Tuesday. September 23, 1969
John Arar
1
THE DAILY TAR HEEL
lam
77 Years of Editorial
The Visitation Sickness
A floor fight is expected at the
Student Legislature meeting
Thursday night concerning the new
visitation policy. Granville legislator
Alan Hirsch was one who predicted
a fight, warning he would accept
"nothing less than a 24 hour-a-day,
seven day-a-week policy."
This is an interesting
development in the visitation
controversy, one which has raged
for some time now. After the
recent issuance of the policy by the
University administration, there
still seem to be students who want
more. Now how does one account
for those students? Apparently
some students here contend
students should be granted the
same rights as people in the Real
World. They seem to feel students
ought to be able to decide for
themselves when and where and
under what conditions they will
and may visit with whomsoever
they choose.
And for some reason, a
University which usurps the
freedom of choice, and defines
social regulations, does a disservice
to those free-thinking students. The'
University stands in the way of
progress.
Ah, progress, The University
here has had its share of progress. It
allowed for the creation of a
student-faculty committee to
investigate the visitation question.
And after a trial run of the
visitation policy last spring, it has
determined that students in effect
may decide questions of regulating
visitation. However, the University
continues to feel that it may dictate
how often students may visit with
each other in their own rooms.
The University's presumption
that it must assume for students the.
responsibility their parents
How To Win The War?
An open meeting will be held
Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Gerrard
Hall to discuss the moratorium on
classes which is planned here for
October 15 in protest of the
Vietnam war. That moratorium will
be part of nationwide strike
planned to include labor and
business, as well as student,
sympathizers.
The meeting Wednesday night
should offer an introduction, an
informative session, of what will be
happening in October, and how to
get involved.
That meeting might prove
helpful to those who want the help.
But the real question, the question
of the effectiveness of such an
effort in opposition to the war, is
more difficult.
What is war, anyway; What is the
point in our going over there and
dying? If we disagree with the
effort, does it really matter, do we
really have any say in whether we
fight?
The individuals planning the
moratorium feel President Nixon
has failed miserably with his token
solutions to end the war. They
seem to believe a loud voice in
denouncement of the war, and of
Mr. Nixon's handling of it, will
cause the President to change his
mind.
That is hopeful thinking, to say
the least. Lyndon Johnson lost his
office because of the war, yet Mr.
Nixon did not get the picture.
Eugene McCarthy claimed a large
student following, yet he failed to
win the Democratic Nomination in
1968.
Mr. Nixon seems to think token
appeasement of the popular
demand for an end to the war will
Freedom
Todd Cohen
Editor
Bobby Nowetl
Dennis Benfield
Tom Gooding
Steve Enfield
Harvey Elliott
Art Chansky
Managing Editor
News Editor
Associate Editor
Associate Editor
Arts Editor
Sports Editor
Ron Johnson
Frank Ballard
Business Manager
Advertising Manager
Dave Clark Night Editor this issue
formerly claimed is indeed
unfortunate. That presumption is
the epitome of unfortune. It
ignores reality, the reality of the
world out there. It passes
judgement on students as lesser
beings, as beings who must be
handled with kid gloves. It
eliminates the possibility that
students are mature, or
independent, or responsible.
The University's position is
condescending, patronizing, and
tasting of an ignorance of the
problems and realities of this
generation, this world.
What is this world? It is us. It is
people who are merely searching
for something, for themselves, and
that search has, in reality, no rules,
because there are no rules in reality.
And some of us people don't
really think it is right for others to
tell us how to live. Oh sure, we have
laws, but the laws are supposed to
protect us from being hurt by
others. It is not supposed to keep
us from making individual decisions
which affect our individual lives.
The University here seems to
fear public opinion, the opinion of
the state legislature in Raleigh, the
opinion of the Trustees, the
opinion of alumni. And if
approving a wide-open visitation
policy would . upset .any of jthose t
people, well, then, , it might not be
such a good idea to -approve "such a
policy. ' - : -
If the Student Legislature wants
to be sure of having visitation, it
might pass the proposed policy
Thursday night. But if that body is
more concerned with asserting its
right as a body of human beings in
this so-called democratic society, it
might do some thinking about the
matter.
cost him no popularity.
