Page 2/The Battalion/Friday, September 18, 1987
Opinion
Use of Confederate flag a ‘nonissue
As an A&M
freshman living in
Underwood Hall,
I was chosen dorm
public relations
chairman. Like
every other dorm
on campus, we
often had parties,
or “mixers” as
they were called,
with the guys’
dorms. And like
Sondra
Pickard
every other dorm public relations
chairman on campus, my job was to
design signs and fliers to publicize
mixers and other dorm events.
Most of the mixers and the signs I
made announcing them are long since
forgotten, but one in particular was
recently brought back to mind — the
Underwood Hall Civil War mixer.
Every mixer had a theme, and for this
one, dorm council had decided we
would represent the South, and the
guys the North. With only a week to
spare, the date was set, a Quonset Hut
was reserved, the kegs were ordered,
and the publicity began — that’s where I
came in.
For an entire grueling evening (four
hours if I remember correctly), I sat on
my floor preparing a poster I thought
only fit for kings. With the Civil War
being the theme, and my dorm
representing the South, I naturally
began by drawing a big, red, white and
blue Confederate flag at the top of the
sign that eventually would hang at our
dorm’s main entrance.
Thoughts of racism or discrimination
simply didn’t exist. At the time, I only
thought as far as how much fun I was
going to have at the mixer and what a
wonderful sign I was making.
Sometime after midnight, after
adding the final touches and getting
approval from friends, I ran down to
the first floor and hung the sign in its
designated spot. Such insignificant
accomplishments highlighted my on-
campus days, and I remember standing
alone in the quiet hallway admiring my
masterpiece, knowing that everyone in
the dorm would see it before the big
party that weekend.
The next day I found the poster
ripped to shreds and scattered on the
floor.
On the verge of tears, I stomped up
to my room and found a note asking me
to see the dorm president immediately.
The only explanation I got was that
several Underwood residents had
destroyed the sign because they were
offended by the rebel flag I had drawn.
They saw the flag as a racist symbol and,
after completing their pillage, went
straight to the Resident Hall Association
director and reported me and my
“racist” poster. The dorm president told
me not to ask any questions and to make
another sign without the flag.
I was a lot more timid back then, so I
kept quiet, did what she asked, and not
much else was heard of it. But I knew
that I wasn’t guilty and knew that I was
the one who had been treated unfairly.
An isolated and long-gone incident,
but there’s a moral to the story: The
Confederate flag doesn’t represent a
racist and discriminatory attitude on the
part of a/f who display it. Although it’s
important that Texas A&M as a public
institution remain impartial to all
minorities — blacks included —pointing
at anyone on campus associated with a
Confederate flag and shouting “racist”
is an unnecessary overreaction.
Last spring, an A&M professor and
Reagan brings back
forgotten art form
of the ethnic joke
Once again,
President Reagan
has come through
in his nation’s time
of need. Just when
we thought ethnic
humor could
never make a
comeback in this
country, the
president decides
to start collecting
Russian jokes.
Lewis
Grizzard
It was in all the papers. The president
gets these jokes from people over at
National Security, the CIA and the State
Department and he revels in telling
them to reporters.
“The president,” according to one
story I read, “likes to point out the
differences between the Soviet Union
and the United States by using Russian
jokes.”
Ethnic humor has been on the decline
in this country ever since Amos and
Andy went off the tube. Earl Butz,
recall, lost his job as secretary of
agriculture for telling an ethnic joke.
But all the frustration that has been
involved in not being able to rib a
portion of our society may now be
vented if the president’s doing it —
towards the Russians, who are too busy
standing in line to buy toilet paper to get
upset over somebody poking a little fun
at them.
Here is one of the president’s favorite
Russian jokes:
The Soviet agriculture secretary is
talking to a potato farmer about this
year’s crop.
“We have so many potatos,” says the
farmer, “we could pile them on top of
one another and they would reach to
the feet of God.”
“But this is the Soviet Union,” says
the secretary. “There is no God.”
“That’s OK,” says the farmer. “There
are no potatoes either.”
One more:
An American and a Russian are
talking. The Ammerican says, “I can
stand in front of the White House and
yell,‘To hell with ReaganT ”
“That’s nothing,” says the Russian “I
can stand in front of the Kremlin and
yell, ‘To hell with Reagan,’ too.”
In an effort to help my commander
in chief, regardless of his needs, I have a
couple of Russian jokes the president
can use, too.
• The Russian airline, Aeroflot, is
regarded as one of the world’s worst in
regards to both service and safety.
Two rookie Russian pilots are landing
at Rostov. The co-pilot looks down and
sees the runway.
“The runway is very short here,” he
says.
“We have no choice,” says the pilot.
“We must land.”
They bring in the plane and make a
miraculous landing.
“This was a short runway,” says the
co-pilot, “but I’ve never seen one
wider.”
• Two Russian cosmonauts are lost
hopelessly in space. One suggests they
pray.
“But I don’t know how to pray,” the
other replies.
“Don’t worry,” says the first
cosmonaut. “I was in United States once
and went to a Catholic church. I know
how to pray. Repeat after me, ‘Under
the “B,” 13. Under the “O,” 72 . . .
If you have any good ethnic jokes you
have been too embarrassed to tell, make
the Russinas the subject and send them
to President Reagan.
