Page 2/The Battalion/Friday, February 8, 1985
OPINION
Freedom to commit
crime isn't freedom
One thing the Soviet Union can boast is a low crime rate.
Why? Stiff penalties for law-breakers. Soviet officials take a dim
view of people who break the law or in any way rock the strickly-
governed boat.
Take for example the three guys who recently caused the
filming of “Bambi” in the Crimea to be delayed. It seems the
“notorious freeloaders” deer-napped three of the movie’s stars
and ate them for a birthday dinner.
These murderous menaces will have plenty of time to con
template their criminal actions during the next four to six years
they will be spending in prison.
Granted, Bambi is a special deer and a film and literary leg
end (or should we say was), but the three men would probably
learn more about animal kindness and respecting all life doing
animal social work or rehabilition than they will rotting in some
Siberian labor camp. The punishment would do more good if it
fit the crime.
But finding the appropriate punishment for different
crimes and being consistent in all criminal cases is a problem
governments face worldwide.
In the U.S., subway vigilante Bernhard Goetz shot four teen
agers and got off almost scot-free. The guys in the Crimea got a
more serious sentence for shooting Thumper’s and Flower’s
best f riend.
There’s good and bad to be said for both sides. The Soviet
Union has a much lower crime rate than does the United States,
but it has accomplished that goal at the expense of its people’s
freedom. In the U.S., we have more freedom than we know
what to do with, but an astronomical crime rate.
There must be a happy medium somewhere.
The Battalion Editorial Board certainly doesn’t think con
verting to communism is the answer, but if Americans would de
mand that our government crack down on crime more seriously
everyone’s right to such basic freedoms as living without the fear
of being robbed or murdered might be respected more.
The Battalion Editorial Board
‘Silent vigilante’ knows
real meaning of justice
Our society has
gone vigilante
crazy. Pro-Goetz
movements have
sprung up across
the nation. A wave
of Goetzian-style
self defense is
spreading across
the subways and
high crime dis
tricts of America’s
cities. The phrase “make my day” has
become a household expression. Mike
Doonesbury has instigated his own little
vigilante scandal and Opus has been ar
rested for bopping a would-be mugger
with olive loaf. The violent take-the-law-
in-your-own-hands philosophy of retal
iation is fast becoming accepted as a way
of justice in this country.
Luckily, some people still exist to
demonstrate the true meaning of jus
tice. In Boston, a woman led police to
the possible assailant of her daughter,
who had been assaulted and shot the
night before as she got off a bus. The
woman, Frances James, overheard a 14-
year-old boy claim he “pumped a
woman in Dorchester last night because
she wouldn’t turn loose her bag.” The
youth was arraigned on charges of juve
nile delinquency by reason of attempted
murder. James’ daughter had been
shot in the back by a youth who was try
ing to steal her purse.
James represents the other form of
vigilante, the “silent vigilante” if you
will, who deals out justice the way it’s
supposed to be dealt — legally. No
crackle of gunfire, no blood, no harsh
words snarled through clenched teeth.
James merely reported what she be
lieved to be irtiportant information in an
assault case to the proper authorities.
We taxpayers pay a lot of police sala
ries to maintain justice in America, and
the current wave of untrained freelanc
ers is getting out of control. Of course,
police can’t be everywhere and some
times self-defense is warranted, but vigi-
lantism is putting many people in situa
tions which require professional
training to deal with. As a result, inno
cent people are being caught in the web
of amateur justice gone beserk. In
Houston, an innocent man was killed in
an act of vigilandsm which probably
could have been handled by a call to po
lice.
James could have pulled a .45 Mag
num on the boy she overheard in the
subway, shouted “make my day sucker”
and fused the boy’s atoms with the side
of the subway car, but she didn’t. She
may even have wanted to rip his lungs
out in slow motion, but instead she
called police and let them handle the
justice in a rational manner.
Circumstances do not always make it
easy for us to remain objective about
justice. Sometimes the system doesn’t
appear effective in dealing with crime,
but if America’s democratic system is
going to endure, Americans must have
faith in the judicial process. The system
works, if we let it.
Do we want a society of Bernhard
Goetzs, who shoot first and ask ques
tions of the splattered masses later, or
do we want a country of Frances
Jameses who peacefully allow the laws
of society to do the job they were written
for? Either way justice is served, but the
former is going to require a lot more
janitors to keep the subways clean.
