Page 4AFhe Battalion/Friday, November 2, 1984
with great relish and childlike zeal, yet
the cost of which you appear to fail to
consider. Think about the spilled blood
you mock as you sit on that grass Thurs
day.
It is the epitome of self-gratification
to rabble rouse with issues to which you
hold no apparent personal convictions.
Rather to work to bring about those
changes you feel necessary than to con-
sistantly open can upon can of worms,
mexely to delight at the dirty mess as it
squirms upon the ground. In the furor
to protest, why not stop to consider your
reasons to protest and the true meaning
of your actions? Perhaps it would be fit
ting to bring the mothers of fallen Aggie
veterans to your little cutting Thurs
day?
In sum, you’re giving liberal thought
a bad name and we don’t appreciate it.
We don’t all advocate knocking over
tombstones.
Ken Hendrickson
Don’t forget the
price of freedom
EDITOR:
We all have our different views, and
each of us, as an American, is entitled to
express our own opinion. We are given
this right in the Constitution of the
United States because our founding fa
thers believed in the inborn right to
freedom; the freedom we still believe in
today. Many Americans, though, have
paid to uphold this right with their own
blood and hardship. But are we to for
get the price that was paid so that we
could express our own views? Should we
defile the sanctity of certain traditions
which honor these men?
Just as the United States honors
American triumphs on Memorial Day
and the Fourth of July, we, as Aggies,
honor past achievements, and the men
who accomplished them, in our tradi
tions. A certain group of fellow Aggies,
though, feels that it is necessary to ex
press their views through an action that
not only desecrates the very essence of
our freedom but displays utter disres
pect towards the Aggies who gave their
life for each of us as well.
Not walking on the Memorial Student
Center grass is not merely a traditon for
the sake of tradition, which this group
claims to be their cause, but it is an act of
respect given to those men who fought
for a belief held by all Americans.
Purposely walking, not to mention sit
ting, on the MSC grass is an action that
is provocative and shows little maturity.
It is done more for attention than for
making any insignificant point. What
can one gain by throwing his derision at
something that represents our existence
as a free country?
Let us never forget why these tradi
tions were begun. “Greater love hath no
man than this that a man lay down his
life for his friends.” John 15:13. (In
scription: Memorial Student Center).
Steve Dareing
Class of ’87
Aggie war dead died
for right to chose
EDITOR:
I don’t believe that the Aggies who
died in the wars died for the grass sur
rounding the MSC. They died for the
rights and privileges of the individual in
our society.
I choose not to walk on the grass out
of respect for these Ags, but that does
not give me the right to verbally abuse
and/or physically remove those who
choose not to respect our war dead.
I would rather allow everyone to
make up their own mind than for me to
tell them how to act. Isn’t that why we
fought the wars?
Brent Boyd
Class of ’85
Express opinions
don’t harass others
EDITOR:
I would like to congratulate Cadet
Rod Arnold for expressing his views in
the Battalion. He was not happy with
my previous letter, but he had more
guts than the Band Queer who gave me
a crank phone call in the middle of the
night.
However, I think he went overboard
by “condemning” me and labeling me as
a liberal. The Letters sections is a place
where people can express their opinion.
It is too bad if you disagree with some
one. If you can’t respect that concept,
then your mother wears army boots.
It is my opinion that the death of
Bruce Goodrich was caused by tradi
tion. Realizing this, then there may be
other traditions that hurt the Univer
sity, including the Aggie Band.
If the Corps didn’t want to change,
then they should have become an all
male all-military private school. It is
time that the majority of Texas A&M
students have access to all University
functions, such as the band.
Kevin Thomas
Junior
A&M no longer
all-military school
EDITOR:
Thank you. Rod Arnold, for doing
your part to ensure that Texas A&M re
mains in a mire of academic mediocrity
that the Corps lias been the author of
for over a century now. If you would
take a few seconds away from your sa
cred military duties to think about
A&M’s past, you would see that only af
ter Corps participation was made optio
nal did this school ever start competing
academically with UT.
