Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 1983)
Page 2/The Battalion/Monday, September 12,1983 opinion Letters Don’t allow dumping Editor: “Fishermen Lose Fight to Discontinue Dumping;” that was the story in Thurs day’s Battalion. A U.S. District Judge in Houston decided against a law suit by commercial fishermen and the Sportman Club to stop the U.S. Corp of Engineers from dumping tons of dredge spoil being removed from the Intracoastal Water way into East Matagorda Bay. The Corps justified its actions by saying that the Waterway is becoming too silted for shipping traffic. It is also re vealed that to stop the operation would cost the federal government $20,000 a day, plus $150,000 to break the dredging contract with the unnamed company. To counter these excuses, the law suit states that the dumping is being done in a prime shrimping and sport fishing area of the bay. Valuable spots have already been lost because the waste is covering ocean floor that once supported shrimp and numerous other commercial and sport fish. The shrimpers stated that the loss of shrimp from the disputed area costs them $1,000 a day, small amount com pared to that of the government. Appa rently, the question comes down to whether we want to save the government money, or if we want to keep our en vironment from deteriorating beyond its present level ( we know which the court wants). What would have happened if the courts had decided not to stop the use of the herbicide DDT in the ’70’s? Would we still have the Bald Eagle or the Brown Pelican? Possibly not. The repercussions of losing one fishing area in the Gulf of Mexico will admittedly be much less than losing our national symbol. Probably, the only noticeable effect will be slightly higher prices at our favorite roadside seafood stands, but what will happen when the same decision allows this to go on again, and again, ... Kevin Peter ’86 Critics too serious Editor: To all those people who have been so critical of the Aggie football game last Saturday: Why is winning a game so ex traordinarily important to you? Why does losing bring out such vitriolic and hateful remarks? Personally, I like a game because I can enjoy the competition and excitement and, whether my team wins or loses, go home knowing that no impact was made on any important issue of life on this planet. It is a diversion for the fan: a way of getting oneself totally involved for a few hours in an activity that invigorates without worry of consequence. If each team plays in such a manner that challenges the other to do its’ very best and is the competition is evenly ba lanced so that there is excitement until the end, then I will enjoy the game and it will have fulfilled its reason for being. I enjoyed the game last Saturday. O.C Jenkins Flags fly message Editor: Once more the full color and electric ity of Texas Aggie football has arrived. At every game there are fifty-five flags that represent the Aggies who so valiant ly gave their lives so that we may enjoy peace. But, the message of these flags is much much more. We must not only view these flags as symbols of the f ierce loyalty of Aggies to their country, but as a mandate that each of us have as a human being, to do all that is in our power to ensure that the catas trophe of war does not claim the lives of our fellow class-mates. These flags must not be symbols for future generations to cherish the supreme sacrifice, but as re minders of the Aggies who left their loved ones and never returned to the maturing of their relationships. On Saturday, when you look up to the flags don’t look at them as glorious re minders. Rather, they should be viewed as reminders of the horrors of Belleau Wood, Chateau-Thierry, and Ypres. It is now, during peace, that we must guaran tee that no more Aggies or Americans will march off— never to return. Mark C. Johnson ’84 Why would anyone want to be president? by Maxwell Glen and Cody Shearer United Press International WASHINGTON — Presidential counselor Edwin Meese had assured White House staff members and repor ters in California that Thursday, Sept. 1 would be another uneventful day for a vacationing Ronald Reagan. Meese announced, as consolation, the special screening of an unreleased film, “The Final Option,” at 10 a.m. Thursday. “This highly-acclaimed film on the sub ject of terrorism,” Messe wrote in a memo, “is being made available to all of the traveling party and their guests with out charge.” Unfortunately, real-life terrorism spoiled the special preview. A downed Korean jumbo jet and the demand for a quick response prompted Reagan to end his summer holiday two days early. In fact, any one of several internation al incidents or developments last week, all indicative of a tenuous global stability, could have compelled Reagan’s early re turn from Rancho del Cielo. *Natives of Rochester, N.Y., and Win- son-Salem, N.C., became the first U.S. Marines to die on international peacekeeping duty in Lebanon. Their comrades, of whom 14 suffered injuries, responded with real bullets against Mos lem factions that might have been re sponsible. Now the Pentagon has posi tioned another 2,000 Marines off the coast of Beirut to “assure the safety” of those on shore. Though the U.S. has been drawn into the fratricidal conflict. Secretary of State Shultz said that the Marines’ role is unchanged. ♦Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin turned over leadership of his Herut party to Foreign Minister Yitzak Shamir, his hawkish equal, assur ing that Jewish settlements on the West Bank would continue to increase. (According to the World Zionist Organi zation, the number of West Bank Jews is expected to more than double over the next two months. ♦Benigno Aquino was finally buried. 