ber 30,195;
fol. 92 No. 65
The Battalion
(8 pages) . “Serving Texas A&M Since 1893” Tuesday, December 1, 1992
Supreme Court
sustains women 7 s
right to abortion
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — The
upreme Court sustained
omen's basic right to abortion
fonday, voting 6-3 against reviv-
\g a 1990 Guam law that would
ave prohibited nearly all such
perations.
The justices refused to review
iwer court rulings that had de-
ared the U.S. territory's sweep-
glaw unconstitutional.
Monday's action, which ac-
vists on both sides of the nation-
debate had expected, marked
le first time in 20 years the high
jurt declined to review a major
ortion dispute.
But a new case, testing how far
dlisor, plai ates may go in making abortions
easongam lore difficult to obtain, already is
efore the justices and could be
ted on as early as next week.
The court also is wrestling with
aother abortion-related issue:
hether federal judges have the
uthority to deal with abortion
inic blockades.
"Today's action was hardly un-
tpected," said Burke Balch of the
ational Right to Life Committee,
hich opposes abortion. "It un
dines the reaffirmation of Roe
Wade."
David Andrews of Planned
irenthood said his group was re
tenor of his
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he nation-
rtyr could eve d by the court's action but
ided, "It does not address the
nderlying problem of severe re-
rictions" the court has let states
apose on women seeking abor-
The court last June reaffirmed
le core holding of its landmark
)73 Roe vs. Wade decision —
lat women have a constitutional
ght to abortion.
But the June decision also^aid
iates may raise new hurdles for
omen seeking to end their preg-
ancies. The ruling upheld most
revisions of a Pennsylvania abor
tion law.
The invalidated Guam law
would have allowed abortions
only when an embryo formed out
side the woman's womb, or when
two doctors determined that con
tinuing a pregnancy would kill a
woman or "gravely impair" her
health.
Monday's action was viewed
as likely to persuade Louisiana of
ficials not to seek to reverse a fed
eral appeals court ruling that
struck down their state law ban
ning most abortions. Louisiana
Attorney General Richard leyoub
said he would announce the
state's plans Tuesday.
The court's brief order in the
Guam case drew dissenting votes
from Chief Justice William H.
Rehnquist and Justices Antonin
Scalia and Byron R. White.
Writing for the three, Scalia
said a federal appeals court
wrongly struck down the Guam
law "on its face."
"There are apparently some ap
plications of the statute that are
perfectly constitutional," Scalia
said.
Thomas did not join in Mon
day's dissent and offered no com
ment beyond the majority's one-
sentence statement denying the
appeal.
Noting that only four votes are
needed to grant Supreme Court
review, Leanne McCoy of Ameri
cans United for Life guessed that
Thomas thought it would be fruit
less to provide that fourth vote.
A five-member majority — Jus
tices Sandra Day O'Connor, An
thony M. Kennedy, David H.
Souter, Harry A. Blackmun and
John Paul Stevens — controlled
the court's decision last June.
"There probably was a decision
not to force th<f hands of the five-
member majority," McCoy said. "I
don't think his vote (Monday) is
reflective of Justice Thomas' views
on abortion."
EE
'2
Officials to take
action on captain
vlissile firing means trouble for crew
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Top Navy officials have recommended that the
aptain of the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga and seven other officers and
ailors face disciplinary action for the missile firing last month that
illed five Turkish sailors, military sources said Monday.
The recommendation for the men, including Capt. James M. Drager,
> short of a court-martial but serious enough to effectively end their ca-
eers, several sources said.
All spoke only on condition of anonymity.
Drager was considered one of the Navy's top stars and was the first
lelicopter pilot to have- been named commander of an aircraft carrier.
The recommendation is expected to be made public Tuesday when
be Navy releases its report in Naples, Italy, on the Oct. 1 accident.
Two Sea Sparrow missiles were launched from the carrier and one
truck the Turkish ship Muavenet during a NATO exercise in the
Aegean Sea. The Muavenet's commanding officer was among those
illed and 18 crewmen were injured. One senior military source said
dm. Henry Mauz, the commander of the Navy's Atlantic Fleet, has
Commended that six of the Saratoga's most senior officers and two en-
Isted men face "mast" procedures, which are non-judicial hearings
brough which punishment is meted out under the Navy's disciplinary
ystem. Such punishments usually do not call for reduction in rank or
•ay, but more often take the form of official letters of reprimand. After
uch disciplinary procedures, promotion is unlikely and officers or se-
ior enlisted men or women generally leave the service.
The sailors who actually let the missiles fly are not being recom-
nended for any kind of discipline, the senior military officer said, be-
ause a board of inquiry found that they had only followed the orders
bat were given them. A Navy investigation found that the sailors were
wakened late at night and mistook a drill for an actual attack. The
nore senior officers are being faulted because "much miscommunica-
ion" had taken place on board the Saratoga and they had not made
lear to the lower-level weapons operators that a drill was under way,
he senior military source said.
p • 1 nr-i
Sliver Taps
to honor one
Silver Taps will be held this
evening at 10:30 p.m. in front of the
Academic Building for Michael
Robert Reid, a 21-year-old political
science major from Houston. Reid
died October 31. A memorial service
Was held November 4, at St. Patrick's
Church in Geneva, Ill.
Rep. Wilson speaks to A&M
on ethnic tolerance, education
By MARK EVANS
Staff Writer of THE BATTALION
In a time when minorities are
becoming the majority, minori
ties still find themselves and
their views under-represented
throughout society, especially at
the university level, said State
Rep. Ron Wilson, speaking at an
open forum last night in Rudder
Theater.
"Minorities in this country are
no longer minorities," he said. "It
is a new day. We all live in a mul
ticultural environment, and
we're all going to have to act ac
cordingly.
