opinion
Slouch
By Jim Earle
‘I think we had better sweep the floor.
Militant marches
in Washington again
by David E. Anderson
United Press International
two
WASHINGTON — Last week,
separate groups converged on the streets
of Washington, singing and chanting
their displeasure with the administration
and the Congress.
Demonstrations are not unusual in to
the nation’s capital — there is at least one
a month on various causes ranging from
the large antiabortion demonstration ev
ery January to the equally large Gay
Pride march in June.
But last week’s two demonstrations,
sponsored in turn by the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference and
ACORN (Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now) were
different.
The difference, at least in part, stems
in some way from the very sense of deja
vu they created — a recalling of the pro
tests, and the militancy, of the 1960s and
early 1970s.
That sense of militancy, born of poli
tical frustration and a feeling of aliena
tion from the political process, has large
ly been absent in the political debate of
the last two administrations.
In addition, however, and perhaps
more important in the long run, is that
neither of the two protests really cen
tered on Washington.
While many believe the New Left died
with the passage of the landmark civil
rights legislation and the end of the war
in Vietnam, instead, many organizers
and leaders simply shifted their emphasis
away from Washington and to the local
level.
Both the voting rights march and the
ACORN squatters campaign were and
continue to be based on local, community
organizing and incidents. Washington
exists primarily as a place to focus nation
al media attention on the issues.
And while the immediate objects of the
demonstrations are Reagan administra
tion policies — especially as the effect the
poor — the underlying thrust of mobili
zations is aimed equally at the Democrats.
Mayor Johnny Ford of Tuskegee, Ala.,
made that clear in a brief speech to the
SCLC marchers as they gathered in
Lafayette Square to press not only the
voting rights issue but the whole question
of justice for the poor.
“We are here to send a message,” he
said, “to the boll weevils: if you don’t vote
for us now, we won’t vote for you in the
fall.”
A similar message, in even more mil-
dant terms, was sent by ACORN to the
mid-term convention of Cemocrats in
Philadelphia.
ACORN, which for a number of years
has engaged in efforts to bring more low
income people in the party’s decision
making process, continues to be angry at
what it believes is the Democrat Party’s
taking for granted of its natural consti-
tutency of blacks and the poor.
Similarly, the mass nuclear disarma
ment rally in New York early in June —
planned and led by veterans of the civil
rights and anti-war movement — pur
posely refused to allow any potential
presidential candidates to speak to the
throng.
Although much better connected to
traditional politics, like the voting rights
marchers and the poor people repre
sented by ACORN, it has its militant edge
— represented by those 1,600 in New
York and 1,300 in Livermore, Calif., will
ing to commit non-violent civil disobedi
ence for the cause.
And that part of the movement, still, is
without a visible electoral political vehicle
or voice.
Selling Reaganomics in TVai
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Letters Policy
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Diana Sultenfuss
City Editor Bernie Fette
Sports Editor Frank L. Christlieb
News Editors
Tracey Buchanan, Daniel Puckett
Diane Yount
Staff Writers Cyndy Davis, Susan Dittman,
Terry Duran, Colette Hutchings,
Hope E. Paasch, Joe Tindel Jr.,
Rebeca Zimmermann
Copy Editors Gary Barker, Carol Templin
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Photographers David Fisher, Peter Rocha,
John Ryan,
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by Art Buchwald
Sometime back, the Republican Party
decided to launch a $1.7 million televi
sion campaign to sell the GOP. They
sought out an advertising agency and
told them: “We’ve got to convince the
American people that the only way to
stop bad breath is by using Reaganomics.
We want to show them that the best cure
for the ‘recession blahs’ is a strong dose of
supply-side economics. And we have to
persuade the viewer that the President
doesn’t have ring around the collar.”
The advertising agency boss told
them: “You came to the right place.
Belch, our creative vice president, has
been working on just such a campaign.
Show them what you’ve come up with.”
Belch went over to a large easel. “Gen
tlemen, we must treat the Republican
Party just like another consumer pro
duct,” he said. “We have to convince the
TV viewer that if he has hemorrhoids it’s
the Democrat’s fault. Now our art de
partment has sketched out a sample com
mercial. The first one shows actors that
look like Jimmy Carter and Tip O’Neill.
We will have a lawyer holding a will in
which he reads what the Democrats have
bequeathed Ronald Reagan, including a
recession, unemployment and the high
est interest rates in the history of the na
tion. As he’s reading, Tip O’Neill is
laughing like hell, and Jimmy Carter has
that dumb grin on his face.”
The Republican campaign managers
studied it. Finally one of them said: “It’s
the old Brand X dirty trick gimmick.
We’re being negative, unfair, and some
people would even say unscrupulous. I
like it.”
Another Republican nodded his head.
“It’s got the scary message we’ve been
looking for, without the overkill,” he
said. “It will get the people thinking
they’re using the wrong deodorant.”
Belch said: “We’ve tested it in Palm
Springs, Calif., and 80 percent of the
people who saw it said it convinced them
to vote Republican.”
“That’s good enough for us,” the head
Republican honcho said. “If the Demo
crats yell foul, we’ll know we’re on the
right track.”
