Battalion/Page 2
November 24,12
Letters: Response
to accusations
Editor:
Rock ‘n’ roll
I would like to respond briefly to the
several accusations made against me by
Carol Parzen in a recent letter to The
Battalion.
Editor:
First, my involvement in the Christian
Update Forum was principally as a
speaker, not as an “enlister of student
support to pressure professors ...” Five
Texas A&M-recognized Christian orga
nizations co-sponsored the program (at
their initiative, not mine), and no one to
my knowledge was ever encouraged to
pressure their professors. My involve
ment in enlisting students was one 10-
minute announcement at a Campus Cru
sade meeting.
Second, I was correctly quoted earlier
by The Battalion to have said that “a
Christian perspective” would be pre-
tsented, not the Christian perspective as
^implied by Ms. Parzen.
/ Third, presentation of various reli-
“gious as well as secular perspectives in
‘appropriate academic areas is not only
‘ permitted but is actually encouraged by
; Supreme Court decisions which state, for
•example, that “that the state may not
-establish a religion of secularism in the
• sense of af firmatively opposing or show
ing hostility to religion, thus prefering
►those who believe in no religion over
'those who do believe” (Zorach vs.
TClauson, 343).
/ Fourth, presentation of diverse points
‘of view V.hether they be theistic, deistic,
^polytheistic, or atheistic is the obligation
;of any real university. In a pluristic socie
ty, tolerance for dif ferent points of view
is essential. I would agree with Ms. Par
zen that we should not force feed reli
gious doctrine including, secular hu
manism.
I wish to respond to a letter which
appeared in the Nov. 17 Battalion by
John McGhee concerning his view of the
Maranatha Rock ‘n’ Roll Seminar.
Mr. McGhee:
About your recent article, I feel you have
unjustly accused these so-called “reli
gious fanatics” who have attempted to
uncover the vices of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Not
that Rock ‘n’ Roll is in and of itself bad,
for it too is a creation of God, but it is its
emphasis and message they wish to point
out to you.
You must of course, try to-see the
Christian perspective. For those in
Christ, the only thing that matters in life
is the lifting up and glorifying of their
Heavenly Father and His son Jesus
Christ. To do otherwise is a sin against
God and His holiness. This attitude,
rather this conviction, is not limited to
one particular area but instead pene
trates all areas of the Christian’s life.
Therefore, it is their duty to fight back
against forces which seek to, undermine
this faith. .
In the case of Rock ‘n’ Roll, it can readi
ly be seen that this conviction is severely
attacked — especially by groups who,
without reservation, claim allegiance to
Satan, God’s enemy — so that the Christ
ian must either speak out against it, as
you have witnessed, or not do a thing and
allow Satan his share in their life.
In conclusion, it is not the purpose of
these “religious fanatics”, of whom I be
long, to deprive you of your choice of
music, but rather to protect themselves
and you from the subtleties of Satan who
seeks to devour our lives.
Bret Roberts ’83
; Finally, one comment in another Bat-
Jalion article questioned the appropriate-
pness of the many lecturers in the College AQrGGmSnt
Jof Engineering. Since most of these lec- ^
Taires were on “Engineering and Ethics”
;or “Technology and Society”, they repre
sent a small step in the direction recom-
Mnended by the Engineering Council for
•Professional Development, who recom-
•mends an entire course on these subjects.
Editor:
In response to John McGhee’s letter of
November 17, we can only add:
Amen!
Walter L. Bradley
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Paul H. Meachum ’86
Van Patrick Bevill ’86
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member ot
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Diana Sultenfuss
Managing Editor Phyllis Henderson
Associate Editor Denise Riditer
City Editor Gary Barker
Assistant City Editor Hope E. Paasch
Sports Editor Frank L. Christlieb
Entertainment Editor Nancy Floeck
Assistant Entertainment Editor Colette
Hutchings
News Editors. Cathy Capps, Johna jo
Maurer, Daniel Puckett, Jan
Werner, Todd Woodard
Staff Writers Jennifer Carr, Susan
Dittman, Beverly Hamilton,
David Johnson, John Lopez,
Robert McGlohon, Carol Smith,
Dana Smelser, Joe Tindel' John
Wagner, Rebeca Zimmermann
Copyeditors Elaine Engstrom,
Jan Swaner, Chris Thayer
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
(iraphic Artist Pam Starasinic
Photographers David Fisher, Jorge Casari,
Ronald W. Emerson, Octavio
Garcia, Irene Mees, John
Ryan, Robert Snider
paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M
University and Bryan-Cdllege Station. Opinions ex
pressed in I lic Battalion arc those ot the editor or the
author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions ot
Texas AXcM University administrators or facult) mem
bers, or of the Board of Regents.
1'hc Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper
tot students in reporting, editing and photography clas
ses within the Department of Communications.
Questions or comments concerning any editorial mat
ter should be directed to the editor.
United Press International is entitled exclusively to
the use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited
to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein
reserved.
Second class postage paid at College Station, I X
77843.
Letters Policy
Letters to the Editor should nor exceed 300 words in
length, and are subject to being cut if they arc longer.
The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for
style and length, but will make every effort to maintain
the author’s intent. Each letter must also be.signcd and
show the address and phone number of the Writer.
Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and
are not subject to the same length constraints as letters.
Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor,
The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Uni
versity, College Station, TX 77843, or phone (713) 845-
2611.
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news-
The Battalion is published daily during Texas A&M’s
fall and spring semesters, except for holiday and exami
nation periods. Mail subscriptions are $ 16.75 per semes
ter, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Adver
tising rates furnished on reqiiest.
Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald
Building. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
77843.
