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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1971)
Give us substance The President's speech Thursday after noon was splendidly well packaged and per formed. Air Force One touched down at two o'clock and took off an hour and a half later. In that short time, the President sped to the University, through a speech and back to the airport. What was left behind? Much of the youth, even in, Middle America, distrusts you Mr. Nixon. Many young people are sensitive to the issue of polarization and the attacks of Mr. Agnew and even you. There is a paranoia among young Americans which grows deeper when dissenters and demonstrators are branded as "hooligans" and "thugs," as you have labeled them. You gave these people some hope two years ago when you adopted the theme "Bring us together." But in those two years there has been an ever widening separation between youth and elders a separation that you have permitted men from your administration to tease and irritate. Now you call for reconciliation but people note that this call comes after the elections. They remember the divisiveness during November and the last two years. People are too scarred to be turned on and off like faucets they no longer respond to easy pleas when the tasks can be so difficult. They don't want to be "brought together" in the next two years as they were in the last two. Your words were encouraging, Mr. Nixon, but they were the words people were asking you to speak and act on since you were elected. The only program you proposed was a combination of the Peace Corps, VISTA and "a number of other agen cies" whose only advantage is that it will offer " a chance to transfer between ser vice abroad and service at home." That advantage seems as tangible as the emperor's new suit of clothes and does nothing to inspire confidence in the pro gram. Nor does the placement of the ex isting groups under one head offer any ap parent change from the status quo. Appeals to the idealism of young peo ple are easy, Mr. Nixon, but fear has sapped the response that might have come so quick ly. Give us something real so that there might be a reason to believe. The youth of America want to respond. Give us some sub stance. Kelley Baker Editor All the plastic people One of the most disappointing aspects of the afternoon was the audience response to Devaney, Nixon and the small group of protestors. There is something completely out of proportion when a football coach re ceives a far more thunderous ovation than the President ... and it reveals the prior ities of much of the Nebraska student body bread and circuses but not in that order. What better show for most of the audi- THE NEBRASKAN IHZZZIh'0" ,eV $I p8r emes,er or W.50 per year. Published Monday, 1Y' Thursd8r ,nd Friay " ver except irTveca' Address: The Nebraskan 34 Nebraska Union University of Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 MjY JnrrTTp . . . they said Nixon insulted our intelligence but I don't think he did!!? ence than the President of the United States on the same floor with Bob Devaney and the pride of the AP? So it came as no sur prise that the crowd shouted down the only discourteous effort at vocal protest with booing that ranked alongside the applause in noise level. No surprise, only the irony that the shout of the protestors was the "peace now" chant . But in one important respect, the audi ence paid the President a discourtesy far greater than that of the five or ten chant ers. In their eagerness to hear the chief executive, just to be in the same room with him, many of them abandoned their minds and left thought behind. As a result Nixon was greeted with a fawning acceptance that oozed from every part of the Coliseum not the sharp response of critical minds that every leader needs. It is insulting to be applauded by an audience that would applaud a singing dog act the very next hour if one were pro vided. And many o fthose who cheered so loud and long forgot what was said within an hour and could care less the next day. Caqienter strikes State senator Terry Carpenter seems to be opposed to free speech wherever it offends him. Eight days ago the senator in troduced a bill in the Legislature to cut off student fee funding of The Nebraskan and admitted that the paper's editorials critici zing him were a factor in his decision. In the Legislature Thursday, Carpen ter protested ASUN President Steve Ti wald's and Innocent Society President Ken Wald's intention to wear black armbands while seated on the dais with Presider Nixon. The senator stated that Nixo "should not be confronted by black arr bands" and claimed that such an actio would embarrass the state of Nebraska a well as the President. Carpenter continued by maligning Un versity President Joseph Soshnik with th accusation that he "has a bit of a tendency to be soft on students in order to prevent disturbence. The quality Carpenter call softness in Soshnik is recognized by other as reason and a willingness to discuss dis agreements. "I'm sick and tired of tempoi izing," he bellowed. "You never get throug! compromising. They never quit demand ing." Freedom of speech and expression an not matters that even Carpenter can be al lowed to "temporize." What the senato fails to understand is that the armband, a a display of mourning and dissent, is a non violent expression of freedom of speech. I the time should come when this right i abridged, that will be the time that peoph who once were willing to work "within th system" will become violent revolution aries. The irresponsible and repressive an tics of a state senator trying to quash th( right of people to dissent was far more em barrassing to the University and the stal( of Nebraska than was Wald's and Tiwald': dignified and responsible expression o! their beliefs. There is something supremely ironii in the senator's fear that Nixon and Ne braska would be embarrassed by two arm bands since, at the 1956 Republican Na tional Convention, it was Carpenter who nominated a fictitious person (Joe Smith for the vice-presidency and humiliated the entire state. PAGE 4 THE NEBRASKAN FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 1971