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Opinion
Page 2/The Battalion/Friday, January 26, 1984
Date of election
unfair to Aggies
Disenfranchise Aggie voters?
Those Texas A&M students who
have taken the time to register to vote in
Brazos County — their homes for over
nine months per year — will have a
choice during Spring Break. Either
they can stay in College Station and
vote, go through the tangle of absentee
voting or just not vote at all.
The last alternative seems to be what
Gov. Mark White has in mind. The spe
cial election to fill the position vacated
by state representative Bill Presnal has
been scheduled March 10, Aggies, dur
ing your spring break.
Texas Republican Chairman George
Strake thinks that White set the election
date during the spring break in order to
combat the conservative voting block of
the Texas A&M campus. And he thinks
White did it maliciously.
Strake has strongly protested the
governor’s action.
“Mark White, probably in consulta
tion with the Democratic candidate in
Brazos County, undoubtedly looked at
the high Republican vote totals in Texas
A&M precints and decided to give an
edge to his candidate over Republican
Richard Smith, a former Bryan mayor,”
he said.
Strake also said that White’s action
was a continuation of the Democratic
Party’s attack on Texas A&M.
Remember last week’s attack by the
Texas Democratic party on the Texas
A&M economics department, or no,
wasn’t it the agricultural economics de
partment? Most people outside the
Texas A&M University System don’t
realize the distinction. The Harte
Hanks news bureau out of Austin
didn’t. They reported that the attack
was against the Economics Department
and had to retract their story the next
day.
The Texas A&M Economics Depart
ment. The department that bred
Democrat, turned Republican, U.S.
Rep. Phil Gramm.
There are murmurs around campus
that the first attack was actually meant
for Gramm.
But the scheduling of the election
dates is an attack on Texas A&M stu
dents, staff and faculty members.
And all voters deserve a fair and
equitable chance to reach the ballot box.
— The Battalion Editorial Board
Corps policy is
logical thinking
Congratulations to Col. Burton and
the Corps of Cadets on their clear
thinking. The Corps has finally come to
the realization that not all traditions are
good. If you’re looking for a touch of
sarcasm in that statement, there isn’t
one. We’re serious.
The practice of wearing combat
boots complete with metal taps on the
toes for outfit runs was obviously
archaic. So what if that’s the way “they”
always did it? The mythical group
“they” probably didn’t have x-rays that
could diagnose shin splints. Who could
possibly defend a practice that’s hazar
dous to feet and legs when running in
tennis shoes is infinitely more comfort
able?
And “fish bites” — those tiny mouth
fuls that freshmen were required to
take while the upperclassmen tor
mented them with questions — have
probably resulted in plenty of emaci
ated cadets who are never given a
chance to really eat.
As for quadding, it always seemed to
be a rather barbaric practice. Kirk
Joseph, public relations officer for the
Corps, mentioned the bad publicity the
Corps received due to parents and visi
tors noticing these naked, screaming
male students having trashcans full of
cold water being poured on their bodies
from second- and third-story windows.
Definitely bad publicity. To say no
thing of physical pain.
Corps Commandant Col. Donald L.
Burton has outlawed quadding of up
perclassmen by lowerclassmen. He’s
hoping the “hands off’ policy will in
crease the respect of the subordinates
for their superiors.
The corps is on the right track. To
paraphrase Corps Commander Preston
Abbot, if a tradition isn’t worthwhile or
productive, why bother?
— The Battalion Editorial Board
Decision only fair
As expected, the Student Senate passed
a resolution Wednesday recommend
ing that the funds from student service
fees budgeted for the International
Student Services be cut in half.
The fees have been supporting
administrative costs of the organization
as well as the costs of maintaining re
cords on international students for the
immigration office. Membership dues
for foreign students’ organizations
nationwide were also being paid from
the fees.
Those fees are paid by all Texas
A&M students. You’ve been subsidizing
the ISS and you probably didn’t even
realize it. The Student Government has
been asking whether it’s fair for the ma
jority of students to fund services which
benefit only a small minority.
