THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
Editorials
Page 2
Commentary
!
Charge!
Viet Protestors Serve As Selective
It's time a number of students, male
and female, got down off their white
chargers and looked objectively at the
AWS Constitutional Convention.
It seems to the Daily Nebraskan that
when one runs out of casual conversation
these days he dons a suit of armor, takes
up a sword and rides to the attack on the
convention, without the briefest pause to
look at the facts.
AWS has always been a good attack
target, so CHARGE!
A few of the burning charges and crit
icisms these defenders of the public have
come up with include:
AWS IS going to make membership
compulsory.
THE CONVENTION committee meet
ings are secret.
COMMITTEE chairmen have been or
dered not to talk about what is happen
ing. The charges do have a ring of truth
to them, but a simple check on the con
vention situation shows how one-sided they
are.
Constitution Convention Chair
man Nancv Coufal says of the charges:
COMPIXSORY membership, like
many of the other ideas being tossed out
in the convention, is only an idea right now.
right now.
COMMITTEE meeting are not gen
erally open to the public because the dele
gate system (45 delegates representing all
dorms and houses) was designed to elim
inate having 5,000 to 6,000 women meeting
to discuss the constitution. The communi
cation between delegates and their con
stituents seems to be surprisingly good.
Miss Coufal added. A student who wants
to attend a meeting is quite welcome, she
said.
THE COMMITTEE chairmen have
been asked not to make official statements
on the nature of the ideas being discussed
in their committees because the ideas
have not been approved in any way, shape
or form so far, there are merely ideas.
"I prefer to centralize statements about
the convention," Miss Coufal said.
The Nebraskan doesn't feel that all is
necessarily well with the AWS Constitu
tional Convention the delegates could be
circulating with women more to get their
ideas and committee chairmen shouldn't
be afraid to express their personal opin
ions on the convention and there are
other problems.
But one-sided criticism of the conven
tion is unfair to both parties and doesn't
accomplish anything constructive.
Fight Team
Go Big Red go out ther- Saturday
and show those Buffaloes what vou can
do.
Show those pollsters that you can
climb right back up into the top national
ratings.
Show those fans their money's worth.
Show the state a good show.
Win! Nobody likes a losing team for
long.
Go Big Red.
Right Of Left
By Andy Corrigan
As the masses converge upon the
Union each Wednesday afternoon it could
be because of the Senate meeting but of
course it isn't the masses converge in
spite of it.
ANUS (Associated Nitwits Unusually
Satisfied) convenes very. Wednesday to
the joy of all former Abel Hall residents,
informal reunions are so nice. ;
Prior to this year Senate faintly re
sembled a joint meeting of IFC and Panhel
but after the last election the independent
power structure moved in much to the
consternation of habitual pin polishers.
The scene at the first meeting last
spring was wonderful the only problem
being that the printing on the name cards
was too small to read so I didn't know
who any of them were. However, I felt
that with time they would make them
selves known.
Upon attending last Wednesday's
meeting the scene was again too, too won
derfulthe only problem being that the
printing on the name cards was too small
to read so I didn't know who any of them
were.
However I did discover something at
the meeting. Contrary to present campus
rumor some of the senators are literate.
After last week's Nebraskan editorial at
tacking the "dead senators" lor. not ques
tioning Dick Shirks' newest rash of
friendly appointments the senators
learned their lesson by questioning every
appointment except those made by Chan
cellor Hardup.
YOu're learning, kids, but not fast
enough!
Hardup. riding his usual wave of rad
ical campus action, named a whole group
of worn-out activities to work on the
implementation of the Student Bill of
Rights.
The list includes such notables as
Dick Shirks (really a clean cut Carl Da
vidson), Gene Popcorny (bard-hitting re
visionist), Bobby Rust and Flash Hobble
(of the upper echelon), and Mac Soup and
What's His Face.
