The Battalion
OPINION
2
Wednesday, August 22,1990
Opinion Page Editor Damon Arhos 845-3.ii/i
Not all men consider Williams’ rape joke funny
In regard to Colin Moss’ column
concerning Clayton Williams’ “joke”
about rape:
As a man and a registered voter in the
state of Texas, I felt I could not sit
quietly by while Moss printed his piece
about a crime I consider to be second
only to murder.
Moss was right about one thing: he or
I or any number of regular people
could make that “joke” and it would
not be
remembered. But
when Clayton
Williams makes a
comment like that,
he brings serious
doubts to my mind
about the extent to
which rapists will
be prosecuted if
he is elected.
Williams may
have meant his
comment to be a
joke, but the man
is running for
governor, the
Williams may have meant his
comment to be a joke, but the
man is running for governor, the
highest political office in the
state. And as a contender for
that position he should have
the sense to realize that
anything he (or Ann Richards,
for that matter) says is going to
be under intense scrutiny.
may have such a casual attitude about
a horrible crime.
As for the implication that I, as a
man, find this whole thing amusing
... I would laugh if it didn’t offend me
so much. Just so you’ll know, Mr.
Moss, many of my male friends and I
speak up about this “joke” when the
gubernatorial race is brought up.
And I don’t know if I’m meeting
different women than Moss, but
none of them so far have become
hysterical or screamed that Williams
should have
certain
appendages
violently removed.
The main emotion
they express is
I’m happy that Moss will be
making his living in another state by
the time of the election, and I wish
him the best. Unfortunately, those of
us who still choose to live in Texas
can’t afford to be so nonchalant.
Peter Yonder Haar is a senior at the
University of Texas.
concern.
I’m concerned
too. I’m afraid
every day for my
girlfriend, my
mother, my sister,
and the
consequences if
any of them were
assaulted.
highest political office in the state.
And as a contender for that position
he should have the sense to realize
that anything he (or Ann Richards,
for that matter) says is going to be
under intense scrutiny.
I know, I know. Clayton Williams
is “tough on crime” and will make
druggies bust rocks. But how secure
do the women of this state feel
knowing that our potential governor
I assume that Moss and other men
reading this feel the same way I do.
Rape is an atrocious crime that can
cause terrible physical and emotional
damage.
I ask all of the men reading this to
consider how you would react if one
of your loved ones was attacked. I
hope your reaction wouldn’t be as
flippant as Clayton Williams’ “joke”
makes him seem.
MAsASOi-ISS
Older Aggie gives some advice to incoming Fish
It’s amazing to see all the students
that are arriving on campus for the fall
semester. I mean, this summer was
relatively quiet. Most of the students
were here because they were trying to
catch up, either because they graduated
earlier in August or they will graduate
in December.
Now I walk on campus and see
confusion plastered on the faces of a
new batch of Aggies.. And I realize that
most of them will one day take summer
school because they too will be trying to
catch up. And I laugh.
I laugh because, like everyone else, I
was once a Fish. At one point I walked
Rudy
'Ilf
Cordova Jr.
y/Jp’:
Columnist
WB
on this campus with a confused look on
my face. As a matter of fact, I still walk
around conf used because I don’t know
all the answers and neither does anyone
else. But I do like to think that some
lowly Fish could prosper from my
experience.
One of the first lessons that a Fish
must learn is that there is no such thing
as a four-year program without summer
school. In some cases there’s no such
thing as a five-year program without
summer school. I’m serious ... it could
happen.
Summer school isn’t all that bad,
though. Faking a class for an hour and
a half everyday including Friday, isn’t
the problem. The problem lies in the
fact that there isn’t much to do in the
Bryan/College Station metroplex in the
summer. Unless you want to recieve
New Kids on the Block paraphenalia at
the nearest corner store from the same
radio station that brought you the
Power Chicken. But, that’s another
story.
Another thing that all new Aggies
must learn is that everyone will try to tell
you what is right and what is wrong. I
can’t tell you who to listen to, but I can
say that the decision is all up to you. For
example, if your thinking about joining
a fraternity don’t talk to someone that
lives and breathes Greek because
obviuosly he will want you to join his.
On-screen love does not coincide with off-screen love
On the day a column authored by me
appeared in these pages about the
complexities of the abortion issue, I
read the adjoining reflections of Rudy
Cordova Jr. on marriage and divorce.
Fie writes the column after seeing the
film “War of the Roses.” It is quite ironic
if he does not realize that how many of
the marriages, or living-together
situations, break up because the on
screen love does not coincide with the
off-screen love.
The dream of a man and a woman, at
age twenty, about what constitutes a
‘relationship of love’ is often the
fictional unreality of the screen. And
when it does not coincide with the off
screen reality, it is not the screen-reality
which is blamed but the spouse,
boyfriend, or the girlfriend. There lies
one of the reasons which the columnist,
and readers of that column, might wish
to reflect upon.
