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Editorials
QL\)t and JBlacfe
Opinions
IFC steps
forward
The Interfraternity Council's spon
soring of Paul Harvey tomorrow night
is a step away from the party-image
of the University fraternity system.
Most fraternities measure their
reputations by their social functions
while some organizations with worth
while service endeavors take the back
seat to the misleading party-image.
Bringing a national news commenta
tor of Harvey's stature to the Uni
versity is an effort by IFC to show
that fraternity life is more than one
continuous party.
Harvey brings to the campus a con
troversial and conservative viewpoint
that will stimulate thinking from left
to right.
The IFC has made a constructive
effort to stimulate though on campus
as well as entertain the University
with its quarterly concerts.
Now if it can only get away from its
“soul” concert image as it is trying to
break away from its party-image
bonds.
Marijuana
regulations
damaging
Once again, the lives of people close to
us are being crippled because of the laws
against the sale and possession of mari-
juana There must be a very strong reason Mike // OU( ,/J Managing Editor
for the existence of such laws to warrant — ———■—“— a
the damage done* to these people's car*
Hutch Scott, Editor
Agreement a must
Eight months it took, but after eight
months of giving a little, taking a little
and disagreeing a lot. the delegates at the
Paris talks have arrived at some sort of
compromise in the procedural debates
and have indicated that they are ready to
discuss their primary purpose — to end
the Vietnam war
The announcement that the delgates
were ready to set about finding a peace in»
Southeast Asia came after a five hour
meeting Saturday in which the partici
pants reached harmony by agreeing to
disagree There is still a division among
the representatives as to who recognizes
whom and whether or not the Pans pro
ceedings are a “meeting” or a “confer
ence.”
Evidently the conferees have decided
that these minor points are of little im
portance to the true goal of the confab and
they are willing to overlook these petty
disagreements to move toward a rapid
settlement. Hopefully when the time
comes to reach a settlement on the heart
of the talks. ALL delegates from ALL fac
tions will agree to peace instead of merely
pushing aside the issue by "agreeing to
disagree, and letting each party think as
it wishes.
After all. that is what this war is any
way — a disagreement among the con
flicting interests.
• • • •
Former-President Lyndon Johnson
expressed dissatisfaction in his farewell
State of the Union address last week that
Congress had been unable to pass a gun
control legislation With this final appeal.
such a passage appears to be a certainty.
A common presidential device of ob
taining what is desired is a personal ap
peal to Congress and demanding that ac
tion be taken This is one such instance
Although the president himself is no long
er in office, the Democratic majority will
not let the plea rest until firearms restric
tions are made.
The sad part of such restrictions is the
denial of the Constitutional right to keep
and bear arms. If Congress takes away
one right, what is to keep them from tak
ing away others?
Another question to keep in mind is
whether or not such restrictions will real
ly serve its designed purpose to reduce
violent killings and crime. Prohibition did
not stop people from drinking just as
“Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be
! Hazardous to Your Health" does not stop
people from smoking Where there is a
will, there is a way. The violent act is ille
gal anyway, so what difference will it
make if the possession of a firearm is ille
gal? Capital punishment can only be exe
cuted once.
Firearms control would make one
statement true — if guns are made ille
gal. then only the criminals will have
guns.
Controlling the sale of firearms after
the passage of the legislation could be pos
sible, but it will be interesting to see how
the government plans to locate, register,
confiscate or control those guns that are
already in circulation.
?. VJfNtR
SWEET IT WASN'T!"
