The Ridgerunner, September 29, 1967—Page 2
Letters to the Editor
Bob Bell
WHIFFLERY
A Beginning
One of my favorite quotations yours and yours alone. Educa- column. His first correspon-
DEAR EDITOR,
One of the most important wea
pons in the arsenal of today’s
contest for knowledge and liberty
is words. One of the biggest
problems is notonlyusingwords,
but also abusing our use of words.
The Lord’s prayer has only
56 words. Lincoln’s Gettsburg
Address contains 266 words. The
ten commandments are made up
of 297 words. The preamble
to the Declaration of Indepen
dence has less than 411 words
but a government order setting
up the price of cabbage was
found to contain 26,911 words.
The more decent minded a-
mong us are offended when beat
niks, peaceniks and hippies paint
filthy four letter words on signs
to be carried in demonstrations.
We object to the so-called ‘filthy
speech” campaign on college
campuses. These expressions
and terms are generally thought
of as “dirty words” by the maj
ority of every community. Never
theless, proponents of free and
open use of profanity and ob
scenity expend tremendous en
ergy and vast hours advocating
the merits of such language. The
worst among them insist that
words not even fit for alley
fences ought to be freely used
In public society including re
ligious services. Somehow, I
have never been able to under
stand how words that conjure
up the filthiest, lowest and bas
est of human behaviors can add
dignity or conversation, song or
sermon.
To the revolutionist, "work”
is a dirty word. He sees no
justification for his having to
earn a subsistence since he is
busy turning the world upside
down.- As a consequence the
world ought to take care of his
needs, preferably by some fed
eral tax, while lie goes about
destroying the very means that
pay the tax in the first place.
To growing numbers of Ameri
cans, the words “soap”, ”hon-
or”, “patriot’’, “moral” and
“law” are dirty words. These
are words nobody uses unless
he is totally out of step with
the modern times.
The list Is endless. Our mo
dern rebels feel no loyalty or
respect for such words as “flag”
or “respect”, or “profit” or
“talent” and on and on!
Perhaps that Is why so many
people in this nation are only
mildly shocked when a promi
nent young social rebel, Stokely
Carmichael, stands before col
lege students In Birmingham
Alabama and cries out: “To
hell with the law s of the United
States.” He advised his audi
ence. “If a white man tires
to walk over you, kill liim.”
He also predicted that “your
brothers in the ghettos are going
to wake up w}th matches. One
match and you can retaliate.
Burn, baby, burn!”
Dr. iviartin Luther King stood
boldly before a large audience
and proclaimed the United
States “the greatest purveyor of
violence In the world today” he
said he ought to confess “that
we have been wrong from the
beginning of our adventures in
Viet Nam.”
“These are revolutionary
times,”, he said. “All over
the globe men are revolt
ing against old systems of ex
ploitation and opression and out
of the womb of a frail world,
new systems of Justice and equa
lity are being born. We In the
west must support these revolu
tions.
It is a sad fact that western
Nations that Inititated so much
of the revolutionary spirit of
a modern world have now be
come the arch anti - revolution
aries.
These two residents of Ameri
ca find new and strange ways
to distort and twist the mean
ing of some of our most im
portant and reliable words.
Every time they speak them,
a few more misdirected citi
zens swallow this irresponsible
difference in the meaning of great
words.
LOWELL DEAN JOHNSON
.Dear Editor,
A portion of my letter (RIDGE
RUNNER, Sept. 15, 1967) which
relates to my scholarship, was
a ‘little unclear’and was brought
to my notice my Dean Dula. I
do not want to give wrong Im
pression to the readers and so
I would like to clear that now.
I mentioned what I knew and was
told by the president of the stu
dent body, Mr. Jim Day, last
year. After my letter published
I was told by Dean Dula that the
story was different.
The story goes something like
this; First I would like to men
tion that I never had, nor do I
have now, a scholarship toAshe-
ville-Biltmore College. In the
second term of the year 1966,
I requested Dean Dula for some
help and told him my situation
(that I was and unable to get the
money from my parents in India
due to foreign exchange troubles
and I can’t work since I have to
have permission toworkfrom the
United States Department of Jus
tice, which Is also a trouble and
headache). Dean Dula understood
my problem and arranged me
some help. Few days later he
called me and told me that the
scholarship has to be canceled
since I drive, an automobile and
I was sent to Mr. Day to help
me through student body. (I wasn’t
aware of the fact until now.)
I thought Mr. Day has to recom
mend me for the help and I
talked to him and also, proved
that I wasn’t the owner of the
car. (The car was the result
of an American friend’s kind
ness). Mr. Day’s reply was still
negative. However, Dean Dula
did arrange me some money
through Asheville - Blltmore
Foundation with the Iielp of presi
dent of the college, Dr. Hlgh-
smlth. (I only know this now and
am grateful to Dean Dula, Dr.
Hlghsmlth and to the college.)
I think this clear the ‘unclear’
portion of my letter.
I would like to quote Mr. Day's
reply to Dean Dula’s request;
“We feel tliat we couldn't give
help to a student who was driv
ing a car when most of those
students who were going to be
called upon to contribute to Mr.
Shadman’s assistance were not
themselves the owners of an
automobile. ” My comment is
that I can’t accept help from the
students who most likely are In
the same situation I am. As a
matter of fact, I know few stu
dents here who doesn’t even get
enough money to eat, how could
possibly they provide me (or any
one in my situation^ help In one
way or the other.
I would also like to express my
thanks to Dean Dula and pay re
gards to this thought, “1 find no
argument with anyone who wishes
to discuss any aspect of college
life so long as they keep their
facts In order.”
