4
Tuesday, January 26, 1971
University Daily Kansan
KANSAN comment
'But I was only following orders!'
My Lai: War On Trial
With all the military trials, charges, dismissals and testimony concerning alleged atrocities in Vietnam by American forces, it is hard to keep track of all the developments in each case from day to day.
The news is constantly full of new faces and new allegations and denials, and so much confusion has bred an unfortunate, although probably temporary, complacency among the public to war trials in general.
But once in a while the Calley trial crops up in casual conversation, and one of the questions most frequently asked is, "What is really on trial at Ft. Benning, Ga.?"
But perhaps the entire concept of war is being put on the witness stand to defend its existence.
Most agree the trials are more than just murder charges against one man. Some say the Army is on trial. Others say the Vietnam War is the real defendant.
Certainly what happened at My Lai is nothing new in the annals of American warfare. All of us have been saturated with accounts of atrocities committed by the enemy throughout history. The Maine, Bataan, Little-Big Horn, Pearl Harbor, the Alamo and so on have been presented to us in history books as heinous acts of barbaric heatness with no sense of human decency.
But what about Sherman's march to the sea, the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864, the Dresden and Hamburg fire bombings in World War II, and even Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Were these and other similar acts by "the great American fighting man" any less barbaric? The number of innocent civilians killed in those actions makes My Lai insignificant in comparison. Is Lt. Calley any more guilty of murder than
American fighter pilots who strafed German farmers plowing their fields?
So now the question arises as to why Calley is being tried for acts that are an ugly legacy of American warfare.
He obviously was fighting in the wrong war. World War II was the first war extensively covered by the press, and the first war the American public really knew about in detail. But World War II was also a popular war, so the information given to the public by the government and the press was, unintentionally or not, slanted to the good, glorious aspects of the great campaign.
The Korean War ended before much broad-based public disenchantment could develop.
But then the Vietnam War came during a time of blossoming humanitarianism and liberality in American society.
The war became generally unpopular, and suddenly Americans learned that all was not glorious in war. A whole generation of Americans who had never seen war face to face saw on their televisions and in newspapers that war was maimed children, burnt flesh and devastation. Then we learned of My Lai, and it was too much for many to take.
Whatever you felt about the My Lai incident, Calley should be pitied. He was doing a job he was trained to do, and now he is being tried for doing his job.
If he is convicted, then every American who has fought in war will in varying degrees share his guilt. But whatever the outcome, Americans have shown they are finally recognizing war for its real qualities, and war perhaps takes on a new meaning for all of us.
GAILEN KNox
President Nixon, in his State of the United States, called for a revolution and power to the people. Didn't the members of the Chicago 7 say something like that?
Ry GALEN BLAND
EDITOR'S COLUMN We've All Got It Made
If that realization occurs, then America will have moved a bit closer to being able to legitimately call itself a civilization.
The KU version of the SDS had a reorganization meeting last week. Fight racism and unite with workers to fight against the bosses. Buzz V. Debs and Jeb Hill "vegane been proud."
Sometimes the newspapers overwhelm us with rhetoric. Everyone from Agnew to Hoffman screams repression and tells the players without a program. And no one has a program.
But humming across the Kansas prairie, winding through the Colorado mountains, along a road where drivers whip down the streets and alleyways of U.S.A. city. Dark nights in the fog, a blaring radio and always the next Howard shining like the sun down the road.
I've often enveloped them, away from the rhetoric and the Gallileo overuse. Students stretch their legs in the summer, hilt-hike to Denver, drive to California, see for themselves, about for nine months of the year.
And the truckdriver sees it for 12. The little cafes and the tired, washed out waitresses and op art stores and the driver's home on the road.
Gotta make Denver by morning; caught a few hours in the city and spent the day in the orchestra of the tires sings their song. A song of the road. A
Capture their spirit. Take out from Lawrence after dark. Gas is cheap for the thrills. By dawn there's Salt Lake City, the middle of Texas, Illinois and always the humping bummy the song of the road.
Pay ain't bad, looked better when I started—teamster union, there's some mean sobs.
Ought to see the sun rising over the Rockies 20 miles out from the Springs or goin' down comin' into Denver.
The truck driver can live our dreams, or realities.
Got a schedule to make, flat tire took an hour to change, don't get gas need too much at the state line. Need some sleep, take some beveries, drink some coffee, sit down, four more hours till Wichita.
Exam tomorrow, gotta' read four chapters, that guy's a rough teacher, I hope I did all right on that English paper.
Get an education, make a buck, skip a class, slept till noon. Got my C in history and I just need 10 hours to graduate. Nice easy desk chair. Got Madison avenue. Tell them that they need our heavy duty underwear that the truckdriver is bringing in from Chicago. Around the curve and up the hill, the way things have been.
