University Daily Kansan Monday, Nov. 1, 1954
Political Confusion Result of Ignorance
The primitive native of any continent is not afraid of what he can comprehend. His fear depends for its origin on the ideas or substances of which he knows a little, but not enough. And, perhaps, he has received the impression of this a little inaccurately.
In other words, fear is the result of ignorance. Not only is it the result of ignorance, but it compounds the ignorance into a deeper fear, feeding upon itself until it becomes hysteria or, even worse, terror.
This type of growing fear is nursing on the political confusion rampant in the United States today. It is not yet the terrifying monster that it can become.
The fear was spawned by a bombardment of confusing slogans, inaccurate descriptions, and confused definitions.
Americans have good reason to "run scared."
One faction delights in accusing another group of the nation's leaders of "20 years of treason," while at the same time, a sensitive U.S. press hears the accused faction throwing back charges of "reactionary Fascists."
On the one hand the citizen hears a patriotic liberal described as a "New Deal Communist." From the other side of the fence, the cry of "red herring" and "witch hunt" is heard.
Political leaders confuse socialism or even liberalism with communism, while other political leaders confuse conservatism with Hitlerism.
And back of it all, nourishing and magnifying the fear, is the possibility of the third war—the H-bomb war.
Americans are being forced to mistrust their leaders. The country is in the grip of a "stretch the truth" emphasis, founded on the assumption that the hyperbole, a purposeful exaggeration, is the most effective figure of speech.
The primitive American, the successor of the Indian, must be able to peer through the mask of half truths prevalent today. In order to meet the controversies and headaches of the leadership of the Free World, among a great many other things, he must develop an awareness of the difference between a figure of speech, and a statement of fact. He must learn to distinguish between the different ideologies and political views with a minimum of prejudice and maximum accuracy and, he must know the difference between "name calling" and objective description.
He must at least do these three things.
But there is every reason to believe the primitive American does not have these essentials of knowledge clearly in mind, as, indeed, some of our nation's leaders do not. The United States, founded basically if a bit imperfectly, on the assumptions of democracy, functions through the will of the mass mind. This mass mind must be responsible.
When a state group of a great veterans' organization, attacks the leadership of the Girl Scouts, when a power-hungry senator is allowed to monopolize the nation's news space, or when the "China lobby" blocks American recognition of one of the most powerful states of the world, the mass mind is showing itself to be irresponsible.
An editorial writer of the London Times once coined an apt phrase to fit the situation. He was not referring to the status of the American public, but his statement is appropriate.
"Power without responsibility—the prerogative of the harlot down through the ages."
Ron Grandon
One Woman's Opinion
You, the people of Kansas, will go to the polls to vote tomorrow. One of the men who will be listed on your ballot is Sen. Andrew F. Schoeppel, who is up for re-election. But before you mark your ballot you might do well to ask yourself if you know what you're voting for when you cast your ballot for this man.
His hometown and other biographical facts aren't important here. But his voting record is. And to me Senator Schoeppel's voting record is disgusting. Here are some of the things he has voted for and against during the last session of the 83rd Congress.
He voted AGAINST statehood for Hawaii and Alaska, against a bill to give public and co-op groups preference over private companies in the purchase of a power project in Washington state, against a substitute measure in the administration tax revision bill to increase personal exemptions from $600 to allow give relief to all tax payers instead of just those with incomes of excess of $7,500 as the bill provided, against a bill for higher minimum unemployment benefits.
But he voted FOR a cut in foreign military aid, for the administration farm bill, for a cut in mutual security authorization by $500 million. He also favored the recruitment of wetback (Mexican) labor to work on American farms, for the Bricker resolution to amend the constitution and limit the president's treaty-making power and authority to enter into executive agreements. He voted for the confirmation of a McCarthy man to the Federal Communications commission, for the appointment of Albert Benson to the NLRB, and for the passage of the St. Lawrence seaway.
This is not the man I want to represent me in the Senate. How about you?
—Georgia Wallace.
A Mood in Words
A campus is a busy, bustling, dashing place.. a noisy, hasty, dashing place. A place full of people, friends, lovers.. wonderful people. A campus is a beautiful place.. a place of majestic trees, warm and stately buildings. A campus is on a tall hill, so near the sky.. with a deep, faraway valley all around.
Honking horns, friendly chatter, loud whistles, the tromp and shuffle of feet. Among all these there is a place so quiet, so peaceful, so serene, that to step inside the door seems very close to stepping into another world. A world of faith and courage, strength and wisdom. A world open to all those who wish to enter; one has only to open the door and step inside. And in this world one can leave cares and sorrows. .find faith and happiness. All one has to do is ask and it will come into him, and he shall find But many pass by and never know what lives inside this door. But once inside you know you have found the right place., for there it is written: "The Danforth Chapel.
to aspire nobly, adventure daringly, serve humbly."
Georgia Wallace.
dedicated to the worship of God with the prayer that here in communion with the highest those who enter may acquire the spiritual power
Daily Hansan
ngly, serve So may it be.
University of Kansas Student Newspaper News Koom, KU 251 Ad Room, KU 376 Member of the Kansas Press association, National Editorial association, Inland Daily Press association, Association, Collegiate Press Association, Represente by the National Advertising service, 420 Madison ave. N.Y. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 year (add $1 a semester if in Lawrence). Published in The University year except Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays and examination periods. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan., post office under act of
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LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler
"It's only Ed's sister with his laundry."
'HomeRule' Amendment; Do You Know About It?
An amendment has been proposed upon which Kansas voters will be asked to place their stamp of approval or disapproval upon in tomorrow's general election.
In order that students who have not heard of this proposed amendment can get a better idea of what it consists of, it will be defined as concisely as possible here:
Unlike some states, Kansas does not have constitutional home rule whereby local governments such as cities, counties and townships are granted broad powers to exercise those functions which are primarily local in nature. In absence of such a constitutional home rule provision, these local governments have no inherent powers and are dependent upon the legislature to grant them whatever powers they need to function as governmental units.
The effect which the amendment may have upon the relationships between the large cities and the other governmental units adjacent to them is difficult to foresee. All that can be said is that the amendment does hold out the possibility of some consolidation of these separate governmental units, all of which comprise portions of the urban or metropolitan area.
Much time has been wasted by the legislature in passing of special bills to meet complex problems of such large urban areas as Wyandotte, Sedgwick, Shawnee, and Johnson counties.
If you are for or against the "home rule" amendment—be sure and stand up tomorrow and be counted. By voting you can have a small, yet powerful, vote in the actions your state legislature takes.
We believe the passage of this amendment would be a step in the right direction. With the constitutional obstacle to special legislation removed, the legislature could proceed to enact individual special laws to take care of local problems of urban areas as those problems arose. The legislature could grant to these urban areas the right to draft charters under which they would operate. Such charters, defining the powers and functions which the local government of urban areas could exercise, would effect some degree of home rule for these areas.
Tom Lyons
... Short Ones ...
Perhaps the A.G.-L majority will show up to next week's ASC meeting to ratify their president's signing of the KU-K. State Peace Pact. 'Bout time!
Old Joe McCarthy will probably be in his seventh heaven come Halloween—witch hunts et al.
With the new song "Mr. Sandman," you would think the instructors would take some sort of a hint. How about instead of this "right to work" legislation, we try to get through a little "right to sleep" legislation.
It must be fun running around the campus putting little blue cards on little cars—but we're glad we're not there when the little windshield wiper sticks.