Perhaps he thinks lowering draft
calls for a couple of months will
satisfy the disaffected youth of this
country.
Maybe he is right in that
thinking. We hope not. We hope the
day has not come when the
political system of this country is
so distraught that the will of the
people goes unanswered.
What can a student do, if he is
against the Vietnam effort?
Assuming, of . course, that he still
has faith in our democratic
processes.
The doubting student might go
the meeting in Gerrard Hall
Wednesday night. He might ask
questions about the planned
moratorium from the people
involved and see what they have to
say about peaceful dissent and
non-violent protest: Has it worked
before? The doubting student
might well ask.
If we dump another "Johnson",
will we only, get another "Nixon"?
One might well ask.
We would guess Mr. Nixon is
aware of the criticism of the United
States' effort in Vietnam. We are
also rather wary at this point of the
capacity of the political system to
viably incorporate peaceful dissent
into its decision-making processes.
However critical we are of the
political system, though, we
nevertheless retain some small
measure of hope that continuing
efforts on the part of sincere,
dissenting minorities, might be to
some avail.
The October 15 moratorium
could at least prove a measuring rod
for the effectiveness of this kind of
dissent.
Administration Violated Trustees
Now that we're getting the
unnecessary machinery set up, we ought
to start swinging the Trustees Disruption
Policies around. After all, what's the good
of having them if you can't use them?
And the first candidates for the Hearings
Committee might be the University
Adminstration specifically, the men who
forced Howard Lee out of the University.
The charge, under the first section of
the Policies, is willfully disrupting the
"And Now, If There Are No
Continue With
Rick Allen
Grass Laws: Classic Absurdity
I suppose everyone is a little sick of
hearing the pros and cons of marijuana by
now, but the fact remains that one can
still be sent to prison for up to five years
for what is at best a dubious "crime".
Ideally man should "becontent with! ,
his own consciousness-But heihas been
slowly disemboweling f himself for!
centuries with various liquids, plants, and
chemicals. It is only with a sense of sheer
folly and virginal optimism that one can
even conceive of man ceasing to get his t
jollies by tampering with his mind.
Prohibition showed adequately
enough that it is not a right of the
government to legislate against people
getting drunk. Why should grass be any ;
different?
The classic arguments begin with the
absurdity that we "don't know enough
about the drug and it could be very
.dangerous". Grass has been smoked or
eaten in various forms for hundreds of
years. It has not been proven that it can
give you lung cancer, turn you into an
alcoholic, or alter your chromosomes. It
is not physically addictive.
At this point, someone leaps to his
feet and answers that it can be
psychologically addictive. Of course it
can. For this reason, it may be better to
get drunk. Instead of feeling giddy and
peaceful, you may get into a blind rage.
Instead of waking up with a clear head,
you may wake up feeling like -someone
danced the boogaloo on your head. And
Ken Ripley
A Class
I am sure that the University has a
suitable motto of which they are proud.
While personally I have never heard it,
having missed as much cf Orientation last
year as I could, I am sure that it must be
nice.
But having stood in more lines this
year than is considered decent, I'm also
sure that the Navy sailors must have a
better motto: "Hurrv Ud and Wait."
Of course, there are many types of
lines. For instance, there are movie lines,
restaurant lines, drop-add lines,
registration lines, picket lines, Lenoir and
Chase lines, infirmary lines (from
standing in Lenoir and Chase lines as far
as I can see), long lines, short lines, fast
lines, slow lines, lines crooked, straight,
and dotted.
But the next worst line ever conceived
is the one-in which we wait to order
textbooks. The only one worse is
standing in line to pay for the books
we've ordered in the other line.
