^opinion
Corps
Why join the Corps?
Editor:
In response to Mr. Bannon’s letter to
the editor:
Why am I in the Corps of Cadets? For
openers, I will concede that I initially
joined the Corps because I am a pure
bred Aggie (third generation — both
sides). But why did I stay in?
Let me begin by asking if you realize
that a healthy percentage of the Corps is
not in pursuit of a military contract. They
must join, and remain in the Corps, for
some other reason. What? Discipline,
leadership, camaraderie, accomplish
ment — some things not available in
other aspects of college life.
The Corps provides young men with
the chance to grow through learning to
deal with, as well as how to distribute,
discipline in hopes of learning leadership
traits. The Corps of Cadets is often called
a “leadership laboratory” allowing its
members to develop their leadership
potential. It also (perhaps most impor
tantly) allows them to make their mis
takes here where they can be Fixed, in
stead of on the job where they can have
lasting effects. Major corporations recog
nize this, and you should too. Admitted
ly, we fail sometimes, and some of our
members never do grow up. And that’s a
shame because they reflect poorly upon
the rest of us.
Freedom as
Your next question: Why am I going
into the military? You’re not going to like
this: you and other pacifists do not live in
reality. War is a dirty side of life, but for
the sake of defending our country some
of us are willing to give up our lives for its
preservation. I’m not going to get off on
some patriotic kick because I’m sure
you’ve heard it all before and really don’t
care.
Isn’t it odd how people in the military,
despite all of society’s disrespect, not to
mention the merely adequate salary, still
continue to serve their country and even
feel good about it? What is interesting,
and really hacks me off is that these sol
diers go out into a war environment, in
defense of vourcountry, and get killed or
wounded just to have persons such as
yourself ridicule them and spit upon
their graves. Or even worse, to just
ignore or forget about them.
Last, I offer a poem in response to yours:
God and the soldier, all men adore
In times of trouble, but never before
But when the trouble is over.
And the wrongs have been righted,
God is forgotten,
And the soldier is slighted.
John Teague
Dorm 2
cause
Editor:
I have what I believe Mr. Bannon was
looking for in his Feb. 15 article.
Mr. Bannon, I am an American
citizen. Millions of people in this world
long to speak those words ... Why? Be
cause this is a place where men and
women live under the aegis of liberty and
justice as practiced by a form-of govern
ment which was designed to pi^ote^tlndi-
yidual rights.
Though the institution may be imper
fect at best, it is nevertheless the most
hopeful aspirant to perfection yet de
vised in the history of man. We hold the
liberty and justice reserved to each indi
vidual as our standard of perfection, not
a comfortable level of income, and not an
historical hack’s idea of a perfect collec
tive society.
It is for the appreciation of the great
value of this government and way of life,
then, that I joined the Corps of Cadets
over four years ago. Mr. Bannon, vio
lence and force are a fact of existence in
today’s world. Our country must survive
in this world if individuals are to have
even the option of a healthy criticism of
or constructive input into their govern
ment. I certainly do not claim that this
government has never involved itself in
conflicts which were unjust. But I
emphatically point out that this govern
ment is correctable by and answerable to
its citizens when that happens.
J * Finally, and*most important is how the
individual Soldier liveS with the'possibil
ity of dying or killing for his country or
cause. Mr. Bannon, as a free man this
ossibility by its very nature repulses me,
ut it is not as repulsive as is the possibil
ity that by failing to do so, I will yield to an
aggressing power which holds no value in
human life or reason. Using the words of
Voltaire: “I may disagree with what you
say, but I shall defend to the death your
right to say it.” This is why I joined the
Corps.
Frank Knickerbocker
306 Redmund
Corps produces officers
Editor: f
k
This letter is in response to Mr. Ban
non’s letter to the editor in The Battalibn
Feb. 15. I feel almost personally guilty
that you are so immensely ignorant. Your
questions asking if the members of the
Corps are willing to die in service, kill on
the word of their superiors and live with
themselves afterwards are silly.
Questions such as that should be dire
cted to people in the military. The Corps
of Cadets has many diversified facets, all
having nothing to do with killing people.
These facets include discipline, responsi
bility, time management and most im
portantly in my opinion comradeship.
I challenge you to ask a cadet who
plans to take a contract with the military
and ask him ifihe WANTS to go to war
and kill people. I challenge you furth
ermore to go to the’Trigon and talk to
any of the officers and ask them why they
are in the military.
The Corps of Cadets is here to pro
duce officers to give our country a degree
of military preparedness to cope with any
aggression against the United States or
our allies. These officers enter the milit
ary service to defend our country and to
keep peace. I’m sure they would tell you
that killing is the last thing that they want.
War is not pretty but, FREEDOM sure is.
Tim Smyer ’85
John Zylks ’85
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member ot
Texas Press Association . .
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor . Diana Sultenfnss
Managing Editor Gary Barker
Associate Editor Denise Richter
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Smith, Angel Stokes, Tracey Taylor,
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Ronald W. Emerson, Rob
Johnston, Irene Mees, William
Schulz
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0
Battalion/Page
February 17, IS
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Letters: Preparing for defensi
Editor:
This is in reply to Elizabeth Smith’s
letter that appeared in The Battalion on
Feb. 14. I am a junior in the Corps of
Cadets and have been singing these
songs, properly called jodies, for three
years. These jodies were made to
toughen an individual to the horrors of
war so that if we ever get into a combat
situation we can have some semblance of
control.
