The Battalion
OPINION
Thursday, March 22,1990
Opinion Page Editor
Ellen Hobbs
845-3
Mail Call
Students tired of pranks
EDITOR:
Last semester you could have asked who Bryan Skip-
worth was and anyone would rattle off Aggies Against
Bonfire without batting an eyelash. Now, not only does
Bryan hate Aggie bonfire, he has taken to believing it’s OK
to deface A&M’s own venerated savior Lawrence Sullivan
Ross with, of all things, a swastika!
It’s easy to see that because Skipworth was unable to
participate in organizations that actually contribute in a
positive manner, he has resorted to non-conformist ways of
stirring up trouble and getting his name in the paper.
About 40,000 people know his name and what he has ac
complished. Also, 40,000 people are a bit tired of his im
mature, uninformed, childish and thoughtless practices.
This recent swastika prank was not only needless, but abso
lutely morally abhorrable.
Since A&M is so against his beliefs and a bit too “con
servative” for him, perhaps he should leave (I’m sure that
many of us would be happy to pack his bags for him.). But
perhaps Skipworth should stay away from t.u. — I think
he’s a bit too strange, even for them.
And I’m sick of these wimps worrying about what hap
pens to wildlife. Any owls or whatever else that wouldn’t
survive without “old-growth” forests can’t be more impor
tant than our mighty lumber industry! Why, every day The
Battalion alone probably uses up a dozen trees!
After all, deforestation is a true Aggie tradition!
Joseph Kachmar
Graduate student
Don’t cut down Silver Taps
Gretchen E. Kelly ’92
accompanied by 12 signatures
Stop ‘foolish word games’
EDITOR:
I think something horrible is happening on the A&M
campus. Lately, I have read several letters in The Battalion
(I am not going to resort to name calling) that seem to
come down hard on the University as a whole. What I
mean is that every time an aspect of Texas A&M is put
down the University as a whole suffers.
For example, recently letters have alternately insulted
and promoted the Corps of Cadets, of which 1 am not a
member. Somewhere along the line people seem to have
forgotten that if it had not been for the Corps of Cadets
there would not be Texas A&M University. The University
was first established as a military academy in 1876 and al
though the Corps now represents a small part of the sys
tem, it is the reason why we are able to attend this Univer
sity today.
Numerous other organizations have suffered due to
the lack of respect that people have toward other people’s
beliefs, but we can also learn to respect (even if we don’t
like) the organizations and traditions that allow us to attend
this fine University? Pro-Aggie or anti-Aggie, let’s stop
these foolish word games.
EDITOR:
In reference to Coriene M. Case’s letter on Eeb. 19, I
would just like to say that for someone who cannot seem to
find the time or energy to attend Silver Taps, she sure can
find the time to publicly voice her complaints about this
University in The Battalion.
If I recall correctly, Coriene wrote into The Battalion
on Sept. 13 confessing her pride in being a two-percenter
and her lack of time to “partake in the many festivities”
here at A&M. I believe this negative attitude could only be
associated with a two-percenter. In her letter concerning
Silver Taps, Coriene complains that she has to get up early,
study and tend to personal obligations.
OK. OK but what about all the men and women in the
Corps? Are you not aware of the fact that these people get
up every morning at the crack of dawn and either run or
drill? All these people still have time and energy to make
grades and deal with personal obligations. 1 admit however
that there are some Aggies that can’t make it to Silver Taps,
but you don’t see all of them writing in and calling the cere
mony a hassle. How would you feel if everyone felt the way
you did and couldn't find it in them to attend a Silver Taps
held in your honor?
In reply to Coriene s comment that “some of us do have
lives,” yes we do, but unfortunately the people being hon
ored at Silver Laps no longer have their lives. So don’t feel
that Silver Taps is a burden on you, just don’t go and be
quiet about it! Don’t cut down a tradition held veiy dear to
A&M and its students.
Alissa A. Miller ‘93
Zips, remember your deposits
Elizabeth V. Graham ’93
Deforestation: an Aggie tradition
EDITOR:
This letter is directed at all seniors graduating in May.
Although you may not remember it, w r hen you first en
rolled you paid a $10 “property deposit” to the University.
