Monday, September 27, 1971
University Daily Kansan
Editorials, columns and letters published on this page reflect only the opinions of the writers.
A Barb for Bob
Have you heard the one about the burnt out comedian hired by the university greybeards to entertain them with inside jokes about the world and how Raequel Weile left them painting in Vietnam last Christmas.
The punch line comes Oct. 8 at the Alumni Association-sponsored Bob Hope Homecoming Show in Allen Field House.
Not that this is the biggest issue to ever hit the campus, or even the most pressing at the time—but it presents a good insight to where the cultural mind of the Alumni Association is at present.
Bob Hope's one-liners circa 57 are predictably funny to some people, offensive to others and just plain boring to still others. The point is, its good clean humor. The President is still a nice guy. He is the butt of many guy jokes. The most controversial thing the Vice-President does is to occasionally bean someone with a golf ball. Good safe humor.
Now, it is safe to say that Bob Hope has fallen off as a campus hit. One may wonder then why he was chosen for the Homecoming concert.
Simply, he was not chosen for students or by students—but for alumni by alumni.
The distinction is important. It should also be noted that Homecoming decorations are back this year along with a "New Blue" campaign launched similarly to a previous campaign launched a few years ago up the Kaw.
What all this soggy corn adds up to is a clever campaign to lick the wounds inflicted on so many military officers over years by various events and people.
If the plan works the university coffers will be a little fatter. Should it fail, though, these reminiscences of quieter times will be as unpleasant as Sunday morning's hangover.
—Tom Slaughter
"Any time you're ready. David."
Garry Wills
Harris Tells How to Run, How to Lose
WASHINGTON—Fried Harris is "down to earth" in several senses—one of which he tries to remedy with the high-tech boots allowed him by his family. But he tries not down to earth is contrived—by studied sense of speech and a maverick way of putting down "those goddam liberalals." He comes on as the TV host. Quin as Mayor—beedless of the merely politic, bluntly speaking his mind.
the long run; so I just say what I think, and that has worked so far."
In a recent interview, he gave me his populist pitch; everybody would and up against him but the people. I suggested that there are things even the bluest politician cannot just say. "That's not been true in my case. By a combination of things, I don't want to find I can talk to just about everybody, and express what's bothering them. That's been fortunate, since I never can tell what will be politically appealing in
I GAVE AS AN example of a politically unpolarized stand the rescinding of laws against marjana. "I'm on record for lowering the age limit in some cases, little effect, and be agreed—rescinding the laws entirely is the politically risky thing." That problem does not arise for me, since I believe in the marijuana laws. Why? "Because adolescents need to responsibility without adding anything to cope with." But the thing is added already. The laws don't keep marijuana away from the kids; they just add to the problems caused by its omnipresence. I'm not sure I suggest the same agreement could be kept as for legalized things like liquor and cigarettes. "So you do favor some controls." I told him almost everyone who supports legalization supports marijuana—a after all is the generation that minimizes Nader's approach to consummate regulations. It was news to him.
Nader is a subject that lights him up. The man proves to Senator Harris that
there is idealism going unused, "Those Nader kids should be brought into government." I raised the point that watchdogs on government are possibly more useful than talents at the service of government. "The system" exerts compromise as the price of effectiveness.
"THEH CHANGE the system," he answered. "Get rid of the compromises." It seemed to me that no President in recent history had run on a platform of really basic change in the way we looked and look at the burns we've got in there."
One of the charges against Harris is that he is a lame duck senator, who could not be re-elected next year in Oklahoma. He answers the charge by going on the offensive: "That would be pretty stupid, wouldn't it, to run for President because you couldn't run for Senator!" He admits he is in trouble with the油 interests should not be considered for President." But he insists he win again if 'I wanted to spend a year and a half of my life doing nothing—like Bill Fulbright. But keep my seat—like Bill Fulbright.
then where would I be? Where I started, I've done the Senate thing. It's time to move on. If I lose a President, I have had some effect on the race, and I'm not going to saying; and I can always go teach at Harvard or somewhere. I have a legislative aide who says one should not stay in a Senate office more than two years. The senator tangle you up." Isn't that last point a good arguments for not bringing Nader's raiders inside the government's deals and games?" Well
Harris gets brusque at any hint that his campaign is not a serious threat to the front runners. "I've run before, and won my campaigns. In fact, I wrote a whole book answering Kevin Phillips' arguments on where the votes are going to be in the Seventies"—a boot that, predictably, predicts the votes will be blue. "The man who claims he 'never can tell what will be politically appealing in the long run.' Senator Harris is not only trouble 'back home.'"
