Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 1988)
We can’t breathe Race to Oval Office starting to heat up and will get hott£ a , are As freshmen we enter this university and are told, “You adults now. We expect you to act like adults and we will be treating you as such.” However, this is far from the truth and the new resi dence hall security measures are but another example of how far from adulthood and responsibility the administration at A&M thinks we are. The locking of outside doors to the residence halls at 7 p.m. and mandatory escorting of opposite sex visitors is not only a nuisance, but the reasoning given for the new policy doesn’t make sense. The administration said the policy was adopted to cut down on thefts and prevent attacks on female students. But unless dorm residents lock their doors, the thefts will still oc cur — by other residents of that hall. As for the attack issue, a victim would seem to be much safer from attack inside the dorm, as op posed to outside, where other residents could hear the victim’s shouts or cries. Such was the case in an attack this summer where other residents scared the attacker away. We realize that these measures were adopted to ensure students’ safety, but in the end they are another suffocating restriction on the freedom we “adults” are supposed to enjoy. Labor Day has traditionally been the kickoff of the presidential cam- paign . And al though both can- didates have jumped the cam paign gun by a few weeks, this pro vides a convenient is 6 months older than Nixon was and only slightly younger than Teddy Roosevelt was when they each became Vice-President. And Dan Quayle has as much Senate experience as John F. Kennedy had when he was elected Pres ident. By oppurtunity to as sess both Bush’s Timm Doolen and Dukakis’ campaigns. We’ll be seeing a lot of them both for the next three months. Mail Call Nuclear energy presents no danger EDITOR: This is in response to Dean Sueltenfuss’ column in the Sept. 1 edition of The Battalion. First of all, nuclear energy produces 17 percent or one-sixth of our nation’s electrical power; a significant percentage that does not include the nuclear energy we import from Canada. I would challenge anyone to prove that nuclear energy is more dangerous than air or automobile travel. I don’t have enough room here to mention all the airline flights that ended in tragedy much less all the automobile accidents that kill tens of thousands of people each year, there is much more reason to call for an abolishment of airline and automobile travel than for nuclear power plants. As far as nuclear waste, although it has a long half-life, after about 200 years it is no more radioactive than the natural material. In addition, there is more waste produced by hospitals than by all nuclear power plants in the U.S. combined. I guess we are going to have to do without health care if Mr. Sueltenfuss’ argument is followed. Finally, to give all sources of energy a fair shake should one not elaborate on the drawbacks of each? Acid rain has been connected with the use of coal at power plants. Some scientists also believe that the global warmipg we are now experiencing is irreversible and that if the burning of coal plants is not stopped that a shortage of food due to crop damage from the warming will cause more starvation — not to mention the loss of real estate along beaches as well as more severe storms that would increase property damage and loss of life. Given this, I would prefer to deal with the nuclear waste problem (which has already been solved in France), than with something as catastrophic as global climate change. Isn’t this reason enough to stop burning coal? Mike Gaeta Graduate student 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 Let’s look at what’s happened in the past few weeks: At the Republican national conven tion, Vice President George Bush picked Dan Quayle as his running mate. Many analysts, especially critics of Bush, claim that his choice was a mistake that will cost the Republicans the election. Well, the analysts are wrong for three good reasons. First, because of the Quayle contro versy, the press has focused an inordi nate amount of attention on the Repub licans, leaving the Democratic campaign stalled. Secondly, by sticking to his vice presidential choice and talking tough to Quayle’s critics. Bush emerged with the image of a fighter rather than a wimp. Finally, the press’ attack on Quayle has unified the Republicans and in the words of conservative columnist Pat Bu chanan, it has been able to successfully “unite, energize and activate the Reagan coalition.” So while Quayle did look like a liability, his controversy has turned out to be a welcome, albeit unantici pated, asset to the campaign. By election day only political analysts will remember the National Guard story. In all, 16 of the 27 million people eligible for the draft found a way to be come ineligible. Some taught school, some maintained good grades in col lege, some fled to Canada, and others served their country proudly by joining the National Guard. Even Pete DuPont, who ran against Bush in the primaries, admitted to joining that the Navy dur ing the Vietnam War so he wouldn’t see open combat. Should