Instead of automatically refunding this money to you when
you graduate, the University just pockets the money if you
don’t ask for it. Although the fiscal office is hoping every
one will forget to request the return of their money, you
can go to room 102 of the Coke Building and get whiat’s
rightfully yours.
EDITOR:
Thank you for having the decency of printing the two
pro-clearcutting letters. It’s time we Americans stood up
for our rights to chop down! If the forest service feels that
selling clearcutting rights is good for them, then I’m sure
that they mean because it helps the land, not because it
pays their bills. I keep telling these intellectual snobs that
clearcutting a few thousand acres, bulldozing whatever is
left and then burning the remainder is a perfectly natural
thing to do!
Annelise Weiner ‘90
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 There is no guarantee that letters submitted will be
printed. Each letter must be signed and must include the classification, address and
telephone number of the writer. All letters may be brought to 216 Reed McDonald,
or sent to Campus Mail Stop 1111.
Whining baseball players
get their way once more
Spring break was basically a relaxed,
carefree week of bliss. Most of my time
was spent either at the beach on South
Padre Island or in Matamoros, that
friendly Mexican border villa.
Occasionally, though, I would worry.
I was depressed because my bottle of
Pepto was so empty that I had to add
water and shake it when I needed some.
But alas, I was mainly troubled by the
baseball lockout.
Baseball has always been my favorite
sport. Once in grade school our class
assignment was to write about our
favorite season. Many kids choose fall or
spring. I choose baseball season and
promptly failed my paper
Last summer, a friend and I drove to
Chicago for a week of baseball. We had
the pleasure of seeing numerous games
at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field
and at Comisky Park. It was wonderful
I thought that my love for professional
baseball was boundless. But now I have
almost had it
For those of you who are not familiar
with the situation, professional baseball
players are greedy sonls. Spring
training, the annual preparatory period
for professional players was delayed for
32 days while the players and team
owners tried to reach an agreement on
numerous grievances. Training camps
opened yesterday and, once again, the
players are- left with smiles and fat
pocketbooks.
This is the sixth work stoppage that
major league baseball has se?e*n in the
past 18 years. This time, the players had
to make severe compromises and settle-
for only 95 percent of then demands
What more could these guys want?
The life of a major-leaguer is not a
bad one. The player works for less than
half of the year. His work is playing a
game for a few hours. This is not to
mention that he gets to dart around the-
country in jets and stay in great cities for
days at a time. The only drawback might
be the fact that he only sees his family
for about half of the time when the
season is in progress. That, though, is
compensated for by his salary which
averages over $500,000 now.
I, personally, can hardly imagine a
better lifestyle. Apparently the players
can. The new, four year agreement
signed with the owners provides for a
$100,000 minimum salary for players.
Also, the owners must eontuibute $55
million to the players’ pension fund and
now, 17 percent of players with only two
years of experience can file for salary
arbitration. This all means that the
players whined loudly enough to get
their ways
Matt
Me Burnt:
Columnist
This is i idieulous. Even tlii-lastnu
on the 24-man roster ol players will
receive $ 100,000 This guy mayonly
play a few games but will make asi\
figure salary.
M any inajoi league players have
college educations Almost all hadtte
chance to go to college Some prefent
to go to the minor leagues and tn to
work their ways up to the majors Tb
guys may have to accept the factthai
they might have to get a real jobonce
they retire fr om baseball It is silly to
expect tin- owners to pros ide themwi
outrageous pension plans At am rale
any buffoon could manage to save sit
money w hen making $500,000 a year
High dollai salaries are ruining
baseball. Once fondly referred teas
America s pastime, it is more a matte
of big business 1 hav e attended quite:
few baseball cart! conventions. Usual
the organizers of the event recruitalj
name baseball star to sign autograph)
This is good for the fans and the
baseball card dealers. Last year, Dam!
Strawberry was at one, charging $5foi
his autograph I nearly threw up outfit
guy 1 just do not understand.
It is natural for one to want to recent
the most money he can for his skills
Some baseball players are making S3
million now I hat is simply insane.Tl
team owners are partly at fault. They*
the precedents in the 70s that they
would be willing to bid big bucks for
free agent players. I he whole sceneb
become a horrible display of greed
When 1 watch reruns of Home!
