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The Red «nd Bilik. Tuesdiy, May 23. 1972
THE OPINIONS OF THE RED AND BLACK
University Senate
We are pleased to see that a
committee has been formed to
study revisions in the University of
Georgia statutes, a set of guidelines
on University policy. One part of
the statute revision proposals
provides for a University Senate,
which student body President Joe
Fowler listed as a "top priority" in
his recent campaign.
The University Senate would be
composed of students, faculty and
administrators, and is being pushed
by Fowler because he believes it
will give students more power in
University policy making. As things
are now, the University Council,
whose voting membership is
entirely faculty and administration,
decides the major policies of the
University.
The Student Senate has only a
voice in the matters. The University
Senate concept, which has been the
protect of Fowler, David Alonso,
and others for a while now. would
allow voting student membership in
policy decisions. This is certainly a
step in the right direction, but we
think the revisions committee needs
to be careful that students are not
given just a token input.
At Columbia University, for
example, students are dissatisfied
with their relatively new University
Senate because they have only a
small voice, 21 of a total
membership of 101.
For students to have any viable
input here, they would probably
have to compose at least 40 per
cent of the University Senate
membership. Remember that
students usually do not bloc vote.
President Fowler and other student
leaders should push for a University
Senate, but it must be an equitable
one.
Perhaps they will have to
compromise and accept less
students for the time being. In that
case, they should hold on to the
Student Senate with its present
powers until students can be given
an equitable share of vots in the
University Senate.
Student leaders must be careful
that student input is not swallowed
by a whale like a Univeristy Senate.
fnTHE RED AND BUCK
Ken Willis, editor
Jim Thompson Carol Roberts
Business manager Managing editor
Claudia Townsend, ncws/tealurc editor; Jim Corbett and Jimmy Johnson,
associate news editors; Ann Hutchinson and Susan Parker, associate feature
editors; Jon Ham, sports editor; Allyn Roland, copy editor; Holly Weaver, wire
editor; Steve Jackson, photographic editor.
The Ke«l and Black, student
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STEVE PATRICK
Don't support
consolidation
The consolidation issue for
Athens/Clarke County has been the
subject of intensive debate during recent
weeks, and now. as the Wednesday
referendum approaches, the previously
unimportant student
vote is be mg sought
by opponents as well
as proponents of
consolidation.
One group has
even placed ads in
The Red and Black
pointing out the fact
that the proposed
consolidation plan
will “dilute” student voting strength.
While this is not the only factor in the
consolidation issue, it is an important
aspect of the plan which should be
considered by students.
Until this year, there had been no real
effort by students to become involved in
community affairs. Under the present
ward system in Athens, the few students
who were registered to vote were split up
among four of the five wards. Local
politicians feared a combined student
vote, so dormitories were split off from
one another to prevent such a bloc vote.
Now. with a significant increase in the
number of students registering to vote in
Athens and Clarke County, a strong
student vote in four out of five wards
could affect four city council seats in this
y f w’i election, and four more seats in the
elections next year.
Under the consolidation plan, however,
most of the student vote will be
concentrated in one ward. The
consolidation plan would, in effect,
guarantee one student seat on the
proposed ll-man council Local
politicians are more than willing to grant
one out of 11 scats to students, if they
can prevent students from gaining more
input through the present governmental
structure.
In the 3rd Ward, for example, where I
am a candidate for city council, the vote
in Russell Hall and Brumby could swing
the election. In the 4th Ward, where
Connie Brown is a candidate, a strong
(reswell Hall vote could virtually assure
Connie a seat on the council. There are
concentrations of students in the 1st and
'nd Waids as well, and those students
could affect the outcome in those two
race*
Thu does not mean that students will
out vote other citizens in all these wards,
nor does it necesarily mean that students
will always vote the same way. But the
potential for significant student impact is
there, and local politicians would be
happ> to block that potential voting
strength by restricting student influence
to one ward
Just as importantly, the consolidation
plan would dilute the black vote in
Athens. and blacks are already
under-represented. Currently. Ed Turner
is the only black city councilman in
Athens. The consolidation plan would
restrict blacks from gaining more
representation, whereas blacks now have
the potential to affect races in four out of
five wards also.
There are other objections to the
charter commission proposal which are
also valid, and there are good points as
well. However, no consolidation plan
should have the effect of diluting the
voting strength of students, blacks, or any
other group that is under-represented in
loci government. Our best chance for
meaningful input into local government
our best opportunity to provide
improvements and changes for the whole
community is under the present
governmental structure in Athens, and
not under the proptwrd consolidation
plan.
