The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 64, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 17, 1977 Page: 2 of 12
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the rice thresher
editorial
It's about time we all seriously consider the
consequences of what a few self-acclaimed moralists are
trying to force upon all of us. They may call it a battle
against sin, pornography, or subversion; but it comes
down to censorship.
We are told by people such as Jesse Jackson and Geneva
Brooks that "moral control" should be placed on all facets
of the media. Highly placed military people claim, that,
during the Vietnam war, the president should have
imposed a blanket censorship on the domestic media
concerning the status of the war. These have no place in a
free society.
Granted, very young children should be "protected"
from any sort of explicit material, however, these people
feel the whole of society must be "protected." This is where
the danger lies. Once the line is drawn anywhere
concerning what adults can and cannot read, view, or
listen to, we will have lost our freedom.
First of all, study after study has shown that
pornography in and of itself has no detrimental effects on
society. Rabid moralists claim that it induces sexual
deviancy and sex crimes. There are no facts to support this
but statistics do show that where it is allowed,
pornography actually reduces the incidence of aggresive
sex crimes. Furthermore, some psychologists even claim
that pornography has a positive effect by supplying an
outlet to those who need it.
The recent developments in Houston epitomize the
alarming trend toward book-burnings in America. Even
such patently non-offensive books as dictionaries are
currently being "banned" because they contain obscene
words such as bed. In Dallas, the police are harassing
citizens by taking down the names of patrons of porno
shops and theatres.
Even more dangerous than these restrictions is the
military censorship espoused by retired General William
Westmoreland (see International Briefs). Military
censorship will be the final step toward Orwell's society.
When any branch of our government can carry on any
activity without being subject to the review of the people,
we will have lost any hope of reclaiming the freedom that
makes our contry unique. Being subject to military
propaganda is tantamount to being brainwashed.
Without the ability to question what we are going to die
for, let along how our lives are going to be run, we will have
lost any right to the individual freedoms on which our
society is supposedly based.
Whether we wish to recognize it or not, it is people like
Ms. Brooks and Gen. Westmoreland who are bringing this
country closer to stict governmental control. They claim
they are freedom-loving people, but there is little
difference between what they would subject us to and
what is now occuring in Russia. The level of social control
being advocated here is precisely what is observed in the
communist countries. Social and political dissidents are
constantly being stifled for views the powers-that-be find
contrary to their established ideology. By labeling their
views obscene it is easy to rationalize eliminating these
people from society.
That is what could happen here. Once that line is drawn
it can easily be moved to cover anything the government
wishes it to. The next time Brooks or Jackson claim they
are fighting for you, don't believe it. They are working to
relieve you of your freedom.
—torn brown
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Sample Ballot
University Elections
Tuesday, February 22
Student Association
> President: (Vote preferentially)
BALLOT
Student Association Spring Election
Ricky Don Balthrop
Claude Sisson
Theodore H. Andrews
Kevin McKenna
Lynn laverty
1 2 3 4 S 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Internal Affairs Vice President: (vote preferentially)
Tom Moe
Peter Martin Schwab
Marian Barber
12 3 4
12 3 4
12 3 4
12 3 4
■ External Affairs Vice President: (vote preferentially)
Joe Lueckenhoff
Matt Muller
Nita Vandiver
12 3 4
12 3 4
12 3 4
12 3 4
Secretary/Treasurer: (vote preferentially)
Off-Campus Senators: (vote X for two: do not vote preferentially)
Ken Moseley
Don Macune
Phil Konstantin
Carta McFarland
John Nicol
Thresher
• Editor: (vote preferentially)
Kim D. Brown
Philip H. Parker
12 3
1 2 3
1 2 3
• Business Manager: (vote preferentially)
Steven M. Setser
Campanile
* Editor: (vote preferentially)
Thomas E. Brown 1 2
• Business Manager: (vote preferentially)
Becky Mathre 1 2
Rice Program Council
■ President: (vo!e preferentially)
« Vice President: (vote preferentially)
Robert W. M. Miller 12 3
Vincent Robert James 12 3
1 2 3
• Secretary/Treasurer: (vote preferentially)
Jeanette DiCorcia 1 2
MORE 1
University Council
* Student Representatives: (vote preferentially)
Steve Mount 1 2 3 4 5 6
Kerry Layne McCarley 1 2 3 4 5 6
Vicki W. Gardner 1 2 3 4 5 6
Kent Coleman 1 2 3 4 5 6
Larry Nettles 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
University Court
• Chairman: (vole preferentially)
Keith D. Cooper 1 2
1 2
Honor System Amendment
Proposed: That the verb "should" replace the verb "shall" in the two articles bel
Article II, Section 7:
Students should sit in alternate chairs of a
in line behind each other.
