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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 1983)
opinion Slouch By Jim Earle “‘J understand your logic that a larger wastebasket holds more and has to be emptied less than a small one — but I’m offering to empty them if you’ll agree to go back to smaller ones. Recessions hurt romance for all by Art Buchwald Recessions af fect everyone, even peo ple who are in love. They also give some people who are in love reasons not to get married. “I would marry right now, but where would we live?” “What’s wrong with here?” “I wouldn’t want my wife to live in this squalor.” “I’ve been living here for eight months.” “Yes, but it’s one thing to live here because you’re so in love you haven’t noticed the squalor. Once we get mar ried, the romance will go out of the squalor, and you’ll want to‘move to a place I can’t afford.” “You’re just using the recession as an excuse for not marrying me.” “How can you say such a thing? I told you when I met you I was a romantic supply-sider. How did I know that in terest rates would go through the ceiling, the economy would stagnate and unem ployment would be at an all-time high? How can a man contemplate wedlock when nothing is trickling down from the top?” “Men are doing it every day.” “Yes, but what kind of men? The big spenders who don’t care about a ba lanced budget, or the viability of the So cial Security system or the tight money policies that have driven down inflation to 5 percent. Are you willing to go to the altar at a time when steel production is at the lowest it has been since the de pression?” “I’m starting to think that even if we were in a boom period you wouldn’t want to get married.” “You’re wrong. I would marry you tomorrow if the Gross National Product went up by only 10 percent, unemploy ment was down to 6 percent and auto mobile sales increased to their 1979 levels. Marriage is a very serious business and people shouldn’t jump into it when they know we are going to have a $ 1.6 trillion defense bill by 1986.” “I don’t see what all this has to do with us. We love each other and if we don’t get married soon we neVer will.” “Of course we’ll get married. President Reagan’s advisers expect the economy to turn around in 1983 or ’84 or ’85. We could even have a mild recovery at the end of this year. The July tax cut might spur the consumer to go out and spend money again. With luck we could get married in any one of the next fiscal years.” “And if all these wonderful things don’t happen?” “Then marriage is out of the question until Reagan gets his house in order. Honey, why are you getting mad? Did I know when we started living together what the MX missile system would cost?” “I don’t care what an MX missile costs. I want a home and children and a hus band who will take care of me. I’ll con tinue my job if you’re worried about the recession.” “Who said I was worried about the re cession? I’m worried that I can’t give you everything you deserve as a wife. I want the best for you and my children. When we live together no one cares about our lifestyle. Society accepts us now for what we are — two people living happily in sin. But once we take the marriage vows we’ll be judged by much more materialistic standards. Do you think your parents would let you live like this if you were married?” “I think you’re full of it. If you don’t want to get married I’m going to pack and move out.” The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member ot Texas Press Association , , Southwest Journalism Conference Editor ... Diana Sultenfuss Managing Editor Gary Barker Associate Editor Denise Richter City Editor Hope E. Paasch Assistant City Editor Beverly Hamilton Sports Editor John Wagner Entertainment Editor Colette Hutchings Assistant Entertainment Editor. . . . Diane Yount News Editors Daran Bishop, Brian Boyer, Jennifer Carr, Elaine Engstrom, Johna Jo Maurer, Jan Werner, Rebeca Zimmermann Staff Writers Melissa Adair, Maureen Carmody, Frank Christlieb, Connie Edelmon, Patrice Koranek, John Lopez, Robert McGlohon, Ann Ramsbottom, Kim Schmidt, Patti Schwierzke, Kelley Smith, Angel Stokes, Tracey Taylor, Joe Tindel, Kathy Wiesepape Copyeditors .. v Shelley Hoekstra, Jan Swaner, Chris Thayer Cartoonist Scott McCullar Graphic Artists Pam Starasinic Sergio Galvez Thompson Photographers David Fisher, Dena Brown, Jorge Casari, Ronald W. Emerson, Eric Lee, Irene Mees, John Makely, William Schulz Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Btyan-College Station. Opinions ex pressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M University administrators or faculty mem bers, or of the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography clas ses within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter should be directed to the editor. Letters Policy Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length, and are subject to being cut if they are 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 signed 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. 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 persemes- ter, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Adver tising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. 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, TX 77843. Battalion/Pags; February 22,1® Small contradiction in terms At the Post Oak Mali’s anniversary celebration Saturday, a man called “the world’s fastest artist” was on hand as part of the promotional activities. Most mall-goers seemed to enjoy the idea, watching the “artist” mass-produce • his landscape paintings. But sometime during the eight minutes it took him to fill a canvas with water and trees, the inherent contradiction became apparent. The word “artist” generally conjures images of slow, methodical creators who spend hours laboring over details like the right tint of blue to capture the mood of a subject — not assembly-line speed. But it’s not surprising that most peo ple did not gasp at the contradiction. Americans seem to have the ability to accept blatant incongruities with no problem. Some, like the world’s fastest artist, are harmless. Others are not. One of the most dangerous of all con tradictions in terms accepted wholesale everyday