Opinion
Page 2rThe Battalion/Tuesday, October 30, 1984
Baby Fae's chance
worth baboon's life
A baboon has been killed so a child may live.
“Instead of one death, now there will definitely be two ... ”
said a woman protesting the operation where a baboon heart
was transplanted into a 16-day-old girl in California Friday.
“In essence they killed a baboon to prolong a child’s suffe
ring,” she said. “We feel it’s ghoulish tinkering.”
Dr. Leonard L. Bailey who headed the team that performed
the operation didn’t see it that way. He said the infant girl would
have died if the transplant hadn’t been performed. But because
of the operation the doctor said “we have a beautif ul, healthy ba-
by.”
Beautiful, healthy: those adjectives are surely debatable. But
the girl, dubbed Baby Fae, does have two things for the mo
ment: life and hope.
It’s a bit scary — maybe even ghoulish — that medical sci
ence now has the capability to transplant organs between ani
mals and humans. So far four ape-to- human heart transplants
have been conducted. No human recipient has lived for more
than a few days. A dead baboon for a few hours of human life?
And for what quality of human life? And for what hope of pro
longed survival?
Using animal organs in transplants with humans seems to be
such a strange concept. But vaccinations seemed strange when
they were first administered.
The Battalion Editorial Board is not endorsing a wholesale
slaughter of animals in the name of medical research. Instead,
as human beings, when a choice must be made between human
life and animal life, human life must come first. This type of
transplant has a place only if all other means of medical technol
ogy has been exhausted.
As a last resort, the death of a baboon — weighed against the
chance of life for a human — must be viewed as insignificant.
It’s part of human nature to think we are innately superior to all
other beasts. Much medical research depends on that belief .
— The Battalion Editorial Board
Texas A&M maintains
apathetic, hickish air
I would like to'*'
take this opportu
nity to discuss the
lack of student ini- Reader’s Forum
dative on this cam- ■ Reader’s Forum
pus. I wouldn’t Reader’s Forum
dare say this atti- ...
tude was limited
only to A&M,
rather it seems to be a national phenom
ena among the young. While students
here do have strong opinions on certain
subjects, (GSS, religion, protection of
A&M traditions all come to mind), they
seem strangely uninformed on other
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest journalisin Conference
In memoriam
Bill Robinson, 1962-1984, Editor
The Battalion Editorial Board
Stephanie Ross, Editor
Patrice Koranek, Managing Editor
Shelley Hoekstra, City Editor
Brigid Brockman, News Editor
Bonn Friedman, Editorial Page Editor
Bonnie Langford, News Editor
Ed Cassavoy, Sports Editor
The Battalion Staff
Assistant City Editors
Melissa Adair, Michelle Powe
Assistant News Editors
Rhonda Snider,Kellie Dworaczyk, Lauri
Reese
Assistant Sports Editor
Travis Tingle
Entertainment Editor
Bill Hughes
Assistant Entertainment Editor
Angel Stokes
Editorial Cartoonist ..Mike Lane
Make-up Editor John Hallett
Copy Writers...Karen Bloch, Cathy Bennett
Copy Editors
Kathy Breard, Kaye Pahmeier
Cyndy Davis, Patricia Flint
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resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faculty
or the Board of Regents.
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ion, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
77843
seemingly iitlportarfflssues.
I have to wonder if this is because
these issues truly aren’t being published
or even discussed, or if it is that we, as a
student body really don’t care about
anything but completing our education
so that we might go out and make great
sums of money. I was amazed at how
little the Goodrich incident was dis
cussed here on campus; I little realized
just how large the issue had become on a
state and even national scale, until I
went home to Houston and found it
plastered all over the papers, as well as
being the subject of discussion every
evening on the nightly news. Yet upon
returning to A&M there was little said
about the incident in The Battalion or
elsewhere; friends barely discussed it
and when they did the conversation al
ways ended with, “It doesn’t matter be
cause nothing will be done anyway.”
I did hear a few people mumble
about disbanding the Corps, but it was
carried no further than mumbling. This
attitude is being taken with so many is
sues that I tend to believe that the stu
dents are either lazy or they just don’t
give a damn about anything but them
selves.
