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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1983)
Page 2/The Battalion/Thursday, April 14, 1983 i opinion Election problems an annual headache At last we know the winner. Joe Jor dan is the 1983-84 student body presi dent. But the election that he won — and all the other races — were plagued by a number of problems that need to be solved before next year. First, three names were left off the ballot, even though filing for offices Editorial closed March 11. Election workers had more than a week to make sure this ballot was letter-perfect. Election officials said that ‘only’ 300 votes had been cast when the first errors were discovered. No one is sure how many votes were cast before the second mistake was found. Second, only about 17 percent of the student body voted in this election. This was blamed on a lack of student workers to man the polls. But some of the polls that were open were not clearly labeled, especially for that all-important first day of voting. Third, tabulating results presents a serious and recurring problem. For the third consecutive year, computer prob lems delayed election results. Isn’t it ab out time the computer program worked? The runoffs seem to have been spared these problems. Maybe next year the main elections will be run as smoothly. No bargain vacations for traveling Parisians by Art Buchwald “Is Paris Burning?” You bet your sweet croissant it is. President Francois Mitterrand, in order to get his financial house in order, has just issued the most controversial edict since he took office. He has told the French if they want to leave the country- on vacation they may only take the equivalent of $427 with them, and they can’t use their credit cards outside of France’s borders. This is the equivalent of pulling an Iron Curtain down on French tourists who, contrary to myth, are far more pas sionate about their vacations than their love affairs. I just received a letter from a Parisian friend. Cher Ami: You have probably read by now that your crazy French President has made it impossible for us to leave the country for vacance. Until his proclamation, our main con cern was the placement of American mis siles on the Continent. Now our only wor ry is how we can get out of France in the summertime. Everyone knows the one thing that makes the Frenchman happy is to travel abroad to see how primitive other cul tures are. Once we taste their food and drink their wine, we come home rein forced in our belief that France is still the only civilized nation in the world. Besides, a trip outside the country is the only opportunity we have to get away from foreign tourists who make our lives so miserable by telling us how happy they are that the Franch franc is so weak and that Paris is once again the tourist bar gain it used to be. I am not saying the French are not to blame for this sad state of affairs. We all voted for Mitterrand because we were bored with watching Giscard d’Estaing on television. Mitterrand said he was going to do a lot of stupid things, such as nationalizing all the banks and the indus tries, which sounded like good fun at the time. But he never said anything about only letting us take the equivalent of $427 out of the country for our vacations. Had he mentioned this just once in his campaign, he wouldn’t have even won the votes of his own family. When I told Giselle that we couldn’t go to England for our holidays she was grief-stricken. Giselle hates the English and was looking forward to spending four weeks there, so she could show the children how miserably the British live, how awful the weather is, and how for tunate they are to be French. My brother Gerard already had made his reservations for Portugal this sum mer, just to let the family see how bad European plumbing really can be. Uncle Jacques was prepared to go to Switzerland, which he despises, but con siders the perfect vacation spot because it is the dullest place in Europe. When he returns to the madness of Paris, he feels like a new man. Now our entire family must cancel their plans and find a place in France for our holidays, which is impossible, be cause nobody expected the French to stay home this summer. The reason I am writing to you at this time is that if you had any plans to come to Paris this year, please let me know. Do not bring any money with you. I will be happy to supply you with all the French francs you need at a very good rate. If you spend enough money here I could come to the United States and you could repay me in dollars without that idiot Mitterrand being any wiser. I must be honest with you. America was not my first choice, particularly since Giselle is afraid the children will have a good time and spoil the vacation for all of us. But we will have to take this chance just so we can get out of the country for a few weeks. If you weren’t planning on coming here, I urge you to do so. If Mitterrand does not rescind his order by August 1, you could be witness to the second French revolution. Last week, 10,000 people marched to the Ministry of Finance gates shouting, “Vacances, liberte,“ and do you know what Mitterrand said when he heard the noise? Fie said: “Let them eat credit cards.” 