10 days after his assassination on the tar mac at Manila International Airport. More that 1 million Filipinosjoined in the funeral procession; undoubtedly many more mourned in absentia. So far, Philip pine President Ferdinand Marcos has tried to disavow any role in the death of his chief political rival. Yet most of his country seems unconvinced. Reagan, who likes Marcos as much as the Penta gon likes its Philippine military installa tions, hasn’t changed plans to visit Manila next November. ♦Widespread and broadly-based de monstrations against Pakistan’s autocrat, Mohammed Zia ul-Haq, entered their third week. Organized by the Movement to Restore Democracy, the anti government actions have resulted in thousands of arrests and injuries. Though Zia has promised elections in 1985, his opponents have heard such promises before. Even the powerful Isla mic party, once a government supporter, has called for an earlier return to demo cracy. Zia and Marcos have at least one prospect in common: numbered days. ♦Perhaps the same could be said for Sen. Augusto Pinochet, chief of Chile’s ruling junta. Now the middle class is on his back, fed up with high prices. Mea sures to curb anti-government activities have only fanned the often violent pas sions of a country restless after 10 years of military reign. Assassination has struck both left and right, including San tiago’s regional military commander, Gen. Carol Urzua, last week. Though the opposition Democratic Alliance may yet call off mass protests scheduled for Sept. 8, national reconciliaton seems a distant dream until Pinachet goes. One could go on. South Africa, El Salvador, Chad and Peru (not to mention West Germany and Poland) were beck oning American responses last week, too, if not as dramatically as some other coun tries. So welcome back, Mr. President. With all the time bombs threatening stability around the world, one might wonder why anybody would want to be president in 1985. by Lauri Battalion B ■Assertive pec ped as being Tit but less like pnd desirable le people, a [ychologist says Dr. Jeffery M. pfessor of p: mined the imps ■male empatne Banding behavit ■ye and nonasse Bve and passive The purpost [ern said, was i lie’s reaction to :ople based on cs of the reci pes of people. After viewin ideotapes of or Is engaged in |tuadons, in wh friend made < equest of the i jets evaluated t ^personal attr The subjects larticipate bast ponses to the 1 You are what you read; magazines ‘go with the flow’ by Dick West United Press International WASHINGTON — Although I know next to nothing about the publishing business, I must say there may be a bright future for a couple of relatively obscure journals I saw advertised the other day. The trick seems to be to go with the flow. And if the flow happens to be in the direction of a divorce court, sobeit. Thus we now have, ready to take advantage of current marital trends, a new publication called “Futile: The Magazine for Adult Dating.” There are, the publisher tells us, about 200 million prospective daters in the Un ited States, many of whom are re entering the field because of marriage breakups. So the readership potential de finitely is there. “Futile” has articles and features that almost anyone who goes out in the even ing would find useful. There is, for example, a quick IQ test that answers the question: “How stupid is your date?” The current issue tells all about a new parlor game called “Monotony.” Plus there are all sorts of hints and tips, in cluding the advice that “hardly ever is a good time to play a guitar on a date.” The other magazine of which I speak is “The Journal of Irreproducible Results.” It sets forth such provocative hypotheses as: “Death is an inherited genetic trait,” “Rapid proliferation of leftovers is inhi bited when the refrigerator door is left open,” and “Copies of the National Geographic accumulating in the base ment are causing the continent to sink.” This magazine, as you can see, pro vides food for thought during those long evenings when the telephone doesn’t ring. As for books, “America’s hottest new market,” according to one publisher, is the computer field. The demand for computer hardware and software, to judge from Wall Street reports, has started to taper off. But books about computers apparently still have a rising sales chart. I just wonder how long it will be before some enterprising publisher combines two segments of the best-seller lists and brings out a computer fitness book. (Computer dating already old hat.) is, of coi by Elizabi Battalior The Texas counseling Cei lies this seme: 1’he merging of subject matterbyp lents chose a lishers is nothing new, as witness “Monday Night Football Cookbook You might think, looking over the of computer manuals already in • . A.1UUI a ajax-fv-n bookstalls, that some enterprising [ }on LewiSi sa) lisher already had tapped the compi measun fitness market. Certainly “Micros, Minis and M frames” sounds like an apt name fa women. diet and exercise plan. If I were an author, I would ml devise a computer fitness book brings tears to the eyes. I mean, what is more healthful thi good cry? William Frey, a Minnesota biocheii. ofiOstudents is quoted in TVCable Week to the efl ter scored, a irove study sk “The testing a assist studen irocessofselec tenters associ; ind dislikes an o those of su< The test c who are unsu who have al: and are choosi al job offers, 1 The test, ( Campbell test, that sobbing may eliminate toxic chet!