we really castigate Dan Quayle for doing something twenty years ago that any one of us would have done in the same position? Regardless of the question, the issue will soon fade away along with the bulk of early cam paign rhetoric. Likewise, the query of Quayle’s com petence will fall by the wayside. Quayle But back to current events: soon after the Convention, Bush started attacking Dukakis’ gubernatorial veto of a bill that would make it mandatory for teachers to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The details of the issue are not as important as the way Dukakis handled it. He ar gued his defense on legal terms, citing the unconstitutionality of the bill. But Joe Applepie doesn’t care about the legal issues. Joe just gets the idea that Dukakis is against the Pledge, and along with it, the American flag and other patriotic symbols. These are im portant symbols, especially to southern and midwestern white males, whom some analysts claim are the critical vot ing group in this election. Early last week, we saw a poll that showed Bush and Dukakis running dead even in the Duke’s own state of Massachusetts. But although Dukakis may implement a tax hike to pay for his Massachusetts defecit, which has tempo rarily made him unpopular in his own state week, he will w'in that state handily as well as many of the northeastern in dustrial states. Some conservative analysts j this was an act of desperation,U likely it was an act of good sense.Sf kis’ platform has been onthedt: Results c for the p.isi i w o w ccks, and id'hring to < had turned n at oum I Samm >n ll " 1 Dukasis’ gubernatorial i aiiipai:f e ^ , ’ nlin ^a ... , . ' ysonir MS. will soon to iii|o( i a needed U p . uu presidential race. B| e d whl: \M,.u will we see in the titB^ds V weeks? We’ll see plenty of moiiWyhe ini pre-planned media events and»ie maj< opportunities. 1 he only (lift md in a that both sides oi the ticket\villt,pe|> peop the pi ess to then advantage.TkW un< ^ caI1 , • , Ra\ says kis camp, now that Sainmo"^ 7 ,'S camp now n.ai *™wm comp \ aboard, will begin la mu Inns; n "“We've- sive that won't stop until \ w hich hasn though f.nslis slndii e.uh ,n! Bit's a l>i wall help him sust.uu Ins k id gas. phom other con We w ill see Quay le at tu.ilh 't-pjas wlu i paigning for the first lime, in- ted constantly being on the defemi p*' en ^ we’ll be seeing l>“'iv s.-nsf/m301 and Quayle me Congress re th Senators Et . i tlOie l)inl< 1" llinllu ' li; iglo, mti around cat Bent sen Later in the week, we saw George Bush on the beaches of New' Jersey rhe torically asking why Dukakis’ home state asked for a permit to dump their sludge along Jersey’s shores. During his speech, a helicopter flew' by with a ban ner attached saying “Where was Teddy Kennedy?” Replying to the earlier Dem ocratic question “Where was George Bush?”, he replied that he was at home with Barbara — a biting inuendo about Chappaquiddick. Jim Baker, Bush’s campaign man ager, not the televangelist, has planned their next big media event this week in East Texas, where he will watch missiles made illegal by the INF treaty be de stroyed. Bush wants to make the visual statement that the Republican adminis tration is committed to peace. What has Dukakis been doing in the past few weeks? His gubernatorial du ties, his aids say. Yet because the Massa chusetts legislature is not in session, I am forced to believe otherwise. I think that he has gone into some serious cam paign planning, evidenced by his recent “re-hiring” of the man he swore he’d never ask back after the Joe Biden inci dent, his former campaign manager John Sammo. pouring millions into the praiiKome si campaign and his Senate rate, ings will b< jjjetUTinif i Both tu keis will be sttikiuip jjjj e umN( 'i- the South< the Mid Wc simiidi ‘w; coll — all places where many eleciorB are up for grabs. California(47), (24), Ohio (23), and Texas (29i highly sought toss-up states,sot lot of campaigning in all (host Texas may be the biggest stru two of the four candidates aren of the state and on opposite side party line. Both parties will beii register their voters and gett turn out on election day. Four-r Surrogate: start some s dally in New won’t be in i? Look erious Mexict Missi or JesseJjti unpaigninj and Texas: bukak •ppi; ■ The C< mmisti.itic ■areer 1) Br 8 at ■enter. ■ The pn Bth open Bary Trei Be Kinaii< told him to stav away. Reagam A&M. paign in California and hopefuliB The ke those precious votes home ford: P u - n W We’ll also see every from Jack Kemp to lioning then party' nee in their rhetoric fed I partvt Rennet sidemu What should we as good Ati citizens do? Register to vote and. sible, vote absentee. This is thefti in Texas that we can vote absentft out providing a reason. Sotoav long lines and crowds in Now vote early and make sure you gf say in the most important election decade. Timm Doolen is a sophomoi puter science major and columi The Battalion. Blind patriotism is stupid, just plain un-American Every morning when I get up, the first thing I do is face the full-sized American flag that flies in my bed room and recite the Pledge of Alle giance. I then take a shower and sing the National An them, four verses. After which I go signer logo. It reminds me of