The Battalion
OPINION
Wednesday, Februaiy 14, 1990 Opinion Page Editor Ellen Hobbs 845-3314
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Mail Call
Silver Taps lacks student participation
EDITOR: ^ I
I am writing concerning the lack of student participation in the time-hot
ored tradition of Silver laps. While attending the last ceremony
stunned by the small numbers that showed up. Silver l aps is a traditiontb
no other school has, and is one that is rapidly fading at this school. Inmyfon
years here I have seen the numbers attending Silver l aps grow smaller an
smaller. It is not a “Corps only” tradition — it’s an Aggie tradition. All Aggi^
should want to pay their respects to fellow Aggies who have passed on.On)
you as students of this great and unique University can prevent this sptci.
tradition from fading away.
Carl k. Gilpin ’90
Library not for socializing
EDITOR:
1 have
[ jp (&)\3SO
Who
was this Valentine guy?
It’s Valentine’s Day. Bah humbug,
alentine s Day is one of those .
holidays that completely loses any
usefulness once you’re out of the 5th
grade.
Back in elementary school,
Valentine’s Day was cool. You went to
school made a big heart-shaped
envelope out of construction paper and
too much Elmer’s Glue, and then traded
valentine cards with everyone in your
class. Even the people you didn’t know.
Even the people you hated.
And you got to spend about three
hours exchanging and reading your
valentines, and not doing your math or
practicing handwriting.
Then, from junior high on,
Valentine’s Day starts going downhill.
You only get cards from people who
actually like you, and everybody wears
entirely too much pink.
I decided that the reason Valentine’s
Day isn’t as great as it used to be is
because, just like Christmas, it’s too
commercialized
The way to make Valentine s Day cool
again is to look for its real meaning —
the way Valentine’s Day began.
So I looked, and what 1 found was
disturbing.
Ellen
Hobbs
Opinion Page Editor
Why would anyone want to he anyone
else’s valentine? The real St. Valentine
(or at least the first one) was clubbed to
death and then beheaded. I just don’t
see the appeal in that.
The second St. Valentine was also
clubbed to death. They weren’t too
lucky, were they?
Really, though, that’s not the reason
everybody gets so lovey-dovey on
February 14. The tradition began
because of a pagan medieval holiday
that celebrated the first day birds began
to mate in the spring (and gave
everybody else an excuse to mate, too).
Once the pagans were run out of
Europe, the Christian Europeans
decided they’d like to have a holiday to
celebrate sex, too. So they picked the
anniversary of the day this poor man
was clubbed to death for their
celebration because it was around the
same time birds start to mate.
Later, some sensitive soul made up a
little story about how Claudius II, the
emperor of Rome, decided that married
men didn’t make good soldiers, so he
outlawed marriage.
According to the story, St. Valentine
thought that was wrong, and married
young people secretly. I he Roman
government found out, and, you
guessed it, clubbed him to death.
Of course, that story is just so much
baloney, but it sounds nice.
And that’s the origin of Valentine’s
Day.
So forget its origins. They’re not too
cool. If you want to find the Valentine’s
Day you haven’t had since the 5th
grade, go to Wal-Mart, buy a bunch of
those little cards like you used to trade,
and give out as many as you can. It’s
fun, it’s cheap, and it brings hack those
old Valentine’s-Day-at-elementary-
school feelings
And if you really want to give
somebody a Valentine who needs it,
send one to my dog He’s being
neutered today.
Ellen Hobbs is a junior journalism
major.
Friends’ story makes reader pro-life
The recent letters to The Battalion
have encouraged me to share a personal
story. I hope you decide to print it. To
the best of my knowledge, the
information presented is true. I would
like to mention that my knowledge on
some of the happenings regarding the
abortions mentioned is not very
complete. It was complete enough,
however, for me to change my opinion
on abortion forever.
I recall reading the Jan. 23 column
regarding the pro-life perspective and
being very upset by the false accusations
presented in it. It offered the opinion
that all pro-life supporters were cloudy-
eyed potential bomb-throwers. In turn,
I would like to disclose how I came to
support the pro-life opinion.
Originally, I vehemently supported
the pro-life viewpoint from a direction
that many, including myself, have
grown to despise. Without thought, I
accepted the views of my church and
thus my peers, that the pro-life opinion
was right. As 1 went to college those ties
were broken and I began to liberalize in
my positions. My views changed back
dramatically over the Christmas
Bret
Alldredge
Reader's Opinion
holidays when two close friends of mine
were involved in unwanted pregnancies
and both couples elected for abortion.
To keep this short, 1 will suffice it to
l\/ly views changed back
dramatically when two close
friends of mine were involved in
unwanted pregnancies and
elected for abortion.
say that both situations ended horribly.
One couple was broken up by the
circumstances and both members of the
other couple are emotionally scarred.
Both couples took the time to read and
decide which choice was best — no rash
decisions were made.
