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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1975)
friday; august 29, 1975 page 4 daily nebraskan - Worth., housand word, Nope, ft-" SfScX&S ! H . 1 The last chapter "Cambodia!" was their rallying cry. Then suddenly, tragically, "Kent State!" became ours. Within hours, two more students had died in Jciclcson Miss. UNL's Military and Naval Science Bldg. was occupied by angry students. A mass strike was called. Student representatives flew to Washington for talks with Nebraska congressmen. They returned unsatisfied. The semester ended, we left the campus. The turmoil was over. Its repercussions here were not very far-reaching. That was five years and four months ago. We perennial students remember May 1970 vividly; few others now attending UNL do. A federal jury Wednesday ruled that Ohio State officials and National Guardsmen could not be held personally or financially responsible for the fatal shootings of four Kent State University students and the woundings of nine others. The justice that we rallied for, shouted for, wept for in 1970 still eludes us. Rebecca Brite WflAfS THIS LW F0R ) aw 75 CEOTS WIT? Photo by Steva tsoarner MZ YOU JJO, ALL UlfllTlUe TO WPMJ FOR BOY YOUR wm ID GIVE THEM AMY, TAKM SO IWO ( FOOTBALL CKCTS? T 2a. If IS THIS AO, WIS IS THE THE END ESWS.IOT OF THE FfClNjr THIS Ml BECRUSE THE TICKET SELLER IS SO IXm ( urn? A Ir 9 & XL LOOK, PAL I've STILL GOT "J MOKE LINES TV MIT THK0V6H TODAY, SO 1 OWTMEED M WOES AV .1 Q13 Columnists' views differ on Betty's Fordian sli By Del Gustafson In an interview with Morley Safer on the CBS "60 Minutes", Betty Ford laid it all on the line for the New Morality (that's all the New Morality asks of any girl). Mrs. Ford stated she wouldn't be surprised if her own healthy daughter Susan were having an affair, and, if more people had premarital affairs, it might lower the divorce rate. Now that simply is not true. While we have witnessed a general disregard of the moral presumption favoring chastity in the last few years, Mrs. Ford surely doesn't contend that the divorce rate has decreased. So, assuming Mrs. Ford is an intelligent woman, she must hold her position on sex not because she actually believes it, but rather out of some ova-riding national or personal interest. Here follow some hypotheses on the nature of those transcendent interests: -Possibly Mrs. Ford's views on sex are meant to show the Russians our real unwavering commitment to detente. In all - affairs foreign, domestic, premarital and extramarital-we Americans are prepared to submit to anything in the name of piec . . .er, that is, peace. In the year when we cannot extend our hand to Alexander Solzhenitzyn, the women of America are urged to proffer their sacred honor to Alex's jailers. Our two nations-at last united. Truly, Betty, a "worthwhile encounter, and not one of those..." -One interesting practical outgrowth of the airing of Mrs. Ford's views is that immediately following the telecast, 10 oil-rich Arab sheiks and Iki Amin demanded we send young Susan as an ambassador to their countries, thus making Betty Ford largely responsible for the itrengtheninf of our crumbling ties with the Third World. -Possibly Betty wished to demonstrate the Fords' total commitment to democracy by seeming to agree with the New Morality theorists that if 50 per cent plus one of the populace do it, it must be right. The only problem with this hypothesis is that if one accepts the idea that what is generally done is right, th;n tomorrow Jerry will abolish democracy and throw all dissidents into prison, that being unquestionably the "in" (short for Indira) tiling to do. -Mrs. Ford's concerns may have been mors mundane. Maybe hcal'hy Susan is just socially inept and mother merely wants to help out. If such is the case, Susan, help is on the way. The Young Americans for Freedom, at their national convention, formed a committee to Susan Ford. (What sacrifices these young patriots will make for their country!) Seriously, folks, Mrs. Ford also declared that the Supreme Court ruling on abortion was "a great, great decision." From a purely forma) standpoint, legal experts say the opposite-it was a very poor decision. But, worse yet, how can any woman, no matter what her views on abortion, greet a decision in favor of it with the uninhibited glee one generally reserves for a Little League baseball game? Mrs. Ford displayed a type of gross insensitivity that would be considered bad form if done by one of us commoners, but becomes positively barbarous when displayed by a First Lady. Mrs. Ford forgets that attached to her position is a certain ceremonial and symbolic aura. She is no longer a Grand Rapids housewife; the importance of her office demands she exhibit restraint contingent upon the leaders of state. Manners and morals are the glue that binds societies together. If Mrs. Ford does not wish to contribute to what Paul Elmer More termed the "reconstruction of life at the level of the gutter," she must learn to restrain and refuse the oooular directive to "sneak her mind." On Hoppe's side of the fence: kudos By Arthur Hoppe Good for Mrs. Ford! She's a regular one-woman sexual revolution. Not only does she candidly defend her right to sleep with her husband in their double bed "as often as possible," but she candidly condones the right of her daughter, Susan, to have a premarital affair. Of course, like any good parent, she says, "I'd want to know pretty much about the young man she was planning to have the affair with and whether it was going to be a worthwhile encounter or whether it was going to be ona of those . . .." Well, you know. So our revolutionary First Lady has at last brought the whole subject out into the open. To be sure, as with all revolutions, this one may cause problems. ("But, gee Susan, your mom said it would be okay.") , ' Or take the case of Gerry and Betty Haberdash, whose daughter, Sue, showed up one evening with a nervous-looking swain named Morton. . "Mom! Dad!" cried Sue gaily. "Morton has a question to pop to you." "Have you come, young man," said Mr. Haverdash looking up from his newspaper, "to ask for our daughter's hand?" "Well, no, sir," said Morton, fidgeting. "Not exactly her hand." "And can you support her," continued Mr. Haverdash sternly, "in the manner to which she's accustomed?" "I don't want to suDDort her " blurted Morton. "I want to live with her." . "Gerry, let me handle this," said Mrs. Haverdash quickly. "Tell me, Morton, is this going to be a worthwhile encounter or one of those. . ." "Oh, honest, Mrs. Haberdash, I think lt going to be really worthwhile. I know I'm sure looking forward to it. "I mean from Sue's point of view. Do you promise, Morton, to love, cherish and culturally enrich her?" "Sure. She can even borrow my library card." "And do you, Sue, take this man to have and to how until. . .Tell me, Morton, how long an affair are you planning?" "Gosh, I don't know," said Morton, perspiring. "Ho about 30 days with an option to renew?" "Thirty days!" cried Sue, bursting into tears. "Is that all you think of me, Morton?" "Gee, Sue..." "Before we set the date," mused Mrs. Haverdash, "we U have to pick out the announcements, the 'At Home cards, the guest list for the reception and. . ." la the end, Morton and Sue decided to get married instead on the grounds It was simpler all around. M'. Haberdash was stiil puzzled by the whole thing. "What m tarnation was that ail about?" he grumbled. But Mrs. Haberdash just smiled happily. (Copyrlflh' 'hroniclt Publishing Co. 1976)
