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The Battalion
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 1988
Opinion
SAA’s shanty makes valid statement to Aggies
It may seem amazing to some, but the
shanty erected by Students Against
Apartheid remains standing, to be taken
down today by its own members as its
permit expires.
Most of you have seen the shanty and
have opinions about what it is, what its
presence is attempting to accomplish
and who the people are who con
structed it. I recently spoke with Jeff
Dyess, president of SAA, and we dis
cussed some of the goals, motivations
and backgrounds of the group.
In May of 1985, when South Africa
was in the news daily, Norman Murray,
a student from Kenya, founded Stu
dents Against Apartheid. He did so be
cause when he was young, his native Ke
nya had a system of segregation similar
to South Africa’s.
Today, Students Against Apartheid is
perceived by some as a group of radical
liberals. Actually, it is composed of stu
dents who are genuinely concerned
about the situation in South Africa. Mr.
Dyess spoke knowledgeably on apart
heid — the governmental system de
signed decades ago by whites to sup
press blacks in South Africa.
Surprisingly to'some, the majority of
the group is white. The goals of the or
ganization are definite and pointed:
mainly to increase awareness among
Texas A&M’s students of apartheid’s in
justices. Its long-range goal is to get the
Board of Regents to divest from cor
porations with plants or investments in
South Africa. Dyess said that would en
tail pulling about four million dollars,
roughly 1% of the total worth of A&M,
out of big companies such as Kodak and
•Shell Oil.
The group hopes that if a conserva
tive college like A&M divests, other uni
versities and even corporations will fol
io w our lead and join in on the
“divestment bandwagon.” Whether di
vestment will ultimately help or hurt
South African blacks and Coloureds (of
mixed race) is highly debatable, but
nonetheless it is a sighted goal of SAA
and they intend to make progress to
ward it.
In a realistic tone, Dyess said there is
little hope that the group can directly af
fect the black South Africans or change
the white government’s policies in any
way. They do contribute all the pro
ceeds from benefits, sales, and direct
donations to the African Fund, an um
brella organization that distributes re
sources to underprivileged Africans.
The shanty’s purpose was to educate
Aggies in any small w'ay about the condi
tions in South Africa and generally in
crease awareness and openness of the
topic. For a foreign problem to remain
in the minds of the members of our con
tent university, it must affect us on a
continuing basis. Injustice in Africa
does not, and the hope of SAA is to
keep the plight of the non-white South
Africans in our minds, or suffer the en
suing consequences of American apathy
(whatever those may be).
Mail Call
Student Government ‘farsighted’
EDITOR:
Some say that Student Government serves no purpose here at T exas A&M.
We, however, must strongly disagree. The student senate’s recent decisive,
farsighted action to clarify their long-term committment to the Open Meetings Act
displays the crucial role that the institution plays on our campus, especially in light
of the Pan American University situation.
We also commend the senate on their appointment of Shannon Maloney as
student liasion to the Bryan and College Station city councils. Their decision shows
an acute awareness of the issues affecting students today.
Mike Fitch ’89
accompanied by four signatures
Dukakis clearly the winner
EDITOR:
Gov. Mike Dukakis clearly won the Sept. 27 debate. Dukakis showed that he is
not a passionless technocrat, but that he cares deeply about housing, health care,
education and defense. Dukakis was cool and in control while Bush appeared
humbly and incoherent. What really came across in the debate was the fact that
Dukakis cares about the average American while Bush panders to the wealthy and
the ultra right.
Bush forgot the name of the MX missile and when asked to name three specific
weapons systems he would cut, he named three that had been scrapped since 1986.
Bush said he wanted to “banish chemical and biological weapons from the face of
the earth.” Why then did he cast the tie-breaking Senate vote to resume
production of chemical weapons? Bush’s answers were devoid of substance. The
one new idea he had was to halve the capital gains tax which would give the top two
percent of wage earners in society a tax break of nearly $30,000 a year.
Vice-President Bush hopes the country will choose a vacuous conservative “in
touch with the mainstream” rather than a “a strong liberal democrat,” but if
conservative means pledging allegiance to the Falwell-Swaggart-Bush position on
social issues, which includes cutting social security and health care benefits, then I
say “No thank you.”