|by als that build up in the body. However, he says his studies showll emotionally induced tears are farm therapeutic than those produced by irritation. The upshot of all of this seemsdti Don’t waste time dating anyoneonayi lie diet expenen Lewis says. by Bon Information leaks serve purposes Battal With the fighting in Americans a by Helen Thomas United Press International WASHINGTON — Backstairs at the White House: There is some irony when an ultra secret White House takes the initiative to declassify information that serves its pur pose. On the day it was revealed President Reagan had signed a memo warning all 2.6 million federal employes not to dis close any secret government informa tion, Secretary of State George Shultz, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and then Reagan himself selectively re vealed some of the data on the Soviet downing of a Korean airliner that was gathered from intelligence agencies. Since then administration officials are disclosing information wherever it helps to make a case that the Soviets knew they were shooting down an unarmed passen ger plane. “The president can declassify on his own without further steps,” said deputy press secretary Larry Speakes, adding that the decisions were made in consulta tion with Reagan’s foreign policy advisers. Nevertheless, it was understood some aides in the National Security Council were not happy with the disclosures. But there is no question that with the revelations of radio transmissions from the Soviet pilots, the United States was able to better back up its charges. acy program in the East Room, Reay wound up his remarks by saying“l now, they’ve told me I got to get bad the Oval Office.” the Middle I sul and two" sors will American re in 302 Rude Medad A President Reagan is still telling repor ters “they won’t let me answer your ques tions” during photographic sessions. And when reporters reply “you’re the president,” he just smiles. The “they” are obviously his top aides who decide when he should speak to re- pbO’her is watching. When he launched the new adult liter- Deputy press secretary Larry Speali who once worked for the Nixon ” House, made an understandable slip the tongue during one of his briefings the plane. He reported Reagan hadpls ed “18 minutes” of tape conversatii from the Soviet pilots for congressioi leaders. He quickly corrected himself say “eight minutes.” The spokesman apparently was thi® ing back to the Watergate scandal when was revealed someone had erased' minutes of a crucial taped conversatt in the Oval Office. Slouch by Jim Earle “I’ve got this buddy who parked his car out there a week ago. He hasn ’t found it, yet, but he’s still looking. ” The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member ot Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Hope E. Paasch Managing Editor Elaine Engstrom City Editor Beverly Hamilton Assistant City Editor Kelley Smith Sports Editor John Lopez Assistant Sports Editor JoeTindel Entertainment Editor .... Rebeca Zimmermann Assistant Entertainment Editor Shelley Hoekstra News Editors Brian Boyer, Kathy Breard, Tracey Taylor, Kelly Miller Photo Editor Eric Evan Lee Staff Writers Brigid Brockman, Ronnie Crocker, Scott Griffin, Christine Mallon, Michelle Powe, Ann Ramsbottom, Stephanie Ross, Karen Schrimsher, Carol Smith, Angel Stokes, John Wagner, Kathy Wiesepape, Wanda Winkler Cartoonist Paul Dirmeyer, Scott McCullar Photographers Brenda Davidson, Michael Davis, Guy Hood, John Makely, Dean Saito The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspi for students in reporting, editing and photograph)'^ ses within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any cdili** matter should be directed to the editor. Letters Policy Letters to the Editor should not exceed SOOworM length, and are subject to being cut if they arek The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters® style and length, but will make every effort to maint® the author’s intent. Each letter must also be signeda® show the address and telephone number of the Columns and guest editorials also are welcome,. 13 are not subject to the same length constraints as let^ Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Edii t: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas AMU® versity. College Station, TX 77843, or phone (409)^ 2611. It >ept The Battalion is published Monday through Ft® during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for day and examination periods. Mail subscriptions 11 ! $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school year and ISbP* 8'-( Editorial Policy full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDon 1 ; Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, 1 77843. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-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. United Press International is entitled exclusive!) 1 the use for reproduction of all news dispatches credit" to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter held reserved. Second class postage paid at College Station, 77843.