6The Daily Tar HeelThursday. September 24. 19S1
Jim Hummel. Mi.
:EIkchkikeir he&matf-u&. trip
Susan Mauney. Mi'Vc J"'
Mark Murrell. Um
Jonathan Rjch. amw Mm
Edwin a Ralston, iimmiiy bjhm
John Royster. cuy uduor
CH ARLES HERNDON. Suit- and National Editor
Beth Burrell. n.h. Editor'
Clifton Barnes. SHro iw
Tom Moore, Editor
Keith King. Featum Editor
SCOTT SHARPE. Phokyraphy Editor
Ann Peters. SWrt ;,,,.,
Chuck James. OmWm,m
Sailg
89th year of editorial freedom
Unexcused absence
When massive numbers of Vietnam demonstrators converged on the
White House during the turbulent 1960s, Presidents Lyndon Johnson
and Richard Nixon chose to remain at their posts. But when President
Ronald Reagan heard that 200,000 protestors were on the march to Wash
ington, assembled by the AFL-CIO to show union solidarity in opposition
to his policies, the president opted to slip out of town to Camp David for
the weekend. ,
Reagan's action was a two-fold mistake. Presidents should not abandon
their symbolic posts just when the going gets rough, but rather should be
willing to accept all challenges and responsibility for their administration's
actions. With his economic program and foreign policy subject to increas
ing attack, Reagan's vacation was particularly inopportune.
The president's unwillingness to face the nasty slogans and "Impeach
Reagan" T-shirts was also indicative of his approach to the presidency. ,
Although he is amiable, since assuming office Reagan has fostered a pres
idential style that is somewhat detached from the people. He has not
wanted his carefully-scripted statements to be scrutinized or directly chal
lenged by either angry protesters or cynical journalists.
Unlike his predecessors, Reagan has held very few regular news confer
ences during his first eight months in office. Instead, Reagan has chosen a
more congenial, less challenging approach to the press one in which a
select few have been invited to chat comfortably with the president.
Given Reagan's embarrassing gaffes a: previous conferences, it is not
surprising that he has chosen a medium that does not take long hours of
homework and knowledge of a wide spectrum of government issues. In
addition to hours of preparatory briefing, a press conference requires the
discipline of determining administration policies in advance on delicate
issues.
Compared to Jimmy Carter's detailed, meticulous involvement in gov
ernment policy, Reagan's ability to delegate authority is a refreshing
change. Yet, Reagan cannot abrogate responsibility for his administra
tion's actions, depending on trusted aides to formulate policy. If Reagan
wishes to unite the nation behind him on his televised speech tonight, he
must display an intricate knowledge of carefully-planned policies. He
must also be willing to personally defend decisions that ultimately are his
and his alone.
Smart move
By JONATHAN SMYLTE
As daily routines become habits and faces around cam
pus grow familiar, an epidemic of complacency can occur.
To prevent this stagnation, it might be good to remem
ber an acquaintance or stranger who has challenged your
way of thinking, someone who made you wonder, made
you question, made you look into yourself and then out
again. '
Robert Bobb spent a few hours with me one day dur
ing the second week of August. As we sat in the booth of
a restaurant, he described parts of his world, telling of
how he had lived off of America.
He claimed to have hitchhiked more than 7 million
miles, panhandling America for a place to sleep and an
extra buck Sl'million, he said.
Traveler, philosopher and floor-scrubber, the 41 -year-old
stranger said he had hitchhiked around the world
seven times and that he was writing a book about it.
Passing through Fayetteville, Bobb related some of
the adventures and philosophies he had gained in his 30
years of travel.
"Hitchhiking to me is a profession," Bobb said. His
skin was tight and dirty-brown from walking in the sun
on roads across the world.
" People today won't look at life like it comes to them,"
he said, leaning forward over the restaurant table, his
curly gray hair lying flat around his head.
"They want to hide from responsibility," he continued.
"It takes someone to look into the unknown before they
can know themselves.
"People are scared of what they don't know about.