Copyright, 1971, Universal Press Syndicate
James J. Kilpatrick
UN Faces African Decision
PRETORIA, SOU114.
AFRICA. In undertaking to identify the greatest blinder in the history of the United Nations, a team of researchers reflected. A dozen incidents compete for the nomination. But every dismal failure of the past will be eclipsed in the next few weeks if the Security Council rejects the matter of South West Africa.
The impending crisis is not of large interest to Americans. Few persons know the background; few are concerned with the fate of a largely primitive land, thousands of miles away. Yet the implications are fateful; and explosive science is fully under the work of generations and see Africa in flames.
the size of California, but its population probably numbers no more than 750,000. It lies south of Angola on the west coast of Africa. A former German colony, it became a mandated territory under the League of Nations after World War II. Years later it has been administered by South Africa; for all practical purposes, it has been a part of South Africa; but for the past 15 years, the Afro-Asian bloc in the United States, egged on by the Communists, has been trying to make that unlawful and irresponsible effort is coming to a head.
not so. The very charter for its internal racial policies, both the General Assembly and the World Court (in an outrageous advisory
The matter cries out for understanding. Most of us tend loosely to think of the UN as "the successor to the League." Historically, this is true enough. As a matter of law, it simply is
can discuss and recommend—that is all. This provision of law has been equally disallowed. On its own arrogant motion, the
Klapitarch is today.celebrating the portion of South Africa that he says will fall into the hands of "communist-backed African nationalists."
opinion last June) have chosen recklessly to ignore the law.
UNDER THE charter, the General Assembly has no substantive powers whatever. It
Readers Respond
To the Editor:
Taylor Tickets; Alaska
At 3 p.m., after having waited for eight hours. I got the tickets.
Last Wednesday was a day that
lasted. We had several people that feel the same way. I was one of the many
person who sat in line for James
Lewis.
Tickets were on sale at 7 a.m. and I went down a little before that. When I arrived, the line was full. We went to History Museum. At 8 a.m. we were given numbers by an SUA representative so that no one could cut in line. I got number 135 for me; but by 8:30, one and one-half hours after tickets sales had begun, they were only on number 12. That meant there were only 3 minutes of me. Things were looking up.
As the morning dragged on, a friend saved my place while I went to one of my classes, and they called me out. In p.m., a boy told us that all of the good $4.00 tickets were sold, and we headed to the balcony. Of the $5.30 balcony sales
I, and many other discouraged persons in around me, kept wondering why it took so long for the people to get their tickets. I heard a rumor that the first person received a $1,000 worth, and that the first 11 people had bought out all of the $4.50 seats.
They are in the upper balcony and it doesn't seem fair.
Let's break with tradition and set a 10 ticket limit for future concerts. This will give everyone the chance to get the tickets they want.
Why isn't it fair? It is unfair because one person should not have been allowed to buy over 10 tickets at one time. A limit should have been set. I realize that it is not unusual to buy a ticket—but there is not usually the response to a concert as there is to James Taylor.
—Carolyn Olson McPherson, sophomore
The youth of this country has an important decision to make. Will they or will they not allow oil into the Arctic of Alaska and a seaplane pipeline? What they decide will determine whether we continue this downward spiral of our society and its environment or whether finally turn the corner toward a better tomorrow.
We should not be debating this issue of oil in Alaska. Instead we should be demonshed into why the oil industry has become so powerful. The petroleum industry is a great threat to us and threatening our very
To the Editor:
survival by squandering away resources in its lust for profits.
resources in its lust for profits.
