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Tuesday, November 21, 1989 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
U.S. should continue aid to Cristiani government
For more than a week, the legally elected government in El Salvador has been under attack from leftist rebels.
More than 500 people have been killed, and more than 1,000 have been wounded.
El Salvador is under a state of seige, 6 a. a.m. to 6 p.m.
curfew and a traffic ban — all ordered by the rebels.
have seen wounded The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front ordered the offensive after leaders said they would not participate in peace talks
In spite of all this there are some U.S. citizens calling for the United States to cut aid to the Latin American country. The United States has supported the freely elected government of Alfredo Cristiani and should continue to do so.
Many opponents of U.S. aid to El Salvador point to the actions of so called right-wing "death squads." The question of government involvement in the killings has become especially important since the murder of six priests last week. The government has understandably denied any involvement in the murders and should not be blamed for them without proper evidence.
Only with U.S. aid can the government of El Salvador defend itself from rebels backed by both Nicaragua and Cuba.
The top leftist leader, Guillermo Ungo, fled his country Saturday and is in Panama, another bastion of democratic thought in Central America.
No one ever said the price of freedom and democracy was cheap. Would the same people who today are decrying U.S. support of democracy in El Salvador have called on France to stop helping the fledgling American colonies from throwing off the British voke?
Let's give Cristiani a chance to reign in the violence before we pull the rug out from under him.
Brett Brenner for the editorial board
University should be a key to open mind, not a lock
Last week, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis., suspended the editor and the advertising director of the school's student newspaper for the rest of the semester because they ran a pro-choice advertisement. The university also dismissed a non-student official of the publication because of the ad.
a non-student officer of the Marquette Tribune said, "Stand up, be counted while you still have the chance." Its purpose was to promote the nationwide pro-choice rallies Nov. 12.
The punishment imposed upon these three people is much too severe for their actions. From a journalistic standpoint, the punishment was uncalled for.
From the administration's point of view, they probably felt that they had an obligation to punish the student journalists for printing something that the Catholic Church so vehemently opposes. In their opinion, abortion is wrong. Unfortunately, Marquette tried to correct what they saw as wrong with another wrong: censorship.
This incident reflects poorly upon the school because, as an educational institution, it should promote the dissemination of ideas and knowledge. Marquette essentially denied the right of an opposing view to be heard. If all sides are not heard, people cannot develop their own educated opinion. A university should seek to open the mind, not lock or control it.
There is no justification for the university's action against the student newspaper's employees. Because of this incident, one must wonder if it really is a newspaper or just the administration's second voice. All content of a newspaper must not be dictated or its value is lost.
Kathy Walsh for the editorial board
The implications of this action go beyond freedom of speech and fairness in the media. The real tragedy is that two students were suspended for doing what they had been taught to do.
Members of the editorial board are David Stewart, Stan Diel, Brett Brenner, Ric Brack, Daniel Nieml, Craig Welch, Kathy Walsh, Thom Clark, Tiffany Harness and Scott Patty.
News staff
David Stewart...Editor
Ric Brack...Managing editor
Daniel Niemi...New editor
Candy Niemann...Planning editor
Stan Dikl...Editorial editor
Jennifer Corse...Campus editor
Eliseine Sung...Sports editor
Laure Huster...Phone editor
Christine Winner...Arts/Features editor
Tom Eblen...General manager, news advisor
Business staff
Linda Prokop...Business manager
Debra Martin...Local advertising sales director
Jerre Medford...National/regional sales director
Jill Lowe...Marketing director
Tami Rank...Production manager
Carrie Slaininka...Assistant production manager
Margaret Townsend..Coordinator
Eric Hughes...Creative director
Erick Doolol...Classified manager
Jeff Meesey...Teacherseeks manager
Jennine Hines...Sales and marketing adviser
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Problems lurk behind 'Wall'
Need it be repeated once again that these are historic times and that by opening up "the Wall," the East Germans have achieved a modern-day miracle?
In the midst of euphoria, however, it would be prudent to look at the difficulties now facing both Germans. In the Federal Republic of Germany, the economic repercussions of the past months are already apparent. The flood of new citizens has placed additional strain on an already burdened social system. As more and more Germans sense a threat to their economic well-being, this could ultimately contribute to the growth of the ultra-right wing Republican Party.
The situation in the German Democratic Republic is also critical. A seriously depleted labor force will inhibit the rebuilding of the country, and as long as the FRG continues to issue passports, citizens may continue to leave the country. Active but hampered by the strict division of the countries, the black market now has the opportunity to flourish, recreating situations reminiscent of the years before 1861 with GDR citizens working hard, but living cheaply in the East and with the sale of subsidized East German goods for great profit in the West.
