opinion
\/a ir.s
Amnesty, anyone?
The local Amnesty International group
would like to thank you for your article
about us. We greatly appreciate such
accurate and kind publicity of our work
on behalf of prisoners of conscience.
Although we normally meet on alternate
Mondays, our next meeting will be Wed
nesday, May 13 at 6:00 p.m. in EMU
Century Room F This change is to ac
commodate the visit of the west coast
campus coordinator, Craig Rock, from
Amnesty’s San Francisco office. Regular
meetings will resume May 18. Anyone
interested in learning more of Amnesty’s
work from the campus to international
levels is most welcome.
Stephen Fuller
Institute of Molecular Biology
John Girdlestone
Biology department
Leave vets alone
It is rare that I have felt the need to
write to an editor to express an opinion
about anything, least of all one which is
so sensitive to myself and others like me.
As a Vietnam veteran, I was saddened to
see emblazoned on your front page the
statement, “They Sleep With Guns.’' It
feels strange after all these years of put
down and living with memories that most
people can’t even imagine to be the
focus of attention again. We were once
the center of negative attention: charac
terized as pawns, baby killers, and drug
crazed addicts. All of us who came back
had to adjust to living in an essentially
uncaring society, each on his own terms.
Some of us had more difficulty than
others but none of us received much
help or understanding Without transi
tional support it was a long, slow process
and when we ran into obstacles we fell
back on old skills and attitudes which
served us in good stead before. So some
who still felt threatened slept with
weapons by their bed, and some who felt
alone and unwelcome fell back to the
attitude of “if you aren't going to help me
then leave me alone.” I think most Viet
nam veterans will tell you that, with or
without your help (as in the past 10
years), they are just doing the best they
can.
I have a Seiko watch, a Purple Heart,
and my divorce papers and, like many
other veterans, I also have the night
mares, the memories, the guilt, and yes,
HOME ID ROOST
mi,if we cwr mr it out here,raws tu have some suggesitons where we cou> put it,,: '
the pride that came with serving in Viet
nam. Experience taught me that there
wasn't much positive concern for Viet
nam veterans so I tried not to bring the
issue up and simply endeavored to do
the best I could in life. Now comes along
a new wave of interest in the Vietnam
veteran, unlooked and unasked for, to
stir up the old memories. I feel that your
headline, whatever your intention, did
not do veterans a service and all I can say
is — if you aren’t going to help us, then
leave us alone!
Arthur DiRocco
3357 Onyx Place
Reasons forgotten
"They sleep with guns" told us of the
stress which many Vietnam veterans
endure without any reference to the
cause of that stress — U S. aggression in
Indochina. This didn't all happen in a
vaccuum. These men. at the tender ages
of 18 and 19, were forced, or propagan
dized, to go 8,000 miles from home to kill
peasants who were fighting for control of
their own country. The American
government and the American people
have not accepted their responsibility for
the massacre of over a million people,
nor for the present suffering in that part
of the world which we tried to "bomb
back to the stone age." We so easily
forget, but those who saw the death and
destruction cannot forget. We must
share in that guilt and channel that rage
against the institutions which take our
children for cannon fodder. When the
Vietnam veterans see us struggling to
make sure that this does not happen
again, they may at last feel some peace in
their hearts. It’s up to us.
Olive Bowers
Graduate, sociology
Guns in bed?
Thanks for the particularly good issue
May 4 I especially appreciated Greg
Wasson's editorial He managed to at
least touch upon some of the issues
behind-issues — e g., the myth of the
neutral free market of competing ideas.
Also, I’m sure many people were en
couraged to see some coverage of Viet
nam vets’ issues, especially since the
turkeys in charge are planning still an
other excursion into wholesale slaughter
for yet another generation of innocents.
However, the second article on Viet
nam vets (May 5) was more than slightly
disturbing in its implications. Ms. Hoyt
quotes Reesa George as saying that
"They (Vietnam vets) sleep with their
guns. . Everyone I know does.” If I
don't know better, that statement would
probably make me paranoid of ever get
ting closer than hello and good bye to a
vet. Pardon my Sagitarrian bluntness,
but I’ve known at least five Vietnam vets
who did not take their weapons (if they
had any) to bed with them . . .
I think the problem may be that Ms.
Hoyt simply did not interview a sufficient
number of people to get a more realistic
spread of viewpoints. I don’t feel that this
was done intentionally, but unfortunately
it does contribute to the current attempt
to discredit the vets as simply a bunch of
nut cases. This attempt is a part of the
effort to intensify the militarization of
American society in preparation for the
next "intervention.” I’d be interested in
hearing any other responses to this arti
cle.
Cathi Beavers
Sophomore, anthropology
Sexist dance
I would like to comment on the Inter
national Night, sponsored by the Foreign
Students Organization, which took place
in the EMU Ballroom on Sunday evening,
May 10. A wonderful array of foods,
music, dance, and traditional clothing
were presented, mostly in good taste.
It is unfortunate that the event was
tainted by the performance of “Middle
Eastern” dance, by Americans, who
claim that their "art” is an accurate
representation of Middle Eastern cul
tures. It is not. "Belly dancing," per
formed semi-naked and with a veil serves
only to reinforce the stereotyped role of
the Eastern woman, and the sexual ex
ploitation of all women.
As if that wasn’t enough, when the
“dance” was finished the master of cer
emonies, Adesina Adeniji, made the dis
gusting comment, “She can really shake
it.”
I support International Night as an
opportunity for the many cultures repre
sented on our campus to work coopera
tively, promoting greater cross-cultural
understanding I believe that this can be
done without sacrificing the dignity of
women. Better luck next year.
Teresa Chapman
Junior, sociology
Tuesday. Mav 12.1981