Contest returns
eers. social life and mental health
As a scientist. I recognize that the sci
entific evidence docs not justify the exist
ence of such laws. The most recent scien
tific research on the subiect. which in
cludes a review of past research, gives
marijuana a farily clean bill of health
(Science 182 1234-1242. 1968, also re
ported on the front page of the New
York Times of 14 Dec 19681 I suggest
the original paper. 1 ask that anyone
planning a rebuttal to this letter read the
original paper before taking pen in hand
As a member of American society. I
recognize that the ideals of our society do
not justify the existence of such laws If
these laws are not based on rational rea
sons, they are based on irrational ones
One does not have to be very socially per
ceptive to recognize that the anti-mari
juana laws are motivated primarily by
intolerance This intolerance of the use of
marijuana is intimately linked with intol
erance of different life styles and differ
ent ideas, and is hardly consistent with the
American ideal of freedom The mainte
nance of such laws can only result in a
closed society covered by a veneer of hy
pocrisy
A free society does not have such laws
A humanistic society does not have such
laws
Although the anti-marijuana laws are
irrational and unjust. I recognize that the
University must obey them, and to this
extent it is innocent It is guilty, and re
sponsible for the damage done to these
people's lives, only to the extent that its
intolerance helps to maintain these laws
M. E. KOWAL
DEPT. ENTOMOLOGY
LettersPolicy
The Red and Black welcomes ano on-
mirages letters I rum students faculty,
administration and Interested readers on
topics ol general and campus interest
Utters should be tvped double space
uni should not exceed 300 words Tlx* edi
tor reserves me right to edit to meet
s(ucc. stvle and taste requirements and
to guard against libel
No unsigned letters will be published,
however names will be withheld on re
Yesterday’s man had answers
The application of yesterday’s answers
t>\ ytalantay s man lifts Imnq ti» then*
song of those who have gained a bad case
of disillusionment with the outcome of
election 1%8 after its beginning in a re
newed Camelot and its end in an atmos
phere which as Newsweek said was a
choice that became an echo”
Hie ills and problems of America in the
waning years of the twentieth century
became, in the year of RFK and “Clean
Gene,” less of a reason to cop out and
more of a reason for positive action With
the call of justice for all and a new politics.
Honnie Feinherg, (luettt (alumnut
a new brotherhood and maybe a new world
in the offing the silent majority of collegi
ans who had theretofore left the limelight
to the lunatic fringe became the focus and
motivation for a optimism and attitude to
correct America's ills without burning her
down to accomplish it.
Then came the end to the new Camelot
and a hint of the doom ahead for the kids
who were thumbing their nose at the na
tional political establishment and were
seeking a political power based more on
right and less on patronage
The first circus came and the acrobats
Nothing else to do
All of us at one time or another find
ourselves questioning the world around
us We delve into deep metaphysical ques
tion's. questions that leave us more frus
trated and bewildered than ever before
All these questions seem to lead to the
deadend why 1 Why this or why that 1
Questions without answeres
The country we live in today insures
more freedom to more people than ever
before in the history of mankind Then
why is there so much inner turmoil and
dissention today? Why is it that in our
modem world man cannot find ture con
tentment’’ What is it that causes the see
thing civil disturbances so prevalent in
our society today 1 Questions causing ixie
to think, but questions without answers
There are many intelligent people pon
dering these disturbing questions and
each of them feel they have found the
answer, yet for every person that ques
lions there is a different answer, and out
of these varying answers comes vet other
problems
Each of us at the University with the
cries of apathy ringing in our ears ponders
the problems of the world to varying de
grees There are some of us who feel more
strongly about certain issues than others,
and thus place a stronger emphasis on
these Yet it is hard to believe that there
is even one individual on this campus who
cares about nothing other than himself
Everyone has compassion for something,
everyone is moved emotionally by some
thing around him
Yes. there are very real problems to be
found in this most imperfect world of
ours, there are trboules wherever you
look Yet there is also the positive side,
there are so many things taken for grant
ed and never noticed as the days go by
One grows tired of hearing and seeing
people fighting for causes simply because
they are there One grows weary of riots
and civil disturbances that have come out
of boredom The cry of our modem day
revolutionist seems to be that of a child
grown bored with his toys and getting into
mischief because he has nothing better to
do
Harry Franklin, Columnitt
performed as predicted. The ringmaster
was acceptable but hardly electric. The
second circus came and the freak show
took over the center ring. The ringmaster
got his top hat but lost his pants in the
proceedings.
When the receipts were finally in. the
first man had won and the conservatives
praised the end of liberal misrule and the
liberals hoped for the best. The ring mas
ter began to speak and the factions found
that his voice called for moderation; no
charging forward and burning the old in
the wake simply for the sake of moving
and no vaunted defense of the status quo
when this meant bigotry or injustice. He
began to call for the moving forward to a
united America
Maybe yesterday's man always had the
answer and it took today's question to
require it.
Academic Corner
Last winter the Red and Black initialed a
regular feature on its editorial pages enti
tled "Academic Corner. " This feature will
continue this year and will serve as a
communications between the faculty
and student body The Red and Black
welcomes the contributions of the admin
istration and lacully on subjects perti
nent to the University students, campus
and community Opinions should be type
written. double-spaced and sent to "Aca
demic Corner. The Red and Black. C-J
Building. Campus Or delivered in person
to The Red and Black offices in Room 260
of the C-J Building or the Athens Ban
ner-Herald
For the third year. The Red and
Black joins Glamour magazine in
searching for the best dressed college
coed. This year however the search
has been widened to find the fashion-
minded coed with interests and res
ponsibilities beyond her academic
requirements.