Dr. Louise Weingrod
Quayle selection stupifying
EDITOR:
I am completely stupifled by George Bush’s selection of Dan Quayle as his
running mate. Quayle’s discussions at the debate caused me to view him as an
evasive, unclear and almost thoughtless politician. Many of his answers left me
saying to myself, “What did he just say?!?” His responses reminded me of my high
school essays when I knew absolutely nothing about the topic.
Perhaps George Bush felt a qualified running mate like Robert Dole might
create a “power struggle” in the Oval Office, and so he opted for an easily-
dominated alternative in the form of Dan Quayle. While this selection may have Fit
some calculated image mold for the Republican party, it left much to be desired in
terms of quality of the candidate.
It is probably too late for Bush to recall his selection of Quayle and choose
someone (anyone?) else as his running mate. Such a move would be
unprecedented, but I think it would be worth the effort to ensure that Dan Quayle
would remain un-presidented. Our national offices are not training grounds, and
we as voters shouldn’t have to settle for underqualified candidates.
David L. Martin ’89
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style
and length, hut 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.
The Battalion
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Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conf erence
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
Timm
Doolen
Columnist
Dyess admits that their movement is
more symbolic than anything — an at
tempt by a few students to outwardly
show concern for millions of people
who share a different language and a
different culture. They care for the
rights of a group of people whom
they’ve never met and may never know.
For their concern and their actions,
they should be commended. They are in
an ideological battle with people such as
the two men who crucified doves in last
spring’s shanty. This year the shanty has
remained standing which possibly says
something about the way the attitudes
on this campus have changed. The peo
ple who last year would have thought
lessly torn down the shanty now remain
unseen, leaving the constructed symbol
of apartheid’s ravages unharmed.
There are a few people who disagree
with SAA’s methods or ideals (no ratio
nal person is for apartheid), though
they are not as visible this year. Maybe
they have learned that effective dis
course is more civilized in the form of
letters to The Battalion or open commu
nication than destruction on campus.
Some claim it should be removed be
cause the shanty is an eyesore and ugly
on campus. So what?
I asked Jeff, with the multitude of
crises and injustices in the world, why
the group chose apartheid as a focus?
He said because the issue is divided on a
clear-cut racial issue and South Africa is
one of the last “democratic” nations in
the world that is promoting racial in
equality. The nation’s government is a
product of European conquests, but is
divided from the current European ide
ology of true democracy and equality
between the races.
I disagree with the group on the ques
tion of divestment as a catalyst to the so
lution of the problem. In the broad
spectrum of world events, 1 happen to
favor constructive engagement rather
than turning our back on our ally —
change from within rather than with
out. Isolating South Africa economically
could make it virtually independent, as
has already begun, or turn them to the
East Bloc nations, though doubtful. Ei
ther way the United States and the Eu
ropeans could lose what little influence
we have on the South African govern
ment.
Recently, South African troops
helped fight communism in Namibia
and Angola. Fifty thousand communist
Cubans are scheduled to leave Africa
because of the presence of South Af ri
can troops. Internal change will come
eventually, but in the interim we can’t
risk losing an ally such as South \j
as a result of our economic sanctions.
I also wonder whether theirelj
couldn’t Ire more greatly rewardeij
another realm of worldlycontti]
Dy ess and the group understands
they are severely limited in wli
can do to directly stop racism;
pression in South Africa. Nonettiei
they have committed themselves;
wish them well.
South Africa is trying to 1
hands of time, but can wit
eventual outcome of racial equalitni
so long. Already changes in
cerning trade unions and internals)
and marriage have started the pro
towards a freer South Africa.
South Africa still has generate
progress to undergo with regards
policies, and what remainsisali
dious, and largely unsatisfying
towards an unprivileged govemmeit|
As the shanty disappears
campus today, we may soon fo
it stood for or that it stood ataill
Students Against Apartheid hasi
more in the past 10 days than a lot ii|
gani/ations on campus, have i
year. It has effectively stimulatedn
of us to at least begin to thinkaboitj
issue and ask. “What is apartheid?’!
importantly, it has caused us toil
about something, anything, outsid;
comfortable world of security.