Many citizens remaining in the GDR will be overwhelmed at the distance between themselves and their Western counterparts. After spending their "welcome money," others will be unsatisfied with that small taste of the West. An unchanged GDR will seem more drab and frustrating than before. As West Germany becomes an even higher standard of measure, the sense of inferiority with which so many East Germans seem to be afflicted may become stronger. In the face of such problems, the Pandoras of the East and West may soon find themselves thinking that life was much easier when the box was closed.
Democratic and economic reform will not come easily. After years as followers, citizens will have to learn how to think independently and critically. Economic reform will require sacrifices which, after years of sacrifice, will be difficult to accept.
The West has an important role to play in this process of change. Both the Federal Republic and the United States must encourage democratization and a restructuring of the East German economy. Economic aid should be provided and linked to democratic reform. Volunteer and economic programs patterned after the Marshall Plan and the Peace Corps could be instituted.
Such aid should not require the GDR to become a replica of the FRG or the United States. It must be realized that capitalism and democracy are not synonyms. By announcing his hope that East Germany will be drawn into the Western camp, President Bush has demonstrated the chronic nature of the United States' Cold-War mentality. The situation should be viewed as an opportunity to draw East and West closer together, not to draw the dividing line farther to the East.
Westerners in general must change their attitude
Lisa Hock
Guest columnist
toward the East, realizing that theirs is not the only viable value system. Modern times have shown that centrally planned totalitarian systems are "dead." However, Marxist and Socialist ideals are not. Many young people in the GDR still adhere to the teachings of Marx while being fully aware of the flaws in their system.
The assumption of the supremacy of Western values was recently exemplified in a college magazine. A journalist wrote of a one-day excursion to East Berlin and her discovery that East Germans were OK because the person she met liked Michael Jackson, Ronald Reagan amd Madonna. Such "standards" is in any case debatable and employing them as a basis to judge other cultures is shallow and naive.
It should not be assumed that WE have and produce all that is of importance in this world. World-renowned writers from the GDR include Christ Wolf and Christoph Hein. Zeiss optical products and Meissen porcelain are world-respected products, so respected, in fact, that the majority of these products have been sold in the West for hard currency. And the East German general population is far more informed about and interested in world events than the average U.S. citizen. For better or worse, the East Germans also are idealists; they have given much thought to and still believe in a society that has some sense of responsibility toward its members. Time will tell whether that is achievable.
And while the West is shouting freedom, it should take a second look at the freedom within its realm. In the United States, books are banned, "pornographic" art is censored, and the burning of a piece of red, white cloth is prohibited. Last year in West Germany, striking students were treated brutally by the police. In both societies, many "freedoms" have to be bought. How much freedom do drug addicts, the homeless and people in welfare lines have? Don't they only have lines in those Commie countries? What is the value of freedom of information to the illiterate and uninformed? Is it remarkable that a majority of U.S. college students polled believe that Karl Marx' line, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need," is in the U.S. Constitution?
So as the GDR faces the prospect of becoming integrated into the democratic world, it is a time of caution and of hope. It is also a time to question all of the freedoms that we assume we have in the West.
> Lias Hock is a Derby graduate student majoring in German.
Dion makes mark in history.
When you think of American history books, what comes to mind is volumes filled with lofty and exalted names out of our nation's illustrious past: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln.
But a new scholarly work, written by Richard Aquila, a professor of history at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., contains some names that probably have not appeared in previous studies of the United States and its historic legacy: the Rontenas, Paul and Paula, the Hollywood Angles, Eddie Cochran, Ferlin Husky.
From the looks of its cover, the book appears to be a lighthearted piece of fluff. It is called "That Old Time Rock & Roll," and the cover art is of the parking lot of an ice cream stand. But the subtitle is "A Chronicle of an Era: 1854-1963," and Aquila insisted that his intention was for the book to be a learned and serious examination of that era of American history.
"That was the first decade of rock 'n' roll," Aquila said. "The image of young Americans of that era is of people in motorcycle jackets, carrying switchblade knives. The truth, though, is that although there were certainly signs of rebellion, for the most part it was a conservative era, and the rock 'n' roll songs reflected traditional values regarding the family unit, religion and anti-communism."
For supporting evidence, the professor fills 790 pages with examples and analyses of the music of the times. "Take the tune 'Mama Said,'" the professor noted, referring to a 1619 tune by the Shirelles. "Rather than showing rebellion against a parent, 'Mama Said' points out a desire for a close relationship with the mother. The mama has said that there will be 'days like this,' and the child knows that the mother is right."
(Columbian's note: "I Will Follow Him" was released in 1983 by a vocalist named Little Peggy March, and if you had ventured the thought back then that one day Little Peggy March would appear in a history book, you would have been laughed at. Corne on now — Little Peggy March?)
Relationships between males and females are mirrored in the songs of the era, Aquila said. "One of the best examples is 'I Will Follow Him.'" the professor said.
