opinion
Slouch
By Jim Earle
“J know we promised beer for blood, but at the same
time?”
Carter’s memoirs
characteristic of him
by Wesley G. Pippert
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Former President Jim
my Carter’s memoirs, “Keeping Faith,” are a
faithful selfportrait — paying attention to de
tail but lacking passion and not adequately
communicating his vision for the nation.
In his 622-page book, published by Ban
tam Books, Carter admits few mistakes and
makes little attempt to answer the critics of his
style. This is unfortunate, because his style
drew more criticism than his achievements.
Perhaps what is most lacking in Carter’s
book is a passionate description of his aspira
tions for the nation as well as a subjective
account of his own motivations and lifestyle.
He does not reply to criticism that his
speeches often failed to move political audi
ences. There is an irony here, for Carter often
was electric when speaking to a black audience
or teaching his Sunday School class at the
Baptist Church.
Carter was among the most curious of all
presidents. He was a more avid outdoorsman
and a greater patron of the arts than any
recent president. Yet this breadth and depth
in his life do not show through in his memoirs.
He also was one of the most devout of all
presidents, faithfully reading the Bible and
praying unfailingly each day, he used to say,
and faithfully attending Sunday School and
church, a Bible tucked under his arm.
Yet, despite its title, Carter’s memoirs offer
few statements about whether and how he
integrated his beliefs with his Oval Office de
cisions. He wrote merely that he prayed “a lot
— more than ever before in my life,” especial
ly during times like the Camp David summit
on the Mideast.
He once said publicly he approached the
presidency as “First Servant,” not “First Boss,”
a remark he told this reporter drew scorn. His
restraint and moderation in dealing with the
Iranian hostage situation and the Soviet inva
sion of Afghanistan probably reflected this
basic view of how power ought to be used. Yet,
unfortunately, there is no discussion of this in
his memoirs.
During and after his presidency. Carter
was criticized for his inability to deal with Con
gress and for remaining a Washington outsid
er throughout his presidency.
Carter conceded in his discussion of the
allegations raised against Budget Director
Bert Lance that there were “adverse consequ
ences” to being an outsider.
“As one who had never been part of the
Washington scene, I was not particularly ea
ger to change my attitude after becoming
president. This proved to be a mistake,” Car
ter wrote.
“I did not see that one of the important
avenues to this support and understanding
was through the seemingly informal but high
ly structured social life of the nation’s capital.
Much of it seemed f rivolous to me
“Nowhere within the press, Congress or
the ranks of the Washington power structure
were there any long-established friends and
acquaintances who would naturally come to
our defense,” Carter said.
Carter also admitted the error that some
critics have pointed out: that he sent too much
legislation to Capitol Hill at one time, instead
of phasing it out.
But by and large, Carter’s disdain for Con
gress is only thinly veiled. He said it was a
“perennial temptation” for Congress to pass
tax legislation that was “a Christmas tree full
of goodies.”
Fie also said that one of his unpleasant
surprises in Washington was the “inertia of
Congress, the length of time it takes to get a
complicated piece of legislation through.”
Other mistakes that Carter admitted:
—T he handling of his Cabinet changes
after his 1979 Camp David domestic summit
meeting. He said by failing to distinguish be
tween those who had wanted to resign and
those he wanted to change, “the changes were
portrayed as a great governmental crisis.”
—A “costly mistake” involving Jerusalem
during a 1980 U.N. vote that upset the Israelis
and American Jews.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Diana Sultenfuss
Managing Editor Phyllis Henderson
Associate Editor Denise Rit liter
City Editor Gary Barker
Assistant City Editor HopeE. Paasch
Sports Editor Frank L. Christlieb
Entertainment Editor Nancy Floeck
Assistant Entertainment Editor Colette
Hutchings
News Editors Rachel Bostwick, Cathy
Capps, Johna Jo Maurer, Daniel Puckett,
Jan Werner, Todd Woodard
Staff Writers Jennifer Carr, Susan
Dittman, Beverly Hamilton,
David Johnson, John Lopez,
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Dana Smelser, Joe Tindel, John
Wagner, Rebeca Zimmermann
Copyeditor Elaine Engstrom,
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Graphic Artist • ■ Pam Starasinic
Photographers David Fisher, Jorge C^asari,
Ronald W. Emerson, Octavio Garcia,
Michael D. Johnson, Irene Mees,
John Ryan, Robert Snider
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Halloween tricks and treats K^m
tiew
Can you imagine Halloween without
lots of candy? Although trick-or-treating
has been banned in some communities in
Massachusetts, the tradition lives on here
at Texas A&M. Instead of worrying ab
out mid-term grades and focusing on im
provement, it seems like Aggies are wor
rying about what they are going to dress
up as for Halloween. Some Aggies are
concentrating not on what they will dress
up as for Halloween, but on what kindsof
tricks they can play instead of giving out
candy.
Denise
R. Patton
There are many advantages to playing
tricks, instead of giving out candy. For
one, it would be just plain fun to scare
someone, or to make someone laugh.
You could also get rid of some of those
odds and ends floating around your
room.
For instance you could get rid of all of
your mismatched socks. Put them in
those little Halloween bags that are sold
at Skaggs, and drop them in the pillow
cases of the trick-or-treaters who come to
visit you. Won’t they be in for a surprise
when they get home and open the bag.-'
Unfortunately, you will not be around to
see their expressions when they see that
they “got a sock.”
