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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 31, 1988)
Opinion The Battalion Monday, Oct. 31, 1988 Mail Call Racism alive and well at A&M EDITOR: There are some on this campus who are of the mentality that racismdoet exist at Texas A&M. I sincerely hope this letter removes this misconception I was recently interviewed by SMU’s school newspaper concerning racisr t | Texas A&M. During the interview the reporter stated that she hadbeentold through other interviews that there was little or no racism at A&M. Racism is definitely present on this campus. While I was riding across® last week, four young white males leaned out of their car and yelled “nigge There are many other racial incidents on this campus, but they are not rep Therefore, we are led to believe there are none. The thought comes to mind, “And some wonder why we haveaBlack Awareness Committee. There are also those who believe we should nothawti Those four young boys are just one reason for the purpose of BAG, whichij|| educate the campus and community about the black culture throughvarioust] of programming. BAC also serves as a support group for blacks on this I will admit A&M is better than most about race relations. Nevertheless is still a prejudice ef fect that has been crippling our society forasmanyyeard earth is old and it is crippling A&M. As long as this effect controls the minds some, A&M, in all its greatness, will never be the “world-class university speak of. j Needs ( ban 25 w prvey by . The si pnducted Iturday a I Nancy 'f-Camp Ousing ci nization an-avera “Becau; ption of |ars old) ; to pro' pge stud have he and t sod I wish that all people who have not, could come to the realization than be proud of your race without being against another. Charles E. Henderson Jr. ’90 Chairman, MSC Black Awareness Committee want Hiding from AIDS education socially irresponsible, deadly Safe Sex To Go, an AIDS awareness organization, has recently taken an un usual approach to promoting safe sex practices. A few weeks ago, it sent 77ie Battalion one of its “informational pack ets” which contained wax lips, latex gloves, a towelette (to make sure all body surfaces are clean before sex is ini tiated), a magnifying glass (so partners can examine each other before inter course) and a feather (to begin the arou sal stage). Anthony Wilson 7 Opinion Page Editor for any viral disease, so its unlikely that if one is found for AIDS it will be in our lifetimes. tions of the condom giveaway. But he sincerely seems to be making an honest effort to educate and help his readers. But the focal point of the packet was a lime-green condom — which is perfect for men living in A&M’s Corps-style dorms because they won’t clash with the walls. Along with the packet, Safe Sex To Go included humorous literature which concluded with a serious editorial about the importance of using a con dom to prevent the spread of AIDS. So the only weapon we have to com bat this menace is education. Many edu cational institutions have been slow to react to the AIDS problems. For exam ple, the Texas State University System hoard of regents banned the sale or dis tribution of birth control on four system campuses last summer. The reasoning behind not allowing adults to more eas ily practice safe sex is non-existent. Safe Sex To Go’s style was different than any other AIDS awareness cam paign, but like the rest is an admirable effort. The AIDS epidemic is possibly the biggest threat our world faces and should be of the utmost concern for ev eryone. “We want to make the immensely im portant statement to our young read ership that safe sex can save lives,” Guc- cione said in an Oct. 26 Associated Press article. “We think that the presentation of a real condom in this fashion will leave an impression that no picture or text can convey, so that when our young male readers have sex, and they will have sex, they will think more seriously about wearing a condom.” However, some people refuse to be lieve this and blindly reject good efforts to educate the masses about the misin formation dispersed about AIDS and condoms. Specifically, I’m referring to last week’s decision by several Tarrant County magazine distributors in Fort Worth not to distribute the November issue of Spin magazine because it con tains a free condom and “explicit in structions for its use.” Guccione is right. Young people are going to have sex. And young people will have sex in non-monogamous relationships. Many people refuse to learn the facts about AIDS because they believe intercourse outside of marriage is morally unacceptable. Not learning how to protect oneself from AIDS is not only stupid and socially irresponsible, it could be deadly. And when the media tries to aid in the