TO THt EDITOR
Ryder to be praised'
The attacks of Senators Melton,
Patrick, Shade and Searcy on Senate
President Art Ryder in last I riday’s letter
column were totally unjustified. They
criticized Ryder fur failing to call on
“key” Senators, presumably themselves,
on various key issues. Having served two
years in the Senate and having witnessed
most of the meetings of the new Senate, I
would make the following observations.
1. t very one can’t speak on every issue.
In a body of 70 senators, it is impossible
for everyone to speak every time he
wishes. There arc probably no four
senators as vocal as the four who signed
the letter of complaint. I have heard at
least two of these Senators, Melton and
Patrick, speak two and three times on the
same issue, making virtually the same
point. The president of the Senate has the
obligation to recognize first those who
rarely speak. allowing them an
opportunity to voice their opinions.
2. If a Senator feels that he has
something to say of urgent importance,
and if the floor is still open for debate, he
may rise to his feet, calling "Mr.
President”. The President then must and
does call upon him. The Senators who
signed the letter can and have exercized
this perogative.
3. The President of the Senate cannot
end debate. The Senate must vote to end
debate by a two-thirds vote. If these
Senators feel that they have been stifled,
they and the contingent who continually
bloc vote with them can vote to continue
debate.
4. While Ihe attack on President Ryder
is unjustified, it is not surprising. The
four letter writing senators vigorously
opposed Ryder in his race for Senate
President. In fact, one of them, Steve
Patrick, was defeated by Ryder in that
race. It is apparent that the memory of
the election has warped the objectivity of
these senators in evaluating President
Ryder's performance.
Instead of being criticized, I believe that
President Ryder should be commended
for his job as Senate President. Of the
four senate presidents I have witnessed,
Ryder by far has had the most difficult
job. He has the responsibility of running a
meeting despite a large segment of often
unruly senators who frequently show
their ignorance of, and disregard for
parliamentary order. In spite of these
obstacles. President Ryder has run the
meetings effectively and fairly. If certain
senators would criticize less and
cooperate more, a better Senate would
inevitably result.
Letters to the editor should
• Be typed, double spaced,
on a 60-space line.
• be brief, to the point.
• Include name, address and
phone numher of contributor
Names will be withheld for
good reason upon request, but
policy
must bear the above
information Letters are
subject to editing for style and
libel laws as well as tor space
limitations
Mail letters to The Red and
Clack, 130 Journalism
building. University of
Georgia, Athens, Ga. 30601,
orbring by 130 Journalism
building.
Homosexuals —
let them be
TO THE EDITOR
The letter by Michael Johnson (May 19)
is just one more example of the type of
bigotry and intolerance which the
Committee on Gay Education is so
justifiably combating. Mr. Johnson would
probably find himself in agreement with
the state legislature that the only
permissable form of sexual activity is the
heterosexual “missionary" position. Since
that requires the least imagination, it is
obviously what God intended!
Let me state for the record that I am
not homosexual, and feel no inclination
to become homosexual. I just don’t swing
that way. I have no personal axe to gnnd.
The fact that Mr. Johnson is not referring
to me in his childish diatride does not
alter the fact that I felt deeply offended
at his infantile remarks. Inherent in his
argument is the assumption that the word
“different” is somehow synonymous with
“bad”, a relationship that even Mr.
Johnson's beloved Webster would find
difficult to accept. Undoubtedly the same
dictionary also contains the terms,
“nigger”, “kike”, “spic” etc., but it seems
unlikely that any self-respecting journalist
would use them. I am not arguing for
censorship here, only the right of people
to be free from semantic abuse.
Mr. Johnson seems to feel that he has
some insight into the homosexual
lifestyle. I wonder. Just how many
homosexuals is Mr. Johnson acquainted
with? With his attitudes, it would seem
that their number would be very small.
But then it is doubtful that he would
even be able to recognize a homosexual
of other than the “drag queen” variety.
At least, 1 can’t, and I have many friends
that I know to be homosexual. None of
them has ever tried to pressure me into
becoming a homosexual, and I can see no
reason why they should not be allowed to
live their lives as they see fit. Society,
infected by the same prejudices as Mr.
Johnson displays, has for too long tried
to force conformity on unoffensive
people, with the result that many can no
longer be honest with their friends or
families. Who knows how many others
can not even be honest with themselves
about their true sexuality?
Don’t worry, Mr. Johnson, it’s not
hereditary, and even if it were, no
homosexual wants to marry your sister.