We students can live the truck driver's dreams, though.
better than listen son, you stick with it and make yourself a bundle, have an office-order phone. You kids got it made.
Quigley. They aren't buying our heavy duty underwear, we don't. Losing business, losing money, what if they stop buying our heavy duty underwear or the ones driving them across the plains.
But you college kids have it made. Things were better then. Basketball games twice a week, fraternity parties, gay times. Soaped the fountain and didn't get caught.
Be a truckdriver and see this magic land. The sun's a-coming up and there's Denver straight ahead.
Quigley. Are you making any progress? Don't forget I'm paying you a bundle for your thoughts.
Should've stayed in school.
They're a romantic breed, like sailors of another time they capture a lust for travel. They call us a mobile society but once you move you you're stuck again and you're truckdriver who's really mobile.
Son, I'll tell you, he said. The eastern Colorado plains flashed by outside the window and the brawny truckdriver yawned. The
He wasn't talking to me, he was speaking灵敏ly to the plains to Colorado, to the nation. He said he was going to be his truck. No, he wasn't gnouty but when he talked he couldn't hear the hum of the tires on the pavement. His podium was red and as usual no one listened.
We go on strike and get raise. And you know what happens. He spat out the window. I shook my head. The union raises its dues and it costs four more dollars to load a coat of bread. Just am not use.
morning sun was in our faces.
They'll screw you everytime.
Dunn union takes half your
equipment, the union leaders
living like jikes.
I wanted to tell him I'd always wanted to drive trucks cross country from one coast to the other. See the sun rising over the Rockies and glimmering on the ocean.
But you can bear him.
Cambodian Doubts
I just sat there and listened to the hum of the wheels and didn't even listen to what he was saying but heard his voice rise and fall and sing the song of the road. Andrew Johnson's a few miles past the stateline and I said goodbye after having a cup of coffee.
Rut I didn't
BY NICHOLAS DANLOFF
the Communist attacks on Phnom
Penh are causing considerable
were the Nixon ad-
ministration.
At the same time, officials left
lifted support for military missions
by the continue energetically
throughout Cambodia even if the
country was hit.
State Department officials do not minimize the deep psychological impact of Cambodian capital would have on morale among the South Vietnamese and native forces operating in that country—if the Communists chose either to try to capture the city
Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird has outlined in reply to a question of intention to use extensive air power in Cambodia while holding back the introduction of any American ground troops there. Mr. Laird said the officials acknowledged that they were disturbed at the wide attention given to Laird's remarks, plus charges by critics of the actions.
bodia actions that the executive branch had changed American policy in Indochina by exceeding the intent of the Congress action ground combat activity by U.S. troops in Cambodia.
Administration officials now are concerned over the possibility of new restrictive law being passed by Congress.
President Nixon in June created a widespread impression that the use of air power in Cambodia was, directly directed against the infiltration of men and supplies from North Vietnam to the south.
The administration contends that the greatly expanded American aerial operations in Cambodia are vital to the Vietnamization program in Southeast Asia. The American troop withdrawals.
At the State Department other officials were concerned that treatment would fall into Communist hands, aggravating the war prisoner
Officials speculated that any pilots captured in Cambodia would likely be transferred to prison camps in North Vietnam.
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Making Our Case
If you are around the basement of the Kansas Union anytime during the next four weeks, you will be surprised to learn that rumors about the last few candidates to file for either class president or student body president. The discussion usually concerns the personality, political ideas, or character of particular candidate. Unfortunately, however, the experience begins to snowball about now, is not frequently reflected in either the number of candidates or the number of participants who participate in the election.
A great deal of concern was generated last fall with the failure of many student senators to exercise their limited powers and the lack of a common senate code. Some actions taken by the student body president and the senate have been anything but non-controversial. Many senators are not representative government is neither representative nor has any consequent
powers. None of this can change, however, without the support of the very students who were involved in the 'tatives' lack of interest; who disagreed with some actions taken—or not taken—by the senate; and who asserted that their government here is ineffectual.
On March 3 and 4, the student body will elect new class officers, the school board, the student body president and vice-president. To run, it costs a university to establish an energy to submit a petition, and enough commitment to make this university a little better place to live when he leaves that it was not taken to care about not take the time to care about helping to change this school, the government, like so many other questions here at K.U., may continue down its present path to become simply academic.
John Friedman
Overland Park senior
Senate Elections Chairman
By United Press International
Quotes in the News
PERTH AMBoy, N.J.—A barber leading a movement of fellow barbers not to patronize hireling hiring long-haired men
"You sort of feel funny when you go into a place where they have long hair and you're spending your good money."
