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friday, October 27, 1972
lincoln, nebraska vol. 96, no. 32
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Curtis hears claps, catcalls
by Steve Arvanette
Addressing a crowd of approximately 70
people, U. S. Senator Carl Curtis spoke on a
wide range of topics including President
Nixon's handling of the Vietnam war, a recent
Social Security increase, extension of the
military draft and Ralph Nader.
Curtis' presentation in the Nebraska Union
was frequently interrupted with applause,
grumbles or catcalls by members of the
audience.
The 67-year-old Curtis is seeking his fourth
six-year term in the U.S. Senate. Prior to his
election to the Senate in 1954, he served eight
terms in the House of Representatives starting
in 1938.
Republican Curtis faces State Senator Terry
Carpenter, the Democratic candidate, in the
Nov. 7 general election.
Commenting on reports of a possible
Vietnam cease-fire, Curtis said he has "been of
the opinion in the last several weeks that the
end of the war was near."
Curtis said his concern for an end to the
Vietnam conflict was "second only" to concern
for prisoners of war and soldiers missing in
action.
"When Nixon was sworn into office,
American casualties were 300 per week," the
veteran lawmaker said. He noted that figure has
been reduced to a handful per week currently.
Last chance
Today is the last day students have to
register to vote in the Nov. 7 general
election. Students can register until 4:30
p.m. in the election commissioner's office at
the City-County Building, 10th and J
Streets.
When Curtis added that "one American
casualty was too many," he was interrupted by
an unidentified member of the audience who
asked: "What about Vietnamese?"
Curtis declined to answer at that point but
asked the individual to pose the question later.
"I supported Nixon program because it
worked," he added in reference to the
president's Southeast Asian policy.
The Republican incumbent told those
present he nearly voted against an extension of
the military draft during the last session of
Congress.
Saying he has supported the draft in the past
because he felt it "necessary," Curtis said, "I do
not want the draft to become a permanent part
of America."
Following his short address, Curtis opened
the floor for questions and quickly found many
present in the room disagreed with his position
on several subjects.
When' one individual questioned the senator
about why President Nixon hadn't brought
about a peace settlement in Vietnam four years
ago, Curtis replied: "I'm not for continuing the
war. I think the quest for peace has been
occupying his (Nixon's) mind for four years."
"War is such an awful thing," he added,
saying he doubted the American people would
vote for anyone who wanted to continue such a
conflict.
Another questioner asked the senator about
his position on Gen. John Lavelle who appeared
before a Congressional ' committee to answer
charges that he ordered unauthorized bombings
of North Vietnam.
Curtis replied that civilian leaders get a
nation into war and that the public should not
be too harsh on a soldier who is pro-American
and against the enemy.
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Curtis ... "I supported the Nixon program because it
worked."
Presidential candidates avoid abortion issue
by Chris Harper
Amid the volumes of speeches that spew forth
during a presidential election, sexual issues generate
little verbosity. The 1972 race is no exception to the
traditional "hands off" policy on sex.
Both President Nixon and Sen. George McGovern
have confronted the abortion issue only once during
the campaign.
Last May, Nixon endorsed the campaign to repeal
New York's liberal abortion law. In New York an
abortion can be performed during the first 24 weeks
of pregnancy after consultation between the patient
and her physician.
"From personal and religious beliefs I consider
abortion an unacceptable form of population
control," Nixon wrote.
News analysis of the author
Many political observers said they believed Nixon's
intervention may have been an attempt to get votes
from New York's Catholic Democrats.
In the final week of the New York legislature's
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session, the assembly by a vote of 79 to 68 and the
Senate by 30 to 27 voted for repeal of the 1970 law.
Gov. Nelson Rockefeller split with the President and
vetoed the bill.
Nixon also ignored the pro-abortion
recommendations of the President's Commission on
Population Control chaired by Rockefeller's brother,
John.
The relative importance of the abortion issue to
McGovern might be indicated by its placement in his
campaign planners' notebooks. Abortion occupies
three paragraphs under miscellaneous issues in section
'W' at the end of the manual.
Although most of McGovern's proposals would
eminate from the White House, he said he believes
that the abortion issue should be the state's
responsibility.
"I have long opposed federal legislation on
abortion," McGovern said. "This issue should not be
inflamed, but argued by proponents of all sides in an
atmosphere of mutual respect and in the confidence
that moral wisdom and good order will prevail. I do
not believe in abortion on demand. But I do believe
that each person should be free to decide what
personal care to take, in consultation with doctors,
confidants, counselors or others in keeping with state
laws." '
Both the Socialist Worker's Party headed by Linda
Jenness and the People's Party led by Benjamin
Spock have endorsed liberalized abortion laws.
Why have the major presidential candidates said
little about abortion? Perhaps the issue is too volatile.
In an Omaha World Herald poll of 1,140
Nebraskans last May, 55 per cent said they favored
changing Nebraska's abortion laws to make the
operation a decision between patient and physician,
while 35 per cent opposed a change and 10 per cent
had no opinion.
Although no one records illegal abortions, Business
Week estimates that nearly one million are performed
annually. Another 500,000 legal operations are
performed in the 17 states that have more liberal
abortion laws. Therefore each year at least three
million Americans are directly affected by abortion
laws, plus parents, doctors and personal friends who
are indirectly involved iwth a woman's abortion.
An estimated 400 women died last year from
illegal abortions. Another 350,000 were admitted to
hospitals for damage reportedly caused by illegal
abortions, Business Week said.
But each presidential candidate has addressed the
abortion issue only once during the iyz campaign.
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