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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 11, 1985)
Page 2/The Battalion/Thursday, July 11, 1985 Doctors need competition too Marketplace competition is a foundation of capitalism. In creased competition means more suppliers chasing consumer dollars which in turn lowers prices and usually means better products. If competition is beneficial in the product marketplace why not in the service marketplace? A new Scott and White Clinic, specializing in 13 medical areas, is scheduled to open here in the spring of 1986. It will be Scott and White’s second multispeciality clinic. The clinic will give consumers a larger selection to choose from when in the market for medical services. This will affect not only consumers, but local physicians as well. Area doctors have spoken out against the clinic saying it won’t provide any services not already available locally. This may be true, but when a new Burger King comes to town, it doesn’t provide local patrons anything new. But the in creased competition may help to push the shoddier restaurants out of business. Competition for consumers’ spending on medical services may not oe agreeable to all, but it is the American way. The Battalion Editorial Board cmms IE OKEGDNtAM . rrnnfcwNE ...VIE MUST NEVER NEGOTIATE WfH TERRORISTS/ 'Imi s RIGHT... you ceh just NEGOTIATE WITH ME [XRECTLY . Ignorance, apathy keep apartheid going strong Paul Thorpe Guest Columnist The recent wors ening of the political situation in South Africa and the paral lel increase in anti apartheid activism in ■ n-i. this country illustrates the growing con cern over injustices committed in South Africa, and the proper role of U.S. pol icy towards it. Rather than surrendering to the im pulse to base our actions upon short term interests and fears, we should ana lyze what is likely to happen in that country, how it will affect us and the world at large, and what effects any ac tions we might take could have in the fu ture. I don’t think anybody would disagree with the assertion that the South Afri can government ultimately will change to one where the white minority no longer has a legally enforced dominance over all other faces. When this domi nance goes, so will the discrimination against non-whites. It is hopeful that this transition could be relatively peace- full, with a fair, non-exploitive govern ment taking over. But the only way this could happen is if the current government alters its obstinate stand and agrees to end apart heid and political discrimination on its own accord, in a rational, legal manner. If this does not come to pass, the only alternative outcome will be a violent overthrow of the minority government in a long, painful civil war. And if recent happenings there, such as the call by the African National Congress for a violent uprising, serve as an indication, time for a peaceful transition may be running out. In response to increasing political pressure and criticism, the Reagan ad ministration claims to be using “quiet di plomacy” to encourage change in South Africa. Yet whatever this entails seems to be having no effect whatsoever. Very little significant change has been taking place and then only in response to the increasing violence. The white-run government seems to be following the example of southern U.S. states before the 1950 s in making token gesture towards non-whites while keeping unbreached real power for themselves. The gestures taken include finally giving blacks the right to not be forced on to government-designated “homelands” against their will (some what akin to our Indian reservations) and even giving blacks the right to a “se parate but equal” education (now where have I heard that before?), which, of course, is notorious for the inferior quality of instruction and facilities avail able. In contrast with these gestures, the minority government seems dead set against ever allowing for an end to apartheid and political discrimination. While the white government has al lowed the Asian and colored minorities to elect separate (segregated) legis latures of questionable real power, it re fuses to grant ANY suffrage at all to the blacks who make up over 70 percent of the ountry’s population. Also, blacks are segregated into mostly poverty- stricken neighborhoods and must all carry identification passes to be pro duced upon demand by the police. They are clearly treated as sub-citi zens, and are given no rights to effective redress of the government, which is ab solutely contrary to Western democratic notions of the rights of all individuals to an equal opportunity to influence their government. If there is no change in the volume of outside pressure put on Pretoria, per haps that government could continue to keep its iron grip on power, with change coming just as slowly as it is now. However, the longer and more pain ful the