Discrimination should
not be A&M tradition
Federal Judge Ross Sterling ruled Thursday the Texas Ag
gie Band Association has no legal right to intervene in Melanie
ZentgraFs sexual discrimination case against Texas A&M. Ster
ling ruled A&M must accept the decision of Attorney General
Jim Mattox, who represents all state institutions in the courts.
Mattox has already agreed women should be allowed to join
all Corps programs, including the band and the Ross Volun
teers, and signed a consent decree with Zentgraf s attorney, set
tling the case.
The Texas A&M Board of Regents and the Band Associa
tion, a group of band alumni, have been arguing that Mattox
had no right to settle the case without A&M’s approval and
therefore should not be allowed to represent A&M.
In a prepared statement, the Regents “expressed dismay
that our Attorney General was not a fighter,” and did not deem
it worthwhile to Fight to preserve the “Fighting Texas Aggie
Band” as “a very distinctive and unique organization unlike any
other volunteer organization in the country.”
Thq Regents and their lawyer, John Tyler, have vowed to
appeal the decision — even though such an appeal could take
many years and many dollars to beat its way, in vain, through le
gal red tape.
Welcome to the 1980s, fellows. Trying to preserve a distinc
tive and unique organization is one thing; violating the Four
teenth Amendment is something else entirely. Banning women
from joining the band is discrimination, pure and simple. And
it’s unconstitutional.
Trying to deny such a fundamental constitutional right as
equal opportunity is ludicrous. If the Regents refuse to accept
reality and insist on continuing this backwards battle, they will
only succeed in making bigger fools of themselves, of Texas
A&M and of everyone associated with this University.
The Battalion Editorial Board
White Patriof warns of racial war
Writer called race traitor
When I wrote
my column on the
Ku Klux Klan last
week I expected to
get some letters in
response. I fig
ured my statement
about gays even
tually being ac
cepted by society
would spark some
discussion. It did.
Loren Steffy
But the column also brought in a differ
ent kind of response:
“Mr. Steffy,
You are an ignorant, brainwashed
and misled little fool. What is worse is
that you are typical of your type (of) de
racinated, emaculated wimpy white boy
who is always bemoaning the fate of the
myriad of minority groups who imagine
themselves to be unfairly and unjustly
discriminated against.
In other words, you are a liberal
which is to say, you are merely a fool,
lacking a mind of your own, but never
the less wanting to have a cause.
If you want a cause, if you want to
help a group of people that is truely dis
criminated against, why don’t you try
doing something for you own white
race? Start a club for “White Aware-
or “The Aryan American League’
ness
or some other nonexistant (but needed)
organization that caters to the needs of
European-Americans.
If you did that you would be called a
LETTERS:
Men shouldn’t have
vote on abortion
One Final question to Mr. Klein, how
do you survive in college with such a
closed mind?
EDITOR:
Isn’t it funny that all the people carry
ing the casket on the front page of the
Jan. 23 Batt are men? I address this
question to them and every other male
member of the Anti-Abortion
movement: How do you know what you
would do if you were female and 15, im
poverished and could not afford to
properly care for an infant, or if you
knew that your child would be born
brain-damaged, or if you were the inno
cent victim of a sex crime?
Signed, more straight than gay.
Chris Peek
Class of ’87
Journalists report
what interests public
sit ups? Or is it running for miles on
end? Is it the uniform? Or is it having all
your decisions made for you by your
commanding, not always superior, offi
cers. If this is six percent of A&M’s stu
dent body, aren’t they like 2200 Gumbi
dolls waiting to be positioned? Where
does responsibility and maturity play a
part in a roll like this?
EDITOR:
Personally, I am against abortion, but
I realize that I cannot, indeed, I must
not make a stand on issue of which I can
only see one side. I submit that men
should have no vote in the issue. A man
will never know how it feels to have his
belly distended and his body thrown
into hormonal turmoil due to an un
wanted fetus. A man will never know
the agonies of childbirth. How can any
man decide so surely on an issue on
which he is so blind?
So, all journalists are biased and left-
wing. That certainly destroys my per
ception of reality. I always thought that
newspaper, magazine, and TV network
owners pay their journalists to report
news that interests the general public.
Give the people what they want, right?
Apparently, we, the people, want left-
wing journalism. But we elected a right-
wing president! Boy, am I confused. I
certainly hope that Mr. Bryan Jones,
who obviously has a firm grip on reality,
will change his major to journalism and
save the United States.
