Page 2/The Battalion/Thursday, April 10, 1986
Opinion
No simple solutions
Terrorism doesn’t have any simple solutions. The recent
flexing of our military biceps in the Gulf of Sidra only angered
Libya’s ruling lunatic. Col. Moammar Khadafy. Backed into a
corner, Khadafy has, and will continue to, strike back the only
way he can — with terrorist activity. But finally our European
allies are joining us in our efforts to combat terrorism.
The recent bombings of a discotheque in West Germany and
a U.S. airliner over Greece have sparked worldwide awareness.
After last year’s attacks on the Rome and Vienna airports,
America’s allies offered little support in ferreting out those re
sponsible, primarily because they were afraid of damaging ties
to the oil-supplying Arabs.
But with terrorist activities on the rise, European nations are
recognizing it as a global problem. Terrorism affects all nations
involved, regardless of who the initial targets are.
In the wake of last week’s bombings. West Germany expelled
two Libyan diplomats in connection with the discotheque explo
sion. France expelled two others accused of planning anti-
American activities. Security has been increased in many Euro
pean airports, including Athens, a known hub of terrorist travel.
This kind of cooperation is vital in the battle against terror
ism. A unified front against terrorists will make their bomb-and-
run tactics more difficult. If countries work together, terrorists
will have fewer places to run. Retaliatory action is not always
possible — stronger anti-terrorist precautions are our most ef
fective defense.
Cooperating as true allies instead of allowing alliances to be
overshadowed by self-interests is definitely a step in a positive
direction.
The Battalion Editorial Board
United Fciture Syntliciu
The conveniences
of airport living
Since the Rea
gan administra
tion has put parts
of the United
States up for sale,
everyone is bid
ding on our more
valuable prop
erties. A British-!^
company has ten-
dered an offer Art BllChwald
through the N.M.
Rothschild Bank to buy Dulles and Na
tional airports. The Brits are willing to
pay $1 billion. This seems like a lot of
money if you’re thinking landing strips.
But it’s a spit in the bucket if you’re talk
ing real estate.
Jeff Doranz, America’s leading devel
oper, hopes to outbid the British for the
two airports. He believes that air termi
nals have a great untapped potential for
mass housing.
“If you bought Dulles and National
airports, would you tear down the pre
sent terminals?” I asked him.
“On the contrary, the terminals are
very decorative and fit in with our hous
ing and shopping architecture.”
“Will you still permit planes to take
off and land?”
“We will not only permit it, but en
courage it. What we’ll be selling with our
condominiums is access to the airports.
We’re aiming our sales at the person
who is always on an airplane. As a mat
ter of fact we want to put flashing signs
at the ends of the runways which will
say, ‘If you lived here you’d be home
now.’”
“Where on the field do you plan to
construct your housing developments?”
He took out his blueprints. “Right
here, along both sides of the runway.
We want to make this place a family
community. On warm nights we hope
people will sit in their back yards, drink
beer and wave at the passengers as they
whiz by.”
“The houses don’t leave much room
for the pilots to land,” I pointed out.
“The pilots don’t need much room as
long as the townhouse gaslights act as
beacons for them.”
“Will the frightful noise be a negative
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I have heard
many Texas A&M
students discuss
various problems
they have faced
during their col
lege career. Prob
lems with parking,
classes, Q-drop,
tuition,
scholarships and
dealing with the
in their lives — just as it is the most
pressing obligation in the lives of the
students.
Considering the regents'Siam
against the Cay Student Services, a to ^ J f
Karl
Pallmeyer
factor for your homeowners?”
Doranz said, “Why should it be? Resi
dents will have pride of ownership in
what the airports do. When they hear a
roar overhead they’ll sleep better know
ing People’s Express is bringing another
payload safely home.”
I studied Doranz’s blueprints.
“What’s this circle located in the middle
of the runway at National Airport?”
“That’s the golf course.”
“You are seriously building a golf
course on the National runway?”
“Where would you build one if you
owned an airport? As the primary de
velopers we don’t have much space to
work with. We have the Potomac on one
side and this highway on the other. The
only place for golf links is here, unless
the government wants to sell us 1-95.”
“How do you play golf with the
planes taxiing up and down all day
long?” .
“Golfers who buy into the devel
opment will have priority over the
planes. Our flight tower will be in
structed to hold up on all landings and
takeoffs until the members play
through.”
“Where are you going to put the
shopping center?”
“Here on the first three floors of our
40-story hotel and office tower. We have
to build up because we can’t spread
out.”
“Does that mean you will raze all
these giant repair hangars?”
“Of course not. We’re just going to
move the planes out and the cars in. Air
plane hangars make marvelous parking
garages for automobiles. When you buy
a terminal you have to use every inch of
the ground for revenue. The reason air
ports are losing money these days is they
spend too much on servicing planes.”
“Tell me the truth, Doranz. If you
buy National and Dulles airports from
the government, will you still allow air
traffic to use them?”
“We will for the time being. But all
bets are off if we need another golf
course.”
administration. These problems, for the
most part, can be traced to the Board of
Regents.
The Board (or Bored) of Regents
members are ultimately responsible for
what happens at this University, even
though they won’t admit it on certain
occasions. Since the regents are respon
sible for these problems they should be
made to feel the full effect of them.
If the regents are going to stay here
they should be forced to take classes.
One of the biggest problems with the re
gents is that they don’t understand what
it means to be a student in today’s world.
