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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, December 19. 1967
Invalid war reason
The men-who-will-have-died-for-nothing reaction is an illogical defense for the U.S. to remain in Vietnam.
If the American troops were to leave Vietnam tomorrow, the first reaction of many people would be that American lives that have already been expended would suddenly be for nothing.
This attitude is understandable, but illogical, and not very well thought out.
The logic breaks down because men have "died for nothing" for a long time, even American soldiers; people die for nothing in predictable numbers on the highways every holiday week-end.
Some men probably died of a sniper wound through the bowels while drawing to an inside straight on a remote Pacific island that proved to be of no consequence to the war, or met death while taking a short-cut through a field that had been mined by Americans for an enemy that arbitrarily decided upon a different route anyway.
Who is to say which military deaths are significant and which are "for nothing?"
During World War II, not every fatality happened during the storming of Omaha Beach, or the raising of the American flag over Iwo Jima.
History cannot even be an adequate judge, since any American soldier anywhere is meeting his chief responsibility as a soldier; to place himself between his country and what his country considers to be a threat to its basic safety.
People like to think of the American Soldier Dying as being a very heroic, glorious and highly meaningful death. All too often, it is simply death, which leaves it to the folks back home to find meaning into it.
If American troops were to leave Vietnam now, would the thousands of American lives that have been lost be for nothing? If so, will their deaths gain some significance if we stay in Vietnam another 10 or 15 years, with more deaths, and then decide to withdraw?
Or suppose, somehow, that we win in Vietnam—will the present number of death suddenly be full of purpose even then?
It would seem that a Vietnam victory in the years to come would seem to be of very little consolation to the friends and family of soldiers who are now dead.
Many supportable reasons may be offered, however, for the U.S. to remain in Vietnam. Among these are our present commitment to South Vietnam, and also the viewpoint that was curtly phrased by commentator Joe Pyne, "Where do you want to fight Communism? Denver?"
The men-who-will-have-died-for-nothing attitude is not among these more defensible positions, since it is usually on immediate reaction, based on emotion.
And it is certainly not reason enough alone to support the present U.S. position in Vietnam, which costs us more lives every day, almost as though increased fatalities will somehow help to justify earlier deaths.
John Hill
Associate Editorial Editor
HERBLOCK
Beautification Program
Kansan movie review
Marxist's 'Matthew'
By Scott Nunley
Although engaged at the University for only a single showing last week, "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" has earned such an array of film awards that it deserves comment. Audience reaction to the Italian movie ranged from warm appreciation to expressions of boredom. This reviewer's feelings were mixed.
The obvious debts of director Pier Paolo Pasolini's film should be quickly admitted. Union Ballroom facilities are certainly no more than marginal for the display of any motion picture, but I received the impression that "The Gospel's" soundtrack recording was itself of low quality. In addition, English subtitling had been added with no concern for background contrast and was too frequently illegible.
The two-hour-plus length of the film was not much more defensible. There is certainly not that much of Matthew that is visually interesting and even less that possesses the more conventional virtues of plot or tension. Communist director Pasolini might have chosen to supplement text with imagination at these long, dreary, didactic points, but his preoccupation with accuracy limited him.
From this point, criticism depends to a great extent upon personal conviction. If this peasant Mary, if this dark Angel, if this sullen Christ suits the viewer, "The Gospel" will win praise. Objectively, it can at least be agreed that Pasolini is determined to capture the often-depressing reality of life in the Biblical lands. Christianity has, however, enriched itself by adapting Mediterranean and Nordic elements alien to the original Hebrew experience. Perhaps "authentic" historical recreations are virtually irrelevant now.
"The Gospel According to St. Matthew" does have a view of the Messiah that can be considered interpretation. In this telling, Jesus is a fiery revolutionary, more concerned with opposition and change than with love and sympathy. Speech after speech becomes a harangue. Threats are divinely fulfilled. The Resurrection acquires the tone not of compassion and sacrifice but of political expediency and advertisement. If you doubt who I am, Christ declares, just watch what I can do!
