Thursday, September 23, 1982
Page 4
Daily Nebraskan
run in- i i ii i ...i - i . ii i inrrn rrm mtmm i'l pmW
nelis laVei5! met oblisatioti
mmrmm
, Ted Koppel had an imprccsive'lincup on AfctTs
ltline" Monday evening. Official after official,
ftom this country and the Middle East, appeared on
the program and said (hey believed Israel is not to
fclame for the recent massacre of Palestinian refuse
Ths" Fagin edministration however,1 Tuesday
declared that Israel, "must shoulder the responsibility,
for the massacres , . , because it was in control of the
city," The Associated Press reported.
The administration's view is right. When a military
force sots itself up as the protector - as Israelis did
when they ousted the Fekstine liberation Orgoniza
tics from Lebanon - it 'takes on the obligation to
protect those left behind. In this case, the Palestinian
guerrillas who left west Beirut were assured that their
refuses would be guarded from harm. They weren't,
Earlier reports tcid us that the Israelis sealed off the
area around two refuse camps and allowed members
of a rightist Christian military force to enter. So while
the Israelis were supposedly safeguarding the fort -and
in fact had control of Beirut - they Jet through
the murderers,
Israel had not been implicated for the actual killing
of what is believed to be in excess of 200 people, but
letting through the Phalangist militia is acting as an
accessory to the slaughter.
State department spokesman John Hughes said "If
you assume military control of an area, you are re
sponsible for what happens there " ,
And the chairman of the House Foreign Affau
Committee said "the fact they (Israel) permitted the
militia to go through their lines and into the camps was
an act of bad judgment . - '
?t was more than bad judgment It was an approba
tion of murder. s -
The United States should continue to resist that the
massaci-e at the Shatlla and the Sabra camps be ravestK
gated. If this country refuses to lead the Investigation
(White House Deputy Press Secretary tarry Speaker
Tuesday said that the United States "would not under
take such an investigation), then some other govern,
ment or group should do so.
Further, . Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin
should fully cooperate with an investigation, thus tar, i
the Israeli government has rejected calls for an inouiry
That rejection imputes guilt of the Israelis. If
country wants to clear itself of accusations that they
directed, the Phalangtets to kill the refugees, it should,
invite the fullest investigation possible,
Spei&es said in announcing the United States would
not pursue an investigation, "we feel the facts .will
come out."
. They will. But Israelis ought to offer the facta - be
fore they "come out" if they wish to squash under
standable cries that Israel played a part in slaying 200
plus Palestinian refugees.
Protestors viewed as an amusement
I'm always curious when I see a college student carry
ing a picket sign these days. You still see them once in a
while; when I do, I wonder why they're doing it.
Back in the late '60s and early 70s, I knew why they
did it. They did it because it was cool.
I don't mean to cast doubt on the sincerity of those
Bob Greene
long-ago protesters; most of them seemed to believe pas
sionately in the causes they were marching for. But the
fact is, it was a fashionable thing to do.
No more. Which is why, when I see a line of protesters
at a public event in 1982, 1 wonder what motivates them.
So I talked with a genuine, 1982, picket-carrying
college protester. His name is Gary Prichard, a sophomore
at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, 111., and
JNeOTaMcaa
Patti Gallagher
Daniel M. Shattil
Jerry Scott
Kitty Policky
Lori Siewert
Betty Miller
Leslie Kendrick
Melinda Norm
Sue Jepten
Richard Rolofton
David Wood
Larry Sparks
David Luebke
Dave Bant!
Craig Andresen
Robert Crisler
Carol Fehr
Doug Neti, 472-2454
Don Walton. 473 7301
Leslie Boellstorff
Mary Ellen Behne
John G. Goecke
Margie Hon
Susan MacDonald
Patty Pryor
Duane Retilaff
Michaele Thuman
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the son of a well-to-do family.
"It's very weird being a picketer today," Prichard told
me. "My 'causes' are . . . El Salvador, South Africa and
nuclear arms. When President Reagan spoke at Eureka
College's commencement ceremonies, I went there to
picket. I have also picketed at Illinois State University;
once was when North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms came to
speak, and once was when Secretary of Health and Human
Services Richard Schweicker came to speak."
I asked Prichard if the other students and townspeople
had reacted angrily to his protesting.
"Not really," he said. "That was the funny thing.
There was a small, group of us protesting, and it was
almost as if we were on display at an amusement. People
didn't get angry at the sight of us. They were almost glad
to see us.
"Parents came up to us with their children, and point
ed at us, and explained what we were. They took snap
shots of us. It was like, This is a protester. This is what
things used to be like.' "
He said that other college students treat protesters not
so much with disdain as with bemusemcnt.
"There are basically two groups of college students
these days," he said. "The first is the group that likes to
party. They just get drunk or get stoned - whatever it
takes to alter their minds.
'The second group is the business majors. They're in
college to try to get ahead. The only thing on their minds
is getting a good job when they get out of college. They
tend to be pretty bright people, but they would never
protest."
