Page 2/The Battalion/Thursday, November 12, 1987
Opinion
The Battalion
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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
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ment of Journalism.
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End tradition of chauvinismAS
or end tradition of bonfire nn<
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Third time lucky?
Ed
Reason — and advisers other than Attorney General
Meese III — has prevailed at the White House.
President Reagan, saying his two failed nominations have
left him “a bit wiser,” Wednesday nominated Judge Anthony
Kennedy to the U.S. Supreme Court. Kennedy, an 11-year vet
eran of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California, is consid
ered a moderate conservative and has support from both Demo
crats and Republicans.
Most important, Kennedy, though acclaimed as a true con
servative, has written none of the hard-line decisions that helped
bring down the nomination of Robert Bork. And his personal
life appears free of the foibles that ended Douglas Ginsburg’s
bid for the court.
Kennedy’s only real opposition has come from Meese, whose
adamant urging led to Ginsburg’s nomination over the protests
of White House Chief of Staff Howard Baker and other presi
dential advisers. Meese’s influence once again proved more of
an embarrassment than a blessing, but it seems calmer and wiser
heads have prevailed in selecting the third nominee.
For now, it looks like the third time’s the charm.
— The Battalion Editorial Board
Mail Call
A great step forward
EDITOR:
How can Mr. Rosiek possibly say the Black Awareness Committee and the
MSC administrators are ambivalent about racial problems? Why, just this fall
OPAS was made to change the name of its fundraiser from “Slave Auction”
to “Serf Auction.” This is obviously a great step for racial minorities
everywhere.
Leigh Tolar’89 t ,,
Cornering the patriotism market
EDITOR:
I am writing in response to James Sexton’s letter of Nov. 5.1 would like to
agree with him that patriotism is not passe. My disagreement with him stems
from the fact that he seems to believe that right-wing ideologues such as
himself have a corner on the patriotism market.
I consider myself to be somewhat left of center politically but do not feel
that I deserve the contemptuous comments of a patriot like Mr. Sexton. I
came to this University after serving three years as an Army Ranger and have
a deep love and respect for the traditions on which this country was founded.
I think that Mr. Sexton should consider that the reason that people like
myself attack the views of people like Brian Frederick is because we love this
country. We would like to see it live up to the potential that our founding
fathers saw.
Brian Frederick has continually attacked ideas like individual rights and
equal opportunities that are the cornerstone of our republic. He has
proposed the elimination of free public education which has been an
American birthright since the early 19th century. He has idolized Robert
Bork, a man whose legal writings have consistently stood in opposition to
equal representation and equal justice for all Americans. America was
founded on the concept of majority rule with respect for the rights of the
minority. Brian Frederick has shown too great an inclination to allow the
institutions of American government to be used to preserve the social status
quo at the expense of the rights of the individual or of the less powerful.
Brian Frederick certainly has the right to express his opinion, and I feel
that I have a right to respond to his line of malarkey without having my
patriotism or integrity impugned by some punk like Mr. Sexton. I am getting-
pretty sick and tired of the right wing using an attack on individual patriotism
as a smoke screen to hide the intellectual weakness of its argument.
William L. Hancock Jr. ’87
Shhhhhhhh!
EDITOR:
During my few months at A&M, I have noticed that the library, for many,
is a place to socialize rather than study. Talking is unusually bad on the third
floor, but it happens on all six floors. I would like to propose a compromise to
those who insist on talking while some of us attempt to study: All those
wishing to talk, listen to walkmen, pick up guys/girls, etc., go to the third floor
and leave the other floors for us to study. I apologize to those who like to
study on the third floor, myself included, but it is the most reasonable
solution to this growing problem.
Brian Lilly ’90
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters
for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and
must include the classification, address and telephone number of the writer.
BLOOM COUNTY
The time has
come to speak out
against tradition,
especially the type
of tradition that
discriminates.
Take bonfire as an
example.
If you’re a male,
you have no prob
lem . Bonfire is
your haven, your
project, your "
school spirit.
