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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 1982)
7V. - Photo by Beth Lawton Richard Manning, Lincoln, takes advantage of Mon day's warm weather to try his water skills at Pawnee Lake, west of Lincoln. SUMMER N H) CD RAS AN Number 3 School of Journalism University of Nebraska June 10, 1982 Arms rally emphasizes children, parents BY JIM ANDERSON The peace movement in Lincoln plans to take the issue of world survival to the people of the city with two rallies scheduled to coin cide.with this month's second Special Session on Disarmament at the United Nations in New York. The second Special Session on Disarma ment began at the U.N. Monday and is sched uled to last five weeks. The first rally, organized by O.J. Scott, minister of education at the First United Methodist Church, 2723 N. 50th St.,his wife Susan and several Lincoln civic, church and peace groups, will be held in Pioneers Park Saturday at 11 a.m. The event is designed for children and their parents, Scott said. It will help them to become aware of the possible consequences of the arms race and try to interest them in the peace molvement, he said. The second rally, sponsored by Nebraska Artists for Disarmament, the Lincoln Freeze Campaign and Nebraskans for Peace, will be held Sunday, June 20, at 1 p.m. on the north steps of the Capitol. This rally was to have been held last Sunday but was canceled be cause of bad weather reports. Chief organizer for this rally, Sue Kirk, of Nebraska Artists for Disarmament, said it is being held in celebration of the U.N.'s special session on disarmament. It is designed to in form the public both about the peace move ment,the arms race and to draw attention to the special U.N. session. The arms race is a threat to the world's existence, Miss Kirk said. She said that the special disarmament session is of great global importance. Miss Kirk said she believes the global peace movement is producing good results and that it will continue to do so. "It can only get bigger," she said. "I personally got involved (in the peace movement) because I believe nuclear weapons should be kept under control but are n't," Miss Kirk said. Arms face described as a monster She describes the arms race as a monster that needs to be killed. Each citizen has an ob ligation to take a stand on the issue of world survival, she said, "This is our government. . . We put our rep resentatives there," she said. She said citizens need to try harder to keep the government under control and account able to the people. Ticked owners advised not to spare pet pests Warm-blooded creatures can avoid playing host to ticks this summer with an ounce of prevention. To lessen the chances of being bitten, clothes and infested areas near the home should be sprayed with repellents, said Dave Keith, University of Nebraska extension ento mologist. The most common kinds of ticks in Ne braska are the American Dog or wood tick and the Brown Dog tick. The same sentiments were expressed by Scott, organizer of Saturday's rally at Pio neers Park. Scott, who calls the rally "a sort of nursery school classroom," said it also shows local support for the U.N.'s special ses sion. Scott said children at the rally will be taught how to make peace both in the home and the community. Activities for children will include co operative (non-competitive) games, group singing, testimonials about peace and letter writing to President Reagan, he said. Letter writing encouraged Scott said children across the country are encouraged by peace groups to write letters to the president telling thair feelings about the arms race and their hopes for a peaceful future. He said all children need to be con cerned about the country's move toward in creased militarism and more military spend ing. Many children, Scott said, have strong opinions about this issue. "The issue involved here is whether or not we want a future for ourselves and our chil dren," Scott said. He said citizens throughout the world should support disarmament proposals made by peace groups and political leaders. Scott said Saturday's rally will be held just west of the war memorial in Pioneers Park. He said the choice of location is symbolic. "There are no monuments to peace in Lin coln," he said. Rally includes speakers and music Miss Kirk said her group's rally will in- 0" Q A. Mm m "mmhS Photo by Terry Hyland A swimmer "falls" for the sunny skies and warm temperatures at Woods Memorial Pool Sunday in Lincoln. elude speakers the Rev. LaRoy Seavor, direc tor of ministries of the Nebraska Methodist Churches, and Marian Todd, president of Ne braskans for Peace. Music will be provided, she said, by the Star City Players and by Jim Salestrom. The event is scheduled to last three-and-a-half hours. Miss Kirk said her group has encountered very few persons against disarmament in Lin coln and DeCourcy Squire, a spokesperson for Nebraskans for Peace.also said the peace movement here has encountered suprisingly little opposition. "Of course there are always those persons who want to keep armaments (spending) up," Miss Squire said, "but those who have been circulating the (disarmament) petitions are suprised by the amount of support they've gotten from people they didn't expect to give it." Support for arms freeze is increasing Miss Squire said support for a freeze of nu clear weapons is increasing among persons who have formerly opposed such an action and those who until now haven't really given the issue much thought. There are some in the peace movement who favor complete nuclear disarmament and others who favor simply a freeze in the number of nucear arms being manufactured and deployed, she said. Miss Squire said there is no real conflict on this acount, saying that those who favor a freeze see it as simply the first logical step in disarmament. "Disarmament will be a long process," she said. The Rev. Lee Van Ham, Christian educa tion director at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, one of the sponsors of Saturday's rally, said the peace movement rejects nega tive labels. He said the movement is not an "anti-movement" but a positive, grass-roots movement of people who want peace, justice and disarmament in the world. He said Saturday's rally focuses on chil dren as an attempt to prevent another gener ation of arms race supporters from emerging. Local rallies encouraged Van Ham said sponsors of the special U.N. session have encouraged local communities to hold their own rallies. Peace groups all over the country have travelled to New York for the event and Van Ham said over 250 thou sand people are expected by peace groups to attend a Saturday rally celebrating the ses sion. Miss Squire said 70 to 80 persons left Ne braska Wednesday bound for New York to participate in disarmament rallies there Sat urday. Scott said the movement supports moves by all countries toward disarmament. "This is a chance," he said, "for everyone to just say. 'Now's a good time to stop build ing bombs.'"