You can't be scared to look into the unknown. God put
it here for us to explore. I am the type of man that wants
to know what is out there, what is next." ,
Pointing to a young mother serving food to her four-,
month-old baby at the next booth, he said, "Now there
is the unkndwn."
Wearing a military-camouflage shirt, its sleeves rolled
up high, and smoking Winston cigarettes, Bobb talked .
about bits and pieces of his life, making them sound like
a collection of fairy tales.
He said he spent his first eight years of life in Bethesda
Boys Home in Savannah, Ga., after being delivered to
the home at two months of age by someone who found
him in a basket.
"At age 8, 1 decided I did not want to stay there any
more," he said. "I was bored. 1 wanted to see the world,
see what life was about, not sit behind a desk and shuffle
papers. I didn't have anyone to depend on but me, so I
left."
Bobb called himself the king of thumbs and claimed
to have hitchhiked more miles than anyone else.
Letters to the editor
"I know how to panhandle, tramp, look poor," he
said, describing how he supported himself. Panhandling
is looking poor and hungry and asking people for help,
Bobb said. He claimed panhandling works especially
well in Florida, where he spent time "bumming off the
rich."
"Panhandling is one of the biggest aspects in America,"
Bobb said. "I take those few dollars and put them away..
Me, I have made a million and more. America will give it
to you."
After leaving the boys home, Bobb scrubbed drug- -store
floors to survive, he said. "I grew up the hard way.
I have been kicked all my life."
He made-his way to San Francisco and caught a ride
with a British flagship. "I scrubbed decks, I painted, I
did everything I could to keep the captain satisfied."
The ship took Bobb, then 10, to Bremerhaven, Ger
many. He spent the next four years with a family in Co
penhagen, Denmark, and then went to Stockholm, Swe
den, to spend three years in the University of World
Biology. -
Bobb said that when he was 18, he returned to Copen
hagen to marry the daughter of the family he had lived
with, but that problems arose when the United States
and later France refused to admit his girlfriend.
Bobb claimed that her entrance was refused because
her brother worked for the KGB in Russia.
MI went to Moscow hunting her brother and begged
him to flee to Denmark. He refused," Bobb said.
Bobb said he then traveled around Europe, washing
cars in France and picking poppy flowers in Turkey to
earn money.
In his many years of travel, he has stowed away in the
luggage compartment of a 707 airplane, been caught in
numerous stolen cars and has met many "jet-setters,"
Bobb said.
"I met Aristotle Onassis on a Greek freighter," he said,
naming one of a long list of world figures he claimed to
have known.
"He (Onassis) said he admired what I did for a living
and said nothing in life is a challenge unless you can chal
lenge it." -
"People with money, they need companionship, yet
they are dissatisfied with contentment. They just don't
have anything to live for. They have no other perspective
of life." -
' Bobb crossed his arms and leaned back in the booth.
There were spots all over his arms, mosquito bites from
sleeping outdoors.
He said he had spent many nights in the woods, hun
gry and tired, but surviving.
"Using the full luxuries in life, that is the killer. When
you use them, you have never known the hard times. The
' - k
L -
- -
Robert Bobb
... at home on the road
hard times is what keeps you alive because they make you
wake up. With money you don't care.
"Just look at the big, hungry business dealers. They
base themselves on one thing fine riches. People 35 to
45 are most apt to have heart attacks trying to push peo
ple and gain power, but they are only losing their souls.
"I value my life. I am like a bird. I am free as long as I
can sleep and eat. Everything on this earth comes out of
this earth. This earth right here is what God gave us.
"People don't realize what is out here until you get
out here and tough it one time. Sure, I could buy a Cad
illac. I don't want to. Twam what God gave me,'TBob"b
said, opening up his wallet and removing a single dollar
bill, the only money he had.
"If you don't have nothing, don't go stealing," Bobb
said. "Go ask for it. America has never let me starve to
death out here on these roads. That is why I say thumbs
up to America."
He said he wroilH Fv tntveKno arrainrl the Smith anH
then head back to Europe later this year.
