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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 1984)
Opinion Malicious acts not 'good bull' Pranks — especially quadding — have long been a part of dorm life at Texas A&M. Both friends and ene mies fall victim to the perpetrators and, more often than not, nothing worse than someone’s pride has been hurt. But this week a student living in Un derwood Hall was stripped, covered with molasses and feathers and dumped in front of a local restaurant. That’s not a prank — it’s a malicious attack. And it’s the type of action that re flects poorly upon everyone at the University. It’s incomprehensible that a group of students at a school like Texas A&M could be so insensitive to ward a fellow student for any reason. This kind of behavior cannot be tol erated.Students have a responsibility to ensure that actions such as this one do not happen just because the perpe trators consider it to be “good bull.” — The Battalion Editorial Board Reagan administration (A) gets the lead out of gas (B). However, the same administration is lackadaisical about pollution standards (C), causing one to wonder when it is going to get the lead out and do something about acid rain (D). GSS leader fights misconceptions Many stories have come out the CIA, but this is one thatissti ied secretly in the archives. Ithastoi with an agent named Greensleeve He was young, energetic, and native. The CIA decided to set in a souvenir shop across the stra from the palace of a Central Amerioi dictator, where he could keeptabsot the comings and goings of govent ment officials. They gave him enough money 6 buy the shop and the souvenirs so operation would be legitimate. Tg exchange of cables, after they werede coded, tells the story. “CIA Headquarters, Langley: ness excellent. Have sold $16,1 worth of souvenirs thanks to Tacos’ three-day anniversary bration in front of palace. Please let our people in Taiwan I need moreTj cos ashtrays, paperweights and lette openers. If all right with you, am Editor: Lately it seems that Battalion read ers, Eagle readers, and KBTX viewers have been subjected to a lot of news and information concerning Gay Stu dent Services. Apparently, everyone has something to say about what GSS stands for or what its aims are. It is ob vious by all the articles in the paper that few people actually know what our intents and purposes are. At this point we, the Board of GSS, feel it is time that we spoke for ourselves. We are thus writing this letter to explain, once and for all, the purposes behind GSS. First of all, what GSS is not: GSS is not a fraternity, nor is it a social orga nization. GSS is not devoted to sexual promiscuity, and it is not a dating serv ice. In fact, the organization is not based on sex at all. What binds us to gether is our concerns for the needs of gay men and women. GSS is an organization devoted to providing a range of services designed to meet the needs of gay students and promoting awareness and under standing about gay issues on cam pus as well as off. Reader’s Forum be homosexual and never have sex, or one may These services include: 1. The Gayline — a confidential re ferral and information service which can also be used by gay students for peer counseling. 2. A roommate service for gay stu dents. 3. A Speakers Forum, in which we invite professionals and others to speak on gay-related issues. 4. A Speakers Bureau, in which we provide speakers to discuss gay issues before any organization or class which requests them. Concerning the article by Steve Thomas in the Aug. 7 issue of The Battalion: Steve, although we are sym pathetic with some of your concerns, there are two essential misconceptions which you harbor that render your protests moot. The first is your com parison of homosexuality, which is a sexual identity, with fornication and other sexual acts. In fact, you state that “homosexuality is a method of having sex.” This is simply not true! One may have homosexual encounters without themselves being homosexual. Homo sexuality is not a chosen state, however acts such as fornication, sodomy, and bestiality are acts orie may or may not choose to perform. Your second misconception con cerns the state support of GSS. As far as Joe Taxpayer is concerned, one out of every 10 Joes is gay. By your own reasoning, then, we are entitled to 10 percent of state funds since the 10 per cent gay population would certainly support a gay organization. The fact is that we have only requested recogni tion by Texas A&M University, and that does not necessarily guarantee funding. Incidentally, the only reason we requested recognition was to fulfill University requirements that anyone who wishes to advertise and meet on campus must be recognized. ceive funding are not also listed on fee slips. We are sure that many of these groups are not supported by the whole of the campus. In addition, the Ku Klux Klan differs dramatically from the GSS in that the KKK is dedicated to the denial of civil rights whereas our group is only trying to protect these rights. And as far as necrophilia is con cerned, homosexual acts require two consenting adults, while necrophilia does not. Finally, we would like to applaud The Battalion Editorial Board for its brave and firm stand in supporting human rights. We certainly under stand the problems their courageous position might cause them. One last note —we would like to say that when we do get on campus, we will cooperate fully with the University in becoming a contributing and pro ductive part of the campus commu nity. Letters: In response to Steve Patti’s letter of Aug. 8, other organizations that re- Marco A. Roberts President, Gay Student Services ning a sale on Tacos music boxestk play ‘South of the Border.’