4 Tuesday, May 9, 1972 University Daily Kansan KANSAN comment Editorials, columns and letters published on this page reflect only the opinions of the writers. Another Year Passes This last issue of the Kansan for the semester does not signify the end of any era, as eras do not have endings or beginnings until decades later when people not involved with them define them. Nevertheless, it does seem to be a good time to look back on the semester. I do not think it was a particularly exciting semester; actually, it was rather dull. The great movements of recent years were hardly visible. The peace movement was mentioned occasionally, but it was only within the past two weeks that anything more was done for it. The women's movement had a moment of life when the Equal Rights Amendment was being consolled. The February members made this presentation and talk for a few weeks. Unlike in past years, the Black Students Union has done hardly anything sensational. After William Kuntles was barred from the court, even Gay Liberation seemed to recede. The issue that raised the most voices this year on campus was the proposal for the campus traffic circulation plan, which included putting parking meters around campus. The campus maintenance- men made it obvious that they were not satisfied with their working conditions or their pay. However, they have not been heard from since the walkout ended, so the settlement must have been satisfactory. Actually I rather like this way. When everything is rabid with enthusiasm things get too hectic. I find it frustrating to be on the verge for a cause and then a quiet corner. Although it was not an exciting semester it was interesting to see the campus operating on a low key. If a group became a little noisy everyone began to worry about how this would affect the legislature's allocation to the University of Kansas. (The Concerned Students seem to have introduced a whistle-blower at the campus.) People seemed determined to not get excited about anything, although the Parking and Traffic Board's proposal was pushing campus good will a little to far. I think it is better for the campus when people are acting more calmly. Perhaps it does not give graduating seniors any great memories, but it does help them graduate on time. —Mary Ward International Audacity With President Nixon's announcement last night of the mining of North Vietnamese ports, the United States has made an unprecedented show of international audacity. Nixon's decision is brinkmanship of a nature that dishonors the people and President of the United States. His escalation, in effect, says to the people of the world that this country is aware of its martial superiority over weaker countries and we are not above using our strength against others to serve whatever ends we see fit—moral or not. More importantly, I think, it shows that the President of the United States has lost touch with the people he was elected to serve. I cannot believe the majority of Americans condone Nixon's latest escalation—yet he must think he has support at home to take such a gamble. Nixon has gone too far. He has become intoxicated with his own power. Only an immediate protest against Nixon's escalation on all levels by the majority of honorable Americans can salvage what is left of the reputation and sanity of a once-proud nation. —Thomas E. Slaughter Garry Wills The Domino Theory Again So city after city falls, and we bleed it as it falls, helping "defend" it. It that we came in, in blood, and how we are going, bloodily, out. Vietnamization means giving them chopper skirts to grab at, then kneeling them off; prising their hands into his face, giving them things to keep lying with, and killing, to no point. Were in came to the sound of guns at Dien Bien Phu, the bloodgarrison of the North, and we go out, killing in a rage, to the sounds of Quang Tri's fall in the South. Eighteen years of expended men, treasure, blood, and prestige have left the French where the French ended their involvement and we foolishly began ours. Even then, cheering on futility, we told the French there was no reason to give up. Even then there was light at the end of the tunnel (that deep well, fed by underground springs, my mistook for a tunnel). Our Secretary of State Dulles said, "There is, of course, no military or logical reason why loss of Dien Blen Phu should lead to collapse of French Europe. The crisis is European Defense Community." And, he might have added, America. The killing, that is, should have gone on in Indochina, to benefit France; to benefit Germany; to benefit us, finally, what matters most—its. For some odd reason, all these intermediary links in the chain—or more closely, between us and Hanot's General Giap. Then-Vice-President Nixon backed Dulies, who wanted allies to join us in bombing-support for the French. But Bush gave him a position to say No—in fact, in the one position that counted, the Presidency. President Eisenhower's opinion on heavy air support for a scathed Asian bomber was more timely than now, as our B-92s have flown great indiscriminate drops of destruction, and our other bombers try to hit smaller moving armies as well. Here is his veto judgment on bomb-support for President's last stand: "Well, I couldn't think of anything probably less effective than in a great big jungle area and with a besieged enemy. But the real force." He added that an attempt to save the city by air was impossible "unless you were willing to use weapons that could have destroyed the jungles all around the area for miles." For some odd reason, he was unwilling to leave. He would come such inanimate scraps since then. So now we come to another showdown, with the very General in charge who took Dien Biñu Phu. How little we know our foe—have ever known him. One good's as good (or bad) as another. Well, one "good" has a kicks of domino—French, English (they turned Dulles down), and American, not to mention Saigonee. It's time we took the domino theory seriously—not the Asian dominos we were going to keep from toppling, but the "Western" dominos that have been tumbled already, all in a line—up to us. And then, with some realism, Dulhes has laid Hanoi is reckless and bound to fail this time. That is what all his predecessors of the last two decades have said of the latest move by General Giap. Poor Rixur still claims that Giap did fall four years ago—though for some reason Giap does not believe such a "scholar." General Vu Nguyen Giap, an expert on dominoes and he seems to know his own country. He's got a hard record to beat. Copyright, 1972. Universal Press Syndicate Readers Respond Gay Lib, International Club, Today's Kids, Senate Go Jack To the Editor As a member of the Lawrence Gay Liberation Front I would like to public express my thanks to my brothers and sisters to the SUA Minority Opinions Forum for Baker last Thursday evening. I think Jack K. is to be admired for his courage in actively pursuring his convictions amidst the high-profile concerns gay people that abounds in a country dedicated to "individual rights" and "preservation of sexual freedom," yet we are to recognize as a legitimate, bona fide student organization, we