To ensure fairness the regents should
be stripped of all their degrees and
forced to become undergraduates in a
subject they know nothing about. They
should be involved in the learning expe
rience of all students and not get any
special treatment.
pie of them should be forced to take u|
an alternative lifestyle. This ma) seen
to be a little drastic,
He v\
:al, bi
om a
iinderg
m.
The cause of the biggest problems
stems from the fact that there is no com
munication between the regents and the
students. Students aren’t allowed to
speak to the regents during their
monthly meetings and the regents
aren’t on campus often enough to give
students the opportunity to speak to
them. We need our regents here.
If they were forced to leave their
homes in Dallas, San Antonio, Houston,
Amarillo or wherever and live in Col
lege Station there wouldn’t be so much
distance between the regents and those
whose interests they should be taking
care of. The regents should be forced to
leave their jobs, families and friends and
make A&M the most pressing obligation
The regents also would have to give
up their wealth. They should have to
struggle to make ends meet just like the
rest of the student body. It would be in
teresting to see Royce Wisenbaker,
Lowry Mays or Joe Richardson juggle
16 hours of classes, two jobs and main
tain a social life without going crazy.
To help the regents fit in with the stu
dent body they should undergo plastic
surgery. A good plastic surgeon will be
able to take years off even the oldest re
gent. You wouldn’t be able to tell Joe
Reynolds or William McKenzie from
typical freshmen.
The regents would better understand
the special problems women students
face if some of them were women. Be
cause no women are on the board, some
of them should undergo sex change op
erations. John Mobley, John Coleman
and Henry Cisneros would look pretty
good as women. They might even want
to join the band.
but sometime: I
takes drastk measures to shake off pw f . RCI
i , [ ■etions
udices and accept people no matterli»» our( (]
different they may seem. Who kno»'M Crosl
the regents might even enjoy theAcaine
selves. ■ightcli
Recently the board refused to talfP nson ’
position on divestment of ABf fun
tied to South Africa. Even though
regents have the final say on all
A&M’s financial decisions, regent cl
man David Eller said that divesti
was not within the pervietv of the
He should be made to feel the full
of his lack'of decision.
Eller should undergo plastic sui
to change him from lily-white to 1
black. Then he should besentasan
change student to South Africa, w
he would learn a little something at
the evils of apartheid. If he knew
A&M’s money was being used to
press and kill jjeople just because
aren’t white, he might want to dosoi
thing to stop it.
The Board of Regents has
some progress in the past few )K
The biggest reason for this [
Bum Bright — he left. Has anyone
ticed how well the Aggie football
has done since? Has anyone nt
how badly the Dallas Cowboys
done since he bought into the francliii
Karl Pallmeyer is a senior jounm
major and a columnist for TheBitu
ion.
Art Buchwald is a columnist for the
Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwestjournalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Editor Michelle Powe
Managing Editor Kay Mallett
Opinion Page Editor Loren Steffy
City Editor J err y Oslin
News Editor Cathie Anderson
Sports Editor Travis Tingle
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Mail Call
Fire relief
EDITOR:
Many people are now aware of the tragic fire that
swept 13 units in the Sausalito Apartments Sunday
evening. In conjunction with other local efforts, the Off
Campus Aggies will set up collection boxes to help the
students who were victims of the fire. Today and Friday,
there will be boxes set up in the Commons area and
Rudder area bus stops for students to drop off items such
as clothing, linens, pots and pans, utensils, cleaning items
and canned goods.
We encourage all A&M students to help out in this
time of need. Your support is greatly appreciated.
and scorecards to evaluate the drill. T hey come in
reverence, to pay homage.
Last, Woodward should remember that the Ross
Volunteers are not carved from granite. Although the
cadence and rigid disposition of the squad may sometimes
seem mechanical, the emotion of that ceremony hitsusas
hard as anyone. The wet eyes of those grouped around
Sully, the silence, the darkness and the awesome reverend
of the moment all have their effect. If someone’s footstepi
therefore an instant late, so be it. We are only human.
In short the shame should not be on Woodward’s
shoulders but on ours, that we once counted him among
our ranks, but let him slip away without teaching him (he
very first fact about Aggie pride and respect.
Michelle Davis ’86
Off Campus Aggie President
Jeff Brady
Commanding Officer
Company D-l
Apologies and reminders
EDITOR:
I am not a man given to frequent outbursts of criticism,
but as Commanding Officer of Company D-l and a
member of the Ross Volunteers, I feel obligated to
respond to the arrogant and self-righteous words of our
former freshman Logan Woodard in his letter in Friday’s
Battalion.
First — an apology to the friends and family of those
remembered at April’s Silver Taps — and to the RV
Company as a whole. Woodard does not represent the
sentiments of our outfit or of any real Aggie that I know.
Secondly, he needs to be reminded of the real meaning
behind Silver Taps. The ceremony is “that final tribute
paid to an Aggie” by fellow Aggies on campus as a symbol
of our esteem for one another. It is not a drill competition.
It is not an exercise for a panel of judges. True, the Firing
Squad does practice beforehand. True, it is a solemn
occasion. But real Aggies don’t come with grading sheets
Missing Vibrations'
EDITOR:
Over the weekend I lost my bike, which I had parked
and locked in front of Hart Hall. It is a black Huffy with
big tires and “Good Vibrations” written on its chain guard
I am pretty sure somebody stole it.
If whoever took it really needed it (maybe to help pa)
the rent or tuition or things like that), I think I’ll let them
have it. But if not, I just hope that Allah gives them
guidance in their future steps. (By the way, I bought the
bike for $127.50. So if it’s sold, I hope it’s not sold too
cheap.)
Wahyu Budiarto
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