Belch said: “If the campaign proves as
effective as I think it is, we have some
other great ones in the can. We plan to
show Carter and Tip O’Neill driving by
an unemployment office in a long
limousine, and when they see the lines
outside they start laughing their heads
off. And we will have the two of them
walking through a school lunchroom
watching the kids eating catsup and
chuckling to each other.”
The Republicans started slapping
their thighs. The chief said: “Gentlemen,
we’ve come to the right agency. You peo
ple can have our account. Now let’s run it
up the flag pole and see how it plays in
Peoria.”
The first commercial was made. CBS
and NBC refused to air it, but ABC de
cided it needed the money. Also, the in
dependent stations put it on.
To everyone’s surprise it wasn'i
Reaganomics. The head
1
Belch in
honcho called up
warehouse is full of sup,.-, £
mics. Our sales are just a trickle,llK^f tera j f
wrong?” Mplause is
“It takes time for a negative mess* But, th
sink in,” Belch told him defeiBtinct dif:
“You have to play it over and over applauding
“Baloney,” the Republican Mil 161 ' 0 * 3
“Everyone thinks we’re doingacoi!^^^
cial for probate lawyers. We keep|;
calls from people asking if wet
their wills. Besides, every timetksj
thing shows it reminds thevotmtl
a recession.”
“But you people said you
blame all the country’s economictra
on the Democrats.’ *
“You guys couldn’t sell a ChnsW 1 ^
lo Lee llcocca.” f , E,i P'
•'Look,” said Belch dspi®“™
“maybe the commercial isn’t doinn \ p um .
thing we hoped it would. Well ctM rc hased
the campaign by being moreposfeluttwomo
Dry purcl
Erch. Th
ange the
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oiling res
The rob
live effort;
I electric;
(leering
P iUgn -•
could show the President eatinpainis Bingh
beans in the Oval Office, andthajf? ssor °f r
ing into the camera and sayingTlitB' ^ in gh
tion you have to ask yourselves is, K 01 to
you better off today than you Wf*y wo w
years ago?“’” ft ^
Don’t bother,” the Repulft 111 ^ exa
shouted. “Your agency is fired."
“But why?
“Because, thanks to your stupid
mercial, everyone in Peoria is
vote for the Democrats.”
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Editor:
How much longer can our freedom
strain under the power of the American
judicial system? The U.S. courts are
wielding enormous power which is grow
ing at an alarming rate. Witness two re
cent cases:
(1) Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court
by a vote of 5 to 4 ruled that the children
of illegal aliens are entitled to a free pub
lic education. This decision can do no
thing but encourage illegal immigration.
More importantly, it will place a huge
burden on the American (in particular
Texan and Californian) taxpayer. The
decision was based on a number of
reasons, one of which that the educated
children will become more useful to soci
ety. This is true, but does this justify sup
porting a faction of society which does
not belong here?
(2) On Monday, John Hinckley was
found not guilty on 13 felony counts in
cluding the attempted assassination of
the President of the United States.
Through national television, it is clearly
evident that Hinckley did shoot Presi
dent Reagan. However, Hinckley en
tered a plea of not guilty by reason of
insanity. Now, Judge Barrington Parker,
presiding over the trial, told the jury that
Hinckley must be found sane beyond a
shadow of a doubt to be convicted. This
set forth the government prosecuters
with an almost impossible task. How can
anyone who attempts to assassinate a
president be proven completely sane?
Today, psychiatrists are having trouble
defining and proving sanity in general. It
may be true that you are innocent until
proven guilty, but are you insane until
proven sane?
Perhaps a constitutional amendment
should be formed to check the power of
the “untouchables” — our federal
judges. The impeachment process has
proven to be an unsatisfactory method of
restricting their power. However, if such
an amendment is made, we can only hope
that the Supreme Court will not disre
gard or twist its meaning as they have
done with much of the Constitution.
United
Today i
John Paul Skinner
Class of ’83
Send illegals home
Editor:
First, I want to congratulate Bernie
Fette on his column regarding the educa
tion of illegals. It expresses a valid view
point. Children born here and children
of legal immigrants have a right to a free
education. As for illegals, we would do
better to spend our tax money nal
sure that they are deported backtoif
own country where their childrenol
an education. This would avoidcrt®
a sub-class of people who believethatf
are rewarded for breaking thela'I
would also help force employers toil
decent wages for currently low th
jobs to people who would re P orl T The m
income and pay taxes. .fi rst quar
Mr. Fette deserves more congrafti ase _
tions however for expressing his opiC The m<
despite the danger of incurring thcfriiry and ^
righteous wrath of those in the I? The ev
open-minded sector such as Mr. Vajppker an
zor who are “sick of the stupidity”off 7^°* e
one who disagrees with them. L urir 6
Well, Mr. Vanvelzor, many
“sick” of the hypocrisy of peopk jal Center t
preach open-mindedness and diveftrn June
of opinion and then label anyone J' On this
disagrees with them as “jack-boft In 19^
brown shirt sleeve, sheet-covered : |* Sr ael beca
burners.” If this is tolerance, the*® 1 arre st<
can do without it. | ews in ar
You are entitled to your opinion 1
Vanvelzor, but so is everyone else J
agree if you like, but you are not the j
possessor of all truth. There are u
arguments for the education of illef
but bitter, pointless attacks only set' 1
discredit those arguments.
' Unitei
ft The ea
®°unds th;
|f it could
11 does u
R.S. Hilll
Class off