The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 67, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 13, 1979 Page: 3 of 20
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Spanning the hedges!
by David Dow
Before the rising swell of
patriotic fever carries you swiftly
to the shores of Cuba, think
carefully about this newest affront
to our international prestige. Do
Soviet troops in Cuba really affect
our security? Regardless of your
evaluation of that question, given
the status of American troops
abroad, and given the sovereignty
of Cuba, do we have a legitimate
right to demand that the Russians
withdraw? The cry from the Right
that "The Reds are coming" never
fails to stir even the most lethargic
patriots into a veritable frenzy,but
calm down; this time the cry
resembles the proverbial one of
"wolf".
Fortuitous events have aided the
reactionaries by blowing this so-
Threshing-it-out *
Dear Editor,
I spent the summer deliberately
not reading the newspaper,
because bad news, ignorance, and
sensationalism depress me. It is
definitely a downer coming back to
school and finding such things in
the last bastion of reason and
ration, the Rice Thresher.
1) In regards to the first letter-to-
the-editor, I immediately notice
that both authors are male and
therefore entitled to no vote
whatsoever on the abortion issue.
The "rights" argument is a loaded
one, particularly the phrase "right
to life"- but what kind of "right"
has the baby inherited when it is
born to a mother who doesn't want
it or can't care for it, when it is born
with a congenital (and predictable)
defect, when it is born as an
accident into an already
overcrowded and undersupported
world? Think, people.
2) 'And as to the editorial.
called crisis way out of proportion.
Problems began in July when the
State Department vociferously
and erroneously denied the
presence of Soviet combat troops
in Cuba. Perhaps we ought to grow
accustomed to inteligence
blunders, but this most recent one
just happened to be discovered at
the very moment that the Carter
Administration is trying with all its
might to push the SALT II treaty
through the Senate. Ostensibly to
foster that effort, our president
has declared that Soviet presence
so near the United States is "not
acceptable."
Pardon my pacifism, but why
not? Will 3,000 Soviet troops come
pouring into Florida anytime
soon? Do those few Russians, who
have been living so close to us since
dropping a few courses in no way
contributes to the gaining of
professionalism. If by spending
"time in outside activities" he
means the social clubs, the student
unions, the organizations and
student "governments" to
contribute to professionalism-
that's a joke. Professionalism
involves responsibility, and
experience, training and practice.
Some organizations are geared to
instilling professionalism: the
military, for example. The Rice
ROTC's have done an excellent
job in most cases. But the training
of professionals involves work that
student organizations are not
equipped to engage in. Lowering
the academic requirements is not
going to help.
3) I'm tired of stuffy news. Bring
back the Thresher where news
meant something new.
Dian Hardison
Brown '79
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School attending.
the late '60s or early '70s, tip the
balance of power scales? Finally,
do the alleged construction of a
naval facility and a military bunker
in Cuba make the Soviet presence
any less innocuous? Think about
it. As long as the American
retaliatory capacity allows for the
decimation of Russian cities even
on a second strike, the Soviet
Union will never initiate warfare,
not any more than we will.
Which brings us to the second
issue: Can we distinguish between
Soviet troops near our border and
American troops near Russia's?
Washington has planted plenty of
military bases and troops near the
Soviet frontier which Moscow
finds every bit as objectionable as
we find the visitors in Cuba.
Remember, Russia too represents
a world power, and nothing makes
our imperialistic ventures more
palatable or defensible than the
Kremlin's. Screaming about moral
imperatives and self-
determination is fine, but yell as
loudly when America Ilexes her
own military muscle.
Russian strength in Cuba poses
a danger to us only if Washington
and Moscow foolishly precipitate
a conflict. Though the Russian
troops do not threaten us
militarily, they do represent a
potential spark in un international
tinderbox. Quiet diplomacy can
defuse any potential for hostility
unless our leaders choose to play
Russian Roulette by re-enacting
the Cuban Missle Crisis and its
consequent blind man's bluff. To
eradicate any danger requires only
that we let this entire event fade
into obscurity. It can all be so
meaningless and insignificant, it
only we allow it.
D00NESBURY
no, im sorry,
uh...mayi im her
ask mo you paughter
are. miss? joan jr
you mus j
oh. minpif
hi! /5 ms.
yes? | caucus
home
joan ibs al
joan. jr."?
moms
t use your
reapy left
old man.
phone to
for work
call hers
33%,
uh..are
yeah, can i
• rrtAL, rn,. comb in? i've
joan, jr? been up all
this is joan
glad to meet you,
rick. i take it
mom hasn't told
you she has a
daughter yet.
look., do
you have
an lp. or
something?
\
sure. gee, i
hope i haventt
screwed up
her strateg y.
ima friend
sure there
ie caucus's
isn't some
of hers, rick
apartment,
mistake herb
redfern-
right? mho
night on
young lapy?
arb you ?
the bus..
/
tell mb, miss,
how long has
rr been since
vnifi/e zccki seven
all that time she's been
sending pappy child sup-
port. but basically, she's
ufvfr rfpw ari£ it dfjsi
gee, i..1 pont
knoou mat to
say, miss. this
right. i'll i understand
nebp some CAV J get
time on you a glas5
that one. of water?
imagine having
a seventeen-year.
olp daughter and
nct telling
anyone!
i just can t believe
joanie pipnt tell me
about you. its not
like her at all
imagine
well. i gue&b right let's
being the
m better get this guilt
*-i call her. trip on the
* 1 road!
year-olp
daughter.
cb/3/ tuaeu.
listen, there's someone
here at the apartment
to see you. i think you
ought to talk to her..
\
helix),
mom?
IT'LL TAKE HER A mi£..
SHE'S WHY PONT YOU GO MAKE
COMING YOURSELF SOME BREAK-
! RIGHT FAST, AND ILL MAKE
1 HOME! UP WE SPARE ROOM.
OH, THAT UXm BE
NECESSARY, RICK. COLLEGE? YOU
TM NOT STAYING. MEAN, HERE IN
I'M ON MY U/AY MSHMTDN*
TOCOUE6B. 1
YUP. GEORGETOWN. I'LL
BE STAYING IN THE DORMS.
I'VE ALREAPY BEEN AS-
SIGNED A ROOMMATE
AND EVERYTHING!
joan
caucus jr
The Rice Thresher, September 13, 1979, page 3
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Muller, Matthew. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 67, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 13, 1979, newspaper, September 13, 1979; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245412/m1/3/: accessed June 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.