Opinion
Tuesday, February 19, 1991
The Battalion
Opinion Page Editor
Jennifer Jeffus
845-3314 'fuesdc
Protests showcase 'Rebels Without a Clue'
Ca
r
JL-S;
^ ast week I watched with
interest a news report about a protest
outside the Texas A&M Military
Sciences Building. The protesters were
picketing because: "We teach war, but
we don't teach peace."
What was interesting about this and
most of the other anti-war protests on
campus was that the faces were
practically interchangeable with every
other protest which has occurred on
this campus over the last few
semesters.
This is not surprising because a
certain group of people consistently
have established themselves on college
campuses as malcontents whose sole
purpose in life is to be the "social
conscience" of their peers and
consistently agitate in opposition to the
status quo.
What is surprising is that many of
these socially hip protesters who speak
so highly of peace and worldwide
harmony have aligned themselves in
the past with some very questionable
bedfellows.
Take, for example, the student group
Earth First!-Out There. I wrote last fall
about the terroristic activities which the
Earth First! parent organization had
been linked to and about their
inclusion on the FBI's list of domestic
terrorist organizations.
According to Field & Stream and
Texas Agriculture, Earth First! Journal,
the official publication of the Earth
First! organization, has published
articles suggesting that anti-
hunting/anti-cattle persons could pose
as hunters and shoot cattle on public
lands with rifles and bows to make it
look like the work of hunters.
Pretty non-violent, huh? "Hunting
season is a good time to cow hunt
because there will be many folks out
there with rifles or bows," according to
a column called Dear Ned Ludd. Ned
suggests buying used rifles, shotguns
and bows and dressing in camouflage
while driving around public lands and
shooting sheep and cattle.
This apparently would accomplish
two objectives. First, hunters would be
blamed and would thus lose access to
public lands, so hunting would be
eliminated. Second, sheep and cattle
are exotic species which have been
introduced onto public lands in the
West and are (in the opinions of the
anti-cattle activists) responsible for the
destruction of these lands. "No moo by
'92" is their battle cry.
I really don't think the campus
members of this group are committed
to using ecb-terrorism to accomplish
their goals, whatever they may be. Nor
do I think that all members of campus
protest groups cry out simply to be
heard. I do think, however, that a
certain group of students on this
campus are so intent on establishing
themselves as counter-culture activists
that they lose sight of the fact that
outlandish groups or causes to which
they might be allying themselves only
serve to decrease their credibility when
an issue v/hich deserves an alternate
viewpoint, such as the Iraqi Conflict,
arises.
The protesters demand to be taken
seriously, but how can I pay any
attention to a person talking about
peace who I know to be a member of a
group which condones ecological
terrorism? How can I devote one iota of
thought to a speech by a person whose
only previous exposure on a campus
wide basis was at a protest proclaiming
"Trees Are People Too"? I simply
cannot.
The malcontents on campus demand
respect and attention, but the loony
causes and protests which they
incessantly stage identify them for
what they are — rebels without a clue.
make up this subculture on campus
must realize that the price they pay foi
the media attention surrounding their
anti-everything protests in the past
isn't monetary — it is their credibilit)
for
Everyone has a right for their
opinion to be heard and each and even
one of these protesters has a right to
have his or her say about tree rights,
vegetable rights, Iraq or whatever.
When push comes to shove,
however, allegiance with these fringe
protest groups establishes these
campus protesters as spokespersons
only for themselves and their causes-
not as the social conscience of a
generation.
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The rhythmic, jingoistic chants and
simplistic signs are not conducive to
being taken seriously. The people who
Until they realize this, we'll continiiti Texas H
to have groups like Earth First! and
other clueless malcontents as an officii
part of our campus, and voices of
opposition will continue to be ignored
or greeted by rampant skepticism.
Larry Cox is a graduate student in
range science.
A roui
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The Battalion Is interested in hearing from its readers and welcomes aB tetters to the editor. Ptease include name, classification, address and phone num
ber on all tetters. The editor reserves the right to edit tetters tor style and length. Because of limited space, shorter tetters have a better chance of appearing.
There to, hmwever, no guarantee letters will appear. Letters may be brought to 216 Reed McDonald or sent to Campus Ms* Stop 1111.
o
Companies, groups
should help families
We need free market,
even if it's subsidized
EDITOR:
Regardless of how anyone feels
about the war, I hope that everyone
will agree with me in saying it's pretty
sickening to see that money is being
made by some groups and individuals,
right here in our own town, at the ex
pense of the men and women fighting
in this conflict.
I would ask oil companies in general,
but also the gas stations in College Sta
tion and Bryan in particular, why gas
prices continue to remain so high.
There is no oil shortage, and the price
of crude has even dropped slightly. So
why are we still paying more for gas
than before the war started?
And why is the gas in College Station
so much more than the gas in other cit
ies, like Houston for example? The gas
prices I saw in Southwest Houston and
Clearlake averaged between $1.09 and
$1.11 for regular unleaded, and $1.22
and $1.25 for premium unleaded. So
why the big difference? I would love to
hear this explanation.