Standing under a bridge" on Interstate-95 south, ex
tending both arms, thumbs up, he leaned to one side as
America passed by in the rainy hours of the early morning.
Jonathan Smylie, a senior journalism and English major
from Charlotte, is a staff writer for The Daily Tar Heel.
Student ' calls for halt in stoplight dispute
Despite the controversy that surrounded Secretary of State Alexander
Haig's visit to West Germany last week, President Ronald Reagan made a
wise choice in sending Haig rather than Defense Secretary Caspar Wein
' berger.
Haig's visit was not absent of protest nearly 50,000 demonstrators
gathered to voice their opposition to American arms policy and Haig
criticized the protesters for being silent about the Soviet nuclear arms
buildup.- ,
But Haig was the right man for the meetings, and he managed to lay
groundwork for stronger U.S.-West German relations. Had Weinberger
met with West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, the outcome might
have been significantly different.
Weinberger, Europeans remember clearly, was the one who announced
U.S. plans to assemble the neutron warhead and who would prefer to ig
nore European claims of right to consultation for future defense.
Haig, on the other hand, has given Europeans a promise to negotiate
European arms control with the Soviets and has constantly repeated the
United States' intent to pursue seriously a path toward arms control. Al
though Haig's controversial speech and the accompanying protest in Bonn
shadowed his diplomatic skills, the talks with Schmidt should help the
United States as it negotiates in the future with its European allies.
Changlng perceptions of the United States' commitment to Western
Europe, coupled with worsening economic conditions have forced the
administration to let the allies know that America might not immediately
jump to their rescue in the event of a nuclear war.
But part of the Europeans' reluctance to take a greater share of the
burden stemmed from the European perception that Jimmy Carter was
inept and uncertain in many situations. Reagan has taken a harder line
with the Soviets, which has pleased many of the allied countries.
Administration officials acknowledge that relations have improved and
that the NATO nations are being more cooperative. Haig's diplomatic
skill at Bonn should help reinforce that cooperation, and lead to future
negotiations that could strengthen the strained relations between the
United States and its Western European allies.
The Bottom Line
To the editor:
As your editorial "Stop and Go"
(DTH, Sept. 22) pointed out, students
and town residents will soon have to give
up the privilege of crossing the 100 block
of East Franklin Street without regard to
traffic. Your recommendation for student
action to prevent or delay installation of
the signal lights is without basis, given the
history of the issue, and would probably
hamper relations with the town, instead
of enhancing them.
On June 5, 1980, the Chapel Hill Town
Council adopted a resolution concerning
pedestrial safety measures. It requested
the N.C. Department of Transportation
to do the following:
To study the placement of a pedes
trian crosswalk with automatic signals in
the area of Pickard Lane and install such
signals if feasible.
To study the removal of the "Stop
for Pedestrians" signs at the crosswalk on
the 100 block of East Franklin Street and
replace these with automatic traffic signals
if feasible.
. To study the feasibility of synchroniz
ing the automatic signals on East Franklin
Street and undertake sudi a svncrircHiization.
The portion of the resolution which ad
dressed the Pickard Lane crossing was
praised by students and townspeople,, all
of whom recognized the dangers faced
when crossing Franklin at this point.
In response to the 100-block proposal,
Susan Strayhorn, then the Town Affairs
Committee director for Student Govern
ment, communicated to the town staff
and council Student Government's oppo
sition to traffic-light installation. She cited
the cost, problems of synchronization and
past record of safety of the crosswalk as
points to consider. She also urged recon
sideration of the proposal.
Throughout fall 1980, the Town Affairs
Committee and Student Body President
Bob Saunders researched the issue by con
sulting the Department of Transportation,
Chapel Hill Transportation Board, mem-,
bers of the council and students. We cir
culated petitions throughout campus, re
questing that students sign the request to
the council to reconsider and rescind that
part of the June 5 resolution which ad
dressed the 100 block. On October 24,
1980, I petitioned the council to rescind
the proposal, presenting to them signa
tures of hundreds of students who also
wished to retain the pedestrian right-of-way.