Prichard said that even though he realizes being a
protester is not in fashion, he is glad he's doing it.
"I've been spoiled, growing up as comfortably as I did
when other people had nothing," he said.
"I can't help it that I grew up in an upper-middle-class
suburban family, but at least I can take a stand on issues I
think are important.
"And I do it for a selfish reason, too. I think you tend
to meet a good group of people when you're picketing.
Picketers are usually very well-informed about issues
So you can learn a lot just by talking with the people
you're protesting with."
One thing Prichard insists he isn't doing is attempting
to recapture some of the glamour of the 1960s.
"Some people might think that," he said. "But really, 1
don't know all that much about the '60s. I was only 7
years old when the '60s ended, remember.
"I realize that I could be accused of trying to be part
of the romantic image of the radical protester. I honestly
don't think that's the case. There arc a few people who do
that, and you can pick them out pretty easily.
"I don't agree with people who do that. This is the '80s
now, and I don't think some of that stuff is really
appropriate. . . I'll bet a lot of them were just mere be
cause there were big groups of people, and free music. In a
way, they were conformists - they were conforming by
being nonconformists."
He said he hopes he can never be accused of that.
"There aren't enough of us around that you could ever
say that," he said. "Almost all of the college students I
know . . . realize there are problems in the world, but they
figure they can't do anything about those problems. So
they just stay apathetic.
"Some students see me and tell me they think I'm
doing a good thing. They don't join in, though. It's not
those people who bother me. The ones who take pictures
though - I could do without that."
11 1832. Tribune Co. Syndicate, Inc.
r&& Letters
Ayatollah supported
I am writing to clarify a subject printed in Daily
Nebraskan Sept. 9, 1982, about the Islamic revolution
in Iran and its leader, Ayatollah Khomeini.
Two subjects need to be discussed. First is the nature
of the people spreading propaganda against the Islamic
revolution. They are members of a terrorist organization
that is hated in Iran because of its horrible crimes against
the Iranian people (bombing railroad stations, setting
fire to public bus stations, killing prominent Islamic
leaders in the weekly Friday prayers and killing an old
woman who had reported her terrorist sons).
The western media do not report these crimes, because
they want only news about the trials and executions of
the "criminals."
Second is the action of people who show Ayatollah
Khomeini as a torturer who kills innocent people.
As a supporter of the Islamic revolution, how should
I demonstrate the crimes of these people? Should I set
fire to a bus loaded with children or blast a building to
kill more than 72 people at once?
In a society like Iran where laws are based on the
rules of Allah, people believe in capital punishment.
What should the government do? Give criminals the
Nobel Peace Prize? Or punish them based on the rules
that people believe in?
The Islamic republic government in Iran is working
for the people and people are fully supporting it. The
existence of that government is the best evidence of
support. Iran still has many problems to solve, but with
the faith that people have in their government and them
selves, they will manage the problems and overcome
the shortcomings.
Mohammad Sadeghi
graduate student, accounting
Pleased with life
With regard to Julia O'Gara's column of Sept. 20,
I feel we all believe in the "sanctity of life - primarily
our own. Ninety-nine and nine-tenths percent of us
probably are fairly pleased that we are alive.
But how many of us would not be here if abortions
had been as convenient and as easy to obtain 25 years
ago as they are in 1982 and if the pro-choice mentality
was as prevalent then as it is today?
Could you be certain that your parents would not
have aborted you because of congenital deformities,
mental retardation, rape, incest or failure of birth con
trol? We adamantly insist on our right to be here and go
to great lengths to protect our own lives, yet we cannot
manage to extend the courtesy of life to every human
being regardless of their stage of development or level
of dependency. We're too busy looking out for No.l.
Jean Schmit
junior, international affairs
Non-traditional fans
This letter is in response to Bill Allen's comments
(Daily Nebraskan, Sept. 16) about the ages of ticket
holders and seat-takers in the student sections at the
football games.
Some of the people Allen is concerned about might
very well be members of a growing group on campus
the non-traditional students. The number of non-traditional
students on the university is approximately 22
percent of the total student population. Older students
usually are married and may purchase two tickets, which
may be used by the spouse or by any children living
at home. AH student tickets have this information printed
on the back.
Perhaps Allen should be more careful in his descrip
tion of the people in attendance at the footoall games
and be aware that there may be an explanation for the
age differences in the student sections other than the
misuse of tickets by students.
Non-Traditional Students Association members
Mark Mundorff
junior, agricultural economics
Mary Jarzynka
sophomore, engineering
Marge Thomsscn
senior, consumer affairs
School 'not harmful9
The Sept. 9 Daily Nebraskan editorial about the Rev.
fcverctt SJcven of Faith Baptist School confuses me.
The article gave no indication that SOcvenV school has
harmed anyone. It cites no harm done to Faith Baptist
students, its employees, its parishinen or the general
community.
It is not clear that jail is the appropriate way to deal
with people whose only demonstrated harm to the com
munity it running a private school.
Fred Barney
UNL instructor, agricultural economics