education push, it is stifled by oth ers. Heaven forbid that we should see a commercial for condoms during an epi sode of “Family Ties.” But hey, nothing wrong with that educational and enter taining MassengilTs feminine douche advertisement. And for goodness sakes, please don’t allow young people to see what a real condom looks like. That would send those children into a forni cating frenzy usually reserved for a Hugh Hefner party. AIDS is here to stay indefinitely and condoms are definitely here to say. It’s time to stop shying away from both, ac cept both and learn about them in a re sponsible manner. Aside from the fact that this may be an example of censorship, those mar keters are being socially irresponsible by not distributing the magazine. Spin publisher Bob Guccione Jr., who’s tac tics and motives are usually suspicious, appears to be on the up-and-up this time. Sure, he realizes his newstand sales and advertising will skyrocket be cause of the publicity and public rela- The general manager of one of the distributors had this explanation for the refusal to distribute the issue: “We checked with the supermarket and con venience store chains and other outlets and they were appalled. They said abso lutely not. . . .” Anthony Wilson is a senior journa lism major and opinion page editor for The Battalion. God not to be joked about EDITOR: I recently found a very disturbing item in the 1988 Aggieland. A previous comment by comedian David Naster is repeated on page 70 and states:“Pas Robertson is running for president because God told him to ... therearept:* all over the world in mental institutions because they did things God told ib:! This statement is a sweeping generalization which has no foundationimt The truth is that in most cases, mental institutions, as well as other hospitals, J full of people who are paying the price of disobedience to God’s lovingdirea These include those suffering the consequences of such things suchassexiil transmitted diseases, abortion, drug addiction, rape and divorce. Granted, Mr. Naster’s comment intended to draw laughter. Thereistitu be said for a good dose of humor, but not at the expense of honor and revert toward God. I hope that Mr. Naster’s opinion is not a majority one. 8 A pro- ( liven t he <>pp< >i t imit\, I w < u i U I i .11! k-1 1 i.i\ <• 11-< 11 i hr m<>n< \ th.i! I s isteps oi t pim has< m\ \'j,irl.im 1 t< > riism ( that mu h a disgt at ehd and ridiculous ' S,R ' ' l not he printed. It is a matter of integrity. Ghana Baum ’88 Quayle a scary possibility EDITOR: tors d< but the ; attention 88 peopli I The ;n part of a included f Americans have good reason to be worried about Dan Quayle becomin? I president. Dan Quayle is the man who has never met a mu lear missilehedidil like. On the Senate Armed Services Committee, Quayle fought hardagaii&f reforms in the military procurement system that might have prevented the Pentagon scandal we are currently suf fering. The scariest thing about Quayle is his paranoid fear of the Soviet Union J asked what he thought of Gorbachev’s reform policy known as perestroika,(I referred to it as revised Stalinism. In comparing the reforms we set taking [if the Soviet Union today with the oppresive and brutal policies of Joseph Siaiiil Quayle is demonstrating a degree of naivete and ignorance that is diconcewi when you consider that he claims to be an expert on foreign policy. Remember also that Dan Quayle was bitterly opposed to Ronald Reagan)| greatest achievement, the INF Treaty. Quayle is also opposed totheSTARlI Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction) that is being negotiated now. Since George Bush is now beginning to share many of Quayle’sviewstlitl choice in November is becoming more clear. When it comes to dealingwiM Soviet Union, Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen would practice a polio of I cautious optimism that would continue the* progress towards peace that wail by Ronald Reagan. George Bush and Dan Quayle’s policy of paranoidpesscl would erase all of Reagan’s achievements and lead us back to the cold warpii or worse. The choice is yours. Katherine Hinson ’90 Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to tik ! M and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author's intent. Each letter must besignedan classification, address and telephone number of the writer. That statement is exactly what’s wrong with many people’s attitude about AIDS and condoms. It’s time we stopped being appalled at condom use and began being appalled at the deaths and ignorance surrounding AIDS. We should face facts. AIDS is a viral disease. A cure has never been found 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 77jc 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 77843-41 11.