Woman behind the woman
by Art Buchwald
Behind every liberated woman, there
is another woman who has to do the dirty
work for her.
I discovered this talking to Lila Pea
body. Lila works for a law firm from nine
to five or six, or seven, depending on
what case she is involved in.
Lila told me she couldn’t do it if it
wasn’t for Juanita.
“Who is Juanita?” I wanted to know.
“Juanita takes care of the house and
the children, and cooks our meals. I
couldn’t work if it weren’t for her, and
the fact the Safeway stays open until
“I didn’t know there was such a high
price for women’s liberation.”
“There is if you’re married and have
to keep a house. For every liberated
woman you see in an office, there is
another woman behind her providing
the support system for the marriage. If
the woman is divorced and has children
it’s even more costly, because no ex-
husband is going to pay for his wife and
also the woman who has to take care of
his kids.”
“But at least you’re a person in your
own right,” I said.
Dr. Ed
ly vice ]
affairs an
“You pay her?”
“Of course I pay her,” Lila said. “Half
my salary goes to Juanita.”
“You mean your husband doesn’t con
tribute to her wages?”
“No. He insists if I want to work I have
to pay somebody to do the things I had to
give up when I took my job.”
“That doesn’t seem fair. I should think
he would be proud of you for being a
lawyer and making it in a man’s world.”
“He is, as long as there is somebody at
home. Frankly, I think he’s prouder of
Juanita. She always knows where his
shirts are.”
“I am as long as Juanita doesn’t quit. It
isn’t easy to find someone who will be a
housekeeper and take care of the kids
and wait until you get home at night. I’ve
been through three Juanitas in two years.
One came from El Salvador, another
from Ecuador and this one is from
Bolivia.”
“Your Spanish must be very good by
now.”
“It’s perfect, but frankly we’re all get
ting a little tired of fried beans.”
“It seems ironic in order to be free a
woman must find another slave to re
place her.”
“You have no choice. A husband is
willing to go along with a liberated wife as
long as things are running smoothly]
home. But one breakdown in thesuppon
system and then he starts screamingh
didn’t marry a woman who would ignoi
her house and children.”
“But every magazine you readinik
supermarket features husbands of wort
ing wives sharing the household duties;
“The magazines are the only placeyi
see them. The American male willacce
his wife doing her own things asking
she does everything else as well. Whenii
go to parties my husband introduces
proudly to everyone as ‘my wife tk
lawyer.’ When we get home at night,k
wants to know why there are no clen
sheets on the bed.”
“It’s funny,” I said. “Until 1 talkedij
you, I thought every liberated tyoii
had it made. I always saw you assomeoi
who had the best of both worlds. Nont
turns out that without Juanita moppioj
floors you wouldn’t be liberated at
“You’ve got the fheture,” Lila sail
“Any married woman who wantstok
liberated better have a good palinalatii j ^ ^
American Employment Agency.” J
“What happens when your
system gets sick?”
“Then I stay home and everyoneinllj
law firm says, ‘We knew this would hap
pen if we hired a female lawyer.’”
Dr.
for
More than
:adets will r
Mistin Thu
G(it3Z4k^p&iyA)eu9
uMTEPfEWwaeavwwwre'
\ggie Corp
Two Co
ild traditio
luring tht
Aggie Cade
idler year,
recede tl
niversity c
Both tht
Calvary and
participate i
The cad
m| march
jress and wi
ress to Eas
.urns left or
inites to Cc
wl right a
Brig. Ge
J.S. Army 1
Reagan’s opportunity with Moscoi
by Maxwell Glen
and Cody Shearer
As Americans born during the Cold
War, we learned early to fear the Soviets
as much as the dark. Nikita Khrushchev’s
promise to “bury” us and our own fall
out-shelter drills in school were enough
to make any war baby have nightmares.
In subsequent years, fortunately, ten
sions betaeen East and West eased, and
Cold-War rhetoric began to seem un
sportsmanlike.
But the arrival of the Reagan adminis
tration and its “we will bury you, too”
attitude brought back all the bad dreams.
“The endless series of distortions and
oversimplification ... and routine ex
aggeration of Moscow’s military capabili
ties,” declared former U.S. ambassador
George Kerman last year, have all but
ruined chances for “a more hopeful
world.”
The death of Leonid Brezhnev, we
hope, gives the Reagan administration an
opportunity to alter its thick-headed
thinking and strike a new tone with an
old adversary.
‘.‘Brezhnev’s death has given the
Reagan administration a special chance
to repair some of its long-term policies
toward the Soviets, and perhaps open up
the channels for wide-ranging negotia
tions in the coming months,” said
Jonathan Sanders of the W. Averell Har-
riman Institute for the Advanced Study
of the Soviet Union.
To some degree, Reagan may already
be edging toward a softer anti-Soviet line.
Virtually beaten on the Siberian pipeline
issue, President Reagan must now reach
out for an agreement with Western
Europe on specific technologies for sale
to the Soviets, a shift that could increase
U.S.-Soviet trade.
Also, the arrival of George Shultz and
the departure of Richard Pipes, the hard
line Kremlinologist at the National
Security Council, should herald more
cool-headed rhetoric.
It might seem unrealistic to expect a
man who has made a career out of anti
communism to change his colors now.
For years, President Reagan has viewed
our relationship with the Soviets as some
kind of football game with winners and
losers. Even today, Reagan remains
hoj^eful that the Soviets are on a collision
course with economic collapse due, in
part, to United States sanctions.
We’re by no means asking Reagap
foresake his free-world vision or evenit
consider the Russians as horseback
riding |3als. But ihe president p
changed roles in movies and politics^
fore. Why not temper the role now?
Berry s World
11982 by NEA, Inc.