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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 1985)
Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, April 24, 1985 OPINION ib liil 1 I : iiimmi n— ^ u ^ ^ * : : t -■ :i ^ I in- Schools too often ignore constitution Can you imagine what would happen if high school students were allowed to distribute any kind of literature among them selves, during school hours, without school control? Bryan High School Principal Jerry Kirby seems to think the consequences would be disastrous. For that reason, he sus pended a student for two days for passing out in school a satiri cal newspaper called “The Twisted Times.” Bryan High officials say the paper, which they call an under ground paper, violated district rules which require students to have any materials for distribution approved by the principal. But the student’s parents are appealing the suspension, charg ing that the school’s policy of prior restraint is unconstitutional and the punishment too severe. (They say students caught fight ing at Bryan High get only a detention on Saturday mornings.) The school’s practice of prior restraint of publications which have no disruptive potential is, on its face, unconstitutional. The rule about such pre-censorship set forth in a Des Moines, Iowa school district case (Tinker v. Des Moines Indepe- dent Community School District, 1969) is that students’ First Amendment rights may not be abridged unless school authori ties can show that a publication would “substantially interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the school.” “The Twisted Times” is not disruptive. It was a harmless parody put together by a creative 17-year-old who wanted to share it with his peers. And that is his right. Students, like teachers, do not leave their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse door. Our schools are supposed to be teaching youths about their responsibilities as citizens, about their individual constitutional freedoms. If at the earliest stages, children are taught to dis count the fundamental principles of our government, how can they be expected to respect and honor those principles? The Battalion Editorial Board LETTERS: Joe Bob’s column mokes fun of racism EDITOR: However, I must ask why do you ad vocate the printing of explicit obsceni ties? You expressed this approval in a recent Editorial column addressing the magazine “Litmus.” How can one draw a distinction between the two? “Joe Bob Goes to the Drive In” was cancelled in Dallas because three city councilmen ranted that it was insensitive to famine victims and racist because it made references to “Negroes.” They didn’t think it was funny and that’s O.K. — they’re entitled to their own opinions, but the paper went too far in canceling Texas’ best satirist over one column. Their front page apology was sufficient. Joe Bob’s close personal friends know where he’s coming from. Those who heard John Bloom’s speech at the li brary know that he’s satirizing all sorts of intolerant bigots. But the councilman didq’t understand this when he read the column for the first and only time. He probably got as far as the reference to “stupid Negroes” before he blew up, since he didn’t complain about the ref erences to Chinese, “Meskins,” or “stu pid white people.” If you are attempting to conform to a code of ethics modeled after reason and sound judgement, I suggest that you standardize it. Richard Davis Class of’85 O’Hair was friendly, warm — not empty EDITOR: Joe Bob says in public what many people think in private. Without this weekly reminder of how silly bigotry can be, it’s easy to forget how to laugh at it. Censoring him won’t put a dent into racism or tastelessness. As for being “in sensitive,” the band aid records have turned into the fluff story of the year — w hy not satirize it? Sending food to fam ine victims is a noble idea, but the media promote the records as if this stop gap measure was a one-dose curative. If the councilmen really want to help them they should consider this. B. Mecum Ed Board should follow own advice EDITOR: I must say that April 22 was truly a momentous occasion. For the first time 1 have to admit that I agree wholeheart edly with the opinion expressed by the Editorial Board. Your assessment of the deplorable actions of Joe Bob Briggs was quite accurate*. Indeed, racially de rogatory remarks such as those ex pressed by Briggs are not worthy of print. Your are to be commended for you sound judgement. Lost wallet found; owner can claim it EDITOR: Do you know Rosalina Omana? If you do, please tell her that her wallet has been found and that she can reclaim it by calling 260-6205. Randy G. Herrera, ’84 Why don’t commercial washing machines provide instructions'! I returned to the coin-operated laundry this morning and opened the washer which held one of my two loads of clothes. I found the water had not drained from the machine, leaving my clothes removed and placed in two other wash ers because I had “too big a load.” My garments completed their cycle without incident, but as the repairman was fixing the machine, he discovered a sock which he assumed was mine. my washer did its dime-store imitation of Niagrua Falls. What are the limitsoi laundry machinery? Loren Steffy floating in mirky wetness. I called the at tendant over and she explained that I had used the wrong setting. She started the machine again and walked off. “See all the trouble you caused ’cause you had too full a load?” he said, conde- cendingly. I told him I’d never seen the sock before, but he wouldn’t believe me. As I was