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Page 2AThe Battalion/Tuesday, June 21, 1983
opinion
Sisters: today’s your day
I think it’s time to declare a national
holiday for sisters — like Father’s Day.
A couple of years ago, I might not
have considered establishing a day to
honor female siblings, but I think now
the time is appropriate.
Many people — including me — have
taken their sisters for granted. You get
used to living with them and you forget
how important they are.
But after 20 years of living with,
arguing with and loving a sister, I’ve be
gun to think about our relationship and
how important it is to me. Especially since
we’ll both he graduating in nine months
and going our separate ways.
Our relationship has been like most
sisters’ relationships. We’ve had our good
times and had times and of course the
you’d-better-quit-or-I’ll-tell-Momma-on-
you times.
I’ve learned that sisters are depend
able and unique. They’re useful and, in
some instances, can mean more to you
than a brother can.
Who else can you play Kiddles with
who knows exactly where the dollhouses
go in the Kiddle village? And who else
can you depend on to he your constant
swimming buddy in the summer?
Who’s always there when you’re low on
cash? And who else can you turn to when
you think the world is going to end?
But of course, sisters make mistakes.
When helpfully lending a hand, she
throws a basketful of clothes into the
washing machine, unaware that a bright
red shortset hides beneath a pile of white
clothes. But hey, doesn’t everyone like
pink underwear?
1 think I’ll declare the First Tuesday
after Father’s Day as Sister’s Day. I prob
ably need to check with the National
Holiday Commission to get an okay on
the idea, but in my book at least, today is
The Day.
Sister’s Day would be a great day to
take off work, skip school and take your
special sibling to Luby’s or for a night on
the town.
Tell her how much she means to you.
She will appreciate it — especially if it’s
been a while since you last told her.
So here’s a message sis, I love you. To
day’s for you — Happy Sister’s Day!
Igsifk
wBBmm.
President’s views on education
may up chances of re-election
by Clay F. Richards
United Press International
WASHINGTON — In the rush to make
political gain over what is called the crisis in
the nation’s public education system. Sen.
Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., has proposed a gov
ernment-paid $5,000 raise for every teacher.
Stepping aside whether or not such a raise
is deserved, that is a pretty radical proposal
from a senator who based his campaign for
the Democratic presidential nomination on
the proposal that a budget freeze is the answer
to the nation’s economic problems.
Education has boomed onto the national
political scene in the past month, erupting like
a long-forgotten volcano.
Education Secretary Terrel Bell, the for
gotten man of the administration, was de
scribed by Republican National Chairman
Frank Fahrenkopf as the second most impor
tant public official in the nation today, next
only to President Reagan.
Bell, brought to Washington to carry out
Reagan’s campaign pledge to dismantle the
Department of Education, has probably given
more speeches in the past month than he did
in the entire previous time since he joined the
Cabinet.
When Bell spoke at the Republican Nation
al Committee Meeting in Dallas week before
last, he handed out a 66-page briefing book
that party leaders could take home to explain
where the administration stands on very
aspect of the education issue.
The nation’s two major teachers unions —
the National Education Association and the
American Federation of Teachers — seeking
to flex their political clout in the presidential
campaign, have tried to make Democratic
contenders toe the line and endorse their
long-held positions. Former Vice President
Walter Mondale was one of the first to prop
ose a costly government program, with a price
tag of $ 1 1 million, to cure the education crisis.
The Democrats have tried to make Reagan
the villan in the education crisis. They say he is
the man who has made the problem worse by
cutting student loans and other federal edu
cation programs.
But Reagan is working skillfully to try and
make the education issue backfire on the
Democrats.
He is going around the country telling peo
ple more federal money is not going to solve
the problem. The problem, he insists, is a lack
of discipline in the schools, a lack of demand
for excellence, and a failure to reward good
teachers and weed out bad ones.
One of the main criticisms of Reagan over
the years has been that he had tried to simplify
complex issues — showing, critics say, that he
really doesn’t understand them.
But to the American parent, education is a
very simple issue to understand. Parents be
lieve if they send their children to school
where they are disciplined, where quality is
stressed and teaching is good, there is a fair
chance their children will learn.
Parents understand that education is paid
for not by the federal government, but by
local and state government and are a large
part based on their own property taxes.
Increasingly polls show that parents don’t
want big union and federal government prog
rams for their schools, because they believe
education is a local problem.
Ronald Reagan may have found an issue
that more than any other will boost his
chances of re-election.
The Battalion
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—5
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Is America winning
cold chicken race?
Oi
by Dick West
United Press International
WASHINGTON — News reports the Un
ited States had successfully test-fired a “chick
en gun” hit this town with a resounding sjdat.
A 20-foot cannon, developed at the Air
Force base in Langley, Va., was said to be
capable of propelling 4-pound chickens
through the lower atmosphere at speeds of up
to 700 miles per hour.
