The Battalion
OPINION
Thursday, March 8,1990
Opinion Page Editor Ellen Hobbs
Make sure what you call racism really is racism
The past month gave all of us a much
needed opportunity to raise the level of
our knowledge about black history.
Black History Month also raised my
personal awareness of racism and the
struggles that some African-Americans
face due to their color.
Racism is a terrible social ill. This fact
is readily apparent. Sadly, though, this
message of racism is often delivered
with no provocation. Such a touchy and
heavy subject should not be treated
lightly. It is difficult for me to think of a
nastier label to be tagged with than that
of a racist. Unfortunately, many
African-American groups do not realize
this.
The issue which prompted me to
write on racial discrimination, a subject
I normally prefer to defer on, is the
plight of one Ray Sykes, an African-
American Houstonian.
Ray Sykes owns a relatively large
Buick, Jeep and Eagle dealership near
Humble, just north of Houston.
Actually, he only owns 40 percent of the
Matt
1 —
^ ^ I
McBurnett
Columnist
Smith and President William Stemple
which stated, “We are especially
troubled by what we perceive as racial
overtones with regard to different
treatment by GM of other dealers in this
area that have faced similar financial
difficulties.” A meeting with GM was
also demanded.
dealership. General Motors owns the
rest. Well, the business failed and, of
course, racism is to blame. At least that
is the story that Sykes and 10 of
Houston’s African-American
organizations pretend to believe.
The organizations rallying in behalf
of Sykes include the Black United
Front, numerous Baptist groups, the
National Emancipation Association, the
Third Ward Civic Club and the
National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People. These
groups apparently coauthored a
telegeam sent to GM Chairman Roger
The action, or inaction in this case, in
question is the supposed neglect by GM
of the Sykes dealership. Sykes said that
GM refused to provide bailout cash for
Sykes when needed, though it had
recapitalized at least a half-dozen white
dealerships in Houston. He did take
some blame for his books being in
disarray. It sounds bad, right? Not when
GM spokesman Tom Beaman informs
us that GM has taken “extra steps” in
assisting Sykes, including
recapitalization twice.
business is a success. It seems to me that
recapitalization or aid in any form
would be their prerogative anyway. The
only complaint that could possibly be
levied against GM would be that of
preferential treatment for other
dealerships in the area. This does not
apply since the Sykes dealership has
been bailed out twice already. What
more could Sykes and these numerous
African-American organizations want?
Would they be satisfied if GM bought
the cars back for the sticker price?
logic to the situation by the bandwal
organizations representing Sykes.i
cessation of the racism battle cry w||
does not apply.
n
This is one of the most blatant
displays of sheer mule-headedness that
I have seen. Goodness, Sykes, your
business failed because it was crappy,
not because of GM.
First of all, GM owned the majority of
the Sykes dealership. They obviously
will do all that they can to see that the
Rev. Jew Don Boney, chairman of the
Houston chapter of the Black United
Front claims that, “If GM won’t meet
with us, we will take what actions are
necessary.” The only necessary action
would be either the application of a little
Though it may be a black thing*
I do not understand, I am sensitive
the issues of racism. In this case,In
side with GM and chide thesenseles
groups who let the racist labelflyto
compensate for the poor tnanageirti
of an auto dealership.
I cannot believe that the NAACPl
became involved in this thing. 1 see
need for African-American
organizations, especially the NAACI
and 1 respect their efforts. Whenihi
groups throw the racism labelaroiiK
recklessly, they do nothing but
desensitize the public and f urtherdi
solutions to the causes that they
represent. No reaction is muchbette
than overreaction.
gra
see
the
22
Wil
Matt McBurnett is a junior ek
engineering major.
Mail Call
Knowledge of God brought by faith
EDITOR:
In response to James Hammit’s letter of Feb. 22: James,
your admirable lifestyle does not undeniably disprove the
existence of God. No amount of effort by mortal man can dis
prove, or even prove* God’s existence.
The knowledge of God and of his son, Jesus, as savior can
only come through faith. Faith is God’s gift, given to us
through his Holy Spirit.
All men think for themselves, that is also God’s gift. The
different thinking of the believer comes from the Holy Spirit.
Look at I Corinthians 2:14-16:
and bondage that this world puts on all men.
Only through faith can any man’s joy be made complete.
Mark Wainright ‘86
Employers look for quality first
the trials and tribulations you went through to graduate).
If you really think a person is going to overlook a roomful
of bright people to hire you without first looking at your qual
ifications, you are gravely mistaken. 1 ;lf
Perhaps that’s why you're sitting iti f ront of that desk in
stead of behind it.
Nancy Nguyen ‘93
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things
that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to
him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiri
tually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgements about
all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judge
ment: ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may
instruct him?”’ Both believer and unbeliever have free choice.
EDITOR:
To those of you out there who find it so unjust, immoral,
unfair, wrong, degrading, illegal, irritating, retarded, utterly
disgusting, not in accordance with your inner being or just
plain uncool to be hired by another Aggie, I would like to ad
dress you for just a minute.
Let’s say you’ve been out of school several months and
were about to go to your next job interview (the 67th one, for
argument’s sake because widget graduates are in abundance
this spring), which was to be conducted by a former tuba
player of die Aggie Band.
Fraternity T-Shirts degrade A&M
James, I compliment you on your charitable lifestyle,
more Christians should behave the same way. It is Christ’s
teaching. I’m glad that your lifestyle brings you joy, but I
hope that you and other atheists will take a longer, deeper
look at faith in God.
Faith in God is not mindless submission to a restrictive
moral code. Faith in God is true freedom from the judgement
He reviews your work, overlooking the part of your re
sume that read you were once a member of “Aggies Against
Other Aggies.” On the basis of your records and your per
sonal aura, you are hired.