The chief irony of the situation is
that if Texas A&M pays for only the
organization’s administrative costs, the
state of Texas will pay for the other
services. Everyone is willing to shell out
for the international students. So what’s
the big deal? They won’t be losing any
money because of the recent decision,
and Texas A&M students will no longer
be paying for a service that they never
receive.
The Student Government came to a
logical, and obvious, conclusion. A ser
vice which does not benefit all students
should not be funded by all students.
— The Battalion Editorial Board
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Rebeca Zimmermann The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper
Managing Editor John Wagner for students in reporting, editing and photography clas-
City Editor Patrice Koranek S es within the Department of Communications.
Assistant City Editors Kathleen Hart, Questions or comments concerning any editorial mat-
Stephanie Ross ter should be directed to the editor.
News Editor. Tracey Taylor
Assistant News Editors Susan Talbot,
Wanda Winkler
Editorial Page Editor Kathy » «
Wiesepape Letters Policy
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Langford, Christine Mallon, The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Uni-
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Ders, or of the Board of Regents. 77843 r © r ©
Jackson: a legacy of jive
Michael Jackson is right when he says
that he is not like other guys, acting more
like a bad penny: you just can’t get rid of
him.
In a land where Trans Ams and Cab
bage Patch Dolls are the stuff of dreams,
Michael Jackson makes them all look
woefully inadequate by comparison. Any
person who will, no doubt, be the decid
ing factor in the naming of countless fu
ture children has my vote to be included
in The 100 Most Influential People of the
Last 200 Years. Freud hasn’t got a prayer.
shoves and elbows battling for supremacy
in the funk/pop record aisle.
Jackson, described as “the whirling
dervish of the 80’s” by sensitive Music
Television video jockey JJ Jackson, has
even ventured successfully into the world
gf videos. Who could fail to be moved by
has such a high-pitched voice
wanted originally to film onlocaii
Mt. Vesuvius but settled forSni
ro win
College
iccessar
ic adde
hem.
Days
have mi
ed
cassavoy
I have to give credit to Michael
son for showing another facet
prism-like psyche: fashion desiBand reti
Who else forgets to wear oneofhisj day
when receiving a recent music
and starts a new fashion trend?Net
to say, glove manufacturers arew
about the turn of events.
So what if Abe supposedly scratched
arithmetic problems on the back of a
shovel? Michael gave the world the Moon
Walk. Darwin, who is having a tough
enough time with the Moral Majority,
never even mentioned music in his quaint
world of evolution.
the bittersweet statement on society ex
pressed in “Billie Jean“? And as for the
epic $1.2 million “Thriller,” some music
industry insiders are hailing it as a mod
ern day “Birth of A Nation.”
The Russians, fearing anotlw
dow of vulnerabiity, are said lobe
ing their own batch of future
artists. Yuri is watching the wholep whofcT
very closely, even suggestinghisp
favorites.
But this is not mere wistf ul specufation
on my part. Look at the facts. This man is
packing people back into the music
stores. Primal man at his very worst.
Some lucky souls were probably for
tunate enough to catch a behind the
scenes look at the video process in “The
Making of Thriller.” It is rumored that
PBS probably will produce a Cosmos seg
ment with Carl Sagan, no video slouch
himself, trying to explain why Michael
The Reagan Administrationb
uncharacteristically mumontheser
developments. It seems Rom
briefed on the video war, anda[
whatever everyone recommended
ny. President Reagan hadn't even
ized that Jesse Jackson could
Letters:
Meese defended
Editor:
I was very disappointed with the stand
taken by The Battalion’s Editorial Board
on Edwin Meese’s nomination for U. S.
Attorney General (“Meese is not fit for
Cabinet slot,” Tuesday, January 24).
I’ve always thought that nominees for
Attorney General were judged on their
legal competency, on their knowledge
and experience with the judicial system.
