Page 2/The Battalion/Thursday, January 24, 1985
OPINION
Copyrighting presidency could be profitable
One president for sale; used
By ART BUCHWALD
Columnist for The Los Angeles Times Syndicate
Now that the selling of the presi
dential inauguration has proved so suc
cessful, can trie selling of the presidency
be far behind?
The inauguration committee copy
righted the inaugural logo and licensed
all rights to souvenir companies as well
as corporations who could then adver
tise they were the “official company” of
the presidential inauguration.
Obviously the committee got the idea
from the Los Angeles Olympics. Inau
gurations do cost money, out my fear is
that the people who organized the presi
dential festivities won’t stop there. They
may soon start selling the rights to the
presidency.
“White House Licensing Committee.”
“This is the Fruitcake Cereal Com
pany. We’d like to become the official
cereal company to the president.”
“We’re sorry, those rights have al
ready been spoken for. Do you make
any other products?”
“We’re the largest cupcake manufac
turer in America.
“Well, cupcakes haven’t been spoken
for yet. We can let you have the presi
dential seal of approval for a million
dollars.”
“Will the president do our commer
cials?”
LETTERS:
Good journalists must
report good and bad
EDITOR:
This letter is in response to Bryan D.
Jones’ remarks attacking journalists.
I am glad to see that narrow-minded
ness is alive and well here at TAMU. If
you are looking for light, fluffy, “good
news” articles, Jones, maybe “People
Magazine,” “US,” or “The Sure Word”
will be more to your liking.
In the real world of news reporting
however, a good journalist is supposed
to report the good, as well as the bad,
and sometimes even the ugly.
Most forms of the news media are
also in business to make money, so some
embellishments and over-sensationalism
may occur, which is unfortunate. What
you suggest, Jones, is nothing short of
oppressive censorship.
I, for one, will put up with the system
just the way it is.
Kevin H. Goff
Class of ’83
Journalist-hater
needs to check facts
EDITOR:
I would like to direct this editiorial to
Bryan D. Jones, journalist-hater.
My dear Mr. Jones: it is quite obvious
that you know little or nothing about
journalism.
I understand your frustration at the
situation in Hattiesburg, Mississippi,
however, not ALL journalists value a
“hot” story over telling the truth.
You suggest that journalists neither
add nor detract anything from a news
story. OK, let’s say that all journalists de
cide to follow your rule. But, who will
“He can’t do that. But we’ll give you
ermission to hang a tasteful cupcake
anner behind him in the East Room
when he’s holding his press conferen
ces.”
“We’ll take it. Send the contracts to us
right awav.”
“ThanK you . . . White House Licens
ing Committee.”
“This is the president of the Real In
stant Coffee Company. We wfsh to sign
on as the official coffee supplier to the
White House.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“We want to produce one TV com
mercial showing Margaret Thatcher
drinking our coffee at a state dinner,
and expressing her surprise that it was
an instant brand.”
“I don’t see any problem with that,
but let me get back to you. White House
Licensing Committee.”
“This is the Cartilage Sneaker Com
pany. Has anyone put in a bid yet for
the official president’s running shoes?”
“No, it’s still up for grabs.”
“Good. All we ask in exchange is that
the president and his wife wear our
sneakers when they’re running for the
helicopter to take them to Camp David.”
“I cion’t think we could promise that.
The First Lady has never publicly worn
sneakers in her life. But we could get
Vice President Bush to wear them as
he’s flying off to a state funeral.”
decide what will go in the lead par
agraph?
Isn’t it bias when the writer must de
cide what the most important aspect of a
story is when he/she writes it ?Of course
it is! However, journalists are trained to
find the important, newsworthy issues
in a story. (Notice I said “trained to
find,” not “trained to make up.”)
But, Mr. Jones, if you feel you know
of a better way to write a news story, I
do wish you would tell us.
You also suggest that journalists only
report stories when they are “truly most
beneficial to the United States alone.”
