Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, January 23, 1985
OPINION
Freedom to choose
must not be denied
There were rallies held Tuesday both supporting and pro
testing the 1973 Supreme Court ruling which legalized abortion
in this country.
In Washington, D.C., President Reagan spoke at a pro-life
rally. On the Texas A&M campus, pro-life supporters marched
to Rudder Tower carrying a small casket in protest of the Roe
vs. Wade decision.
In the 12 years since that monumental decision was handed
clown, the issue of abortion has not become any less emotional or
explosive.
There is no middle ground with abortion, no gray area.
Anyone with an opinion — and there are many — stands firmly,
with the highest of convictions, on one side or the other. It is a
personal, moral issue and trying to change someone else’ mind
about it is like trying to part the Red Sea.
But as emotional as the issue is, personal feelings about abor
tion must be put aside.
It is important to remember that the decision legalizing
abortion was not a pro-abortion decision, but a pro-choice deci
sion. Many pro-choice advocates are personally opposed to
abortion, but they are firmly committed to keeping the govern
ment from intruding in its citizens’ personal lives.
The Supreme Court justices who made the controversial de
cision recognized that allowing the government to interfere in
such intimate decisions as whether or not to have an abortion
would set a dangerous precedent. In their majority opinion,
they stated:
“We recognize the right of the individual, married or single,
to be free from unwarranted government intrusion into matters
so fundamentally affecting a person as the decision whether to
bear or beget a child. That right necessarily includes the right of
a woman to decide whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.”
— The U.S. Supreme Court. January 22, 1973.
It is interesting that the Reagan administration, which claims
to be trying to get the federal government out of our private
lives, is attempting to impose governmental restrictions on such
personal issues as religion and abortion.
No matter what any of our personal feelings about abortion
are, it is essential that as Americans we fight to protect such fun
damental rights as controlling our own bodies.
When the federal government can dictate our private lives,
then the United States will no longer be a democratic, free na
tion.
The Battalion Editorial Board
LETTERS:
Spirit of Houston
discriminatory
EDITOR:
“A common passion or interest will,
in almost every case, be felt by a major
ity of the whole; a communication and
concert result from the form of govern
ment itself; and there is nothing to
check the inducements to sacrifice the
weaker the party . . .” From James Mad
ison’s The Federalist No. 10.
Fhe failure of the Houston sex dis
crimination resolution Saturday (Jan.
19) bodes badly for gays and non-gays
alike. For gays it means the continued
legality of discrimination against adults
for practicing in acts of consent or more
exactly for simply being different. For
non-gays the damage is more complex.
It is quite clear that the progress made
for racial minorities and women has
come about only because of our pro
gressive system, excluding of course
such deviations as the municipal refer
endum, and not because of our progres
sive people. It’s morning again in Amer
ica and suddenly discrimination is no
longer taboo. And so today I am grate
ful for our forefathers, Madison espe
cially, for recognizing the necessity for
representative democracy, representa
tion for the greater good, no just the
greater. If the spirit of Houston were al
lowed to rule this country, Jesse Jackson
could not have run for president and
Eddie Murphy would be displaying his
talents among only his own race. By to
day’s Houston spirit, the future Miche
langelos and Tennessee Williams’, both
homosexuals, will not be wanted. As
much as we change we stay the same.
Garry Young
Class of ’83
Campus two-car
policy unfair
EDITOR:
For those of you who do not know
what a duplicate parking sticker is, the
TAMU police department will give an
extra sticker and put a “D” on both
stickers. This is for students who for
some reason or another may at times
drive different cars to school. The stu
dent also receives with the extra sticker,
a rectangular piece of cardboard with a
big “D” on it. The “D” is to be displayed
on the dashboard of the car driven to
school; otherwise, a ticket will be issued.
In order to receive a duplicate sticker
one must pay $12.00 per semester.
What is the $12.00 for? Surely the com
bined cost of the additional sticker and
the piece of cardboard is not more than
one dollar. The student service charge
has already been paid with the rest of
the fees. If the extra money is for park
ing improvements, I do not believe it is
fair to those who may drive two differ
ent cars to school, when only one car,
occupying only one parking space can
be on campus at any one time.
Joe Brown
Class of ’86
Corps membership
can twist people
EDITOR:
After reading so much nonsense in
The Battalion in recent months about
the very small fraction of Texas A&M’s
population called the Corps, I have Fi
nally gotten annoyed enough to write a
letter. The “last straw” was Don Powell’s
warped opinion as expressed in Friday’s
Battalion. Attributing the success of for
mer students to being “treated like dirt
when they were freshman” and experi
encing “adverse conditions, poor condi
tions where you’ve been treated badly”
is absolute crap. The clear result of such
misguided behavior is a desire by those
who have experienced it to “get even”
by treating lower classmen just as badly.
