The Battalion
OPINION
Tuesday, February 20,1990
Opinion Page Editor
Ellen Hobbs
Ronda
Shepherd
Columnist
Evil doesn’t
prove there
is no God
Does Gocl really exist? Many believe
he doesn’t.
Some people believe each man is the
captain of his own fate. They believe
luck, along with self-determination and
willpower, are more effective than
prayer.
Many non-believers feel that you are
your own God. Each man has all power
within himself, but lacking courage and
faith in his own abilities man reaches out
to a god. ... To a god that doesn’t exist.
Does God really exist? Many people
believe he doesn’t.
The absence of a god or supreme
being would account for a lot of things
people on earth must deal with. It
would explain why there is starvation,
racism, hatred, war and corruption.
A loving and merciful God could
certainly not let “his children” whom he
“loves” exist in such a state.
If God is all powerful, then why won’t
he use his power to make a better
world? In his infinite wisdom has he
decided that the world is better off like
it is?
As Christians, we often enter into
heated debate with atheists about these
questions, but why?
The existence of evil is not proof of
the non-existence of God.
Instead of allowing hate to be used as
proof that there is no God, use love as
proof that God exists.
Ask the atheists to explain why there
is so much love in the world.
Ask them to explain the intensity of
romantic love, explain the bond
between parent and child, explain
friendships, explain compassion,
empathy, kindness, cOnsidetation.
When theyTiave done all that, then ask
them why all the charitable
organizations exist.
Let's make it easier, we’ll stick to those
organizations in Bryan/College Station.
Why is there a Brazos Valley AIDS
Foundation? A Crisis Hotline? Brazos
Valley Food Bank? Students Against
Apartheid? Aggie Partners for Special
Olympics? Service sororities and
fraternities? The Twin City Mission?
Sheltering Arms?
As Christians we believe that all these
organizations came about because
people allowed God’s love to manifest
itself and reach out to those in need.
But God is so much more than simply
love, he is action (as evidenced by these
organizations); God is forgiveness.
W r hy else would Oliver North have
nationwide support, Betty Ford still be a
woman of pr estige 01 Roy Tarpley still
allowed to play for the Dallas Mavericks.
God’s love allows us to love even though
we’ve been hurt.
Yes, there is starvation, poverty,
disease, homelessness and hatred.
But there is also USA for Africa, the .
Peace Corps, the Make-A-Wish
Foundation, food banks, temporary
shelters and countless other
organizations that combat these
problems.
For every Adolf Hitler, there’s a
Martin Luther King.
For every Marquis de Sade, there’s a
Mother Theresa.
For every Botha, there’s a Nelson
Mendela.
For every lie, there is a truth.
And for every evil, there is a greater
good.
Atheists have the right not to believe,
but they are wrong if they think that evil
is proof that God doesn’t exist.
Kroger strikers may not find bargains
I don't know about you, but the
Kroger strike sure is cramping my style.
In case you haven’t heard, Kroger
employees have gone on strike. It seems
that they are upset about the loss of
benefits and lack of any sort of pay
raises in the last few r years.
And I can respect anyone who can
stand up for what they feel is an
injustice. (Not to mention anyone who
can stand outside in the rain, day after
day, trying to get shoppers not to cross
picket lines.)
But I admit it. I crossed the lines.
1 was in one of those, “I can’t believe
that I have to stop at the store at 1 1
p.m.,” moods. So I very reluctantly
turned into the parking lot of the
Kroger that is conveniently situated
near my residence.
That’s when I saw them, picketing in
front of the automatic double doors —
trying to persuade people not to shop at
Kroger.
At that moment, I had to decide
between driving to Winn Dixie or Apple
Mail
Corps promotes narrow-mindedness
EDITOR:
In response to Cary Moore’s letter that asks all of us cry babies to stop
complaining about the Corps, I would like to make a few comments. First,. I
am one of those people who attend this University who simply does not like
the existence of the Corps, period. But, I would argue this is the result of any
thing but an inferiority complex.
In fact, I’ll do my best to badger and belittle any organization that pro
motes conformity, narrow-mindedness, and the promotion of seniority over-
knowledge. Serve your conscience, not your country, p/ease!