No less an authority than Senate Republi
can Leader Howard Baker, whose home state
gave the world the recipe for Tennessee fried
chicken, called attention to “this new strategic
development.”
Asserting that biddy ballistics directly in
volved “our nation’s safety and might even
change the focus of the defense budget de
bate,” Baker wondered “how far along the
Soviet Union is with their deployment of the
chicken gun?” A good question.
The Air Force claims it is shooting chickens
at jet engines, windshields and landing gear to
gain information about damage caused by air
craft colliding with birds.
It sounds like a typical Pentagon cover
story to me. Oh, I suppose the data could be
valuable to pilots who must take off or land
near large flocks of seagulls.
Of much greater concern, however, is the
impact a 20-foot canister loaded with chickens
might have on the current arms control talks
with the Russians. Thus far, negotiators main
ly have discussed the proposed introduction
of U.S. medium-range missiles in Western
Europe.
What if the Soviets became convinced some
of those missiles, aimed at targets in their
territory, would have chicken payloads?
Would they then feel compelled to beef up
their own fleet of medium-range missiles?
Could some of the intercontinental rockets
aimed at stragetic areas in the United States be
converted to chicken warheads? The Soviet
C
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ed as s
sli
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lied has
rs proh
llty to
irglary.
Union is reported far ahead of lilt [ Bonn
States in civil defense preparationsi jpherd
however, no known defense agaie [ te Bi sl
chickens dropping from the skyalsm P n to
speeds. 1° and c
Yon can picture f or yourself A Btitution
happen if this ty jie of ammunition^ s * week t<
civilian population centers, particulti® (:er an
ing rush hour.
Disarmament advocates have gain*
strength f rom the “nuclearfreeze"n» Bnvestig
in this country and abroad. Butpac» ani h er 11
little would be gained by freezingctf‘P rmac y
If anything, the damage caused bn “r
chicken striking a military aircraft-]
mi glary o
Once chickens begin to flip -
the arms race, it is only awn
time before someone deif.
turkey bomb.
-
-
forbid, a commuter’s automobile-*
even more devastating than a ditto
fresh pullets.
The danger of escalation
present. Once chickens begin to fig® 1
arms race, it is only a matter of tint
someone develops a turkey bomb.
If that prospect doesn’t seem
enough, imagine what it would beb
stantly living under the threat ofb*
ment with dead ducks and geese. f
peacocks, albatrosses and ostriches.
It is, I suppose, unfair to demand
United States unilaterally stop atmi
chicken gun testing. But letusgd
reduction on the agenda at Geneva bd
too late.
Spotlight on fathers
By William C. Trott
United Press International
Men in New York and Rhode Island used
Father’s Day to march in protest of custody
and alimony laws they say are discriminatory,
and a Wichita, Kanas, dad pleaded for donors
so his two daughters can have life-saving liver
transplants.
In addition to the usual family and political
statements, it also was Father’s Day in space as
the four men aboard the space shuttle Ghal-
lenger took the spotlight from their woman
cohort, Sally Ride.
“All the families of the dads on board have
been calling in and they want to make sure we
wish you a very happy Father’s Day today,”
mission controller Terry Hart told the men.
“We sure appreciate it. I’m sure you’ll pass
our good wishes on to our young ‘uns,” said
mission specialist John Fabian.
About 30 men trekked 8 miles to the state
prison in Cranston, R.I., Sunday to show their
support for Paul W. Lataille, 52, a sixth-grade
teacher jailed S'A months ago for refusing to
pay $12,000 in alimony and legal fees to his
ex-wife.
Members of Fathers Against Discrimina
tion carried signs that said “Free Paul Lataille”
n
<
<
and “Family Court is Unfair”and"tn
a horse and buggy, symbolic of tl' ei
treatment men get in divorce settled
child custody cases, marchers said.
Lataille, the father of five adult®
has steadfastly maintained he should■*
to pay his working wife alimony
vowed to remain in jail rather than
About 150 peojile, ranging fromH
to great-grandparents, paradedthn
York’s Times Square to protest the
are treated in divorce and custody®*
In Minneapolis, John BohreroP
had what he fears might be his lastf‘
Day with his daughters, Julie, 7 mond
Amee, 2. Both girls suffer fromali'f”
and Julie is at the University of Mi#
Hospital awaiting a transplant. Dodi
Amee must have a transplant withinf
live.
“It was especially meaningfulsincfi 1
a potential that this might benn lnsm
Day,” Bohrer said.
Bohrer, assistant administrator 1
Joseph Medical Center in Wichita. Jl
wife, Cathie, have started a media® 11 *
to draw attention to Julie’s imnifdi.i> (
and the needs of other children.
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