The Battalion
OPINION
Wednesday, May 16,1990
Homosexuals should have right to privacy
Opinion Page Editor Damon Arhos 845| W<
behind closed doors
E
Many oi the darkest years in history
were observed firsthand by people that
marked their privileges above their
principles. These people lost both
Although the morally upright have
always speculated about the terrible
present day, the younger generations in
our society do appear to be approaching
the same precipice. Keeping a
foundation underneath our choices
seems to be too bitter a pill to take.
As we often see, permissiveness
abounds (especially in the Northeast, on
the West Coast and at t.u.). Regardless
of how heinous or disgusting an act or
policy, some group demanding equal
footing will defend it. Normal
adversaries from the political right and
left have united to take up the causes of
the Mary Jane Speak Easy and equal
Jon
Beeler
Columnist
rights for those with alternative sexual
orientations. Apparently, political
persuasion has less to do with societal
ethics than some think.
But although certain vices,
homosexuality notwithstanding, are
decidedly distasteful, 1 do believe man
has an inviolable right to privacy when
his autonomy in this matter victimizes
no other. Barring the extreme,
household sovereignty is the most
fundamental privilege one gets.
Consequently, although it is contrary
to many of our beliefs and convictions,
homosexuality should be legalized in
Texas. On the other hand, I do not
think that homosexuals, as a group,
should receive the privileges that racial
and ethnic groups have. As individuals,
gay men and women should enjoy the
same rights that all Americans receive
until their sexual preference obstructs
the welfare of their immediate
environment. Whatever they want to do
in their bedroom is their business, but
society has no obligation to nurture
their orientation.
Certain groups, particularly a
handful of far left mainstream U.S.,
have been waging a war to legitimize the
gay population as a particular faction of
society deserving the same rights other
minorities possess. The fallacy of this
“we want what the Jones’ have ”
argument is simply that homosexuals do
not constitute a minority described by
family trees; they comprise a minority
defined by their behavior. Although not
a completely analogous case, car thieves
could also pool into a minority
characterized by actions.
A much more analogous albeit much
less pernicious behavior is cigarette
smoking. Cigarette smoking is
discouraged by “sin” taxes, and the
Marlboro man is heavily regulated in
public arenas, yet may smoke as he
pleases in private. Sidestream smoke,
like homosexuality, only hurts the vice’s
disciple when he or she is in the
bedroom. But with this lighthearted
comparison I do not mean to trivialize
homosexuality (or offend smokers).
A lot that goes on in this world is
detrimental to the intellectual and
spiritual growth of humanity, and no
matter how harmless someone might
demand something is, it oftentimes just
was not meant to be — by God or by
nature. The future is always in the next
generation, and how will that
generation cope with something that,
had it been more prevalent, would have
precluded their existence?
A stick of tobacco, on the other hand,
should not disturb our children too
much.
Alternative sexual preference should
not be protected in the business place,
the military or in institutions of higher
education. And in one, and only one,
ultimately important case, sexual
orientation should be regulated in the
home: Homosexuals should not be
permitted to rear children through
adoption. Homosexuality is a social
deviancy detrimental to family values,
and family values sew the nation
together.
By giving leeway to gay rights
activists, we would be opening the flood
gates for a gay draft of the insecure
young and restless. Therefore,
marriage opportunities and incentives
should never be granted to homsexuals.
Taxpayer money should not be spent
defending their sexual tendencies. And
closer to home, Texas A&M student
fees should never be allocated to groups
such as the Gay and Lesbian Studtr
Services.
In their Ivory Tower in Austin
legislators have criminalized sodoit]
figuring this a panacea for our
dilemma. It is time we all emergefi
our paternalistic cocoon andrealit
liberty cannot be compartmentalut
not from gays or entrepreneurs or]
students of Texas A&M. We should
educate people about the demerit!
homosexuality. Gays should bealfc,
their lifestyles, but society needn
the bill.
In the unf ortunate eventuality
majority of Americans somedaysui
the homosexual lobby, then the
homosexual movement should be
granted the privileges they demand
May that noose never fall around®;
neck.
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The most conspicuous cannonM
national homosexual lobby is the
American Criminal Liberties UnioJ
does the “C” stand for “Civil?”).TlJ
scare tactics and dollars haveprou:
political compromises and ingratij
local, state and national lawmakers
homosexual lobby has also propelltf
many officeholders to their curren|
positions. If this lobby favors a s
candidate, they have untold sums
money and time to insure that
candidate's victory.
pre
der
tor
A remedy is dedicated activismtj
those who do not want Americaovt:
by homosexual concerns.
I think homosexuality isahaph
choice of the mentally ill. Another:
will say it’s his cure from thestresv
day’s chores. In the current ethical
spectrum it seems the maxim "One
man’s trash is another man’s train
may be applied to Pandora’s Box.fi
accuracy, in this case, the maxinnk tp.r
be changed to “Humanity’s tiashisi
deviant’s pleasure.”