The Lighter Side
Rv DICK WEST
At his laboratory this week. Dr.
WASHINGTON (UPI)—When it was disclosed a few weeks ago the Army sent troops to work on a “surveillance and detection system using purposes,” most of us assumed the project had some sort of military use.
Even a report that the porpoises were being taught to "distinguish between metals" was a mere fiction, the true nature of the experiment.
It was Dr. Smirnko Deep—think of the thinkBerk Institute of thought of the thinkBerk University Door College, who finally revealed connection between the Pentagon porpoise project and one of the most vexing civilian problems.
Because the Pentagon was
occupied by al-Qaeda, we
that training marine mammals
for underwater surveillance was
a necessary step for national
security.
"Gentlemen," Dr. Deepthink said proudly, "what you see before you is the nation's first airline and a military airline anti-hijacking system."
Deepthink unvelled a large glass tank of storm door pane and filled with sea water. Swimming like a window but intelligent-looking porpoise.
"A glass tank similar to the one on the side of the plane is an airport boarding luggage. As the passengers pass by to enter the plane, they will keep them under surveillance."
"I thought that what it was, but I couldn't be sure," said for I was one of unweaving. "How does it work?"
"Thanks to his ability to distinguish between metals, the porpise will be able to detect whether any of the passengers
"this porpoise," Dr. Deepthink explained, "has been trained in underwater surveillance and detection.
are carrying guns or other concealed weapons. If they are, he will leap from the tank and attack them all, thus alerting the authorities.
"One of the beauties of this system is that the passengers can be moved by a surveillance. We will simply put a few lobsters and maybe a baby squid in the tank with the porpoise, because we assume it is only an aquarium.
"Another advantage is the economy. The system will operate 24 hours a day for the price of a few fish."
Dr. Deeptink conceeded that some passengers might object to the idea of going in water tank, but, as he pointed out, getting wet is a lot better option.
Readers Write
It is about time somebody takes a stand against a "hustle" job the senate has given the students in college. But the University of Kansas. I seriously feel that a minority of power-seekers mean legislators—have encroached upon my individual rights as a student; furthermore students benefit from a system where students benefit either directly or indirectly from the athletic department by this semen, as is being blamed by this semen, the basketball team, and would not abolish the apportionment of annual years, if put to a popular vote.
Since the explanation behind this "wash job" is to allow those students who do not participate in class to discontinue their monetary support of such, I feel this is a difficult and hypocritically shuffling the student fees into other areas of student noninterest. In my own practice, I have less for the University Theater, Concert Course series, intramusical, and especially the which events as the "Liberation Day of
The real reason for the senate's action is to punish the athletic department with the demands in the Sam Goldberg case. The senate may justifiably have reservations about the department but the important point here is that only the students will be hurt. The athletic department will only raise ticket margins. If there was truly a representative senate it would see these facts and realize that the department should not. The students stand to lose for the revenge tactics of the senate.
I hereby urge all students who feel that major sports at KU play an important role in specificity request that their student activity fees be allocated to the organization. If to our dismay no such arrangements can be made. I take the first stand in outlining my entire semester's fee.
Samuel R. Bledsoe Salina Junior
Jocks." However, this is not the real reason for cutting student support.
Griff & the Unicorn
By Sokoloff
Those Were the Days
"Copy\right 1971, University Daily Kansan"
55 Years Ago Today
The Kansan announced that President Wilson would pass through Lawrence on February 2 and would probably give a short speech.
50 Years Ago Today
The track squad was preparing for a meet with Emmaoria Normal.
Students began the start of their one-week semester break.
Kansas Agricultural College at Manhattan dropped the Jayhawk basketball team, 26-12.
40 Years Ago Today
The depression was taking its toll. More students were dropping out because of the lack of money and financial aid, Henry Werner, men's student advisor, said.
A committee on student dishonesty sent questionaires to the faculty asking what they did during exams, stay in the room and read or watch carefully or leave the room.
Professor H. R. De Silva gave a demonstration of hypnosis in his abnormal psychology class. He hypnotized a student in 15 minutes and kept him there for a half hour.
25 Years Ago Today
Fewer freshmen were enrolled for the spring semester but advance standing student enrollments would make up the difference, Gorge O. Foster, registrar, said.
George Sauer, All-American backfield at Nebraska in 1933 and discharged from the Navy, was appointed head football coach, E. C. Quigley, athletic director, announced, Sauer, who planned to use the T-20 game, Henry Shenk, who resumed in December.
Boy Scouts picked up student contributions to the Boy Scout Clothing Collection for Over-The-Counter Shoes.
Milton Caniff, creator of Terry and the Pirates comic strip, will judge the 1946 Jayhawk beauty queen contest, Hanna Hedrick, editor, said.