Georgette Nicolaides
a concerned citizen
The best way the gentlemen in the
photo can take a stand is to use adequate
birth control measures during sex.
When used in conjunction with the pill,
condoms have a prevention rate which
is ridiculously close to 100%. (Might I
point out that abstinence has never re
sulted in one unwanted pregnancy. Ef
fective, no?)
Corps commander
not objective
EDITOR:
One other thought: Isn’t it curious
that many conservatives who are so rig
idly Anti-Abortion are in favor of the
death penalty? Chew on that one for a
while.
Asking Corps of Cadet Commander
Chuck Rollins if the Corps chain of
command should be restructured is akin
to asking a five-year-old child whether
the cookie jar should be moved to a
shelf above his reach.
Frank Irwin
I would also like to comment on seve
ral of Don Powell’s statements. Powell,
the reason A&M has not had any “burn
ing of the ROTC buildings” is because
brick does not burn. Powell, if I wanted
to feel like dirt I would wallow in the
mud. Powell, if I wanted adverse condi
tions I would go to New England for the
weather. Powell, your biggest loss to the
University because not everyone experi
ences the same hardships, is not a loss at
all, but a gain for the University. It
brings a variety of experiences along
with the variety of people and with the
different experiences are different ways
to handle them. Yes you do go through
a lot being in the Corps, but you go
through a lot growing up in the city, too.
The sense of maturity and responsibility
gained from growing up in the dirt of
the city is in my view the same as if it
does not surpass that gained from being
a cadet. The city is where real life exists.
You don’t have to join the Corps in or
der to conquer the battles of the busi
ness world. And until Wall Street is in
jeopardy of being invaded by foreign
forces, I would not chose the Corps con
trary to Gen. Simpson’s belief “that all
students should be in the Corps.”
Scott Ferguson
Marine Biology
Cadets supposed to
keep A&M traditions
EDITOR:
I respect the choice of those who are
members of the Corps. However, if
Powell’s “sdck-to-it-iveness” is not ap
plied to “keeping the traditions at
A&M” those members of the Corps are
not worthy of what their uniform im
plied.
Michael J. Doiron
Class of ’88
Gays are abnormal;
or are they?
EDITOR:
Let me beat a dead cat one more time.
I am writing in response to the letter by
Eddie Klein entitled “Gays shouldn’t be
accepted as normal.”
According to the textbook “Sociolo
gy” used in my Sociology 205 class, “All
human males have some homosexual
tendencies.” How can you consider
something to be abnormal if 100% of
human males have such tendencies.
Mr. Klein also wrote “all men are cre
ated equal, but that doesn’t mean that
they can’t become warped as time goes
on.” If Mr. Klein knew anything about
the situation, he would know that homo
sexuals are born gay, not changed over
time.
In regard to the last of the three part
series on the Texas A&M Corps of Ca
dets, the title “Cadets believe in keeping
traditions,” caught my eye. I have dealt
with situations that are totally defiant of
that title. The tradition to which I refer
is the “Howdy” tradition. When passing
a cadet and eye contact is made, you ex
pect a “Howdy.” However, there have
been instances when not even the slight
est acknowledgment has been made.
Furthermore there have been other oc
casions when I have addressed a cadet
with “Howdy” and not received the
slightest bit of recognition. I have be
come disappointed and disgusted with
this part of the Corps.
Students shouldn’t
carry tuition burden
EDITOR:
Criticising the laxity of the Corps of
Cadets seems to be the going thing la
tely: They’ve too much money and free
time, not enough discipline or esprit-de-
corps; they just don’t have it as tough in
days of olde, and will therefore be un
able to withstand the rigors of their ca
reers upon graduation.
In addition I would like to comment
on Gen. Ormand R. Simpson’s
statement “what it teaches them in terms
of maturity, a sense of responsibility.”
Would the General care to tell me how?
Is it doing multiple sets of push ups and
The Corps is an easy target to cri
tique, a convenient scapegoat for selfless
barbs of criticism. Barbs which all too
often only serve to further lower the
Corps’ morale and spirit.
Many of these incisive attacks are
made by antiquated veterans still living
in their stuffy world of severe discipline,
order, and abeyance... I can understand
fascist/racist/Nazi/hate monger, etc . ad
nauseum. We have “Black Awareness”
and similar groups for Mexican, Arabs
and Jews on campus. What's the differ
ence? Racial awareness is O.K. for them
but not for us, right?
