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Friday, March 1,1991
The Battalion Opinion Page Editor Jennifer Jeffus 845-3314
What is freedom?
Road less traveled by
makes life meaningful
Two roads converged in a wood, and I...
I took the one less traveled by.
And that has made all the difference.
— Robert Frost
"The gate is wide and the way is broad that
leads to destruction ... but the gate is small
and the way is narrow that leads to life, and
few are those who find it."
— Jesus Christ
W
Tim
Truesdale
Columnist
ell, the war appears
to be over. That's certainly something
for which we can all be thankful.
Thousands of Americans have given
up seven months of their lives to a
desert war zone. Some even have given
their lives. They sacrificed to protect
our freedom. But were their sacrifices
made in vain?
I don't doubt that we live in the
freest country in the world. However, I
don't see many people demonstrating
an awareness of this freedom.
In the first place, what is
freedom? Is freedom
choosing not to vote for
candidates of virtually
identical parties? Is freedom
choosing between a Ford
Mustang and a Mazda Miata?
Is freedom choosing to
study medicine or business?
Or is freedom chposing to get
wasted on beer or tequila?
If this is all freedom means
to Americans, then those
brave soldiers have risked
their live in vain.
“How do we measure
success in life? Can it he
measured by the size of
your bank account? Well f
congratulations to all you
Aggies who will become
millionaires. You certainly
have what it takes to jump
through each and every one
of society's hoops. So much
for freedom.”
On one hand, we glorify individuals
who make their own way in this world.
Whep's the last time you saw a movie
or read a novel in which the "hero" was
a conformist?
On the other hand, when we actually
meet nonconformists in our day-to-day
lives, we are quick to point our fingers
and say "weird."
The truth of the matter is most of us
«do exactly what society tells us we
tomst do to be "successful."
(Furthermore, most of us think exactly
the way our peers tell us to think to be
accepted.
H
ow do we measure
success in life? Can it be measured by
the size of your bank account? Well,
congratulations to all you Aggies who
will become millionaires.
Congratulations in advance! You
certainly have what it takes to jump
through each and every one of society's
hoops. So much for freedom.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Do you have the freedom to say no? I
mean, at the next party you go to, can
you REALLY choose not to drink if you
don't want to? When you wake up
tomorrow morning and decide what to
wear, will you really have a choice in
the matter?
Or has society already chosen for
you, and made you feel free because
you "get to" choose between red and
plaid?*—— —*
The automobile industry asserts "it's
not just a car ... it's your freedom." Are
they right? Does your freedom run on
unleaded?
Who are you? I don't mean what's
your major, what's your hometown,
who do you hang out with or what
kind of car do you drive? When all of
those things are stripped away, is there
anything left? Does it matter?
In the end, is freedom really about
having choices? Or is it about taking
the less-traveled road?
Tim Truesdale is a graduate student in
urban planning.
©ffll THE PEC&ZD
NEW OER^Y
“ T7ow, I may already be a winner I.J
The Battalion
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Lisa Ann Robertson,
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Kathy Cox, Managing Editor
Jennifer Jeffus,
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News Editors
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Kristin North,
Life Style Editor
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Ags fought to gain freedom
EDITOR:
This is in response to Andy Yung's article in the Feb. 26
edition of The Battalion about our "violent culture."
As I read the first three paragraphs of your article, I saw
a couple of ideas that I can agree with to some extent.
There were some ideas I don't agree with, but that's to be
expected when reading someone else's opinion.
It is true that, sadly, some barbaric, senseless violence
does exist in our society. This fact I'm sure most anyone
would attest to.
But as I continued down the column, I became more
and more appalled at your examples. Just where do you
get off calling those men memorialized in the MSC "good
ol' racist Ags?"
For God's sake, these men served alongside black men
to defend freedom in other lands so that those people
could speak their minds as you and I dcrtoday!
Yes, they are noble men, and I find no evidence that
any one of them was a racist; and obviously neither can
you, as I see none published in you article.
Then you said, "No, for some reason they (the men) are
indiscriminantly honored for one facet of their lives — they
were made to or willingly participated in war and were
killed.
There is absolutely nothing objectively noble about
that simple fact... they might have been noble men, but...
not because they were Aggies and died in a war."
Perhaps, Yung, you should learn how to gather facts
before using them. If you would take time to read the
plaques commemorating these men, you would learn that
not all of them died.
