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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1986)
Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, January 15, 1986 One small step Libya has spent a long time building its reputation as the hub of world terrorism. Countering Libya’s underhanded political activism is a complex problem, but President Reagan’s economic sanctions against Libya are a step toward a solution — a small step. Since his rise to power in 1969, Libyan leader Col. Moam- mar Khadafy has had an intimate relationship with terrorism. He frequently has provided a haven for terrorists such as those who murdered 11 athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972 and the gunmen who seized hostages at the Vienna OPEC meeting in 1975. In 1973 and in 1981 U.S. jets were fired upon by Li byan fighters. Khadafy has plotted against kings and presidents. Now he is believed to have harbored and armed the terrorists who attacked airports in Rome and Vienna late last year. Action must be taken, but not violence. Military retaliation would create vicious attack/counterattack circles. U.S. Sen. How ard M. Metzenbaum’s suggestion that we assassinate Khadafy would only lower us to the Libyan leader’s level and make him a martyr. But economic sanctions, if properly enforced, could send a powerful anti-terrorist message to Libya and its allies. America’s $336 million is chicken feed compared to Western Europe’s $12 billion economic involvement in.Libya. Libya’s trade exchange with West Germany and Italy alone amounts to billions of dol lars. An American boycott of Libyan goods will mean little unless our European allies cooperate. But many European countries fear reprisals against their citizens in Libya or military retalia tion from Khadafy-backed terrorists. Ironically, Europe, the new-found, stomping ground of ter rorists, seems less anxious to retaliate than the United States. European nations must not allow themselves to be intimidated by a psychotic zealot. A cooperative network of economic sanctions similar to the ones Reagan has instated must be implemented to effectively combat terrorism. Inaction is an admission of defeat. Military action against Libya might seem more gratifying in the short run, but in the long run, this haven for terrorists can be uprooted only through a cooperative effort of hard-line sanc tions by all nations of the Free World. The Battalion Editorial Board Opinion United Feeture Syndicate MARGUUES ©we* hovzwh r mis mu; ' y Space Cent< arry a lot mor lOiteauici. ncluded in the ■ of poetr ectionui ographical ske from pag” . , hematics and lents and grad omputerized M school song he music am recorded on; aken into sp; imander Dick st in A&M’s ( was demon 1, when he ca From King’s dream to rea “A place for c’ rthing in its pi. 'The Texas i lilice are givinj [lists a cnano Martin Luther King, Jr. was born 57 years ago to day. Although Monday is the day that has been set aside to honor King, today was the day he was ac tually born. The federal end to the unfair way blacks were being treated in the United States. Karl Pallmeyer government - — — thinks it would be better to remember King on a day when they can take a long weekend. George Washington, Abra ham Lincoln and Jesus are three other great men who have birthday/holidays on days that aren’t actually their birth days. For some reason we can’t remem ber these great men without taking off from work. King’s Fight for Civil Rights began in 1955 when he led a boycott against the segregated city bus lines in Montgom ery, Ala. In Montgomery, as in most of the South, blacks were allowed to sit only at the back of the bus and were forced to give up their seats at the com mand of a white. When nearly every black in Montgomery refused to ride the buses, the city began to lose money and was forced to desegregate its bus lines. In 1963 King led over 200,000 people in a march to Washington D.C. It was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where King made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The next year King was given the Nobel Peace Prize. UPD lias crea 1960s exploded with riots and violtoct kers who warn King refused to change his policy! IS - peaceful piotest. Even so King wasji rested on numerous occasions. In 1968 King was in Memphis I show his support for a sanitation woil ers strike. King was shot and killedb James Earl Ray in Memphis April4. King was a man who spoke against injustice and tried to putane to it. King spoke out against racialde crimination in America and the w American money was being used tosiif jrchased fror port the apartheid system in South