transition is, the more likely it will be that the coming government will be opposed to Western democratic va lues. In other words, this could be a re play of what happened in Nicaragua. Fun in sun can be overdone Hey Buffy, do you want to go out by the pool and catch some rays? Sure Skip, I’d love it. Let me put on my string bikini and grab some baby oil. I can't believe how Clark pale I’ve gotten == in the past few days. I know Buffero, you’re lookin’ like a real Casper. I mean a white sheet. Oh Skippola, I’d give anything to get about six shades darker. That’s right Buffy and Skip, you could give just about anything to maintain that all-important-tan. The tan you have worked on every year since you were in junior high. The tan you started in the month of April and ended in September. The tan you try to maintain during the off-months by attending a tanning salon twice a week. Think how neat your tan will look when you’re 30. I have a friend who wants to be a plastic surgeon when he grow’s up. Ten years from now when he finishes school, he will be happy to charge you some big bucks to remove the wrinkles from your face. If you’re not giving him the bucks, you could be buying all sorts of creams so you can try to soften the piece of leather your skin has become. Or best of all, you could have to have some cancer-ridden cells surgically removed so that they don’t develop into some thing nastier. Face facts Skip and Buffy. •Skin cancer is directly related to sun exposure in 90 percent of all cases. •The number of skin cancer cases has risen from about 300,000 in the 70’s to 500,000 today. •5,500 people will die from malig nant melanoma, a cancer of the cells that produce melanin. I can hear the arguments from Buffy and Skip. (Buffy and Skip in unison) Skin cancer is easily cured. It’s the least harmful cancer a person can have. You’re right Buffy and Skip. Skin cancer can be cured sometimes by sim ple surgery. If you’re willing to risk permanent scaring and disfiguring. But we both use those new,,expen sive products that say they build up, the melanin level in the skin, thus forming a protective layer against any harmful radiation from the sun. Buffy, those products are produced as a cosmetic, not as a drug. So the FDA can’t test it medically for what it claims to do. And dermatologists think tan accelerators may be more cosmetic than medical But Buffy and I go to the latest in tanning salons during the off-season. They are much safer than the salons that were chic a few years ago. The new salons use ultraviolet-A rays for tanning instead of the ultraviolet-B rays which causes cancer. Good point Skip. But these suppos edly safe “alpha” rays can age the skin prematurely. They can also cause toxic reactions to antibiotics and other medications. The rays can cause cat aracts in those who don’t wear gog gles. Finally, alpha rays can act as a cancer “promoter” by inhibiting en zymes that could repair cells damaged by the sun. But I use tons and tons of skin lotion to keep my skin moist and young. That’s the whole secret, keep moisturizing the skin. Well Buff, I overheard a conversa tion the other day. A woman was com plaining that she just couldn’t get dark enough this summer. She said she was 25 and had been laying out since she was 14. Buffy, I have a pair of leather cowboy boots that looked better than her face did. In fact, the boots proba bly had more moisture in them than her face possessed. She looked at least 40. And she said she used moisturizers all the time. But we can't live without the sun. Why was the sun invented if it wasn’t for the summer. The sun had to have its own season. What would we do without beach parties, water skiing and our BMW sunroofs? Hey, ya’ll don’t have to give up ski ing or parties or the sunroof. But you could be a little careful and use some common sense when you’re in the sun. Try to protect your face with some sort of sunscreen so 10 years from now you won’t look like your least fa vorite pair of cowboy boots. Sun is fun, but skin cancer can put a wrinkle in anyone’s lifestyle. Cheryl Clark is a senior journalism major and a columnist for The Battal ion. For these reasons, it seems that both private and U.S. government sanctions against the South African government should be increased, so as to encourage and facilitate a quicker and more pur poseful transition. One means of doing this is for indi viduals, plus private and public institu tions, to divest themselves of investment in multinational corporate activity in South Africa. This is controversial, since it is held by many that these corpora tions offer improved and more equal employment conditions for South Afri can blacks. However, due to the con straints of South African law, any ad vances in racial equality that might thus take place are not permitted to extend beyond factory walls, and no political advances are allowed. And this political