The Battalion
OPINION
Monday, April 9,1990
Opinion Page Editor Ellen Hobbs 845-33
Here are some answers to unanswerable questions
The Batts
SI
Monday
Every now and then, we get letters
here at The Batt asking us for answers
to questions which have no answers.
So, to appease those who have asked,
I made up some answers.
I’ve noticed that the majority of
students on the Texas A&M campus
carry their backpacks on their left
shoulders. Why is that?
According to researchers, the side of
the body on which college students
carry their backpacks indicates the
political party the student feels the most
inclined toward. Sometimes, though,
because of societal norms, they suppress
their urges to vote for that party.
Students who
to vote for Lyndon LaRouche.
Construction often blocks campus
streets, but the streets that are
barricaded change so quickly that I can
never get used to which streets I can
drive on and which I can’t. Will this
construction ever end?
No, it won’t.
“The experiment has been very
helpful. We’ve learned a lot more than
we did with just the mice. We'always
thought that the mice got mad, but it’s
hard to tell, because they can’t talk or
make angry gestures.”
When they cut down the trees by the
MSC, or anywhere else for that matter,
do they go to heaven?
Well, different people believe
different things, so it all depends on
your point of view. I personally like to
think that trees do have souls of some
sort, and that they go to some sort of
“tree heaven” where they can flourish
and grow peacefully.
Humans beings have been cutting
down trees for a long time, though, and
we need to slow down. What with land
clearing and strip mining and
construction, tree heaven must be
getting kind of crowded. We need to
save a few more trees for down hereof
earth, or this planet could becomeles
than heavenly.
Well, those are my answers. That’s
the best I can do. Keep those cards anil
letters coming, and I’ll keep answeriot
your questions.
Ellen Hobbs is a junior joumalim
major.
MAR&tlSS
&MO FO£T
carry their
backpacks on their
left shoulder tend
to prefer a more
liberal
government. Since
around 98 percent
of the A&M
student body
claims to be
politically
conservative and
Republican, and
since most A&M
students carry
their backpacks on
I personally like to think that trees
do have souls of some sort, and
that they go to some sort of “tree
heaven” where they can flourish
and grow peacefully. Humans
beings have been cutting down
trees for a long time. What with
land clearing and strip mining and
construction, tree heaven must be
getting kind of crowded.
Not because A&M
is not ever going
to quit building
new stuff, but
because
construction on
campus is
controlled by a
group of
psychology
graduate students
doing research on
human behavior.
These graduate
students have
taken behavior
their left shoulders, this shows that
many A&M students are closet
Democrats with latent liberal
tendencies.
Closet Democrats have to deal with a
lot of negative feelings within
themselves and try to make themselves
feel as Republican as they can (and
therefore more accepted by the A&M
community). An unfortunate side effect
of this condition is voting for Clayton
Williams.
The reverse is true for students who
carry their backpacks on their left
shoulders. Many of them would prefer
studies well beyond the age of mice
running through mazes to find cheese.
Their “mice” are A&M students, faculty
and staff, and their “cheese” is whatever
these people are trying to get to: the
Memorial Student Center, their offices
or Kyle Field, for example.
And what have the graduate students
found?
“Well, it doesn’t take long for the
subject to learn how to get through the
‘maze,’” said one of the students. “But
when we change the barricades, they get
really mad. We can tell because they
cuss a lot, and flip people off.
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Practice what you preach
EDITOR:
Until recently, I wasn’t aware that the Christian religion
offered an insurance policy. Thanks to the wise words of Bill
Pirkle, though, I can rest easier at night knowing that I’ve se
lected the right company to suit my needs.
The plan is simple: If you act now, peace and eternal sal
vation can be yours for an unbelievably low price. Of course,
since we’re all open-minded here, we’re not going to say that
if you’re not Christian, you’re dead wrong. But why take the
chance? Why not become a Christian anyway? That way, just
in case it turns out to be the right thing, you’re covered! Eter
nity, after all, is a really long time. Why spend it roasting in a
hot oven?
I confess, I’ve thought of Jesus Christ in many different
ways, but never as an insurance salesman. Of course, he
doesn’t need to be, not since Bill is doing the job so well.