Then there are other more
fundamental reasons. And those
Reader’s Opinion
Ahluwalia
reasons can perhaps be summarized as
follows. Yes, it is sad that human
relations can be that brittle or as fragile
as Cordova writes. The fact that human
relations are so fragile comes as a
surprise, but on deeper reflection it is
not so surprising. Most of us are either
bored or sedated at the center of our
being. It is rarely that we are touched at
that core by another existence, human
or non-human. If this touching does not
happen for an extended period in a
relationship the two beings involved
become total strangers at the core. It is
only for so long that two strangers can
stay with each other. Often one of them
who does not have an escape, such as:
the insanity of Physics or Journalism,
seeks out other human beings or some
more meaningful experience. Often
such a human being or other experience
is another illusion. After that a total
disillusionment or death may occur for
the core of every being must find some
experience or involvement in which
some cultural independant meaning
exists. In the West this dynamics results
in final dismantling of a relationship
such as a marriage. In the East
(particularly in the Hindu and Budhist
traditions), the human (often men!)
leaves for the wilderness or solitude.
This forces his or her frailing existence
to harsh experiences of wilderness or
society. An intense experience is
unavoidable, even if it turns out to be
intense dreaming qualitatively different
from dreaming which is associated with
ordinary sleep, and is well described in
ancient literature of the East.
The formal dismantling of man-
woman relationship in the West and the
Sanyas in the East are manifestation of
the same underlying need of the human
organism. At times it is easy to pass
moral judgments on such occasions, and
unfortunately many do to the
determent of the individuals involved.
The problem which Cordova has raised
is a profound problem deserving of
much thought in the silence of one’s
being.
Part of the problem with the whole
matter of dismantling relationships may
simply be our embedding in cultural
boundaries. It seems essential that the
cultural specific aspects of life be
carefully explored and some culturally
independent needs and aspirations of
life be given deeper thought than is
fashionable in the modern technology-
dominated era.
Perhaps Cordova, or the readers of
these pages can provide some wisdom.
I he problem is as important, and
perhaps more complex, as the national
deficit.
D.V. Ahluwalia is a graduate student
in physics.
You have to go out apd find the right
one that fits you. There are plenty of
fraternities to look at before arrivingat
a decision. Even then, you may decide
that a f raternity isn’t for you after all.
I know there are plenty of decisions
to be made, but what can I say, that's
life. The biggest desicion of them all is
what to major in. Believe me, most
Aggies change their major twice. It’s not
an easy thing to decide upon because
what you major in aff ects the rest of
your life. No pressure.
And now, just when you thought two
quarters was all you needed to buy a soft
drink, the price has risen to sixty cents.
All you Fish must brace yourselves for
these kind of changes which on the
surface seem so simple, because now
you can’t buy a drink and a candy bar
with one ironed dollar. Now you need to
carry extra change. Oh well, if I can get
used to all the construction on campus I
can deal with finding a dime.
Which reminds me, beware of all the
construction. Just stay away from the
construction and learn to find the
shortcuts around campus. It’s that
simple. And if you want to join a
Conservationists society then you also
have that opportunity, because as the
University expands, they destroy more
beautif ul trees that make our campus
look like no other.
These were just a few words from the
wise, and sometimes not so wise. As Fish
you have the opportunity to make the
same mistakes we all did. It’s not so bad
I know there is plenty to learn, but just
remember that for every question you
may have there are 40,000 answers.
Rudy Cordova Jr. is a senior theaM
arts major.
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Associated Collegiate Press
Associated 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, Lif estyles Editor
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-sup
porting newspaper operated as a commu
nity service to Texas A&M and Bryan-
College Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion
are those of the editorial board or the au
thor, and do not necessarily represent the
opinions of Texas A&M administrators,
faculty or the Board of Regents.
The Battalion is published Tuesday
through Friday during Texas A&M sum
mer semesters, except for holiday and ex
amination periods.
Mail subscriptions are $20 per semes
ter, $40 per school year and $50 per full
year: 845-2611. Advertising rates fur
nished on request: 845-2696.
Our address: The Battalion, 230 Reed
McDonald, Texas A&M University, Col
lege Station, TX 77843-1 111. Newsroom:
845-3313.
, Second class postage paid at College
Station, TX 77843.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald,
Texas A&M University, College Station
TX 77843-4111.
FAX
School r\LL
TCoomT?. X Fh^TFi/S
CTie 'To SIT -
BACK Kezvyc AMEA ..
by Brett Bridgeman
The Battalioi
ST
Wednesday
Troo
leav(
SAN ANTOr
from around T
prepared to m<
the U.S. militar)
sian Gulf.
An undisclos
Force reservists
provide airlift si
Military Air Wir
Base, officials cc
The 433rd f
members in Te
3,400 of those r<
to Kelly, Whart
several military
Kelly.
None of the
called to active d
quire authorizat
Wing spokesi
Wharton refuse<
of the air wing
Desert Shield, b
unit has been d
last week in c
Middle East crisi
The air wing
axy,” designed
personnel.
Troops at Fc
U.S.
supp
EL PASO (A
nessman is wisf
diets “Godspeed
and a military i
yellow ribbons a
rallying support
to the Persian Gi
World War II
told a friend at F
tion that he wa
support for the
suit was a 30-sec
debuted Tuesda
“We hope thai
pie would becon
j are our neighb<
over there,” sai
Wyler Industria
very strongly abc
T1
i
rec<
exc
]
froi
pru
the
12 1
12 i
drii
eve
Main