Furthermore, they are commemorated because they are
Aggies who went on to earn the Congressional Medal of
Honor, the highest award a soldier can earn. The reason
we honor that here is because when they graduated from
A&M, it was a military academy.
It is uncouth to make malicious, false statements about
deceased people who can no longer defend themselves.
I'm sure these men are respected by a vast majority of
the campus population, and it is unjust to degrade them or
falsify information in order to support your own pacifist
opinion. This is misuse and abuse of the press; leave these
men alone and let them rest in peace!
Finally, the Corps of Cadets is not a pawn to be misre
presented as a pro-violence organization.
I am personally offended at your false generalization of
an organization you obviously know nothing about nor
have any respect for whatsoever.
You can think or say whatever you want about our na
tion, our government or this war. This is because of the
Constitution and the society and military that defend it.
The First Amendment still stands tall because men and
women have risked and often lost or ruined their lives to
ensure its prosperity.
Those that you have degraded are such men. They ris
ked (and some lost) their lives in a terrorizing, painful, in
humane way so you and I and others like us can speak
freely without fear.
Too bad not all of us appreciate it.
Jeff Stein '94
Aggies support yellow ribbon
EDITOR:
I would like to address Thursday's editorial published
by The Battalion Editorial Board.
I honestly do not know where to begin. You say you
support the troops and their families. You even say you
support the display of yellow ribbons for the men and
women in the Middle East and their families at home.
Yet you claim that a ribbon tied around Bryan-College
Station and Texas A&M's main campus in support of these
very troops and their families is a "trivialization of war."
When I contacted The Battalion about this story, my
main concern was not to get my name, A&M's name or the
cities of Bryan or College Station in the Guinness Book of
World Records.
The fact that when Aggies do something it's usually the
biggest and best around is something I'll just have to live
with.
Also, I find it interesting that the Cable News Network
finds such an event newsworthy, and y v et the famed Battal
ion finds it trivial.
I support our troops and their families 100 percent; and
with the many phone calls I've received since this event's
exposure, I know the students of A&M support them too.
With or without The Battalion's support, I know this
Aggie is showing up at 9:30 in the morning at Sul Ross this
Saturday to show my support.
You're all welcome to attend.
John Ansbach '93
Yung clarifies previous column
A few nights ago, I spoke with a
student I previously was unacquainted
with. John confirmed a concern I had
over the publishing of my "eradicate
hate" column in Tuesday's paper. We
talked for a time, and he exhibited all
the innate qualities of a gentleman. At
the same time, we disagreed on many
points, but we both were grateful for
helping clarify each other's position.
Still, I recognize that I was perhaps
ill-advised in stating my belief: "There
is absolutely nothing objectively noble
about (an Aggie dying in a war)... they
might have well been noble men, but it
is not because they were Aggies and
they died in a war."
This is an academic/intellectual/rat
ional and highly principled statement. I
believe it is true and ought to be
pointed out. I, however, am sorry I
might have hurt some peoples'
feelings. This was not my intent. One
ought not go around apologizing for
every raw nerve they happen to set off
with others. There are some truths
(i.e., all people are equal) that need to
1§: ^tllS
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Andy
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il!' r
Yung
Columnist
I have great respect for all people
who valiantly worked for the
betterment of the world. Our country
has many distinguished veterans —
and rightly so. Veterans are astute
people, and I am certain many of them
recognize the veracity of my claim: Not
all veterans and/or Aggies are
necessarily noble.
I, myself, have been the recipient of
many honors and awards for my
writings and speeches from both the
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and
the American Legion. I am certain
veterans will be the first to be in
support of a refocusing of values —let's
emphasize negotiations and peace over
mere military might.
And finally, the Texas A&M Corps of
Cadets can and mostly do act as a
highly valuable and precious
contribution to the University. If there
must be a defense force, then I want
America to take great care in
developing the leadership,
developmental growth and
compassion of its officers ... A&M has a
great opportunity to fulfill this truly
noble challenge.
I simply was calling attention to the
great disparity of funds and respect at
TAMU given to efforts to preempt
violence (the peace and diplomacy
institute which is so evidently absent)
and the military-geared activities.
The sine qua non of what I was
trying to convey was best explicated by
John F. Kennedy: "War will exist until
that distant day when the
conscientious objector enjoys the same
reputation and prestige that the
warrior does today."
Andy Yung is a junior political science
major.