The result is a film that might make sense to the historically-oriented Marxist, but which cannot be said to have gotten to the sense of Christianity.
"The Gospel's" value lies in its simplicity of production. Never before has the story been told with so little attention to glorification or professionalism. Hand-held cameras probe their way roughly through excited crowds while panning cameramen search for their targets. The great majority of the actors are obvious denizens of this unwashed world and as a result the acting is unusually spontaneous.
Despite this refreshing beginning, the film lacks a man of sufficient personal Christian emotion to crack the misleading facade of historical accuracy. For this reviewer, at least, it is not satisfying to be intellectually engaged in a pursuit of facts, when the subject is something as ineffable as the religious experience.
Letters to the Editor
SUA concerts, Heffron letter
To the Editor:
Congratulations to the SUA Concert Committee for their fine efforts in bringing the "Fifth Dimension" to KU. There are not enough down-to-earth adjectives to describe their out-of-this-world performance presented in Hoch last night. Their standing ovation was well deserved.
There is one sour note. Every concert group that appears in Hoch must direct the lighting from the stage. Last night, for instance, the house lights were not turned off until the arranger for the "Dimension," asked someone in the wings to dowse them. Why can't we do our little part in creating the "total environment" of the concert?
Ron Sutton
Goodland junior
* * *
To the Editors:
I am disappointed in the KU student body. Since I have attended KU I have heard nothing but grips and complaints about the concerts given on Homecoming night and each Spring. It seems that every year the SUA "fails" to get the "right person" (or people) for these evenings. Everyone wonders why as large a school as KU can't pull the top performers and get someone in whom the student body is truly interested.
But this fall SUA has really tried to please the student body! They started a new program which they call the "Hoch Concerts." It's main purpose is to bring top entertainers to KU who the student body wants, at a time when they are available and for a reasonable price. Thus far we have had two nationally known musical groups appear at Hoch—both of whom were excellent entertainment. Eut, what's happened to the student support???
Perhaps not everyone is interested in the Harry Simeon Chorel—they are only one of the foremost singing groups in the United States, yet their style
might not appeal to every college student. And maybe the evening with The Fifth Dimension came at a bad time everyone's busy with tests, term papers, etc. Well, maybe KU just isn't really interested in concerts by top performers! Judging from the poor turnout and $2,000-$3,000 loss that the SUA is left with—it would seem to be only too true! Perhaps the student body just doesn't really care.
I just want to say, in closing, that the concert committee should ignore anyone who complains again about KU's lack in drawing popular entertainers. Until the student body realizes that they have to support the concerts to attract "big name" entertainers, they'll have to be satisfied with what they can get. The SUA has done a great job, but it has to have the support of the student body.
Barbara H'nes
Olathe senior
- * *
To the Editor:
In the Dec. 11 Kansen there appeared a letter from a Mr. Haffron, a resident of McCollum Hall. He is one of the "prudes" in a controversy concerning not only sex but also the public display of affection. He claims prejudiced treatment at a reportedly open
meeting concerning this controversy at his residence hall. I suspect his claim is valid.
I stand opposed to him in the controversy. I generally avoid Potter's Puddle during the warmer months, but only because I do not wish to intrude upon someone's privacy. So if I had been at the meeting, I would probably have been suicidal myself, suspicious of his intentions concerning the tape he wanted to make.
However, at a public meeting I normally avoid saying things which may later embarrass me or my friend. In a truly open meeting of intelligent persons (and college students are supposedly intelligent) such action should be normal. No one should object to a tape recording of the meeting.
So if Mr. Heffron's tape recorder was disallowed, I suspect the meeting was only purportedly open. I suggest some of the persons present had motives and plans no less anterior than those accredited to Mr. Heffron.
If any suspicions are incorrect, then the people who disallowed the tape recorder were obviously not behaving in the intelligent manner normally expected of college students.
Dave Cook
Wichita junior
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