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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1990)
The Battalion OPINION Friday, Novembers, 1990 Opinion Page Editor Ellen Hobbs Search for missing bag T ! ' — EDITOR: I have lost a bag containing my keys, wallet (with I.D. and bus pass), contact lenses and my favorite deodorant. Ob viously, someone has been trying to get a hold of me, but be cause my number has changed, it is not in student locater or information. So right now, I’m blind and have no life because I have no I.D. Also, I’m steadily losing friends by asking for rides. (Can you imagine playing ball without contacts? It’s no fun. I’m running into goalposts everyday.) PLEASE help me!! My phone is 693-9427. I need your help. I live off campus, not in Cain; so don’t return it there. If worse comes to worse, take my belongings to the MSC. If nec essary, keep the contacts; I have glasses. Keep the keys; my car doesn’t work. But by all means, return my deodorant. I don’t need to tell you why. I think it is time that we all reevaluate our ideals and our principles of life. Whether a person wants to vote for Ann Richards, Clayton Williams or Mickey Mouse that is his/her right. Whether a person is for or against bonfire, for or against abortion, for or against gun control, for or against apartheid or maybe for or against having more raisins put in a box of raisin bran — these are all decisions that each of us has to make for himself. Let us stop harassing and degrading people because of their opinions and beliefs. Our lives should be spent making friends not creating enemies. Wm. Kelly Horn ’90 Ticket distribution poor Chris Henderson ’91 It’s shanty time again EDITOR: Well Ags, it’s that time again! For all you freshmen who don’t know what I mean, I’m talking about the “Shack” that was just put up again in the area between the library and the Academic Building. No, this Honeycomb Hideaway is not another University construction project or a failing architecture major’s semester project. This is the Students Against Apartheid’s idea of how to best help their cause. Now, I do agree that their cause is a good one, but I just can’t imagine that letters and meetings with University and state officials would not possibly be a little more persuasive. Even your standard fliers, rallies and protest marches would probably do more good. Throwing together a shack is just the easiest and takes the least effort. (Just looking at at it, you can not honestly think that it took a lot of planning and time). After a couple of years, this thing has gotten old; people just blow it off. All it does do is show visitors that we can be just like that other university in Austin, instead of finding constructive ways to solve problems or affect change. And if the Shack is doing so much good, I would certainly hope to see more shacks built — for the oppressed people in China, for the Palestinians in Jerusalem, and others — so thal all the world’s problems can be solved. Other groups on cam pus should get permits and build shacks for their causes! Then again, if this is the third year for the shack and nothing has changed, maybe it doesn’t work after all, and these people are just a little slow. EDITOR: I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the current method of distributing football tickets. The people who implemented this system apparently didn’t realize that most of us use our student I.D.’s regularly and would be greatly inconvenienced without them. Take myself for example: Having a meal plan, I need to use my I.D. three times a day to eat. Unfortunately, on “Senior days,” my I.D. is waiting in line at G. Rollie White. Also, if I want to check out a library book, cash a check, use a computer, etc., too bad! The older system was much better. For you newer Ags, the previous method involved a coupon book that you picked up before the semester started. You would present the cou pon books at the window, they would remove the appropriate coupon, and give you tickets back. Life was so much simpler then. You didn’t have to meet people at obscure places to pick up your I.D. You didn’t have to stand around waiting for the computers to come back up. Also, you could easily sell your ticket to someone in case you didn’t want to go. An old adage comes to mind: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” While modernization usually helps and improves proce dures, I don’t think it has helped with football tickets. I think we should bring back the coupon books. If anyone else feels the same, I encourage you to send your letters to Wally Groff (the associate director of the athletic department) at Campus Mail Stop 1228. Hollywood. I, therefore, had certain ideas about the KKK be fore going to the rally. It wasn’t long until I realized these ideas were not without a foundation. The KKK insist they deplore hatred of others and only wish to bring a message to all people. There was no violence at the rally, but I felt only hatred, anger and fear in every word spoken by the members. Supporters were present in the audience, but it was en couraging to see so many young people, Black and White, protesting the rally. However, my sense of hope quickly turned to dismay as I saw men clutching