I wonder about the lack of freedom
of speech on this campus — the almost
Soviet-like atmosphere, with the threat
of swift retaliation by the campus police
and even the Corps against any breakers
of tradition or school rules as a back
drop.
Sure, we have a newspaper in which
we may air our opinions, but why is it
that the staff is appointed instead of al
lowing the students to decide among
themselves who is best fit to run the pa
per?
And why is so much labor being ex
pended as well as potential energy
burned up with our yearly bonfire when
there are so many neighbors so close to
us, in Bryan and all over Brazos County,
who go cold in the winter?
And what is this upcoming beauty
pageant? It seems to be a perversion of
justice to provide a scholarship to some
one based strictly upon their beauty, es
pecially when there are so many very
able students who might not be able to
continue here for lack of funds.
For a school struggling to attain status
as a world-class university, A&M seems
to maintain a mighty hickish air.
Bill Sparks
W/LLIAM F. &UCKLEY, Jr. 7\KJD J~Ob//d KEkJUETH GALBRA/TH 5QUWE
OFF OCTO&EF AT TEYA*? FOF AKJ ELECTION
COUMTTOWAJ TF3ATF O/U 'Tf-iET SOCIAL T>FSI RA&I L/rf
OF TIG CbOVFFNMEU T!
No debate: there’ll be no debate
Lori
durii
| denti
For voters of Brazos County there will
be no debate between 6th District Con-
gressional candidates Joe Barton and Dan James
Kubiak. Political strategists generally ad- Walker
vise frontrunners to stay clear of debates
and Kubiak listens to his strategist. Why
not? If you’re a politician you’ll play the game typified by a
disregard for sincerity, openness and other nonsense.
As true sportsmen, candidates running for offices of U.S.
President and Senate have been willing to engage in debates,
setting a precedent this campaign season. President Reagan,
showing as much as a 20 percent lead, accepted Mondale’s of
fer to debate not only once but twice. Politically this decision
was a bad maneuver.
Closer to home, state Senator Lloyd Doggett and Rep
resentative Phil Gramm, neither having a significant lead,
chose to debate since they would address a rather heteroge
nous audience of conservative, mainstream and liberal voters.
Now even closer to home — right here in this congressio
nal district — it seems that one candidate wants to hide him
self and not face a debate. Kubiak, a veteran politician is hid
ing himself somewhere between the National Democratic
Party Platform and the conservative temperment of area vot
ers. . .,,
If elected, Kubiak as a Democrat will go to Washington,
bend over to the liberal party leadership as personified by
Tip O’Neill, and -then come back six y'ears later to defend a
liberal voting record. Earlier this year Phil Gramm exempli
fied the fact that a Democrat can not represent the interests
of 6th District residents in Congress. Gramm resigned his po
sition, ran in an election to fill the seat and was reelected to
the same position as a Republican.
In the race to succeed Gramm’s seat, Kubiak, as a Demo
crat, must overcome the stigma of having Doggett and Mon-
dale-Ferraro running on the same ticket. Fearing that Barton
would have a heyday in a debate, and score votes by associat
ing his opponent with the standard bearers of the Democratic
Party, Kubiak’s staff has placed the debate idea on thet« I
burner.
Kubiak’s nonchalant behavior regarding a debateloi |
me to conclude that he said no weeks ago. Hehasrefal
from admitting it publicly, since it would be political a I
wise.
The politician’s move would be to conduct negotta I
for a debate right up to the day before election andthetq
clare that the two sides failed to reach an agreement. [
Well, it is no suprise that negotiations havebeenjfci I
along for several weeks and progress is simply an illusiot 1
Kubiak’s extraordinary commitment to a debate is dai I
represented by the size of his negotiating team. ItconsisM I
local semi-retired businessman who functions as a fa
coodinator for the campaign in addition to his role as is
man. Negotiator’s for Barton include the campaignn*.;:
a salaried staff member of the Reagan-Gramm campaf
a non-salaried volunteer.
This poses two fundamental questions? Pint, who
right mind would seriously negotiate any agreementmi
1:3 disadvantage at the bargamng table? Second,who
use, as his sole negotiator, an individual who has no dim J
volvement in running the campaign.?
