Trick or treat
... a real spook
Terry Carpenter says he isn't going witch hunting but
Halloween is only one day away.
The State Senator from Scottsbluff appeared to have a
number of witches in mind yesterday when he chaired a
meeting of the Subcommittee of the Legislative Council. He
explained that the meeting was an effort "to determine what
the course (Proseminar in Homophile Studies) is about,
what materials are used, what approach is taken and who
originated it." But, he spent most of the six and one half
hours badgering witnesses, trying to embarrass the Univer
sity and the Regents, and asking leading questions of those
who testified.
The hearing was very enlightening, especially for one
who thought that its purpose was the gathering of knowledge
rather than use as a political arena. Carpenter destroyed
the image of information gatherer even before the recess
for lunch and revealed his true intent in three incredible
statements.
Hours before he had questioned any of the professors and
professional men involved in teaching the course, he stated,
"I intend to introduce a bill at the next legislature that for
bids the teaching of a course in homosexuality except in medi
cal schools and I want to see a single senator who'll vote
against it."
One had to wonder what semblance of impartiality the
hearing could possibly retain after Carpenter announced,
"This course is not going to have a long life as far as I'm
concerned" and he made that statement without having
spoken to any instructors and without knowledge of the
course's contents. Narrowing the aim of his anger, Carpenter
claimed, "The Board of Regents is going to rue the day they
ever thought of it."
Once, when all the instructors involved with the course
were being questioned in a group, Carpenter asked that they
recreate a class situation so he could understand what it
was like. Admittedly, this seemed an odd request from the
man who has stated that he has never attended the real
class and "doesn't intend to." James Cole, coordinator of
the course, responded with a delineation of definitions and
the etiology of homosexuality, but this didn't please Car
penter who asked Cole to get down to the "nitty-gritty."
"What's it like?" he demanded. "How many positions are
there?"
Leading the group off the subject of the course, Carpenter
urged individuals time and again to make statements of
personal beliefs and tried to elicit a group "consensus" on
matters other than those relating directly to the proseminar.
He craftily tried a minimum of ten times to draw out a
group opinion of the present laws dealing with sexual mat
ters. However he was foiled each time as individuals pointed
out that they would speak to such an issue if asked to by
a committee dealing with law reform, but that they would
not issue individual statements or a group statement.
With a finely honed political sense, dull mind and blunt
approach, Carpenter tried to draw agreement on the Idea
that a homosexual is best qualified to teach a course on
homosexuality and that the Instructors probably are homo
sexual. Giving a hint of the rhetoric In the campaign-to-come,
he asked "How can anyone teach a course of such
a fundamental and physical nature unless they'd partici
pated in it? If they're going to teach the kids," he added,
"they ought to go out and try it."
The administrators, regents and instructors who were
called to testify performed admirably despite all the har
rassment and abuse. Standing center ring in Carpenter's
private circus, they let the clown trap himself in a web of
contradictions, malice and nonsense.
THE NEBRASKAN
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PAGE 4
A town meeting
Dear Editor,
A sensible proposal:
We call on the Regents of the
University of Nebraska to meet
with the rest of the members of
the University community to
discuss the decision not to hire
Michael Davis as a professor in
the philosophy department.
Because of the continuing con
troversial nature of this
decision it is of ultimate im
portance that an open
discussion be held. A free ex
change of ideas could best be
heard in an open town meeting
forum in which Interested
persons could make presenta
tions and ask questions con
cerning the decision.
WE CALL on the Regents to
meet with the community at
the maximum two weeks after
their next regularly scheduled
meeting. It would be best if the
meeting would occur in late
morning en a week day running
into the evening. This matter U
THE NEBRASKAN
Letters
of such great Importance that
any Inconvenience involved
would be worth the effort
THE MEETING should at
least be held in a room as large
as the Centennial Room of t h e
Union. If a larger area such as
the Coliseum is needed it
should be available for all those
persons who wish to attend
such a meeting. It is very im
portant that the chairman of
the meeting be one who is
mutually respected by the
concerned persons in this mat
ter. It Is of great Importance that
the Regonts be in a position to
bo able to attempt to fully
justify their action In not hiring
Michael Davis. The people at
tending should be able to ask
each other straightforward
questions and expect
straightforward responses.
WE AGAIN point to the great
issue at stake in such a
meeting. Who Is welcome to bo
a member of the University of
s :. :
Nebraska faculty? What
specifically are the criteria
that are applied to applicants?
Who determines which can
didates will be accepted? What
are the responsibilities of those
who make the decision in hir
Ing? What are the
responsibilities of the ap
plicants? What are the respec
tive freedoms of the hirers and
the applicants? What are the
relative roles of the Regents,
a d m i n i s trators, faculty,
students, and the larger com
munity in respect to selection
of faculty members? At the;
center of these questions is the
action taken by the Regents in
reference to Michael Davis?
Was such an action Justified?
THESE QUESTIONS outfit to
be discussed In a pubHa
meeting for the sake of fairness
to the very nature and future of
the University community. A
Just response ought to bo
forthconung from the persona
involved in this meeting.
Ron Kurtenbadl
FRIDAY OCTOBER 30. 1970