their babies while they chanted “Amen” to the cries of the KKK. I went to the rally to try and understand why supporters of the KKK hold such beliefs. I left with a greater sense of be wilderment. I believe the KKK plays on the fear of its supporters. When you think there is someone in the house, every noise becomes more and more suspicious. This fear of losing con trol is evident within the KKK. T he leaders use this fear to en rage and encourage supporters. Fear and hatred are power ful tools and can control and distort a person’s life. Until this fear can be rationalized, groups like the KKK can use this tool to continue the spread of intolerance and hatred. | ODESSA (-• ijnan’s search f spanned an oo Me realization ■ “My search jwiade my dre i wrote to the \ jEmembered. Mermany next I- Born in Ge Ran was adop |Col. and Mrs ffioned at Hah Became a U.S Jlver the Uniti febunselor for Home for the r Melinda Cox ’91 Rape risk doesn’t justify abortion Will Bell ’91 We need affirmative action Doug Crawford ’91 Don’t degrade students for beliefs EDITOR: After four and one-half years at Texas A&M University, I am happy to be graduating and moving on with my life. It is not that I dislike this institution, because to the contrary I think it is a grand place to be, but I believe that all of us could stand to be a little more tolerant of each other’s opinions. Mr. Ryter (Battalion Oct. 29), I am sure that you have some very good and valid opinions, but there is one thing we must all understand and that is some of us pay to attend and some of us get paid to attend this fine University; and if we do not like it, any one of us may leave at any time! My brother, Class of ’85, and I, Class of ’90, are the only “Aggies” in my family, and we enrolled at Texas A&M be cause of its credibility and reputation as a fine university with an outstanding engineering college. The many traditions that go along with the excellent education we have received have been fun and memorable. EDITOR: On Wed., Oct. 31,1 was sitting in political science and the teacher was talking about the judiciary. She paused for a min ute to tell the students how Marshall is the first and only Black on the Supreme Court. Then I hear a comment from the back of class, “And HE IS THE LAST!” This angered me. A discussion about affirmative action followed this comment. This episode is a prime example why there is a need for affir mative action. P.S. The prof handled it well. She said, “Keep your racism to yourself’ Sheila Patrick ’93 EDITOR: It is unfortunate that women who are victims of rape or incest may become pregnant as a result. In his recent letter Mike Brannon stated that because of this sad reality we should legalize abortion. Similarly, pro-choice advocates rely upon these crimes to justify their position. However, out of all the abortions performed annually in the U.S., only 6 percent involve increased health risk to the mother, pregnancy result ing from rape or incest, or fetal abnormalities. But it is also important to note that 66 percent of all women pursuing these services indicated that they could not afford their child and 75 percent of all abortions are per formed as a matter of convenience. These statistics were pro vided by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, a division of Planned Parenthood, a group decidedly pro-abortion. Pro-choice advocates emphasize the traumatization that would result from carrying the product of a rape, but fail to recognize the trauma experienced as the result of an abor tion. Medical facts show that the immediate complication rate of abortion is no less than 10 percent. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reported that the “incidence of serious, permanent psychiatric aftermath” is “between 9 and 59 percent.” This argument can not conveniently be dis missed. Mr. Brannon also raised another important question. If a fetus is expected to be mentally retarded, should the mother be permitted to abort? Clearly, Mr. Brannon concludes that such circumstances justify an abortion. However, in reaching that position, he is stating that those with a handicap are sec ond rate citizens. Many of those that are not “perfect” would disagree with him. Who are we to say who is worthy of life? To those who profess a faith in Jesus Christ, the issue of abortion is decisively dealt with by the Psalmist. “For thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb.” Psalms 139:13. His parents |liis adoption, ; Became curio ffliother. Ij “You alway A r $ Anyone wit |call BATH llphone line < ; jeommunu ati< ■reaper and its i ■ The BAT |315. Ideas can I feature ideas files of interes Lean Joe Cla educator t Jersey hig subject of Me,” will s : in Rudder His app and open sored by t ness Comn Clark’s Disgrace t< KKK rally a step back in time Daniel Williams ’89 Mary Lynn Williams ’92 EDITOR: This weekend I went to a Ku Klux Klan rally in Franklin and took a step back in time. On, the steps of the county court house stood men and women cloaked in sheets and masks. Songs about God and America rang out over the loudspeaker before the rally began. My only experience with the KKK was through the eyes of Have an opinion? Express it! 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