This year, too for the first time,
Gamma Alpha Chi, professional jour
nalism fraternity for women, has en
tered into the sponsorship of the con
test here at the University. The sis
ters of Gamma Alpha Chi promise to
make this year's production better
organized, better produced and better
from the audience's standpoint than
the previous two.
Unfortunately the contest will be held
off campus this year due to a lack of
available auditoriums on campus the
night of the competition. However the
program of beauty and entertainment
will make the trip to E. B. Mell Audi
torium worthwhile.
With the organization of the contest
off to a good start, all that is needed is
the interest and participation of all
interested groups and organizations
on campus to surpass last year's re
cord entries and attendance.
Concerted effort
The movement of the University
from the status of the last frontier ol the
Old South and genteel living to a posi
tion of prominence as a national educa
tional institution has become almost a
cliche in discussing education and its
evolution upward in Georgia
No one is more conscious of where
the University is going and how very
much farther she has to go than Presi
dent Davison The work and responsibil
ity for leading Georgia through a time
of qualitative and quantitative growth
has rested firmly with him and while
mistakes have been made the leader
ship the University has been given by
him has been effective and very profita
ble for the University, her students and
the state.
The address given by President Davi
son before the Georgia General Assem
bly has given the state and the Universi
ty community a full and descriptive pic
ture of the University, her place in the
state University System and the hopes
and aspirations held for her by a young
and energetic president.
The drive for excellence and national
eminence has been readily financed by
a legislature which has not always been
so receptive to the needs of higher edu
cation. Action and concerted effort by
the General Assembly and Dr Dc.vison
will surely result in the realization of
their dreams of what the University can
and must be. The Red and Black wel
comes and endorses these outward ves
tiges of such a healthy attitude and its
ramifications for the University.
Put Him Behind Bars!
Realizations of life
"1 grow old in my youth, though my
hair is not gray, my legs do not falter, my
skin is not dried and wrinkled " Such is
the cry of the undreaming youth
Men live on their dreams In their youth
they dream of cars, jabs, women As teen
agers they dream of a college education,
moving into a job with a future, building a
home and raising a tine family As men
they seek fullfillment of their hopes and
dreams
There are those who aim for the stars,
whose goals are higher than humanity
There are some whose hopes reach frui
tion though they be iew in number
Idle is a dream with many real. saUsfy-
rng experiences But what of the undream
er 1 What of hull who whiles his life
away. who. in his fantasy, says to himself.
It can be done tomorrow For now let
me ding to my idle, carefree life. There
will be Ume for worry There will be time
for fulfilling obligations later on "
He suddenly arises one morning one
morning when he has awakened from the
dream of life." to find that tomorrow will
never come, that those tomorrows of his
dreams are only yesterdays.
It is then that he realizes — in his agony
— what a needless waste his life has been
He has made no plans, set no high goals
and accomplished little worth recollecting
in lus old age
It is then that he begins to punish him
self. for what he could have done and what
he could have been, but who. in his naive
search, his blind effort to find self-satis
faction — material enjoyment, lost out on
the real meaning of life
Life is more than a large bank account,
a 16-room split level house A wooden
match would destroy all the money ever
made Life is seeing and hearing arid feel
ing and tasting Life is learning and shar
ing new and better things than ever be
fore Life is helping, giving, building, cre
ating Life is gaining new insight, better
understanding of things misunderstood
Life is learning that there is a reason
for everyone and everything that no man
is really bad. only labelled bad and much
misunderstood, that all men seek the
happiness which few will ever find and
those who do so often fail to recognize.
Life is realizing that you are only as old
as your dreams that real satisfaction is
derived not from the fullfillment but rath
er from the struggle for fullfillment. that
here is more satisfaction to be found in a
human be mg than a Homo Sapien
Life is a faith in today but a hope for a
better tomorrow, realization that all are
essentially equal - there is a place for
big as well as small, that some are
bound to rise, others to fall
Life is learning that the living are un
der an obligauon not only to themselves
but to those who come before — making
life just a little bit easier by smoothing
out 'he ripples — and to those who will
inevitably follow
Life is realizing that "here today, gone
tomorrow" is more than a common
phrase, that a moment wasted is an oppor
tunity lost