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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 1986)
Page 2/The Battalion/Friday, October 3,1986 Opinion The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Cathie Anderson, Editor Kirsten Dietz, Managing Editor Loren Steffy, Opinion Page Editor Frank Smith, City Editor Sue Krenek, News Editor Ken Sury, Sports Editor Editorial Policy The Batialion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper oper ated as a community service to Texas A&M and Bryan-College Sta tion. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faculty or ihe Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Depart ment of Journalism. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $17.44 per semester, $34.62 per school Aave year and $36.44 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on quest. Keep 'Animals' caged U.S.-Soviet ‘spy swap’ fills Kremlin’s order When the Rea gan administra tion tiptoed its way into trading a known Soviet spy Mike Sullivan Guest Columnist for the American newsman being held hostage in Moscow, the American public was left with a huge, red hand print on its face. By snatching up the most convenient American and throwing him in prison because a Soviet spy had been caught by the United States, the Kremlin sent a strong message to Americans every where. The Kremlin told us it could take away our individual freedom whenever it feels like it. And this situa- tion proved them right. Nicholas Daniloff was framed by the So viets in a scheme that could have been more cleverly constructed by a 10-year-old. The mo tivation was equally ob vious. Trading Daniloff under any circum stances would have had the bear coming back for more. In fact, this time the bear already was back for more of what it got in 1978, when two Soviet U.N. employ ees caught in an espionage operation by the United States were swapped for an American businessman nabbed by the Soviets for smuggling. But Daniloff wasn’t a spy, and he shouldn’t have been traded as one. When he was swapped, the Soviet’s con tempt for the basic right of freedom en joyed by all Americans was saluted by the president himself. The Soviets blatantly violated the United States twice in one week. First, and more routinely, by having a spy within our borders, and secondly, by taking an innocent American hostage as a result of their spy’s cap ture. Only one week be fore Daniloff was thrown in the Moscow prison, a Soviet spy, Gennadiy Zakharov, was caught outright by the United States. Through an elaborate plan that took three years to unfold, Zakharov was ar rested for spying by the FBI and put in jail. The Kremlin was outraged. As for mer CIA Director Stansfield Turner told l ime magazine, “The Soviets don’t like to have their spies put in jail.” They don’t like it so much that even the most respected Americans aren’t be yond reproach when Soviet spies are jailed. And comparing a respected American framed by the KGB to a real Soviet spy while sitting at the bargaining table was quite accomodating of Presi dent Reagan. Using Daniloff as a bar gaining chip was just what the Kremlin ordered. Why should any self- respecting nation take that kind of abuse? T he United States shouldn’t have. Daniloff should have been regarded strictly as a hostage, and Zakharov should have been prosecuted to the full extent of U.S. law. But what we’re left with after Rea gan’s secretive deal is nothing but em barrassment. We can look forward to a summit meeting where Mikhail Gorba chev might agree to some sort of arms control only if he can be convinced the United States is way ahead of the Soviets in the Star Wars game. But lost is the greater opportunity for the United States to find out whether the Soviet Union is serious about world peace. Chances are, the Soviets are really serious only about self-preserva tion. Mike Sullivan is a senior journalism major and staff writer for The Battal ion. United Feature Syndicate Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Building. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station TX 77843. MAsftGUUlES © 1906 HOUSTON Condmud Wlk CONDENSED RICE Twelve sU .| ass preside then they ca In additio The Texas Department of Corrections is expected to do the im possible. It is under pressure from the courts to improve living con ditions, under pressure from the public to reduce the number of early releases and under pressure from the Legislature to cut spend ing. But a new law could help ease some of the tension in this three- way tug-of-war. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ted Lyon, D-Mesquite, was inspired by Jerry “Animal” McFadden’s early release on mandatory supervi sion. McFadden is a sex offender who is charged with killing three teen-agers in Wood County less than a year after his release. McFadden’s good conduct credits plus the time served equalled the length of his sentence, and even the Board of Pardons and Pa roles could do nothing to prevent his release. The McFadden incident is an eye-opening example of how TDC’s “good time” program can be used to gain early release. While good time helps reduce prison overcrowding — thereby appeasing court-ordered reform requirements — it often means unleashing dangerous convicts on society before they have served their full term — before they have been properly rehabilitated. The new law will mean that prisoners convicted of serious crimes, such as those involving the use of a deadly weapon, will not be eligible for mandatory supervision releases. Their release dates will be determined by the parole board. Unfortunately, the law will aggravate the already grim over crowding problem in Texas prisons. Like it or not, the Legislature is going to have to let go of its end of the rope first. Mandated reforms and the problem with early releases must take precedence over fiscal considerations. Texans are right in demanding that justice be served. Not only do early releases mean a lack of judicial satisfaction, they destroy public confidence in the state’s legal system. The only way to solve the problems of the increased overcrowd ing that will result from the implementation of the bill is to build more prisons. No one likes to pay more money to accommodate peo ple who have broken the law, out it is a-price that must be paid if we want to keep these criminals where they belong. The early release law is the first step in easing the tug of war be tween the federal courts, the citizens and the Legislature; appro priating more money for prisons is the second. If someone doesn’t give soon, it’s law and order that’s going to get dragged through the mud. CONDENSED MUD Society, too, reaps rewards of higher education funding Bed 30 presiden .idit fresh m The presk • Alike Li: Lister sail school and I qualify him I "I enjoy i people and "'0,” he said. • Jay Jen: (from Dallas. Jenson sai s open to Tm oper inybody anc " "hesaid. Dan K1 | »n Antonio Kloke said he's i me, iomething tc Classes at A& feel the Folks backf home sometimes tell me, “If you really want to learn how to bilk, beat or otherwise best your fellow man, go to colle ge” They laugh and then ask me how things