ustxtxb_obs_1982_03_12_50_00024-00000_000.pdf

Postmaster: If undeliverable, send Form 3579 to The Texas Observer, 600 W. 7th, Austin, Texas 78701 the Commission, and that, in general, my book is a story of “periodic outlawry and constant selfishness.” What could account for such disparate judgments on a single book from two people who have similar political stances? The answer, I fear, lies in the fact that Schwartz is a law student. He had a case to make: the UT administration penalizes independent, progressive scholarship, and rewards research that celebrates the powers that be. Since he meant Al Watkin’s publications to fall in the first category, it was necessary to make mine fall in the second. Like any well-trained lawyer, Schwartz interpreted the evidence so as to make his case stronger. Thus his distortion of the argument of my book. I invite your subscribers to read my book and decide for themselves if it contains a “minimum of criticism” of the Commission. In the meantime, heaven protect us from law students pretending to be journalists. David F. Prindle, Department of Government, UT Austin, 78712. Vigor On a recent trip to Texas I was delighted to find the Texas Observer on the newstand at The Drug Store in San Antonio. Reading it again made me realize the continuing vigor of Texas liberals and radicals. As we move into the era of more Pentagon Socialism, free enterprise for the poor and government handouts for the rich, your voice has never been more needed. Richard Baggett Deats, Executive Secretary, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Nyack. N.Y. Bill Owens I read with interest Larry McMurtry’s article about Texas writers. While there is much to be discussed about the substance of his comments, I was more concerned with a glaring omission of one of Texas’ finest authors, William A. Owens. Dr. Owens has spent a lifetime recording the folk history of East Texas, and two of his autobiographical efforts \(This Stubborn Soil and are unparalleled in their clarity of style and portrayal of rural farming life. I am certain Larry McMurtry is aware of Dr. Owens’ work. It puzzles me why he chose to overlook the literary career of this remarkable man. Kendall C. McCook, Rt. 1, Box 48, Springer, New Mexico 87747 Temple work this time, because he’s got a record he’s got to live with. I think people are tired of his growling, snarling, mean approaches to state problems. I think Bill Clements will be defeated, but I think the person who defeats him has got to have that basic money, and has to got to talk about people’s issues, and recognize publicly that people are having a hard time today. I think that Bill Clements’ statements on various things in the past about how scuba diving might be a good method of birth control; how people who want to eat fish in restaurants, they can get on their plane and fly to New Orleans like he does; his comments about the pollution of the beaches on the Gulf Coast, when his oil well was spewing millions of gallons of oil a day on the beaches, that it wasn’t any big deal, that what we needed was a good hurricane to clean that mess up I think that insensitivity to the average person’s problems is going to be his undoing. These things that polluted beach that might not be a big deal to Bill Clements, but it is a very big deal to the people who enjoy those beaches as a main source of their recreation, and to those people who make a living associated with the tourism. I think he has absolutely no concept of the problems of the average citizen of this state. Problems that are encountered every day of their lives. I think he’s a classic example of a small man who, and I admit and to his credit, pulled himself up by his bootstraps, but once he got there, absolutely forget about where he came from. And I think he’s a very good example of that and. . . . Not an unusual phenomenon? No, it’s not, and what he’s accomplished cannot be taken from him. He’s been very successful, but he’s one of those guys that, now he’s successful, he has no sympathy whatsoever for those who haven’t been as successful as he is. You’ve got two major opponents in the Democratic primary. Do you think there’ll be a runoff? Oh, in all likelihood there will be. I’m sure the other two candidates are doing the same thing I’m doing, everything they can to win it without a runoff. But, being realistic, I fully expect there’ll be a runoff. The final assembly of all U.S. nuc b li a a a 0 li tear weapons takes lace in the Texas Panhandle. Housm has more oil company headquar!Ts than any other city in the world. The whole state reeks of Sunbelt oosters, strident anti-unionists, potical hucksters, and new industry nd money. THIS IS THE LOOK OF TEXAS ‘ODAY and the Texas Observer as its independent eye on all of it. Ve offer the latest in corporate cams and political scandals as well s articles on those who have other, nd more humane, visions of what ur state can be. BeCome an Oberver subscriber today, order a gift or a friend, or instruct us to enter a ibrary subscription under your paronage. Send the Observer to name address city state zip this subscription is for myself gift subscription; send card in my name $20 enclosed for a one-year subscription bill me for $20 name address city state zip THE TEXAS OBSERVER 600 W. 7th, Austin, Texas 78701 24 MARCH 12, 1982