And if you need to know whose beliefs are stronger, con
sider this: James Hammitt at least is standing by his beliefs
even when confronted with narrow-minded views. Bill Pirkle,
however, isn’t taking any chances. He’s already made a great
deal with God.
I’d say that Bill has a great deal to learn instead. Keeping
belief in something just in case it will keep you out of hell isn’t
faith, it’s hypocrisy. You either believe or you don’t. There is
no middle ground. And I’m getting tired of hearing people
professing their beliefs for everyone to see, while what they
actually practice is something totally different.
If Bill Pirkle wants to call himself a Christian, I’d suggest
that he reexamine his values and grow up a little. Otherwise,
he might have a lot of explaining to do when he finally does
reach those pearly gates.
when to have a child. Abortion as a safe and legal option for
all women is at the forefront of our concerns, and we defend
that right by informing students on our facts and not employ
ing scare tactics. To assume that pro-choice is also pro-abor
tion is incorrect. We are concerned with education, contra
ception and the individual or couple.
Caring and sensitive people do not have to accept the
dogma that conception equals personhood, or the contracep
tion is wrong. We take a realistic approach to the world and in
dealing with the problems we all face. Pro-choice is believing
in the ability of the individual, and not letting state legislators
or anyone else determine when to have a child and what con
traception may be employed.
Abortion as a consistent means of birth control is a fallacy.
Again, education, contraception and the right to a safe and le
gal abortion is what we are concerned with. The preservation
of freedom is why we exist.
(the graphic picture of a trapped animal chewing off its leg),
the anti-fur groups will not have a very strong argument with
which to win over the apathetic majority.
Also, it would only be these small-scale trappers or poach
ers who would be discarding bodies as trash. T he fur industry
needs to protect itself as a whole by throwing its darker side,
the trappers, to, shall we say, the wolves.
Brett Corn\yell
Graduate student
Abortion tragedy of our generation
Nikki Ried ’93
Animals used for more than pelts
Marc D. Giller ’90
Pro-choicers believe in individual
EDITOR:
The pro-choice Aggies are students of Texas A&M who
have joined together to protect the most sensitive and private
areas of our lives: a couple’s right to choose for themselves
EDITOR:
Almost all the arguments against using animal pelts to
make fur coats can be boiled down to two basic themes: The
animals are only used for their pelts, and the rest of the car
cass is wasted.
First of all, on fur farms the animals’ bodies are not dis
posed of as trash. They are by-products resulting from the
skinning. The bodies in many cases are sold and used in dis
section labs for biology students. I know that my high school
used skinned mink carcasses for this purpose and I would as
sume that we were not the only school in the country that did
this.
Also, at bare minimum, the bodies can be recycled at a
chicken rendering plant and processed into feed or other use
ful items. A fur supplier who does not sell the body as the use
ful by-product it i^-wrlT not be in business for very long be
cause he is at a competitive disadvantage.
Second, to protect itself from erroneous or emotional at
tacks, the fur industry needs to outlaw, or at least severly dis
courage the use of trapped animals. By removing the debate,
EDITOR:
This letter is in response to the April 4th letter by John F.
Welch, president of Pro-Choice Aggies. By stating that pro-
choice is not pro-abortion, Welch is incorrect. Pro-choice
means one is in favor of granting someone the right to choose
whether or not to have an abortion. It means one is not nec
essarily against abortion. But, by not being against abortion,
one is passively for it, since one allows it to continue. Being
pro-choice means being pro-abortion, either actively or passi
vely.
In other words, “pro-choice” is really a euphemism for
“option to kill.” I am against giving anyone the option to kill
anyone else, even if the intended victim is too young to voice
his opinion.
Abortion continues to be the tragedy of our generation.
One can only muse as to how many of our classmates would
cease to exist if the Roe vs. Wade decision was made five or six
years before it was. A growing number of Aggies continue to
fight against the “option to kill.” I salute you.
Richard M. Bohannon ’90
Have an opinion? Express it!
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff resents
the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain 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.
IV
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Managing Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor
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Cindy McMillian,
Lisa Robertson,
News Editors
Richard Tijerina,
Sports Editor
Fredrick D. Joe, Art Director
Mary-Lynne Rice,
Lifestyles Editor
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Adventures In Cartooning
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