As for tradition, well 1 guess it only proves mankind really isn’t that far out
of the caves yet. Which isn’t necessarily bad. but there comes a point where
tradition impedes progress.
Aggies, please wake up and stop referring to the University of Texas as
“t.u.” I can’t even walk around campus in a Texas t-shirt without getting
smirks and some snide comments.If you have any friends who attend the Uni
versity of Texas, which I really hope you do since no tradition should be taken
so literally, they’ll tell you they’re barely even aware of our so-called rivalry.
Let’s treat Texas for the institution of higher learning and open-mindedness
it is.
I’m not suggesting A&M is any lesser of a university, but it certainly is (1
invite argument) less open-minded. Sports rivalries are fine, but this has been
carried way too far.
Lastly, in response to Moore’s ponderance of why Aggies hire Aggies, I
would like to say that I hope to be hired on the basis of my abilities and
achievements, not for my affiliation with any group.Maybe Moore believes
whites should hire only whites, or Jews only Jews. T his is the kind of mentality
that is really holding this university back competitively.
If you’re hired solely because you’re an Aggie, don’t expect the firm
you’re working for to stay in business long. Try marketing a product to mi
norities with only Aggies on your staff, and be sure to send me the embarrass
ing stereotypes you come up with.
Oh, and don’t tell me Highway 6 runs both ways, I have yet to see a high
way that doesn’t.
Marcus Johnson ’91
Ck
Damon
Arhos
Assistant Opinion
Page Editor
th
Tree or crossing the picket lines. 1
decided to go ahead and cross the lines.
I went in and bought my toothpaste and
went home.
On the way home, however, I started
thinking about how effective a strike
like this would actually be. Will the
Kroger employees be respected by
management for walking out of their
jobs? Will benefits and salaries actually
improve because these employees go on
strike?
Tommy Blair, a business
representative for Local 455 of the
United Food & Commercial Workers
Union, said union and Kroger officials
could not come to an agreement as of 2
a.m. Sunday (The old contract expired
Saturday at midnight.).
And when management and
employees cannot come to an
agreement, a strike is the answer, right?
There are better alternatives to
approaching contract negotiations than
walking away from the table. While
Blair said that almost two-thirds of
Kroger’s employees would walk out,
Carmen Pate, a spokeswoman for
Kroger, said that vacancies will be f illed
with management employees and with
employees brought in from other cities.
If worse comes to worse, Pate said,
temporary employees will be hired.
The Kroger that I saw that night was
not having very many problems keeping
up with customer’s demands. In fact,
they seemed to be doing OK. Granted, it
was 11 p.m. on a Sunday night, which
isn’t the busiest shopping time of the
week, but with the number of
employees that I saw striking, I don’t
think Kroger will have muchofa
problem. There is littleevidencetl
this strike will force Kroger tocont
I f the Kroger employees are sen
about their demands, they needto
return to their jobs. As longasthei
on strike, there will be tensionbett
them and Kroger management,
the presence of this tension,littl
being at complished. ^nd there is t
the chance that these workerso
permanently lose their jobs, likem
of the air traf tic controllers. What
benefits will the striking employee
if t hey have no jobs?
I do not think that the Kroger
employees should “give in” toallo
demands that management make
Obviously, if the employees were it
enough to go on strike, they should
listened to. But the key to successii
communic ation is the ability!
and to compr omise, and as longasi
Kroger employees are on the pick
lines, there is little of either g
Damon Arhos is a senior jom
major.
Call
Nazi symbols not as bad as policies
EDITOR:
I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to i hose who were
ently upset fry the Nazi party arm baud that was displayed on thearmofilt
Sul Ross statue. The arm band display was part of a sociology experiitits
studying people’s understanding and reactions to symbols. The gathering
data was going well until some Duddley or Donna Do-right took it upon his
herself to call the police.
It seems to me that although this person was offended In the symbol,the
appear to have no problem with what the symbol stands for. After all, usim
police force to stifle f ree expression is right on the Nazi party line. In being
anxious to defend the statue, it appeal s that our super-hero has no real pro!
lem with other symbols of genocide, racism and anti-Americanism beingd
played on our campus.
