Opinion
The Battalion Monday, Nov. 14, 1988
twr wotasr putu «A6 th&
He's cwpr A RHDKie CAL'L- AUUT
Mail Call
Kicking a dead dog
EDITOR:
I am writing this letter in response to a letter by Roland S. Martin in the
Buttulion. He made one important point which l would like to reiterate. He
“This is 1988, not 1848.”
Absolutely correct! My ancestors owned slaves. It is not something lam
of, but it is a part of American history with which I personally had nothing
I do not feel that I should take the blame for what they did, but ratherlei
bygones be bygones. I could care less whether the person next to me isblad
white, yellow or purple. So why, Mr. Martin, do you insist upon kicking ado
dog?
Your main concern seemed to be about the Aggie Band playing “Dixie
The reason they do it is that this school was founded by southerners and
Confederate olficers and many of our traditions stem from those roots.
To wit, none of the lyrics of the song itself are about racism or slavery!
you care to write them in there). Rather, the lyrics were written by Dan Emit*
a Yankee and hardcore abolitionist.
Ray Kornhoff’88
Remembering is not condoning
Oh, for those C.T. tales of old
Yes, C.T.’s, B.Q.’s, R.V.’s, Quad
Queens, and Bootchasers, it’s the mo
ment you’ve all been waiting for.
The Battalion’s opinion page editor
speaks his mind about the Corps of Ca
dets (a subject ranking right up there
with squirrels and Batman). Actually, I
hadn’t intended on writing a Corps’ col
umn this semester, but while doing re
search for a speech last week, I found
these interesting tidbits concerning the
Corps in the Battalion’s morgue:
participating in a contest to win tickets
to a Bruce Springsteen concert.
Anthony
Wilson
The cadets decided that wearing the
flag violated a state law against “the des
ecration of a venerable object.”
Opinion Page
Editor
bonfire tradition and although he had
never considered how they were ob
tained, he was certainly didn’t condone
stealing them.
So what’s my complaint? If you’ll no
tice, none of the above stories are dated
after April 1988. In other words, the
Corps just isn’t providing us with the
copy we’ve come to expect from them.
EDITOR:
In reply to Mr. Martin, there is an explanation for the playing of “Dixie
Aggie Band — it’s a catchy tune, pleases most ears and lends itself well toour
band’s style.
I enjoy the song, and in many years of hearing it. have not had any son t:
violent, racist reaction.
Yes, the song dates back to a less enlightened time when racial oppressio;
the norm, but the song does not in itself create or foster such an environmen:
Mr. Martin complains that the song is a "reminder of the trial... blacks
suffered during the slave era.” I saw such a reminder break ratings records;-
mini-series in the late 1970s. I’ve also seen a Vicksburg cemetary fullofren®
that before that time was over, others suffered.
My point: remembering is not condoning and knowing where weeamefn
does not mean a desire to return.
Me
aft<
H
Growing up in the deep South, I was exposed to many cultural perculiani
Some, such as like racism, I’ve tried to leave behind; others, such as myloveo
“Dixie”, I have not.
I don’t consider myself a racist. Mr. Martin equates the playing of "Dixie'.
bringing out the “white sheets” —something I hadn’t planned on doing u
week (when I take the blue ones off my bed).
I, in no way, intend to demean Mr. Martin’s unique heritage with tnv
enjoyment of “Dixie”; I would appreciate his respecting mine.
Alan Grantham
Graduate student
lions i
firm tf
tract.
The
Ssultani
tone)
firm, ]
Dixie’ not worthy of notice
EDITOR:
&eeme<
vho n
$ion.
Twc
attorn
Said th
sultani
November 1981 — Cadet Greg Hood
draws his saber, waves it at SMU
cheerleaders who had run onto Kyle
Field after the Mustangs had scored a
touchdown against the Aggies and then
kicks one of the cheerleaders.
Hood, who was also the chairman of
Student Government’s Judicial Board
and a member of the Cadet Court, was
suspended for the remainder of the se
mester after being charged by the Uni
versity with assault, improperly using a
weapon and creating a disturbance.
September 1984 — Sophomore
Bruce Goodrich collapses and dies of
heat stroke during 2:30 a.m. “motivatio
nal exercises.” Three junior cadets were
later convicted of hazing while a fourth
was found guilty of tampering when he
ripped up and flushed the exercise ros
ter from that night.
Not that I would ever want to see an
other incident such as the hazing death
of Bruce Goodrich. T hat was certainly
the biggest tragedy A&M has had to
deal with in this decade, and possibly
ever. But you’ve got to admit, some of
these stories are so utterly ridiculous
that they’re entertaining.
October 1983 — In what may be the
wildest story I’ve ever seen concerning a
student, junior cadet Clarence “Buddy”
Brown tells University Police that he
suffered knife cuts while fighting off
three men who were assaulting a
woman. Brown gave The Battalion a de
tailed account of the fight which in
cluded martial arts maneuvers and a
chase. Brown publicly pleaded for the
missing woman to come forth and pro
vide more information about her attack-
September 1986 — Junior cadet
Keith Van Boskirk sues A&M and the
Corps of Cadets for negligence af ter ca
dets left a partially cut tree unattended
which fell on Van Boskirk and broke his
leg during bonf ire cut.
Certainly, the fact that Greg Hood,
Buddy Brown and Russell Pulliam were
members of the Corps put them under a
higher degree of scrutinization than al
most any other student segment with
the possible exception of the athletes.
October 1986 —Junior cadets physi
cally beat several civilians with their fists
and helmets after the non-regs ran onto
Kyle Field during midnight yell prac
tice.
So cadets have to be more aware of
the consequences of their actions. And
as you can tell by the above passages,
they haven’t always presented a positive
image.
