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< ^ *