On a lesser scale, but just as bad, is
the sale of three or four variations of
patriotic T-shirts, on campus and in
Post Oak Mall, to students by different
organizations. Where is the money
from the sale of these shirts going? If
it's going to some worthwhile cause,
like helping out the financially bur
dened families of the people fighting
this war, then I apologize for doubting
your group's sincerity.
If, however, it's going to pay for par
ties or fund equally dubious functions,
as I suspect, then I hope these organi
zations will quit ripping off a patriotic,
though naive, public and use their
profits (I know y'all have start-up costs)
for the well-being of those who are
fighting in this war.
For example, the families of many re
servists are not used to being without
an income for extended periods and are
having a hard time making do. Since
the government isn't doing anything to
help, it would be nice to see people
who say they care about the troops to,
quite literally, put their money where
their mouths are.
Ron Garza '91
EDITOR:
As Americans, we have grown to ex
pect and demand a certain share of the
world's oil reserves. We have built our
cities and our economy around cheap
and plentiful oil.
We have brushed aside the doom
sayers and the environmentalists who
have been claiming for decades that the
world is about to run out of oil, or that
our Cadillacs and Lincolns are going to
turn the planet into a greenhouse.
As we prepare to kill and die for our
present way of life, I would like to reas
sure any doubters that it is our duty to
continue to drive cars, and big cars at
that. As Ronald Reagan said, "This is
America! We don't have to conserve!"
Here in Aggie land, we are providing
a model for the country. By living in a
suburban sprawl that requires every
one to own a vehicle, we have said
"Yes!" to capitalism and industry. By
expanding our roads, building more
parking places and scrapping our bike
lanes and sidewalks we are forcing ev
eryone to drive.
I have to admit that when I first got
here, I was tempted to ride a bike my
self. Fortunately, the bike lanes here
are all so awful that I soon abandoned
them. What we have to keep in mind is
that in a strong economy everyone
must consume. What's good for CM is
good for America.
So we need to continue to build more
freeways with our taxes. We need to
continue to open federal lands for oil
exploration. We need to continue tar
iffs on small, foreign cars. After all, we
need the free market, even if we have
to subsidize it!
Giving credit where
credit is due
I:
EDITOR:
I appreciated the coverage (Feb. 13)
of my presentations of chemistry dem
onstrations to Oakwood Middle School
students. However, there is one impli
cation in the story I must correct.
was Dr. Larry Peck, associate profesi
of chemistry and coordinator of
freshman chemistry laboratory pro
gram. Many other faculty and studen:
were involved in these presentation 1
one of which was an excellent "chemt
try magic" show presented by Dr. Pet
and others.
that
In fact, without the encourageme: 1 he 1
, My presentation was not exactly the
presentation that led to the receipt of
the Phoenix Award by the National
American Chemical Society. That
award was presented ' to the local
American Chemical Society in recogni
tion of the excellence of several efforts
made to promote National Chemistry
Week.
of Dr. Peck, who got me started doE tee vote(
these shows, and the technical supper
of Mr. Ricky Labyer, lecture demc;
strator in chemistry, I would not be
volved in making presentations of ifi
type you recognized.
Joseph Kachmar
graduate student
Although I did play a part in those
efforts, the driving force behind the
planning and execution of the efforts
Their support is invaluable andlil
not want to take credit for a natioi
award which was received as a result
a team effort.
John L. Hogg
chemistry professor
MA£6U.!£S
©m\ THE P6CDRP
NEW
God of the universe,
please bless the world
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Lisa Ann Robertson,
Editor
Kathy Cox, Managing Editor
J ennifer J effus,
Opinion Page Editor
Chris Vaughn, City Editor
Keith Sartin,
Richard Tijerina,
News Editors
Alan Lehmann, Sports Editor
Fredrick D. Joe, Art Director
Kristin North,
Life Style Editor
I’m ^worried... they say the Yjar could he real bad for the economy.
"" the itch
EDITOR:
God bless America!
That's what I hear constantly sins
arrived in this wonderful country.
Is this the so called "holy war"
Americans fight against Iraq? I alwa®
thought it was vice versa.
You say that God joins you intis
fight against "evil." I wonder if anyors
really believes God could "join" a n|
tion in a war! I never knew that peofi
could be so simple-minded: A Gw
who tells us we should love one at
other; a God who tells us we shoal'
not kill each other.
There are so many people in til
country who supposedly believe
God. Why are they so quiet thesedaf]
Is it a crime to demonstrate against
war in the land of freedom?
Or is yours a different God tli‘
Christians have in the rest of t|
world? Is it a different God thant'
one mentioned in The Bible? Is it a Gif
carrying a gun instead of a cross?
Well, the American God should bl#
America. But, God of the univetf
please, bless the world!
Rob Rensenbrink
graduate student
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