The only effective way I have found to
shorten your stay in line is to subtlely
whisper to' the person next to you in a
voice loud enough to be overheard by
everyone, "I have claustrophobia in
places like this. I rip books to shreds in
panic."
Slightly less effective and more
hazardous to your health is to walk
around the Book Ex in white shirt and
tie, without coat, posing as an employee.
Then, if you are talented enough or have
had any employee training, you can order
the line to shift around several times and
confuse everyone so badly that the line
normal operations and functions of the
University by violence, force, and
coercion. The charge is anatomized
below.
First, let it be noted that the prologue
to the regulations states that it is the
University's policy to uphold academic
freedom and due process. In fact, it's no
exaggeration to say that academic
freedom and the spirit of fairness in due
process are the informing spirits of
Further Questions, I Will
My Lecture."
you may think a little less of drinking
again. Your "high" may not have been so
great. If you are weak-willed, you may
well overindulge, in anything. That's why
some people are chain-smokers, alcoholics
I or compulsive eaters. It is not the right of
thef government to forbid man his
indulgences.
Next comes the point that grass often
leads to use of harmful drugs. This may
be true. But it is the very illegality of pot
that forces many smokers into the
company of pushers. I would rather be
able to buy a nickel bag legally in a
tobacco store, say, than deal with some
creep who has a stash of heroin in his
back pocket.
Parents are upset because their junior
high school kids are smoking grass. I
don't blame them. It's a shame that kids
feel the need to turn on with anything at
all. But my friends and I were fifteen
when we got drunk for the first time and
we were no exceptions. It is the sheer
illegality of the thing that makes it so
attractive.
Many of the drinking generation
contend that a few drinks help them to
unwind. Yes, they do, and a few cocktails
never made anyone a drunkard. But
neither does a couple of tokes on a joint
stone you out of your mind. Drinking
and smoking pot are not the same by any
means, but the point is that grass doesn't
automatically turn you into a freak any
more than drinking makes you a lush.
Analysis Of University Lines
simply splinters. At that point, you can
stride quickly to the head of the line and
check out.
There are two dangers to this system.
First, you could get apprehended by the
regular employees who are nastily jealous.
Second, you face destruction by those in
the line you splinter if you do not move
quickly enough they are jealous, too.
The safest, if not the best, approach is
to stand and suffer. Which isn't too
painful, really, if you get to know the
people around you. In fact, it can be
quite amusing.
A game I enjoy is trying to guess a
person's status in the University by the
Way they respond to the question, "What
do you want to do this year?"
There are invariably all four classes
surrounding you in line. This is not
certain, of course, but the probability is
high.
I could tell the freshman at a glance.
Not only did he look like an anemic little
brother, but he was struggling
under the load of Hexter's massive classic,
assorted English readers, and various
other odds and ends. Besides, his eyes
were glazed from a party the night
before. He answered my question with a
nervous start.
"If I study hard enough I hope to get
through the semester. I want to be a
doctor, and that means work Except for
the times I go home to see my girl (she's
still a senior in high school) and family,
I've got to settle down and work."
After I thanked him on behalf of the
Administration for his noble efforts, I
education. In delaying Lee's appointment
because of remarks attributed to him, the
University administration was clearly
violating not just academic freedom but
the free speech clauses of the
Constitution. That there were never any
public charges made against Lee, that he
was arraigned and convicted secretly,
without being able to participate in such
hearing as there was that in short there
was no due process has been apparent
since the beginning of the controversy.
As for violence: most people are
unconvinced of violence unless they see
sticks flying and blood. Men who hand
down decisions, even extra-legal ones,
surely cannot be violent. Nonetheless,
there is "force" and "coercion" in every
policy or law enforcement decision.
The Administration "held up" Lee's
appointment for the purpose of
intimidating him, of forcing him out of
the University. The delay was nothing if
not a coercion used as a weapon.
The proof is that even if we, as
students, were to demonstrate against the
extra-legality of the Administration's
actions, our efforts would likely come to
nothing. In fact, any effort the student
body makes to assure Lee of his rights is
certain to be ineffective. This is a measure
of the Administration's "force" and
"violence," which is far more potent and
irresistible even than a student riot.
