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levin ron "Shut Mali Mouth" tip tSar ?ecl Out Of The Fryin9 Pan . . . n its seventieth year of editorial freedom, unhampered by restrictions from either the University administration or the stu dent body. All editorials appearing in the DAILY TAR HEEL are the indivdual opinions of the Editors, unless otherwise credited; they do not necessarily represent the opinions of the staff. The edi tors are responsible for all material printed in the DAILY TAU HEEL. December 8, 19G2 Tel. 942-2356 Vol. LXX, No. 62 Does Failure To Act Mean Abdication? The "Beat Dook parade" resolu tion, passed Thursday by a 31-1 vote in Student Legislature, was intelli gently written, presented and de bated. The spirit of the resolution was responsible we hope action following- from it, will be equally responsible. The resolution protested the ad ministration's unilateral establish ment of an administrative-faculty board to review future parades and similar student programs, such as the Sigma Chi Derby and Home coming Weekend displays. The ad ministration's course of action, the resolution said, was "in bad faith with the concept of our government by compact." The student legisla tors asked for the abolition of the review board. This legislative action, we feel, correctly expresses a widespread and genuine student concern. Students have acknowledged the bad taste of several of this year's parade floats. They have acknowl edged that students have waited too long to do something about the parade and .similar displays. Nev ertheless, the administration's uni lateral action brought resentment. A review board is one thing but ijci administrative-faculty board im posed from above (even with the sizable provocation which South Building had in this instance) is quite another thing. The legislative resolution verbalizes content. student dis- THERE ARE dual issues involv ed here the practical question of what to do about "bad taste" and the broader question of student re sponsibility for student action. For future parades, the PiKA fraternity has established its own review board composed of two stu dents and a faculty member. This group probably could serve ade quately to ensure responsible stu dent action although it could function better if representatives were added from student govern ment, the IFC, the IDC and the Pan-Hellenic Council. Such a group could perform its job easier and more effectively than an administrative-faculty board, which would have to depend on fear of punishment to deter "bad taste" and this would give birth to more dating than good taste, and certain ly would not insure what the ad ministration wants. More important, however, than this near-term problem is the ques tion of student self-responsibility. In whose domain are such purely student functions as the "Beat Dook parade"? The students say, "The stu dents." The administration, we are sure, .similarly would answer, "The students . . . But when the stu dents fail to assume this responsi bility, then we must step in." Agreed. Now this getsjnto the question of time how long is too long? After how long can failure to assume proper responsibility be considered an abdication of that responsibility ? The administration gave the stu dents exactly one school day be fore springing their decision on stu dent government. Is this sufficient time? The administration said students had failed to assume responsibility in previous years. This was true, but it did not therefore necessitate unilateral administrative action this year. Student responsibility is student responsibility. That students tem porarily may fail to live up to their system and tradition is no reason why that system should be circum vented and that tradition ignored. THE SITUATION now pits two opponents who basically agree with each other. The administration pro bably would like to give students f the responsibility for reviewing pa rades. (We doubt if the Office of Student Affairs really wants to be responsible for every .student float and display.) As it is, however, the, administration feels it has commit ted itself and should not "back down." Public opinion, which was a maj or cause of the administration's action, has now subsided. It is time when the administration can ac knowledge in public, once again, what it would like to believe that the students are capable, in most cases, of handling their own af fairs. We hope the students soon will regain direction and control of pol icy in this small but significant area cf student activity. (JC) Negro Actors, Not Roles "Manchurian Candidate" was, to say the least, an interesting movie. Director Frankeriheimer made skill ful use of numerous technical and psychological devices to grab up the viewers and carry them through a twisted narrative. The acting was nothing out of the ordi nary, nor yet did.it need to be, it was sufficient for an hour's enter tainment. But one small thing within the movie that was significantly out of the ordinary was the casting of a Negro actor in a role that ob viously did not demand that the part be played by a Negro. It was certainly not a large part; nor was it a difficult part, but it was a part, and it was well done. The role was that of a consultant Psychiatrist, and obviously could have been played by a member of any race. But we find the fact that the Frankenheimer gave the op portunity to a Negro significant and heartening. Many of the lead ing Negro entertainers have ex pressed regret that directors have been reluctant to cast qualified Negro actors in roles that do not absolutely demand specific races. Their complaint seems justified. Indeed, if one were to judge the ratio of the races in this country on the evidence of our films, he would be led to believe that there just weren't too many Negroes in America, and that those who were here were of a specific type that which seems best to accommodate itself to Hollywood. We do not know if directors have been discriminating against Negroes in the rationing of roles, but we do know that we seldom see a Negro in a role that does not demand a member of that race. And when there are Negroes in this