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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 1983)
ige ] Ui 'JEV s set tirie dr i a ] irs h O’l dme O’l (30(3 fee Page 2/The Battalion/Tuesday, November 15,1983 opinion S ) 30(91 Mar I NO' OTH Dl ie pi NOT OTH NOT Letters: Jeans-clad gays, straights at odds Editor: This letter is written in rebuttal to the annual “Blue Jeans Day” sponsored by Alternative (the organization of the Bra zos Valley’s Gay Community), Gay Stu dent Services and the Metropolitan Com munity Church of the Brazos Valley. On this day they are requesting that homosexuals, their parents, friends, sup porters and spouses dress in blue jeans to symbolize their support for homosexual rights. Their purpose is to show that the community supports homosexual rights, and that this support warrants the end of “discrimination” against them. In view of the fact that the majority of the residents wear blue jeans, this is a ludicrous attempt to propagate support for homosexuality by using common, ev eryday apparel. This can result in an ob vious misrepresentation of the truth. Another point of mispresentation is homosexuals terming their opponents “homophobiacs.” Fear and irrationality is not the motive, but knowledge that the -act of homosexuality is wrong. People are not meant to be in bondage to such defile ment. The homosexuals’ goal is to include sexual orientation with race, color, creed, sex, and national origin, among the ex isting protected rights. To amend this undermines the basic family unit and bib lical principles, on which America was founded. The destruction of our founda tion can only lead, and in fact is leading, to the ruin of America. Secondly, people are not born homosexuals. The Bible states: “Therefore God game them over in the lists of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. For this reason God game them over to degrading passions; for their women ex changed the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire towards one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error (AIDS).” Romans 1:24-27. “Blue Jeans Day” is only a sad attempt to justify a lifestyle that is unacceptable to the majority of the public here at Texas A&M. Using our basic clothing — blue jeans — shows just how desperate they are for approval. Mark D. Chambers (Editor's note: This letter was accompa nied by three signatures.) Jeans show sup port Recent polls indicate that non-gay peo ple who personally know gay people are far more likely to support gay rights than those who do not realize there are gay people they care about in their lives. “Coming out” is undoubtedly the most effective educational tool available to gay people as we try to change people’s atti tudes about homosexuality and lesbian ism. It is certainly true that there is a wider acceptance of gay people in Amer ican society than there was twenty years ago. Self-acknowledged lesbians and gay men constitute a very substantial segment of American society. According to the au thoritative Kinsey study, 10 percent of the total populace is predominately gay. This means that at least 20 million Amer icans (or, one child in every five Amer ican families) are gay. This same likeli hood would be true for any ten men or women we customarily deal with in our daily lives (one of those ten is gay). To put this in perspective, we can easily see that at Texas A&M University, with a student enrollment of 35,000, this would trans late into 3,500 gays on campus. This easi ly and without question constitutes the single largest group of minority students on campus without a university- recognized organization to represent it. (In fact, it represents a larger body of people than the Corps of Cadets). Vir tually everyone in America knows some one who is gay, even though most of them are unaware of the gays around them. The gay movement is demanding an end to all forms of private and public discrimination, and is working to amend all local, state, and federal civil rights legislation to include sexual orientation along with race, color, creed, sex, and national origin as an illegal basis for dis crimination. We are not asking for some thing special; we are demanding our right to be on a par with all other citizens, to be considered on our individual merits. In an effort to combat homophobia and discrimination, Alternative (the organization of the Brazos Valley’s Gay Community), Gay Student Services, and the Metropolitian Community Church of the Brazos Valley have designated Wednesday, November 16 as “Blue Jeans Day” in the Brazos Valley. On this day we are asking gays, their parents, friends, supporters, and spouses to wear blue jeans as a sign of support for gay rights. It is hoped that this “coming out” and show of support will serve to emphasize that in fact, gays and our allies are everywhere and that discrimination against us should cease. We are well aware that this action by the gay community is likely to elicit howls of righteous indignation from the self- appointed defenders of the public mor als, and we will not be surprised if some people spend a great deal of time looking for something besides blue-jeans to wear on November 16th. We believe this kind of behaviour speaks for itself. Though a certain few people may go jean-less, it is our hope that blue jeans day will be the beginning of an education and growth process which will benefit us all. It is our belief that such a process can lead to a very real understanding of the prob lems faced by gays and will foster the type of communication necessary to correct the problems which currently separate us: one branch of humanity from the other. Lenny Depalma The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Hope E. Paasch Managing Editor Beverly Hamilton City Editor Kelley Smith Assistant City Editor Karen Schrimsher Sports Editor Melissa Adair Entertainment Editor .... Rebeca Zimmermann Assistant Entertainment Editor Shelley Hoekstra News Editors Brian Boyer, Kathy Breard, Kevin Inda, Tracey Taylor, Chris Thayer, Kathy Wiesepape Photo Editor Eric Evan Lee Staff Writers Robin Black, Brigid Brockman, Bob Caster, Ronnie Crocker, Elaine Engstrom, Kari Fluegel, Tracie Holub, Bonnie Langford, John Lopez, Kay Denise Mallett, Christine Mallon, Michelle Powe, Stephanie Ross, Angel Stokes, Steve Thomas, John Wagner, Karen Wallace,; Wanda Winkler Copy Editors Kathleen Hart,: Susan Talbot Cartoonists Paul Dirmeyer, Scott McCullar. Photographers Michael Davis,, John Makely, Dave Scott,' Dean Saito, Cindi Tackitt The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news- pap>er 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. 