You could also spend the evening
greeting your visitors armed with a can of
whipped cream to spray it in their faces
when you open the door, f his is a great
trick because you receive instant gratifi
cation as you spray whipped cream on
the trick-or-treaters and see the asto
nished expression on their laces.
On the east coast the trees drop their
leaves by the time I lalloween has arrived.
Oh, the happy, nutty things you can do
with dead leaves — you can fill a friend’s
car with leaves, and you tan put them in
little bags and hand them out.
If you know anybody who lives in a
house, then I would suggest that you
toilet paper their house. One disadvan
tage of doing this to a friend could hap
pen the next day when that friend asks
you to come help clean up the mess. But,
by all means go help clean. That way you
will have a front seat to see the react ion of
Invite
milk and
your f riend. Just anothei lornii B
cation. by Kathy I
I oilet papering a dorm battalion R f
different problems — shouldw.BFe Associatio
to go with this option, voutvil Students has outgi
self limited as it is slid) a smallsiB ie ^ emor ' a *
\ out cover is not verv good.A« s ho P ,n g to
mg Idea would be to see an beil ^
tin ii out m the wee hoursformer stuch
and toilet paper another dorm xl as a&M Uni\
I here is anothet trkkthat Mini of Regen ts i
time to pull and would lit of Jersey and Hoi
although the t nck-or-treatttti®efore a new In
even realize it is being pulled<B led 0 " 1 ;mi P
M.m , ..lies niio vmirh"H M 1
, ii allw the Associat
i,.Tics, and keepupi| dents wlm . h
stream of bizarre conversattor
sure vou have enough cookie!
to make sour visitors stay for at
minutes and watch themgroto
the thought of the other house
ing am candv left by the time
there. Make them stay aslongai
I he list of tricks goes on ant
fortunatelv, 1 cannot discloseai
otherwise 1 will not have any go
in mv bag. So try nottoeatali
candv intone night as you know!
experience that you WILL get
on \<nn toes and l>e alert to an
that friends or enemies will lx
ting to pull — and haveahapi
ween.
■ a part of the
He the proper!
A&M.
■ A similar agr
precedent for lea
Hging to state
precedent w
of' land at t he
ftoi.is to Safeway
^ftince the assc
MomIv affiliated
HM, donating o
Syeir to the Univc
Hion official an
dltculty in the lej
sage.
Hlf we are to c<:
vice our alumni, \
He to go to a
within the next f n
.Jim Jeter, assistan
Hor of the For
Association.
IVhen the Fot
[iter in the Men
iter, the currer
xiation, was n
early 1970s, i
e approximat
lies a year.
M graduates
)0 students a )
funding for the
be separate i n
:ed from forme
year.
instruction ol
Iding and an a<
lot with 50 to
ly to cost a m
lion, Jeter said,
t the funds f o
be raised by 11
: ©nn • uEA /-THt bitpMfi**
“Eleven o’clock and all’s w-well!”
Letter: Distribution of income
■ by Maureen
Battalion R
Bryan City M;
Chirk told the
Wednesday that it
re-open bidding c
■d gas tract i
Park.
| Baker Explore
the highest bid c
over $77,000 —h
make payments
Baker Exploratio
its competitors
1 which is probabh
neglected its payi
■ “Evidently the-
[made a bad bid,’
I The council \v
cling, Clark saict ;
ifig. If the top bid
Exploration’s bit
Editor:
I went to listen to Mr. Ralph Nader on
Oct. 19 and was greatly impressed by the
man’s central theme. Knowing he was
addressing mostly college students, he
understands this. I think that the more
general truth which may be gleaned I rom
die comparison of the United States to
non-free countries is t hat in this country.
a man is chained neither by tc: " i11 “V?
venue. Clark saic
commend that cc
stressed die importance of intelligent
citizenship and discriminating consum
erism, and his desire to see such citizens
encouraged by our educational system, a
desire that I deeply share.
Thinking back on what he said brings
a particular phrase to mind, however. He
mentioned a relatively more “equitable
distribution of income” in the United
States as a positive aspect of our economy
over that of Brazil’s economy, owing to
the fact that Brazil harbors many coer
cive monopolies which have freed them
selves from the marketplace through
government collusion. I agree that con
sumers should be protected from coer
cive and market-free (alias choice-free)
monopolies. I agree that this society
should protect the rights of consumers
from invasion by environmental polu-
tion, or by hazardous working condi
tions.
In addition, I would also like to
observe that the producer in this country
also has the right to Own what he pro
duces. The producer also has the right to
be shielded from claims on his wealth
solely through desires for a more “equit
able distribution of income” (in other
words, coercion for the “common” wel
fare).
Individual rights do not stop with the
consumer, and I am sure Mr. Nader
Berry’s World
despot nor by force of a mob.
t cpmpany to cou
frank Knickers Bake up the lost
306 Red 1 The counci
i ii ■■‘iBryan's problem
by Jim Berry‘iTc„ v le
* ^ W Clark said the
total of 554 lettei
the junk cars ask
move their vehicl
©1982 by NEA, Inc
“No, the pipeline has not reached Europe yet,
comrade. Why?"
by Shellee
Battalion R
I' Writer, compos
director Elizabet
give a performa
Rudder Forum.
■ “A Night with
dos” will include
ings and songs fn
way play, “Runv
Judith Fleishers \
her.
j The perforr
[Sponsored by the
lartment in cor
the Hillel Found;
student organiza
pultural, social an
vices for Texas /
Elizabeth Sw:
losed, written an
Iral productioi