Page Two
commentary
Who's Right is Right
Social Sciences I is a course
that I'm enrolled in this term. The
students in it are expected to read
such books as Bronowski, The
Common Sense of Science;
Boulding, Impact of the Social
Sciences; and Andrey, The Social
Contract. You all know the type,
the ones you fall asleep by. The
books just seem to ramble on
profusely and you hear enough
`bragging' in and out of class let
alone have to read more.
Anyway, the subject must be
studied, therefore, the books are
read. So I'm into the third text,
The Social Contract, and I start
to recognize parallels and apply
concepts between it and today's
society.
Newspaper, magazine, and
radio headlines this year have all
included stories about schools
closed, houses burning left unat
tended, stores being robbed, and
trash left to rot on city streets
because teachers, firemen,
policmen, and sanitation workers
have gone on strike.
I've read about longshoremen
refusing to load ships for sea,
paralyzing a good part of our
commerce, because they do not
approve of selling grain to
Russia. Police have had to ac
company children to school to
protect them from stones thrown
by parents. Not long ago, the
truck drivers blocked the high
ways because they were
disgruntled at new speed limits.
They still continually exceed the
55 m.p.h. limit. We have been
threatened with a halt to the
nations mail service by postal
employees. A possible railroad
shutdown looms.
The common factor related in
all these headlines of actual in
cidents is that they reflect a
grievance of some people (in our
society) to. hold - the rest --of ~ the.
people at bay. The question is
What is the relationship between
the members of society and the
society of which they are
members? A strike of city em
ploes or bus drivers if prolonged
is not just inconvenience, but
becomes an injury to the city. In
the case of firemen or policemen,
the result is immediate danger to
every citizen. What is happening
Ilthicilb Qtatitgint
glipt Press Assuriattint
of enntatanureattip tEsunptuits
Bob Wetmore Gay Catania Jim Martin
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the student body.
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The Collegian
By Jim Martin Executive Editor
today is the confrontations bet
ween the right of the individual in
refusing to work and the right of
the public itself.
Also, mail workers and truck
drivers are not technically public
employees, yet the health and
well-being of the entire com
munity depends upon them. If
they strike, the nation is soon
paralyzed. If they are not allowed
to strike, what of their rights to
complain of grievances? If they
do strike, what recourse has the
public? And the problem
grows
The problem grow because the
times are such that more and
more of us are unmindful of what
Rousseau called the social
contract. It is the unspoken
agreement that in order to live
together in society, we must forgo
things we might otherwise claim
a "right" to do.
"The passing from the state of
nature to the civil state produces
in man a very remarkable
change," wrote Rousseau, a
liberal philospher . "Man loses by
the social contract his natural
liberty and an unlimited right to
all which tempts him. In return,
he acquires civil liberty ... We
must distinguish between natural
liberty which has no bounds but
the power of the individual, from
civil liberty which is limited by
the general will."
For the most part, we are
hardly aware of how much we
depend upon this unspoken social
contract to live peaceably among
ourselves. It is the binder that
holds society together.
We are a nation of laws. We
have many to protect the weak
from the strong, to prohibit
murder, arson, rape, theft or
even speeding dangerously on the
highways. But these civil laws
depend upon the fact that society
as a whale. already accepts
these restrictions upon individual
action as a condition of living
together. The laws are for the
minority who do not accept the
social contract.
The assumption of society of
the social contract is that doctors
will treat the sick and lawyers
defend those accused even though
each individual may have a
Member of
Paul Corbran
Editor-in-Chief
Mike Kaveney Mark Reese
Business Manager Sports Editor
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or delete portions of all letters for
publicationpurposes.
An letters must be signed, but
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Signed columns represent the
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Behrend Collegian
"right" to decline a patient or a
client.
Similarly. society expects that
the old will rear the young and the
young care for the old. It expects
each of us to bear our share of the
common costs, that is pay our
taxes, for our defense or
whatever else the community
undertakes.