With the help of God we will never
have to live out these things we sing ab
out. No one I have ever met in the Corps
loves death and destruction and no one
desires to kill another human being, but
if the time ever comes when we have to
defend this country we’ll be ready. You
say*“we desire to be given the chance to
murder someone,” but this is an outright
lie. We are taught that murder is to kill
with no justification, but to kill someone
in combat is protection — protection of
our lives, our men’s lives, and the ideals
of freedom. I don’t believe America will
ever provoke a war, but if we are drawn
into a war to fight against Communist
aggression I will have no second thoughts
about killing. I love this country and the
freedoms I enjoy and no enemy to this
country is ever going to change that.
Another thing I would like to clear up
is the notion that since we are pro
military, we are also pro-war. If it wasn’t
for our military strength as a deterrent to
war, the people of this nation would all be
eating borsch and drinking cheap vodka.
If people would stop and think about
what they’re saying they would realize
that a lot of the assumptions they make
about the corp are wrong. I’m not a war
monger or a “killing machine” and my
mind is not warped. I am an American
and damn proud of it!
Darrel Thormer ’84
Editor’s Note: This letter was accompa
nied by 24 other signatures.
Lost ring
Editor:
Help! I lost a pearl ring either at the
Polo fields or on the walk outside of
Krueger Sunday evening. The ring was
very dear to me and I’d appreciate it if
anyone finds it to call me at 260-0697.
P.S. There will be a reward.
Laurie Mabry
Watch found
Editor:
I found a woman’s watch in the park
ing lot by the band dorm. If it’s yours, call
me at 260-2876, identify it and it’s yours.
Lee Henderson
Thanks
Editor:
On behalf of the Legislative Study
Group (LSG) and myself, I would like to
express our thanks for the articles run in
last week’s Battalion. It was reassuring to
have such a good job done on reporting a
subject as complex as the Permanent
University Fund (PUF). The LSG has
worked hard researching and collecting
information to inform and represent the
students of Texas A&M. We are appre
ciative of the work done by Kelley Smith
(reporter) and the Battalion staff for
working so hard to report this informa
tion accurately. I hope that you will print
this letter of affirmation, you deserve it.
Fred P. Billings III
Administrative Director ’84,
LSG
Let’s get it together
Editor:
the world united as a common bon
When are we “folks” going tod
act together?
As a human being 1 came, devoid of
my whiteness, joining with others of com
mon form and mind. 1 came not to hear
the “black” man Dick Gregory speak, but
to listen to the person Dick Gregory re
late his experience, his impressions, and
his life. When I sought through the
method, through the “comedy” that
clouded at times the unaware, a message
of what each individual must do to begin
a positive change in our world clearly
pierced through. We must cleanse our
minds, our bodies, and our spirits of the
impurities within whether they be fear or
hatred. We must tune-in to the god-force
within ourselves; and we must set*
ourselves as individuals of worth and
identity, separating our minds f rom the
limiting transformations society de
mands.
Mark;
Dum ■
Facts distorted
Editor:
J
The front page Battalion article of
Feb. 10 concerning Mr. Gregory, demon
strated the ease with which the system
can quell the essence of a man’s c harac
ter. The article played with Gregory’s
words as society can play with a person’s
mind, distorting the image so that only
the expected is seen. Throughout his
talk, Gregory continuously returned to
the challenge “How Long? ... How Long?
...” How long will it be until we listen?
Through his words, Dick Gregory was
trying to challenge our thought, trying to
make us search inside for the answer is
there alone. Through this search we can
all begin to be the person Gregory com
mented on as the real champion — “...
the man who has risen to the crest of life’s
highest purpose — singular and com
plete devotion to serving one’s fellow
man.” Two thousand years ago those
words were also said by one whose life
and teachings challenge us daily. Yet still
today the message has yet to be lived by
The headline in Wednesday's!!
lion, “A&M second in rapes, buryl
for fall 1982” was an enhance!!
actually a distortion, of the factstlu
lowed. A more objective, thouglu
tedly more boring, title would have
‘-‘Crime figures for seven
announced.” Consider the facis
tained in the article.
First, only seven schools in leu 1
included in the statistics, with no®
of school size or any other factor-1
might permit legitimate comparis:I
the schools. Second, of the four(3 f
ies of crime reported, A&M was
second in only one category (roli
U 1 had 89, A&M had 56, Techh
etc. In the rape category, UTrepon
while A&M and Rice each reportI
Does this make A&M a leader in
Common sense is sufficient (ie. nod
tics course is required) to see thattk |
is not representative of the facts,
other two categories, A&M was ad!
third.
In perspective, the distortedhfl|
may not seem inappropriate, sincf
all the Battalion is a laboratory fori |
ing journalists, and we all expeti
media to jazz things up a little togt
a tten tion. O t herwise why would wet [
ate the “news“-breaks interr
evening movie to remind usofthei
ders, strikes, and scandals comingi|
10 p.m.
Mark Coughr
Slouch
By Jim Earle
‘I guess I deserve this. I asked her to drop me a line”
■ Sh