Page 2/The Battalion/Friday, February 22, 1985
OPINION
Libel suits are often
used for intimidation
Another multi-million dollar libel suit has come and gone.
General Westmoreland has dropped his $120 million suit
against CBS.
This time the press agency under attack survived. But what
about the next time?
An increasing number of libel suits are being brought
against the media. More and more frequently courts are award
ing punitive damages to libel plaintiffs.
The first reaction of many people to this recent trend may
be positive, thinking the threat of libel suits will keep the press in
line and out of people’s hair. After all, there is a growing wave of
dissension and distrust in the public toward the press these days.
But the fact is libel suits and punitive damage awards are
meant to serve as an intimidation factor against the press. And
it’s working.
Most newspapers, television networks and other forms of
media cannot afford expensive libel suits. To them, the threat of
a libel case means the threat of bankruptcy. Most smaller media
organizations are forced to settle out of court — even when they
know they would win — because court costs are just too steep.
The power of the pen is a mighty thing. The effects of the
press are far-reaching, and when someone is unjustly treated by
the press he deserves compensation. But most libel suits do not
involve malicious, unjust behavior by members of the press.
Most involve people, whether public or private citizens, who do
not like the image portrayed of themselves in the press. The
truth hurts.
The purpose of the press is to objectively, honestly report
the news, to serve as a watchdog of the government and social
agencies. If the government doesn’t have to account to the pub
lic for its actions, if businesses don’t have to account to the pub
lic, then how can people know their interests are being fairly
represented? How can they be sure the government is looking
out for their well-being?
They can’t. And when the American public can no longer
count on getting the facts, then a huge cornerstone of what this
country is based on — freedom of speech, freedom of the press
— will nave been destroyed.
And when those freedoms are taken away, which of our con
stitutional freedoms will be the next to crumble and fall?
The Battalion Editorial Board
LETTERS:
MSC cinema allows
former students
EDITOR:
In regard to a letter that appeared in
the Batt this week concerning “discrimi
nation” in ticket sales for MSC movies at
Texas A&M, I would like to correct
some misconceptions.
Admission to all MSC Aggie Cinema
films is limited to students, staff, faculty,
former students, and guests of the Uni
versity. Any proof of one’s belonging to
any of these classifications is sufficient
to allow purchase of two tickets.
One reason we have this policy is that
the MSC is partially supported by Stu
dent Service fees. The services and en
tertainment programmed by MSC Com
mittees are provided primarily for
people paying those fees. But the main
reason for this policy is part of our con
tract with all of the companies from
which we rent our films. This stipulates
that we must limit attendance to the
above named groups.
Finally, in this letter the writer im
plied (but never actually stated) that he
is a former student. As such, he is wel
come to purchase tickets (with proof). If
he has been unable to do this in the past,
we were clearly in error, and I will try to
assure that it does not happen again.
Michael Gardner
Chairman, MSC Aggie Cinema
Student qualified
for C.S. city council
EDITOR:
After all the criticism that the Edito
rial Board has taken, I would like to
praise them for their open-minded
opinion of Mike Hachtman. I think it is
an excellent idea for Hachtman to run
for this position. He is obviously well
qualified, and Texas A&M University
definitely needs quality representation
on the College Station City Council.
Terey B. Counts
Class of ’88
Student response to
survey requested
EDITOR:
Student Government Census and Re
search Committee mailed out a ques
tionnaire to a random 1,000 students.
The questions are based on current us-
sues discussed by the Student and Fac
ulty Senate.
If you received a questionnaire,
please take a few minutes to complete
the questionnaire and return it in the
enclosed self-addressed, stamped en
velop by March 8. These questions af
fecting students at A&M are important
to the Student and Faculty Senate.
Thank you again for your time and co
operation.
Barney C. Natividad
Census and Research
School-spirited Ags
a definate minority
EDITOR:
Aggie Spirit, ha!
Tonight, for the first time in my en
tire life, I am ashamed to be a Texas Ag
gie. Not twenty minutes ago our men’s
basketball team was outscored at the
buzzer by those jerks in burnt-orange.
