Editorial opinion Creek croaked The year 1963 probably found us somewhere in grade school, playing with Barbie dolls and listening to Beatles' music. The world was turning, but we were oblivious to current events and controversies. Happy Valley was too far in our futures for us to worry about; what was going on here in 1963 was of little concern. . .. Until now. The Associated Press recently reported that high levels of a poisonous pesticide called Kepone have been found in fish in Spring Creek, a small stream run ning from State College to Bellefonte. The pesticide was produced and dumped into the creek by the Nease Chemical Co. in 1958, 1959 and 1963. COOFEt • lko VIII ItiliUTlONllm,do' i 7 fl ..‘3ENftroß Scs-ktf4Etkeß..... A ' caw of T H E. teLEGATEs vhcoLD LIKe. - To sPeAK wiTB 'e , o ABOUT youv,...titc..CßEDtßlLlTy...., 'Sick' comedian By MIKE GRICE Collegian Staff Wrftar Ten years ago last Wednesday a man died. .While his death may not seem important, he was not an ordinary man. In recent years a cult has developed in this country centered on this man and his words. Books, records and a movie of his life have flooded the commercial markets. • Most of these markets were closed to him while he was alive. But he did work some of the big name nightclubs in cities all over the con tinent: the hungry i, Ann's 440, Gate of Horn, Blackhawk and the Blue Angel, to name a few. His concert in Carnegie Hall was a sell-out, even though it occurred the day New York City suffered one of its worse snow storms. On stage nothing was sacred to him. He satirized religions, governments, presidents, society and its hangups, and people that were popular at that time. "I'm not a comedian," he once said. "And I'm not sick. The world is sick and I'm the doctor. I'm a surgeon with a scalpel for false values." His "operating" caused 'him to be arrested over a dozen times on different counts of drug and obscenity violations. The British Govern ment deported him after one of his per formances and refused to ever readmit him, even as a tourist. Police departments in the biggest cities closed his shows and arrested him for obscene words. TIME magazine called him the sickest of the sick comics, "the most Letters to the Editor Sport or spoil? TO THE EDITOR: The Olympic Games are over a quite a preposterous business they were. I don't mean just the Taiwan-China farce for farce it was but the whole boiling kit. High officials are gloomy concerning the continuation of the Olympic games. And perhaps it would be well if they did end, because no one would be a penny the worse and many of us would be a good many pennies the better. Because the Olympics have become the peak and pinnacle of the "elite" sports system, where a few adulated and cossetted stars reap the glory and the profits. There are considerable amounts of profit for the top performers, while the rest of the world is relegated to sitting and gawking. Consider the costs of the Montreal fantasia. About 2 billion dollars is not only a reasonable estimate but probably falls far short of the total. If that amount had been spent - to further the health and recreation of the Canadian people, what a Utopia that country would be. The Olympics supposedly emphasizes good sportsmanship. But when Canada had to turn out, support and pay for enough soldiers and police to make a full army division in order to protect the performers and their retinues from possible slaughter and the paying public from falling all over its feet, somehow sportsmanship disappears. Too "nations withdrew" to make political protests that had nothing to do with sport. So Taiwan withdrew over a purely political disagreement. Perhaps the Canadian government was at fault. But the point is, what did it matter? With Taiwan it had happened before but the Taiwanese then gave in and competed. • • A lot has changed in the 13 years since Nease's last dumping . of Kepone into Spring Creek. Con cerned citizens have involved themselved in ecology move ments. Legislators have drafted new bills goieming disposal of in dustrial wastes. And factories themselves have made conscious efforts to preserve the en vironment: But for Spring Creek, it's all too late: in 13 years; other things have not changed at all. Traces of Kepone, for example. Because of its apparent per sistence, the poisonous substance has remained in the local stream for over a decade. While the Food and Drug Ad ministration's accepted maximum level is .1 part per million, tests of fish from the