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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 1989)
2 The Battalion OPINION Monday, October 16,1989 r 'tthe ionso! vemali icerniri; the publit pie men to is. We e onln it his paide sabot: ing at he son to lonshf anehi ipsRia have sionan )le, itely. ,and Hour ut? isn't! I have I have gh the is were to who Bj ed^ oun : asf - rep the- 0 u\0 ni : nc' : oof-' \,. w Mail Call Society should wake up EDITOR: I would like to congratulate Adam Mathieu on one of the few intelligent columns I have read in The Battalion in a long time. I worked with a progressive political lobby in Austin this summer, and several of my co-workers, male and female, were homosexual. None of them remained untouched by the homophobia that runs rampant in this country. Sue, who was 22 with a four year-old child, was undergoing a legal battle with her parents over custody. Her parents had found out about her stable two-year homosexual relationship, by then akin to a marriage, and considered it grounds for “unfit motherhood.” This ignorant and dangerous attitude even exerted itself at Austin’s March for Gay and Lesbian Rights, a monumental event which drew 20,000 people. Small groups of fundamentalists could not resist showing up to thump Bibles, taunt the marchers and hold up signs proclaiming, “You don’t have to be gay!” It didn’t take long for me to understand the dangers of being homosexual in this country; I was only relieved that I didn’t have to live with the prejudice daily, as they must. In the 20 years since the Stonewall uprising, it seems that not much has been gained concerning acceptance of homosexuality in the United States. Gays still cannot “come out” without the risk of being fired or losing their insurance due to misguided AIDS prejudice. We rarely see homosexuals in positions of authority; the only avowed homosexual in the U.S. Congress, Rep. Barney Frank, was just recently thrown to the wolves. Musicians such as Elton John, K.D. Lang and Austin’s great Two Nice Girls may provide some positive role models for younger gays, but they cannot make up for the absence of homosexuals on television, in the mediator in the church. The only arena in which I have seen any numbers of avowed homosexuals allowed to achieve important roles has been the progressive political community, where gays and lesbians work side by side with heterosexuals to secure civil rights for everyone, women’s right to choose, their right to a peaceful world and the right to freedom in Central America and the Third World. Many homosexuals have been quick to realize that no one can be free when others are oppressed. It’s high time that the rest of society wake up and realize this also. Melanie Shouse ’89 Pray for homosexuals EDITOR: I am writing in response to Mr. Mathieu’s article concerning homosexuality. If I recall one of my psychology classes correctly, homosexuality is considered to be a deviant lifestyle. Mr. Mathieu, how can you justify something that is so aversive to the moral majority of society? Frankly, I found the display table in the MSC being tended by the Gay Students Association offensive. These particular individuals do not need or deserve our respect in my opinion. What they do need, however, is our concern and prayers. Lastly, allowing two people of the same sex to marry would be an abomination in the eyes of God. If God had wanted homosexual relationships he would have placed Adam and Biff together, not Adam and Eve. Kimberly Murrell ’91 Prejudice: individual’s right EDITOR: Adam Mathieu is to be applauded for his open- minded thinking. Mr. Mathieu suggests in his.Oct. 10 article that we, as a society, need to end our prejudice, respect homosexuals and willingly accept their lifestyle. Mr. Mathieu condemns our society for current and past discriminations. However, he seems to have forgotten that in America, we have the right to be prejudiced. The law may say, “thou shall not discriminate,” but prejudice is a personal freedom. I may have a strong prejudice against t-sips but I don’t have the right to be discriminatory toward them in terms of hiring, firing, wages and such. Therefore, since the American people have the right to their own opinions, morals, religions, etc., we certainly have the right to be prejudiced against homosexuality. Furthermore, if the vast majority of Americans feel so strongly that an action (such as dealing drugs) is morally wrong, we have the right to pass laws forbidding it. This, indeed, is the case regarding homosexual behavior. Why are there laws in Texas, other states and nations forbidding homosexuality? Mother Nature, for one, clearly indicates to us that this is deviant behavior. History also points to great civilizations, such as the Roman Empire, in which moral decay was a significant factor in their demise. God Almighty certainly leaves us no room for doubt. Jesus taught us to love the wayward one, but to hate the waywardness. Jesus was and is the Great Physician. He can cure homosexual tendencies! Mr. Mathieu would surely agree that curing AIDS, not accepting it, is the way to go. Likewise, curing homosexuality, not accepting it, is the correct course of action for a decent and moral so ciety. Notie Lansford Graduate Student Christianity denies humanity EDITOR: It is surely a sad day at Texas A&M when a professor chooses to incriminate himself by admitting to all he cannot think for himself and must rely on the Bible to tell him what to believe (“Offensive Attack on Values,” Oct. 13th.) Yes, folks. Fundamentalist Christianity rears its ugly head once again in our beloved Battalion. It just never ceases to amaze me how a supposed “savior” like Jesus can be turned into a slavemaster by so many Christians. Is it some kind of sado masochistic will of the interpreters of the Bible to deny themselves not only a life free from guilt but one of continual denial of one’s own humanity? It is truly a shame that the most popular religion in this country is one that tightens the grip on its followers through the merciless imposition of the guilt of being human. How easy it is for some Christians to deny homosexuals their right to be the way they are. After all, Christians do the same thing when denying they lust or have premarital sex. Loris Salinas ’88 Discipline key to education EDITOR: More students like Editor Scot Walker should cry out for better education. Unfortunately, Scot, the “big hurdle,” as you say, is not money. We are, and have been, spending more and more on education — and getting less and less. I would like to remind you that your generation is the first that is getting less educated than your predecessors, despite all the federal, state and local money we pour into education. At the risk of sounding like an old fossil, I must say that the root cause of educational problems lies with the attitudes of students, teachers and parents. As a society, our values are tarnished, if not corrupted. We want instant gratification. We are becoming soft and flabby, in mind and spirit, as well as body. We are not willing to discipline ourselves and work hard enough to get well educated. Life has become too easy for the average American. Unlike the material things of life, education cannot be served up on a silver platter. It has to be earned. The Japanese still know that. Aggies would do well to take more time to make friends with our foreign students — most of them are more prepared to work at their education because they come from cultures where life is not so easy. Bill Klemm Professor of Veterinary Medicine Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The edito rial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the authors intent. Each letter must be signed and must include the classification, address and telephone num ber of the writer. siq How re you going to do it? “My chem lab report is due Monday. My English lit. paper is due Tuesday. My economics paper is due on Wednesday. And the big game’s tomorrow.” Now, super savings on PS/2 s. Be ready for this semester with the IBM Personal System/2.® Choose from five complete packages of hardware and software— all at special low student prices. What’s more, when you pur chase a PS/2,® you can get the exciting new PRODIGY® service at less than half the retail price* Strike while the prices are hot. Pick the PS/2 that’s right for vou. PS/2 it! 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TIME: 8:00 p.m. DATE: 10/16 LOCATION: Rudder Auditorium AT&T The right choice.