In less than ten years we put a man on the moon. But in nearly 80 years since the automobile has been on the streets of this country, it has come in milions to a gallon of gasoline. This is progress? Where are our priorities?
Our mass transit system is on the brink of collapse, yet the oil industry has survived for half a highway trust fund. Eighty per cent of all our miles of highways are paved with asphalt. What happens if the petroleum industry practice when it lets its cities strangle us can satisfy its own selfish aims?
But will the young generation follow the same path of apathy as we did in the past, does it will be sowing the seed for alienation and a generation gap far greater than exists today. It may not be a result of "huperyis" and "huperyise" flung at it by the next generation and with more profound experience.
More efficient forms of energy are being suppressed. Why? Will those concerned about the future of this country win out over greed, or will greed write history and shatter to this planet's history?
Kenneth Quade Pembine, Wisconsin
By Sokoloff
Assembly has undertaken to revoke South Africa's mandate over the territory; the Assembly has in fact given the territory a right to elect its president, created a paper commission to run it. The Assembly has ordered South Africa to get out—and South Africa, for excellent reasons, has paid no attention to these toothless assaults.
Now the Afro-Asian bloc, with Somalia as front man, is demanding action by the Security Council leading it. This would mean sanctions and ostracism, in the fultish fashion of Rhodesia; it could see South Africa expelled from the UN; conceivably, it could see the African peacekeeping force—in one of the most peaceful areas of the world! Under the bogus fiction of "self-defense," some of the Communist-backed African upon naked aggression.
Griff and the Unicorn
South West Africa is not a "mation" in any conceivable sense of the word. A part of it—the part inhabited by the seven Ovambo tribes—might possibly make it, with massive help from South Africa. As for the result: the Natives of among them Bushmen and Hototens still clinging to a Stone Age civilization. The land has come a long way under South Africa's patient mandate—a long way in terms of roads, water supplies, sanitation facilities, who have not visited this wild corner of the dark continent cannot fathom the darkness there. To South Africa, the territory is a mixed burden and asset. Mostly it is burden. All the revenues produced by the nation ploughed back into its development, plus heavy infusions of capital from South Africa itself. There is some diamond mining, some commercial fisheries, almost no industry. The asset is strategic: South Africa could not possibly become a pass into Communist control South Africa will fight for its rights—and God help Africa, and the UN, if this is not understood
The Nixon administration can prevent this catastrophe. The United States can, and should, ensure a rapid revolution presented to the Security Council; and the United States ought then to extend a friendly and helping hand to South Africa—a great and great nation of whom earnestly to solve what be insoluble problems.
"Copyright 1971, David Sokoloff.
(C) 1971 THE WASHINGTON STAR SYNDICATE,INC.
Letters Policy
Letters to the editor should be typewritten, double-spaced and should not exceed 500 words. All letters are subject to editing and condensation, according to space limitations and the editor's judgment. The editor is responsible for home and home town; faculty and staff must provide their name and position; others must provide their name and address.
An All-American college newspaper
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
I
Kansan Telephone Numbers
Newroom--UN 4-4810
Business Office--UN 4-4358
NEWS STAFF
News Adviser ... Del Brinkman
Editor News Advisor ... Dmit Brumman
Editor David Bartel
Associate Editors Dirk Haber
Associate Editors Eric Krauser
Assistant Campus Editors Joyce Neeman Hardy
Assistant Editors Drama Hoy Ann McKinney
Wire Editors Dave Mollins Michael Mintz
Editorial Writers Malcolm Aiello Mark Mueller
Editorial Writers John Bitter
Assistant Editor Pat Macaloug Matthews Berg
Assistant Editor Pat Macaloug Matthew Berg
Review Editor Mike Kaufman
Marketing Editor Mike Kaufman
Staff Editors Jika Han Guokh Goodwill
Greg Sorber, Hank Young Ed Latho, Joe Weig
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Adviser . . Mel Adams
Cardinal Young
Business Manager
Nottingham Manor
Assistant Business Manager
Nashville Manor
National Advertising Manager
Maryland Manor
Promotion Manager
Clinton Manor
Clancey School