daily (niobffogCsafiii
thursday, march 16, 1972
lincoln, nebraska vol. 95, ho. 86
r
Chambers calls
war hearing
'passing fancy7
by Steve Arvanette
Approximately 100 people attended an open
hearing Wednesday afternoon in the State Capitol's
east senate chambers on an "Indochina War
Resolution" drafted by Nebraskans for Peace.
Before saying, "My time is up, 1 have to go," and
walking from the old senate chamber, Omaha Sen.
Ernie Chambers told those present their concern over
the war in Southeast Asia was a "passing fancy."
The hearing, chaired alternately by Senators Terry
Carpenter of Scottsbluff and John DeCamp of
Neleigh, saw 33 individuals testify. Among them were
politicians, candidates for political office, clergy and
spectators.
At the close of the hearing Carpenter urged the
drafters of the resolution to rewrite it into a form
that could receive favorable action by the .
Unicameral. Nick Meinhardt said Nebraskans for
Peace would attempt to "drop some of the
descriptive language" from the resolution.
Calling Thursday's hearing "very disappointing,"
Chambers asked those present, "Do you think this
resolution passed by the Legislature will impress
anybody?
"I'll sit here again and listen to you," Chambers
said. However, he termed the hearing "a waste of our
time."
Chambers criticized at cates of the resolution as
having "shallow and supen . jial" concerns.
Don Reeves, president of Nebraskans for Peace,
spoke first on the resolution. He said the purpose of
the resolution was to "restore confidence and trust"
in America.
A 25-minute slide presentation followed with
Meinhardt criticizing the present war was the US. is
conducting in Indochina.
"Until we end the automated air war, there will be
no peace in Indochina," Meinhardt said.
The resolution, if passed by the Legislature in its
present forms, "urges the President and the Congress .
. . to immediate cease the air war, withdraw all U.S.
troops from Indochina, end all support for the Thieu
dictatorship, and turn their attentions to growing
W i
Chambers. . ."Do you think this resolution will impress anybody?'
socio-economic problems and growing unrest here at
home."
The resolution charger the war in Southeast Asia
with causing "growing unemployment,
underemployment. . . the ineffectiveness of our
welfare system, the deterioration of oar
environment.".
Noting the U.S. has "dropped over three times the
amount of bombs dropped by US. forces in all
theaters of World War II," it says the war is "not
winding down for the Deople of Indochina.
'The once proud image of our country continues
to deteriorate rapidly throughout the world. . .
American people have been bled white in a war that
cannot be wg ji," the resolution charged.
Wallace Peterson, candidate for the Democratic
nomination to the US. Serene, called continuation of
the war "vain pursuit of unattainable goals."
He urged the U.S. set a date for total withdrawal
of all American forces under the condition that
prisoners of war be released.
Kathy Braeman, Republican candidate for the
First Congressional District nomination, spoke for the
resolution as did ASUN President Steve Fowler who
is a candidate for the Nebraska Legislature.
DeCamp, another Democratic candidate for the
US. Senate nomination, charged the war caused drug
problems for 400,000 American veterans.
"Greatness is being able to admit making a
mis take," DeCamp said. "It is no longer a mistake for
us to be in Vietnam -continuation is a crime."
The Neleigh state senator said the war could have
, resulted in one "benefit" for the country. "For once
we've looked into ourselves as a country," he said.
Objections to the continued involvement in the
war came from Bea Richmond of the City-Wide
Tenant Association. She charged the U.S. with
spending 50 times the amount of money for defense
than for housing and urban renewal.
Louis Cooper, former human rights coordinator
of the Lincoln Action Program, said blacks had to
bear an unproportionate amount of combat duty but
were denied officer positions.
'"'"Tn',,'::,' i ii I..U" H'T'in mL n , n .n.rMI .i,-
Wolf ley urges Prokop censure
A resolution calling for faculty censure of Regent
Robert J. Prokop was introduced in the Faculty
Senate by Lawrence Wolf ley, an instructor in English,
at a meeting of the senate Tuesday.
The resolution states: "Be it resolved, that the
Faculty Senate of the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, recognizing a clear moral
obligation to principles of intellectual integrity, does
hereby formally censure Regent Robert J. Prokop for
plagiarizing his article on homosexuality in the
Douglas County Gazette, January 4, 1972, in that he
did not cite any source in a book by Edmund Bergler,
Homosexuality: Disease or Way of Life (Hill and
Wang, Inc., New York, 1957), and in so doing most
probably violated US. copyright laws."
Because the resolution was introduced as new
business it could not be voted on at the meeting but
will be the first item of business at the senate
meeting April 11.
At the meeting Wolfley also distributed copies of
the following challenge to the faculty.
"What would you do if a student plagiarized? You
would flunk him or her, wouldn't you? What have
you done about the plagiarism committed by Regent
Prokop? Nothing, so far, obviously. Do you intend to .
do something? Well, man" students hope and expect '
you will do something, and nowl Today!"
The resolution was not submitted for political
reasons, Wolfley stressed.
Wolfley said he was "shocked" that only a few
people have become incensed by the plagiarism and
that Prokop did not voluntarily resign.
"Something like this anywhere else would require
his resignation," he said.
The larger issue of faculty accountability is also
involved, Wolfley said. The NU faculty has not been
accountable to the moral position students can
rightfully expect them to take, according to Wolfley.
The faculty has a long history of not taking a stand
on issues which concern students, he said.
"They have neglected their responsibility to
protect students."
Wolfley said several students who discussed the
resolution with him said they felt the faculty would
be "too chicken" to support it.
According to Wolfley, if the resolution does not
pass, "it will show the faculty has no concern other
than handing out grades at the end of the semester."
Faculty members voting against the resolution will
be exhibiting "fear of personal economic
reprecussions." he said.
Wolfley encouraged all students to discuss the
resolution with their professors and to urge the
faculty to vote for the resolution.
Information pamphlets stating the evidence against
Prokop will be made available to students next week,
he said.
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