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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 8, 1990)
The Battalion OPINION Opinion Page Editor Ellen Hobbs 845.33 Scoreboard rude to other teams EDITOR: While seated at the North Texas game I was appalled at the rudeness A&M showed our guest team. During their por tion of half-time the scoreboard continually flashed national football scores. (Of course, this completely ceased when the Aggie band took the field.) As a person who is painfully aware of the lack of manners on the part of American young people in general, I was dis mayed that a college would likewise encourage and foster such rudeness. Mrs. C.R. Dollinger Sr. Don’t take umbrellas to games EDITOR: I feel that it is my responsibility to call attention to a prob lem before it occurs again. It has to do with bringing umbrel las to football games. For those of you who brought your umbrella to the UNT game, think about this. If you put your umbrella up when it starts raining, will the people standing behind you be able to see? I don’t think so. Imagine what it would be like if every one brought their umbrella. This exact situation happened two years ago at the TCU game. This seems to be a problem that just A&M students have. At the TCU game, not one umbrella went up on the former student side. Also, during the game between Ohio State and USC on Saturday, I didn’t notice a single umbrella even though it was raining ten times harder than at the TCU game. In both in stances, the fans just wore raincoats. So next time there is a threat of rain during a football game bring a raincoat or just get wet. It is a lot more fun to get wet while watching a football game than it is to stare at an umbrella for three hours. Gig ’Em. Clint Porche ’91 Thanks to the EMTs EDITOR: I wish to express my thanks to a very competent and pro fessional Emergency Medical Team who responded to a call to the Physical Plant Building on September 25, 1990. These three EMTs were considerate and concerned for their patient. They helped clam and transport the person in a manner that didn’t even disturb his co-workers working right next to him. If it weren’t for these young courageous people the patient may not have survived the day. I should know, I was the patient, and I had a severe reaction to a medication and needed help quickly. These men were the nicest and kindest people I could have asked for. I can’t remember their names but please know I’ll never forget their deeds. Jerry W. Chatham, Physical Plant—Planner Make Galveston part of A&M EDITOR: In response to the article regarding the reintegration of the Galveston campus to the A&M system ... Board of Re gents, you have your work cut out for you. I am a “transfer” student from Galveston, but I’m not considered one because (and I quote a person in Admissions here) I was “already in the System.” Last year, there was a huge campus rivalry regarding whether we were part of the A&M System or not. Those who said we were said we were be cause: 1) we receive student seats for football tickets. 2) the diploma says Texas A&M, not Texas A&M at Gal veston. 3) of the name itself: “T he Texas A and M University at Galveston” Those who opposed said that the Board of Regents does nothing regarding Galveston (except in money matters) and the Department of Oceanography and Geosciences has noth ing to do with the Galveston Campus. Let me warn you, it was also these people who want to change Galveston’s school colors and adopt a new/different mascot! Board of Regents, you’re going to have to seriously assert authority and power in order for this transition to work. The Administration as individuals are very competent but wherj they “work together,” everything falls apart. You’re also going to run into severely hostile and apathetic students. And if you’ve ever been to the Galveston campus for any amount of time, you surely know the fastest way to make the transition smoother ... build a 24-hour Stop ’N’ Go (stocked with lots of Off) on Pelcatraz (aka Pelican Island). Katie Cunningham ’93 Off-campus Ags need garages, too EDITOR: For the short time that I’ve been a student at A&M, I’ve heard many gripes and have read many complaints in your opinion column. Most were legitimate complaints and some even I'aised an eyebrow or two, but the one that comes to mind most often is the parking problem on campus. I live off campus and it really amuses me to read a letter in Mail Call written by someone living on campus complaining about fish lots or having to walk a few extra minutes to your car or not being able to see your car from your dorm room or having to pay more for a space in a parking garage. Quit your bitchin’. You should be happy that you at least have the opportunity to park in a garage. We off-campus stu dents don’t even have a chance to pay that extra fee, which 1 would gladly do to be able to come on campus and find a parking space in less than 45 minutes plus have it be under some shade. This is not to mention having my vehicle watched by a security camera. Why isn’t there a parking ga rage for commuter students? Why can’t we have the same privileges as those who live on campus? I’m sure there would be plenty of those willing to pay for the added convenience. Van Vuong ’93 Reader’s letter racist EDITOR: Bigotry and racism do not change regardless of how you color them. Regarding the letter of Christopher Spotser on September 25th, many things are apparent. First, I need to define racism and bigotry. Bigotry is usually an unthinking negative attitude to a group of people, i.e. towel head, slant-eyed, kraut, or worse. Racism, on the other hand, usually refers to a well thought out theory, a con glomerate of ideas, facts, and observations such as African communism, national socialism, oriental imperialism, Zion ism, etc. Mr. Spotser’s letter obviously was not bigoted, but it was racist. Many people have been fooled into thinking that rac ism is unacceptable in cases against blacks, Hispanics, and those of Jewish decent. But that it is acceptable in cases against the majority like many popular “rap” groups are por traying and, recently the mass wave of anti-Arab racism due to the unf ortunate events of the Middle East. On campus I have seen T-shirt slogans such as “I’d fly 10,000 miles to smoke a Camel” or “Buy American, starve a Jap.” And the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Con ference shirt which says “One people! One aim! One destiny!” which sounds very similar to “Ein Reich! Ein volk! Ein fuh- rer!” We should all stop to realize that these sentiments are all equally dangerous. And to help racial, religious and geo graphical'relations, we need understanding not impending violence. Douglas B. Grigar End discrimination, not statues EDITOR: I feel sorry for African-Americans across the nation be