Derby’ on television, I get a chance to
see great players from the late 1950s
and early 1960s. These gu vs laugh and
have a good time just playing the game
Even the great ones of the era like
Mickey Mantle were friendly and kind
They worried much more alrout their
batting averages than the Dow Jones
average Those attitudes hardly exist
today. Professional baseball has lost
much of its integrity, and it is Coming
closer than ever to losing a fan.
Matt McBurnett is a junior electrical
engineering major.
It’s time for the United States to
marijuana
Every civilized society in recorded
history has known and made use of
mood-altering chemicals. From the
hashish of the Afghans to the peyote of
the American Indians, drug use of one
sort or another is a common thread
woven into and running through all
human cultures. Many types of drugs
are in use around the world. Perhaps
the least understood and most maligned
is THG, or marijuana. While second
only to alcohol in global usage, it is
socially unacceptable in this country and
in some states carries severe criminal
Chris Black
Reader's Opinion
penalties.
Marijuana enjoyed a brief period of
limited popularity in the U.S. in the
1930s, until the federal government
criminalized it in late 1938. Lack of
widespread exposure and such
paranoid films as “Reefer Madness”
succeeded in frightening the general
public away from it. Marijuana
remained almost unheard of in the U.S.
until the 1960s w-hen it was
reintroduced on college campuses. In
the 1960s and 70s drug use spread to
every level of our society and spawned
an entire subculture. By r 1980, six out of
every 10 college seniors had tried
marijuana at least once and three out of
ten were regular users. In 1987, NBC
News reported that marijuana is the
United States fourth major crop behind
wheat, corn and cotton. Yet anti-drug
organizations still vehemently insist that
drug use is declining.
It has become painfully obvious that
marijuana, legal or not, will not simply
go away. It is also clear that there is a
demand for it in a broad segment of the
population. Research on the long term
effects of marijuana have shown it to be
safer, less addictive and less physically
damaging to users than a number of
drugs sold and consumed legally. It
should therefore, be legalized for sale
and use and should be regulated in
much the same way r that alcohol and
tobacco are now, with restrictions on
age, driving while intoxicated and use in
public.
Opponents of legalization claim that
it would endorse drug use and
encourage people to use more
dangerous drugs. It has been shown,
however, that involvement in the drug
culture, and not marijuana itself,
encourages use of harder drugs. If
marijuana was legal, users would not be
forced to become involved in the drug
culture in order to obtain it and would
therefore have less of a chance of being
exposed to dangerous drugs.
out of 12 people is a regular user and no
one is the wiser. This in itself is a strong
argument against those w-ho claim that
legalization would destroy the country’s
motivation.
use It also causes little or no driving
impairment The same cannot be said
for alcohol, which is legal in all 50state:
and is also one of the leading causes of
death in the nation.
Opponents also claim that w r e will
become a nation of “potheads (that
people would become addicted and lose
interest in life). This is simply not true.
The vast majority of marijuana usage is
moderate or intermittent. Because of its
illegality, it is difficult to obtain accurate
information about how many people
use it; but ABC’s Ted Koppel quoted
statistics that place the number of
regular marijuana users at 30 million.
According to another study 7 , at least one
Marijuana, despite early irrational
fears, has proven to be no more
danger ous than alcohol. When
marijuana first became popular again
anti-drug groups published numerous
pamphlets and reports describing the
“health risk involved in marijuana use.
They warned of everything from
chromosome damage to drug induced
psychosis. While long-term heavy use
can result in partial short-term memory
loss and decreased motivation (neither
of which is permanent after use is
discontinued), THC has a high margin
of safety with no deaths having occured
in humans, even from very large doses.
"THC does no damage to the liver, brain
or circulatory system, even with heavy
Marijuana has been present in
various cultures for thousands of years
In the last 20 years it has become the
second most popular drug in the United
States Research has shown it to be no#'
addictive, relatively safe and less
damaging than many legal drugs
currently on the market. The time has
come for the U. S government to cast
aside irrational prejudices and applyils
own tests established to determine
legalization of new drugs, to marijuana
By- those standards it is safe, if used in
moderation, and should be legalizedfor
personal use.
Chris Black is a sophomore history
major.
Adventures In Cartooning
by Don Atkinson Jt
The Battalion
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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 L). Joe, Art Director
Mary-Lynne Rice, Lifestyles Editor
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