Page 11
An open letter to
the C.C. Reader
The following open letter is
printed in an abridged form
due to space limitations.
THE EDITORS
Your reporting of H.
Hussaini's talk (Vol. N, No. 8)
is wrong-headed on several
counts:
1. Concept of Journalism
Implicitly, you subscribe
to the theory that whatever
occurs becomes a de facto
"event", meriting full
reportage if sufficiently sen
sational to be "newsworthy."
No matter if it be obscenely
vicious and distorted, the
"event" must be delineated in
full because this is the stuff of
"objective" journalism. In the
instance before us, the Arab
Information (euphemism for
propaganda, financed by oil
revenues) Office gets free
coverage (photographs and
all) for a presentation replete
with hatred and racism —. and
all because it is now enshrined
in the "history" of Capitol
Campus. This concept grants
academic respectability to
apologists for deliberate
terror, sky-jacking and murder
(note the latest atrocity aboard
the commandeered British
airliner). By the C.C. Reader's
own admission, Hussaini's
appearance was not under
University sponsorship. Hence,
this tirade was undeserving of
major feature treatment. . . . I
reject this approach to
"neutral" journalism.
2. Cie-sailed Reporting
The C.C. Reader has
engaged in partisan pam
phleteering. It has permitted
its pages to become the vehicle
for a P.L.O. message. This
may not have been its in
tention, but this is the tran
sparent consequence of un
critically adopting the tran
scription approach to jour
nalism. The article in question
suggests that there was some
effort at rebuttal of Hussaini.
Yet, while setting forth
Hussaini's contention, this
article contains not the
slightest hint regarding the
content of an opposition
viewpoint. Accordingly, the
doctrine of neutrality has been
breached.
Neither does the reporting
allude to the frenzied behavior
of Hussaini at the formal
conclusion of the session. At
that time, our Capitol Campus
Information Officer raised
questions respecting the
unauthorized presence of
Harrisburg newsmen -- a
situation obviously designed to
maximize free coverage for a
propagandist. This too is part
of the total situation, requiring
inclusion in an objective
transcription of "events."
3. The Character of the
Presentation
Hussaini's "impassioned
plea" was racist in appeal. It
adopted an obscurantist ap
proach to specific Palestinian
issues. Instead, it dragged the
red herring of "Third World,"
"apartheid", and other
irrelevancies across the trail.
It clearly sought to arouse
support from the Blacks in the
audience by identifying the
Cause of Israel with the per
petuation of colonialism and
discrimination along lines of
color. This rhetorical tactic
might be suitable for
uneducated audiences, but is
assuredly out of place at an
institution of higher learning. I
would expect that a C.C.
Reader reporter would have
caught this most unsubtle tone
of presentation and would have
referred to it in his "objective
coverage."
4. Audience Questions and
Comments (with some
elaboration)
The following questions
were among those put to the
speaker, and were responded
to evasively, obscurely, and
testily. Since they are central
to an appreciation of the
Israeli-Palestinian impasse,
they must be dealt with '
honestly and realistitally:
a) In view of . Soviet
geopolitical interests in the
Middle East and the adv
vantages accruing to it of
:"keeping the. cauldron,
'boiling," will not the
. - U.S.S.R. encourage We -
Arab states to persist in
their belligerent posture
towards Israel?
b) Is it not likely that a
P.L.O. dominated
Palestinian state would
become a Soviet client.
state, with emplaced
missiles poised for strikes
against vulnerable Israeli
cities and other major
targets?
c) Is there not an in
consistency in Hussaini's
argument in that he
declares the P.L.O. merely
wants part of Palestine but
subsequently indicates a
design to "re-possess"
Haifa and other portions of
the Israeli heartland?
d) Is it not true that over
50 percent of the Jewish
population of Israel consist
of refugees from the Arab
states? (Indeed, this
element has experienced
direct -persecution and
economic degradation at
Arab hands. It is most
resolute in denouncing
P.L.O. guile.)
e) Have not the Arabs
pursued a policy of per
secuting defenseless
minorities everywhere:
Kurds in Iraq and Syria,
Copts in Egypt, Druzes in
Syria and Lebanon not to
mention Arab military
campaigns slaughtering
thousands of Blacks in
southern Sudan?
f) The P.L.O. calls for a
secular democratic
Palestinian state. But all of
the Arab states are Islamic
and none are democratic.
By what act of folly can the
Israelis be expected to
abandon their skepticism
and surrender their futures
to the P.L.0.?
g) Arafat purportedly
offers Israel a choice of the
musket or the olive branch.
Yet, does he not seek the
dismemberment of Israel
in stages, leading to its
total annihilation? Was not
appeasement of Hitler
prelude to World War II?
h) Did not the P.L.O. have
a "contract" on the life of
King Hussein at Rabat? Is
assassination (an Arabic
word) not the typical way
the P.L.O. deals with its
opposition? Is there room
for moderates in the
Palestinian leadership?
C.C. READER
Are not excess and ex
tremism the only way to
legitimate conflicting
leadership claims among
Palestinians? (There are
moderates among the
Palestinians but they are
mute. Ironically, the
Palestinian skyjackers of
the British airliner owe
allegiance to those who
consider Arafat too
"mild.")
