2 Opinion
Friday, February 22, 1991
The Battalion
MM&VU5S
What does
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of prisoners?
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discuss
the media - J
Mail Call
The Battalion is interested in hearing from its readers and welcomes all letters to the editor. Please include name, classification, address and phone num
ber on all letters. The e<8tor reserves the right to edit letters for style and length. Because of limited space, shorter letters have a better chance of appearing.
There is, however, no guarantee letters will appear. Letters may be brought to 216 Reed McDonald or sent to Campus Mail Stop till.
Love your enemy
EDITOR:
This is in reply to the Feb. 18 letter of A.L. Wright. I
hold to conservative values in my lifestyle. I support the
war with Iraq for their blatant aggression. But I hope and
pray that supporting my country will never blind me to the
deaths of innocents. Even the President, whom you so
blindly support (I support him too, but for reasons) has
said our argument is with Hussein and not his people.
Have you been locked in a closet for the past four
weeks? Have you noticed the media reacted just as
strongly when the bombs fell on Israel, an innocent
bystander? They are reporting news.
A free press is not only our right and privilege, but our
duty. It is our only agent by which we can monitor the bad
jobs AND the good jobs our military performs. Freedom is
the right to criticize our government without being labeled
as a traitor, even if someone disagrees with our fighting in
a war. Do the Iraqis support Hussein in their hearts or are
they just afraid of what will happen if they speak out?
As for your suggestion to "quit worrying so much
about harming Iraqi civilians," may I first remark that that
is one hell of a foreign policy you have. Yes, civilians get
killed in wars. Yes, the U.S. military apologized. Should
we pay them for damages? How do we settle on a price?
Is it so wrong to grieve our enemy as well as our loved
ones?
Brad Freeman '92
T-sips are apathetic
EDITOR:
I am one of those "frail" people who "can't cope with
'the itch,'" as Mr. Eric Pierson so eloquently labeled us in
his letter to the editor. I'm only sad that by writing this let
ter, I am perpetuating this debate, bringing more notoriety
to Nito.
Let me hand it to Pierson for his insight on yet another
reason why I'm glad I'm not at t.u. If cartoons with "very
explicit insinuations" occur "everyday" in the Daily Texan,
good for them!
Just because the t-sips have sickening cartoons doesn't
justify our having them! Maybe their student body is too
apathetic to respond to things that offend them. At least
we have people here trying. I surely hope Pierson is not
suggesting we all grow numb to things that offend us, as
perhaps those at t.u. have.
I don't want to condemn Nito. If semi-fame is what he's
looking for, he is surely getting it. I can say with a clear
conscience that I don't like his actions. Because of the First
Amendment, Nito can do anything to promote his ideas.
This doesn't mean we have to look at it.
For the people who'd like to change things, you proba
bly should stop complaining about the cartoonist and start
complaining about the people printing this stuff.
If Nito weren't printed in The Battalion, maybe he
could get printed in a magazine or other publication suited
to his style of humor. Then again, why should The Batt
take out anything that stirs up interest for their paper?
Maybe I am "frail" and maybe that's why I don't read
"the itch," if I can see a naked body in it by just glancing.
Maybe every person who doesn't like "explicit insinua
tions" is frail. I don't think so.
The very strongest people I know stand up for what
they believe in and stand up to things they think distaste
ful. I don't believe for a second that "society is headed for a
downfall" because people like me are coming into it trying
to change things for the better. If our society ever does fall,
I believe it won't be because of the people trying to get rid
of filth — it will be because of corruption and perversion.
Jennifer Agee '93
A&Mgets an 'F'
EDITOR:
Since I moved here five years ago, there has been a lot
of noise in the Batt about pesky, bothersome protesters.
Over the years, many letters have been written saying that
people who don't like it here should just leave; or better
yet, we should force out these un-Americans!
In fact, many of my foreign-looking friends have been
verbally abused, even spat upon right here in this so-called
"world class" University town, merely for the crime of not
looking American enough. I won't even mention what
abuses have been heaped upon those who dare to have un-
American ideas!
Of course. The Batt also has printed some responses
pointing out how un-American it is to wish to censor any
protests and that freedom of speech is one of this country's
greatest ideals. But it is clear that this opinion is that of the
minority here.
Certain Batt columnists have even gone as far as to
judge the personalities of the protesters. Larry Cox has de
creed that many protesters are not nearly as interested in
their cause as they are in getting attention. Therefore, we
don't have to worry our little conformist heads about these
people who dare to have opinions.
I find it inconceivable that an institution of higher learn
ing would be full of so many foolish, fearful, ignorant and
intolerant people. Of course, everyone has a right to an
opinion. However, imposing these opinions on others by
censorship is not only unconstitutional but also incompati
ble with intellectual freedom.