Michael Dixon also addressed the coun
cil, highlighting the concerns of disabled
students. Our arguments also included
protection of the "village" atmosphere,
problems of synchronization and our be
lief that this issue should have been con
sidered separately from the Pickard Lane
crossing. Having heard our position and
after consideration of our information,
the council remained in support of the
original June 5 proposal.
Student Government did everything"
possible to portray the concern of the stu
dent body to the council, and it was very
cooperative in providing us with the op
portunity to do so. Students spoke out
then now is not the time to voice oppo
sition. The Town Council studied the issue
and concluded that the benefits of install
ing lights at the crossing would outweigh
the costs. We students should not continue
to press this issue with the council; there
are more important things for us to ad
dress. We strive to keep relations with the
town on an agreeable and cooperative
level further provocation will only be
detrimental.
Ruthie Leaver
406 Ransom Street.
Letters?
The Daily Tar Heel welcomes let
ters to the editor and contributions
of columns to the editorial pages.
All contributions should be typed,
triple-spaced, on a 60-space line, and
are subject to editing.
Column writers should include
their majors and hometowns; each
letter should include the writer's
name, address and telephone number.
Unsigned letters will not be printed.
MeadeFa cota on education
By JOHN deVILLE
Bewitching '
Politicians are called lots of things,
but Joann Denton is beating her name
callers to the punch.
Denton, a candidate for mayor of
the mountain town of Morganton, has
openly called herself a witch.
She certainly is well qualified. Den
ton said she was once a go-go dancer
and Sunday school teacher, which
would seem to have prepared her well
for a career in politics. Included in her
platform is getting idle youth off
downtown streets at night, cleaning
vacant lots and barring shirtless men
from the town's business district.
"The town has accepted me as the
town witch, so why shouldn't they ac
cept me as the mayor?" she said.
One has to question Denton's con
fidence in her belief that the towns
people have accepted her. She hasn't
predicted a victory in the race and
she hasn't been seen flying around
town on a broomstick either.
Last laujh on lust
Women in those salacious, sexist
James Bond films have come a long
way since Goldfinger thrust Pussy
Galore into the limelight of the series
of throbbing thrillers.
A few years later, the pandering
producers saw fit to give us Holly.
Goodhead, but their latest venture has
taken their treacherous treatment of
women even further.
Flesh merchant Peter Wollf, the
aptly-named editor of Old magazine,
got quite a shock when he signed the s
buxom British bombshell "Tula" a ;
walk-on in the latest Bond bomb to
do a photo spread for his magazine.
It seems Tula, who is seen cavorting -by
a swimming pool in the latest sexy
celluloid sizzler' For Your Eyes Only,
was born a man and later underwent
sex-change operations.
Or at least so says the bad boy Bri
tish press, which is what we rely on
for the scuttlebutt and scandal that
often skates its way into this column.
But justice prevails. After all these
years of mistreatment and cheap shots
by Arthur Broccoli and his band of
sexist pigs, women have finally gotten
the last laugh on the backward Bond
subculture and all at a man's ex
pense. ;
And that according to the sexist
police is the bottom line.
Friday's letter to the editor by Jackie Blount and a col
umn by Mark Murrell, "Why was J.T. kicked out of
grade school?" DTH, Sept. 18), present problems that .
share common roots.
Analysis of Blount's letter leaves the reader with two
points: The number of incompetent teachers is large,
and the answer to this problem is "higher teacher status." ,
First of all, I seriously question Blount's information
about teacher salaries. From my experience as a son of a
North Carolina public school teacher and my knowledge
of the ins and outs of the North Carolina education sys
tem, with the exception of administrators, the highest
pay to my knowledge is slightly more than $15,000 a year
(for people who have a Ph.D. and 10 years of experience).
Local supplements are a joke; they rarely exist for the
common teacher and then only in small amounts. In my
home county (Macon), for example, supplements exist
only for. coaches. A teacher in Macon County with 10
years experience and a master's degree receives slightly
more than $10,000 for a 10-month contract.