is the idea of nuclear deterr ence — or Pax Atomica as it has some times been called. This is the idea that the Soviets and Americans can peacefully coexist while pointing megatons upon megatons of nuclear weaponry at each other. The contradiction in terms is that the threat of mutual destruction is not peace, ose that we drop our nuclearj without demanding the samel Soviets. Arms control talks havetl approached with equal seriousness^ both sides. I Part of the problem is thatm sons seem to believe that weapons have become a peimanenj ture in our late 20th centurysocieti] threat of nuclear destruction! ately has been around longenoujll nuclear fears have been assuagedl)i| lingering presence. une ser it l ir is o itnry ilkin; it’s MAD — mutually assured destruc tion. Peace can’t be obtained through the threat of nuclear holocaust, peace is obtained through large-scale reductions in force, threat and weapons. To be sure, MAD gives us a balance of power and a shaky stability — but that is not peace. Peace implies an end state, some sort of semi-final calm. The current attitude towards nuclear parity suggests that we don’t need to be working towards a real reduction in nuclear arms; it is some thing we have to live with and therefore can. Only the most idealistic would prop- Maybe they are a permanentfc Maybe the ideological gaps beiwet! in United States and the Soviethtl too big to mend. Then again,mift aren’t. Maybe the gaps — as Stanley lit suggested in “Dr. Strangelove"- our minds, tinged with years inged i’ll hac k and forth Inc he pul I “T! es s Mai Ifaci te c Icoli pss aganda-throw sides. Maybe the gaps are insurmoi on both sides; any serious arms tions will require drasticcomproi both sides. But if no seriouseffml made at arms control, Americai Russians will be accepting the ms tant contradiction of terms ininaa history. ted. si Letters: Corps of Cadets’ reputation Editor: when the guns begin to shoot. This letter and poem are in response tp the letter and poem written by T. Ban- non, and to anyone else who wants to know why we feel the Corps of Cadets still exists at Texas A&M. The reason we believe most people join the Corps is to get that little some thing extra out of college that most stu dents don’t ever experience. You were fairly correct in your statement that our fathers and grandfathers went here. This is not forcing us to be in the Corps. We are proud of the fact that our past gener ations have gone to A&M and have been in the Corps. We will admit that no one in our generation has experienced war. To answer your question; “whether or not we will die for our country, or follow the orders of our superiors?,” would be yes. Would you be able to say the same? We have no wish to die, but we are proud to be Americans and just as proud of being Aggies in the Corps. If war does come upon us, we are willing to fight to keep the freedoms we hold so dear. This poem by J. Gordon Bristow from Oklahoma University entitled “THE TEXAS AGGIE” should explain it. They ain’t no perfumed beatniks with hairdo and a fan, So you call a Texas Aggie, when you real ly need a man. They don’t mind your lies and jokes, Sir, when you want a little fun. They’ll even join in laughing about the things they’ve done. sculpture ... in a public place.I highest admiration for the perwf’Th has condemned “David” to “nufast in Yes, the MSC Arts CommitteetorPg t revealed their high sense of art ap[#m ei1 tion with their advertisement ini day’s Battalion. By the way, I hattR^P book; do you think you couldiL d( and put black rectangles on all tlie!mi or But when the laughing’s over and you’ve had your last big Hoot, Just call the Texas Aggies when the guns begin to shoot.” Editor’s Note: This letter ms nied by Tour other signatures. Parental The man who wrote this poem was not in the Corps or even in the University, yet he held them in such high esteem. This is the nation-wide respect the Corps has gained over the years, and the present Corps is not going to do anything to ruin this treasured reputation. We offer everyone enrolled in the University, a personal invitation to join the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets. Get that something extra out of college. We did, and WE LOVE IT! Editor: This is in response to the Feb cle on the new Parental NotificaW or the “squeal law.” What aboutft pie who are adomently in favor of s- rule? “You say Sir he is sorta crude like, and ais country as a Hoot But he’s Hero of this Nation when the guns begin to shoot. Karl Joeris ’85 Charles Miksch ’85 Editors Note: This letter was accompa nied by 101 signatures. You say Sir, that it’s just a joke and only done for fun, But have you seen the record. Sir, of what these guys have done? Censorship The Parental Notification rule 1 ' only affect federally funded grof are paying taxes to support teen-af their sexual “flings.” What aW countless minors who are sexual^ only because these birth control^ are so “easily” and “secretly” a'*' Consider that the majority of theg 11 1 who are actively involved in seei»- rule halted would be financially by it. Editor: More officers and men, Sir, in time of war they say Than any other school, Sir, throughout the USA. When their country needs them they’re among the first to die So it’s kinda hard to laugh, Sir, when you’ve seen their families cry You can say they pick their noses, can’t even play a flute, But they’re the heroes of this nation Thank you, thank you, thank you. I cannot tell you what praise I have for the MSC Arts Committee. For centuries mankind has been duped. How could any artist — any per son — find beauty, grace or perfection in the human form. To think Michelange lo’s David was once admired as a great work of art. Michelangelo should have been ashamed of himself. He dared to sculpt male genitals. Ghastly! And to top that — those Italians even exhibit that ... We need to open our eyes and^ we could actually help many te(^ that want “a way out” of the peer! ure to have sex. I believe that m* 1 them would abstain for the tea# their parents would be notified course there are going to bet he one* j continue to have sex. But, theif'j active minor should betbeexcepti 1 ' 1 the rule. A morality has to beef for their sakes. Dannettf! College- 'I