Newspaper Page Text
Rocky Wade
I Heard The Call
Letters To The Editor
More I wuz, man, basking in
the Kin, lipping Nugrape tod a,
laying “Hey
dad die . watch
ing Oral Roberta
on the video,
and receiving a
Watchtower
(tom my local
Jehovah Wit new
when a voice
M from Willing
Wade ham Chapel
grabbed my heart and yelled
“Repent, oh tinner, repent!”
And on my humble knees, 1
pledged my heart to end the
war in Viet Nam became it wa
“In” — in to be agairat my
country, you know protect for
protect take. Left go protett
and be conformists, man. Raite
a little bed — its more fun than
helping ole man Dick go get a
aoiution.
The Viet Nam Moratorum
came and I tat on my Eugene
Talmadge suspenders—no
charge for me — i don’t need
the education - I enjoy earn
ing a check from the New Left
for nothing. Teacher* — no
teacher* - all they wanted wat
a day of rest anyway.’
Mama Lucy called yesterday
- the don’t understand. She
•orta mad - what the heck
ton, hate your country, no
man I'm “In”, man — I’m in’.
She't the generation gap — the
believet In brent feeding,
working for a living, fighting
for principle!. She’s just a
mother, what does the know
about tons?
today — he don’t believe in
peaoe like me. He fought Hitler
- what a ding-a-ling that cop
killing for peace?
Maybe Mama Lucy and the
cop can get converted Hke me.
Anyway, I’m going ahead bask
ing in the am, tipping my
Micheiob. listening to the Nitty
Gritty D|rt Band, and watching
Yoko Ono until the “conflict”
endt.’
Open Letter to Students
Last year the Student Steer
ing Committee wat formed
through the Senate as a coun
terpart to the CoMegc Study
Steering Committee of the
faculty. Its purpose was to
study the problems Mercer
facet in her efforts to provide a
liberal arts education. The
viewpoint: the student com
ponent of the College.
The life of this committee
has consisted largely of an at
tempt to define “liberal arts
education” and what problems
am imposed upon the defini
tion by the present educational
system here at Mercer. Mercer
is not alone while being in des
perate need of change and the
committee hat been confront
ed with a vast amount of re
source material for reading and
analysis. The educational
system is based on a few
twisted premises with many
more of the tame woven Into it
which, not recently having
been adopted, have brought us
to the conftontation that we
are now having with ourselves
and our faculties. Tb be more
exact we question such things
here as teaching methods—not
all but many—course require
ments, course offerings, major
minor programs, and grading,
just to mention the most
flagrant.
We desire to alter the dis
heartening course that an indi
vidual must follow to obtain
the aU-lraportant degree with
out destroying all that exists
now—if this in itself is feasible.
One of our needs It to Inform
you—many of whom are
apathetic, unaware, or some
thing else—of the injustices
that are here in this com
munity and of the possible al
ternatives and means. Our ef
forts must be, it seems, to con
front students by pointing out
and outlining in red these de
ficiencies. The committee con
sists of Altn Stahton, John
Hill, Charles Bowen, Richard
Heider, Judy Senkbeil, Jinx
Schwenke, Cal Gough, Ray
Woods, Reed Banks, Anne
Longman, Tim Pape, and chair
man, myself. We may get to a
few of you who we know, who
read the Cluster, and who see
us at work, but many of you
must come to us. And to a
large degree we need you to
effect any real change. Other
wise. we are only forerunners
and all that happens is a func
tion of time.
If you would read any of
the resources available, contact
a member of the committee or
the chairman at Box 486.
Signed,
Deen Doughty Pape
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
ga&tngn&ss
COWEELATE WITH AN **X"
FACTO* THAT WILL OSftBCT
Dear Editor :
Now is the time to unite
and fight for the cause of free
dom and equality. It has been
too long that the women of
Mercer have been overlooked
by the administration and have
had their rights quased. As
beautiful as they are, and they
are beautiful. It is a pity, and
intolerable to have them step
ped on to often.
How are they being stepped
on? Have they been receiving
the same rights to housing as
.their fellow male students? Or
an they being treated as child
ren, and put in the care of
baby sitters? Maybe they enjoy
baby sitters? If so, then they
do not have the right to call
themselves women and should
not be treated as ladies by their
fellow men students. But I be
lieve that they are women and
beautiful to say the least.
The Declaration of Indepen
dence states: that all men are
created equal, that they were
endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights; that
among these rights are life,
liberty and the pursuit of
happiness.
It must be realized that
when you entered into the Uni
versity, you were succumbed
to the existing contractual pro
vision concerning women's
housing, in relation to hours
and living off campus. But now
is the time to change the provi
sions of the contract These
provisions can be modified by
engaging in dialogue with the
administration, and perhaps as
a last resort, refusal to obey
certain petty regulations. In
mass this can be done.