Loren Steffy is a sophomore journa
lism major and a weekly columnist for
The Battalion.
Loren Steffy
..THAT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO
GET OUT... WE MADE A
MISTWk... SUOOT IT DOWN
BEFORE IT BIDWS UR..
.^/i ...
THE USSR SHOT
DOWN TU0R OWN
CRUISE WSS\LE
SO IT WOULDN’T
GO INTO WEST
^GERMAW...
. >.#&$■ L>
m WASN’T SUPPOSED
TO GET OUT... HE MADE
A MISTAKE... SMOOT IT
DOWN BEFORE IT
SOWS UR..
LETTERS:
Military personnel
earn their pensions
EDITOR
Having just completed reading ex
cerpts of David Stockman’s defense to
Congress of the president’s budget, I
find myself disturbed and angry at his
personal comments concerning the mili
tary’s pension program. He attacked the
pension program as being a “scandal”
and “a disgrace,” with military leaders
“more concerned about protecting their
retirement benefits than they are about
protecting the security of the American
people.” I feel his comments are scan
dalous and insulting to every man and
woman now serving, or who has served,
their country.
United States has an extremely compe
tent and highly motivated military per
sonnel and the popular support and ap
preciation the military receives f rom the
American populous helps instill pride,
dedication and a loyalty to country that
remains unsurpassed by and other na
tion in the world.
and its sentimental value far outweist
any monetary value. It is multi-p
colored with a wooden handle and|
shoulder-strap.
Patii
tors o
i>ased (
: ble to i
he said
Spe<
tse tht
David Burch
Class of ’85
Should you have a change of hear;
please call 260-5408 or 260-5208. J
questions will be asked.
Donna Brownlee
Dede Brown
Bl
At Ease coverage
to be commended
Battalion ink does
have its advantages
EDITOR:
EDITOR:
I have just finished reading the ex
tensive coverage given to the TAMU
Placement Center and our graduating
students’job search travail in the Feb. 1
issue of At Ease.
1 hear a lot of complaints aboutBai-
talion ink ending up on people’s fingei'j
By rubbing the Batt on my windows|
have found an inexpensive way lot
tain smoked glass.
Will
and S<
My justification of this statement
emerges from my prior enlisted service
and my future intention of obtaining a
commission in the United States Marine
Corps. I offer my services to the coun
try, as I believe all military personnel
do, from deep personal convictions. I
believe in the United States and espe
cially our Constitution (with all this en
compasses freedom, civil rights, equal
ity, etc.) I chose this with no
expectations of becoming materially
wealthy, but yet deservedly expect a just
salary and pension program from our
wealthy nation. The military places se
vere demands on it’s people, seperation
from friends and family, placement in
foriegn countries, but most importantly,
the real possibility of death in response
to our nation’s call (recently in Grenada
and Lebanon).
In the years that we have been cov
ered by The Battalion this is the most
accurate presentation that has been
made. Shawn Behlen, Leigh-Ellen
Clark, Mary Cox, and Patti Flint are to
be commended for telling it like it is. We
appreciate the fair presentation of our
office as well as the portrayal of a job
search as a tough and serious proposi
tion.
A good way to deal with the
offerings that cover the benchesandil
ground is to go the area where it!
highly concentrated and inhale theevi-|
smelling fumes until they till yournoi
throat and lungs! Once you do thatil
rest of the day doesn’t seem so bad.
Karen Stuntz, ‘87
P.S. Now that they are cleaning it up,I
have to buy correction fluid.
Louis Van Pelt
Director
Bevo’s head theft will
cost committee $250
EDITOR:
The demands made on military per
sonnel are one reason why many citizens
prefer not to volunteer, but there are
other reasons, such as the desire for fi
nancial wealth. Individuals seek this
goal in high salaried professions; i.e.
doctors, lawyers, and engineers.
This, or whatever is their pursuit in
life, is natural and from my perspective,
is perfectly fine. However, I believe it is
vital that they understand and remem
ber the past and present sacrifices made
so that all may enjoy the fruits of our so
ciety, I would have them question a vet
eran from World War II, Korea, Viet
nam and even the Marines who were in
Lebanon, ask these men if their salaries
or retirement benefits are “a disgrace”
because they are too high. I venture to
say their responses would differ with
Mr. Stockman’s (I sincerely doubt that
he is a war veteran or ever even served
in the military, but without facts to sub
stantiate this, I could stand corrected).