have not lost our staying power. If anything our peers did have an effect on the blatant discrimination on the part of Larry Chalmers and Co. Thank you, Jack Baker, for your dedication to individual. -Renaldine T. Brown Kansas City, Kans., sophomore Sookhoo To the Editor: From the coverage in the Kansan, it is clear that the International Club has had some difficulties in conducting elections. At this time, at the end of March, the organization clarification of the policies of the club concerning membership and programs it sponsors. On membership. Membership is open to all students at KU regardless of race, nationality, or gender. A degree may be obtained by payment of dues amounting to $1 to the treasurer of the club. Laitif's statement that any executive can sell membership is wrong. At this time the International Club is accepting memberships. Students should attend and participate. It should be noted that membership is open to American students because a foreign student can join it or a foreign student organization. Payment of dues may be made to the International Club in the dean of foreign students' office. National groups are separate organizations from the International Club. They can meet meetings they wish, whether political or not. While the people in the club share Lafont's views on poverty and war, they should concentrate on hunger, poverty and war, it is in the way we express our concern that national groups have a role in the International Club under my chairmanship has co-sponsored forums and other events with other national groups. As was the case for the semester, the club does not side on these issues, but simply tries to provide a peaceful forum for dialogue among embraces. Any group which felt it had some contribution to make in the promotion of international understanding was helped to present its issues. The International Club does not allow one faction to antagonize another within any of the club's functions. It is grossly wrong to accuse the International Club of harming children during dances when the club had no beer parties, only one dance during orientation week, an intercultural communications International Night, a forum on Bangladesh and many other events. Also the Kanan misrepresented my stand on the resolution which was proposed by the club to University students. Sunday's meeting, I indicated that I directed comments at Arab students in the campus. I apologize to the Arab Student Organization or the Iranian Students express regret that I generalized when I said Arabs and Iranians, because there was no way I could be there the sheep from the goats. Tuula Tossavanain said that she didn't feel she should apologize to the Iranian Students for not acting as a spokesman for the club and that from the actions of the leaders of those groups she had made her observations. Also, when Ms. Tuula was adopted by a minority of the -Ronnie Sookhoo Trinidad senior International Club, which minority comprises mainly Arabs, Iranians and Pakistanis. Go Kids to the Editor I wish to apologize to you students of the 70% for those who were ill and sick during the pandemic to tell them that you are concerned about the world which you will be inherring. You tried to explain that you have immune to other people's Today's students are not the "silent generation." That fact was clearly demonstrated during Senator Dole's speech, and it is. Students can be bullied when they them for their pursuit of the truth rather than constantly deriding their efforts. The fact is, questioning is being considered by you, you are gezied as seeing, and the refusal of students to accept dishonest answers and political attempts at image making frequently are considered an acceptable act, rather not be questioned—those who expect the toilet "to do or die" even "asking why. Well, this is a generation which will ask questions that you are overwhelming to many who are accustomed to condo with their silence that which they know is wrong, and therefore we need for any sort of political mickeyery politicians can devise. suffering. You wanted people to care about those who are dead (even your young friends) and the families they are caring for people to care. You wanted politicians to care and to listen. It was hard to hear them, but someway be heard someday. Joyce Rinier Student of the '50s Bristol Terrace More Senate In response to Wednesday night's action by the Student Senate, I can only say that once again they have amazed me more than we did. They were not satisfied with (nor justified in) assuming it their spokesman in regard to the war in Indochina and the legalization of marigrain cheese and three welfare programs, which, contrary to Mr. Awbrey's opinion, are of no concern to me. We know that they forbid me to my knowledge none of the candidates for Student Body President nor those for Student Body President of any other concerning the war, the economy, the welfare system, or the legalization of pot; nor did they campaign. However, as soon as they took office, they presumed to have the right to punish this student's students felt about these issues. I certainly did not elect them to act in this capacity. I would like to commend Mr. Murfin for at least realizing that maybe the Senate was in conflict with the welfare measures for Hope Plaza. I am also aware of the several instances of Mr. Brick Road School, and the Senate was not designed for these activities as he did Wednesday night in reference to the Yellow Brick Road School and the Senate persists in passing resolutions concerning the war and marijuana, in funding welfare programs, and in funding -Wayne Burge Belleville sophomore Still More To the Editor: The situation on campus today is this: a student who wants to attend KU for his education next year will have to pay, in addition to tuition and other costs, approximately $30 in the form of a student activity fee. I suspect that students don't want to pay the activity fee and benefit from them, for enrollment. The Student Senate is nothing but a parasite that exists only because its hosts don't think its damage is too great. The senators may claim that they represent us, they may By Sokoloff Griff and the Unicorn claim that they are doing us a service, they may even claim that the students want to pay the fee, but the fact remains that they are very much afraid of an optional activity fee. In last month's choice for a totally optional fee, was conspicuously absent. Why is the Senate afraid of an optional fee? Because an optional Waterville, Maine, sophomore fee would force them to be responsible for their actions; they would have to answer to the students for any appropriations raised, so that he could name the name of the Senate. Frankly, with their record, I can understand their reluctance to initiate such a situation. "Copyright 1972, David Sokoloff. THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN America's Pacemaking college newspaper Kansan Telephone Numbers Newsroom—UN-4 4810 Business Office—UN-4 4358 Published at the University of Kansas daily during the academic year except holidays and examinations tests. 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