riddle@ut-sally.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle) (11/15/83)
This is a bit of Texas politics which might be of interest to all. To
quote without permission from the newsletter of Texas State Senator
Lloyd Doggett:
LEGISLATING AFTER THE BOMBS FALL
While Congress is debating the MX missile, the proposal
for a nuclear weapons freeze, and other issues dealing with
the arms race, the Texas Legislature "contributed" to the
debate by approving a strange measure that purports to
assure the continuing function of the Legislature after a
nuclear war. If Texas voters approve the proposed Constitu-
tional Amendment Number 4 on the November ballot, each
legislator will assemble a list of former legislators to
take over the job again after the bombs fall.
The sponsor of this proposal said that if it is
approved and if nuclear war happens, "Texas will remain free
and America will remain free." And Alice will remain in
Wonderland, he could have added. Some folks seem to have
gotten carried away with war games, but nuclear war isn't
like a football game where the winners proudly light the
tower orange and yell, "We're No. 1."
This ludicrous constitutional amendment is based on the
same sort of thinking that led a senior Reagan Administra-
tion official to tell us we can survive a nuclear war "if
there are enough shovels to go around." In reality, if this
unthinkable event happened, there would be little need for
the Legislature for the foreseeable future. This bizarre
proposal only distracts us from the need to find ways to
reduce the threat of nuclear war.
On November 8, Texas voters approved the measure.
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Prentiss Riddle
{ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!riddle
riddle@ut-sally.UUCPeich@uiuccsb.UUCP (11/20/83)
#R:ut-sally:-39600:uiuccsb:11000049:000:29 uiuccsb!eich Nov 16 18:39:00 1983 On with the mineshaft race!