One can define the purpose
Of a higher education not only
to be the search for a higher
degree of perception through
scholarly review, but also a
process of transition from ado-
lesence to adulthood. Does the
confinement of the women aid
In their maturation? Does the
present policy provide the op
portunities to develop responsi
bility? Or maybe learn how to
cook? Or does this lead to a
continuing shelter that is not
consistent with the realities of
adulthood?
It should be resolved by the
women of this campus to strive
for: 1. Modification of hours,
and eventual elimination of
hours. 2. Freedom to Uve
where one desires, be it a dor
mitory, or a rooming house, or
an apartment.
Hopefully the student
government along with the
sororities and other student
groups will pursue this matter
to the fullest.
God help beautiful wo
men!!! And may he keep them
beautiful!!
Yours very truly.
The Midnight Righter
Dear Editor
If the United States govern
ment were to hold a referen
dum on the Vietnam war in
which the youth of the nation
were allowed to vote, there is
little doubt that the young
people would vote the war out
of existence. For both legal
and political reasons such a re
ferendum can and will not be
held. Yet if the youth of our
nation are resolute there seems
to be a way for them to hold
their own referendum using a
system that has been set up by
the government. Each time a
SS Form 150 is filed it be
comes a statistic within the
selective service system. Should
a million young people file SS
Form 150, it would be a
mandate from the youth that
the war be ended at once. The
filing of the form is not an act
of civil disobediance but is a
right under the SS system.
Since in all but a few cases the
board clerk will routinely deny
the CO application, the refer
endum will add little burden to
the members of the nation’s
draft boards. It will allow each
youth to vote soon after his
18th birthday. Copies of the
form could be printed in the
newspapers to make sure that
the administration did not find
itself short of supplies and
funds to print new copies of SS
Form 150.
I encourage all of this na
tion’s youth to file a SS Form
150 during the month of De
cember. Further I request
those that share my concern in
this matter to publicize this
youthful referendum.
Ralph Eno
Chairman, Peace and
Service Committee
Dear Mr. Johnson:
It wu with great interest
that I read in the Atlanta Con
stitution of your newspaper's
Interest in bringing peace in
Vietnam and of the intense
activities you plan for Oct. 15
if a negotiated settlement has
not been achieved by that date.
As the wife of one of more
than 1,400 American service
men missing in action and held
prisoner In North Vietnam for
from one to four years, I can
well understand your impati
ence to bring this war to a con
clusion. Many times during the
past 28 months I myself have
“ret deadlines” but I have seen
them all come and go, while
only rumors of peace persist.
Inasmuch as the article I
read gave no indication that
your group is able to offer our
nation’s leaders a solution to
satisfactorily end the conflict, 1
trust you are open to sugges
tions from people like myself
who have much at stake in this
situation.
1 would like to enlist the
help of concerned students at
Mercer University, who in turn
can arouse students all across
this nation, to help reunite so
many wives separated from
their husbands, children from
their fathers and parents from
their sons. The families of
some 1,000 men missing in
action in Southeast Asia suffer
in anguish day after day, not
knowing whether their loved
ones are alive or dead because
the government of North Viet
nam refuses to abide by the
Geneva Conventions of 1949
relative to humane treatment
of prisoners of war, which was
signed by Hanoi’s representa
tives in 1954.
On Sept. 11 and 17 a resolu
tion was introduced in the
U. S. House of Representatives
condemning North Vietnam
for its most unfair treatment of
the American servicemen it
holds captive. The Congres
sional Record for those dates
contains much documented
evidence that would be of in
terest to anyone concerned
about the Vietnam War. One of
the items introduced was a
transcript of a press conference
held recently by two prisoners
released by North Vietnam. Lt.
_ ,, ... Robert Frishman told of in-
r n | „ dignities poor medical tre.t-
Religious Socrety of Fnends inld ^ uaU , diet prolong
ed solitary confinement, lack
of communication with their
families and other atrocities
too horrible to think about.
Like many Americans, from
time to time I have wondered
whether we and our allies in
South Vietnam treat our cap
tives any better. A letter from
the Provost General of the
United States read to the Sept
17 session of the House verifies
that the U. S. and her allies do
give humane treatment to our
prisoners and abide by the pro
visions of the Geneva Conven
tion of 1949:
a. The Government of
(South) Vietnam regularly
transmits timely lists of prison
ers of war held by the Republic
of Vietnam to the Central
Tracing Agency in Geneva,
Switzerland, for transmittal by
the International Red Cross.
b. Medical commissions
from the Government of Viet
nam and the ICRC have identi
fied over 800 enemy prisoners
who qualify for direct release
and repatriation as sick and
wounded; for almost two years
a group of 40 sick and
wounded POW have been pro
vided special internment facili
ties at Bien-Hoa in the Re
public of Vietnam awaiting re
patriation to their homes in
North Vietnam, but the enemy
has refused to negotiate in
public or private regarding the
repatriation of these sick and
wounded PW and refuses to ac
knowledge that they do exist.
c. Delegates of the ICRC
formally reports the results of
inspection visits to Geneva and
the governments, concerned on
a regular basis.
d. Enemy prisoners are
humanely treated at all times,
strictly in accordance with the
Geneva Conventions of 1949 as
verified by the ICRC (docu
mented reports from the
Geneva organization were in
cluded).
e. Enemy prisoners are
afforded the opportunity to
exchange mail with their
homes and in the month of
June, for instance, dispatched
some 1718 pieces of mail. In
addition special visitation
arrangements are provided
prisoners and their families.
