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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 4, 1984)
Opinion Candidates or clones? A battle between liberals and conser vatives looms in November no matter what happens in the Texas Democratic caucuses Saturday. All three Democratic candidates have chosen to take a left-of-center approach and have eliminated any substantive dif ferences between themselves. It has been a contest with each candidate trying to prove himself as the one true liberal in the race. But the Democratic candidates have one difference between them. They have embarked on a dangerous course in their statements on the Middle East, a course that could divide the American people. In an effort to win the Jewish vote. Mondale and Hart have promised to move the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jeuesalem — a move that the Arab world has said it will not stand for. On the other extreme, Jesse Jackson has chosen to embrace Palestine Liber ation Organization leader Yasser Arafat, using the term “hymies” to refer to Jews. Saturday, Texas Democrats will have the opportunity to choose. While some may feel the choices are drastically lim ited, staying away from the polls is not the answer. — The Battalion Editorial Board Realignment crystallizing A statewide poll released earlier this week predicted 33 percent of the vote in Saturday’s primary elections will be in the Republican primary. This figure represents a huge increase in Republican Party primary votes and could mark the beginning of a major party realignment along liberal-conser vative lines. If that happens, it can be attributed al most entirely to Cong. Phil Gramm, a former Democrat who crossed the party lines and regained his seat as a Republi can in a 1983 special election. Gramm is seeking the United States Senate seat being vacated by John Tower. In 1961 Tower became the first Republican elected to statewide office in Texas this century when he won the seat in a special election. In a state where a majority of voters call themselves Democrats, it is imper ative a Republican gather support from Democrats to be elected. But that could be changing. When you look beyond party labels, most Texans identify themselves as con servatives. Texans supported Ronald Reagan for president in 1980, and the 6th Congressional District supported Gramm in last year’s special election. And who better to lead a realignment than a conservative Democrat turned Re publican? If Gramm wins the Senate seat it could prove to be the catalyst in a long overdue examination of political beliefs by Demo crats and Republicans alike. — The Battalion Editorial Board The Battalion (ISPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Bill Robinson, editor Stephanie Ross, managing editor Kathy Wiesepape, editorial page editor Shelley Hoekstra, city editor Brigid Brockman, news editor Kelley Smith, news editor Ed Cassavoy, sports editor Battalion Staff Assistant City Editors Melissa Adair, Suzy Fisk, Patti Flint, Michelle Powe Kari Fluegel, Donn Friedman, Assistant News Editors Bonnie Langford, Louis Hilgariner, Scott Long. Trade Lynn Holub, Kellie Dworaczyk Karla Martin, Rimberlee D. Norris Assistant Sports Editor Travis Tingle Sarah Oates, Jan Perry, At Ease Editor Bill Hughes Lynn Rae Povec, James R. Walker Assistant At Ease Editor Angel Stokes Copy Editors Kathy Breard, Senior Reporters Patrice Koranek, Kaye Pahmeier Robin Black. Bob Caster, Dave Scott Photographers Dean Saito Staff Writers Ed Alanis, Shawn Behlen, John Makely, Peter Rocha, Dena Brown, Dainah Bullard, Mike Davis, John Ryan Leigh-EUen Clark, Tony Cornett, Cartoonist Scott McCullar Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper oper ated as a community service to Texas ;\&\f and Bryan-College Sta tion. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas ASdit administrators, fac ulty or the Board of Regents. The Battalion also ser\es as a lab oratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography- classes within the Department of Communications. 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 intent. Each letter must be signed and must include the ad dress and telephone number of the writer. Reader's Forum columns and guest editorials also are welcome. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during Texas AScAt regular semesters, ex cept for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are Si6.75 per semester. $33.25 pier school year and S35 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on re quest. Our address: The Battalion. 216 Reed McDonald Building. Texas A&M University. College Station. TX 77843. United Press International is en titled exclusively to the use for re production of all news dispatches credited to it. Rights of reproduc tion of all other matter herein re served. Second class postage paid at Col lege Station, TX 77843. Page 2/The Battalion/Friday, May4,1: A&M wasting vital resources by Melissa Adair One of Texas A&M’s great re sources is wast ing away. Every year hundreds of in ternational stu- dents come here from countries all over the world. Until a few months ago I would have said, “So what?” But after getting to know some international students, my attitude has changed. Almost every international stu dent I’ve met seems to genuinely want American friends. Most inter nationals aren’t here just to get an education and then leave. They want desperately to learn about American culture and make Amer ican friends. But for the most part, interna tionals just sort of exist in the minds of most Texas A&M stu dents. People here don’t hate them, people here don’t love them, peo ple here are just indifferent to them. But it’s so easy for Ameri cans to make internationals feel im portant in a land where they know almost no one. For example, the other day I saw an international I know walking across campus. I didn’t have time to stop and talk so I just said, “Hi Ivo.” He was amazed. He couldn’t be lieve I remembered his name. He felt important. I felt good. But many internationals live in the United States for years and no one ever remembers their names. And many American students will say that’s sad, but it won’t really af fect us. I think it will. You see, the internationals who come here aren’t the dummies from their countries. The ones sent here by their governments are the tops in their country. Even those sent by their families are usually the smartest, since most families can’t afford to send more than one child. When these internationals go back to their countries, they will