Spring Creek area show ratios of .1 p.p.m. to. 1.7 successful of the newer sicknilis." Walter Win chell labeled him "America's Number One Vomic.", Offstage his life was at times similar to that of F. Scott Fitzgerald's. He took to drugs like Fitzgerald took to alcohol. His need grew until at one point he was spending over $6OO a week just to satisfy his habit. He considered himself to be - sexually promiscuous and enjoyed hanging out with pimps, hookers, junkies and the "street people." He and his stripper wife added great excitement to parties. Once, on a vacation in Las Vegas, he and his wife were staying at the Flamingo Hotel as guests of the owner. He'd gone to the Tropicana to playfully heckle his friend Shecky Greene, but the owner got upset and had him removed. He and his wife went back to the Flamingo to watch Pearl Bailey's show. At the request of a band member Bailey dragged him onstage to do a number with her. He hesitantly went onstage and when Bailey turned her back he ran off into the wings and got a fire ex tinguisher. He brought it back onstage and squirted foam in her face, ruining her hair and her gown. The audience loved it. Three stage hands came running up to help the choking Bailey, only to slip on the foam themselves, which sent the audience into hysteria. H 6 wrote her a note and left it in her room. It said: "Dead Pearl, I couldn't take your act. All the Uncle Tom bits you did like a lazy Negro." She demanded that he be thrown out of the The "11 Olympiads" mean 44 years. The term "Olympiad" had nothing to do with the games, except it is not the games but the four year period between them and was used by the . Greeks to date time, much as use "AD" and "BC", and to call the Olympics a sport is an ob vious symptom of mental decay. Bras forever! TO THE EDITOR: As a sixth-generation Irish-American having relatives who fought in the Easter Rising of 1916 I feel compelled to respond to Mr. McAulay's affront to the spirit of Irish nationalism. While Mr. McAulay's etymology of the phrase "Erin go bra" was somewhat amusing, it like most other folk etymologise was erroneous' and had little connection with the facts. If he had taken the trouble to be, sure of his facts as a good researcher should he might have consulted the Focloir Gaedilge agus beads (Irish-English Dictionary, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, 1927.). There he would have learned that the phrase "go bragh" means "forever." In addition he would have learned that there is no word spelled "bra" in Irish. The only possible rendering in English, therefore, is Ireland forever. Even thinking of possible English influence it would have been im possible for the word "bra" to have entered Irish before 1912 which is the year that the French word "brassiere" entered English (Oxford English Dictionary). The usage "bra" did not come into vogue until 1936 (again, Oxford English Dictionary). I hardly believe that an Irishman p.p.m. in adult trout and 1.8 p.p.m. in suckers. A similar incident in Virginia in 1975 resulted in the closing of a river there to fishing. In' addition, employes of a near-by factory were treated for Kepone poisoning. But while we shake our heads and sadly bemoan the death of a natural resource, the guilty - parties remain untouched. If• and when the . polluters are brought to trial, they will be judged by the laws which existed when they did the dumping. In 1963, the ecology craze had not yet swept the nation. Consequently, laws protecting the environment were much more lenient and those are the standards on which the killers of Spring Creek will be tried. • If they fail to feel threatened, it's not hard to see why. , _ . • __._. I For Republicans 1 . the' Party s' over ': ; But the political paradox is that voters are rejecting tilt one Par ty which most nearly follows its mandate. There can be no doubt that this is the year of the con servative; the primary election serving as ample evidence. Voters rejected all forms of New Dealism, New Frontierism and Great Societyism. Voters obliterated the liberal movement early, with the exception .of Mo Udall, and even Udall had to tell a national audience on Meet the Press in May he was changing his political label from liberal to "progressive." It is clear the nation is conservative. By JOHN L. HARVEY Graduate-Journalism Political quipsters from Mort Sahl to• Russell Baker are making great ha-ha these days with one-liners like, "It took a Lincoln to drive the Republicans into Washington