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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 30, 1984)
Opinion Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, May 30, 1984 Recognizing Vietnam vets A decade after the last U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam, veterans from that war finally have received the parades and recognition they deserve. Monday the remains of a soldier who fought for the United States in Vietnam were buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Throughout the country, Vietnam veterans actively participated in Memorial Day parades and other events hon oring the fallen soldiers. Some people protested that the burial of the unknown soldier implies that recriminations and questions about the Vietnam War will end. 2,489 soldiers are still missing. As the mother of a missing soldier said, no one is naive enough to believe all the missing men can be accounted for, but certainly more can be traced. Reagan said at the funeral that as long as there are MIAs, the nation cannot “as much as some might want to — close this chapter in our history.” Probably the sordid chapter on Vietnam in U.S. history will never completely close. Hope fully it won’t close, because lessons can and must be learned from it. If a lesson isn’t learned, those who died defending this country’s prin ciples have died in vain. The burial of the unknown soldier of Viet nam is a much-needed step in the Vietnam vet erans’ fight for recognition. Controversies over the effects of Agent Orange and psychological problems created by the war will persist for years. f Those who fought and suffered — the known and the unknown — deserve this recognition. They must not be blamed for the demoralizing end to a war they didn’t start. — The Battalion Editorial Board Senate race mudslinging Mudslinging is standard practice in most elec tions; the Democratic runoff for the U.S. Senate seat is no exception. But Lloyd Doggett and Kent Hance have given new definition to the practice in this political season. Both Doggett and Hance are dredging up questionable statistics on the other’s record on the issues and throwing them back in the voters’ faces. Neither candidate is telling out-and-out lies about the other — they just aren’t telling the whole truth. This might serve their purposes for now, but whether the eventual nominee will be able wash the mud off his face in November remains to be The Battalion Editorial Board Slouch by Jim Earle “How could the campus gel so lonesome so fast!” The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Rebeca Zimmermann, Editor Bill Robinson, Editorial Page/Assistant City Editor Shelley Hoekstra, City Editor Kathleen Hart, News Editor Dave Scott. Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant News Editor Dena Brown Staff Writers Robin Black, Kari Fluegel. Sarah Oates, Travis Tingle Copy Editor Tracie Holub Photographers Peter Rocha, Dean Saito Editorial Policy Letters Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-sup- Letters to the Editor should not exceed porting newspaper operated as a community J()() words in length. The editorial staff re- service to Texas AJirA/ and Dryan-C.ollege serves the right to edit letters for style and- Station. length but w ill make every effort to maintain the author's intent. Each letter must be Opinions expressed in The Battalion are signed and must include the address and those of the Editorial Board or the author. telephone number of the writer, anti do not necessarily repiesent the opin- The Battalion is published Monday ions of Texas AX'M administrators, faculty through Friday during Texas AJbM regular or the Board of Regents. semesters, except lor holiday and examma- The Battalion also serves as a laljoratory tittn periotls, and Tuesday through Thurs- newspaper for students in refxirting. etliting day during summer sessions. Mad subscrip- anti photography classes within the Depat t- lions are S 10.75 />er semester. 533. L*5 per ment of Comnninicat it ms. schtxil year anti S.'i5 per full year. Advertis ing rates furnished on retpiest. L’nitetf Press International is entitled ex- Our address: The Battalion. 210 Recti clusixelv to the use for reprixluction of all McDonald Budding. Texas AX-M University, /tews tlisfMtches credited to it. Rights of re- College Station, TX 77H45. protlut tint/ of all other matter herein re- Second class postage paid at College Sta- servetl. lion. TX 77843. TUC Cf£6DNW nz yU Voadtsb INFERNOS Women gaininCG TPCASHBEC ubrawkwo Water Fritz’ ^ 'MTU? K)R ANYTHING MANFRECTRED' BARON with small step nited Pre: ABU DHAE irates — I By PAULA SCHWED Columnist for United Press International Waltoarger1 swo Making elections ling press i lee to a c fsian Gull Its that C WASHINGTON — Last week women made§|rea plann small advances that may best he signified by the fa deliveries to t Gloria Steinem, once a radical young feminist, turri;At the s and started saving for her old age. United State: Talk of female liberty may center on the Equal 401* U.S. stin Amendment and lady vice presidents, but it is tkp!‘ ssl ' es steps that best signify women are improving theirloi^^ U( Carol Dinkins, 38, was sworn in as deputy attornpR|j l i es j r ‘ t eral, in charge of day-to-day operations of theju an v Iranian a partment’s 54,000 employees and a budget of $3.7■ That’s power — not just another tiresome tale 1 , r . ii- i nuation Chai est ranking woman to do this or that. ^ was j n t Another first that smacks of far more than tolJlf^ was the news about Kristine Holderied, 21, the firstkfce in the to graduate at the top of her class at the U.S. Nan month war b demy or any American service academy. It doesn’t Iraq, Palestin that they called her “midshipman.” She’s been a sioned an ensign in the Navy and is headed fora Spain. more responsive “I just had an opportunity and made the most said Ensign Holderied, shrugging off the fussthatpij picture in the paper and landed her an invitatiohti[ White House. By DICK WEST Columnist for United Press International WASHINGTON — The “Movement for Real Democracy” is a genuine grassroots, or perhaps a crabgrass, political crusade. One of its pet projects is a “voting alterna tive” plan that would change the format of many elections, particularly when U.S. pres idents are being chosen. I am indebted to Peter Harrell of Worces ter, Mass., for sending me some literature that explains the intricacies of “Yes-No- Maybe” balloting. Generally speaking, I fa vor its general objective, which is to prevent unintended mandates from arising from election results. Sponsors of the movement take the posi tion that majority-plurality voting as now practiced in this country “allows the voter little freedom of expression and hardly any real participation in the