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 telephone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials also are 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 (409) 845- 2611. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holi day 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. Editor’s note: The Battalion will run letters pertaining to the rights of at Texas A&M and “Blue run letters on those subjects. This ac tion is necessary to maintain a flow of ideas and discussion of current topics in letters to the editor. P lii Aggies and equality Editor: “Equalitriarism: A belief in human equality especially with respect to social, political and economic rights and pri vileges.” This concept is the cornerstone of the “American Dream”, it’s a battered and abused idea, but nevertheless it is the foundation of our system. Aggies, as the . leaders of tomorrow’s America, we need to learn a few important things. It seems as though we are sadly lacking in under standing of what it means to be an Amer ican. Without the “Freedom of Choice” promised by our Democratic system, there would be no “C.T’s”, no “Non- Reg’s” , there would be no rowdy Greeks, no vocal Gays, — and there would also be no Ags, good or bad. Alot of good men, (and women) have fought and died to rotect YOUR right to choose your own ifestyle, they didn’t make that sacrifice so each of us could try to make others live according to our personal beliefs, they did it to establish and protect our indi vidual freedoms, — who are we to judge or deny that freedom to others? William Macevevic III Cigarettes nauseating Editor: A fitting celebration for the “Smoke- out” in November would be for the Uni versity to prohibit smoking in all build ings, take cigarette machines off of the campus, and place signs over the campus ordering inconsiderate smokers to not throw their butts on the grounds. While smoking is a well-established health hazard for both the smoker and the in voluntary smoker, nothing is more nauseating than eating in one of the cam pus cafeterias which is full of ambient smoke or being trapped in a professor’s —Dr employee’s office in smoke. Allowing smoking indoors is uncon scionable disregard for the health and comfort of the majority of the Aggies and employees who do not smoke. If the air outdoors was as polluted and irritating as that in the MSC cafeteria or a professor’s office everyone would demand action to dense it, so why must the non-smoker be forced to breath such irritating! doors? James Y. Carrao Let Nixon speak Editor: Though I am completely ignorai the operations of the Endowed! Series Gommittee of the Memoriall dent Center, I must disagree Heye’s point (Reader’s Forum Oct,|J that inviting Richard Nixon to spealtj arms control would be synonymous/ officially forgiving and forgettinjjl connections with the Watergate castf years ago. Who proposed forgiveness? It i fortunate that the relevence ofthest) situations must even be argued. 1 all seen the hate and judgements | Unless forgiveness is formally grae ^ the committee would simply be inn the man to speak on an importantsu!) Ik in which he happens to havesomeum ■ experience. Certainly, Mr. Nixon'sq 9 tation has been widely, popularlyi !L perhaps deservedly defiled. Isthissi | cient reason to potentially deepenuBI ignorance? I hope such decisions nff | by the committee are made freeofsai blinding and crippling hatred. Asfoi honor and reputation of the Univa — what’s honorable and reputableal inviting only adequately pureandunt * troversial persons to say pleasanti soothing things? Scott Co^t Ohio voters realize that tax cuts are not always good by Arnold Sawislak United Press International WASHINGTON — The most in teresting and potentially most significant result from the elections a week ago was the vote in Ohio rejecting a repeal of a huge increase in the state income tax. It always is dangerous to compare similar cases in dissimilar environments, but it is tempting to believe that the Ohio referendum signalled the end of the tax cutting mania that appeared to be posses sing American voters ever since Califor nia approved its Proposition 13 in 1978. No one can sensibly defend high taxes for their own sake, but there is an argu ment to be made for the proposition that Americans generally don’t realize what a bargain they are getting for their taxes. It won’t be made here, but it needs to be noted that not everyone believes the well being of the country improves in direct proportion to the reduction of taxes. In any case, the tax-cutting fever that swept eastward from California after Proposition 13 did seem to thrive on the premise that all taxes were bad and all measures to cut or eliminate taxes were good. The correlative was that cutting taxes would force government to be more efficient. Those are attractive but irresponsible and erroneous ideas. We have seen on a national level that deep tax cuts do not force equally deep spending cuts. In stead, they have propelled the country into an area of deficit financing that would have been regarded only a few years ago as madness. As George McGovern said recently, “If I had suggested we might have a $200 billion deficit when I was running for president, I wouldn’t even have carried Massachusetts.” How the world has changed since 1972. The United States already has had one deficit in the $200 billion range and no one in authority disputes that more and bigger red ink years are ahead. Everyone publicly deplores the deficit situation, but there is no indication at this time that anyone in Washington has the faintest notion how to break the impasse that has developed around it. The president blames Congress for re fusing to cut federal spending more; Congress blames the president for refus ing to even consider tax increases. Prop osals to do both — dividing the pain, so to speak — have been made but neither side seems willing to compromise. In truth, the president and Congress seem to be engaged in a game of “chick en,” each counting on the other to change course before disaster occurs. So it appears the country will have to discover the consequences of mega-deficits by liv ing through them. Neither the people of Ohio nor the United States can reasonably be expected to do something that takes money oJ their own pockets without good rea? From everything that came out of (M appears the tax repeal was killed I the state’s leaders, in and out of go«j ment, made a case against it. There does not seem to be that! leadership in Washington to dealwitlf deficit problem. Slouch by Jim Ear “I wonder if you might overlooked the problem grading those papers when made those assignments?”