I was astounded to read Roland Martin’s letter calling the Aggie Band’s
rendition of “Dixie” insulting. He went on to say that playing the song wasai.,1
invitation to return to slavery. A “blatant sign of oppression,” he said.
Certainly, the song brings to mind the Civil War. I lowever, it hardlyservej
encouragement to go out and start burning crosses. There are, unfortunat
plenty of racial incidents in this country and at this university. The playingof
“Dixie” as part of a medley of Civil War music hardly qualifies as one worthvofl
notice, if indeed it is an “incident” at all.
Everyday people are denied housing, jobs and other opportunities becaustj
race.
Mr. Martin has instead chosen to point out the implied insult of a centurv-l
piece of music. It’s this kind of racial hypersensitivity that turns people offab
civil rights.
Yes, Mr. Martin. It’s 1988. And we’ve more important things to worryabo
than “Dixie.” It’s not the music that matters. It’s the attitudes that fosterracisnif
that matter. If we can fix the attitudes, then everything else will follow naturalj
I Jimmy Miller ’89
U- -
‘Dixie’ rich in southern heritage
EDITOR:
December 1986 — Junior cadet Si
mone Weaver files assault charges
against six freshmen cadets who as
saulted her and threw her outside the
perimeter area at the bonfire construc
tion site. P’ive of the six were charged
with misdemeanor assault.
However, I must commend the Corps
for taking the initiative to correct its
own problems. The lack of incidents
thus far this year is evidence of that. Ei
ther the Corps has excellent leadership
this year, or they’ve prevented the me
dia from knowing about their problems,
or a combination of the two.
Three weeks later, Brown confessed
that he had fabricated the entire story.
He had actually been assaulted when he
interrupted a boyfriend-girlfriend ar
gument and was too embarrassed to ad
mit it.
November 1983 — Four cadets are
arrested for stealing highway signs
which indicated distances to Austin for
the upcoming bonfire. Corps Com
mander Preston Abbott feigned igno
rance by saying the signs had become a
November 1987 — George Russell
Pulliam, a senior cadet, is found hand
cuffed to an anti-apartheid shack on the
University of Texas campus wearing
nothing but his Fruit of the Looms. Pull
iam was a victim of freshmen trying to
“earn their Corps brass” as Thomas
Darling, commandant of the Corps said.
Of course, there are still things about
the Corps which I strongly disagree
with, but those are the possible subjects
of future columns and editorials.
I admire the leadership qualities the
Corps teaches young men and women.
But deep down, I just can’t help but
hope that they’ll do at least one silly
thing a semester. We journalists have to
have some fun.
In response to Roland Martin’s letter on Nov. 9, I would like to say to!
uninformed soul that yes, an explanation for playing “Dixie” does exist.
The song “Dixie” was chosen as the official song of the Confederacy duriif
Civil War. The fact that some blacks consider this racist does not make it so.
consider it racist that my forefathers fought against an invading army to prated
their heritage, homeland and family from political sanctions and tariffs forced
upon them by the populous industrial north.
I am offended by people who try to steal my heritage by ways such as banni
the song “Dixie.” I am offended by racist groups who desecrate the Confederal!
Battle Flag by waving it at racist rallies. Yet, even a biggot Klansman can insult® 1
ancestors because of his freedom of speech. I am offended by the NAACP’sf
to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from the four state capitols that it Hie:
The American Stars and Stripes flew over legalized slavery for 80 years(etf
in some northern states during the existence of the Confederacy). Does thisniS
that we should remove the Stars and Stripes from the capitol in Washingto
Texas A&M is a school rich in southern heritage with Gen. Lawrence Si
Ross being one of its f irst presidents. I am proud to be a southerner and it t
sad day in Aggieland when the 1 2th Man is no longer able to cry out a loud
yell (WHOOP!) to the Aggie Band’s rendition “Dixie”.
Phil Boyd-Robertson ’88
Accompanied by four signatures
April 1988 — Three cadets attempt
to prevent a College Station teen from
performing “Born in the U.S.A.” while
wearing the American flag. The girl w as
Anthony Wilsoti is a senior journa
lism major and opinion page editor for
The Battalion.
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters ft m
and length, hut will make every effort to maintain the author's intent. Each letter must be signed and miistkli 1 ■
classification, address and telephone number of the writer.
BLOOM COUNTY
by Berke Breath*
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 A Jensen,
Denise Thompson, News Editors
Hal Hammons, Sports Editor
Jay Janner, Art Director
Leslie Guy, Entertainment Editor
Editorial Policy
I he Battalion is non-profit, self-supporting newspa
per operated as a community serviee to Te.Xas A&M and
Brvan-College Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the
editorial board or the author, and do not neeessarilv rep
resent the opinions of Texas A&Miadministrators, fac
ility 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.
77jc‘ Battalion is published Monday through Friday
during Texas A&M regular semesters, exc ept for holiday
and examination periods.
Mail subscriptions are SI 7.1-1 per semester. $34.62
per school year and S36.44 per full vear. Advertising
rates furnished on request.
Out address: The Battalion. 230 Reed McDonald.
Texas A&M f Diversity. College Stalion. I X 77843-1 1 1 1.
Second class postage paid at College Station. TX
77843.
BOSTM ASTI.R: Send address c hanges to The Battal
ion. 210 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M I'niversity. Col
lege Station TX 77843-41 1 1.
WKNOW, (N YetiR5fmT
cm couup wren jack
eeNNY Are fm. evmv
JATl/FPAY NIGHT ANP KNOW
YOUKe 5HARIN61HC SAMZ
tAOmrr wm NeARiY
eveFYOTWR
AMERICAN.
V