be leaders in government, industry and business. They may well have a strong voice in shaping relations with the United States. And one thing is certain — they will cer tainly influence what others in their country think about the United States. We seem to be missing one of the greatest opportunities in inter national relations — human to hu man contact. Many of the internationals here will never come to Texas or the United States again after they get their degrees. For them, this is it. What they see now will shape their opinion about Texas and the United States forever. When internationals get a bad impression of the United States, they take all their bitterness home with them. Many leave impressed by the technology and skyscrapers and disgusted with the American people and their indifference. Unfortunately, Aggies haven’t realized this. They continue to ig nore internationals — not loving them, not hating them, just being indifferent to them. One of the great resources at Texas A&M is wasting away. Melissa Adair is a senior journa lism major and assistant city editor for The Battalion. Slouch by Jim Earle gARLfr 5*1-W* ‘‘How did you do in your bout?’ fly DAIN St. About nembers < Ebrps of C fissioned forces Satu Vn G. Rollie (pen. Pai indant o orps, will lets. Kell fice of con ,1983 aft by Donn Friedm ive duty f.p s - Celly wil In Alaska, the president preached that the simple prayers of com mon men can do more than statesmen or ar mies to bring peace, while the pope spoke of the need to accept differences amor,, pie. to . RO ay ROT ROT* Air For Corps | By KA St But there’s an even better argu ment for making international friends. Internationals are some of the kindest and most interesting peo ple I know. If you think you found out what Mexico or Germany or India is like in history class, talk to a Mexican or a German or an In dian and think again. They can give you more insight than you could ever get in a history class. he Non een a topic n . H College Reagan was returning 1 lhe s communist China, a p fused to admit existed a flanking, tn ago. The pope was on a piiriedestrian), to South Korea. Bing restr Fairbanks, Alaska, is a l»* ar *' er l * refueling stop for flightscorJ ate commn and from the Orient. |endations So, in what was either ion City C crossing of the air paths or mprovemei fully orchestrated collision p a - gious and secular leadership! J* 1 ’ 5 co1 two men met for a shorts™ ont t,u One an avowed figure-heaMjQ^g"^ other a pseudo-leader of s ector of cit — both masters of the art toric. Actors, playing a part huge spectacle of world aff< Reagan recounted his Sunday message, in which that the simple prayers of people can do more than all tion of statesmen and armies world. commiti ore viable m any co Ion befor We’ve gc ect thai en befor Since the re made, lave begun While our country’s ^°' iLOne berated in Alaska, another v j|| b e a rez “got slapped, growled at, dilMen the ct tired” over 3200 miles southPlt’s (the Texan personified the Pre'^ message — through action than prayer. San Antonio Mayor Henii neros didn’t spend the dav flower-encased dias. Cisneros, who will be speal graduation ceremonies herf! weekend, toured the city of] Antonio as a worker on a truck. Rather than isolating self on a white island behind gates, the mayor spent four in the gutters and filth ofhis The mayor realizes that prove the living conditions people of his city, the city’s I must see the city. Mayor Cisneros did soiffl few politicians manage to took a close look at his town its rubbish. The stories of the preside® pope and the mayor were ported in a small news modi the bottom of the Bryan Wednesday. The Eagle’s for the Cisneros story read, "I Cisneros talks trash,” v other story’s head was “Re ! pope meet, discuss world pea® Maybe Cisneros wasn’t pi ( up garbage for world peace take the San Antonio mayorf; the trash headline and it" have worked well on the f story. Who was really talking trasl Donn Friedman is a senior nalism major and column/ The Battalion. low, reta iblishmei iply one fry 300 sc rezonii ired to 1 squdre 1 Only $ a Mon Two E Apart rr Caucus to discourage Texas voters by Bill Robinson Over the years, candi dates for the presidency have come to view Texas as the key to a suc cessful cam paign. Texans wield tremendous power at the polls. In fact, since 1928 one presidential candidate been elected without carrying Texas. That’s 13 of 14 elections in which Texans have supported the victor. In 1984 that power will be greater than at any point in the only has past half century, at least on the Democratic side. With the Texas primary coming just weeks before the end of the primary season, the results in Texas could likely sway the vote in remaining states along the same line for the Democratic nomination. Along with that power comes an awesome responsibility. Saturday, Texans could choose the eventual Democratic nominee for president — if they are willing to make the effort. They must first take the time to sort through the seemingly endless rhetoric, promises, endorsements and “new ideas” the of the three Democratic candidates. Even then, it will take a keen in terest to entice Texas voters to go to the polls twice. Yes, the party that derives its name from the word democracy has the least dem ocratic (and most inconvenient) method of selecting its nominee: the outdated and discriminatory caucus. The caucus strips away the vot er’s right to anonymity. It requires voters to publicly declare support for a candidate and then attempt to sway others’ choices. In a society where few people feel an obligation to vote anyway, taking away what is supposed to be a secret ballot destroys a great deal of a voter’s incentive. How many people support a candidate strongly enough to stand up and speak on his behalf in front of a group of people? But the worst part is that the process requires a great deal of vot ers’ time — at least two hours, on the average. Voters must first cast their bal lots in the party primary — with no presidential candidates on the I •freec lot — and then argue the p| *Chart er dential caucus. candidates’ merits i® What it all boils down toh 1 the party bosses think maki® difficult to vote will keep mosti ans at home. That spells victoh the candidate of the party ership. Seiy ice But the fact that Texas D fl cratic officials are united in support for one candidate dofi absolve them of their response to provide a fair election - where the people of Texas tf heard. Bill Robinson is senior joi)( lism major and editor for The talion. 34- He W, *inte Sshe '°nne