Everyone has a right to
disagree with and speak against
any public policy—say that of
sellin grain to the Russians—but
when a small group concerts to
block that public policy of the
whole, social fabric is threatened.
No one is required to be a
policeman or a fireman. But_ to
become one is to accept a special
obligation not to walk off the job,
leaving society itself in peril..
Society must also honor its part
of the contract. It must beware of
laws which are not generally
accepted and invite defiance. And
if the individual is asked to forgo
the right to strike, society must
take care that what it promises in
return, a decent wage and
security of employment, is
delivered. Who should expect
loyalty from a policeman who
does not know whether tomorrow
he will have a job?
The remedy lies only in all of us
remembering how fragile are the
ties that bind the society in which
we live.
letters
varying viewpoints
Dear Editor:
During the last week several
pieces of information have come
to my attention which I find quite
distressing and feel the student
body should be made aware of.
These are not only matters of
student concern but matters
which we as students can react to
and act upon.
First, I have been informed
(through the workings of the
Learning Resources Committee)
that 578 volumes (hard bound
texts) and hundreds of
professional journals, many of
them irreplaceable, were stolen
from the Behrend College
Library last year. The total loss
incurred by the library (and
thugly incurred by the students)
was estimated at over $7,500 with
departmental allocations for 1975-
76 averaging only $319. There is
often justifiable criticism of the
inadequacy of the library
facilities and actions such as
these only serve to antagonize the
already poor situation. I feel it
the responsibility of each student
at the Behrend College to exert a
bit of social pressure on the in
dividuals responsible for these
thefts as the Monetary and
academic losses directly effect
all of us.
The Faculty Committee on
Learning Resources was also
informed that the use of the
library was second lowest among
all Commonwealth Campuses of
Penn State and the inadequacy of
funds could 'be partially at
tributable to this. It is also'
disconcerting to note that the
funds for our "little library" have
been cut by 23 per cent from last
year, probably facilitated by the
lack of So, get in there and
take a few books out just to help
yourself- ,
Now, for the next problem. The
• Faculty Committee for Academic
Planning has been looking into the
possibilities of irradicating
common hour. For those of you
not familiar with common hour, it
is that magical time on every
Tuesday and Thursday third
period, when (supposedly) no
classes are to, be scheduled and
also the time when many faculty
and student committees set aside
for meetings. It is my opinion, and
the opinion of many other in
Consciousness
verses consciousness IV
By Robert P. Radziszewski
Once upon a time, there was
something Charles Reich
(Greening of America, 1970)
described as Consciousness 111.
Consciousness 111 was the youth
ful college generation of the 60's
and the early 70's, a generation of
love and peace which actually
gave a damn about social in
justice and the increasing amount
of power being wielded by the
imperialistic American govern
ment. These were the saviors of
America and this was the
revolution which could not be
stopped. So Charles Reich
thought.
Consciousness 111 is in danger
of extinction. It has been: replaced
by Consciousness IV, the modly
dressed swingers of the 70's, who
care about nothing but money and
success, and as one student put it,
"who to bump with at the next
dance."
This is the generation of shaped
hair and clean-shaven faces.
They are the faces of
foolishness and greed that closely
resemble those of generations
ago. The faces are here and on
every other campus in America.
They are the faces that turned
America into Amerika.
Consciousness IV listens to
something called "glitter rock."
This is the music of mindlessness,
of Kiss doing "Strutter", or of
Elton John singing of lifesaving.
It is the music of enormous
pretension, where breathing fire
and wearing diamond-studded
formed faculty, students, and
administrators, that the ter
mination of common hour would
be disastrous for most
organizations on campus and
could only serve to furtlier con
fuse the already maddening
bureaucratic process.