Read the enclosed material! Maybe it
will wake you up to a few facts that the
Jewish controlled media have carefully
kept from you.
You should learn to investigate both
sides of a question before you start writ
ing articles about things of which you
are totally ignorant.
You young journalists are all alike.
You act like trained seals. Just honk you
horns, balance you ball, bark and clap
your flipper at the right time so that the
Editor will throw you a little piece of
fish.
You couldn’t care less about objectiv
ity, when you are the one writing the ar
ticle. By the same token, you are always
the first to condemn a right wing “extre
mist” for his “lack of objectivity” and his
“insensitivity.”
I could call you a race traitor or a ma
jority renegade, but you probablv
wouldn’t understand what those terms
mean. I will tell you this. There is a
storm coming. The Majority is getting
pushed and they won’t take it much
longer. We see who our enemies at e and
we know who the traitors are.
In the coming race/holy war we will
treat both categories in the traditional
manner. I hope you realize soon who
you are and where you belong. Yousef
you are already wearing your uniform of mu
it’s your skin.
Sincerely, A White Patriot.”
The letter was accompanied by sot
literature on how America is bein;
taken over by other races, specifical
the Jews.
First, 1 would like to thank the “Whin
Patriot” for going to the trouble ofwm
ing the letter and getting all thosepam
phlets to fit in one envelope.
the L
Thursc
mance
Orches
The
is a prc
| form in
| signed
‘ perfori
tion of
a Frem
ing giv
The
Secondly, I would like to points ( ( orm t
that the article was a column, and,j
such, w'as purely my opinion. Myediti
doesn’t have any fish (it would maketlt
newsroom smell) and I am ratherlous
at balancing a ball.
Finally, 1 must decline Patriots
to change my beliefs. I am assetinmi
ways as he obviously is in his. A total
pure race is impossible to achieve int
day’s society. Anyone who likes tacos
barbeque or even apple pie hasbeent
tluenced by another race.
Some of W. P.’s literature came from
place called Lord’s Covenant Churdi
wotdd like to point out that Christians!
in general lias its origins in the Jews!
religion
If a “holy” war is coming, Patriot
wi II al ways take up my pen in favor
the side being discriminated again?
whatever color they may l>e.
Loren Steffy is a sophomore joum
lism major and a weekly col unwist h
The Battalion.
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Fran
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I No. 41
the St.
ByC
their prespective; I’ve been there, and
know how easy it is to depend on the
rules of order. Eve functioned in such
an environment as an officer-in-training
at a service academy (though not nec
essarily survived) during the Vietnam
era).
I was so wrapped up in the routine
there, where the brigade members —
unlike the Corps here — were virtually
isolated from the civilian world; so
much so that the people, the commu
nities, which we were trained to serve
became vague idealizations not worthy
of our service.
I was an honors student, a Company
Commander, etc ... in civilian life 1 had
trouble functioning as the leader I was
trained to be: Sure, I was force fed a
dogged perseverence, and loyalty, but
the human relations indoctrinated in us
didn’t help much in the civilian world.
In essence, I was a high-class version
of the veterans who are discharged
from the service into a life of vagrancy,
unemployment, and social inconsis
tency. I have therefore found that the
traditional service academies are not
oriented to interacting with civilians, the
system followed by the Corps overcomes
this shortcoming, and trains its mem
bers to not only become officers who
will serve America with honor, pride
and professionalism; but to become
equally capable leaders in their commu
nities as well.
Indeed, the Texas State Legislature,
by targeting students for higher fees,
seems to think of students as we some
times think of the Corps of Cadets —
anachronistic loafers and free loaders! It
seems a little unfair to single out a mi
nority to carry the burden of taxation
which should be shared by residents of
the State of Texas as a group. Much less
a minority which is of recognizable im
portance for funds elsewhere, Legis
lators; or at least not mislead the public
into thinking of students as wealthy par-
asites who are spending taxpayers
money to have a little fun, a few cheap
thrills — or didn’t you ever attend col
lege?
William H. Clark II
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Brigid Brockman, Editor
Shelley Hoekstra, Managing Editor
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Wayne (Lrabein, Frank Irwin;
John Makely, Peter Rocha, Dean Salto
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