Strong character is the product of such
positive influences as a caring and sup
portive family. Fine teachers, coaches,
leaders, etc. as examples and good
friends. As has been demonstrated
countless times throughout history, the
sickest and most malicious human be
ings almost invariably have had negative
experiences in their early years which
have twisted their lives.
Stephen P. Berkowitz
Oceanography
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Enforcing campus rules could be a problem
at
th<
foi
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ne
To
ab<
cai
sm
Do campus police need guns?
tea
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tioi
Ha
“Go ahead,
make my day.”
Toward the end
of a Texas A&M
Faculty Senate
meeting January
15, during a meet
ing of the commit
tee of the whole (a
time for open fo
rum), faculty sen
ator Phanindra-
mohan Das read a resolution that stated
it is inappropriate for University police
to carry guns on campus.
If the Faculty Senate does decide to
consider Das’ resolution, serious reper
cussions might develop.
A police officer without a weapon is
like eating a hot dog without a bun —
it’s just not the same.
According to Das, a university and an
open display of guns don’t mix because
of conflicting ideals. Students are sup
posed to do a “certain amount of self-
policing.” General supervision is still a
must but guns are not needed in all as
pects of police work.
Stripping these of ficers of their weap
ons would be a terrible mistake, result
ing in an increased on-campus crime
rate. Since A&M is already one of the
most dangerous schools for students to
attend, the resolution could only worsen
things. It’s tough enough now to walk
across campus with out being beaten
and robbed, just think how the situation
will be if the faculty senate actually con
siders and passes the resolution.
In addition to keeping the crime rate
down, how will University police deal
with the everyday task of keeping stu
dents in check with the limitations of the
law? Just think what might happen.
Those two-wheeled assassins who
ride scooters and bicycles would he able
to cruise freely around campus, not hav
ing to worry about University police
threatening their mobility with heavy
weaponry. Students now must traverse
crosswalks carefully and reluctantly,
only to proceed if it is clear in both di
rections. If a simple misjudgement or
miscalculation has been made, one
might Find that one of these road war
riors has Fixed them in his sights and is
rapidly approaching for the kill.
Undesirables wanting to nap or picnic
on the MSG grass and sit down at foot
ball games would be able to do so with
out the fear of a police sharpshooter
picking them off.
•WANTED*
—AS A VIGILANTE —
j BY" THE PEOPLE OF NEV7 YORK 1
JUDGE ROY 'GOETZ'
■THE ONCf LAW WEST OF THE HUDSOH
Students with unpaid fees and pi
ing tickets would no longer face®
wrath of the police Firing squad iftliH
don’t settle their monetary obligations
The resolution also forbids individl
als from carrying guns on campuseE
cept for these three exceptions: force®
emonial purposes such as Silver Taps®
Aggie Muster, for use during dassroa I
instruction, and for display in museur |
on campus.
F
■
I
<
s
These three exceptions also proui
troublesome students with more (re
dom and security.
If the “no guns” resolution is imp! 1
mented. professors will no longer ha' '
control of their lectures. Students will
able to talk, c heat, sleep or eat indi j
without the worry of being selected I
target practice. Probationary studen
can no longer toe used for professo^ij
between-c lavs games of Russian n
lette.
How will the University police coni
these problems?
Das is right. University police dot
need weapons — they’re dangera
enough with a pen and citation book.
Kevin S. Inda is a senior journalist
major and a weekly columnist for H
Battalion.
The Battalion
CJSPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
ITrigicl Brockman, Editor
Shelley Hoekstra, Managing Editor
Ed Cassavoy, City Editor
Kellie Dworaczyk, News Editor ^
Michelle Powe, Editorial Page Editor
Travis Tingle, Sports Editor
The Battalion Staff
Assistant City Editors
Kari Fluegel, Rhonda Snider
Assistant News Editors 1
Tammy Bell, Cami Brown, John Hallett
Assistant Sports Editor
Charean Williams
Entertainment Editors ,
Shawn Behlen, Leigh-EllenClad
Staff Writers Cathie Anderson.
Brandon Berry, Dainah Bullard,
Tony Cornett, Michael Crawford,
Kirsten Dietz, Patti Flint,
Patrice Koranek, Trent Leopold,
Karla Martin, Sarah Oates,
Tricia Parker, Lynn RaePovee
Copy Editor KayMalleti
Make-up Editor Karen Blocli
Columnists Kevin Inda, LorenSteff)
Editorial Cartoonist Mike Lane
Sports Cartoonist Dale Smith
Copy Writer., Cathy Bennett
Photo Editor Katherine Hurl
Photographers Anthony Casper,
Wayne Crabein, Frank Irwin,
John Makely, Peter Rocha. DeanSaito
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