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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 1992)
Opinion MMsevues « w &psfsr Dies arela er VickiS ngpere e hitter li eam-hip| s returnk they res Editorials Political intolerance .&M should stand for higher ideal •t feel bad! ^ ce President Dan Quayle re ed. EveuBBived far more respect at A&M gthemsBuesday than did some Aggies. ■onfusec:||Vhi]e the crowd at the Quayle rally I was described as basically well-be- ; laved, some students saw the vice President's visit as an opportunity ’thgjrat’.. to suppress a basic right, eededfel After posting hundreds of signs s assoc and fliers inviting Aggies to attend lie meeting, some supporters decid- encour.:. gd that the expression of opposing ss wu fyiewpoints could not be permitted. i US wM ^ * ■ Some students showed up carry- i otherifrg a that read "The only thing sit's likeworse than an ignorant Republican They is Dan Quayle." Having been es- iut usgelfcorted out of G. Rollie White, the protesters moved to the sidewalk jfcross the street. The protest turned [violent when certain Quayle sup- ltr ytoN .porters decided that ►the signs across they lea: the street should not be allowed on avitalioi sides of ll jston has le past, lould no: ; schedu* :: J, area and Te<i and Bail' University property. They crossed the line from supporter to protester and destroyed the signs that they deemed inappropriate. Surely, the vice president expect ed to see some protesters. He was visiting Texas A&M, not Tiananmen Square. Dissension is allowed here. Like the right to vote, which is presumably tolerated by Quayle supporters, dissension and protest allow people to voice their opinions. Such opinions are considered valu able in the this democracy where people are allowed to assemble and speak freely. Welcoming the vice president showed that some Aggies have learned how to support their candi date. Destroying the signs of protesters showed that some Aggies still have a lot to learn about matu rity and tolerance. A&Mfe Tin; '12ontl* s when [ouston ind class* I want to thank the Batt staff for the pod job they did of informing students divinefaculty about the man), aspects of /ice President Dan Quajde's visit to College Station. We had only four full lays to make all the preparations and to the ^ iSPNaf- ferediW nany students would have missed the leiinx. etsturn to "Kyle and rela ! ilgan me, too. E [Tf ;b Thanks for making Quayle visit success event without the Batt's coverage. Thanks must also go to the Presi- lent's Office and the Athletic Depart ment for their cooperation and assis- ance with arrangements. The profes- ionalism and good will of the Rudder Theater Complex staff was amazing ivith such a short time to do so much. Of course, the thousands of students md volunteers from the Aggie Band ivho gave Mr. Quayle such a rousing welcome were great, too! Finally, all Aggies can be proud of the work of the Texas A&M College Re publicans. The outstanding campus program and promotion was handled entirely by their officers and hundreds of members ... many of whom slept only a handful of hours between Friday md Tuesday. Now, let's translate that enthusiasm into massive voter registration in every dorm and student organization before the October 4 deadline. That's the only Way our Aggie views can be expressed at the polls in November. Rodger Lewis '76 County Chairman, Republican Party University appeared o endorse candidate I was shocked to read in the paper today that the Aggie Band and yell leaders were present and active at the Quayle political rally hosted by the Col lege Republicans. The yell leaders and Band represent all the students, faculty, and staff of Texas A&M University, not just the Republicans. That was a purely political program and the sponsors and the university should make sure that nothing gives the appearance of official university sanction of one candidate over another. Having such well-known representatives of Texas A&M partici pating in partisan politics betrays the many Aggies that do not agree with that particular position. Are there plans for the Band and yell leaders to lend similar support if Governor Clin ton or Senator Gore appear? If not, then a university reprimand should be given to the Aggie Band, yell leaders, and College Republicans along with an apology to the university community. I'm sure other people will address the censorship issue exposed by the ac tions yesterday. Political candidates should expect tough questions and re sponses from the opposition. Remov ing people from G. Rollie White, hurl ing obscenities, and physical attacks are not acceptable behaviors for adults in a major university. By the way, this is the opinion of someone who has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1980, but is seriously considering alternatives this election year. Troyce Wilson Texas Forest Service I attended Tuesday's visit of Dan Quayle expecting him to give a speech in his function as vice president of the United States. I was thus deeply disap pointed as the event turned out to be a platitudinous pep rally for the Republi can party, crowned by an (I hesitate to say speech) appearance of Dan Quayle in front of a cheering crowd for about 15 minutes. The point of my criticism now lies in the fact that elements of university tra ditions and rituals were being misused during this event. The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band represents our university as a whole and should not support any political party by participating in a ral ly. I see a great danger in the applied strategy to pep up the students by fus ing university yells and songs with the support of the Republican party (or any other political group.) The appearance The Battalion Page 7 No understanding Perot support Psuedo-candidate offers no real leadership for U.S. by ROBERT VASQUEZ Who is this Ross Perot? The more appropriate question might be, who does he think he is? First he was a simple Texan heading a grass roots campaign for change in Ameri can government. Then he was a billionaire businessman who knew when to cut losses and abandon an unsuccessful venture. Now the man who never actually said "yes" to America's voting public, and finally said "no," is squeamishly smirking "maybe." What I want to know is why would anyone want this man to lead our country? As Clinton and Bush begin the political slugfest staged immediately before voters select the lesser of two evils, Per ot elects to boo from the sidelines. After quitting the game, Perot contents himself to heckle those who continue to fight it out. Instead of debating issues as the real candidates should, Perot simply skips from one talk show to another, touting his ideas for a better America. Back in April, when Perot appeared on those same shows as an instant political giant, his ideas of a new approach to government using simpler methods for complex problems sounded like the panacea Americans longed for. But after jumping ship