This occurrence has done one thing
for me: I now know my opinion on
abortion. It is wrong. 1 cannot imagine
doing something-like this myself. I know
some will w rite The Battalion noting
that even though abortion is horrible to
me, I shouldn’t force that opinion on
others. Still others will write saying that
the destruction of these people’s lives
should not have any hearing on public
policy. 1 would like to say that I am
simply giving my story to help pro-
choice people understand the
motivations of their opposition. It
amazes me that something capable of
doing so much wrong is taken by some
to he so right.
Bret Alldredge is a junior business
major.
As with all columns, viewpoints
expressed in Reader’s Opinions are
not necessarily those of The Battalion.
Persons interested in submitting a
Reader’s Opinion should contact the
Opinion Page Editor at 845-3314.
Adventures In Cartooning
a comment concerning the Sterling C. Evans library. It is
place to socialize; from 8 p.rn. to 12am, it is not “happy hour.” 1 donotgoii
.ippreciait people lalkingai.
inch. Aggies, thalis whatiii
the library to engage in social activities. I do n<
laughing at my expense when I am trying to
second floor snack bar is there for. Use it’
Michele Guerra 91
Aerobic track will be missed
EDITOR:
I would like to express myself about the parking garage which vvillbebui
in place of the aerobic track. For three years, 1 have used the track for its cod
venience and health benefits as well as for sheei running pleasure. Numeral
others have run, jogged or walked on it at any time of the day or night,aim
cost to Texas A&M. The University is constructing the parking garage whit;
our nation is concerned about its youth getting enough exercise. It is Sudan]
ironic to see that something which allows one to spend more time in a car 4
replace something wide h provides priceless cardiovascular fitness.
Larry Hanus ’90
Miles deserves professional respect
EDITOR:
The Battalion’s willingness to accomodate freedom of expression
have peaked with the issue of Jan. 29. 1 he guest column, “Forests threateiid
by Clearcutters” was one of the most blatantly subjective, professionally insut
ing expressions of intellectual elitism and at rogance against a bona fidet
pert that I’ve ever seen. Bruce Miles has been thoroughly examined, hisforo
philosophy and actions reviewed in-depth by his peers and has been recoj
nized and acclaimed by the forest conn tunity as one of the outstandingpr
fessional foresters of our time. He, like many of us in the industry, chose a u
reer in forest stewardship more than 30 years ago, long before it beam
fashionable to express concern about growing trees and to practice forestei
bashing in the public arena. His election as national president of the Fores
Farmers Association underscores the integrity of his credentials as wellastln
professional respect he deservedly enjoys. I he real issue that needs addrc
sing is not Bruce Miles but rather die credibility of the author of the artidt
I o proclaim his source of material as “superb’ indicates a case of extremegd
libility and proves again the rule “garbage in, garbage out applies to themiml
of <i man as well as to computers. I o say, “forests are threatened bycle
ters is the academic equivalent of saying, “farms are thieatened by tractot
drivers To verbally crucify anyone for wearing a shirt with the insert
“Save a logger, eat an owl raises more questions than answers. Is theatithoi
endorsing the idea “starve a logger, save an owl? is lu unaware of the fad
that loggers are as indispensable to tfu good health of a forest asfarmwott
ers are to next year’s wheat oi corn harvest? 1 Ik cultivation, enhancement
and protection of our healthy forest resource has been priority numberont
with most of us in the forest industry tor decades. 1 Ik- abundance of h
stands of valuable timber interspei sed with undei stories of game browseanil
good habitat for wildlife is adequate proof of the efficiency and effectivents
of professional forest management, the negative ramblings and babblingsol
radical preservationists notwithstanding The difference between Bi
Miles, the thousands of us in the forest community who have for years
lowed responsible environmental practices and the very vocal do-goodersi?
maintain a cacophony of criticism of oui forest professionals is this: Ours is £
applied science and as such is vulnerable to occasional miscues in spite oftk
high degree of success we share with passive users of this resource we nuture
the preachings of the opponents of good forestry (who like to be callederov
ronmentalists) are 100 peicent theoretical and therefore not subject to failutt
If the would-be forest managers are so arrogantly certain of the superioritvo!
their theories, why don’t they purchase some land and put their words
practice? The theoretical pronouncements of so-called envii onmentalistsoi
no more satisfy the wood fiber needs of society than a fancy five-colorpictuit
of a sumptuous banquet table can satisfy the physical needs of a hungry]
Bob Currie
Life Member, Texas Forestry Association
Have an opinion? Express it!
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Scot Walker. Editor
Monique Threadgill,
Managing Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor
Melissa Naumann, City Editor
Cindy McMillian, Lisa Robertson,
News Editors
Richard Tijerina, Sports Editor
Fredrick D. Joe, Art Director
Mary-Lynne Rice, Lifestyles Editor
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