The people say Pop tunes revisited
Dear Kansan Editor:
Your editorial page article "Are Pop Tunes Suggestive?" brings up several important points, unfortunately, you too, are just "suggestive" about the content.
The "Dirty Disc" is by no means something new. The fact that they are best sellers is the result of good promotion, saturation in every market, and as you mentioned, "the driving beat still seems to send the younger generation mad." But will someone singing about LSD (Nancy Sinatra's "Sugar Town?"), or a group talking of pot (Peter, Paul, and Mary's "Puff, the Magic Dragon?") encourage the teeny-bopper to run out to the friendly, neighborhood pusher and drop acid, smoke grass, and in general, blow his mind?
This is the same line of arguing that was heard some years ago when it was feared that too much violence on TV would result in a rise in crime and Mafia-Worshiping.
Ultra-conservative Texan, H. L. Hunt, sponsor and guiding hand of the ultra-conservative radio series "Life Line," rather bluntly has suggested that the "filthy, bearded beatniks" and their filthy, immoral (fill in your own favorite adjective here) songs are making the younger generation disobedient, rampant, and unpatriotic. They are being worked into such a frenzy by the beat that they are hypnotized. In other words, Top 40 is a Commie plot. (America's greatest enemy is a flouridated-water drinking disc jockey!)
"Sock It To Me," by Mitch Ryder is making good money on the royalties and related personal appearances from the song. Is it really dirty? Last week a Kansas judge decreed that the
phrase S. O. B. had lost its slanderous meaning when he dismissed a suit involving the use of the three words. He noted that the phrase is used so often and without slander, that it had charged its previous meaning as a derogatory remark. So what about "sock it to me?" Or, she's got a ticket to "ride?"
Well, granted some folks DO think that some of these off-key, hidden theme songs have no place on their radio station.
Gordon McLendon recently announced that he will insist on knowing the lyrics of every song before it gets any play on any of his five stations. (Gordon forgot to mention that three of his five are all-talk stations—no music...) Clark Weber, program director of Chicago's powerhouse, WLS, announced that his "Hot 100" format station will not program any more Rolling Stones releases pending the outcome of the Stones' drug trials in England.
So what should be done? If songs or artists are offensive to YOU, the listener, the radio station playing them DOES want to know . . . their revenue comes from having people listening to them. If they want to keep advertisers they must keep the listeners. Let them know how you feel. Call or write. Let the music publisher and record company know.
And don't forget. . . . There are over 4,000 different AM radio stations in America, and every radio set—transistor, plug-in, and car—is equipped with a special 5-cent attachment called a Tuning Knob. Try it. It works wonders getting rid of those "NOISE BOYS."
Donn Mann
WREN, Topeka
★ ★ ★ ★
Arabs are misrepresented
To The Editor:
One of the consequences of the present Middle East crisis may be the shift in friendship away from the free world by eighty million Arabs because of what they consider to be U.S.-British deceit and injustice. Since almost all of the news in the U.S. concerning the Middle East is slanted against the Arabs, I would like to take this opportunity to present a more honest review of the situation, both past and present.
In a letter to the editor of the New York Times, June 18, 1967, Desmond Donnelly of the British Parliament said that "the Arabs have a case. . . . The Western powers have double crossed them on and off for years."
HISTORICALLY the Israeli's claim to Palestine rests on the Balfour Declaration of 1917. This declaration was neither legal nor moral. First, in 1915, Sir H. McMahon, the legal British representative to the Middle East, promised the representative of the Arab world (Shereef Hussein of what was then approximately Jordan), in writing, the complete independence of all Arab land with the exception of what is today called Lebanon (not Palestine) in return for Arab cooperation in W.W.I. The Arabs complied, England did not. Second, the British never considered the right of self-determination for the indigenous population of Palestine (8-1 Arab until 1947-48).
After W.W.II the problem confronted the U.N. Contrary to recent statements by U.S. Senators, the U.N. did not create Israel but voted for partition of Palestine in 1947. Again the feelings and opinion of the majority of the inhabitants of the land were disregarded. The vote for partition was accomplished primarily through U.S. pressure and coercion of the U.N. members which J. Forrestal declared as having "bordered
closely onto scandal."