With such a coterie of wild-eyed rad
icals working for them Nebraska students
can be assured of membership in SCREW
(Student Comprises in a Reactionary Ed
ucational World).
However there are advantages to
SCREW: a total lack of student action
and no responsibilities because there is
no freedom.
If, as is said, compromise is the by
word of government we can be well jus
tified in terming our student representa
tives politicians after they return from
the conference tables.
That's right, guys, take off that Stu
dent Power button. . .
Campus Opinion: Down, Sprix
Dear Editor;
Short of the editor's views and personal
opinions. I can see no justification for bias
and tmobj active criticism in a school news
paper. However, as long as the Nebraskan en
dorses this policy George Kaufman can
keep his "Grand Sprix" to himself.
Bb Diers
Frustrated
Dear Editor:
This morning I opened the newspaper
and read about the demonstrators at the
University of Wisconsin. And I nsA bow
the police were called in sad bow Cie sto
dents were jailed and bow they're goinng
to be suspended.
Good.
Do anything you can to shut them up.
They don't understand. It's wise if they
don't like the war in Vietnam free think
ing is THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE.
But don't let them try to do anything about
it that's INSURRECTION.
Next, 1 turned en the radio end lis
tened to the statement of a United States .
senator. As far as toe's concerned, bis way
of thinking will sever be Influenced by
all these anti-war demonstrations.
Gsce ajrain, good. This Is AMERICAN
COXEACY. ict people to public of.
fice who listen only to what they feel like
listening to and who reject any proposals
of change. Keep it up, buddy.
Then I went back to bed and escaped
for a few hours.
Finally, I picked up the Daily Ne
braskan and read about Steve Abbott. Na
turally Steve Abbott is not a CO because
. . . Well, he just isn't. This was the best
yet Don't let any of these phonies try to
get out of their CIVIC DUTY by pretend
ing to be opposed to killing. We know
they're lying. We're not just killing people,
we're killing them for American Democ
racy. And this is truly the American Way
of Life.
Perhaps I'm just not a good, patriotic
American, because I don't like the idea of
killing people, not even for American De
mocracy. And I don't like seeing other
people who are opposed to this killing going
to jail. I don't want to go to jail, because
I don't think that jail would be a very
pleasant place. And fcven if I did go to jail,
who would listen to me? Who would care?
I'm frustrated frustrated because I'm
beginning to realize that I really don't
count. I'm frustrated because I can't do
anything. My job is to sit back and watch
what I don't want to see happen. And this
. is the American Way of life? . . l .' -J .. .
';' ,.. . Jennifer Marshall
(The Nebraskan reserves the right to con
dense letters. Lasizmi letters 13 not be
pristed.)
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The
following article deals with
the question of "selective
conscientions objector" sta
tus, cases in which a CO
claims to object to a certain
kind of war or to a par
ticular war, not to "war in
any form" as defined in the
Selective Service Act.)
By Richard Anthony
Collegiate Press Service
There is not yet a legal
precedent that will support
CO applicants who object
to the Vietnam war In par
ticular, or to wars of in
tervention generally.
And there is little likeli
hood that a "selective CO"
case will reach the Su-
JUL I 55
Our Man Hoppe-
Trading Trinkets
With The Natives
Arthur Hoppe
Washington What a tragedy! I'm
speaking of the sad demise of my brilliant
and seemingly foolproof plan to establish
a thriving trade with the primitive Wash
ington natives.
1 have evolved the scheme only after
years of periodic exploration here while
working on my lwok, "Strange Native Cus
toms in Washington and Other Savage
Lands."
What was it, I kept asking myself,
that spurred these backward peoples into
waging endless bloody warfare among
themselves. What priceless goal did they
seek? What prize would conceivably re
ward the victor adequately enough to jus
tify this constant strife?
It was only after years of painstaking
investigation that I at last came to the
inescapable conclusion.