Now, don’t tell me you would turn down the job because
you and he once shared the same campus. But that’s exactly
what you’re saying w hen you think former students will hire
you only because you once attended Texas A&M University
(which, personally, I think is a good reason anyway since
these former students, more than anyone else, are aware of
EDITOR: ;
This letter is directed to those fraternities (and you know
who you are) that degrade this great University by putting
profanity and vulgar pictures on their T-shirts. Not only are
you representing your fraternity, but you are also represent
ing Texas A&M University.
These kind of actions are what create the one bad apple in
the whole bushel. Nobody at Texas A&M wants to be looked
down upon because of this bad apple. With all the hype about
becoming a world class university, these so-called “recogni
zed” fraternities are putting us back in the little leagues.
Chad Prior ‘89
Have an opinion? Express it!
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves
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letter must be signed and must include the classif ication, address and telephone number
of the writer. All letters may be brought to 216 Reed McDonald, or sent to Campus
Mail Stop 1111.
Time for new non-communist countries to rebuild
"The leaders of the reforming com
munist countries are attempting to
throw off the shackles of communism. I
wish I could boast that we classical liber
als triumphed in enlightening commu
nists to their folly. But arguments
against communism did not win the day.
Instead, socialism collapsed under the
weight of its own destructiveness. Pov
erty, hunger, sickness and pollution
were much more convincing arguments
than anything Milton Friedman could
say.
So the task in hand is to rebuild. All
building needs a vision or a blueprint.
This vision must be a society based on
representative governments, civil liber
ties and free-markets. A society where
the individual, not the state, determines
the course of one’s life.
The first step of the process must
start with free elections. This is the only
way to effectively purge the old-line so
cialists from the ruling elite. No Com
munist stands a chance in free election.
Only those candidates who promise free
markets and civil liberties will win office.
Witness the results of recent elections in
Poland, Lithuania and Nicaragua.
Election are not enough. Upon gain
ing office the new 7 representatives must
draft a new constitution. A government
operating without constitutional limits is
sure to encroach on the freedoms of the
people. Strict guidelines must be set
which define those limits the state is not
Andrew
Matthews
Columnist
allowed to violate.
Much like the the United States Con
stitution and Bill of Rights, each coun
try’s constitution* must contain a struc
ture for the legislature and for the
judicial branches of government. The
constituion must enumerate the nec
essary rights such as freedom of speech,
due process and the right to own and
trade property. The judicial branch
must then be empowered, by the right
of judicial review, to uphold the prin
ciples of the constitution.
The theory of communism was based
upon the abolishment of private prop
erty. It is imperative that private prop
erty rights be engraved in stone within,
the law's of each country.
This is the linchpin of capitalism.
Markets cannot exist without property
rights. How can you sell w hat you do not
own? People need to be able to trade
property to better themselves. Without
the gains from trade, which naturally
follow from private property, people
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The Battalion Editorial Board
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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have no incentive to undertake activities
which require initiative or risk.
The Soviet legislative branch last
week legalized the private ownership of
land. Gorbachev realizes that collective
farms have been a disaster. About two
percent of Soviet farmers lease land and
produce for profit. This small minority
produces, however, one-fourth of all ag
ricultural produce. Greed produces
where altruism fails.
The Communist governments must
also abandon the inefficient, state-run
enterprises. Talk about the biggest,
most polluting waste of manpower and
capital that the w'orld has ever seen.
These monoliths must be privatized.
This means that whoever runs the com
panies needs to be able to reap the re
wards from his or her labor. One plan is
to issue shares of stock to the workers
and managers. That is progress, but is
only a half-measure.
The governments ought to have a ga
rage sale for their industries. Western
companies could simply buy the state
companies. That should not be a prob
lem. A few bribes and golden par
achutes ought to facilitate the transfer-
ral of ownership. Mega Firm Inc. could
simply pay some Communist official
enough money to keep him knee-deep
in booze and women for the rest of his
life. Perhaps a chateau in Switzerland
could sweeten the deal. Accounting ma
jors refer to this as. the value of “good
will.”
The second step of market reform re
quires that prices be freed. Prices must
be allowed to adjust to a relative scarcity
and a surplus within the economy. Both
Poland and Vietnam released prices,
and within weeks all the shelves were
filled with goods. Granted they were
more expensive, but expensive bread is
better than no bread.
An influx of western private capital
would augment the growth of these
newly forming economies. Foreign
management restrictions should be abo
lished. No western company is going to
invest time and money if they cannot
control the operation of the firm. These
western goods and services would erase
the shortages created by central plan
ning. The McDonald’s in Moscow is a
perfect example of the benefits of
“greedy capitalists.”
Though private investment in pril I
companies should be encouraged, g( |
ernments should not send huge |
packages. If anything, governmentil
only postpones market reforms. )'!
would argue that aid to Israel, Eg I
and die Phillipines helped their etf! 5
omies?
This outline of the future of the fit I
communist countries provides the sit I
ton of a free and prosperous soti I
The basic underlying assumption K
these reforms is that there can be no I
voi ce between economic and civil 11
ties. A cursory look at the injustices f
dured by the people of the world ttfi
points to an almost perfect correlai I
between repressed civil and econoi [■
rights. This phenomenon called c(
munism was above all else an attack |
economic rights; therefore, it must! I
low that to destroy it, economic rif |
must be reestablished. This is obvioi I
easier said than done, but delay of [‘
form will only exacerbate the plight I
the already collapsed socialist world. |
Andrew Matthews is a junior ft*
nomics major.
Adventures In Cartooning by Don Atkinson Ji