In contrast to this, the
North Vietnam government
allows no inspection by the ln-
(Continued on Page 71
RFK OnViolence [ Editor’s Note
" HE WEANS HE'LL FLUNK
VVWO HE WANTS
TO FLUNK-"
“The victims of the violence
are. black and white, rich and
poor, young and old, famous
and unknown. They are most
important of all, human beings
whom other beings love and
needed. No one—no matter
where he lives or what he
doer-can be certain who will
suffer from some senseless act
of bloodshed. And yet it goes
on and on."
“Why? What has violence
ever accomplished? What has it
ever created? No martyr’s
cause has ever been stilled by
his assassin’s bullet. No wrongs
have ever been righted by riots
and civil disorders. A sniper is
only a coward, not a hero, and
an uncontrollable mob Is only
the voice of madness, not the
voice of the people.”
"Whenever any American’s
life is taken by another Ameri
can, unneceanrily—whether It
Is done In the name of the law
or in the defiance of law, by
one man or a gang, in cold
blood or In paarion, in an at
tack of violence or in response
to violence—whenever we tear
at the fabric of life which an
other man has painfully and
clumsily woven for himaeif and
his children, the whole nation
is degraded.”
"Some look for scapegoats,
others look for conspiracies
but this much is clear; violence
breeds violence, repression
brinp retaliation, and only a
cleaning of our whole society
can remove this sickness from
our soul.”
“For there is another kind
of violence, slower but just as
deadly, destructive as the shot
or the bomb in the night This
is the violence of insUtutions;
indifference and inaction and
slow decay. This is the violence
t hat afflicts the poor, that
prisons relations between men
because their skin has different
colors This is the slow destruc
tion of a child by hunger, and
schools without books and
homes without beat in winter.
“We must admit to our
selves that our own children's
future cannot be built on the
misfortunes of others. We must
recognize that this short life
can neither be ennobled or en
riched by hatred or revenge.
Our three on this planet am too
short and the work to be done
t o great to let this spirit flour
ish any longer in our land ”
It has been brought to my attention that in The Mercer Cluster
of September 21, 1969, the headline. “University Joins Moratory
um call,” misleadingly implied that the Moratorium is endorsed
by the administration. However, this action is supported by the
Senate of the SGA and individual members of the student body
and faculty,
The Cluster always welcomes criticisms and comments. Both
make a healthy paper and a healthy university
G. Johnson
OfflBKgSE SkODgSTTIlE
MERCER CLUSTER STALE IV6U 70
Managing Editor . . Lyndon Mayes Typists I Piev,
New Editor . Angie Hayes Y. St. Denis, t. Poole li J.
News Staff E. Lightfoot, Bandlow. T. Ursets
K. Shaw. K. Bryant M Wein Copy Editors fylerUammel
stein. G. I opeland. J. Parker. M Glenda 1 ully
Swam. r>. Wood. E. Vance, L. Photography Bob Johnson
Highnote Public Relations Mgr Renala
Feature Editor . . Chuck Jackaon WUlia ms. Jamie Dave son
Feature Staff E. Robinaon Layout J Camp
B. Davies, D. Brown, T. Kand A. Cooper, J. Hallcn, K. Kron
ler, A. Burnt quist. A. Stanton, B. Stanton
CohrmnistS Ron Childs politiesl Iditor . . Larry Einklcstein
Joe Hobbs, Larry Fmklestein , . , ,,
Allen Wallace, Rocky Wade T^.n.fiet 1
Sporta Editor Lou Johnaon A StansTietd
Sports Staff B. Owen* The Mercer ( luster i* • weckls Mu
S. Hogan. B. Nottingham dent publication published by the
. r uiridUfr.n atudenl* of Mercer University The
IL K Hammonds ’p' P 1 * 0 "* "“".her it 743-ISI I. eaten
IL Stanley. b. Hammonds. P 12l The lddrlu h Boa 2».
, . I. . r. u_* Mar car University, Office room J26
AdvartteSng Mgr Jama. Boykins Jnd 32g csc houn „ t
Advertising Slsff J. Leetum 9:00-5:00. Monday through Friday
Paula Rote Subscriptions are 55.00
THE MERCER CLUSTER • (ktobei l%9«~5