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Friday, November 5, 1982
Readsville Is Fun
You're reading my column. Good for you! I know it's difficult trying
to wade through textbooks, so it's understandable when something as
official looking as a newspaper is passed over. But it doesn't have to be
so.
After trudging through unending chapters of economics, business or
other required books, it is normal to forget that reading is fun. Yes,
fun. ..enjoyable and even pleasurable. I do not mean that something is
amiss if you do not look forward to the marathon reading session you
need to hold in order to pass a class. I firmly believe that, on the whole,
assigned literary works and texts are no fun. The benefit, however, of
indulging in a "light" book of your own choice are yet to be fully
counted. This activity propels you into a different world-usually one
where no term papers or case studies exist, and stimulates the juices
of the imagination. Unlike other activities that produce the same
results, reading also makes you feel that you've been productive:
you've accomplished something.
I am not suggesting that you overload on reading matter, required
or otherwise. Bear in mind, though, that ten pages of physics go faster
when you have mentally prepared yourself by realizing "I like
reading." Books that entertain as opposed to those which provoke in
tensely profound thoughts, do just that. These novels require little
more than willingness and concentration, yet they offer a chance to
escape into a pleasurable time-warp of imagination. In these days of
constant visual stimuli, concentration is becoming a lost skill, which is
directly related to the decline of book reading in people younger than
than ourselves. (We have our own excuses.) With a little effort,
though, books offer one of the best mental stimuli to be found.
Books are not a threat! Too often, when a person decides to take the
plunge and read, the whole process becomes an ordeal. What to read?
Where's the library card 9 Where's the book located? Where's the
library? Deciding to "get a book I've always meant to read" (usually
War and Peace), the novel is taken out, laid ominously on the desk and
is never touched until the overdue slip arrives in the mail.
This need not be true. Get a fun book-one that has been recommend
ed by a friend or is currently on the Winn Dixie Bestseller List. It
makes no difference. I would personally recommend "The Hit
chhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," Robbin's "Even Cowgirls Get the
Blues" or any John D. Mac Donald Travis McGee story the books with
a color in the title). These are fast-moving books and are great for the
free time after lunch or before bed.
Turn on the creative juices and turn off the right side of your brain,
to let it recharge. Grab a good book and re-discover the pleasure of
reading.
Time to Say "No!"
by John Cox
Staff Writer
Contrary to what many
Guilford students choose to
believe, a military draft is no
remote possibility at this time. A
registration act is already in ef
fect, draft boards across the na
tion have been chosen and train
ed, and the Alternative Service
Regulations for conscientious ob
jectors have been ratified by Con
gress. In other words, all the
machinery for the operation of a
draft exists right now. All that is
needed now is fuel-money from
Congress-to make the draft
machine crank up and start grin
ding out soldiers. From the time
Congress allots money to the
Selective Service System (which,
by the way, already has over 130
full-time employees) to the time
the first recruits show up for
basic training could be as little as
13 days. Young men must report
within 10 days after the date their
notice of selection by lottery was
mailed from Washington, not 10
days after they receive it.
It is not my belief that registra
tion is an unconstitutional act. I
registered willingly, my only
complaint being that there was
no place on the card to indicate
CO preference. It is interesting to
note, however, that the nation
wide compliance rate is only
95%-over 600,000 eligible young
men have not registered. There
are many reasons why I oppose a
draft.
Many people (I include
myself here) believe any and all
killing of human beings to be
wrong.
A person who is opposed to
killing and to using military force
as a means of resolving policy
disputes between nations, cannot
in good conscience submit to a
military draft.
The recently-approved Alter
native Service Regulations
(ASR). contain a provision
whereby proft-making corpora
tions will be allowed to utilize CO
labor. This is a drastic change
from previous laws. CO's must by
law, still be put to use doing
"work in the national interest,"
and I find that a reasonable re
quest from our government. But
to put the young men of America
to work drilling oil for Exxon or
performing similar jobs, is total
ly unconscionable. This measure
is obviously aimed at benefitting
big business. I, and many other
CO's, will refuse to be made
pawns of profitmaking en-
/uoStai. ip^.-rM^-.Af-IA*J^~CJ-U Vj^Viy
Active Duty
by R. Kirkman
Special Writer
In 1969, when I was 19, I was
drafted. At the time, the U.S. was
heavily involved in the Vietnam
War; most men drafted into ser
vice saw active duty. Since I had
been brought up in a Quaker
family and was opposed to
violence as a means of settling
disputes, I decided to file for Con
scientious Objector status. I have
never truly struck another
human being in anger, and I felt
that fighting and killing are not
only inexcusable, but insane.