If homosexuals obtain theprivik
they seek ... well, I’ll be hanged
Jon Beeler is a junior nuclear
engineering majorr
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Mail Call
Registration system needs improvement
•
EDITOR:
Texas A&M University has a problem and it’s not crime or rape or even
AIDS. It’s called phone registration. The A&M phone registration system
stinks.
You would think that at a university as large as Texas A&M they would
have a decent computer system, capable of handling a large load of incoming
phone calls. But instead of spending more money to upgrade the system’s ca
pacity, they’d rather spend more money on that feature we all love to hate.
Yes, it’s that sexy voice that comes on in between busy signals and says, “All
telephone registration lines are busy. Please hang .up and try your call again in
one hour. Thank you.”
Finally, after a student gets into the system he’s told about 20 times to hold
on for a computer operator to connect his call. Then the system activates, and
the student must force himself to enter the action code, his student I D. num
ber and personal identification number.
Once this is all done the student gets to talk to a mentally retarded com
puter with a speech impediment that tells the student that every class he regis
ters for is full or that he is blocked from registration. Gee, great time to tell its,
guys!
It just seems that A&M should spend more money on correcting problems
within the University, such as phone registration or parking, before it goes off
and does something stupid like naming a street after a bogus president.
Terence Emory ’92
Have an opinion? Express it!
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters
for style and length, hut will make every effort to maintain the authors intent. There is no guarantee that
letters submitted will be printed. Each letter must he signed and must include the classif ication, address and
telephone number of the writer. All letters may he brought to 216 Reed McDonald, or sent to Campus Mail
Stop 1111
Former A&M Parents of the Year than!
Aggies for taking them under wings
Frank and Joanie
Abbott
Reader's Opinion
It is hard to believe, it will be 10 years
next month, that two unsuspecting
parents, and their son arrived at the
Texas A&M campus for orientation.
Little did we know about the education
we were about to embark upon, or the
drastic change it would make in our
lives.
To be honest, our first trip to A&M
was taken out of a sense of duty to our
son, and the University. Our major
concerns were how to pay for the
education; did he choose the right
school; and would a job be available for
him when he finished.
We considered ourselves to be
reasonably intellegent people from the
Midwest. Little did we know how
incredibly uninformed we were. First,
we had to learn a new language, full of
abbreviations, and such.
You know: MSG, Sully, Reveille (we
thought that was a wake-up call),
SCON A, OPAS, The Batt, Sbisa, the
Fish Pond, the Chicken and the Hall of
Fame. A great misconception was that
texas university was supposed to start •
with capital letters. We also learned to
stay up past 10:30 p.m. for midnight
yell practice, and to hump it.
It w'as also a learning experience for
us to discover that parents do not always
know what is best for their children. A
long Saturday night and Sunday, after
Fish Camp, was spent trying to dissuade
our son Preston from joining the Corps
of Cadets. In 1983, when he put on the
four diamonds, we realized how smart
he was. The same decision was made by
Frank Jr., but by that time we were
zealous converts.
The fact that A&M has maintained its
commitment, to the tenet that the
University exists primarily for students
is crucial for current and future
students. Second, the fact that the entire
school welcomes, indeed encourages,
parental participation, is unique in the
world of education.
For the quality of the school, the cost
is minimal. They received a good
education, and both are gainf ully
employed. As an added bonus, two
parents received a f ull 10 years of the
most wonderful experiences, and
education of their entire lives.
There are no words or deeds that will
adequately express, or repay the Aggies
for all the love, joy, friendship and
education they have bestowed on us.
The thousands of students we have met,
the hundreds we feel we know well, the
faculty, the administration, the Corf
Cadets, the Memorial Student Cenif
the Board of Regents, the Federatia
Mother’s Clubs, the former studenii
and the many wonderful parents ha
all contributed so much to enhance!
lives. The rich and exciting tradition
have made an indelible etch upon#
hearts and minds.
Texas A&M is a great university,
in a class all by itself . This is a very
biased statement, because of a great
number of people who cared enouy:
take two unbiased, uninformed,smi
town parents under their wing lOye
ago.
Our greatest hope is that allstudf
would encourage their parents total
ref uge under that same wing. Itisbi
enough for all who will come.
A decade has come and gone.Ast
and small as it may seem, wewantto
close with a big “thank you” to ours
and all who have made the tripthros
Texas A&M so great for us.
Our only pledge is to try todoall'
can for the betterment of Texas Ai 1
future students and former students
Frank and Joanie Abbott were ASH
Parents of the Year for the 1987-811
school year.
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Associated Collegiate Press
The Battalion Editorial Board
Monique Threadgill,
Editor
Melissa Naumann,
Managing Editor
Damon Arhos,
Opinion Page Editor
Holly Becka, City Editor
Meg Reagan,
Lisa Ann Robertson,
News Editors
Clay Rasmussen, Sports Editor
Eric Roalson. Art Director
Todd Stone, Lifestyles Editor
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