decision-making process.” Thus is born “an unresponsive, easily mo nopolized political party system” that tends to produce “artificial consensus where none exists.” Yea, and verily. Let’s hear it for an end to artificial consensus. The real beauty of the alternative plan is its simplicity. Following the names of all can didates would appear two columns, one headed “Yes,” the other “No.” A voter then could check one column or the other. Or both. Moreover, voters also could check more than one candidate without having their bal lots invalidated. What could be simpler than that? A simple “Yes” vote would express un qualified approval of a candidate. A simple “No” would amount to rejection. And a sim ple “Yes” and “No” would be tantamount to “Maybe.” Let’s say, for example, a presidential bal lot lists a Republican, a Democrat and four third-party candidates. It would be possible under the alternative plan to reject the policies of both major par ties while giving a firm “Maybe” to one or more of the independents. As you can see, a preponderance of “Maybe” votes would discourage the winner from interpreting his victory as a signal the voters want him to change the world. One word of caution, however. There is a distinct possibility none of the candidates on a ballot of this sort would emerge the clear- cut winner. Under the Constitution, that would leave the selection of a president up to the House of Representatives. Which, according to the movement backers, would be preferable to “the frequently bogus results of coercive un- expressive voting.” If you believe that, go to the foot of the class. On the other hand, there certainly is something to be said for a system that “gives the vtiter the capability of distinguishing be tween the major party candidates without endorsing any of them.” I commend the authors of the alternative plan for striving to make it possible to “choose the best of any number of evils without endorsing any of them.” And all I ask in return is the bumper-sticker conces sion. There is a fortune to be made from the sale of bumper stickers after a “Real Democ racy” election. The gummed paper strips simply would bear the words: “Don’t Blame Me — I Voted Maybe.” Both are women making their way in the world,f; alone the day-to-day struggles that determine dim® Universit y No female vice president or constitutional amend; Dr. Leo Be going to fight their battles for them. R dean of ■duate Coll . . . ... . . , , . |e will ass mi Another sign ol changing times was I uesdaysusM^ Umver 1 aided passage of a pension reform bill. Most 'vomeinH m aster’s a ria Steinem included — never gave pensions a the., ree candidate they consider it at all, women count on their husband'»ent of the; tirement benefits to see them through old age. ■erner, CUI h A, will succ But that faith is unwarranted. Women make quarters of the nation’s elderly poor. Rep. OlympiaSnf eXil5 A&M, d R-Maine, warns that any woman “selfish enough tow e an of the Gra take care of her own children had better find a husl : graduate er who will never leave her, and never get sick — andntHversity tot ever die.” Band acco 11 ent of the Ur The chief force behind the reform is Rep. OeralR^ numbei Ferraro, D-N.Y., a pragmatic politician being toutedipr admission of those female vice presidential possibilities. SheauRluate prog Washington five years ago determined to improvethcHady consi nomic plight of elderly women like her mother, widow® d' e an early age. Thousands of women will have morem® 115 P oim to spend in their old age because of the congresswona bill. The law will no longer allow survivor’s benefitssif away without the written consent of both husband:! wife. Courts will he given the authority to divide pesj money in divorce cases, on the theory that marriage economic partnership. And pension plans, which viously credited men for military service, now will hail allow for women who leave the work force temporari rear children. Neither marriage nor children are part of Steii life and she will no doubt reach the age of 65 with money in the hank than most. But she said in an intenl last week, in honor of her turning 50, that she realized [ had better set up a retirement fund because no one; was going to do it for her. American politics needs Yogi Berra V fc A By DICK WEST Columnist for United Press International 0] WASHINGTON — Yogi Berra of the New York Yan kees has spent most of his adulthood in professional base ball as a player, coach and manager. But now I’m wondering if it isn’t about time for him to switch to a career in politics. Berra seems to have talents that would make him a political natural. This thought was inspired in part by a quotation pub lished in a recent issue of Omni. Berra was cited by the magazine as the author of this aphorism: “You can observe a lot just by watching.” That surely is the stuff of which senators, if not presi dents, are made. As a pearl of wisdom, the utterance ranks right up there with “You can hear a lot just by listening.” Or, “You can smell a lotjust by keeping your nose clean.” Consider that entire campaigns go by without produc ing a single word to live by. And then imagine what it would be like to have Berra on the stump, spouting his brand of enlightenment at every whistlestop. For all too long, Berra’s articulation of the eternal veri ties has been closely confined to the sports pages. It is time to let the sunshine in throughout the electorate at large. Take his maxim that “You can observe a lot just by watching.” Put those same words in the mouth of a Walter Mondale, a Gary Hart or a Jesse Jackson and the impact simply isn’t the same. Educating the voters to the upshot of enduring prin ciples should be as much a part of running for office as raising funds, making promises, garnering endorsements and kissing babies. Yet this important aspect often is over looked by the candidates. Suppose Mondale asserted during a campaign debate that “You can feel a lot just by touching.” And suppose Hart rejoined that “You can savor a lot just by tasting.” While these comments might raise the level of political debates as they have unfolded this year, they don’t seem to hit home with as much force as Berra might have given them. “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over,” is one of Berra’s few famous sayings to lack political authenticity. Maybe baseball games or seasons are over when they are over, but presidential campaigns seemingly go on for ever. Berra will have to come to grips with that reality if ever he tosses his hat in the ring. ...Expect a momentous decision, soon in the war vrith Iraq...'’ Iran * .#1 ^aV P qk LEMME GET SLIGHT.. V^REIOOK»N& FOR AM5WCAN (ranian jerswmi ISRAEU ON BeHAlT GfTH£ SAUC* ARABIANS. WHO. 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