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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 29, 1984)
Opinion No excuse for risks like falling metal Texas A&M students assume they can walk across campus during the day and feel reasonably safe doing so. Most of the time it’s a valid assumption. Oh, sure, pedestrians have to keep an eye out for cars when they cross the streets, and every once in a while they have to jump out of the way of a mad cyclist. By and large, students can expect to make it to class without serious injury — and certainly without being hit by falling pieces of metal. But that’s exactly what happened Monday to Roger R. Gekiere. The freshman general studies major was walking from his class in the Blocker Building when a 15 pound, 3 feet by 31/2 feet piece of sheet metal hit him on the head. Gekiere spent the night at St. Joseph Hospital. There’s no excuse for an accident like this. Sure, Monday was an exceptionally windy day. Winds of 30 to 40 mph caused power outages and property damage across town. The piece of metal that struck Ge kiere was covering the top of an ex haust fan at the corner of the Blocker Building. The heavy winds blew it off the corner of the building —but that’s still no excuse. Gonstruction is going on at several places on campus. Students and faculty are inconvenienced by roped-off areas and noisy equipment, but most of them realize the work is necessary and are willing to put up with minor inconve niences. For their part, the construction workers are expected to take precau tions to keep the pedestrian traffic- areas on campus safe. A minor consid eration would be keeping equipment on top of buildings tied down in case of high winds. If Gekiere had cut through a roped- off area, he would have at least known he was risking injury. But no warning signs are posted by the Blocker Build ing, and students aren’t usually on the alert for falling metal sheets. And there’s no reason they should have to be. — The Battalion Editorial Board Negotiator for U.S. distrustful of Soviets By JIM ANDERSON Columnist for United Press International Since the Soviets walked out of the medium-range missile talks in Geneva, Paul Nitze, the U.S. negotiator, is a man without an occupation. The Soviets stalked out when the United States began deploying its me dium-range missiles on schedule in De cember. With nobody to talk to in Ge neva, Nitze has returned to the United States. He was the principal speaker at anni versary ceremonies this week in cele bration of the 108th anniversary of the founding of Johns Hopkins University^ and he chose as his subject “Goncepts of Peace.” He is a veteran of negotiations with the Soviets. He was part of the SALT 1 team (but quit in dissatisfaction over U.S. methods) and was a tireless and ar ticulate critic of some of the terms nego tiated in the SALT 2 treaty, which has never been ratified. In 1979 congressional hearings, Nitze summed up his view of the Soviets when he said of the Soviet SALT negotiators, “They negotiate like shysters.” Nevertheless, or perhaps because of these attitudes toward the Soviets, Nitze was tapped by the Reagan administra tion in 1981 to handle the medium- range missile talks in Geneva. Nitze ac cepted and, from accounts by State De-_ partment and Western European offi cials, has done a serious, workmanlike job. In his Johns Hopkins soeech, he de parted from the field of arms control into the more complex and treacherous field of language. Nitze, who does not speak Russian, points out that the Russian word “mir” has several meanings. The primary meaning is “the world” or “the environ ment” and in post-Lenin Soviet-style Russian it has the more specific mean ing of a world that has reached the first stage of communism, which is socialism. The secondary meaning of the Rus sian word “mir” is “peace” or, more pre cisely, “the absence of conflict.” Nitze says in the Johns Hopkins speech that the two meanings of the Russian word can be directly contradic tory — the first stage of communism is achieved by struggle, not by “peace.” Nitze’s suggestion is that Americans such as Richard Nixon, who toured Rus sia in 1959 shouting “Mir y Druzhba,” may have thought they were wishing ev erybody “peace and friendship” but Russians who were responding so en thusiastically understood the phrase to mean an American endorsement of the first stage of communism, or socialism. It is an interesting theory, which fits with Nitze’s well-publicized views about the sly Soviet character and the will ingness of bright-eyed Americans to be duped. Unfortunately for the Nitze theory, Russian language experts at the State Department and the Voice of America say that it is total nonsense. They say that “mir” clearly means “peace” to any Russian speaker when used the way Nitze suggests, such as in conjunction with the 1955 “Spirit of Ge neva” or with the word “Druzhba” or “f- riendship.” One Russian expert said there may be confusion in the mind of Mr. Nitze, “but that the two meanings of the word in Russian are always made crystal clear in the context of a sentence.” Another Russian speaker says that Nitze’s theory says more about Nitze than it does about the Russian language. It also says something about the Rea gan administration’s view of the Soviets, since Nitze’s openly expressed views of the Soviets were well known to all — in cluding the Soviets — when Nitze was chosen for the key job of trying to nego- tiatate an important agreement with the Soviet government. The Battaiiort USPS 045 360 1 < Member of Texas Press Association X u Southwest Journalism Conference, Editor Rebeca Zimmermann Managing Editor John Wagner City Editor Patrice Koranek Assistant City Editor Kathleen Hart, Stephanie Ross News Editor Tracey Taylor Assistant News Editors Susan Talbot, Brigid Brockman, Kelley Smith Editorial Page Editor Kathy Wiesepape Sports Editor Donn Friedman Assistant Sports Editor Bill Robinson Entertainment Editor Shelley Hoekstra Assistant Entertainment Editor Angel Stokes Photo Editor John Makely Staff writers Ed Alanis, Robin Black, Bob Caster, Bonnie Langford, Sarah Oates, Michelle Powe, Lauri Reese, Dave Scott, Karen Wallace Photographers Mike Davis, Bill Hughes, Katherine Hurt, John Ryan, Dean Saito The Battalion also serves as a laboratory news paper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department of Communications. Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station. Opin ions expressed in The Battalion are those of the Editorial Board or the author, and do not nec essarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faculty or the Board of Regents. Letters Policy Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length but will make every effort to maintain the author’s in tent. Each letter must be signed and must in clude the address and telephone number of the writer. Reader’s Forum columns and guest editorials also are welcome. Address all inquiries to the ed itorial page editor. The Battalion is published Monday through Fri day during Texas A&M regular semesters, ex cept for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Advertis ing rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed Mc Donald Building, Texas A&M University, Col lege Station, TX 77843. United Press International is entitled exclu sively to the use for reproduction of all news dis patches credited to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. Nobody has to watch Gonvicted murderer James David Autry wants his execution to be televised. I’m in favor of the death penalty so I’m not mad about his punishment. I’m mad because he wants the rest of us to go through it with him. But even if nobody watches, think about the sensationalism the ordeal will create. Will GBS, NBG and ABG bid for the broadcast? so people will see how awfulcapiii ishment is. thinking, as long You as you I know what you’re don’t mind him dying aren’t involved.” Why should I go through it with him? I’m not the one who shot the conve nience store clerk for a six pack of beer. Will Snickers become the official candy bar of the 1984 Autry execution? Will they preempt Dynasty? Inter rupt for a special news report? Of course it’s awful. Deathlw b s but he should have thought alt : before he pulled the trigger. ® The sensationalism alone will attract an audience. And I’m not going to go through it with him. If Autry’s death is televised, I’m not going to watch. Nobody has to watch if they don’t want to. Perhaps he’s trying for i of execution. On Oct. 5, was strapped to a gurney fornwtfj an hour as harmless solution 1 jected into his veins. Within30® of his scheduled execution, Sal preme Court Justice Byroi granted his request for a stay. But who will watch, and why? karen Wallace Adults can make a conscious decision whether to watch, but what about the children who start watching without knowing what’s really happening, or whose parents have no control over what they watch? I don’t doubt there will be a large au dience for Autry’s execution. After all, we are curious creatures. Most people have never seen a real, live execution before. I don’t agree with the people who say Autry’s death is private, because the de cision to make it public was his. But pub licity and political statements are two different things. I realize that this is Autry’ssoij ‘last wish,” but this is one wish 11 they don’t grant. Public excculioij out in 1923 when a manwasl from the gallows in Waco.Dowj 0 *! cr U' want to take a step backwards? jr^dk r count ri Ijjifjp' Jp' Autry's execution is scheduifjy’,^ h March 14. The Texas Boardot lions will decide March 12 whcfc try will die on television. If the TDC grants Autry's' 1 * * * next decision is ours. He wants to die as a martyr, to fur ther the fight against capital punish ment. He wants the execution televised Karen Wallace is a sophomoref major and staff writer for The Bald Letters ion for its oil fii jhf ti able to' of time feet. T\ shortfal m a Wacke, tarv of near Et affairs. *- “But they in All Aggies needed for Big Event Editor: It’s almost here! On March 31, the sec ond annual Big Event will sweep across the twin cities. What is the Big Event? It is several thousand Aggies and sponsors volun teering themselvs to “overhaul” our area. The old cliche, “People helping peo ple,” sums up the Big Event quite accu rately. People in our area can use a little help, and what better people are there to give it than the Aggies? Do not hesitate to get involved in the Big Event. Bryan/Gollege Station needs each one of you more than you know. Remember, March 31. Joe Nussbaum Big Event Chairman cuted and in hundreds of cases put to death, clearly demonstrates that the Ba ha’i teachings are completely unrelated to communism. To set the record straight, the Baha’i Faith is a religion, is non-political and is supported by donations which come only from Baha’is. Baha’is are striving to bring about a peaceful world through the elimination of racial, religious and nationalistic prej udices, the establishment of universal and hoi tain it. education and a common auxite’B-sdor guage, by promoting equalityof'«‘ e ctiv( and men, and by encouraging ir 'f p| S i ; als to investigate the truth for 1 selves. ference Everyone, including prankstei* :rude c promote perversion, is welcome' ponson friendly and informal meeting time and place of which are I The Battalion’s “What’s Up’c ft ased Ei “It is °se th< Secretary, TAMU Bali : Equality cornerstone of Baha'i teachings Editor: Last week, the Texas A&M Baha’i Club posted flyers in approved areas inviting Aggies to a meeting introducing the Ba ha’i teachings. Another group of indi viduals subsequently removed these posters and distributed a modified ver sion, bearing the Baha’i Club’s name, which used obscenities, communist sym bols and an obviously racist statement — “Find out how to ruin your race!” While we, the members of the Baha’i Club, are somewhat flattered that some body deems us worthy of attacking, we nevertheless feel obligated to inform the Texas A&M student body that the above-mentioned posters are not ours, and are apparently the work of a group that opposes the equality of races and nationalities. The equality of the races and nationalities happens to be the cor nerstone principle of the Baha’i teach ings. The fact that the United States Con gress and President Reagan himself have made appeals on behalf of Baha’is in Iran, who are being actively perse- Slouch byJimEa “Does my right to privacy permit me to exclude the registm from getting my grade in your course?”