Ai fe Departs rica. King only asked that blacks bei lowed to live like others. He wantedl see a day when men were judged non The spaces, only before tl iys. are locate* x 50 near tl lering Center. Bob Wiatt, Tt ref security at ices were ere; motorcycle p. Anyone with de parking st e spaces. Thi E nhiH wttsaid the ea may be i r to 180! King was the most important figure in the fight for Civil Rights in American history. King, a Baptist minister, advo cated the use of passive resistance and other non-violent methods to put an King’s protests were non-violent in nature, but many people were hurt and some were even killed due to over-reac tive police and hostility from people who opposed King’s work. When the the color of their skin but on thequal of their character. Now, 57 years afe his birth and 18 years after his dead King’s dream has almost become a real ity. Karl Pallmeyer is a senior journalist major and a columnist for The Bada Holiday shopping insanity cured by computer madness The envelopes with the little cel lophane windows have been pouring in the house for three weeks. They’re the com puter bills from o u r Christ m a s binge. Before com- Art BUChWQld p uter billing I ■ in. never doubted the charges. But now I tee! differently. Computers lie. I’m not saying all computers lie, just as I’m not saying all credit managers tell the truth. Take this bill from the Donation De partment Store: “Six golf club mittens — $50.00.” Do you see anything wrong with that statement? Well, what would you say if I told you I have never bought golf club mittens in my life? I called the Donation Department Store and was turned over to the credit division. “I’m phoning about a set of golf mit tens I didn’t buy.” “You forgot you bought them. Most people do.” I wasn’t going to let him bully me. “I didn’t buy them and no one in our fam ily bought them, because we don’t play golf.” “What did your family buy in the sports department?” “As far as I know, a tennis sweatband for my wife.” “Your wife plays tennis?” “No, but it helps her to see better when she’s working around the house.” “It’s your word against the comput er’s. Who do you think I believe?” “You have to take my word. I’m a cus tomer.” “All you people who threw your money away like drunken sailors this Christmas would love to blame a com puter. Ours never makes a mistake, but let’s say for argument’s sake it did. Our hands are tied. You can’t expect us to go back into the system and rectify the er ror.” “Give me an alternative.” “We might let you have the mittens for $25.” “I never received any golf mittens. Why should I pay for them?” “Because our computer says otherwi se.” “Why don’t you find the person who bought the golf club mittens and charge him?” “We would if we could find her. But our computers are not programmed to separate the golfers from the tennis players.” “Do you admit this is the Donation Store's problem?” “It is now yours. If you fail to pay, our computer will notify every computer in the world what a slimy credit card holder you really are. My advice is send in the $50 and be grateful you’re not the victim of a serious mistake.” “Why can't you just pull my name and transaction out of the memory?” “Our computer can’t spend alii I time tracking what a customer boup I for Christmas.” “What’s the solution?” “We’ve found when a compui {: makes a mistake by charging for ante you didn't buy, it forgets to billyoufc something you purchased. Soitallevtt out at the end of the year.” “For me?” “No, for the computer. The otl 1 thing 1 qm suggest is that you bringli olf mittens back and we’ll give you 50 credit.” “I don’t have the mittens.” “No problem. I’ll transfer youtoii sports department and you can orJt them over the phone.” Art Buchwald is a columnist fori Los Angeles Times Syndicate. The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Michelle Powe, Editor Kay Mallett, Managing Editor Loren Steffy, Opinion Page Editor Jerry Oslin, City Editor Cathie Anderson, News Editor Travis Tingle, Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant City Editors.... Assistant News Editor... Assistant Sports Editors Entertainment Editors.. Photo Editor Make-up Editor Kirsten Dietr Scott Sutherland Brad Whitten Ken Sury, Charean William! Bill Hughes, TriciaParke! John Makel) Richard William! Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to Texas A&M and Bryan-Cdltf 1 Station. Opinions expressed in i'he Battalion are those of the Editorial Board or the author and do not necessarily represent llr opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faculty or the Board of Regents. 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