Timm Doolen is a sophomoreb
puter science major and eolumd
The Battalion.
War on Drugs actually assault
on our Constitutional rights
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It seems that nearly everyone agrees
that the War on Drugs must be won. Yet
the price of winning that war may be
higher than Americans should lightly
pay.
The War on Drugs bears an alarming
resemblance to nuclear war: it is a war in
which the harm done to innocent
victims in the long run is likely to exceed
the harm done to the enemy.
Teresa Miller of Houston, Texas, is
one such innocent victim of the War on
Drugs. On Sept. 4, Miller was returning
with a friend from a shopping trip in
Mexico. At Progreso, a U.S. port of
entry on the Mexican border, U.S.
Customs agents seized her car under the
new Zero Tolerance policy against
drugs, according to a Sept. 8 Associated
Press story.
Miller’s car was not seized to be
auctioned because Customs agents had
found drugs in the car. They had found
no drugs, and both Miller and her
friend said they do not even use drugs.
Agents seized her car because they
had found “paraphernalia” — two fifty-
cent onyx pipes — that Miller’s friend
had purchased as a gift for a friend.
Thus, to punish the “crime” of her
friend. Customs agents will auction off
Miller’s car, on which she still owes
$5,800, if her appeal is rejected.
The Zero Tolerance Policy, which
became effective March 21, was
designed to curtail the demand for
drugs. Under it, 474 vehicles had been
seized through June in Texas,
Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico
alone. Democratic Senator Lloyd
Bentsen of Texas has received five
complaints in the last month about
seizures along the border.
The Miller case graphically illustrates
BLOOM COUNTY
Brian Frederick
Guest columnist
the dangers to our liberties inherent in
the present strategy for the War on
Drugs. And the potential for abuse is
not limited merely to that inflicted by
overly zealous law enforcement officers.
Municipalities seeking to raise money
could easily abuse Zero Tolerance,
potentially leading to many more cases
like Miller’s. Private individuals could
use it to advantage, too. Placing a small
amount of a controlled substance in
someone’s car or boat and then calling
the police would be a simple way wreak
vengeance on that hated someone.
Politicians and other power brokers
could use it to suppress their rivals as in
the Soviet Union, where trumped-up
drug charges have often been used in
recent years to suppress dissidents.
On Sept. 19, the Washington Post
described a drug bill before the House,
which holds even greater potential for
abuse by the authorities.
Among other provisions, the bill
would greatly broaden an existing
exemption to the “exclusionary ride,”
which prevents the use of illegally seized
evidence in federal criminal trials. It
woidd permit the use of evidence
obtained in searches conducted without
warrants if, in the judgment of the
officers conducting the search, they
were acting in “an objective, reasonable,
good faith belieF’ that the search was
constitutional.
How a law enforcement officer could
think that he was conducting a
constitutional search wit hout a warrant
when the Fourth Amendmentexpi
requires warrants lor searches is
difficult to conceive. However,itisi
at all difficult to conceive how this
attempted assault on drugs we
threaten the liberties of all America
Perhaps in their effort to ingratu
themselves with the voters in this
election year by appearing toughoc
drugs, our Congressmen haveforj
that the Constitution was written in
supply a governmentoflawthatw
secure Americans from arbitran
government by the whims of men.
Fhe drug bill before the House
would replace true law witharbitra
whim by making each policeofficeh
judge of what constitutesa
constitutional search. Were all
policemen wise and benevolent,#
could conceivably he tolerable.
1 lowever, Americans are aware#
corruption is often as rampant inti
ball as on the street.
Both the Zero Tolerance!
the House bill pose a threattoout
fundamental liberties and needto' 1
e x a m i n ed. U n fortunately, politici;
and the media have put Americanii
state of near frenzy over theissuef
drugs, and such a state is not con#
to effective debate or reflection.
But Americans cannot;
accept the present strategy again!
drugs without debate and reflect®
ffie War on Drugs may eventual' 1
our society of drugs, but as ids
currently being waged, itcanhatl
succeed without ridding us of our
liberties as well. That is a warwefi
afford to win.
Brian Frederick, an A&M
currently studying history at tit
versity of Washington, is a fotffl-
umnist for The Battalion.
by Berke Bread