those cou ples who make a great public show of their affection for each other. They’re always the first ones to get a divorce and you find out he beats her.” H.L. Mencken, a member of the Cyn ics’ Hall of Fame, said this of patriotism; Donald Kaul downstairs, pour a bowl of corn flakes and bow my head in silent prayer until the flakes get good and soggy. I’m hop ing to get a job in the Bush administra tion. There is no litmus test for patriotism and neither party has a patent on it. Some choose to serve their country by honoring its ideals, others by blind obe dience to its government. I prefer the first method but if you opt for the sec ond it doesn’t make you a bad person. A good German maybe, but not a bad per son. That’s what it’s going to take appar ently. It seems that Mr. Bush finds it im possible to accept the Americanism of someonp who does not spend a good portion of his or her day wrapped in the flag, saying the Lord’s prayer. I hate it. Dr. Samuel Johnson, the great 18th century English critic, said, “Patriotism on their breasts, like a de- What I find particularly distasteful about Mr. Bush’s constant invocation of the Pledge of Allegiance and his advo cacy of school prayer is that they give aid and comfort to the self-righteous conformity that seems to be seizing the country. “We’re in the majority, we Christians and sunshine patriots,” it says, “and we have the right to shove our beliefs down your throat.” Damn me for a freethinker, but I believe that’s wrong. More than that; it’s un-Ameri can. “Patriotism is conceivable to a civi lized man in times of stress and storm, when his country is wobbling and sore beset. His country then appeals to him as any victim of misfortune appeals to him — say, a street-walker pursued by the police. But when it is safe, happy and prosperous it can only excite his loathing. The peace, an active trade, po litical serenity at home — are all intrinsi cally corrupting and disgusting. It is as impossible for a civilized man to love his country in good times as it would be for him to respect a politician.” Do you think it’s accidental that Presi dent Reagan hardly ever holds press conferences, that the recurring image of him is one of a busy man hurrying to a waiting helicopter, and cupped to one ear as members of the press scream questions at him? holding an exhaustive pressconft at which she answered every (p put to her, with documentation.SI widely admired among the press performance that day, but n else. Dumb Democrats. No. Somewhere along the line Mr. Reagan’s press people figured out that the scene made the President look good and the press like a pack of jackals. The point being, patriotism that costs nothing is worth nothing. One thing I’ll give the Republicans, though, they know how to run against the press. All politicians try that — poli ticians having the same affection for the press as does a burglar for guard dogs — but the Republicans have honed it to a fine art. The Bush people have learned that lesson well. Consider their handling of the Dan Quayle flap. He was not, after all, the first candidate to feel the bite of a frenzeid press; both Gary Hart and Joe Biden, Democrats, found them selves in similar situations this year. And what did they do? They held press con ferences, took questions and were shredded. Faced with virtually the same lem the Bush campaign offered Quayle for questioning in his hoW with a raucous gang of neighbors intrusive and protective audience next time we saw him he was the garbage, besieged by those rtf dies and gentlemen of the press; It was a brilliant way of portravitf as a beleauguered victim of pap rather than a politician answering mate questions from legitimatequf ers. Four years ago Democratic vice-presi dential nominee Geraldine Ferraro came under fire for her husband’s fi nancial dealings and she responded by And it worked. Quayle, appal has shot the rapids and survive trial. Bush must be doing sonic smart; he keeps going up in thepoi But that doesn’t make it right. Copyright 1988, Tribune Media Sem* | The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Lydia Berzsenyi, Editor Becky Weisenfels, Managing Editor Anthony Wilson, Opinion Page Editor Richard Williams, City Editor D AJensen, Denise Thompson, News Editors Hal Hammons, Sports Editor Jay Janner, Art Director Leslie Guy, Entertainment Editor Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspa per operated as a community service to Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the author, and do not necessarily rep resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, fac ulty or the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department 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 year and $36.44 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-1 111. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battal ion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, Col lege Station TX 77843-4 111. BLOOM COUNTY Mer L Tex Wj $ by Berke Breath] 12.26 2.04 2.01 1.78 1.61 1.51 1.43 1,24w/ 1.18 1.17 1.11 1.11 1.09 1.09 1.09 1.05w/ 1.04 1.03 1.03 1.01 1.01 1.01 1.01 .95 .93 •92 •92 •91 ■90 .89 .89 .88 .85 •84 .83 •81 .80 •77 •77 •75 •75 •75 •74 •73 •73 •72 •71 •71 •71 •70 •70 •68