— Greens leeves. “Greensleeves: Glad to hear you an doing well businesswise, but what lb hell is going on at the palace? Wehei Tacos may be overthrown by rig wing colonels. Please advise at once, Frogmaster.” “CIA Headquarters, Langley:Sorr I have been too busy taking invenion to pay much attention to palace, k have good news. Expect sales figure in June up 20 percent over May. Hat to pay off customs to get cigarei: lighters into country, but will ad: bribe to price of item. —Greenslee ves. “Greensleeves: Why nowordfroi you on Tacos assassination attemfi and his exile from country? now in charge of Paella? Urgenil need list of junta and whether it’s pn or anti-American. — Frogmaster.” “CIA Headquarters, Langle 1 Agency has nothing to fear from ft cos overthrow. I got wind of it W weeks ago and had Tacos Birthda Sale on Saturday, where I marled down all Dictator Tacos items 50 per cent. The bronze busts moved espc daily well. We also unloaded 4, plates with portraits of Mrs. Tacoi Only item that didn’t sell as wellasex pected was night-light of Tacos stand ing next to Virgin Mary. Tell oin Hong Kong people that I am sending them photograph of Colonel Chi which I would like them to have Rc sc Ai AU scratci louiul five ai local h Pan ment: reside carnei Huj while States works Ameri an At dreds .' fan caugh over t testing! GSS editorial admirable, column not Homosexuality a deviation against God Editor: I commend The Battalion Editorial Board for its Aug. 7 editorial, “GSS recognition a step forward.” Texas A&M’s student body needs these ex amples of fairness and good sense more often. Steve Thomas’s column on the same page deserves comment. Thomas thinks no “sexually-based organiza tion” should be recognized by any uni versity anywhere. The crux of his ar gument lies in his fairly limited understanding of gay rights: that ho mosexuality is nothing more compli cated than ”a method of having sex” and “a private affair” and therefore not the basis of a genuine civil rights problem. Because I’m heterosexual, my “me thod of having sex” is, in fact, a private thing; no one is likely to judge me, fire me, disown me, prevent my becoming a schoolteacher or soldier, or ridicule me in public because I sleep with my husband. Gays, however, get fired from their jobs; they’re in danger of being “found out” no matter how pri vately or discreetly they conduct them selves; Phil Gramm, Republican cnadi- date for the U.S. Senate (and insensitive clod extraordinaire) doesn’t want one of “them” teaching his kids. Clearly, homosexuality in our culture is more than sexual preference — it’s a minority lifestyle that attracts a whole array of vicious stereotyping, discrimination, and stomach-turning hatred. I’m inspired by GSS’s courage and heartened by their victory. More power to them! Editor: I couldn’t believe it either. Rev. Miller defends the actions of homosexuals by protecting them with the often abused claim for rights. There are no such things as “homo sexual rights.” There are, however, homosexual wrongs. These wrongs have originated from the turning away from the natural order of species, to commit unnatural acts of sexual de- viancy. Homosexuality (sex with one of the same sex), pedophilia (sex with little children), necrophilia (sex with cadavers), and beastiality (sex with ani mals) are all deviants from normal hu man relationships. Remember that the basic unit of government is the family; its primary purpose is reproduction for the con tinuation of the human species. Any of the above relationships only nurture self-gratification, not procreation. Be fruitful and multiply... Rev. Miller has claimed God-given love for those of his kind. Perhaps he knows of another god, for God would never condone such actions. How con veniently he has forgotten or ignored the many passages of the Bible which specifically prohibit or sanction those actions. After all, God did create Adam and Eve, not Bruce and Jack. Whether a criminal commits an un lawful action in private or not has no bearing on the wrongfulness of the ac tion. Obsession for justice is not only right, it is necessary. Homosexuality is an example of a crumbling society, not rightful socializing. So when you feel persecuted, I hope you realize that you are and should be. If we hold prej udice against what is wrong, so be it! If we pass judgement (and expect the Lord to do so) on crimes against hu manity, so be it! As long as a man and his sheep (or boy or corpse or homosexual partner) cannot walk down the street holding hands (or hoofs) or kiss goodbye at a train station (or barn or casket), we will have retained the decency that the hu man race deserves, and our society will not collapse into oblivion. Benito Flores-Meath Class of ’83 framed with sea shells. Also need 3,000 beer mugs commemoratingtlif junta’s revolution of July 5. — Greens leeves.” “Greensleeves: What informatioc do you have concerning naval attad on Paella by neighboring country ol Enchilada? Understand shelling dt stroyed half of downtown as well a 1 Soviet, British, French, and Chines! embassies. — Frogmaster.” “CIA Headquarters, Langley: Ui Ambassador was kidnapped thret days ago. One of my salespeople hasi brother who told her about kidnap: ping plans last week. I immediateH took steps to check Ambassador's: charge account. He owed us $89.1 managed to get his check before was grabbed. We haven’t lost a dimt on him. Any chance of shipping Fkkl Castro baseball caps? They’re expect ing 15,000 armed Cuban tourists,and it could be hottest item this summer. The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Rebeca Zimmermann, Editor Bill Robinson, Editorial Page Editor Shelley Hoekstra, City Editor Brigid Brockman, News Editor Kathleen Hart, News Editor Travis Tingle, Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant City Editor Robin Black Assistant News Editors Dena Brown, Bonnie Langford Staff Writers Ed Alanis, Kari Fluegel.Bob McGlohon, Sarah Oates Copy Writers Karen Bloch, Cyndy Davis Copy Editor Tracie Holub Photographers Peter Rocha, Eric Evan Lee Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to Texas A&M and Bryan- College Station. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of ihe Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessarily rep resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, tacukj or the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography dasses within the Department of Communicadons. United Press International is entitled exclusively to tk use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it- Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Letters Policy Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letten for style and length but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and muslin- dude the address and telephone number of the writer. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday dur ing Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are f 16.7S per se mester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Adver tising rates furnished on reouest. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Build ing, Texas A&M University. College Stadon, TX 77843. Second class postage paid at College Stadon, TX 77843. Kristin Parsons