and a Ford to drive them back out again." Unfortunately for the Grand Old Party, such quipsters are likened to be soothsayers. Yes, political analysts from Portland to Portland are proflitizing doom for the Republican Party come Nov. 2, 1976; the TKO to come from Democratic presidential nominee Jimmy Carter. • .. Statistics indicate the GOP IS fading away fast. A specially commissioned poll for Republican State Chairmen last June showed only 18 per cent of the electorate are Republican. Shamefully, the GOP membership is now loWer than both the Democrat's and Independent's. , But the June '75 poll told another far more devastating and ominous tale; most fellow Americans consider the GOP "in competent, corrupt and uncaring about the problems of the average person.'! It is not surpising that most voters view the the stereotypical Republican as a money-sucking, double-talking, old-time Pol whose only concerns are the privy interests of corporate oil tycoons from West Palm Beach,and Wall Street. Many feel the average Republican spendi more time dashing between the courtroom and the stock-exhange'than between the Congress and their offices. So for punishment, the registered republic chooses to reject the Republican Party, much to the advantage of Democrats. loved, • 0 mned hotel or she would not perform. He was quickly evicted from the hotel and the Negro press at tacked him editorially, which prompted the American Guild of Variety Artists to send him a reprimand. He never played Las Vegas. He tried writing movies for 20th-Century-Fox for a while but was soon relieved of his duties. He continued his tour of nightclubs and did a few television guest appearances. Jack Paar had him on "The Tonight Show" and Steve Allen had him on his show twice, but the net work officials refused to invite him back. , Hugh Hefner took an interest in him and booked him into some nightclubs. His career began to peak. Arrests soon became more frequent and trials sapped him of his time and money. He had been divorced from his wife and was slowly declining as a comedian because of his trials. • He maintained a large following of admirers both in the audience and in the entertainment industry. George Carlin watched him every chance he got and during one of his obscenity arrests Carlin himself was arrested too in order to ride with him to the police station. Faye Dunaway did his laundry for him once in a while. During one of his New York' obscenity trials his friends supported him by signing a petition on his behalf. The petition hailed him as "a popular and controversial performer in the field of social satire in the tradition of Swift, Rabelais and Twain." It was signed by such J.D. McAulay Professor of Education SOW ARE ,BORN 6km7: .. The conservatism of the three major presidential candidates is a tribute to the growth of Republicanism, although Republicans are not reaping the rewards. Jimmy Carter, plainly, speaking from, Pkiins, is a "populist" conservative. "It is time," Carter drawls, ".to bring the govern ment back into participation with the public replacing the overblown bureaucracy with people." Gerald Ford, although Viewed as middle-of-the-road, is highly conservative, often assuming a "corportist" posture busi ness associations INAI3I rate him 92. According to 1975 ACA people as Woody Allen, James Baldwin, Bob Dylan, Jules Feiffer, Dick Gregory, Joseph Heller, Lillian Hellman, Normal Mailer, Paul Newman, George Plimpton, Lionel Trilling, John Updike and Gore Vidal, to name a few. But it was all to no avail. The courts found him guilty. He was a man ahead of his time. The words he wanted to say were prohibited. He - tried working within Society to change things. But rather than changing society, society changed him. It crushed him. He went from making over $50,000 a year to only $6OO a year. His court costs were fantastic and strip ped him of his money. He believed 'Whole heartedly in the concept of free speech and dedicated his life to the freedom of _the First Amendment. It's tragic when one realizes the words he fought so hard for are common words in the vernacular of the comedian today. The ac ceptance of the words came too late for him, though, because he's dead. He died of a nar cotics overdose; Some have suggested it was suieide, others accidental death, and still others believe he was murdered. The point is, though, he is dead, and it is also tragic to note that many people have never heard of him and are unfamiliar with his pursuit of free