Sul Ross, as a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army,
troops to attack the United States of America and kill young men who earns
the American flag, in defense of (among other things) a state’s light toon
other human beings as property. Sul Ross also led troops in Texasonacai-
paign to rid the territory of native Americans under the assumption thank
only good Indian is a dead Indian.
So while I can appreciate someone being offended by a_Nazi party symba
I am more offended by actual Nazi party policy. I feel that instead of Tight!
against certain symbols we should fight against what those symbols repfesem
I realize that the Ross statue is a tribute to Texas A&M's first president,but
the arm band fits....
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Have an opinion? Express it!
Letters to the editor should not exi red 100 words in length I he editorial staff reserves the right to rditkt
for style and length, but will woke every effort to maintain tin authoi v inh nt. I heir is no gild
letters submitted will be printed. Eaeh letter must be signed and must include the classification, addmn
telephone number of the un iter Ml letters may be brought to 21 f> Reed McDonald, or sent to Campus &
Stop 111J.
Time for African-American mid-term
As I studied for my SCOM 103 mid
term, I decided to make up my owm
mid-term. This is not a mid-term that
you will take in HIST 105 or 106 — but
the history of African-Americans.
You have had 18, 19, 20 and 21 years
to study for this test, so I am sure you
won’t have any problems with it. You
may begin.
1. Who was the first African-
American woman millionaire in the
United States?
2. What famous African-American
actor, singer, activist, scholar, author,
graduat ed valedictorian of his 1919
Rutgers class, earned 15 varsity letters
in sports, named All-American twice,
graduated from the Columbia Law
School, admitted to the Bar and gave
the greatest perf ormance of Othello?
3. Who wrote “The Count of Monte
Cristo,” “The Corsican Brothers” and
“The Three Musketeers?”
4. What famous African-American
started her own college with a cash
outlay of $ 1.50 and advised four U.S.
Presidents?
RolandS. Martin
Reader’s Opinion
6. Who was the first four-star
African-American General in the U.S.
Air Force?
7. Who invented modern jazz?
8. Name four black writers you won’t
read in AMER LIT 228.
9. Who were the first two African-
American winners of the Nobel Peace
Prize?
10. Who founded the Brotherhood of
14. Who is the first elected Af rican
Ajnerican governor in the United
States?
15. Who was the first black U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations?
16. What famous African-American
argued 65 cases in front of the Supreme
Court and won 65 times?
You have had 18, 19, 20
and 21 years to study for
this test, so I am sure you
won’t have any problems
with it. You may begin.
Al i ic an-Amet it an in the U.S.Hoc
and w hat is his position?
20. I low many African-Amerc
are in the U.S. Senate and name it
Your time is up. Lay down vow
pencils and send in your answersk
to:
Roland S. Martin
Nat ional Association of Black
Journalists
I )ept. of Journalism
230 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas 7 7843-9?
Your mid-term results will be
returned in one week. Haveagod
Sleeping Car Porters?
1 1. Who led the famous “Back to
Africa” movement?
12. Name five leaders during the
Civil Rights Movement.
13. Who was the first African-
American governor in the United
States?
17. Who is president of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference,
National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People and
the National Urban League?
18. Name five members of the
Congressional Black Caucus.
19. Who is the most powerful
journalism major.
As with all columns, viewpoint:
expressed in Reader’s Opinion^
not necessarily those of The Baiu
Persons interested in submitting
Reader’s Opinion should contact
Opinion Page Editor at 845-"'
Adventures In Cartooning
by Don Atkinson
Ronda Shepperd is a senior
journalism major.
5. What African-American invented
the gas mask and the street light?
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Member of
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Southwest Journalism Conference
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Managing Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor
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Cindy McMillian, Lisa Robertson,
News Editors
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Fredrick D. Joe, Art Director
Mary-Lynne Rice, Lifestyles Editor
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IN FftCX I'M B67WR
THRU FINS! I'M OmF!
TM HRNDSOfiAF, WOMbM
RDORC MC, RUD IV6
got r core TUSH!