discrimination is at the root of the con flict. Of course, such a divestment effort could have an effect only if it were inter nationally coordinated so that European and Japanese corporations don’t just step in and fill the void. Also, the U.S. and Britain, who are the only major powers who consistently give any political support to the South African government, should join the rest of the world in active opposition to that government. There are fears that such a i could backfire by making it difficuli!; us to obtain certain strategic mine;: from South Africa. However, toreitif viable, the South African governmed more dependant upon a steady fflata for its goods than we are upon at® rarily problem-free access to them. I “I gue glad tc CS Also, if when a majority governirclp is finally able to gain control, thee# M c Ca\ rulers see the U.S. as a country tha[>|li e g e Sta effectively hostile to their struggle,ilnpnance, m will probably be as difficult as IranirBCouncil < day in regards to selling resourcesto Just think, hostile governments in Africa and the Soviet Union could ill have the world diamond market nered. The C gress in c Steve I McCaw i i : cause it c Some might question the real tv;' channels of American activism on issues suclii elude an Accorc this, especially since we are so fan:; “The i moved from the area in question. Bin| cont inue awareness can be increased througtii) nalsorcl this country and the world, a signfej The m step will have been taken. HRastone It is amazing that such an overtly ist government could exist inthevrai ll#Yj today, and its on h hope for maintainiif its current form is for the continual* of ignorance and apathy around it. | Paul Thorpe is a senior political x/i ence major. EWjj Cadillacs Mail Call mansion, red over ingpink Ash, f Mary K; ary eds needs a Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to tC, post pos letters for style and length but wil} make every effort to maintain the author's intent. Each teller® north D he signed and must include the address and telephone number of the writer. property curiosity But A&M headed for gay university status EDITOR: I was humiliated when I read in The Batt about the disgusting exhibition by the GSS in Houston last week. There is no excuse for such despicable behavior. They obviously take some kind of per verse pleasure not only in being homo sexuals but in mocking our band, our traditions and our University. They should be sued for malicious slander and kicked off campus. In the past, I have been rather indif ferent towards the GSS. I was stupid enough to believe that the little fairies could coexist, since they were Aggies too. However, the GSS does not support A&M, nor are its members Aggies. Any organization who goes around ridicul ing and belittling Texas A&M doesn’t deserve the honor of being Aggies and shouldn’t be tolerated by those who are. bors — 1 am sorry that we were forced torei; idea of a This past week I have been wonder ing why the GSS fought for recognition on campus. Why would they want to connect themselves with an institution that they so obviously dislike? I mean, aren’t student organizations here to support the students and the Univer sity? If they don’t care about A&M, why fight for affiliation? Sick publicity? ognize them at A&M. I hope that graduate before Texas A&M becomes gay university. And I hope that sontf thing is done before Aggies are tooeff barrassed to be Aggies. With that kiftl of organization representing A&M,!** " 1 ing an Aggie will no longer meanbeirlj — aren and stuc On Ti Adjustm oppositii bors, tui proud of Aggieland. Kara M. Brown ’86 The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Kellie Dworaczyk, Editor Kay Mallett, John Hadett, News Editors Loren Steffy, Editorial Page Editor Sarah Oates, City Editor Travis Tingle, Sports Editor Editorial Policy I he Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaptt operated as a community service to Texas A&M and B rya n - College Station. Opinions expressed in 7 Vie Battalion arc those of iht Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessarily rep resent the opinions of 'Texas A&M administrators, laculij or the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for ewspa students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department of Communications. The Battalion is published T uesday through Friday dur- ugh t may aw ing Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions arc $16.75 per se mester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Ad vertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion. 216 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, IX 77843. Editorial staff phone number: (409) 845-2650. Ad vertising: (409) 845-2611. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. POST MAST ER: Send address changes to The Battal ion, T exas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843