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Justice conference includes
all
views
by Dennis Berkheim
Dennis Berkheim is a senior majoring in
French and philosophy. He is chairman of the
World in Revolution Conference on Justice in
America.
The 1972 World in Revolution Conference
scheduled for March 6-13 is to examine
justice in America on both the local and
national levels. From the beginning of the
planning of the conference to its final
realization we have and will continue to
involve everyone interested in the success of
the conference. All points of view and many
interest groups are participating in the
planning in order to bring the entire
University community a truly worthwhile and
educational experience.
We are planning speakers, films and plays.
The conference will include Indian and
Chicano dancing, theater and traditional
music. Approximately twenty local people
and twenty people from other parts of the
country will be representing a full spectrum
of opinion: ultra-conservative, conservative,
moderate, liberal and revoltionary. More will
be forthcoming to reveal the fair nature by
which suggestions were solicited from the
University community and how a balanced
educational program is now being planned.
Even now, I as chairman, would like to
invite all interested individuals and groups to
become actively involved in the planning arid
execution of this conference. The World in
Revolution committee meets every Tuesday
at 5:45 p.m. in 237 Nebraska Union. All
people are invited to attend.
Some people express fears that we should
not have the Justice in American Conference.
They have talked to a few State Legislators,
Regents, University administrators, andor
other influential conservatives. These
influencial conservatives have indicated that
our future freedom of speech may or will be
shut off if we choose to exercise our freedom
of speech now with the World in Revolution
Conference on Justice in America.
These are the political "realities" that are
being talked about concerning the upcoming
conference on Justice in America. I oppose,
and believe conservatives alike will oppose the
use of the term political "realities"
concerning these severe attacks on the
integrity of the legislators of the state of
Nebraska and the Regents and administrators
of the University of Nebraska.
All of these people are sworn to uphold
the Constitution of the United States and I
feel it is irresponsible to characterize any of
them as being motivated by a desire to
trample freedom of speech.
I hope the UNL administrators, the
Regents, and state senators will reaffirm their
support of the United States Constitution and
freedom of speech in public in order to dispel
the rumors which are being spread in private.
It is true that LB 70, concerning student
fee support for the Daily Nebraskan was
introduced into the legislature by Terry
Carpenter. It has already been defeated by a
close vote in the Unicameral.
, LB 1271, introduced by Senators Stromer
and Craft, is supposedly directed toward the
World in Revolution Conference on Justice in
America, but this is probably false. LB 1271
deals with the whole question of mandatory
student fees and all of the things students
now pay for with those funds. The World in
Revolution Conference represents only 18c
per student, or only 1 per cent of the total
amount each student pays in fees.
The conference on Justice in America
could have an effect on the Unicameral but it
will not be the effect now being wrongly
portrayed to the public. According to
Stromer, "There appears to be an imbalance
of people representing what is called the
revolutionary point of view." He continued,
"Students of today have the capabilities to
make locical and rational judgments provided
they have the opportunity to be exposed to
all points of view."
It must be made clear to all people of the
state that every point of view is represented in
the conference on Justice in America. It has
been my goal as a former Union Board
member and as the current chairman of the
World in Revolution Conference to make
programs respond to the educational goals of
a wide range of people.
This is being realized by the conference.
Women, blacks, Chicanos, Indians, gays, white
middle Americans, local and national people
that are sometimes called reactionaries,
liberals, conservativatives and moderates have
been involved in the planning and are all
represented as equally as possible in the
upcoming conference to present a
well-balanced examination of justice in
America.
Futhermore, maybe it's time for students
to express willingness or unwillingness to pay
mandatory student fees for the many things
.that the fees are used for. In 1958 there was
an all-University referendum which decided in
favor of the present system.
This however, is separate from the issue of
whether or not specific speakers or any
speakers should be allowed on campus. This is
clearly an issue involving freedom of speech
and it is necessary that decisions be made on
both subjects.
The World in Revolution Conference on
Justice in America has already stimulated a
great deal of discussion concerning the
exercise of constitutional rights and
responsibilities.
This pleases me as chairman of the
conference and I hope that such dynamic
debate and enthusiasm will continue. The
merits of the conference are obvious.
Freedom of speech should not be violated in
favor of a mistaken view of what is politically
expedient.
The merits of the conference are obvious:
Not only is this an educational experience,
but a reaffirmation of constitutional rights
and an important method of bring people of
diverse viewpoints together. J
MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 1972
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
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