Oh, how biased you are! Was it not
journalists who exposed the Watergate
scandal? Would you rather those two
men had not reported their findings
simply because they were not praising
our government 100 percent?
Journalists don’t make the bad news,
(about our government or any other
area of news); they only do their job and
report it.
Mr. Jones, you belong in the period
when messengers were killed simply be
cause they carried bad news. 1 can sense
your hand on the trigger; I would ap
preciate it if you wouldn’t pull it until
you come to a better understanding of
journalists and their duty.
I find a personal insult in your accu
sation that all journalists slant the news
to the “left.” Not only do I come from a
family where most of the men have
served in the armed forces, but I also
voted for our president. I sound like
quite a “Commie /’don’t I?
Cheryl Clements
Journalism major, Class of ’88
“We don’t want Bush, we want the
f jresident and his wife. If you can’t de-
iver,, then forget it.”
“Sorry about that .... White House
Licensing Committee.”
“This is Yakamura Film Company.
We want to become the official film
company to the White House.”
“It will cost you.”
“We don’t care what it costs. But we’d
have to be assured that the White Hose
f ihotographers will only use Yakamura
ilm when they take pictures of the pre
sident.”
“We can’t do that because we have no
control over the White House photogra
phers. But what we can do for you is
make sure that those photographers us
ing Yakumura film will get the best
places up front to shoot from while
they’re snapping away at the president.”
“Put us dojlvn for the license.”
“Will do .... White House Licensing
Committee.”
“I’m a lawyer representing the
Fourth of July Souvenir Company. The
Secret Service informed my client he
couldn’t put the American Flag on his
beer mugs any more.”
“That’s correct. We now hold the
copyright on the Stars and Stripes. But
for a small royalty your client can have
exclusive beer mug rights to the Ameri
can Flag for the next four years.”
Battalion Ed Board
invited to film
EDITOR.
Quality journalists today are ones that
go out of their way to be exposed to all
perspectives surrounding an issue.
On Wednesday, Jan. 23 you wrote a
very clear opinion on your own perspec
tive surrounding abortion. I would like
to challenge each member of your
board to view another perspective on
the issue by watching a documented 20
minute video entitled “Silent Scream”
on Thursday and next Tuesday from 10
to 3 p.m. in the MSC.
Taking the time to view it is not easy
— especially if you already disagree with
it. But then again, becoming truly open-
minded journalists that have earned the
respect of their readers is probably just
as difficult.
Brad Dacus
Finance, ’86
Campus police need
guns to curb crime
EDITOR:
I waited today for the rumored re
traction of the article published (Tues
day, Jan. 15) pertaining to Dr. Das’
views on University Police and their
need to carry a weapon. After reading
the retraction, it is my understanding
that the view r s expressed were only those
of Dr. Das and not the Faculty Senate.
To this my reaction is, Thank Goodness.
As for you Dr. Das, I could not be
lieve what I saw in print. While I would
also like to believe that the University is
an educational utopia free from serious
crime, this is not a realistic view point.
With a student population of around
Belltower overshadows
other A&M memorials
I was walking by
the MSC, that bus
tling nerve center
of Texas A&M,
when I was be
sieged by child
hood memories.
During my mid-
d 1 e and high
school days in Gol-
lege Station, the
MSC was .always
Loren Steffy
rang for Silver Taps and other sped
occasions.
The bells are still in the little room
the roof of the MSC, but they may no
ring again.
In all the hullabuloo concerning.!
britton’s Tower, no one ever consider
the little MSC bells. They wereap
from the Class of ’81, a token of appr
ciation from a group of former#
dents.
an open frontier for youthful adven
ture. A favorite pastime was to sneak up
on the roof at night, lay back, and con-
tem plate the world as perceived
through our young minds.
Once, my friends and I carelessly
lounged against the side of a little build
ing on the roof. Suddenly, a near-deaf
ening sound sent the three of us to the
verge of cardiac arrest. The MSC bells
were proclaiming the hour of 10:00.