speech. Looking back, it's hard to believe that the change has come about in the ten years after August 3, 1966. His name was Lenny Bruce. And that's the way it was. would ever have considered The phrase as referring to the development of the brassiere by a Frenchman. Indeed he does a grave injustice to the historic usage of the phrase "Erin go bragh." The phrase had its origins in the uprising of the United Irish of County Wexford against the British in the 17905. Its usage as a rallying cry for Irish freedom has continued to the present. This can be the only proper and fitting context for the phrase. I believe this will adequately correct the error perpetrated by Mr McAuley. Exploited TO THE EDITOR: A cartoon, according to Webster, is a satirical com ment on public, and usually political matters. A cartoon appeared in the August 9th Daily Collegian, satirizing the reactionary politics of former California Governor, Ronald Reagan. Included in the cartoon was a mockery of the United States Marine Corps Hymn. It is our feeling that the Marine Hymn should not be exploited in a political context. Regardless of the mishaps and tragedies of war, American military traditions, which are exemplified by the hymns of the various services, should be afforded minimal respect. As concerned citizens, we submit this comment in support of the generations of service men and women who have given their Collegian forum The Daily Collegian encourages comments on news coverage, editorial policy and campus and off-cathpus affairs. Letters should be typewritten, double spaced, signed by no more than two persons and no longer than 30 lines. Students' letters should include the name, term and major of the writer. Letters should be brought to the Collegian office, 126 Carnegie, in person so proper identification of the writer can' be made, although names will be withheld on request. If letters are received by mail, the Collegian will contace the signer for verification before publication. Letters cannot be returned. Erin go bragh Steve McCarver, Librarian Gerontology Center s'crl iltv•iev 6a4rNeSs . , , dedication, and too often their lives, to preserve the integrity and the freedom of the country and the people that they love. dtzCollegian ..1, JANICE SELINGER Sum - mer Editor Mailing Address: Box 467, State College, Pa. 16801 Office: 126 Carnegie Editorial policy Is determined by the Editor Opinions expressed by the editors and staff of the Daily Collegian are not necessarily those of the University adminis tration, faculty or students. BOARD OF EDITORS: EDITORIAL EDITOR, Janie Musala; NEWS EDITOR, Paula Goctinour; WIRE EDITOR, Laura Shemick; COPY EDITORS, Debbie Fitch, Mike Joseph; SPORTS EDITOR, Bob Buday; PHOTO EDITOR, Barry Wyshinski; WEATHERMAN, Scott Chesner. CriV's Ilt4 VC GROINEC THOI UPON THE 4. and NAB ratings, Ford and Reagan were dead even, the only., differences between them being . Reagan's - failure to mumble,v bumble and stumble. .„ Ronald Reagan, meanwhile, is acclaimed the crusader of the arch-conservative cause. It matters lithe-- voters view him as too fanatic, too desperate, too Nixonian, too Goldwaterish to be taken seriously. This is regrettably true, with apologies to the honorable Arizona Senator. But the point is clear. '1976 is a conservative year, which ta should have been a sign to Republicans, long the defenders of conservative idealism, that • their party would survive. Un fortunately, the stain of ,Watergate has cemented the voters' pre-conceived notions about Republicans. And to complicate the problem, along comes some po' Georgian populist • Democrat who steals the GOP's conservative ammo and aims it "right': between their eyes. 0 So the party which began with Abraham Lincoln may just' 'end with -Gerald Ford, the reason being Republicans will not change. its image. That image will starve the GOP of registered voters and dehydrate the party of winning politicans. Keep in mind the GOP grew from a Northern power-base which sapped the pulverized South during Reconstruction. Headquartered in the industrial states, it fed off the obliterate* states of the South: How ironic and satisfying it would be for the dead Dixiecrats if they could know one of their own may dismember the Republican Party in final vengeance. For years - Dixiecrats have been saying the'South would rise again, and, by Jimmy, it might. 74 , on. I. Richard E. Farrell 10th-Vocational Ed. NADINE KINSEY Business Manager
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