Article III:
v and in alternate rows with students
PREFERENTIAL VOTING: To eliminate runoffs, balloting in some races (marked
with an asterisk •) will be by preferential voting. Under this system, you mark a number by
each name appearing on the ballot for that position (1 for the most preferred candidate, 2
for the next most preferred candidate, etc.). Other races (off-campus senators and Honor
Council representatives) are not decided by preferential voting; for those races mark X by
the number of names indicated.
Honor Council
(only vote for representatives in your next year's class)
—Do not vote preferentially for Honor Council positions-
Fifth Year: (vote X for two)
%
sSr
Senior: (vote X for four)
Frank Duca
Richard T. Gass
John Rafferty
Cathy Lankford
Joshua T. Kutchin
Darcy Honeycutt
Joel R. Slade
Steven Tighe
Junior: (vole X for three)
William R. Wade
Lou Ann Montana
Jeffrey C. Wood
David Charles Pate
Sophomore: (vote X for two)
Thomas Kobayashi
Steve Linebarger
Let the IRS
figure taxes
Taxpayers can elect to have
the Internal Revenue Service
compute their income tax on
either the short Form 1040A
or long Form 1040 if they have
an adjusted gross income of
$20,000 or less, as most Rice
students and staff would.
Persons filing Form 1040 must
also take the standard
deduction to qualify for the
computation.
Another requirement,
according to the IRS, is that
thfe taxpayer's income must be
solely from wages, salary, tips,
dividends, interest, pensions,
and annuities.
To take advantage of IRS
computing the tax, the
taxpayer need only compute
certain portions of his or her
tax return, attach all W-2
forms, sign the return, and
mail it by April 15 to the
address listed in the tax
instruction booklet.
CARLA McFARLAND
Editor
CATHERINE M. EGAN
Business Manager
Steven M. Setser
Advertising Manager
Philip H. Parker Assistant Editor
Kim D. Brown Assistant Editor
Tom Brown Soon-to-be Visiting Editor
Walter Underwood Photography Editor
Jay Shilstone Fine Arts Editor
Steve Sullivan Froth Page Editor
Jim Fowler Dirtynastyvicious Editor
Barry L. Jones Who?
Bill Barron Circulation Manager
Mark IB. Linimon Revenger
Art Staff Dale Charletta, Randy Furlong, Jeff Kerr
Copy Editor Cindy Childress
Editorial Staff Jean marie Amend, Jim Beall, Juli Jones,
Karen Moross, Matt Muller
Sports Staff Asuka Nakahara, Larry Nettles,
Philip Parker, Marc Siegel
Photography Staff Mark Catlett, Paul Fong, Rich Jensen,
Ann Shaw, Beth Stickney
Production Staff Steve Glaser, Lee Holder, Marty Hood, Robert Miller,
Belle Sheppard, Mark Stoll, Esther Talacki,
Bill Studabaker, Mark Linimon, and GRungy
The Rice Thresher, offical student newspaper at Rice University since 1916, is
published semi-weekly on Mondays and Thursdays during the school year, except
during examination periods and holidays, by the students of Rice University,
527-4801. Advertising information available on request, 527-4802. Editorial and
business offices are maintained on the second floor of the Rice Memorial Center and
Dart Emporium, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77001. Mail subscription rate, $15
per year. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of anyone except
the writer.
Obviously.
^Copyright 1977, The Rice Thresher. All rights reserved.
Including the right of eminent domain.
the rice thresher, february 17, 1977—page 2
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McFarland, Carla. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 64, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 17, 1977, newspaper, February 17, 1977; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245324/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.