8) Why does the P.L.O.
refuse to declare itself on a
guarantee of secure
recognized boundaries for
Israel? (Obviously, you
don't set boundaries for
your intended victim.)
5. Personal Aspects
The article refers to me as
a Zionist. I do not belong to any
Zionist organization (although
such membership carries no
stigma). I am a member of
APPME (American Professors
For Peace In ' The Middle
East). My organization con
sists exclusively of
academicians, Christians as
well as Jews, drawn from all
disciplines, and employing
intellectual resources to allay
conflict. AP.PME: has had
occasion- to -critielze ,specify
policies of the State of Israel in
the toast and will continue to do
so in the future whenever, in its
judgment, the cause of
pacification is not being
promoted. However, it has
always insisted that a just and
lasting, peace cannot be
brought about by recom
mendations calculated .to
damage the viability of Israel.
The C.C. Reader
represents me as having
engaged in debate with
Husssaini. Were I the visitor's
debating antagonist, I would
have prepared a formal
statement and demanded equal
time. As it was, the entire
proCeeding, unannounced until
the last moment, caught me by
surprise. My participation was
simply that of a member of the
campus audience, exercising
his academic freedom during
the limited time allotted.
Capitol imams
Agent of
Trailways Travel Bureau Corp
Tours
PRE-CHRISTMAS
SKI TRIP
To
Quebec City,
Canada
Dec. 20 - 24
GEORGE HARRISON
IN CONCERT
At Spectrum
MONDAY, DEC. 16
Leave Hbg., 4:30 P.M.
$26.05 PER PERSON
Prices Include Transportation
And Reserved Seat
Married Student
Group Sessions
to be formed
The Counseling Center will be offering a Human Development
Growth Group series of weekly sessions for married students and
their spouses beginning Wednesday, January 15, 1975 and lasting
throughout the Winter Term. The sessions will begin at 7:30 p.m.
and last until 9:30 p.m. each Wednesday.
Enrollment in these sessions will be limited. If you and your
spouse are interested in participating, please clip out the form
below and return it to the Counseling Center, Wll7, during the day
from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Participants will be selected on a first come-first serve basis, so
you are encouraged to get your form in early and to arrange for a
pre-group interview with the Counseling staff.
re
I Name of Student
I Name of Spouse
1
Address
I Phone Number
(hours when you
Loa.lll.Fatastl
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Tom McMillen (XGI
President) :talked about
putting a banner of the
Mittney Lion up in Vendor
ville. C.C. owns the
banner. Dave Shrader said
that Beta Chi, XGI, PSPE*
and the Board of Governors
have' already agreed to
pairlt . a wall each in
Vendorville. D. Shrader
made a motion that these
clubs be allowed to paint'
a
a wall each on a priority
system. To get a wall, each
club would need to go thru
the Physical Plant Com
mittee for approval.
Unanimous approval.
PARKING PROPOSAL
Mike McAllister dis
ctisted -the priso6Sai that he
and Russ Hogg wrote up.
It suggested that an altern
ative sticker be offered to
those students who wish to
use the parking facilities at
the • athletic fields, the
athletic building and the
Placement Center. The
sticker would cost $l.OO
and would be in effect after
3PM on weekdays and from
3PM Friday till 9AM Mon
day. The alternative sticker
would be available to
commutors who do not
otherwise register their
cars and to residents with
restricted stickers. The
letter also suggested that
the 15 minute parking zone
in front of the school be
available to all vehicles in
case of emergency. The
proposal passed with only
one "no" vole and one
abstention.
USED BOOK STORE
Bill Jones said Beta
Chi tried it last year and he
talked of the problems they
had.
.He said that he would
help set it up. Books were
50 percent of what the
bookstore sold it for. The
biggest problem was how
much overhead, payments,
control committees, theft
and people to work. He
said publicity should be
good. More information
will be gotten on it and
then finalizations will be
made.
Dr. Lear
Phone
236-9588
Harrisburg,
Pa.
A typical
SGA meeting
MBEft 6, 1974
BITCH BOOTH
Paul Mathis suggested
that it be set up in
Vendorville every other
Thursday to get sugges
tions and opinions from
students. It would start on
December 5 and would go
from 9AM to SPM. Posters
and banners, the C.C.
READER and the Radio
station will be used, to
advertiie the booth'.
Unanimous approval and'
commitment.
APPROVAL OF A NEW
MEMBER
Janice Steffe was
nominated to replace
Nancy Wilt, as EI.Ed. Rep.
A motion was made by
Mike to approve Janice
Steffe - :as- a new - serial&
member. It was passed
unanimously. Mike nom
inated Scot Deardorff to
become a new member
representing Math Science
as a Junior. It was passed
unanimously.
Hipp stated that the
Board of Governors gave
their proposal to Mr.
Gautreau and it was ap
proved. He asked that SGA
support the Board of
Governors proposal for
waterbeds. Contracts
be illfigned, fines would be
given, a $lO.OO per year
charge would be necessary
and inspection would be
needed. Mark Fey made a
motion that we support the
Board of Governors pro
posal. It was passed
unanimously.
Russ wrote a letter to the
faculty suggesting that
they describe their courses
and what is involved and
requesting that this be
publised to the student
before registration. More
discussion will be made
and a proposal drawn up at
the next meeting.
Adjourned at 8:45 PM.