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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 1983)
Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, June 15, 1983 > opinion Fountain preacher’s message lost I saw one again last week. As I was leaving the Memorial Student Center, I passed the fountain outside Rudder. There he stood — a fountain preacher with a microphone in one hand, a crowd before him and a message to spread. His message was the familiar one ab out living a good, clean life for God. And his delivery was like most others who preached there before him. Just as I walked by, the preacher and a young man in the crowd began to bicker about government funding for AIDS — or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syn drome — research. The whole scene was one which I didn’t care to participate in. So I walked on. But as I walked across campus, I pon dered the scene I left at the fountain. I’m a Christian, but I didn’t agree with the preacher’s tactics. Maybe I’m too much a religious pacifist, but arguing over what men say God thinks seems useless. I found myself rejecting everything the preacher said. Even though some of his ideas did have merit, his delivery was a complete turn-off. Surely, I thought, hope e. paasch hope SJi there’s a better way to spread the same message. I have never met anyone who said he gained any sort of spiritual insight from a fountain preacher. This particular preacher seemed more concerned with telling people how wrong the whole college world is than with leading people to God. And the peo ple who passed the fountain showed much the same attitude that I felt. Just as I was becoming completely in volved and frustrated in my train of thought, I noticed a nice, normal-looking student. He sat alone on the shady edge of a brick wall near the Chemistry Build ing. His backpack sat at his feet while he peeled an orange. And in his lap was an open pocket-size Bible. The serenity of that moment isn’t something that disappears after the mo ment passes. That young man’s peace and devotion to God was infinitely more contagious than the message the fountain preacher was trying to spread. As I entered the newsroom after my pilgrimage across campus, I found my hostile feelings toward the preacher were gone and the vision of the young man still filled my mind. Maybe the fountain preachers and their sponsoring groups should recon sider their strategy. Communication is more than words, after all. Perhaps the preachers could spend their time more effectively by showing how they live rather than arguing the finer points of Christianity. BEFORE WE START THE MISSION „ li/£ fiOf TO PROP &0BBV OFF AT UTHE tfASUE, MOLIY AT HER VIOLIN LESSON AND, Lots of lawyers needed to keep other ones busy The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member ot Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Hope E. Paasch City Editor Kelley Smith Sports Editor John Wagner News Editors Daran Bishop, Brian Boyer, Beverly Hamilton, Tammy Jones Staff Writers Scott Griffin, Robert McGlohon, Angel Stokes, Joe Tindel Copyeditors .... Kathleen Hart, Tracey Taylor Cartoonist Scott McCullar Photographers Brenda Davidson, Eric Lee, Barry Papke, Peter Rocha Editorial Policy T/ic ButUilion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-Colfege Station. Opinions ex pressed in The Battalion are those ol 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 tor st udents 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 telephone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials also are welcome, and arc 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 (409) 845- 261 1. The Battalion is published Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during both Texas A&M regular summer sessions, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Advertising 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. by Art Buchwald It may be my imagination, but every young person I met this June is graduat ing from law school. The question is how many lawyers can the country support? The answer is that nobody really knows. Harlan McCugh, a senior partner with McCugh, McCugh and Moore McCughs, is one of those who believes the United States will never have enough lawyers to serve the needs of the people. “T he reason why I’m so bullish on the law as a profession is that the more lawyers you have the more business you generate for each others. We’re the ones who make the problems for other lawyers to solve.” “I’m not too sure I understand.” “Well, there is a famous story about a lawyer in North Dakota who hung up his shingle in town and was starving to death. Then another lawyer moved in across the street. Suddenly they were both prosper ing. The rule of thumb in America is that it takes a minimum of two lawyers on opposite sides of the street before one can make any money.” McCugh continued, “The beauty of the American justice system is that one doesn’t have to do anything wrong to need a lawyer. All somebody has to do is accuse you of doing something wrong, and then you have to seek legal help to defend yourself. Even if you aren’t ac cused of doing something wrong, it’s best to hire a lawyer in advance, just in case somebody might take a gamble that you did. “Another reason I’m bullish on the law business is that lawyers are taught to write contracts and legal papers that can only be decoded by other lawyers. So when one lawyer draws up a contract, he or she,is automatically assuring a fee for another lawyer who has to read it and see that the person signing it is not getting a raw deal. “I had an instance not long ago where a lawyer for a motion picture studio sent a one-page contract to a screenwriter I was representing. I took one look at it and became furious. I called up the stu dio lawyer and said, ‘Are you crazy or something? My client could sign this con tract today. Where the hell did you study law?’ “The studio lawyer apologized and said he had a paralegal draw up the agreement and hadn’t realized the young man had written it in plain English. He promised to send over the studio’s usual 170-page contract right away. As soon as I got it, we started haggling over it for three months, and I was able to charge my client my normal outrageous fee.” “You were smart not to let your client sign the one-page contract,” I said. “Another reason I’m bullish on lawyers,” McCugh said, “is that almost every family in America has a relative who is a lawyer, and you don’t even have to leave your house anymore to find one. Now when a mother calls up her lawyer son from the hospital and says, ‘I fell on the sidewalk and broke my hip,’ the first question he usually asks her is, ‘Were there any witnesses?’ “There aren’t enough lawyers in America to handle all the accidents that are happening all around us, much less the insurance companies who are refus ing to pay.” “You paint a very rosy picture for young people just coming out of law school,” I said. “I’m not making it up,” McCugh told me. “You’ve got government lawyers working day and night confusing every one as to what the legislators had on their minds when they passed a law or re pealed one. You have people being poisoned by chemicals, crime is soaring, and the simplest business transaction cannot be consummated without two leg al minds in the middle screwing it up. I would say the outlook for the law class of 1983 has never been brighter.” “What a wonderful message. Can I print it?” “Of course, Why do you ask?” “I didn’t want you to sue me.” Backstairs at the White House Reagan still witty I United HOIS 1 m-area n gwnl too funds raiisit A by Helen Thomas United Press International WASHINGTON — Maureen Reagan says “I hope so” when asked if her father is going to run again. “I’ve already put in my word and he said, ‘noted,’” she reported in a brief chat at the White House during a recent over night visit. President Reagan still is batting .500 in the humor department. The president and first lady Nancy Reagan recently hosted a state dinner in honor of Ivory Coast President Felix Houphouet- Boigny. The entertainment for the even ing was the Lincoln Center Chamber Music group, which evoked bravos from the audience for a super performance. After the last number the Reagans walked us to a small platform in the East Room to shake hands with each musician. They separated going to opposite ends of the platform and came full face with each other. Reagan stuck out his hands and shook hands with his wife. Then he went to the microphone and said, “We’ve got to stojo meeting this way.” . w , 0 Rns ol His daughter, Maureen, 42, ai* want - Marymount College in ArlingtttHjhe < for a year; his son, Michael, 37.ate* mess Arizona State and Los AngefeHe is n< munity College for a time; Pailc|stonia attended Northwestern UniventB hy one year and the University ofSo , ® r ^' vs ’ California for a semester. I . '' I he Reagans’ son, Ron, 25,anB s Yale for one year and then drop|tfc ins su to become a ballet dancer. Hehas ly oters the Joffrey Ballet and become Mendum lance writer. At the State Dinner for the Ivon FATHERS leader, Reagan noted HouphoutBiw]) the father of his country, and had y MMl consecutively in the jvresideno S years. Would you like to do that?Kl was asked. The concert of the Young Artists in Per formance at the White House was staged in two segments because of heavy rain on the south lawn when the concert was first taped. Only 40 minutes of the hour-long show, which features Broadway tunes, was taj:)ed before the clouds opened uj). Guests made a mad dash for the resi dence and went up to the State Rooms where ushers and waiters had hastily moved the food and drinks from the out door refreshment stands inside. The day was bright and sunny when the last 20 minutes of the show was taped. Reagan looked out at the guests, main ly White House staffers filling the seats, and said, “This is a fair weather audience if I ever saw one.” 4= * * Incidentally, the Young Artists series that was aired on the Public Broadcasting System, with Itzhak Perlman as master of ceremonies, will be resumed next fall with Metropolitan Opera singer Leon tyne Price as the mistress of ceremonies. President Reagan is making excellence in education in the nation a cause celebre, and probably a key campaign issue if he seeks re-election. He has a B.A. degree from Eureka College in Illinois, where he majored in economics. But none of his children made it through four years of higher education. All dropjoed out of coliege. He grinned, shook hisheadani “No, I want to read a book again! * * * You can hardly find a White Honl who doesn't believe that Reagan/I re-election. All systems seem to I But while he is making like a caul and traveling like a candidate,tkl dent is in no rush to announcehisl But that does not mean thesiral are not busy paving the waywhenl! decide, probably in the early fall I Ed Rollins, chief White House* al adviser, is carrying the ballj fence-mending department. Heffl personal feeling is the presidenil year is enough” to launch a canfi he so decides. “I think everyone 1 tied with the time frame,” Rollinl “He hasn’t told anyone what heil to do.” He recently gathered with Ll Republicans who supported 1980 but have become dissident!! what they say is a lack of progressol concerns. Rollins got an earful,anj afterward, “I think we’re goingll an ongoing dialogue.” “We’re not writing any groupj said, adding that includes womenl minorities. “We’re laying the f| work.” The White House is well Reagan has some work to do in4 over the women’s vote. The poll they support him far less thanlf voters. Reagan’s strong opposition Equal Rights Amendment and neglect on other issues is partoiikj lent. T here were no women on mission on Strategic Forces and a! any arms control advisory capaciii Slouch By Jim Earl Sh °P Dill I think we better sweep the floor soon.