And thus it was that I arrived here this
time bearing a whole sackful of bright,
shiny, plastic telephone buttons.
To understand the allure these trinkets
have for the savage here, one must realize
that he simply has nothing else to fight
for.
Money holds no appeal, for the essen
tial characteristic of Washington money
Uhe basic unit of currency is "The Billion
Dollar") is that it isn't real. Nor is power
the key. For any native who is unfortunate
enough to gain power is immediately
chopped up into tiny pieces. But, ah, tele
phone buttons!
On his entry into one of the indigenous
tribes, such as State or the Pentangonlans,
the young native is given only a plain,
b!a'k phone unadorned by a single button.
With this symbol of shame goes a strange
green metal desk, an armless steel chair
and a hook in the coatroom.
As he fights his way up, he is re
warded with a five-button phone. This
earns him an imitation walnut desk, a cu
bicle of bis own, a parking space, one sec
retary and ulcers.
The current pinnacle of status is a
light green telephone with a chromium
hook and no fewer than U buttons, two of
them red. With this the native receives a
solid walnut desk and conference table, a
leather couch, two flags In standards, a
large staff and the undying emity of all his
fellows.
We see, then, that telephone buttons
are valued by the native not only for
their Intrinsic worthlessness (a precious
commodity in Washington) but also for the
emoluments that come with them. And
around here, that's something to fight for.
Having discovered the natives' insati
able lust for telephone buttons, you can
imagine how eagerly I looked forward to
displaying my sack filled with such
trinkets to these simple people.
Oh, how they would cluster around me,
their eyes bright with avarice. Why, a half
dozen of these cheap little totems would
purchase all they possess and . . .
It. was then that the fatal flaw ap
peared in my brilliant and seemingly fool-
proof plan to establish a thriving trade
with these primitive peoples:
For the life of mf, I can't think of
anything they have that I want
preme Court in the near
future.
The Selective Service Act,
passed in 1948, provides
that:
"Nothing contained in
this title shall be construed
to require any person.to be
subject to combatant train
ing and service in the
armed forces of the United
States, who by reason of
religious training and be
lief, is conscientiously . op
posed to participation in
war in any form." (Title
I section 5.)
Let's look at the curious
case history of a "selective
CO" applicant:
John McAuliff is opposed
to certain kinds of wars,
but not to war "in any
form." As he wrote in the
statement he prepared for
his draft board, he does not
object to "international po
lice actions", nor to defen
sive wars.
He also wrote that "Al
though I think just policies
earlier would have prevent
ed the second World War,
I would have fought Ger
many and Japan."
McAuliff is totally op
posed to nuclear war, and
to "any war or 'peace
keeping action' which in
volves the nationals of one
country intervening in an
other and which does not
receive the-backing of the
broadest-based internation
al organization."
McAuliff is not a "selec
tive CO in the purest sense
that is, he did not ap
ply for conscientious ob
jector solely because he
opposed the Vietnam war
but by almost any other
measure he is a selective
CO.
In spite of his beliefs
about war. however, his
state Selective Service Ap
peals Board (in Indiana)
has granted him CO sta
tus. He is to serve two
years doing alternative
service.
McAuliff, a Peace Corps
veteran, does not know why
his state board decided to
approve bis CO application.
He had not expected them
to do so, and was prepar
ing for further appeals and
court action.
"I thought I'd probably
fight the case through the
courts for a couple of
years," he said, "and then
eventually be faced with
jail."
Under the old draft law
(since amended, but appli
cable when McAuliff's case
was being considered), his
appeal could have been for
warded to the Justice De
partment by his state board
if there was any question
about it. The department
would then have held a
hearing to decide his case.
As far as McAuliff
knows, the appeal was nev
er forwarded to Washing
ton. No Justice Department
hearing was held.