I have attended universities in California, Massachu
setts and Europe. Never before have I seen such
censorship and imposed conformity. There is something
drastically wrong if we censor most of the universe out of
the University ... A&M has FAILED. We are not world
class, we have never been world class and we never will be
world class until the ideals of intellectual freedom are che
rished rather than disgraced by this population.
Joseph Kachmar
graduate student
Opinion Page Editor
Jennifer Jeffus
FniTORIAI
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Edftoriote expressed tn The BvtteBon ant thooe of the editorim} board and do not msecs* arty mpnm* tf»
A&M boosts conservation efforts
The Battalion Editorial Board applauds the Texas A&M
faculty, staff and students leading the efforts to create and
improve campus recycling programs.
The Physical Plant's white paper recycling program and the
Environmental Issues Committee's aluminum can recycling
receptacles are good examples of initiatives to conserve
resources and landfill space.
In addition to leadership, A&M needs the help of everyone
on campus to make conservation programs successful. We
believe all departments, buildings, dorms and colleges should
participate in these programs.
Recycling and conservation programs at a university as large
as A&M can make a big difference in our earth's future. If
everyone helps make these programs productive, other
organizations and universities will follow our example.
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The Battalion Editorial Board
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Individualism has stood as a philo
sophical rallying point for Americans
for generations. It has survived attacks
by both communists and fascists. But
this social doctrine now might be on
the verge of grappling with its most
formidable challenge.
Individualism went down in the
same flames that destroyed ancient
Rome. Hundreds of years later, the
Protestant movement reintroduced the
system to the Western world. Rebelling
against the papacy, men like Luther,
Calvin, Zwingli and the rest preached
that humans were responsible as indi-
“viduals before God. This theory helped
produce the capitalist revolution.
The Pilgrims came to this country
with a blend of Protestantism and capi
talism that has remained deeply em
bedded in American culture. Individu
alists glorify the early days of our
country's history. Due to a lack of gov
ernment intervention, freedom of per
sonal choice was maximized.
Historian Christopher Lasch claims
there is a missing link in our thinking
about the history of our country. In
"The True and Only Heaven: Progress
and Its Critics," Lasch claims our fore
fathers emphasized survival of commu
nity over survival of individual.
He shows that "the prophetic tradi
tion, embodied in ... Jonathan Edwards
... emphasized responsibility rather
than freedom; and limits rather than
choices."
This raises important questions
about the health of our society. Is re
sponsibility possible without freedom?
I don't think so. After all, only individ
uals effectively can take care of other
individuals. Responsibility by coercion
ceases to be humane.
On the other hand, is freedom possi
ble without responsibility? Of course it
is. We call it anarchy! And anarchy
leads to the most totalitarian of states.
The point should be clear: Freedom
and responsibility must be inseparable,
or individuals and society alike suffer.
Take the Congress for example. For
years it has relished in the "freedom"
of spending without the responsibility
of paying. What is the result? A budget
deficit that threatens to seriously limit
the choices of later generations.,
I assert that we as citizens are run-
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Tim
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A&M i
ning a social deficit in this country fe
threatens our well-being far more
any budget deficit. When it comes
dealing with society, all we talk ak
is our "rights." When is the lastk
you heard anyone clamoring abouts
lack of responsibilities as citizen
Aren't we trying to take out more fe
we put in? Benjamin Franklin
"Gentlemen, either we must hang:
gether, or we will hang separate!)
Likewise, Pilgrim villagers were :
quired to band together for survival
We no longer face the humiliatioin
being ruled by a foreign power. Wef
longer must worry about Indian;
tacks. But, are there no society-id-
crises which threaten our civilizatio:
Is there no drug, illiteracy or teenprfj
nancy crisis? Are there no proble:
with houselessness, or crumbling:
frastructure, or people who don't (4
they "belong" anywhere?
As Jesus said, we always will ha
the poor among us. There will incte
always be problems to deal with. Butt
long as individuals demand riglf
without responsibilities, we havenoi
fective mechanism for dealing nil
these problems.
The Roman empire was built on f
foundation of duty. It fell on the pit;
ciple of self-seeking individualist
Given our current values, why shoit
we expect society to meet a differe
end? Those who refuse to leam fe
history are condemned to repeat it,
Cancer kills people when some (4
grow out of proportion with the res!
the body. People die when their oil
cells upset the balance. Individuals:
is part of a healthy society. But whet
grows out of balance, it can
whole society to its ruin. Just as!
Romans.
Tim Truesdale is a graduate student
urban planning.
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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 Jeffus,
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
Editorial Policy
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College Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion
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thor, and do not necessarily represent the*
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T7^_N Ffpfb TO SEE AN n/jJhiiT..
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