cause pseudo-intellectuals like Christopher Spotser always take it upon themselves to represent them. Mr. Spotser seems to think that using a bunch of unnecessary obscure words will make him look smart and that banning statues is an effective and efficient way to fight discrimination. First of all, the NAACP ought to have better things to do with its time than ban statues. How about some new programs to watch for and prevent present-day racism, or something else that really matters? I’m sure the Association is doing plenty of meaningful things I don’t know about, and I’m all for that, but why do they always seem to pick useless ideas like banning statues to blow up into big national media issues? Second, you, Chris, are guilty of racism against whites. Just because one white person says the Association did some thing pointless, you immediately jump to the conclusion that both the writer and whites in general know nothing about your culture (“bumbling nearsightedness that typifies many of you ‘people’”) and, in fact, that we want to return to slave days (“clear that you cherish those “good of days” past where degradation of the African-American man’s spirit was the da ily Anglo-Saxon duty;” “deeply rooted ties to your hideous past brethren”). Malcolm X must be disappointed in you. You have twisted his policy of self-defense against racism to justify your in grained hatred of whites, and for you to accuse us of racism is blatant hypocrisy. Instead of demanding that these statues be removed, why doesn’t the Association just ask nicely that t.u. put up plaques to the effect of “these people supported slavery and slavery is bad?” See, you don’t have to destroy part of our history just to preserve yours. Edward Murphy ’94 De Klerk should step down EDITOR: It is time to expose the big lies of Bush and his cronies about what is going on in South Africa. First, his equation of Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk as equals in the process of ending apartheid is wrong. De Klerk is an illegitimate leader of a racist nation. He was elected president by less than one quarter of the nation - Blacks were excluded. Nelson Mandela, on the other hand, is the recognized leader of the African National Congress which has been fighting the racist rulers of South Africa since 1912. By all rights de Klerk should step down as ruler of South Africa and allow- the A.N.C. to serve as provisional govern ment during the writing of a new constitution based on the Freedom Charter of 1955. Second, the American portrayal of Chief Mangosuthu “Gatsha” Buthelezi as an equal of Nelson Mandela, and the Inkatha movement as an equal of the A.N.C., in the struggle to end apartheid is also wrong. Gatsha Buthelezi and his In katha movement are handmaidens to the racist regime of South Africa. The South African government provides funds for the leaders of the hantustans and “independent” home lands. In other words, Mr. Buthelezi is in the pocket of de Klerk. His forces have been and are now being used to foment vio lence against the anti-apartheid movement in order to strengthen the image of the government. Finally, the myth that ‘constructive engagement’ will bring about an end to apartheid and that sanctions and disinvest ment are bad must be dispelled. Between 1948 and 1984 for eign investment in South Africa increased from $2 billion to $25 billion but did we see the end of apartheid? No, instead we witnessed the strengthening of the apartheid state with the help of western imperialists. Repression and oppression increased and the wages of Blacks fell to less than one-fourth those of Whites doing the same work. It was not until sanctions had been put in place and disinvestment became a reality that change began. But the world must be careful in judging the changes that have taken place lest we be lef t with a nation in w hich dejure apartheid is replace by de facto apartheid. Until the racist re gime is replaced by a government reflecting the desires of all the people of South Africa the stuggle continues. Paul Kennedy graduate student Legal abortion won’t end prbblem EDITOR: In the last few weeks, the nomination of David Sou ter to the position of associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court has been hotly debated. Feminists in particular are bitterly op posed to Souter because of his conservative background and the possibility that he may be pro-life. Some fear that, if elected, Souter would be the deciding vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which guarantees women the right to have an abor tion. for these reasons, Souter is seen by some feminists as a “threat to women’s rights.” I hese arguments against Souter make me mad. Not be cause I am such an ardent supporter of Souter, but because the proponents of these arguments display Such narrow mindedness. One of the battle cries of this women’s rights movement is freedom of choice.” Does not this freedom include choosing to avoid unwanted pregnancies, by choosing to use some form of contraceptives By claiming that Souter’s appointment to the Supreme Court will put thousands of women in dan ger, as they will be forced to resort to “back-alley abortions,” they are putting total responsibility in the court’s hands. Un fortunately, along with the freedom that feminists so despara- tely long for comes responsibility. This includes the responsi bility of preventing unwanted pregnancies in the first place. I agree that unwanted pregnancies are a problem. Chil dren born to women who don’t want them do not have a very good start on life. However, killing them before they are born does no good, either; the problem is only momentarily “taken caie of. I his is why taking heed to the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” might be advisable. feminists seern to have so much energy to zealously pro tect then rights against those who might pose a threat to them. How about putting some of that energy into educating men and women that they might take measures to avoid an unwanted pregnancy? J uliet Grable ’94 The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Cindy McMillian, Editor Timm Doolen, Managing Editor Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor Holly Becka, City Editor Kathy Cox, Kristin North, News Editors Nadja Sabawala, Sports Editor Eric Roalson, Art Director Lisa Ann Robertson, Lifestyles Editor Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-sup porting newspaper operated as a commu nity service to Texas A&M and liryan- 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 Monday through Friday during Texas A&M regu lar semesters, except for holiday and ex amination periods. Newsroom: 845-3313. Mail subscriptions are $20 per semes ter, $40 per school year and $50 per full year: 845-2611. 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