The team is not the cause of my em
barrassment. They played a fine game
marred only by some questionable refer
eeing and Lady Luck. They played with
a pluck that would make any Aggie
proud — they will play, and win, again.
No, it is not our basketball team that’s
embarrassing. It’s the spirit of this place,
or lack of it. We pride ourselves on our
love of school, its tradition, and how
well we support it. Ha! The majority of
students only supports football, and to
heck with everything else. Now, I don’t
know about you, but an Aggie Spirit
that is brought out only in the fall,
dusted off, used, and put back again af
ter the t.u. game isn’t much of a spirit.
When we’re in second place and only
6,000 show for a crucial game against
the TEASIPS, for gosh sakes, some
thing is very, very wrong. What do they
have to do, win a national championship
before they get some attention? I
thought A&M was different, that we
supported all Aggies, win or lose. Ob
viously I was wrong.
The way I figure it, 6,000 minus
about 2,000 for old Ags, teasips, etc. is
about 11% of the student body. Yes,
11% of the “most spirited student body
anywhere” showed up for the game
against arch-rival Texas. It looks like we
have a new name for Aggies who don’t
support their school in the spring — 89
percenters. Thanks a lot, guys, it’s al
most time for spring training. As for
me, I’m an 11 percenter and damn
proud of it. The rest of you are nothing
short of hypocritical.
Glenn Hawkins
Class of’85
Reagan’s actions don’t he
generate peaceful feelings
A few years ago
I was sitting
around a table
with some friends
playing Dungeons
and Dragons. Our
bedraggled party
of adventurers
happened upon a
creature resem
bling an over
weight ape who
Loren f Steffy
had the ability to speak. The animal,
called a quatsch, spoke in confusing little
phrases which drove two of our party
members completely insane before we
could get away from the beast.
The other day I picked up the paper
and began reacting an article on Rea-
determination to continue with
gan s
the “Star Wars” defense program no
matter what. I instantly remembered
the mind-bending primate from Dun-
.geons and Dragons. Reagan’s “quats-
chism” became apparent when he said
he would continue the development of
the space-based defense system, even if
the United States and the Soviet Union
agree to eliminate offensive nuclear
weapons.
Basically, Reagan wants to eradicate
offensive nuclear arms and build a de
fense system to stop the attack of offen
sive nuclear arms. This makes about as
much sense as removing every electri-
cally-dependent item from your house
and then installing a circuit breaker.
Imagine how Boris the Russian diplo
mat will feel when he gets a call from
Joe State Department saying America is
ready to negotiate nuclear arms reduc
tions. Boris grabs his briefcase and
rushes over to Geneva, where Joe is
waiting.
“We want to eliminate offensive nu
clear weapons,” Joe says.
Boris looks over Joe’s shoulder and
says, “Gee, Joe, looks to me like you’re
trying to increase your defense budget,
build MX missiles and B-l bombers and
develop armed space satellites. ”
Mothers ore women, too
The Soviets can’t be expectedi; !! %
lieve we want to limit weaponspimi
lion when we’re trying harderfe
to increase our arsenals. AslvestJ
fore, the “Star Wars” program wifi
serve to transport our terrestrial*I
sions into space and eliminaif
chances of international coopeni
The minute we arm satellites,#1
space craft w ill be developed I
tary purposes as well. Soon wi
fighting wars outside our atmosp^j
well as inside.
Deke Slayton has the wonderfiit
of catapulting peoples’ cremattc;
mains into orbit. The endeavor
resents the first space effort by a p
industry, and other companies
low Slayton’s example.
But isn’t one cemetaryini;;
enough? i "
Loren Steffy is a sophomore joe
/ism major and a weekly column
The Battalion.
Stuck
All women deserve equa
B)
Mother. One
word can engage
all five senses and
all thought.
The image of a
dark-skinned
woman with
patches of gray in
her coal-black
hair. Light brown
eyes contrast with
the skin color and
make her gray eyebrows stand out.