leaving the laundry, I noticed water once again spewing from my ill- fated machine. Detergents have charts indicatin| how much soap per load; why didii these commercial washers have any ii dication of how many clothes per load I was puzzled because the setting was the one I usually use for my “assorted colors, sizes and other non-white things” load, and I had never had any prob lems. The cycle finished again and my clothes were still swimming in a pool of yuck. Water was pouring out from un derneath the machine. My clothes were My washer-cramming is conservative compared to some of the tub-busters I have seen. The washers bore no signs warning how much was too much. No “don’t fill above dotted line," or “do not exceed fifty pounds.” How is Joe Laun dry-User, ignorant of the finer details of laundry-machining, supposed to know these vital facts? I looked at the snarling repairman cursing my distant relatives and casual acquaintances. “How was I to know?” I asked. Ht growled under his breath and wandered off. OK, maybe 1 was supposed to ust common sense, but the clothes fit in tire washer perfectly. Such assumptions of people’s common sense are sure to in frustration for everyone involved In laundries, just as in all aspects of life, a little communication can curea heap of problems. Sure, the washer had a “machine un balance” light, but it didn’t light when Loren Steffy is a sophomore joum I ism major and a weekly columnist k The Battalion. Congress hands Reagan defeat of his aid to Nicaragua policy WASHING- TON — This is the most impor tant congressional moment since May, 1947, when Congress sup- ported U.S. inter vention-through— aid on the anti communist side in the Greek civil George Will Just as racial slurs are offensive to one sect of society, vulgarity is equally offen sive to another sect. Who does it benefit by publishing obscene remarks? No one. Does it expand the mind? I daresay not. Does it inform the populace of any per tinent news? I hardly think so. war. Congress thereby transformed containment from a theory into a policy. Congress has now effectively killed aid for the anti-communist side in Nicara gua’s civil war. Congress has forbidden even modest financial support for the military effort of a mass movement pre pared to do the dying to prevent consol idation of the second Soviet satellite in this hemisphere and the first on the North American continent. The evis- creation of containment is complete. inista regime by 1981. Familiar voices are saying the usual things: that the United States “drove” the Sandinistas into Soviet clutches. But in their first two years, the Sandinistas received more aid from the United States than from any other country — five times more than the Somoza regime received in its last two years. (Someone should calcu late the value in 1985 dollars of the aid France gave the American Revolution. It was, I will wager, much more than $ 14 million.) and other places where freedom is at is sue. It is said that an optimist is someone who believes his future is uncertain, timism about democracy, and not just democracy in Central America, is irra tional now that, six months after a slide reaffirmation of a President, Con gress, acting in the named fastidiousness, has removed the keystone of his foreign policy: for democratic revolutions. Doe it harm anyone by abstaining from printing such remarks? No, of course not. What Reagan’s aides are calling a compromise (aid restricted to nonmili tary uses) is a shattering defeat. He sought military support for a military movement and lost, utterly. On an issue he characterized — correctly — in the starkest moral and national-security terms, his characterization was dispro portionate to his effort. He did not go to the country on televisin. A great com municator does not deal exclusively in good news (it is time for a tax cut; America is back and standing tall). He also rallies majorities for hard decisions. Reagan has chosen to hoard his political capital — for what? The great battle over Amtrak subsidies? During the Vietnam War, people eager to believe were encouraged by Hanoi to believe that South Vietnam was experiencing a “indigenous peasant revolt” and that the ferment in Indo china was only cosmetically communist. The Sandinistas deny their American protectors the comfort of the pretense. The Sandinistas do not deign to disguise their Stalinism at home, their “socialist solidarity” with the Soviet Union and its other clients, their ’’revolution without borders” against neighbors. George Will is a columnist for Tht Washington Post. In 1947 Congress had fresh mem ories of the terrible price paid because of nonresistance to Hitler at the time of the re-militarization of the Rhineland. Today the historical memory of many members of Congress consists entirely of Vietnam and its putativelessons. But congressional management of U.S. pol icy toward Central America — too little aid, too late; pursuit of the chimera of negotiated settlement with a regime that does not believe in splitting difference — is a recipe for another Vietnam: an other protacted failure. In her letter earlier this week, Helen Miller said that she found Madalyn Murray O’Hair to be an “empty” per son. As one of the students who had an opportunity to speak with her at length away from the pressure of a hostile crowd, I must say that I received quite the opposite impression. O’Hair was warm, friendly and al most grandmotherly, which is quite re markable given the years of persecution she has suffered at the hands of other such “open-minded people.” In 1947 President Truman told Con gress: “I believe it must be the policy of the United States to support free people who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure.” Rea gan’s policy was — the past tense is re quired — the Truman Doctrine after 38 years of communist advance. An armed Nicaraguan minority, sustained by out side (Soviet, Cuban, East German, etc.) forces, is sovietizing Nicaragua in the way that was being done in Eastern Eu rope in 1947. Surely the Americans who should talk least about negotiated liberalization of the Sandinista regime are those Ameri cans who, by trying to destroy the con tras, are removing the only serious pres sure on the Sandinistas. Whatever one’s religious beliefs, it is dangerous to form an opinion which has no basis. But it is just as plain evil to act on it, especially when it means harm ing another’s livelihood or reputation. Kevin Klein The Soviet Union’s Sandinista clients have no more right to rule Nicaragua than Vidkun Quisling had to rule Nor way. Yet the world continues to speak of Sandinista steps toward Stalinism as “failings.” The Sandinistas are not somehow failing to implement democ racy; those “failings” are premeditated successes. Nicaragua’s communist president, writing in the New York Times, says U.S. support for the contras is “contrary to American values.” That is an odd complaint from someone who proclaims this detestation of American values, and it is an ignorant charge, given the long history of U.S. suppport for resistance to tyranny. FDR spoke of “quarantining” dicta tors, but an isolationist Congress re sisted, until the big war arrived. Now that today’s Congress has essentially spurned the contras, communist dicta tors on four continents will know that Congress will not permit even small in oculations, let alone quarantine. Today there are anti-communist in- surgenices in Afghanistan, Angola and Cambodia. Americans opposed to the contras favor, in effect, a declaration of indifference to the only force that might enable Nicaragua to join Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Argentina and Hondu ras on the list of nations that have risen from tyranny to democracy. The sum involved — $ 14 million — is 12 percent of the sum ($117 million) the U.S. government had given to the Sand- Mikhail Gorbachev hit the ground running — right at Pakistan, threaten ing reprisals if Pakistan continues to fa cilitate aid for the Afghan resistance. Now that Congress has spurned the contras, how long will Pakistan resist So viet pressure? Now that Congress will not countenance support for the con tras, the increasingly tinny voice of the United States will have decreased reso nance in South Africa, the Philippines The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Brigid Brockman, Editor Shelley Hoekstra, Managing Editor Kellie Dworaczyk, News Editor Michelle Powe, Editorial Page Editor Rhonda Snider, City Editor Travis Tingle, Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant City Editors Dainah Bullard, Kari Fluegel, Assistant News Editors Cami Brown, John Hallett, Kay Mailed Assistant Sports Editor Charean Williams Entertainment Editors Shawn Behlen, Leigh-EllenClark Staff Writers Rebecca Adair, Cathie Anderson, MarcyBasile, Tamara Bell, Brandon Bern, Jeff Brady, Ann Cervenka, Michael Crawford, Mary Cox, Mike Davis, Kirsten Dietz, Cindy Gay, Pete Herndon, Trent Leopold, Sarah Oates, Jerry Oslin, June Pang, Tricia Parker, CatJiyRiel), Marybeth Rohsner, WalterSmitli Copy Editors . Jan Perry, KelleySmitli Make-up Editors Karen Block, Karla Martin Columnists Ed Cassavoy, Kevin Inda, Loren Steffy Editorial Cartoonist Mike Lane Sports Cartoonist DaleSmitk Copy Writer Cathy Bennett Photo Editor Katherine Hurl Photographers Greg Bailey, Anthony Casper, Wayne Grabein, Bill Hughes, Frank Irwin Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the Editorial Board or the author, and do not nccessaril}’rep resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faculty or the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper lor students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department oTCommunications. Letters Policy Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length hut will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and 0# include the address and telephone number of the writer. The Battalion is published Monday through Fridas during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holida) and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are pen semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 perfnll year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Editorial staff phone number: (409) 845-2630. Ad vertising: (409) 845-2611. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battal ion, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843 Housi toco As soi AUSTIN- 61 Tuesday to pensate owners ordered remov ordinances aim signs. “This is a bil dividual’s right property again eminent,” said ser, D-Belton. Also Tuesda nal approval to Rudd’s fee hil bring the state next two years appropriations House debatek The fee bill, ate, would rai< year drivers’ lit increase the a cense plates li raise a variety ( The billbo; faces another 1 the state the p Coui of m Asso WASHING ond time in f ently divided ! plea publicly 1 over a Texas c of a group hon tarded. The court the rights of 1; of a group hi tarded people Cleburne, Te the home fr where boardii houses and nu cate. The court’s July, could alt gal rights of th tarded, reachi movement at people from lit A second ro "ZZZZ s s S ki i 'i k k kf k? k k k N 1 k N 1 'I R A G Ac Gi 8: $C Ti« bf