And as for our “nationwide-known
traditions,” this school is more known
nationwide for the continual Corps-re
lated blunders (saber-swinging, “moti
vational run,” etc.) than for our tradi
tions or, more importantly, for our
academics.
There are those of us who came to
A&M because of the educational facili
ties and to contribute our talents and
ideas to A&M’s future, not to be told to
... more opinion
accept things the way they are or to “get
the hell to Austin." So please, Arnold, if
you must be a narrow-minded, militaris
tic, would-be macho man, consider join
ing the army right now, because you ob
viously don’t care anything about being
educated (which requires open-minded
ness) and you’re doing A&M more
harm than good. I’m not advocating
that we abolish the Corps, just that we
realize that A&M is no longer a military
school but a university, which by its very
nature must be composed of indepen
dent, open-minded people to survive. If
you really love A&M let it grow!
Bill Harbour
Town Hall failing
to get good concerts
EDITOR:
Rock and roll fans, listen up! If you
were planning on seeing ‘Chicago’
Nov. 13th in “Jolly Rollie,” forget it.
According to Town Hall, they m
‘‘unable to schedule” a concert, ei'ti
though ‘Chicago’ must have an ojxi
date. ■
Sounds a little weak, doesn’t it. Fo;
whatever reasons, Town Hall hasjnii
past few years, failed to provide thesii
dents, staff and faculty with a respi
able number of quality concerts, e$|
dally rock and roll groups. Enough
too much! If you would like to see'Cl
cago’ or other groups perform here,
then join us by writing or calling Ton
Hall and let them know how you feel,
J.R.Schoonover
Class of’82
accompanied by 5 signatures
Citizens for Decency:
citizens fighting porno
On October 24,
1984 The Battalion’s
Editorial Board col
umn contained seve-
ral misleading
statements concern
ing the community
organization, Citi
zens for Decency. I would like to address
some of these misleading statements.
The first claim that the Editorial Board
Reader’s Forum
Reader’s Forum
Reader’s Forum
made was that the “ultimate goal for CFD is
enforced morality.” In response, it is impor
tant to understand that all laws legislate mor
ality. There are laws against murder, rape,
theft, and yes, even obscenity, all of which
legislate morality. Prohibition against mur
der is public morality expressed in law. Pro
hibition against theft is public morality ex
pressed in law.
United State’s obscenity laws deal with the
freedom to sell, or broader, the freedom to
distribute (selling, loaning, or giving away).
In our democratic society, a person who dis
tributes any material is answerable to the
laws of the the society. While he may eat poi
soned soup in the privacy of his own home;
he may not sell, loan, or give it away. He is
subject to FDA legislation, which represents
the will of the majority. The majority do not
want poisoned soup peddled for pul lie dis
tribution. The minority, therefore (enjoying
the nausea of poisoned soup), abide by that
majority will. They cannot peddle their poi
soned soup.
Public morality is a common denomina
tor, the quintessence of community senti
ment. It is something the community as a
whole agrees on. Therefore, federal, state or
local obscenity laws in no way attempt to im
pose individual moral standards on others.
There is no imposition. There is consensus.
That’s what it means to live in a democracy.
Harris and Gallup polls say that 80 percent
of America opposes pornography; strong
obscenity laws are therefore inevitable.
The second claim made by the Editorial
Board was that CFD wants “to control what
all Americans can read. To control what pic
tures Americans can see. To control the
thoughts its members (CFD) deem decent
enough for Americans to think.” In re-
sponie, nobody is telling anybody what he
can read or not read, what he can see or not
see, and what he can think or not think. The
community is setting up standards for itself
against the effects of pornography on so
ciety.
Anyone is free to print, publish or film
what be wishes. However, once it is released,
he is responsible before the law. The Su
preme Court has said that a man has the
right to view pornography in his own home.
However, it said subsequently that this does
not give another man the right to distribute
or exhibit pornography. It reiterated in
1973 that the privacy right does not extend
to places of public accommodation such as
movie houses, book stores, etc.