In 1948 the U.S. recognized Israel's declaration of independence. In his memoirs President Truman acknowledged that prior to recognition he received excessive political pressure for recognition by some of the Zionist leaders. Interestingly enough this occurred eight months prior to the national election of 1948.
SINCE THAT TIME there has been almost constant border strife (with intermittant wars) between Israel and her neighbors, primarily Jordan. A perusal of the book "A Soldier with the Arabs" by British military representative in Jordan Sir J. H. Glubb should dispel the illusion that the Arabs, and not Israel, bear the primary responsibility for the continuing conflict.
As for recent events, in light of Israel's claims to be a peace seeking and non-aggressive nation, let us ask a few questions. Why did the U.N. censure Israel for attacks on Syria earlier this spring? If Israel wanted peace, why did she refuse to permit Secretary General U Thant to transfer the U.N. peace-keeping force to Israel's side of the border when Egypt demanded their withdrawal? Why, in recent years, have Israeli troops continued to harass the U.N. force? Why have U.N. troops always been stationed in Arab territories? If Israel is not an aggressor, and does not seek new territory as its leaders stated before the outbreak of hostilities this month, why is she now considering annexing recently occupied territory? Finally, is the U.S. really going to keep its pledge to maintain the territorial integrity of all Middle Eastern countries?
2 Summer Kansan Tuesday, June 27, 1967
EDMUND STILLMAN in the New York Times Magazine of June 18, 1967, summed up the situation rather poignantly when he said: "while historically Europe has persecuted the Jews, it is the Middle East that now pays the bill."
Is it any wonder then that the Arabs question the sincerity of the major powers, especially the U.S. which, as the leader of the free world, purports to be the purveyor of justice for the world as a whole.
David Pugh Graduate student
"We Know Israel Is an Aggressor Because It's A Small Nation—Like Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania . . ."
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THE SHORT FICTION OF NORMAN MAILER (Dell, 95 cents)—An original anthology of work by one of the best known and most debated writers of today. The writings are both short stories and sketches—"The Paper House," a geisha and an American serviceman; "It," "The Shortest Novel of Them All," "Advertisement for Myself on the Way Out."
KANSAN TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Newsroom—UN 4-3646 — Business Office—UN 4-3198
The Summer Session Kansan, student newspaper at the University of Kansas, is represented by National Advertising Service, 18 East 50 St., New York, N.Y., 10022. Mail subscription rates: $4 a semester or $7 a year. Published and distributed Monday through Friday morning for the duration of Summer School. Accommodations, goods, services and employment advertised in the Summer Session Kansan are offered to all students without regard to color, creed or national origin.
b. s. (the editor)
And once more b.s. rides, or maybe more appropriately floats, over the plains of Kansas with the third edition of its weekly diatribe. This has to be one mark for freedom of the student press, as b.s. has not been censored, YET.
One official in Strong Hall has been heard to comment that underground newspapers, such as the now defunct "Screw" only last for three issues. With that to think about this could be the end of b.s., if the same holds true for underhanded columns.
This editor has heard that it might have been campers who were responsible for the soap sudsing of the Chi Omega fountain last Thursday. First of all it was a commendable job—even some of the fraternity coaches could take lessons. But, this editor did not know such a course was being offered by band camp counselors.
It has been heard that some fraternities consider the KU Previews one big rush party. The independent rushers that lived in McCollum Hall should be notified, so they can be there too with cigarettes, pop corn and pledge pins.
Sunday afternoon the band campers arrived . . Sunday night the riot act (or some prefer to call it the rules) was read to them. Next year
it might be easier to tell them the things that they can do instead of the ones they cannot.
In a recent "Dear Abby" column, Abby was asked by some disturbed parent advice for her daughter who is going off to a big midwestern university several thousand miles from home . . . a place where closing hours are quite liberal and a girl can sign out for the weekend. This is the same type of mother who believes now, after one KU student is charged with the sale of LSD, that it is available to every student at the Information Booth.
Nonsense Department: There is a University committee studying the sale of beer in the Kansas Union, a place where n'er a cigaret can be sold. It makes one wonder which "vice" the University, or the Board of Regents, considers worse.
Well, so goes another week on glorious Mount Oread, located in Kansas—the hot dry flatlands of the midwest. This editor will make one promise. He will quit writing bs. when the flood waters of the Kansas River begin to lap at the base of Fraser Hall. Until next week or the second coming of Noah, that's it.