are going. We talk a while, Cathie Anderson but I always go away feeling like an eel — a little slimy and a lot slippery. Lately I’ve wondered if the folks back home have been joking with the bu reaucrats and politicos in Washington because federal officials there say stu dents are besting Uncle Sam with some pretty slick maneuvers, including using federal money to buy stereos and sports cars. dersecretary for planning in the Educa tion Department, said he remains un daunted. “There is a certain amount of f rustra tion," he said in an Oct. 1 article in 7 Vie Chronicle of Higher Education. “In the sense that you haven’t accomplished what you put a great deal of effort into and that you think the alternative to what you have proposed is wrong for the country.” Carnes reasons that the people who go to college are the “primary beneficia ries,” so they ought to bear the expense. On the surface, this argument isn’t such a bad one. Americans would notice, however, the results — in this case, a drop in quality of life and difficultv in pavm for their children’s education. (Potenli vithout a goi hink they co • Robert an Antonio. Marraro s, ient govern i iiture. want to Smc innovators don't always have wealll ^ vVarre parents.) Carnes, who taught American liitr: emt j I ture at James Madison University in' l ® ln s 111 ’ ■oath. feel like he world sh< ieer." said St To kill thi light. Using Apparently I and my peers have one of the larger rackets in the country. (The next thing you know the God father may come to get a piece of the pie.) Why we probably rank right up there with people who roll the govern ment for big bucks on studies, such as the study that establishes that you’re likelier to get hurt if you have an acci dent in a small car than if you have an accident in a large one or the study that says the number of teen-age pregnan cies would be lower if teen-agers quit having sex. But I suppose it’s better for Congress to be used by college grad uates rather than college students. So officials in the U.S. Education De partment have determined that too much money is being spent on federal education programs. Although Con gress prevented a reduction in funding for student aid and college programs this year, Bruce M. Carnes, deputy un- After all, I’m the one who’s beneflt- i n g f r o m t h e knowledge that other college-edu cated people have accumulated. And those college-edu cated profession als are benefiting because they are earn ing money as I one day will. So a primary beneficiary I am — not in the sense that 1 am the main one to benefit but in the sense that I am the first to benefit. In the end, American society gains just as much from funding education as the students themselves do. This society profits because the knowledge acquired can be used to formulate innovations that will increase its chance not just to survive but to live better. Carnes said, “If Congress were to make a cut (in funding for higher edu cation). I don’t think that the average American would even notice it.” Perhaps, but there are many cuts Congress could make that the average American would not notice. What ’7()s, say s he hasn't changed hisviewsn the federal role in education since days on the campus. “I’ve always felt that federal dm™ ., You soak non programs are too expensive andii ;o r t' e mout role of Washington is not good foredi cation.” he said. Luckily, Can can’t speak lor erv educator in United States, for those who I agree with spem ing cuts prop® by the pre: he’s been known respond, “Oinl IT oink, oink.” Well, “some people have minds I cash registers,” he said. “You can'tsa anything about education without to saying, ‘Gimme, gimme, gimme.' " Carnes may he t ight. Perhaps then money to be gotten from the Kdiialu Department. Unfortunatelv, I have yet to capital/! on this. Hav ing worked two jobsmosK my way through college, 1 feeldieiitEil Since this is my last semester, 1 sup|» I’ll never get the chance to buva car. Cathie Anderson is a senior journals major and editor forThe Battalion. Call Reagan's lack of concern EDITOR: Once again President Reagan has showed his lack of concern for the opinion of the citizens of America and his insensitivity toward the oppression and servitude enforced upon the millions of black people by the white-minority government in South Africa. Reagan vetoed a hill that was the first real stance, through Congress, against apartheid. He continues to repeat that the United States “must stay and build, not cut and run.” Well, the United States has, through trade and investment, been partly responsible for the strong foundation of the practice of apartheid. It is now time to start dismantling it with or without the support of the South African government. Reagan argues that the bill only will hurt South African blacks, leaving the United States responsible for “increased suffering and perhaps starvation in South Af rica.” There he goes again — the system of apartheid breeds a lifetime of suf fering by the majority of the blacks there. It is up to Congress to support freedom and to do what is right because our president would no do it himself. Perhaps Reagan should heed the words of the slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Don Scott ’87 before. Grizzard asks, “Aren’t we intelligent enough to think for ourselves and mold our own beliefs without the Robertsons, Falwells, Swaggarts, et al. taking care ol tlii'se functions for us?” The United States is a republic, not a tlemocrac v, meaning that our unique civ ilization is based on a higher and more permanent standard than the whims ol a popular majority. That standard stems from a set often commands that can be found chisled in marble above ihe heads of the highest court of the land. These standards were hewn during a period of Our history in which proclaimers of the Christian faith were supported by public taxes, and individuals were denied (lie right to vote unless they were members in good staiHlinj,' of a Christian assembly. To discredit men who attempt to communicate these truths to the public, is to perform the ultimate act of treason. To publish Crizzard’s column is to apply the warped code of beliefs he condones. To agree with Grizzard is to propagate anarchy. The battle line is drawn. The war wages on. We Christians must realize that a conflict exists. I, for one, stand for the principles of righf and wrong as presented by the Bible. * Markel Lee Simmons ’88 Ultimate act of treason EDITOR'S NOTE: Publishing Grizzard's column is pint ol a larger responsibility to publish a wide variety of opinion on the Opinion Page. As is clearly stated in our editorial policy, the opinions expressed in columns are those of tilt authors, not The Battalion. EDITOR: Lewis Crizzard’s column, “Church-state marriage forces scary offspring,” (Tuesday’s Battalion), poses a question which has been raised on the Opinion Page Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The ediioriJ staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will malt every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signd and must include the classification, address and telephone numberoM writer. AUSTIN kill of the