The final claims made by the Editorial
Board is that members of CFD are “fanatics"
and “book-burners.” In response to being
called book-burners we have never burned
one single book nor do we have any plans to
do so. In response to being called “fanatics"
the membership of CFD comprises many
concerned citizens in our community. Peo
ple from all walks of life, doctors, lawyers,
city officials, professors, businessmen, etc.
They are concerned about the horrid effects
of pornography, (i.e. beastiality, rape, child-
molestation, incest), etc., on our society. One
need only look to Times Square in New York
City to see what pornography does to a phys
ical area. Times Square always had a some
what honky tonk aura. But, it was not until
the adult theaters and the adult bookstores
opened that the area began to be peopled by
prostitutes, pimps, and pushers.
It has been proven that pornography at
tracts other crime and leads to the deteriora
tion of entire areas. In my opinion I think
“fanatic” is too strong a word to use to de
scribe members of CFD. “Concerned citi
zens” does a better job. Citizens should be
concerned as they realize the effect pornog
raphy will have in our community if it goes
unchallenged.
Diana Smallwood
Citizens for Decency
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
In memoriam
Bill Robinson, 1962-1984, Editor
The Battalion Editorial Board
Stephanie Ross, Editor
Patrice Koranck, Managing Editor
Shelley Hoekstra, City Editor
Brigid Brockman, News Editor
Donn 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
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 the
Editorial Board or the author, and do not nct cssarilyrcp
resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, facuh)
or the Board of Regents.
The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for
students in reporting, editing anil photography dasscs
within the Department of Communications.
Letters Policy
Letters to the Editor should not exceed $00 words in
length. 'The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters
for style and length but will make every elfort to maintain
the author's intent. Each letter must be signed and must
include the address and telephone number of the writer.
The Battalion is published Monday through Friday
during Texas A&M regular semesters, except tor holida)
and examination peruxis. Mail subscriptions are $16.75
per semester. $33.25 pet school year and $35 per full
year. Advertising rates furnished on request.
Our address: The Battalion. 216 Reed McDonald
Building. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
77843. Editorial staff phone number: (409) 845-2630. Ad
vertising: (409) 845-2611.
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 7784$
POS'TMASTER: Send address changes to The Battal
ion. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
77843
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AGGIE
******
Blood Drive
GIVE
LiFE
»
»
Nov. 5-8
9 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Commons M ^ w _ 0
..or' Nov. 5-8
Sblsa Hall 9 m ‘' 6 p - m -
Across the tracks
Sponsored by
Alpha Phi Omega Student Government Omega Phi Alpha
PYRAMID PRODUCTIONS
nreserrfc*?
JOE KING CARRASCO
Halloween Costume Party
Friday
Nov. 2
Also
Special Guests
THE DISHES
Friday
Nov. 2
LaFiesta Ballroom
1601 Groesbeck-Bryan
Tickets Available at Music Express Only
$8.00 Advance, $9.00 at the Door 846-1 741
Doors Open at 7 PM - Show Begins at 8:00 PM
COMPARE THE EXPERIENCE
Our District Attorney must have extensive prosecution experience. Our District Attor
ney must have the ability to vigorously prosecute criminals and not waste the taxpayer’s
money. Bill Turner is our District Attorney and he has a record we can be proud of.
PROSECUTED
JURY TRIALS I YEARS I YEARS
AS AS A AS AN
PROSECUTOR IPROSECUTOR | ATTORNEY
District
Attorney
Bill Turner
1400
70
6
6
$ 170,000
(This year alone)
Hank Paine
54
13
Fired after
"jj y 2 v ear *
for dismissing a friend’s case.
4
0
District Attorney Bill Turner has faced his opponent in the courtroom five
times. Bill’s opponent has lost all five times.
When Bill’s opponent was an Assistant District Attorney, his job was to collect
forfeitures. He never collected one dime—that cost the taxpayers over $50,000
a year.
District Attorney Bill Turner has assessed retributions to victims that amount
to over $262,000.
Thanks, Bill Turner, you’re a District
Attorney we can be proud of.
KEEP BILL
TURNER
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Paid for by the Bill Turner for District Attorney Campaign
DISTRICT ATTORNEY