Every time 1 hear the amplified ring
of the 25-bell carillon, a smile creeps
across my face.
Enter Mr. Albritton who wants some
new bells, ones with his name on them.
Albritton’s l ower has 49 bells and
they don’t need electronic amplification
like the ones in the MSC. Albritton’s
bells are bigger and louder.
The bells in the MSC! originally rang
faithfully on the hour every day, using a
set of Westminster chimes. They also
Now they lie silent in the dark
room, the gift of appreciation is nowi
solete. A rich man’s pride in himselft
silenced them.
Many Aggies will say Mr. Albriut
had A&rM’s best interest in mind wit
he built the l ower. Perhaps, but
why relocate a memorial to Aggies*i
gave their lives for America?
down trees designated as memoiii
Why silence the proud gift of fora
students?
No, Albritton was more concera
with seeing his name on a friv
structure than he was with bettering
University. The MSC bells n trl
heard in Aggieland again. Whatg
shame that a monument to one
ego has silenced a gif t of respect andJ
predation of many others.
Ex
me
the
Ce
A\
P<
B
The
Saint P
perfon
Loren Steffy is a sophomore jounf:
lism major and a weekly coJumnm
The Battalion.
no in at
Maes
linist a
the orcl
the see
Schube
and Str
35,000, about 9,000 of which live on
campus, and close to 10,000 faculty and
staff, we are the size of a small city, the
chance still exists. How is an officer
going to deal with these situations with
out the opportunity to use, if needed, a
weapon to protect himself or any
bystanders?
As for your suggestions that weapons
be available on a check-in, check-out ba
sis at the station, let me remind you of a
situation which occurred about two
years ago. A University police officer
came upon a burglary of a vehicle in
process one night. When he identified
himself , the subject opened fire on the
officer. Under your plan, he should
have yelled “time out; you guys stay
here please while I run back to the sta
tion, get my gun and return so that we
can continue this encounter.”
Believe me Dr. Das, I would like to
see us living in a society free of crime.
Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that we
do not. Mr. Bob Wiatt and his staff do
an excellent job of protecting you, my
self and the 45,000 other members of
the University family. It is through their
hard work and visable image that the in
cidence of serious crimes is kept to a
minimum. These officers have gone
through hundreds of hours of training
which have included the proper use of
firearms. They are just as qualified to
carry a weapon as any of the municipal
or state police in Texas. To not allow
them to do so may become an invitation
to criminals to come and ‘visit’ Texas
A&M.
I encourage you and the members of
the Faculty Senate to think about this
prior to making any decision which they
may regret in the future.
Dave Bergen
The Battalion Editorial Board
Brigid Brcx kman, Editor
Shelley Hoekstra, Managing Editor |
Ed Cassavoy, City Editor
Kellie Dworaczyk, News Editor
Michelle Powe, Editorial Page Editor I
Travis Tingle, Sports Editor
The Battalion Staff
Assistant City Editors I
Kari Fluegel, Rhonda SnidetI
Assistant News Editors I
Tammy Bell, Cami Btown, John HalleJ
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Charean Williaffi I
Entertainment Editors I
Shawn Behlen, Leigh-EllenClarl I
Staff Writers Cathie Anderson I
Brandon Berry, Dainah Bullard I
Tony Cornett, Michael Crawford,!
Kirsten Dietz, PattiFlini I
Patrice Koranek, Trent Leopold. I
Karla Martin, SarahOateJ
Ericia Parker, Lynn RaePoverl
Copy Editor KayMalleiij
Make-up Editor Karen Block I
Columnists Kevin Inda, Loren Steffi I
Editorial Cartoonist Mike Land
Sports Cartoonist Dale Smirk |
Copy Writer Cathy Bennetl
Photo Editor Katherine Hurt j
Photographers Anthony Casper
Wayne Grabein, Frank Irwin,
John Makely, Peter Rocha, DeanSailo
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