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 Assistant Sports Editor . .I°hn Lopez Eintertainment Editor ....... Colette Hutchings Assistant Entertainmept Editor. . . . Diane Yount News Editors Daran Bishop, Brian Boyer, Jennifer Carr, Elaine Engstrom, Shelley Hoekstra, Johna Jo Maurer, Jan Swaner, Jan Werner, Rebeca Zimmermann Staff Writers Melissa Adair, Maureen Carmody, Frank Christlieb, Connie Edelmon, Scott Griffin, Patrice Koranek, Robert McGlohon, Ann Ramsbottom, Kim Schmidt, Karen Schrimsher, Patti Schwierzke, Kelley Smith, Angel Stokes, Joe Tindel, Tracey Taylor, Kathy Wiesepape Cartoonist Scott McCullar Graphic Artists Pam Starasinic Sergio Galvez Thompson, Fernando Andrade Photographers . David Fisher, Guy Hood, Eric Lee, Irene Mees, Barry Papke, 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 Bryan-Collcge Station. Opinions ex pressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas AScM 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 per semes 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. Ancient roots of new nation Editor’s note: This is the third of a four- part analysis written by members of the Israel Club in conjunction with Israel Awareness Week. by Y. Weitsman On Monday, Israel will celebrate its 35th Independence Day. That new na tion, which was born in the midst of a war for survival and in the shadow of a terri ble holocaust, traces its roots back to the dawn of history. It gave humanity the concept and belief in one God, the Com mandments and laws of justice and mer cy, the inspiration and teachings of the Prophets and the vision of the Messianic Era. The history of Israel begins some 4,000 years ago with a small monotheistic clan, maintaining their unique faith while in a pagan world. It is a story of a continuous struggle for physical and spiritual survival of the few against the many, of exiles to Egypt and — 1,000 years later — to Babylon, to be followed 600 years later by yet another exile to a wide diaspora. It’s a tale of tribes and kingdoms united and divided, of success ful and disastrous revolts, of victories and more frequent defeats. Ancient Israel was utterly destroyed twice and its people went to exile three times. Exile and destruction were, unfor tunately, all too common events in hu man history, but the annals tell us of only three occasions when a scattered people managed to re-group and re-establish themselves in their native land. On all three occasions, the event took place in Israel. There is no single parallel case in the history of any other nation. The reasons for Israel’s stii spite of its harsh and cruel histoi be traced to its special culturall) All during their long years inesi under the most severe wherever Jews lived they heli their faith in God. That faithgaJ the strength to endure and, hope. It was the hopeforbetterl the vision of the return loJeiW This then is the redeemingi and inspiring lesson taught by M tory. 'This history — so replete® rors, defeats and sadness —[ with and outstandingexampleolij victory that really counts. Itisil of the human spirit. Yechiel Weitsman is a civil t professor at fexas A&M. Friday,l ence of modern Israel. Tve been keeping track SINCE REAGAN NNAPE HIS SPEECH PROPOSING A SPACE AGE PEPENSE SYSTEM ... THIS VERBAL WAR BETWEEN US ANp THE SOVIETS HAS ESCALATEP SOMETHING AWFUL- ... • Hnciir" le [imsi lloiK , .. ANP X CAN TELL YOU THE SITUATION POESN'T LOOK GOOP FOR US... X SUSPECT THE SOVIETS ARE AHEAP OF US IN THE PEPLOYhAENT OF PISINPOPNATO lil HI yjat tl rami <|ii J lie ‘ erforni' Ove mlmila :rij) lor es lirah 1) maj Letters: Memorial sets proper tone by 1 Editor: I would like to set the record straight concerning the memorial to General James Earl Rudder at Pointe du Hoc, France. A quote in The Battalion de scribed the monument as “terribly understated” and “in the middle of no where.” These statements are simply not true. Like Mr. Martin, I also visited General Rudder’s monument while studying in France. However, I was greatly moved by the simple stone monument which rises from the cliff which Rudder’s Ranger scaled. Simplicity is not necessarily understatement. Pointe du Hoc remains exactly as the Rangers left it on the afternoon of June 8, 1944, T he only addition is the monu ment erected in tribute to the men who fought and died there. This monument was a project of a grateful and dedicated group of Frenchmen. It was through their efforts and the generosity of the Government of France that this corner of French soil was placed in perpetuity under the care of the American Battle Monuments Commission, which main tains American military cemeteries and memorials on foreign soil. This monument, which is located be tween Omaha and Utah beaches, is one of which all Americans, and Aggies in particular, can be proud. It was, indeed, a memorable experience to stand on the precipice of that cliff and imagine that day in June 1944. I hope that the Aggies who go to France this year will remember the Pointe du Hoc as a place where Americans fought and died, and not as “nowhere.” Jean M. Waskom ’82 Lecture series thanks Editor: I would like to thank Texas A&M Uni versity and the people who worked on the Endowed Lecture Series for allowing me to attend such a fine program. I think the series is an outstanding program, especially since it is run for the most part by students. Texas A&M can be very proud of the terrific job these stu dents did in running the inaugural program. T here are some special people that I would like to thank for helping our crew in our coverage of this event: Jeff Alford, Matthew Kirst, Nancy Cramer, Holly Musick, John Wright, and Robert Robi son. These people were a great help to us; in spite of the fact that we were from the university in Austin that Aggies call “t.u.” Again, I compliment your university for the successful inauguration of a great program and thank all the Aggies who were so kind to us. Suzanne Standerfer Reporter, U.T. Newswatch Campaign mess Editor: After having watched the campaign for offices in student government, I thought of the following: Turin ’ea< bin w ■tan tan ■ We: lenat T he voting is done, T he offices won; The winners we no longer Yet hither and yon It still lingers on — 1 his filthy campaigning mess! pkfr iav tl I hope that the candidates that»i» rv;it as their first official act, see toil ili®^ * campaign materials (especial)'tt 11 ^ thousands of fliers) are cleanedli u those who did not win, I hopeilii| wall follow the samecourseof It woidd be nice to see what walls are and to see out of glassdfti windows again, and maybeotherj | could use the bulletin boardsagatT out having their material coveii I Gome on now, be responsiblefr stuff — there’s enough litter!9 fo* Roy G® Slouch By Jim Earl * 1 “Don’t bother getting up. I’m just looking for mypd snake that got loose. He’s probably around here somt where. ”