A further point of evidence is that the Bartonstaff^
milled a written debate proposal while the Kubiak rq
tative has failed to reciprocate with a couterproposal.
ficial word from Kubiak headquarters is that no agreci
can be signed until Barton writes a letter pledging toahiil
the rules of a debate agreement. The fallacy of thistaa
that the Barton proposal already contains a clausestatiiifit
signers of the agreement would abide by the rulesoflk
bate.
If elected, Kubiak will represent 6th District interesC'
the same deceit and insincerity that he has shownto«
these debate negotiations.
fumes Walker is a staff writer covering politics fail
Battalion.
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Think before voting straight ticks
With 10,000 A&M students regis
tered to vote in Brazos County, local
politics could be upset. Community res-
idents are concerned that the student d h ’ F
voters will vote strictly bipartisan while jy^aaer S O ru
unfamiliar with local candidates and Reader S rorum
community issues. Reader s Forum
Community politics are more af-
fected by personalities than by party
ideas and philosophies. Although many
voters vote bipartisan in national politics, differences in party
ideas and philosophies are less of an issue on the local level.
What really matters to the community voter is which can
didate will do the better job, who will get the job done, what
does the record show, or if elected, will the candidate sc
the community’s needs.
What will be decided on Nov. 6 will affect BrazosCoq
residents for at least the next four years.
Ironically, approximately 100 percent of thestudeDt f
ers will have graduated by 1988, leaving behind thul
and politics of Brazos County. On Nov. 6, local residenc'l
be voting for county commisioner, county sheriff,coitfi
district attorney, etc. The Texas A&M student vote could
critical upset to the policies of Brazos County inthenexi!*
years.
Your vote counts, a conscientious vote is an infomI
vote. So be a conscientious voter and let the local reside* 3 1
cide the future of Brazos County.
Sandy Winter
In search affine cuisine
Shocked by china and silvei
I was on board
plan for two full :
years and thought Katherine
I’d seen it all. But I H rt
almost mistook the _______________
Underground Rail
road for the likes of The Mansion, To
ny’s or The Texan.
This familiar eatery, revered for its
salad and soup, was disguised, almost
beyond recognition, as an elegant res
taurant — with candle-lit tables; fine
china and an array of silverware at each
place setting, chairs bedecked in white
seat covers; a wine bucket at each table
(for non-alchoholic fare); suave waiters
and waitresses in black and white uni
form; a post-dinner finger bowl (no
Ags, you don’t drink it); and even (alas!)
a strolling guitarist.
The four-course menu was even
more uncharacteristic. It read: A Cup of
Bouillon, Spring Salad with a Choice of
Fine Dressings, Steamed Lobster Tail
with Drawn Butter, Choice Texas Sir
loin Steak, Delicately Seasoned Fluffy
Rice, Spring Carden Peas with Fresh
Mushrooms, Sparkling Catawba, Napo
leon.
Who would have thought the A&M
A Cup of Bouillon
Spring Salad with a Choice of Fine
Dressings
Steamed Lobster Tail with Drawn But
ter ...
Who would have thought the A&M
Food Services Department would be
capable of such finery?
Food Services Department would be ca
pable of such finery?
Each Wednesday, the department
graces students and faculty members
with a sumptuous Candlelight Dinner.
Its purpose is two-fold, Col. Fred Dol
lar, food services director said: it’s a spe
cial treat to show the department’s grat
itude for students on the board;]
and it’s a welcome opportunity^
service personnel to flex their(F
muscles, to prepare something
exotic than the standard board fart
Dollar knows of only two sc 1
the country that have tried l
A&M’s culinary extravaganza,
rally, they can’t compete.
All this reiterates what we $
know: the A&M staff, with ani*
dance of good will, endeavorsendk*
to make existence more pleasani'
of us — even to the extent of im^
South African lobster for
each week.
oc
8:(
RU
Tl<
I’m sure if board students had d*
sources or the ability to cool 1
would invite the entire food sew
partment to dinner in reciprocal?
itude. But, a simple “thank yon 1
have to suffice.
Til
A
Katherine Hurt is a staff wiltf'
1'he Battalion.