This was a point of view affected
by many of my peers, but not
everyone who filed as a C.O. suc
ceeded in obtaining that status.
Probably, the only reason I was
allowed to become a C.O. is
because of my Quaker
background. Quakers are tradi
tionally non-violent.
To file for C.O. status, one must
request a change of status from
the local Selective Service board.
You were sent a form that had
two questions on it: 1) Why don't
you want to go to war for your
country? and 2) Why couldn't you
serve as a medic helping the sick
and wounded soldiers of your
country? You could use as many
pages as you wish in your
answers. As far as I know, no one
ever got C.O. status except for
religious reasons.
trepreneurs just as we have
refused to violate our consciences
by serving in the military.
There are other ways to show
patriotism for one's country than
to fight and kill for it. It is true
that we owe America something,
for we live here in a country that
at least allows us to debate issues
such as these. But a people must
keep a tight grip on the reins of
patriotism at all times, lest love
of country be perverted into
ethnocentrism. One can easily
serve his country (or repay his
debt to it) by supporting the
democratic process through ex
hibiting desires for tolerance,
peace, and justice. That military
service is the natural way to show
love for America cannot be used
by rational people to justify a
draft.
Once I was accepted as a C.0.,
I was assigned to two years in a
public-service job. First, I was
assigned as an orderly in a state
hospital, but was re-assigned to a
job as a janitor at the N.C. School
of the Arts in Winston-Salem.
After a bout of pneumonia, 1 was
further re-assigned to a job in an
office of the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I
had attended college. Although I
was not harrassed very much
there for being a C.0., I believe
this was because Chapel Hill is a
very liberal town and many of the
students there were involved in
the anti-war effort. I have talked
with other C.O.s who have told
me horror stories of being har
rassed by people for being
"cowards" and "communists."
Historically, C.O.s have been
subject to verbal and physical
abuse. During WWI, some C.O.s
were hung by mobs or tried for
treason. The same was true in
WWII. Due to popular sentiment
against the Vietnam war, our
C.O.s fared better, but were still
victims of some abuse, especially
by ultra-patriotic people who saw
us as shirking a duty to our
country.
The draft ended in 1973, but
recently it has been required that
all males over a certain age
register with the government. We
are told that this is to provide our
Guilfordian
Editor in Chief Joy Elizabeth Opaleski
News Joe Pardington
Academics Bill Wilder
Activities Wendy Brown
Editorials Joe Albright
In-Depths Alice George
Features Eric Zilling
Sports Scott Bradford
Entertainment Iris Velvin
Photography Roy Stottler
Graphics Gene Cline
Communications/Correspondence Martha Hay worth
STAFF...Dennis Blue, Emily Bonk, John Cox, Doug Drotman,
Arnold Markley, David Nash, Keigh Newman, Rob Newton,
David Tunney, Dennise Moore, Laura Collins, Andrea Weiner,
Brian Hiltner, Fawn Alcaide, Mike Lopez and Megan Fit
zgerald.
government with a list of names
to draw from in the event of a na
tional emergency. We are also
told (in trust-me-
I'm-your-big-brother commer
cials on TV) that it would take a
"special act of Congress" to
reinstate the draft. But just how
difficult would it be for Congress
to pass such an act? It's happen
ed before. It's hard to believe that
registration is being enforced in
nocently, with no premonition of
a future draft.
Although I escaped active duty
as a C.0., I was still forced to give
up two years of my life without
having any say in the matter.
However, I did fulfill the official
requirements and stayed within
the system. Many of my peers,
unable to obtain C.O. status, went
outside the system by running to
Canada or going underground.
These young men were con
sidered criminals for following
the dictates of their conscience,
and many were severely punish
ed. Today, much the same thing
is happening. Many young men
are refusing to register for the
possibility of a draft, and are be
ing prosecuted. And perhaps
some of those who have
registered will one day be filing
as Conscientious Objectors. As
the name implies, it's a matter of
conscience.