaked notebook) and I won’t waste
another tear. (The puddles are deeper
now.)
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
I ex ns A&M University administrators or faaiin 11
bcrs, or of the Board of Regents.
The Battalion also serves as a laborator) 1 nnf f
tor students in reporting, editing and photograph
ses within the Department of Communications-
Questions or comments concerning any
matter should be directed to the editor.
Editor Angelique Copeland
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
Staff Writers Jennifer Carr,
Cyndy Davis, Gaye Denley,
Sandra Gary, Colette Hutchings,
Johna Jo Maurer, Hope E. Paasch
Daniel Puckett, Bill Robinson,
Denise Sechelski, John Wagner,
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
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
author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of
Letters Policy
Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300
length, and are subject to being cut if theyareM
The editorial staff reserves the right to edit lelit c |
style and length, but will make every efforttoniii® 1
the author’s intent. Each letter must also be signed®
the address and phone number of the wriler.
Columns and guest editorials are also welcome *
are not subject to the same length constraints atW
Address all inquiries and correspondence to: FT
The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas AiH
versity, College Station, TX 77843, or phone(7lSI
2611.
RA
The Battalion is published daily during Texas Ar
fall and spring semesters, except for holiday and
nation periods. Mail subscriptions are $ 16.75 perif 11
ter, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year.At i:
tising rates furnished on request.
Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McD®
Building, Texas A&M University, College Station
77843.
Rates are subject to c
regulations prohibit tb
•INVESTOR ACC0UN
INSURED BY THE
CORPORATION. A
withdrawal.
Savings in IRAs and l\
by an agency of the fet
Regulations impose a
United Press International is entitled exclust't’
the use for reproduction of all news dispatchescrtd'
to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter!^
reserved.
Second class postage paid at College Station
77843.
t
Main 0
Other offices 1