5
Wednesday, January 24,1990
The Battalion
Page 3
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Mail Call
‘Congrats’ Bus Operations
EDITOR:
I am writing this letter to congratulate Bus Operations
for a job “well” done; although “done” might be more ap
propriate. What am 1 referring to? The availability of one-
ride bus passes.
Every semester I dig deep in my wallet to find the
bucks for a semester long bus pass. And every semester it
works out just fine — until now.
On Monday I got a ride to school with a neighbor of
mine and left my bus pass at home accidentally.
When I realized I had left my pass at home, I figured
“no big deal,” I’ll just go to Bus Ops and get a one-ride bus
pass.
So I jumped on the Howdy bus to go out there. I got
there and, lo and behold, they no longer keep them out
there because they no longer handle the money. When did
they start this and who did they tell?
So, I caught the next bus to go to the MSG so I can get
ONE. Then I am told that they no longer sell single passes,
I have to buy five instead.
So now tell me, what am I going to do with four extra
passes when I have a semester pass?
Ever since I began attending Texas A&M, I have al
ways been able to buy a single. When did this change Bus
Ops?
Don’t get me wrong, I think the shuttle buses are very
convenient. But if you’re going to change something, why
don’t you let the students know?
David Brakebill ’91
Sexton letter appalling
EDITOR:
After reading James E. Sexton’s opinion on racism, I
was appalled. It is nice to know, Mr. Sexton, that you real
ize racism is bad, but I feel that you still have much to
learn.
Anyone can say they are not racist, but it is different
when you realize how widespread the problem is.
For instance Mr. Sexton, when I turn on the TV, sure I
see blacks as “clean, suave and erudite,” but only on Thurs
day nights. Too frequently, blacks are portrayed on major
network shows as the perpetual bad guy who is poor, vio
lent and addicted to drugs.
As for hispanic representation on TV, there is a major
problem in portraying a population that is soon going to be
a majority in the United States. Not one of the networks
has a prime time show with a positive hispanic role model.
Television often succumbs to portraying the hispanic as
uneducated, speaking with a heavy accent and fitting the
stereotypical “hot-tempered Latin” image.
Recently I saw a preview for a sit-com to be shown right
after the Super Bowl which plays on the chicano lowrider
image. The lowrider, contrary to most stereotypes, does
not always have a switch-blade knife ready for action as this
preview vividly presented.
As you can see, we have a long way to go before the net
works get rid of their beliefs in stereotypes. I am sorry to
say that discrimination is still apparent in 1990s television.
Mr. Sexton, I suggest that you visit the Multicultural
Services Center to get more information about the “mental
disease” of racism. Change your beliefs and get more infor
mation before you graduate.
It will be a shame if you take your beliefs to the real
world.
Ricardo Montelongo ’91
Assumptions on racism erroneous
EDITOR:
James Sexton’s letter to the Batt regarding minorities is
a stark advertisement of his inability to possess histori
cal/political truths. His claim for the existence of reverse
discrimination is based upon erroneous assumptions.
He cites an anti-white media as a new champion for mi
norities.
Is this the same media that gave us “Birth of a Nation,”
John Ford’s “American Indians” and the “Miami
Vice”/“Scarface”/“Pancho Villa” Hispanic? Is this the same
media that continues to show predominantly black drug
abusers and predominantly Hispanic suppliers?
As for Sexton’s quota system which sacrifices whites for
the sake of minorities: Does this mean that if you’re a mi
nority, you’ll receive a letter from universities asking you to
attend, whether you possess a high school diploma or not?
Perhaps quota systems evolved as a result of past and
present failures leading to educational malaise (e.g., inner-
city schooling and misappropriated school property taxing
-Kirby v. Edgewood School District).
What about laws perpetuating minorities as cheap la
bor (separate education, slavery, vagrancy and labor laws)?
And present Supreme Court reversals of previous minority
gains? What about discriminatory standarized testing?
As for self-regulation, does Sexton really believe mi
norities are racists for uniting to attain economic and politi
cal power? Are minorities to wait for the system to change
itself and obey the status quo? Are minorities racist for pro
moting their culture, thereby defeating the negative self-
images of minorities caused by the media and social injus
tice?
If the Confederate flag can be waved in our streets,
why can’t other flags wave, such as the Mexican flag? Isn’t
Mexico just as much a part of the history of the southwest
as is the Confederacy?
Mr. Sexton may never have participated in oppression,
but he’s as much of a victim of it as so many of us are.
Robert J. Villerreal ’91
Selfish people won’t change
EDITOR:
Sarang Shidore’s column of January 22 was very inter
esting and enlightening to me, and I would like the oppor
tunity to express a dif ferent viewpoint.
Mr. Shidore started, “Unfortunately, man is, in reality,
almost always selfish. The brillance of a social market econ
omy lies in its ability to harness these selfish tendencies
through the mechanism of the market to generate wealth
for the common good of all.”
The question I have is this: Is the civil government re
sponsible for, or even capable of, harnessing selfish ten
dencies?
If this “harnessing” is through over-taxation based on
“ability to pay” or government intervention in the market,
then the government has degenerated from a servant of
the people to a mere liscensed thief.
Regardless, I think a civil government is wholly incapa
ble of changing a selfish individual into a generous, selfless
one.
So the question remains: How does a nation ensure in
dividual liberty, without leaving room for the national gov
ernment to become oppressive and tyrannical?
I believe that a careful reading of the preamble to the
Declaration of Independence would reveal the source of
individual liberty, self-restraint and the true purpose of
civil government:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these
rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving
theirjust powers from the consent of the governed. ”
David Panak
Graduate Student
Another helpful Aggie
EDITOR:
We would like to thank Danny Tarver for proving to us
that Aggies are willing to help each other out.
On Friday evening, we went out to the fish lot to find a
nail in out deflated truck tire.
As we wondered what to do, Danny came our way. He
was obviously dressed up and ready to go home, but he de
layed his trip home and practically ruined his clothes to
change the tire for us.
Thanks again Danny.
Jenny Smith ’93
accompanied by two signatures
Have an opinion? Express it!
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff re
serves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to main
tain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and must include the classifica
tion, address and telephone number of the writer. All letters may be brought to 216
Reed McDonald, or sent to Campus Mail Stop 1111.
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