The decision of the Indi
ana Appeals Board inMc;
Auliff's case has no tegST
standing and cannot be em-
ployed as a legal prece
dent by other applicants
for CO status. There are
only two legal decisions
that bear on the selective
CO question, both involving;
Johovah's Witnesses:
IN SICURELLA VS. U.S.,
which came before the Su-..
preme Court in 1955,-the-court
ruled that a Witoesa
could be granted CO-status "
even though he was willing
to' fight in "theocratic wars."
IN I960 the court ruled
that another Witness narned
Kretchet could be designat-.
ed as CO even though ho
was willing to kill in de-.,
fense of his brothers and
his home, or at the com
mand of Jehovah.
According to a spokes
man for the American Civ
il Liberties Union there are a
number of selective CO
cases 'that will be reaching
the courts within the next
year. Only one case, how-,
ever, that of Air Force
Capt. Dale Noyd, is cur
rently on appeal to the Su
preme Court.
According to one of his
attorneys, Marvin Karpat
kin, the Supreme Court is
supposed to be deciding
whether or not to hear the
case within a month and a
half, but it may never get
to do so.
Karpatkin says that Noyd
has been assigned duty as a
flight instructor. "As soon
as he is ordered to train
a pilot who is going to
Vietnam, he'll have to dis
obey," says the attorney.
If that happens, Noyd
will probably be court-mar-tialled,
and his military
trial will take precedence
over his appeal to the Su
preme Court.
So Noyd's case will nev
er reach the court and Mc
Auliff's never got there.
McAuliff, aware that his
case will not provide legal
support for other selective
CO's, nevertheless hopes
that as many potential
draftees as possible will
apply for CO status even if
they are not thorough-going
pacifists.
"They might be favorab
ly surprised, as I was,",
says McAuliff, "but if not,
each of them will be add
ing pressure for changes in
the present unjust system."
"If enough pressure is
built up," he adds, "then
some day we may have the
kind of system that recog
nizes the legitimacy of all
conscientious objections.'
Looking Up ...
Vote On Ross
Students should have a recognized method of dem
onstrating their approval or disapproval of the way the
Dean of Student Affairs represents their views.
In our government system, the electorate votes on the
effectiveness of a judge. It is not a measure of popularity,
it is simply a demonstration of the public approval of the
way he handles the office.
This procedure should be adopted by the University
community for the office of Dean of Student Affairs.
He is the recognized channel that represents students
to the Board of Regents and the higher echelons of the
administration.
The Oct. 30 Vietnam referendum offers the opportunity
for a vote an the Dean of Student affairs. ASUN could
add the following proposition to the ballot on that day:
"I approve ( ) disapprove ( ) of the way the Dean
of Student Affairs represents the views of students."
If it is an affirmative vote, the administration, Dean
G. Robert Ross and the Board of Regents will know wo
are content with the way that we are being represented.
If the vote is negative, the administration and the
Board of Regents should realize that the students feel
their opinions are muffled and mismanaged. Dean Ross
would perhaps meet with student leaders other than the
ASUN executive committee and check the pulse of student
opinion. - - . - -
Again, I say, we have no recognized mstitutionaHzSd
channel to the Board of Regents and administration other
than the Dean of Students Affairs. Let us make sure wo
have a channel that represents student opinion without
bias to the people who should hear it.
V(L H, M. M
Dailj Nebraskan
MM I fftMM.
OtL JB SMI
ncUBraoNBt rn-rm. mum. num.
.HiurtMOT mm (4 h mmmm m tor
rZ ' farm, e m fu.
vm man mmmw tar Dm luhcamntiUa m mm w-'Mf
MotUmi 1 Ot Hmmm era rrn m.L Mr MTtMf
. u.xn, uwwa. n., ml
rUITOBML, TAfF
KliiSLTSZi"!?' riu" 1,ri TM; M Editor am Trttt:
1T.',2 ""V " WlUr Ouri vui AM( HUM
wni mrr
kJck awe iua WUm aa4 tm Metab
tea Cmh Kattr Untlto