"We are all going to have to
get along."
Wilson said he supports a
multicultural class at Texas A&M
to teach students racial sensitivi
ty. Students should learn from
the sins of the past, so they avoid
them in the future, he said.
"There's nothing wrong with
us saying that students have to
take a multicultural class if they
go to a university in this state,"
Wilson said.
Wilson said he also believes
everyone should have equal ac
cess to publicly-funded universi
ties because they're footing the
bills. A&M alone receives $200
million a year from the state, he
said.
"Everybody pays for this uni
versity," Wilson said. "It ought to
allow everybody access to its fa
cilities."
Currently, the number of mi
norities represented on Texas'
universities, both among faculty
and students, does not accurately
reflect society, Wilson said. He
said he would like to see more
minority, student and faculty, re
cruitment.
Texas A&M has already come
a long way in minority recruit
ment, said Dr. John Koldus, vice
president for student services.
"We don't have the numbers
of black students as we do in the
state of Texas, percentage-wise,"
he said. "Historically, we have
come a long way in the last 10
years in regard to all of our pro
grams relating to minority re
cruitment. But we have a long
way to go."
Wilson took issue with the
sanctions the University handed
down in October to an A&M fra
ternity which held a party at
which actives allegedly chased
pledges who were painted black
and dressed in grass skirts.
If Prairie View A&M students
had painted their faces white and
other students shot them with
fake Uzis, the punishment would
have been a lot more harsh, Wil
son said.
"They would have gotten a lot
more than a $1,000 fine," he said.
"The Corps (of Cadets) would
have been down there in 10 min
utes."
"No matter what issue comes
up everyone is going to have
their opinion on how it should be
done and why it should be
done," Koldus said, referring to
the University's action.
Both he and Wilson look at the
situation from different perspec
tives, Koldus said.
"You do what you think is
best at the particular time," he
said. "My point of view is a bit
different than his in the sense
that he thought (the fraternity)
ought to be banned from the
campus."
After making his speech, Wil
son took questions from the audi
ence.
In response to a question from
the audience, Wilson explained
that the reason minorities are not
involved in more campus organi
zations which d^ not relate to
culture is because they are not
made to feel welcome; they are
not taken seriously.
Blacks and browns cannot be
blotted out, Wilson said.
"Everybody is going to be a
part (of this university), other
wise we'll shut this sucker
down," he said.
"There's no law we can pass,
no bill we can sponsor that will
change how people think about
each other."
Wilson said he will continue
to work through the Memorial
Student Center Black Awareness
Committee, which sponsored the
forum.
DARRIN HILL/The Battalion
Roberto Villarreal, a senior philosophy major from San Antonio, waits patiently while Delsia McKinney, Director of Development for
the MSC Black Awareness Committee, runs a metal detector over him as part of the security checks for a speech by Rep. Ron Wilson
on Monday.
Students, professors provide mixed
reactions to multicultural issues forum
By WILL HEALY
Reporter of THE BATTALION
Texas A&M University students and pro
fessors had mixed reactions to State Rep.
Ron Wilson's forum sponsored by the
Memorial Student Center Black Awareness
Committee Monday night.
Wilson discussed the issue of multicultur
al sensitivity at A&M - a topic of which he
feels the University needs to take a more
proactive role.
Student Body President Steve Beller said,
in his efforts to address the issue, he made
many unsuccessful attempts to contact Wil
son, including sending a Student Govern
ment delegation to Austin.
"I made many phone calls to Wilson and
he never responded," Beller said. "What
does that tell me?"
Beller said a solution will come as a result
of working together with all student organi
zations at A&M.
Student organizations are making a con
certed effort to reach out to minorities, said
Warren Talbot, president of Off Campus Ag
gies. Student government has opened up,
but minorities seem to show less interest.
and even some resistance, he said.
"I don't know how much further we can
go without offending (minorities)," Talbot
said.
Students may be more culturally aware if
they learn about multiculturalism in the
classes they take instead of being required to
take a multicultural class, said Jill McClure,
Miss Texas A&M.
McClure said she felt that some of what
Wilson said was contradictory
"He said that we are a melting pot, which
we are, and how we need to come together,
which we do," McClure said. "But then he
said T'm here for my people, and until I get
my neighborhood cleaned up, I can't worry
about anyone else.' Then why is he here at
Texas A&M?"
Brian Walker, a speaker of the Student
Senate, said he thinks that things went well
and that students got a lot out of the forum.
However, he said he was discouraged by
Wilson's unwillingness to respond, and the
fact that Wilson never said how he feels
about the Student Senate's efforts to promote
multiculturalism.
"One of our goals for next year and next
semester is to get more minorities involved
in student activities," Walker said.
MSC Director Jim Reynolds said he felt
the forum was an excellent program and
commended the MSC Black Awareness Com
mittee (BAC) on their efforts.
"I think we need more programs that help
to engage Texas A&M in talking about
racism, multiculturalism and diversity,"
Reynolds said. "A&M needs to do not only
programs with elected officials, but also with
people from the private sector and the Texas
A&M student body with each other.
"It all starts with what is in our individual
hearts and minds," Reynolds said.
The forum was one of the few opportuni
ties where the issue can be talked about, said
Dr. D.H. Seastrunk, assistant director emeri
tus of the Texas Agricultural Extension Ser
vice.
The race issue is not discussed sufficiently
and there is no progress unless it is dis
cussed, he said.
Michelle Boldon, chairman of BAC,
agreed that the program was a positive expe
rience.
"What counts is what happens after
wards," Boldon said. "Representative Wil
son is gone. He won't be here tomorrow. It's
up to A&M to implement positive measures
that will make a difference."