War and Wisdom
Some supporters of President Johnson have defended his Vietnam policy by declaring that the President did not know the defense of that country would be so costly, that it is not his fault our enemy has proved so stubborn, that we should have sympathy for our peace loving President who through some sort of bad luck has found himself leading America to battle. Hogwash.
It was the President's business to know that after two years of concentrated effort this country would be losing three hundred lives per week, spending over two billion dollars per month, and still be nowhere near the war's end. Why should he have known these things? Because that's what we pay him for. And if he knew these events would take place and he elected by free choice to continue his policy anyway, he would be guilty of the worst sort of muddled thinking. However, thoughtful critics would not make this extreme charge against the President. If he knew June 7, 1965, what he knows today, he probably would not have allowed our troop commitment to exceed the 50,000 mark.
We maintain the greatest military force in the world, but we cannot bring our power to bear in a jungle war against guerrillas who can
receive supplies and reinforcements across the contiguous border of a friendly state. And that is exactly the sort of war our administration has engaged us in—one in which our naval and air superiority only hurt but, cannot cripple the enemy.
But you might say, "Vietnam is where the Communists have chosen to do battle. What choice did we have?" We had plenty of choice. A wise commander does not allow the enemy to pick the field of battle. He fights on terrain which is advantageous to his side.
Charges that we don't have any clear aims in this war are unfair. We are obviously fighting to keep South Vietnam from falling to the Communists. This reporter agrees completely with this purpose. It's a noble and wise wish to save the South Vietnamese from totalitarian rule. But, we might question, as every American should, the price we are paying to purchase our aims.
President Johnson has made a mistake—a big one. Most of us probably would have committed the same errors if we were in his place. But most of us are not President of the United States. Hopefully, that office-holder should be wiser than the average citizen. I repeat—that's what we pay him for.
- Ivan Goldman
"My Aggrieved Clients, Who Sought Only To Annihilate Their Smaller Neighbor——”
Are pop tunes suggestive?
Recently there has been much said and resaid about today's popular records. For one thing the older generation never has been able to stand the slightly off-key melodies. But the driving beat still seems to send the younger generation mad.
In the past such songs as "It's my Party and I will Cry If I Want To." "Love Me Tender," "Down Town," "I Want To Hold Your Hand," etc., have held the marks at the top.
But with the evolution of the groups like
The Animals, The Rolling Stones, and others including The Beatles, the music has taken a strange turn. It started with the Beatles, "She's Gotta Ticket to Ride" seems like a nice song . . . that is until one finds out the real definition of "Ride."
Yet now with groups like the Jefferson Airplanes and others things have taken a turn to the psychadelic world of LSD. Many radio stations have refused to play the popular melodies because of these themes and suggestive words.
Avoiding service
We are soon going to witness the end of a way of life. The draft bill which Congress must pass by June 30 will almost certainly spell an end to the species known as Graduati Defermentus of the genus known as Draft Avoidus. This animal can be easily identified by his indifferent scholarship and his intense aversion to military duty. He is usually known to take up habitation near graduate schools until he reaches
his twenty-sixth year, but some stay on longer, depending upon the requirements of their individual draft boards.
Following June 30, certain individuals of the species are expected to migrate to Canada. Others may realize a sudden fondness for medical school or those studies which will still earn deferments. Wherever these pseudo-students go, they will have our sympathy. It must be dreadful to be propelled by such fear.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
"OUR STUDENTS ARE BEGINNING TO LOSE CONFIDENCE IN THE PROMISED REWARDS OF HARD STUDY AND THE ACCUMULATION OF VAST KNOWLEDGE —ALL THE 'BRAINS' ASSEMBled HERE HAVEN't BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE THE 'PARKING PROBLEM'"
2 Summer Kansan editorial page Friday, June 23, 1967
The people say-
Dear Editor:
It has recently come to my attention that a few departments are employing non-student hourly help to fill positions that could easily be filled by summer session undergrads.
The Language Laboratory is one such department. It is currently employing two individuals, who are no longer students, to fill positions that could easily be occupied by undergrad summer session female students, students who otherwise would not be able to work because of a shortage of part-time positions for girls.
Since there is a surplus of part-time student help available this summer, I can see no reason why the Administration should not put a halt to the practice of employing non-students to fill student positions.
Perhaps if all student help was hired through the Office of Student Employment, then department heads would not get away with hiring non-students to fill student positions.
Yours sincerely, Merie Chase
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. Publishers and second class postpaid paid Lawyers. Fax: (312) 955-1165. Second class employment advertised in the 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.
The opinions expressed in the editorial column are those of the students on the staff of the paper. Guest editorial views are not necessarily the *expression* of the editorial opinion. Any opinions expressed in the Summer Session Kansan State Board of Regents.
being Serious
Starting with this issue of the Summer Session Kansan, a majority of the reporting will be done by the Journalism members of the Midwestern Music and Art Camp.
Although the camp, as a whole, is in its 30th session, this is only the fourth year for the Journalism division. The camp has produced such journalism students as this editor and the fall's managing editor of the University Daily Kansan, Dan Austin. Others who attended camp that first year and first worked on the Kansan through the camp include Emery Goad, Joyee Grist, and Kath Vaughan.
The campers range from those who will just begin the ninth grade to those who have finished their senior year and are ready for college. They come from as far west as New Mexico and California, as far east as Washington, D.C., as far south as Miami, Fla., and as far north as Michigan and Minnesota.
Before the summer is over close to 150 of
these campers will work on the Kansan as reporters. They will be in every corner of the campus from the Chancellor's office to the base ment of the Kansas Union. They will be looking for news.
The Kansan is happy to have these young people add their youth and vitality to what could be a stuffy old newspaper. If they learn as much as this editor did, and get the encouragement this editor did it is a big boost to KU and to the Kansan.
It is hoped that whoever these young reporters call on to get stories, they will be met with open doors. Many of these reporters are covering anything besides their high schools for the first time. Many of them are at least 1,000 miles from home in a strange and foreign land they have never even visited. So if one of these Kansan reporters walks in your office, classroom or whatever, this editor hopes that you will be as cooperative as possible.