It only makes sense that our President
would nominate someone for the posi
tion only after carefully evaluating his/
her experience and ability. You can see
then why I was so surprised to read the
article in The Battalion without finding a
single argument about Meese’s ability to
do a good job as our Attorney General.
After all, isn’t that the final question we
ask before appointing someone to the
position?
What disturbed me most was the fact
that The Battalion didn’t address the
issue of poverty in America realistically,
looking at both ides objectively. It seems
to me Meese makes sense when he says
that we live in a country in which we can
pick ourselves up and stand accountable
for ourselves. I find it hard to believe that
all of the poor in this country have abso
lutely nowhere to turn and can do no
thing at all about their situation in life.
How many of them are highly-
motivated go-getters that have given it
their best shot and come up empty-
handed? How many of them frequent
libraries to better their minds?
one, and that to say a man is not compas
sionate because he questions America’s
“poverty stricken” is not fair. I think
there is merit to Meese’s views, and their
ramifications deserves closer attention
than the Editorial Board of The Battalion
has given.
Peter Wingate
Class of ’86
Murder for murder
conservative Republicans. Thesan*
pie who keep voting for more
defense spending and nuclearwei;
How can a group of people proi
movement with the title “righi
and at the same time promote an
ment that cduld be titled “thebegi:
of the end?” 1 think that they shot!
title their movements “our right it
trol your life” and “our right KM
when the end will be for you.”
Stephen
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als and
Just exactly who makes up the “home
less in the street”? How many are young
run-aways who would be there regardless
of the economic condition of the nation?
What portion of the poor are unfortun
ate souls who never got a chance to make
something of themselves?
Editor:
Let’s play a quick game of “what if.”
Imagine that someone in your family
has been a victim of a homocide. Assume
that the person responsible for this act is
caught and tried. Guilt is proven beyond
doubt.
There are several things that may hap
pen to this person:
1) The convicted person may be re
turned directly to society. This is un
acceptable.
2) The person may be sent to an insti
tution for the purpose of rehabilitaton. I
have doubts a killer could be rehabili
tated. This, too, is unacceptable.
3) This person may be sentenced to life
inprisonment. This is almost tolerable,
but I refuse to support someone who has
killed someone dear to me. Mark this un
acceptable, too.
4) This person may receive the death
sentance. This seems cruel, but I have a
hard time being nice to a murderer. This
is unacceptable to some, for a variety of
reasons.
I have two questions:
1) Is murder an acceptable crime?
2) What is the proper punishment for a
convicted killer?
I hope that the first answer is obvious.
As for the second, I fear that I am too
emotional to give this fair thought.
Does anyone have a magic answer?
John Bruce
Class of ’86
Symbol of death
Editor:
After reading the Kelley Smithsa
I was convinced that she spent*
time at the protest. She stated/
rally should have “focused more#
alternatives to abortion.” Howeve
very questions she asked in hen
were covered by a spokeswoman
The Answer.
The casket at the rally
death, and it was indeed usedasa j
draw attention to the fact that bate
dying. I am saddened when I pom
thought of people being sickenedll
of a mere casket, as opposed tok»|
pie react to an actual abortion,
seen two actual abortions on f
am convinced that abortion is i
Jim(
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Whose right to life?
What about all the high school drop
outs who chose to get drunk and stoned
instead of getting an education? Now that
many of them are older, without an edu
cation or skill, and in many cases lacking a
good attitude toward work, would you
give them jobs?
This is in no way a generalization of
poor people as a whole. Nor is it my intent
to condemn them. Indeed, there are
many people who are elderly, handicap
ped, sick, ect., who need help. My point is
that the issue of poverty is a very complex
Editor:
While walking past Rudder Tower yes
terday I could not help noticing the
“right to life” demonstration taking
place. Stopping to listen for a few mi
nutes I began to think about what was
wrong with what was being said. Actually
there was nothing wrong with what was
said, but there was, and is, something
wrong with who was saying it.
It struck me funny, as it does now, that
the “right to life” movement is headed by
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