country, there are colored actors in Holly wood, and when there are roles that do not require a specific racial quality, we see no reason for not giving the parts to qualified Negro actors who have been suffering from an unjust "type-casting." We hope the snowball is gaining momentum. (CW) Reaction To 'Fascism9 Every school boy worth his ball point knows that Christmas was dis covered by Macy's, despite what the storybooks tell us. Deck the halls with deposit slips, Santa's on his way. December is the nicest month Breeding bargain hunters in the basement Mixing eggnogg with delight Stirring the bourbon in . . . An interesting month, this one th? Farmer's Almanac tells us right off that on the first, in 1831, the last spike of the Southern Pacific was driven into frozen ground. It's a sure bet somebody's hands got cold, and what about that poor slob hold ing the spike. On December 10, 1817, Mississippi entered the Union, and now 145 years later, they still can't make up their mind whether or not to stay. Come on in, Ross, the water's fine, but you'll have to ride in the back of the bus. A scant three days before in 1941, the Japanese Imperial Forces fired the shot heard round the world and back again. Men went out to fight for freedom and democracy, and some didn't make it. It was sup posed to have been the last war, the war to decide all things and end aU wars. Sorry. On the fifteenth of this month in the year 1791, Congress adopted the Indents View t Democracy A professor recently asked his poli tical science 41 Seminar classes to write their reactions to comments made by Wade Wellman in a three part series in the DTII. Wellman defended the Fascist form of govern ment and said, Democracy has failed because it insists that society should be organized on a basis of . equality, without visible classes." The Poli. Scil 41 text says, "The most funda mental belief of democratic theory . . . is the concept of equality." . . . . . , . . , (Below are short excerpts taken from the written reactions of the students. JC.) "Democracy is a way of all per sons having the opportunity and right to express and carry out their opin ions and beliefs." "I am not surprised that someone has spoken out against democracy in favor of a more efficient form of government. Perhaps there are other forms of government which are more efficient but I believe that the free doms given in a democracy are the most important things to consider." "I believe that dictatorships can have certain merits . . . the Demo cratic process, in determining and carrying out an action, is not as efficient as! (dictatorship)." "Under our (democratic) system, there will always be economic class es. When we cease to have economic classes, we will no longer have a democratic government." "Our democratic government has not yet crumpled and even though it appears defeated in the eyes of some, I believe it is still the best system ... In any democratic gov ernment . . . the right to dissent is an extremely important right. "Democracy more than any other system stresses freedom, equality and individualism." "Democracy . . . has more check and balance than fascism ..." REFLECTIONS The Cavalier Christmas Fund has begun its annual charity drive at the University of Virginia. The fund is similar in nature to UNC's Cam pus Chest; it is run by the student union and has a monopoly on cam puswide charity collection. This year's inspiring and patriotic theme for the Fund is "Fight Com munism." All recipients of Fund money are "actively engaged in winning friends for the U.S. and levelling the rising tide of com munism," the Fund says. It's encouraging to see that UVa has risen above such bleedingheart, sissy stuff as giving their money to the . American Cancer Society or similar health organizations. UVa has charged into the charity area of stopping them dirty Reds, with truth from Radio Free Europe and all "that. "A highly nationalistic movement such as fascism seems to.be a fly-by-night operation , . . Democracy can cite as proof of its success the multiparty system." "If Fascism is due for a return, it is only because in democracy, we are allowed and often become slugglish and lazy and do not think as much of the freedom we have. Fascism and Communism are for lazy people." "Democracy will soon have to give way to a much stronger, uni fied form of government. Sometimes the things the people think are best for them are not .always best, and I think this would be the weakest point of democracy, which may bring its downfall." "Equality as far as economic or class distinction is concerned, is impossible. Democracy has provided a system whereby the inequality of man is for the most part determined by each man's own worth . . . some men will be more successful than others." "America is now more democrat ic .. . and the American people now play an increased role in govern ment ... Fascism can exist, but cannot flourish in America." "I believe that today equality is becoming, if it has not already be come, the most fundamental demo cratic belief unfortunately. I be lieve that this is wrong. Man is created equal before God and the law but equality ends there and should end there. To equality we owe many of our present troubles in government. ... I believe that a dictatorship is much more efficient than a democracy." ... This concept of equality is the grass roots of our constitution, our breaking away from England, our laws, etc ... If we (take it away), we become a nation without be liefs." "Fascism is indeed more efficient and stable than democracy . . . The masses can be many times more tyrannical than a single leader . . . Limited democracy is the only an swer." "One particular problem we face in our democratic system of equali ty is that of the Negro. We have not achieved true equality in this area, but in the past few years we have made progress." "I feel that Fascism may be half way between democracy and Com munism and might be better if we could stay half way. However, I do believe a half way mark can be maintained and I do not believe that ending equality in any way will help the human being." "Our form of democracy is itself becoming "middle