"I Will Follow Him" reflected the common notion of the time that women must be subservient to men." Aquila said. "Little Peggy March sings that she will
Bob Greene
Syndicated columnist
'follow him' over mountains, oceans, regardless of where he 'goes'. She keeps repeating: 'I love him, I love him, I love him, and where he goes I'll follow, I'll follow, I'll follow.'
"It was different for males. Dion presents an interesting example. In 'Rumaround Sue.' Dion is referring to a girl who fools around with other guys. And what is Dion's message? 'Stay away from my runaround Sue.' Runaround Sue is considered bad. But in his very next release, 'The Wanderer,' you can see how, when it's the male who behaves that way, it is considered acceptable. Dion's message is that it is cool to have a girl on each arm, and 'Rosie' tattooed on his chest.
Aquila's previous book was "The Iroqiovs Restoration," a history of American Indians, and he said that his methodology for that book was the same as the methodology for this one. This time around, however, he is using the Kingston Trio's "Scotch and Soda" as an artifact of the nation's attitude toward alcohol consumption. And he uses Sketeer Davis' "The End of the World," which I always thought was just a sad, pretty song, as an example of "the apocalyptic imagery of the Cold War era."
There was one question I had to ask of the professor: What about "Bobby's Girl"?
"Marcle Blane sang that song," Aquila said.
"I'm quite aware of that," I said. "I just want to know if it means anything historical."
"The lyrics were blatantly sexist," he said. "They relegated the girl's existence to a mere appendage of the boy's, which was a good reflection of the times. 'The girl's only goal is to prove she's 'not a kid anymore.' She is implicitly willing to put her career and her life on the back burner. Why? So she can achieve the one role that is important to her — to be 'Bobby's Girl.'"
Bob Greene is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
LETTERS to the EDITOR
Stop drunken driving now
You have plans for your life, goals to reach and a brilliant future . . .
All her goals and plans for the future were wiped out in one senseless moment of drunken violence — a violence our legislatures have yet to recognize as murder. Our courts of law waiver over justice for the victim.
So did Linda Lancaster, a doctor candidate at the University of Maine, Orono, Maine. On February 18, 1989, the drunken driver of a pickup truck struck her down as she and a classmate walked along a sidewalk in the campus community. Linda died three hours later.
You have plans for your life. But take a moment as you walk across campus to ponder your chances of becoming the random victim of a drunken driver. We all carry the same risk, as did Linda. But with our help we can and must keep our streets and sidewalks safe.
Do something positive, if not for yourself or for a friend, then for someone who loves you.
Keep your future alive.
Take a stand. Refuse to ride with an intoxicated driver. Volunteer to drive a friend who has partied too much. Write your congressman to initiate deterrent legislation against drivers task for no time off for good behavior suspending half a sentence and no plea bargaining.
Russell and Eleanor Nicholson
Stop aid to El Salvador
I have been listening to and reading news reports on the recent events in El Salvador. All sources agree that most deaths in that country during the war have been at the hands of the right-wing death squads associated with the military government. And now we hear of the murder and torture of the rector and the vice rector of the University of El Salvador and of other Jesuit priests who have long been beyond these atrocities. It is no less abhorrent than the massacre of civilians as the army fires machine gun rounds and bombs neighborhoods, but it is something new and must be recognized as the conclusive evidence that this military government has total disregard for life and for liberty. How would we react if the chancellor and the vice chancellor of the University of Kansas were tortured and murdered by our military? And it is clear that the military is responsible, either directly or by bestowing permission to defy the government curfew in order to carry out the assassinations. Please refer to reports by "Americas Watch," an internationally respected human rights watchdog. Or simply refer to your local paper. Everyone seems to smell the coffee, or should I say blood, except for our own government.
In the name of God, in the name of decency, stop all aid to the military government in El Salvador. We must recognize that it is the most important step we can take in support of freedom and democracy.
I am appalled to hear that the Pentagon is speeding up delivery of aid to the Salvadoran government. WE HAVE NO BUSINESS IN EL SALVADOR. I am sure I share with my fellow citizens this feeling of outrage. When we imagine what good that $1 million or more a day in aid to El Salvador could do, we must feel ashamed of what it is doing. Our intervention does nothing but escalate the violence and exacerbate the suffering of the Salvadoran people. Those people have the right to make their own decisions. No one has the right, however, to stack the deck by supporting one side. The civil war is their war and probably would have ended long ago had we minded our own business.
Pat Wittry Greeley graduate student
Other voices
Campaign up in smoke
Portland (Maine) Press Herald on the First Amendment:
figure this one: A national consumer group is asking Congress to prevent a major U.S. manufacturer from sponsoring an advertising campaign commemorating — get this, now — the Bill of Rights.
get this, now — the Bill of Rights.
The company in question is Philip Morris. The consumer outfit, Public Citizen Health Research Group, says the promotion "smears the Bill of Rights with the blood of all Americans killed as a result of smoking."