Take this amount and deduct federal income tax, state
tax, Social Security and teacher's retirement fund (pen
sion program equivalent to Social Security), and the
teacher receives slightly less than $750 a month (North
Carolina teachers' salaries rank 38th in the nation).
IT0SPOOS3
Secondly, I ask Blount by what mysterious medium is
this "higher status" supposed to come. The statement,
"Teacher morale and pride will increase only when we
Legal advice
Krio w ; your, tenant -lights .
Editor's Note: This advice is prepared by Student
Legal Services, which has an office in Suite A of the
Carolina Union. UNC students have prepaid for this
service and may obtain advice at no additional charge.
On a campus like UNC, where on-campus housing
is truly based on "the luck of the draw," the demand
for off-campus rental units is great. Many students
are not aware of their rights and obligations as ten
ants, nor of the corresponding rights and obligations
of their landlords.
Briefly, the landlord is required to keep the pre
mises in a fit and habitable condition. This includes
making repairs. You, as tenant, are required to keep
the area you occupy clean and safe, to dispose of
waste and to not deliberately destroy nor damage the
premises. Do any damage and you may forfeit your
security deposit.
Landlords are entitled to collect that security de
posit, but you are entitled to get it back when you
move Your landlord is required to itemize any dam
ages and ntail or deliver this list to you, together with
the balance of your security deposit no later than 30
days after you move out. An important point for you
to remember is that you should not be charged for
normal wear and tear of your apartment. " "
Say you haven't moved out, but your, landlord
won't respond to your cries of roach attacks and leak
ing pipes. Do you have the option of not paying your
rent until he answers your demands? The answer is an
emphatic no! You may not withhold your rent and
expect to keep your apartment. There is a possibility
of putting your rent money into an escrow account
and then notifying your landlord, but seek legal ad
vice before doing this.
Advice for the day: 1) Read your lease carefully be
fore signing. Make sure you understand all the rental
requirements. 2) Itemize damages in your apartment
when you move in, and have your landlord verify this. .
3) Always pay your rent on time. 4) Seek legal advice
before attempting to put your rent into an escrow ac
count or break your lease.
are strong as a profession," is a circular argument that
leaves her treading water. -
Murrell's column shows how serious the problem of
incompetency is by examining a recent incident.
Unfortunately for the reader, he is off target. Murrell
shows his ignorance of the problem when he faults the
principal and superintendent for not being familiar with
school policy and for being "timid and jumpy." Wrong,
sir, they are all too familiar with "school policy."
"Policy" is that the jobs of principals and superinten
dents depend upon publicly controlled school boards.
That means the parents can, so to speak, fire or give
cause for transfer if the teacher has tenure. Parent peti
tion squads headed up by a few disgruntled parents have
cost educators more than their share of grief and positions.
These small groups loom large and powerful to a principal
or teacher when compared with apathetic fellow parents.
Principals who feel they have no other parental or admin
istrative support give in willingly to such demands as book
banning. This gives rise to a rather sad system, because
many competent educators are fired or resign out of frus-
cators behind who simply comply with every parental
whim.
The solution to problems like those of Blount and the
principal of the Wake County school is simple in state
ment, but may not find many willing participants. My
advice to Blount and other education majors is that they
not be education majors. People interested in educating
society's youth should concentrate more on the subject
they are teaching, not on what I feel is a waste of time
educational science.
Officials at Duke University have wisely seen this. Last
spring, they kept only enough of their education denart-
ment to ensure teacher certification, forcing those inter
ested in education to do exactly as I have stated.
Then, Ms. Blount, when you and your colleagues are
confronted by an irate college-educated parent, you have
something more than confetti to throw back and stand
on. You will have your status and will need not be ashamed
nor hesitant about mentioning your profession. Finally,
state legislators, seeing what would be an enormous in
crease in competence, would be obligated, I think, to give
a proportionate pay increase.
1 close by stating that I wish to teach, in some form, in
a North Carolina public school. 1
John de VUle b a sophomore from Highland.