ground." There no longer exist major differences between political parties. This is not to deny that radicals are not among them, but ideas are becoming more consistent." "In America . . . the individual achieves certain class distinctions through competitive business. This comes to be the goal for successful business men today, to rise in class distinction . . . Fascism is a work able form of government and put in the proper hands could be an effective one." "The people of the U.S., will never give their liberal freedom today for a limited one in the future." (Less than 10 per cent of the students quoted above had read any of the Wellman series on Fas cism. (The Political science professor has offered a prize of $15 to the poli. sci. 41 student who writes the best article on democracy in response to the Wellman series. The articles will be judged by the Editors of the Tar Heel.) This Space Is Dedicated To Those Students Who are Tired Of Reading Daily Tar Heel Edits And Letters Enjoy Yourselves. Letters To The Editors Bill of Rights, and citizens have been slugging it out ever since. A day earlier, in 1773, the Boston Tea Party took place with a good deal of whooping and hollering another blow for freedom struck by a group of courageous colonists before the time of the tailfin. On the next day, December 17. 1903, two boys from a bicycle shop in Akron, Ohio, finally coaxed an unlikely looking contraption off the sand dunes at Kitty Hawk, and the airplane was born. We bet no stew ardesses rode on anybody's lap in that flight. December 22 Winter begins. Asian Flu and aching back, fruit cake and frostbite, carry the Yule Log in and the drunks out, snowballs and icy falls, stuck cars and crowded bars and where in the hell are my mittens? On the first day of Christmas, ye gads, what a hangover. Yes, Vir ginia, there really is a Santa Clans, but I wouldn't want to marry his sister. (She's far too old for me.) Children screaming with glee in the morning and drunks singing their hearts out that night, anil a long time ago a mother quietly nursed her child in a stable. The twenty-eighth clay marks iWoodrow Wilson's birthday, as it also does that of Louis Pasteur. We leave the "late twenties" behind on this date, as your dear columnist turns thirty begrudgingly, irrevo cably and nearsighted as ever in one eye, the other focused sharply on a fifth. December 31 . . . New Year's Eve. 180 million Americans solemn ly making resolutions while the band is playing "Auld Lang Syne," these same promises to be forgotten in the horrible hangover to follow. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. It's not 'G3 yet, but you can't blame us for wanting to rush things up a bit. After Cuba, the Congo, Laos. Thalidomide, Mississippi and twelve nasty months of the Twist, we're a little anxious to see it end. Merry Christmas, Mr. Nixon . . . and you, too, Ross. Come see what Jack and Bobby have brought you. Surprise! Surprise! Two Poems To the Editors, EPITAPH Where are the panty raids of yes teryear? Where is the mob's raunchy cheer? Fallen beneath the pall of fears, . . .. these are the "long" years. RENASCENCE They've fallen now as have the tears, But Hark! there are some cheers, Ah-ha, they're replaced by the gay charades, Of the gross Carolina Duke parades. Douglas Freeman, Jr. Wade And Otelia And Billy Wellniah On Miss Connor To the Editors, Recently someone remarked to me, "Most women should be confined safely in harems or in nurseries." After reading Otelia Connor's latest gospel, I would like to change this epigram and say, "Most women over fifty . . ." ., . Wade Wellman Equality Was Misunderstood To the Editors, (Dear Mr. Wellman,) Though myself no formidable stu dent of history, I venture to think that .you express a superficial idea cf democracy democracy, not in its extreme form of anarchical egal itarianism which is condemned by Plato in his . Republic and by the profounder thinkers of all ages, but in the republican form in which it was instituted in this country. The phrase you drew from the Declara tion unfortunately lends itself to the extreme interpretation, so that it is true, perhaps, that the drafters of the Declaration overestimated the importance of environment as opposed to heredity, but a more ade quate or at least a supplementary explanation for the apparently naive statement that all men are created equal is found, I conjecture, in the assumption voiced in the same doc ument: that all men stand together under God., It is in respect of their relation to God that men are creat ed equal, albeit they exhibit multi farious inequalities in relation to one another. It was out of . rever ence for this God-man relation, as well as for the philosophical prin ciples of social, contract and natur al right that the founders demanded that essential advantages be avail able to all. The most essential advantage was education, which was to be available according to individual ability. Thus should be made possible Jefferson's ideal of equality of opportunity with consequent aristocracy of acnieve ment. Here is , a democratic spirit which strives for excellence but without abridging, the liberties which were so deplorably suppressed in the Italian Fascist experiment. I submit my conjecture to the correction of a more accomplished historian. John McCurdy JC 'Praised' Billy Graham? To the Editors, I'm afraid the editor was a little carried away in his praise of Billy Graham. It would be as easy to prove that Dr. Graham is not infal lible as it would be difficult to find anyone beside an editor who would make such a claim. On the other hand, "Billy" could well claim an honesty in expressing his beliefs that is sometimes lack ing in others. He would never as sert, as our editor has written that "there are not even a few young people who are upright and right thinking." However, he may well say that many young people have embraced rather low standards of behavior but then this wouldn't surprise anyone who hasn't given up newspapers ... or parades. Frank Steele
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Dec. 8, 1962, edition 1
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