Editorial
Search for peace begins at home
Richard Nixon is slowly making his way
home today, after a week long “search for
peace” in the Soviet Union. Nixon’s search
led to conclusion of a number of treaties
between the United States and Russia, in
cluding an important arms limitation pact.
But the true search for peace must begin
at home, and that’s one search Nixon never
even began.
The several treaties should be applauded
for what they represent—marginal
agreements between entrenched in
ternational politicians with an interest in
preventing nuclear war. But the real threat
to world peace is not nuclear holocaust. The
possibility of such destruction began
diminishing years ago. The real threat is
conventional warfare—the type of con
ventional warfare that has wrought
destruction in Southeast Asia and paralyzed
the Middle East.
The United States and Soviet Union are
deeply involved in both areas. But at no time
were either the Middle East or Asian wars
alluded to in public. The hypocrisy of the
ommission was apparent to the world.
At no time during the week did Com
munist Party chief Leonid Breshnev offer to
reduce arms shipments to the North Viet
namese. At no time in the week did Nixon
promise to curtail the American air war in
Asia. While such subjects were surely raised
in private, neither country apparently felt its
“best interests” would be served by
unilateral, public cessation of hostile actions.
How blatant, then was Nixon’s hypocrisy
when he appeared before a Russian
television audience and promised American
power will never interfere with a sovereign
nation? The United States seeks only peace in
the world, Nixon said, at the same time
American aircraft were carrying out the
biggest raids of the war on targets in North
Vietnam.
How many civilians were murdered by
American aircraft in the few minutes Nixon
was speaking? Their deaths are testimony to
our President’s sincerity in bringing real
peace to the world.
With how much more respect would
Nixon’s peace message have been received,
if prior to leaving Washington he’d called for
a permanent bombing halt in Vietnam? How
much brighter the promise for peace, if he’d
promised Americans the war would end next
month with the return of all our air, land and
sea forces from Southeast Asia?
No, the search for peace must begin at
home for President Nixon.
And in so far as the President seems
reluctant to actually begin the search, it is
imperative the American electorate
repudiate him in November and elect a man
who will begin the task at once.
Letters
Insane policy
I wish to shed light on an insane policy
that University dormitory officials are
enforcing, causing a lot of needless harm
and anguish for those individuals who
happen to find themselves in the dor
mitories, sleeping in the lounges, and who
aren't residents
More important than the shortsighted
approach of arresting anyone on the spot
and asking questions later, is the in
credible fear and suspicion by dormitory
officials for any strangers It seems that
because a few individuals have chosen to
cause mischief in the dormitories and
freeload, as well as greater abuses,
everyone not a resident is assumed to be
potentially dangerous or guilty of
something and is to be arrested.
Such was the case with me on a bright
sunny morning in late April when I was
found in the lounge of Hawthorn Hall
asleep 1 had been escorted in by a good
friend of mine, who is a resident of ad
jacent McAlister Hall, sometime around 6
in the morning My intention was simply to
sit down somewhere and rest until it
became warm enough to go outside and
walk home 1 fell asleep and the next thing
1 knew it was 9 and 1 was being questioned
by police.
1 explained the circumstances and my
friend confirmed it Nevertheless, the
director of the Walton complex saw fit to
have me placed under arrest, feeling that
he was protecting the safety of the dorm
residents It seems common sense that no
one can bo accused of a crime if there is no
evidence to suggest it but the view of the
dormitory officials l talked with af
terwards seemed to be that I had to prove I
was not trespassing Oh yes, they realized
1 had no criminal intentions, that 1 was a
"nice guy", that it was just a misun
derstanding tail nevertheless they had to
prosecute me because 1 w as found alone in
the lounge which just happened to be part
of Hawthorn Hall even though the
basement connected to all dorms, men and
women’s is in the Walton complex
And also w as the repeated emphasis that
the University must serve notice to all
those who would illegally us** the dor
mitones that we w ill prosecute them to the
fullest extent 1 resent being used as a
symbol, as a whipping boy that the
University can show how tough it can be
So they insist the case can't be dropped
because then the University would loose
face The saddest thing about this whole
sad affair is that in no way are they
making the dormitories any safer by
blindly snatching up anyone they see The
petiple who are out to cause trouble will not
tie found sleeping alone in lounges The
University is acting like a frightened child
that doesn’t know what to do, with an in
sensitivity to the needs and realities of
people outside its dominion that is ap
palling, an insensitivity which makes a
mockery of its “enlightened image”.
Hopefully, some pressure can be
brought to bear on those officials involved
so that this senseless matter will go no
further and maybe they will take another
look at their policy. As it stands now, I face
a municipal court trial in mid-June. I don’t
look forward to it.
Gary Shapiro
1225 Water Street
Springfield
Dehumanizing Dorms
After living for eight months in a
University dormitory, I have found a lack
of concern on the part of the designer of
these buildings, for the student
inhabitants. 1 would like to comment on a
few of these aspects and make a
suggestion to improve them
Hamilton Complex comprises of 10 halls
each having A floors These floors tend to
be de humanizing because of their lack of
lounge combined with the long narrow
hall There is no place for residents of the
floor to escape the cell, which the students
are led to believe are “comfortable living
spaces.”
Other colleges I have visited provide at
least a floor study (or lounge) and some
even kitchens. It is too late for these to be
incorporated in the Hamilton Complex.
But there can be changes. Consider the use
of one regular dorm room (per floor)
minus closets, bolster, shelves, and desk.
Then fill it with table and chairs, and allow
students to develop it. Let students of each
floor develop the study place to their own
interests and capabilities.
Security for this study could be provided
by a key to each student of the floor to
allow entrance to the study.
I believe this would create more unity
and pride on the floors, and allow the
Housing Administration, by offering a
much needed aspect of dorm living, to
attract more students to the dorms.
Samuel D. Combs
Freshman, Architecture
Polarization
As my year at the University draws to a
close, there is only one aspect of it which I
won’t remember with tenderness.
I am incredibly tired of going to movies,
concerts, political speeches, classes, and
meetings where the speaker happens to
make one slight “chauvinistic slip” and
the result is a mind-bending, pleasure
shattering, day-ruining hiss from the less
content and less secure members of the
female audience. Although I am in favor of
the social advancement of women (seems
like everybody has to say that these days),
I think that hissing at a movie screen is a
little childish, and has the result of
polarizing certain people to the extent that
they condemn the movement in general.
Robert B. Powell
Sophomore
Praise due
Despite the Emerald's general policy of
ignoring women and-or not taking us
seriously, praise is due the new editor for
his recent change in policy. By referring to
women in the same way as men, that is,
solely by their last names after initial
introduction, the Emerald has taken a step
in the direction of eliminating overt
sexism from the paper. Congratulations to
Bill Bucy for this move.
Angie King
Norine Carey
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