when the campaign had only be gun, the ideals spouted by this little man from Texas now sound as hollow as a tap on a broken fiddle. Critics say Perot left the race because his acute business sense told him to. After promising supporters to stage a world-class campaign Perot flatly refused to pay for a di rect-mail blitz suggested by a campaign manager. When told of the price that quality commercials would cost, Perot shuddered, whining that he could have his own political ads produced at a fraction of the costs suggested. Shortly after Perot rejected the marketing proposals, the expert he himself had hired to mastermind his "world- class" campaign quit, a casualty of Perot's acute business sense. Soon Perot himself quit, telling the American voters, and the thousands of volunteers who had worked to put him in office, that he was removing himself from the list of contenders. He said he was leaving because he didn't want to throw the vote into the House of Representatives. Suddenly Perot wasn't so sure of his victory. He said that excusing himself from the race ensured that the elec tion would be politics as usual. Isn't that the reason Perot entered in the first place? Didn't he say the nation needed a change, and that he would put an end to politics as usual? Now Perot is showing up in places where candidates are normally expected: talk shows, political rallies, and hurricane ravaged towns, where there are plenty of TV cameras — oh yes, and homeless people. It's no coincidence that the media is suddenly hyping Perot's image as it did when he first announced that he was thinking about the possibility of running for president — maybe. In order to be certain that America wanted him as their leader, Perot needed to be placed on the ballot in all 50 states. Five months after he told Americans that he would not run for president, Perot's name has made it onto every state's ballot. Yes, Americans are looking for a change. Perot repre sented a fresh new chance to restore the concept of govern ment for the people and by the people. But how many times will he change his mind, telling the people one thing and then doing another? Perot represented ideas and ide als that made him appear too good to be true. And he was. He left his supporters with empty hopes and broken promises. For a man who claimed to be a new hope for the nation, his actions appear to be only politics as usual. Vasquez is a senior journalism major / ^ R...' I office Hours Monday ‘ g:oo - fc is Every other TIME -R£S£AKCH- (PLEAS£ Co THf HfU AWAY) yy VlttE&E THE STUDENT GOME’S CAST of yell leaders psychologically forced many students to cheer for a completely different cause, seemingly implying that voting Republican is an Aggie tra dition. I deeply disapprove of the par ticipation of yell leaders and the Fight in' Texas Aggie Band in Tuesday's event, as they represent Texas A&M and no particular political party, and call for a justification of their actions. Had Vice President Quayle appeared in his function as vice president and not political contender, it would certainly agree with the spirit of Texas A&M to use any of our traditions as a display of patriotism. Don't get me wrong. Universities are necessarily places of political agita tion for any political group, but univer sity representatives should not take po sition in their function as such. fan Plefka Graduate student Liberals are strange, amusing creatures In regard to the appearance of Dan Quayle at G. Rollie, I must say that I truly enjoy the some 30 or so leftists that we have on this campus. They are continually making "Democratic mas cots" of themselves and are always good for a chuckle. For instance, that odd person dis guised as some form of fowl was ex ceedingly entertaining. I only regret not being able to read the sign that he was holding. I am sure it would have heightened the humor. What about the stinging wit of the man(?) whose plac ard compared family values to fascism? It would be a disservice not to mention the two long-haired, maggot-infested, tofu-munching, tie-dyed hippies bran dishing the banner: "Quayle is Satan". I am sure Satan would be amused. Unfortunately, this display does not encourage me to vote for the liberals in November. Who can take them seri ously when they have representatives such as these on our campus? I think the problem with government now is the number of touched people running it. Charles D. Scott Class of '93 accompanied by 11 signatures Aggies should show intelligence, respect How about a little campaign rally etiquette quiz for you, Ags? Just two simple questions: #1 If a person is holding up a sign supporting the opponents, what do you do? a) realize intelligently that the person is merely stating his opinion and exercising his/her right to free speech, and leave him/her alone b) call the person a "two-percenter" c) physically remove the sign from that person's possession #2 If you are making a sign to display at a campaign rally that represents the opposing view, what do you put on it? a) an intelligent statement addressing some wrong you believe has been committed by the incumbent administration or names of the candidates that you support b) some sort of character slander c) some type of lewd comment (Hint: If you have to guess, the longer answer is usually correct.) Jeez, guys, let's hope at least the voters can show some tact and maturity in this election! Chris Tombari Class of '93 Reader offers harsh criticism of columnist Now that Anthony LoBaido has di rected his penetrating social analysis away from sorority women and politics and towards his (our) existential fears, we the readers get to go on a journey from Anthony's "steel trap" and to nothingness. First, if I'm wallowing in distress over the meaning of life or lack thereof, and I'm grappling with my own existence, Tm pretty sure none of LoBaido's empty "Look ma, I took a philosophy class" writing is going to in spire me to start life afresh with re newed vigor and enthusiasm. I've been more motivated by late night infomer cials, but LoBaido's stuff is a better cure for insomnia. By the way, I fell asleep last night while reading Nausea, and Sartre came to me in a dream and said, "Anthony is absurd, but grimly acts as if he were not." Bill Rankin Graduate student Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views of the opinion page staff and editor in chief only. They do not represent, in any way, the opinions of reporters, staff, or editors of other sections of the newspaper. Columns, guest columns, and Mafl Call items express die opinions of the authors only. The Battalion encourages letters to the editor and will print as many as space allows in the Mail Call section. Letters must be 300 words or less and include the author's name. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, style, arid accuracy. Letters should be addressed to: The Battalion - Mail Cad 013 Reed McDonald /Mail stop 1111 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843