edito
no
Hometown defended
Dear editor:
In reference to "Boredom Found in Snowbound
My Home Town":
First of all, McCook was not snowbound during
the recent spring break. We were able to navigate
quite easily.
Secondly, the "main drag" in McCook is
respectfully referred to as Norris Avenue in honor of
the late United States Senator, George Norris. Norris
is remembered as the greatest senator in Nebraska's
history. Among his more famous accomplishments
are the '"Lame Duck" amendment to the
constitution,' the Tennessee Valley Authority and the
Unicameral Legislature of Nebraska.
Thirdly, there is no runoff from the stockyards in
McCook. These stockyards are efficiently run feeding
yards where cattle are fattened so many people across
the nation may enjoy fine Nebraska beef.
There are several fine drinking establishments in
McCook. After reading Dreesen's comments, we are
wavering between the opinion that he doesn't enjoy
drinking in a bar or that he just needed some material
to fill out his article.
McCook does not have two liberal arts colleges. It
has one community college which is not run by the
Benedictine nuns or the Congregational church. This
community college provides an immense service to
McCook. It allows students who want to fulfill many
basic requirements in a smaller classroom
environment to get an education. Dreesen's comment
that these people are "dull" shows his feeling that he
is superior to most people. If Mr. Dreesen were to
meet us, he would probably call us "dull" also. Well,
he certainly has that right but since we're sure he has
not met the people he's referring to, maybe he
shouldn't pass mass character generalizations.
One must remember that most drug abuse is
against the law. Whether the police use a "Gestapo
style" or not is not relevant. They are merely
enforcing the law just as they enforce speed zones,
laws against assault, rape, driving while intoxicated or
whatever.
McCook Senior High is not a lingering remnant of
the 1950s, and I do remember finding the word
"innovation" in a school dictionary my sophomore
year. MHS gives more than sterile versions of history,
political science and English. They are quite fertile in
material covered and are very good preparation for
students who attend institutions of higher education
or people who go on to become housewives,
merchants, etc.
Also, no instructor ever attempted to impose his
morals on us in high school. Most teachers were
outstanding professionals in their field as well as
outstanding individuals. We must admit, though, that
McCook, like any other school system in the country,
does have some mediocre instructors. And to the best
of our knowledge no student was ever reprimanded
for smoking cigarettes after school hours.
Maybe our whole point is summed up when one
points out that Joe Dreesen's address is Yankton,
S.D. Maybe "Boredom Found in Snowbound My
Home Town" explains the good times found in
Yankton, since Joe obviously doesn't live in Grand
Island, Norfolk, Scottsbluff, Ogallala, Ord or
McCook. But then he probably just picked those
towns off a map. Well, thanks anyway, Joe, for your
valuable insight into boredom in our hometown.
Brent Dickie
Steve Messinger
Funny things
Dear editor:
A hearty thanks to Ben Aymon for setting the
record straight. I was, thanks to Mr. Wheeler's
subversive cartoon, truly convinced that all foreign
students are blind. I shudder to think of the times I
have made obscene gestures in front of those people
to impress my American friends. What they must
think!
Good God of Goshen, people, why make such an
issue over a harmless cartoon! What power does it
have?
Since this is my letter, Til tell you.,
It has power when constricted sphinctered liberals
give it power. It has power when the mere fact of
being a foreign student excludes any possibility of
finding humor in a normal, human, humorous
situation.
Things are funny because' they are funny, not
because people choose to laugh at them. How many
American students have had trouble understanding a
foreign student because of his accent? How many
American students have found themselves with a class
under Professor Fzxphtok? What harm did it do to
make light of the situation? Certainly less than taking
up arms against all foreigners, which is precisely the
situation Ms. Silhasek's attitude will force some
people into.
This summer 1 got on the elevator in Hamilton
Hall with a Japanese man, his wife and one of the
cutest babies I've ever seen. The baby was trying very
hard to stay awake and the faces he made caused me
to grin from ear to ear. I said, "He looks pretty
sleepy." The Japanese man quickly answered, "Tnank
you."
Was this funny? Did it make the man appear more
or less human?
In Mexico a friend of mine wanted to comp liment
his host. In Spanish he said what he thought to be,
"You have a very clean kitchen." Actually, he said,
"You have a very clean pig."
Was this funny? Why? Because my friend had
made a fool of himself or because the situation,
including my friend and his host, was humorous?
I realize my views are very out of fashion, but my
stomach began burning when I read Ms. Silhasek's
letter and is only now coming under control.
To Mr. Aymon, my sincere apologies if some
situations arose that caused you mental discomfort.
But you can combat this by separating the serious
ones from those that are to laugh. Equating the
serious situation of political propaganda in America's
schools with the Ralph in question is a little like
comparing heroin to pot.
Chuck Strinz
dMBOlk
fw raws
SHELDON
ART GALLERY
12th & R ST
f J
.1-
V' .1
Ml
If f ;!
Documentary Films
REGGAE
Produced and Directed by Horace Ove
60 minute 1970 Great Britain
Reggae it a documentary on Jamaican music based around the 1970
Caribbean Music Festival held in Wembley, England which brought
together the leading exponents of reggae mui.it; and wii Um
thousand fans. Intercut with selections of the music and its
performers is narration on the history of the music, its motivations,
and its social and political significance. Interviews with disc jockey
Mike Raven and reggae producer Graham Goodell, offer information
about the music's cultural origin, technical components and
problems in the industry. The film provides a comprehensive
background of the people and ideas that have gone into the much
abused immigrant music that is changing the values of a large section
of working class England. It defines reggae as a serious music from
the West Indies,
plus
BLACK ROOTS
Produced and Directed by Lionel Rogosin
With Flo Kennedy, Rev. Fredrick Douglas Kirkpatrick, Rev. Gary
Davis, Jim Collier, Larry Johnson, Wende Smith.
60 minutes 1970 USA
BLACK ROOTS distills the history and culture of the Black
American by five filmed autobiographical sketches.
Through personal memories of sharecrop farm slavery, of imposed
acceptance of white supremacy, of valiant defiance to threats of the
Ku Klus Klan-and most powerfully, through blind Gary Davis' tale
of a friend finding his wife's body riddled with white mens' bullets
and hanging from a tree-the viewer relizes the denominator
comxn to ell black people: oppression.
These stories, told with anger, sorrow, humor, pride and strength
developed in the film with songs and music, while recorded
performances by famous Black artists from Leadbelly to Jimi
Hendrix underscore a deftly interwoven montage of black faces
photographed in the streets of this nation.
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday-April 8, 9 & 10
Screenings at 3, 7 & 9 pm ,
Admission $1.25
Q
iffynWJ
Or f - 1 r w-i yi i
BARGAINS AS VARIED AS
POSTERS, PICTURE FRAMES, WOODEN TOYS, COSMETICS, BEDSPREADS, BATH
PRODUCTS. MOBILES, PLAQUES, AIR HORNS, CANDLES, PLACEMATS, KEY
CHAINS, COLORING BOOKS, WINTER SCARVES, TEA, INCENSE, T-SHIRTS,
BRACELETS, EARRINGS, CANDLE HOLDERS, CORK BULLETIN BOARDS, AND
SELECTED BIG RED ITEMS AND MORE, MORE, MORE.
Free Peanuts and
Peanut-Priced Bargains starting at 8C
monday, apri! 7, 1975
daily nebraskan
oage 5