But the prevailing
DA
Jensen
attitude among
many of the bonfire-builders seems to
be that if you’re female, bonfire con
struction should be off-limits: Women
shouldn’t be “allowed” inside the pe
rimeter. They should stay home and
make cookies for the men; that’s where
they belong.
This attitude is wrong.
This attitude of discrimination is the
same attitude that women must fight ev
ery day in the “real world.” It is the
same attitude most of us do not accept
outside the walls of this institution. I
wonder why we accept it at Texas A&M.
Maybe the answer is that we don’t ex
pect this tradition-related discrimina
tion to carry over into the outside world,
but that isn’t right. The same people
who think women shouldn’t work on
bonfire will discriminate against them
and others in the work place. Discrimi
nation does change locations. It does
not go away.
Maybe the boys of bonfire should
take a look around and see that tradi
tion can remain tradition even when it is
flexible enough to change with the
times.
The Corps of Cadets has recognized
the importance of changing with the
times. It didn’t give up the importance
of tradition when it allowed women to
participate in the Aggie Band or the
Ross Volunteers. If these groups didn’t
suffer when women were admitted, I
doubt bonfire will.
What is the answer? There are many
options.
The women on this campus can get
off the apathy kick and stand up for
their rights as humans. This means pro
testing the discrimination they face in
the name of tradition, not staying home
— barefoot and pregnant — making
cookies for bonfire. It means going to
work on bonfire, if that is their desire. It
means not tolerating even that discrimi
nation that doesn’t directly affect them
at this moment; it will affect them even
tually. Catering to people who discrimi
nate through inaction only reinforces
that discrimination.
Another solution may involve dissolv
ing bonfire as a tradition. If a tradition
is discriminatory, it should not rep
resent Texas A&M. It is not the image I
would want the University to have in
other people’s eyes.
Discontinuing bonfire wouldn’t be
such a great loss because it doesn’t accu
rately represent the school spirit of the
entire student body. It has become an
arena to prove masculinity, even if that
proof requires physically or verbally
abusing another student. Unfortu
nately, it is also an arena filled with im
maturity and self-doubt.
I’d like to know what will happ
when these bonfire builders lose thi
opportunity to constantly prove tk
manhood by building and bullyinj
can’t help but think that their quest
conformation will manifest itself
other forms of domination. I hesitate
name the ones that come to mind.
By
I don’t think the University should
low a tradition of discrimination toco
tinue for the gratification of the few.
ifl
The Te:
National (
rekked to
lay to disc
ng women
flj They wi
fc
reatment
jhotog
10.
rap!
I don’t really like this answer. Itpo were ve ^
ishes all for the crimes of a few. B - a ssed whi
then, this is a crime of the masses, 11 lie bonfire
guilt does not fall solely on the shot; A group
ders of the perpetrators. It falls ont nan from
eryone for allowing it to continueyc r ' re Wedn
after year. It falls on those who witnc jF ie tl l 7ie
the abuse and fail to take action to a
it. It falls on all of us. Cara Ch
The best answer 1 have is diciplinai 0 r and a n
and possibly legal action against thoi she enjoye
who abuse others. I think the admiti' don will he
tration should take firm action agait f “ We w . a
those who flout the undeniable list® particip
human rights. Obviously they cai
force the idea of equality on anyone,ii 4jow anc
they can make sure that everyone said t hat £
aware that discrimination is not c« the situatk
doned at this institution. “I feel a
I don’t want to work on bonfire, but erything,’’
want every person at A&M to havetl
opportunity to stack without hi i ce P tlons ’
rassment, regardless of his — or her- i 0C£ j
gender. I want to see some semblance! animal
equality in every area of life. The
way this can happen for everyone is
stand up for the underdog, even in
small situation, like bonfire.
imal scii
at she t
well.
Whitley
forum, t<
D.A. Jensen is a senior journalism i
jor and a columnist for The Battalion.