Now, last but not least, a per
sonal commentary which, to the
best of my knowledge, accurately
reflects the attitudes of most
resident students. We all know
our resident area coordinators...
or do we? ! Well, we have John
Giesmann, Beverly Romberger,
and what's his name in Perry
Hall. Who ever he is I wish he
would introduce himself as I have
never seen or met him. My point
is simple, these are salaried
employees positioned as such to
serve the resident students. Have
you ever tried to find one off them
when they are needed? Good
luck! When you would rather not
see them they are as übiquitous
as the leaves in fall—when you
really need a "residence area
coordinator" you'll have a hell of
a time finding one. Try to start a
harmless, tension-reducing, inter
dormitory verbal battle and they
emerge from their secret hiding
places like storm troopers with
their band of merry RA's. But try
_to get into your room when
you're locked out—go ahead,
try—you may end up sleeping in
the hall (unless of course you
open a can of beer and they will be
right there to protect you from
Nothing personal, you un
derstand!
Respectfully submitted,
Michael J. Woods
Student-Body President
Dear Editor:
Without going into political
ideology, I would simply like to
voice my opposition to having
ROTC on Behrend Campus. I do
not want to sound like a fugitive of
the 60's, but the establishment of
a branch of the ROTC here is an
insult to any socially Conscious
person. I kindly , request the
"braintr.ust" of Behrend Campus
to reconsider their decision.
Respectfully yours,
Robert P. Radziszewski
3rd term L.A.
(Soc.) major
October 16, 1975
clothes are greeted with awe and
incredulity by an escape-seeking
and immature audience. Words of
protest no longer make money, so
no one bothers to write them,
although there are a few ex
ceptions. The days of Dylan are
'gone.
Consciousness IV wears clothes
of great plasticity and in these
clothes they hide from cruel
realities which do not affect them
directly.
The ragged jeans of C 111 have
been replaced by ones costing
four times as much, or have been
done away with completely_ Old
jeans are no longer patched, but
thrown away.
Sweatshirts and workshirts
have been replaced by the
flowered chemise with the fly
away collar. Sneakers have
evolved to high-heeled shoes. The
slovenly but honest look of C 111
has been transformed into the
deceptive look of elitism. They
wear these clothes to
homecoming dances and football
games while volunteer services
cry out for help and the American
military system steadily grows in
power, virtually unchecked. They
are ever so cool.
Consciousness IV is the
generation of television. They
laugh at minorities in prison,. at
soldiers in Korea. They enjoy the'
good times in the ghetto and
share \ the mindlessness of a
generation twenty years earlier.
They do not know the meaning of
false consciousness. They are the
generation of the thirty-second
commercial, where the mind
lessness they so faultlessly
exhibit is encouraged and rein
forced. They become products
themselves to be made attractive
to the highest bidder in the
business community. The
technical name is prostitute.
Consciousness IV wants the
good life for themselves, no
matter what the cost to others.
They envision apartments in the
suburbs and children growing up
to continue the nonsensical cycle
they have trapped themselves
within.
Success is measured by money
and status. They are blind to the
child growing up in one of
America's countless slums who
has gained leadership of his gang
by committing first-degree
murder.
They do not breathe the
poisoned air or drink the poisoned
water. The tought of missing an
evening meal is terrifying and
they cannot understand how a
child in India can "be so skinny."
They constantly question the
leniency of a compassionate
judge who sees work-release and
probation as viable solutions to
inhuman prison conditions, and
yet they feel sorry for "the dumb
animal behind bars" when they
visit a zoo. Their hypocrisy is
boundless, threatening the
existence of those who will not
play their games.
' Consciousness IV has accepted
some questionable heroes. Lt.
William Calley was only under
orders and should be pardoned.
Buford Pusser is the answer to
rising • crime rates and Evel
Knievel will go down in history as
a great American legend.
Consciousness IV has accepted
these caricatures without
question for they are sadly in
need of something to believe in.
They lack the initiative to explore
what these• men stand for, and
thus they expel them. Some may
understand these men and still
idolize them. They are truly fools.
Consciousness IV is a terrible
mutation of Consciousness 111.
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