Maybe she’s combing and plaiting the
thick, coarse hair of her daughter. Or
she’s cutting her son’s hair with the aid
of a bowl. Mama was good at being a
mother. But she could have been just as
wonderful at other things if marriage
hadn’t been the goal of most women of
the ’30s and ’40s.
Mama was over 40 when I was born. I
was born the ninth of ten children, the
second of two girls.
I was a rare find for daddy and a bur
den to mama, who had to let me in on all
of life’s little secrets. Unfortunately I
discovered that life’s little secrets usually
began with “Ladies don’t...”
Fortunately for mother I wanted to
be a lady. Fortunately for me my broth
ers wouldn’t let me. And now I know
that deep down inside my mother was
glad that life’s little secrets weren’t al
ways true anymore.
Perhaps her gray hair came so early
because liquid steel ran through her
veins. She was an incredibly strong per
son. She couldn’t bench press 200
pounds or run the 100-yard dash in 7
seconds, but she withstood the day-to-
day summer camp atmosphere at our
house all year ’round.
It’s because of mama that I believe
equality of the sexes is necessary. Moth
ers are outstanding people, especially
mine.
My brothers, sister, and I often joke
about her, but even my 42-year-old
brother stands in awe of her. Mama
would have a baby one day and be at
home taking care of the kids the next,
he said.
Cathie
Anderson
But my mother deserved qi About
the sexes. Because if she’d hadi: ^ eac ^ ers . ^
could have had more. No womai “ 1 ^ natl °'
serves to think in terms of “could
or “would have.” | llliexas
Showing women sexual equa ment ann
way of showing respect. No. fiuKjon Studi
ing men sin mid neve! pveKonien: tions, a
ers or nevei open car doonforilB| ne< ^ * <l
1 hese things are trivial. together 1 ;
I’m talking about gestures libfe j u | ie j
one of Vice Idesident (ieorgeBfisaid the c
Geraldine 1-eriuro. Bush gave Fmgates to t;
roses after insulting her, andthaii’Problems
Wrong time to give a woman gove
Women deserve respect in the c; 1 hls
place.
A lullaby hummed sofdv and- ;
warmth of her body as she held me,I ,
soled me. The smell of the outdoor^
dress she’d just taken off the dothtij
When I think of the word,motki
think of images like these andoffljjj ■
ity.
Cathie Anderson is a junior jom
major and a staff writer for Thek
ion.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
South west Journalism (inference
The Battalion Editorial 1
Brigid Brockman, Editor
Shelley Hoekstra, Managing Edit.'
Ed Cassavoy, Citv Editor
Kellie Dworaczyk, News Editor
Michelle Powe, Editorial PageEditt*
Travis Tingle, Sports Editor
The Battalion Staff
Assistant City Editors j
Kari Fluegel, RhondaStf
Assistant News Editors
Cami Brown, John Hallett,KaySI^
Assistant Sports Editor j
ChareanWife
Entertainment Editors J
Shawn Behlen, Leieh-Ellent
Staff Writers ( CathieAnde
Brandon Berry, DainahBil
Ann Cervenka, MichaelCra*j|
Kirsten Dietz,
Patrice Koranek, Trent!
Sarah Oates,Jerry!
Tricia Parker, Lynn Rael
Copy Editors Jan Perry, KelleyS
Make-up Editors Karen#*
Karla!
Columnists Kevin Inda, LorenS
Editorial Cartoonist Mild
Sports Cartoonist
Copy Writer Cathylk 1 *'
Photo Editor Katherine#
Photographers Anthony Of
Wayne Grabein, Bill Hughes,Franks
John Makely, Peter Rocha,Dean#*
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operated as a ctftnmunity service to Texas
B rya n - College Station.
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Editorial Board or the author, and do not nects^ 7 }
resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators*' *
or the Board of Regents.
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students in reporting, editing and photograph) 1 '
within the Department of Communications.
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for style and length hut will make every efforU^
the author's intent. Each letter must be signed^
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