There's one hitch. Administrators are
not covered by the Policies. They have
seldom been covered by any effective
policies regarding their conduct of
University affairs.
A recent article in the DTH reported:
"Concerning his decision last year to
send the Highway Patrol onto the
UNC-Chapel Hill campus, Scott explained
the decision by pointing to what he felt
was the failure of the UNC-CH
administration to act quickly enough to
remedy the situation . . ." Well, then,
why didn't the Patrolmen content
What the legislators have to realize is
that pot is taking over from alcohol.
Neither is especially commendable. A kid
walking around in a state of bovine
nirvana is as sad as a grown man falling
over and retching in the street. But let's
not send the innocent to prison anymore.
Let people do what they want to
themselves.
tried to single out the sophomore of the
group.
I heard her about five people down.
She was calling -out to old friends across
the building while trying to look like a
sophisticated veteran. It took me a few
minutes to get her attention. She had to
be sure I wasn't a freshman.
"This year I'm going to have more fun
and be more involved," she said. "I was a
cow last year, studying and partying all
the time. This year I am going to join the
SDS, work for women's reforms, General
College reforms, and the poor in
Carrboro. I've joined five organizations
already, participated in three causes, and
bought four radical posters."
In the presence of so much
involvement I retreated and looked
around for the junior. I didn't think I
could find one for a while, but finally I
noticed a boy with his head burrowed
into a book.
He looked up when I approached him
and gave me a friendly grin. "My goal is
simple," he said, "Having mastered
Sartre, Camus, CarmichaeL James Joyce,
and Dean Cansler, I just want to be a
senior and get out of here."
For the next hour, I found no seniors.
The line was slowly creeping to the
check-out counter and I was getting
desperate. My feet hurt.
When I was four people away from
freedom, I noticed a dappiiy dressed
V 1 Jf -
themselves with patrolling Sou.h
Building? It was clear who was at fault.
The question we must ask is, hew
many times in his stay at this University
will "a student suffer or have to rebel
because of an administrator's
builheadedness, prejudice, obsolete
morality, ineptitude, or simple
misapprehension of the situation? It is
the same question non-academic workers
and faculty members must also ask.
It's unfortunate that the Trustees have
seen fit officially to relieve University
administrators of responsibility for thcar
blunders. It's out of tune with the times.
This age more and more demands moral
responsibility, from the policy maker to
the "cog" in that policy. As students and
as human beings, we no longer speak the
language of men who do not have to
answer for their actions except to a
semi-secret coterie of Trustees.
As things stand now, there is bound to
be trouble; yet there need not be.
Administrators are eminently practical
men; and, being part of the Universky,
they cannot fully escape the surge of
democracy flowing through its lover
echelons. All it would take is the
magnanimity to admit error and the
courage to begin shouldering the burden
of responsibility in a free society. The
Trustees' regulations can be revised and
liberalized to apply to all equally.
But perhaps, after 180 years of
"Constitutional government," this is still
asking too much.
Make A Deal
To The Editor:
Til make a deal with the students who
want to withdraw financial support from
the Tar HeeL If they shouldn't have to
support the campus newspaper then I
shouldn't have to subsidize the Yackety
Yack or football and basketball; and
profits' from the Student Stores shouldn't
be applied to athletic scholarships.
And, by the way, Todd Cohen was
elected by the student body, which
means that the majority of the' student
body decided what kind of newspaper
they wanted.
... " Jim Kuppers
. -. 524 James
young student with a genuine cool look
that comes only from feeling "in,"
regardless of whether or not you arc, in
fact, "in."
"Are you a senior?" I asked hesitantly.
"Of course," he replied, barely moving
his lips, his face impassive. He didn't want
to notice me.
"And what do you want to do?" I
continued stubbornly.
He gave me a withering look of pity
and scorn.
"Buy a book, what else."
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