Haroon K. Shadman
from Mars Twam
“I have no special regard for
Satan; but I can at least claim
that I have no prejudice against
him. It may even be that I lean
a little his way, on account of
his not having a fair show. All
religions issue bibles against
him, and say the most injurious
things about him, but we never
hear his side. We have none but
the evidence for the prosecution,
and yet we have rendered the
verdict. To my mind, this is
irregular. It is un-English; it is
un-American; it is French . . .
Of course Satan has some kind
of case, it goes without saying.
It may be a poor one, but that
is nothing; that can be said about
any of us.” Thus this column
will be the last will and testa
ment of Satan himself. Unlike
Christianity, however, I will give
anyone ample opportunity to give
the other side of the picture.
The free exchange of Ideas is a
very important part of college
life and any comments for or
against what I have to say will
be greatly appreciated although
probably hated at the same time.
Comment there will be, I assure
you; for most of my opinions
are “grey” rather than “black
or white” and I tend to see
everything this way - that Is the
good with the bad. As a result
I am usually disliked by both
sides, this means two things;
(1) I am usually left out in the
cold as the only one believing
what I do and (2) being hated by
both sides Is a sure sign of
neutrality. When I do swing my
opinions to either “black or
white” I begin by breathing firei
Anyone will be able to tell when
I do have a “black” or a “white”
opinion.
i feel that I must repeat what
I have said many times In many
different ways to that my over
all concept of what education is
all about comes through for this
influences about all I have to
say on any subject. I am talk
ing about ‘ the search.” We are
all here in search of something,
I cannot say what It is for you
because I don’t know you. How
ever, there are certain basic
things that education will give
you that can be “searched out”
while in college, among the many
concepts that you can search for
with the tools of education are
meaning - for yourself and the
world you live in; your role in
this particular society and how
It should be accomplished and
why ; how to meet the every
day needs of yourself as well
as the everyday needs of those
you hold closely. The list Is
endless but I think by now you
get the general idea.
Let me say here that this is
the most exciting and vital part
of your life - I know for Pm
still searching. The “search”
should be exciting and Invigo
rating and meaningful to you and
you alone. It will Influence others
but the special meaning will be
tlon provides the tools by which
you conduct the “search” and
the use of education is impor
tant. Therefore, the more one
learns the more clear cut the
“search” becomes but in a way
special to that individual alone.
This Is the very special mean
ing that education has in my
own life and more often than not
this is what gets me through a
day. So let us not be afraid to
“search” - right? Meaning Is
an often relative term because
It “means” so many things to
so many different people. This
column is simply a personal
expression of my “search” and
I am willing to share it with
you and It is just as easy for
you to share your “search” with
me, particularly if it differs
from mine because both of us
learn something in the end.
There’s plenty of time to go into
this later but for right now I
think this is enough.
A short biographical sketch
of myself is in order to allow
you to get the full Impact of the
column. I am 24, over-welght,
balding and married - the first
three being the result of the
fourth. I have gone to school
here forever and probably will
keep going until some catastro
phic happening occurs like gra
duation. I have served my coim-
try in the Armed Forces (Army)
where I made PFC the hard way-
PFC, Corporal, PFC. You see I
had this slight disagreement with
this First John and, well . . .
why bore you with the details?
I have the mentality just above
that of an imbecile so that makes
me one step above the vast ma
jority of people who write co
lumns In newspapers nowadays.
I don’t pull ptmches, either, so
that makes me vain - nowadays.
Keeping this In mind I will say
one more thing: From time to
time thl s year I will have a
guest writer - Norman Whlffer -
who is the Inspiration for this
dence with me should occur
sometime next month. I know
that you are all awaiting his first
piece as anxiously as I am.
Some of the topics that I plan
to cover in this column are Viet
Nam, the Great Society, campus
life, student government, sports
and life in general. All the sub
jects will be topical and known to
everyone. My opinion, however,
will probably not be known even
after you’ve read the column -
that of course wUl be my fault.
Letters to the column will l>e
printed in the column itseU sub
ject as I am to the scrutiny of
the editor. Comments from
everyone are, of course, most
welcome stopping short of bodily
harm.
I had planned to say something
this time but it seems that space
is running out so 1 will cut out
for now. Next week: A Look At
the New Left.
Panty Raids
Good Release
(ACP)— Panty raids , often
denounced as a sign of immatu
rity are actually a healthy way
to relieve tensions, according to
a Northern Illinois University
professor, the Northern Stars
reports.
Dae H. Chang, sociology and
anthropology professor, said that
at the end of a long winter stu
dents want to take advantage of
the warm weather to get rid of
“cooped up” feelings and that
panty raids are “among the more
desirable means” of doing It.
Alternatives are drinking, steal
ing, and using narcotics, he said.
“As long as the activity Is In
the context of the campus, and
society is not distrubed, them
the raids should be tolerated,”
Chang said. “Actually, I’m glad
the students around here are
developing esprit de corps to
stage these raids.
“As long as the raids are
kept under control by the police,
I don’t think student behavior
will go outside the tolerable ran
ge.”
The Ridgerunner
Stewart Judkins Editor
Thom Mount Mananaging Editor
Bob Bauer Business Manager
Gail Lunsford Make-up Editor
Karen Mowery .... Advertising Manager
********
Our Letter Policy
Letters to the EditM- and submissions foi* guest edUorials
should be left at the office of The BWgemimer or put in the
intracampus box in the Student Union Building. All subnussions
must be signed.
We welcome both letters and longw more comprehenstvo
articles of opinion from students, faculty, administration, and
from any citizens of the community wtwse contribution is
directed toward the educational Interests of the ’ college. All
submissions should be typed and doublespaced.