He won’t be able to continue to show
his Butz without you.
Copyright 1987, Cowles Syndicate
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Sondra Pickard, Editor
John Jarvis, Managing Editor
Sue Krenek, Opinion Page Editor
Rodney Rather, City Editor
Robbyn Lister, News Editor
Loyd Brumfield, Sports Editor
Tracy Staton, Photo Editor
library administrator noticed the
Confederate flag in a Bryan-College
Station Eagle photo taken during the
Corps of Cadets’ March to the Brazos.
Disturbed, the professor wrote a letter
to the Faculty Senate suggesting that it
urge the Corps commandant to halt the
use of the flag at official Corps
functions, as it had “racist overtones to
Early this semester, both the Dallas
Times Herald and the Associated Press
carried stories about these goings-on.
Sensing possible controversy, The
Battalion covered the meeting that later
took place between Senate members
and the Corps commandant.
What happened was that nothing
happened. A “nonissue,” as I heard
someone in the newsroom put it. The
Corps commandant knew nothing of
the flag, and it apparently hasn’t been
seen since.
If the Corps or any other A&M group
has racist attitudes or discriminates
against blacks or other minorities, then
immediate action should and would
have been taken by now. But chances
are the cadet who carried the
Confederate flag during the March to
the Brazos was just as racist as I was
when I drew the flag as freshman, and
as I am today — not at all.
There is no law against the rebel flag.
This is America, where there is no law
against any flag. The cadet had a right
to carry it, I had a right to draw and
display it and, although 1 don’t support
the Klu Klux Klan’s beliefs or actions,
they have the same right.
It’s unfortunate the Klan decided to
adopt the Confederate flag, but it w as
around long before the Klan and, to
many, the flag symbolizes a devotion to
the South and its history.To
flag symbolizes rebellion ingei
be the last one to condemn n
On Feb. 23, 1861, Texans
f avor of secession, becoming
seventh state to join theConff
On March 4, less than a month
Conf ederate states chose the
Bars” as their of ficial flag.On
the Civil War broke out. The
Confederate flag is a per
our history. Attempts to rid
Texas or this University ofit
unfounded.
But if someone is goingto
can start by removing the La 1
Sullivan Ross statue in frontof;
Academic Building. Ross,once
president of Texas A&M, was
general in the Confederal
Sondra Pickard is a senior it
major and editor o/The
mm
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Welcome to Russia
EDITOR:
one else’s business.
After reading Brian Frederick’s column of Sept . 15, it
seems to me that Mr. Frederick has been studying a little
too much Russian history. It seems he is beginning to think
a little too much like the people he is studying.
It seems Mr. Frederick doesn’t share my respect
privacy. And it seems he is a little too eager tolettk
government into our very private lives. Thereisapi
where such invasion of privacy goes on regularlyas
matter of principle, though. I iighway 6 runsallkini
ways, Mr. Frederick, and one of them is to Russia.
Jerry Rosiek ’87
In his column on the AIDS virus, Mr. Frederick
pointed out that it is suspected that AIDS can be
transmitted by mosquito bites as well as by sexual contact.
And he concluded we should begin mandatory testing of
all U.S. citizens and require everyone to carry health cards.
Mr. Frederick said, “No one’s right to privacy or any other
right can be construed to allow him to jeapardize the life of
another.”
Apology accepted
EDITOR:
This statement simply is wrong. The fact is that many
of the rights we in the United States consider to be
unalienable can and do jeapardize people’s lives. The right
to free speech is regularly accused of endangering the lives
of our military personnel when reporters make public
strategically sensitive information. The right to own
property is often accused of endangering the lives of those
who because of severe lack of property undergo health
risks.
This letter is a response to the anticipated public
apology that MSC Aggie Cinema owes to peoplewtc
David Byrne’s “True Stories” last Friday.
To the surprise of about 120 people, themoviei
expected to see for $ 1.50 suddenly cost $2.1 witness*
least a few people in line who brought with themetf
$ 1.50, so they couldn’t have gotten in if they hadn’i
borrowed from a friend.
Consider the high infant mortality rate among those
living below the poverty level. No one ever said the
freedoms we enjoy are without a price.
I also fail to see how being tested and carrying a card is
going to do any good if what Mr. Frederick says about
mosquitoes carrying the AIDS virus turns out to be true.
Maybe I’m supposed to make the mosquito show me his
card before I allow him to bite me?
Granted, 50 cents is not a big deal, butifMSCi8
Cinema gets away with this they’ll feel that, if theyitf
they can make this kind of mistake again. Regardless
reason for this inconvenience, and I’m sure they’lll 11 '
good one, they owe some sort of restitution tothesn
body. May I suggest a free midnight movie ofsimib 1
quality one weekend this fall?
What scares me more than the AIDS virus is how much
information people can get about you from a blood test. A
blood test reveals things about diabetes, pregnancy,
nicotine addictions, alcohol addictions, other drug
addictions, and a host of other health problems that are no
I know that many of us are tired of sucking upi £
University system, but to get hosed by a student
organization is going too far. Get out the grease-' 1 1
gonna be a long semester.
Mark Schupsky ’88
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The tdite^l
serves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make rf I
maintain the author's intent. Each letter must be signed and musuWiq
sificalion, address and telephone number of the writer.
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