Those who attended the All-Night
Fair may have seen Bevo roaming the
halls of the MSC. Well, even Bevo
knows that Aggies don’t lie, cheat, or
steal, but someone took the head from
the costume.
The MSC All-Night Fair Committee
worked awfully hard to put on a first-
rate program. They rented the Bevo
Costume and put up a $250 deposit
which will be lost if the head is not re
turned!
If you have the mask and wish to re
turn it, you can do so at the Student Fi
nance Center, right next to the Student
Programs Office, with no questions
asked. If you have seen a large cow head
(how many can there be floating around
the campus?), please call the Students
Programs Office at 845-1515 or me at
260-1678 (my roommate will take the
message). We need it back within 10
days or the committee that brought you
the All-Night Fair will be out $250.
Mike Cook
If a wealthy, prosperous nation in a
moment of forgetfulness or even per
haps selfishness, denies its military men
a just compensation for twenty years or
more of faithful service, one might have
serious doubts as to the character of that
nation. Fortunately for the United
States, President Reagan and numerous
other leaders diagree with this tragic
opinion of David Stockman. The best
defense that any nation can offer pivots
on a professional military that display
high morale and faith in their country,
understanding the importance of the
military’s mission. This, I would submit
to Mr. Stockman, offers the United
States the greatest security possible in a
world of conflicting, changing and
threatening values and idealogies. The
Stolen umbrella has
sentimental value
EDITOR:
It’s a sad day in Aggieland for we
have to report a theft right here on our
campus. It seems that our suite-mate, on
her way to class, stopped at the ladies
restroom on the second floor of the
Academic building. After her class, she
realized she had left her umbrella in the
restroom but when she returned she
found it had been “borrowed.”
Please Ags, we know it was raining
and you probably forgot yours at home
but this is a special umbrella. It was pur
chased as a momento of her trip to Italy
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Brigid Brockman, Editor
Shelley Hoekstra, Managing Editor
Ed Cassavoy, City Editor
Kellie Dworaczyk, News Editor
Michelle Powe, Eclitorial Page Editor
Travis Tingle, Sports Editor
The Battalion Staff
Assistant City Editors
Kari Fluegel, Rhonda Snider
Assistant News Editors
Tammy Bell, Cami Brown, John Halleti |
Assistant Sports Editor
Charean Williams
Entertainment Editors
Shawn Behlen, Leigh-EllenClarl
Staff Wl iters Cathie Anderson.
Brandon Berry, Dainah Bullard,
Ann Cervenka, Tony Cornett, |
Michael Crawford, Kirsten Dietr,
Patti Flint, Patrice Koranek.
Trent Leopold, Sarah Oates,
Jerry Oslin, TriciaParker,
Lynn Rae Povet
Copy Editor Kay Malleti
Make-up Editors Karen Bloch.
Karla Marlin
Columnists Kevin Inda, LorenSteffs
Editorial Cartoonist Mike Lane
Sports Cartoonist Dale Smith
Copy Wt iter Cathy Bennett
Photo Editor Katherine Hurt
Photographers Anthony Casper, |
Wayne Grabein, Frank Irwin,
John Makely, Peter Rocha, DeanSaito
Editorial Policy
The Builalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspapff j H
operated as a community service to Texas A&M and
Bryan-Colicfre Station.
Opinions expressed in 'The Battalion are those of ifc
Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessarilytt
resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, tacu
or the Board of Regents.
The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper I
students in reporting, editing and photography classes
within the Department of Communications.
Letters Policy
Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 norcti«
length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letleo
for style and length but will make every effort tu raainB®
the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed aitdm*
include the address and telephone number of the uriier
The Battalion is published Monday through Mi'
during Texas A&M regular semesters, except mr holith}
and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are fl6.H
per semester, $33.25 per school year and (35 per fill
year. Advertising rates furnished on request.
Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald
Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, U
77843. Editorial staff phone number: (409) 8d5-26W..U
vertising: (409) 845-2611.
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 778tJ
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battal
ion, Texas A&M University, College Station, Tea
77843