MARam
HOU&X f&r
Clei
AUSTI
appointee
10 month
commissic
hometowi
\ “It is ch
not really
and we’re
Pf
Watching a dream die in 3 minutes
“I’m waiting for
one more client;
then we’ll go in,”
the lawyer said.
“Ah, here she
comes. Now, let’s
go get you ladies
divorced.”
Carolyn
Garcia
Guest Columnist
I had come to the courthouse to lend
support to my friend. She’s a tiny, pe
tite, beautiful young woman who had
decided she had just had enough.
I was feeling increasingly guilty. I am
happily married and have a really ter
rific husband. He dotes on me, spoils
me, is thrilled with my career choice and
is my best friend — things I never
thought I’d feel bad about.
“How long were you married?” the
unknown woman asked my friend.
“Three years,” she responded. “And
you?”
The unknown woman said, “Eleven
months. Yeah, I know.”
The lawyer rushed us down the hall
by Berke Breathed
H6Y, YOU &UY5/ The
IMPUL5IV6 PISPLflY OF
SUPP6N LABOR. VIOLBNCC
BROUGHT ON BY UNP6R-
OTANPftBLY STRAINZP
6M0V0N5 WONT
NecesMRY*
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almost at a run.
“On a busy day they’ll just cut it off at
a certain number, so we had better hur
ry,” the lawyer said. Each of the soon-to-
be-single women looked at each other, a
little confused.
I couldn’t help thinking that although
no one ever said the legal system was
compassionate, this was approaching
borderline cold. My friend and her law
yer-encumbered companion were first
in line to have the judge hear their
cases. We were rushed into the judge’s
chamber.
“Okay, who needs to be sworn in
first?” the judge asked. The lawyer
pointed at the unknown woman.
After the spiel you hear in old “Perry
Mason” reruns, the lawyer then rushed
through a list of brisk, rather abrupt
questions, answered “yes” or “no” by his
client. The judge then said she would
recommend divorce.
Three minutes for the shattering of
dreams and illusions. I wanted to cry.
The woman sat there not knowing what
to do. The judge said, “That’s it. You’re
divorced.” To which the lawyer added,
“You can go.”
The poor woman was so shook she
didn’t know what to do. And I was glad
I had come with my friend. This was
one of the most awkard moments I had
ever experienced. I sat there thinking
that there was no way God would want
someone to go through this alone. The
judge turned to my friend, before the
other girl was even out of the room, and
said, “Raise your right hand ...”
My friend’s divorce was a little more
complicated. She has a son and a chemi-
cally-dependent husband. With these
added considerations, it’s only natural
that it should take longer — all of six
minutes.
Six minutes for the changing of
young woman’s life and that of a %
month-old child.
During the six-minute interlude, I be
came panicky. Everything was happei
ing so fast that the room seemed to 1
spinning. The judge didn’t seem to 1
listening to what my friend was sayinf
The lawyer seemed to be playing "f
man” to the judge. My friend was
ting choked up and having difficulij
talking. And I was about to tell the
judge to listen up, the lawyer to shut uf
and my friend to calm down.
Somehow I managed to overcome ml
anxiousness and the sick feeling in ml
stomach and keep from getting thro#
out. I began rapid-fire whispering to mf
friend things she had told me sbf
wanted to tell the judge, but that shf
seemed to have forgotten in the errtf
tion of the whole thing. Or she j#
didn’t have the strength to spit then'
out.
In nine minutes, two families wer<
permanently changed.
My husband and I were married si'
years ago this month by a judge who was
in a hurry to get home to see a Dallas
Cowboys football game, and our shofi
ceremony and the customary hand
shakes took more time than the dissol'j
ing of these two families.
Maybe their judge had some otftf 1
sporting event to get to. Or maybe these
judges see their jobs as a big game, and
they’re the referees — the longer the)
keep the clock stopped, the longer the
game runs, and the longer until theyge 1
to go home.
Carolyn Garcia is editor of Texas Fir:
man magazine and a former assisted 1
city editor for The Battal ion.
MSC
Political
Forum
$
£*