LYNN BALDSCHUN
Guns are for
sports, too
TO THE EDITOR
As a hunter, target shooter, plinker, and
law abiding citizen, I must take issue with
portions of Mr. Eriedman’s article of
Wednesday, May 17:
1. “Most countries have long since
realized that handguns serve only one
useful purpose - killing people."
Granted, handguns can be used to kill
people, but most handguns are used for
lawful sporting purposes such as
organized target shooting, small game
hunting, and simple plinking.
2. “ . . . but strong gun legislation is far
overdue.” England suffers from some of
the strongest gun laws in the Western
world, but has recently had a gigantic
increase in the use of guns in robbery.
Chief Inspector Colin Greenwood, of
Britain’s West Yorkshire Constabulary,
recently researched the subject for six
months at Cambridge University. On
Public Broadcasting System’s The
Advocates, Inspector Greenwood stated,
“The evidence is that removing control
on guns would not have a noticable effect
on armed crime.”
What is needed is better enforcement of
existing laws. The man who attempted to
assassinate Mr. Wallace had been
previously arrested for carrying a
concealed weapon, but released. A law
much more logical than more gun control
is a mandatory, unparolable penalty for
criminals who use weapons of any sort to
ply their trade.
J. Mr. Friedman implies that the
availability of guns contributes to the
“penchant for assassination.” Any
potential assassin who can read an
encyclopedia and screw a cap on a pipe
doesn’t really need a gun to pursue his
objective. Of course, if he can’t read, he
can just use a knife.
Assassination is an abomination that
could be committed by only the lowest
form of sick coward on earth. A tragic
fact that Mr. Friedman points out and I
agree with is that it’s almost impossible to
stop a madman if he wants to kill you. I
hope Mr. Friedman will join mein prayer
that all men will some day be able to
express themselves freely and enemies
will be defeated only at the polls.
Any reader will readily guess that I own
firearms, so to protect myself from
potential thieves, I regretfully request
that my name be withheld.
BOB TRITT
Past Treasurer, Student Senate
Shakespeare
drank, sir
TO THE EDITOR
Verily we were smitten aghast upon our
reading of your beer editorial of last
Friday. You condemn senators for
drinking the immortal brew? Nay sirs! We
can’st not believe it! Let us list a few of
the immortal personages who have drunk
of the wonderful potion over the last 500
years. Shakespeare, sir, and Beethoven.
Were their cosmic talents washed down
the drain? And Dylan Thomas, Edgar
Allen Poe, Dean Martin, Pat Swindall, Bill
Cosby, Dean Sims, Bill Bracewell.
Thomas Wolfe, Dr. Martin, Ezra Pound,
D. H. Lawrence, John Kennedy, Archie
Bunker, Norman Vincent Peale, Hank
Aaron, President Davison, Babe Ruth,
etc., etc., the list goes on and on. And can
you rightly say, sir, that the talents and
contributions of these wondrous wizards
were hindered by their inbibing?
And gentlemen, you intimated in your
erstwhile editorial that only a certain
group of senators were partaking. Nay,
sir, you were wrong, so wrong! David
Burch, Steve Saunders, Danny Hughes,
Tommy Lord, Jan Sumner, Mary Jo
Jernigan (two friendly administrators).
Scoot McPlarty, yea sirs, even one of
your honorable reporteis - all these
swallowed a few gulps of the bubbling
mixture. And are we to dondemn these
individuals for their thirst-quenching
activities. No! Verily, we must praise
them, for by inbibing they placed
themselves in the company of the greats
of eternity. And no one was drunk,
overcome by the noxious fumes, except
one or two in the gallery. In the Senate
there was no loss of decorum, of
efficiency, of dedication to a proper
division of the Allocations Monies. No,
sir. there was an air of harmony and
fellowship, despite the petty political
arguments, brought about by the bond of
the brew.
Remember the lessons of history and of
great men, O Red and Black editorialists,
for it is apparent to us that you have
forgotten them. Drink to the Student
Senate, and cheers to he brew! There is
hope for our Student Government yet
while the rosy sun lingers on th lips of the
night.
HUGH RUPPERSBURG
k! I TH MELTON
JIM CHAMBERLIN
SAM DAVIS
MOLLIE MCLOTT
(Editor's Note: Nay, sirs. You miss the
point, if indeed you are serious. Verily /
and other members of this staff partake
of the brew on occasion, but never when
the business of the moment demands
deignity. And, sirs (and madame), we
never “intimated” that “only a certain
group of senators were partaking. ” We
said, "most of the ones involved belonged
to Coalition Party. ” Cheers to the brew -
at the right place and the right time.
Letters
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