Editorial opinion
All in this together
"We're all in this together." The
familiar phrase now has found new
meaning for politicians and stu
dents at the University.
State Representative Helen
Wise has agreed to wOrk closely
with the students to bring about
changes in the state's drinking
policy. Wise will work with mem-,
bers of the Undergraduate
Student Government to research a
bill calling for a lower drinking age.
If research proves satisfactory,
Wise will co-sponsor the bill, which
would lower the legal age to con
sume alcoholic beverages to 18.
By working with the USG
through a student intern in her of
fice, Wise will keep informed as to
student feelings on this and other
issues. She is proving to her con
Letters to the Editor
Pattern of response
TO THE EDITOR: Behavior technologists explain the response
of the child who cries and hollers when he stubs his toe In
terms of reinforcement of crying as a behavior ("Behavior
Modification: personality-shaper or killer?" Feb. 8). It seems
to and that this explanation is incomplete. I have observed my
six year old son stub his toe, etc., on many occasions.
Sometimes he cries; sometimes he doesn't. It seems to me
that it is his general sense of Integration with the world, his
emotional Kell -being as a whole, which determines his
response at a given moment. When he feels deprived of at
tention and-or affection he fusses; when he feels loved and
appreciated, he doesn't.
If this explanation is even a possibility, it places
behaviorism in a context, as one useful tool in the face of
certain types of deprivation, rather then as an explanation of
the 'nature of human existence in general. It is only when
behavior technologists draw hasty conclusions about
questions like "What is it to be human?" with corollary in
ferences about freedom and dignity, that they seem simple
minded.
Softening the blow
TO THE EDITOR: This is a special plea to all those individuals
planning .on attending the Rampal-Lacroix Artist Series per
formance Thursday evening. Because of the combination of
'the cough and cold season at its peak, the average acoustics In
Schwab and the quiet nature of the upcoming performance, I
am making a request on behalf of the musicians and audience
that everyone make an extra effort to muffle their coughs and
sneezes with lozenges and handkerchiefs.
Nothing detracts more from your musical enjoyment than to
have sporadic hacks and sneezes being projected all over
Schwab during a performance
Taken in context
TO THE EDITOR: In reply to Lee Metzman's "Twisted quotes"
and Patricia Heil's "Lost in translation":
It is not out of context to take Duet. 18:18 as Messianic, as
Mr. Metzman contends. The passage states that the Lord
would provide the Israelites with a prophet who, like Moses,
would commune with God face to face and have God's very
words in his mouth (v. 18). The Lord did this in response to the
people's request at Horeb (v. 16 see Deut. 6:20-33) to
provide an intercessor, so that they would not have to look at
the Lord face to face themselves and die. Christ provided this
intercession between holy God and sinful man by fulfilling
Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. Daniel 9:24-27 clearly states that the
Messiah must come before the destruction of the Temple and
Jerusalem, which Titus accomplished in 70 A.D. Jesus Christ
also made, and fulfilled, this prophecy (Mark 13:1,2):
As for Deut. 34:10, it says that "there hath not arisen a
Collegian Forum
Puerto Ricans aware of
Taino Indians named Puerto Rico "The Land of the Valiant
Lord" and made it their home. it was "America's garden" to its
poets in the Spanish lyrics of the nineteenth century and "the
poorhouse of America" to the American sociologists who
came with their English language in the first third of the
twentieth. Today, those who advocate its national identity and
political freedom want the United Nations to openly call Puerto
Rico a colony of the United States.
In 1960 the United Nations approved a declaration on
decolonization and provided a forum for Puerto Rican In
dependentists to present their case for Puerto Rican
sovereignty. Their efforts, added to those of liberal members
of the then-ruling Popular Democratic Party who support a
larger autonomy for Puerto Rico, has resulted in the establish
ment of two status commissions by Congress and the
government of Puerto Rico in the last 15 years. The second
commission's report went before Congress last year In the
form of a project that would grant Puerto Rico more internal
autonomy but also give its status the definitive character of a
"permanent• union with the United States," possibly making
the pro-Independence movement and support of it by outside
countries illegal.
But, if Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory for 78 years, why
is it not already a state of the Union as, for example, Louisiana
and New Mexico eventually became? What makes Puerto Rico
so different that a case' can be made for its autonomy or
perhaps, its eventual independence? Certainly, Gerald Ford's
unilateral request to Congress that it extend statehood lends
support to the charge that the country is not allowed to
exercise its self-determination, a right affirmed by the U.N.
Assembly just two years ago.
The Taino Indians inhabited Puerto Rico at the time the
Spanish arrived in 1493. In 1508, full colonization started with
the exploitation of gold mines and in 1511 the Indians revolted
against the oppression. Their rebellion wits crushed, but some
of them fled and continued their attacks. The remaining.
Indians were absorbed Into the population or died. African
slaves were introduced in 1513 and became the third ethnic
source of Puerto Ricans.
Richard Gram
graduate-philosophy
By Cesar D. Cordaro
graduate-physics
stituency that she is a woman of
her word. Throughout her cam
paign, Wise promised to make a
concerted effort to represent the
students in her work with the state.
USG demonstrates its desire to
take action and represent the
student in matters which reach
beyond campus boundaries by
working with Wise on the drinking
issue.
A hearing will be held in the
spring by the State Liquor Control
committee to discuss the pros and
cons of lowering the legal age for
all' alcoholic beverage con
sumption to 18 or lowering the age
for consumption of beer and wine
to 19.
Wise has taken an important
step by requesting that USG
Kip Killebrew
12th-biology
President W.T. Williams be present
at the hearing. It is up to the USG
to find out what the students think
about the drinking age policy to
enable Wise to do a better job at
representing them.
With the student government
working in cooperation with the
state government representatives,
perhaps at last the changes which
have never amounted to anything
more than talk will begin to take
place.
Changes will take time and
cooperation. Now that cooperation
has begun, the only thing to do is
wait.
Maybe soon well all be able to
drink a toast to USG and to Helen
Wise.
prophet since in Israel like unto Moses" (Bible, Jewish Pub.
Soc. of America, 1955). It does not say that there can never be
a prophet like Moses, but that he was the greatest prophet that
had lived so far when the verse was written.
' The Hebrew word 'aimah' in Isaiah 7:14 (also Gen. 24:43,
Song 1:3, and Prov. 30:19) can and does mean, in context, a
young virgin of marriageable age. It Is incorrect that there Is no
Greek word for 'almah' as used in a non-virgin sense; 'neos' is
Used in this way in Titus 2:4. The Jewish scholars who
prepared the Septuagint in 250 B.C. read 'almah' as 'virgin' and
translated it as 'virgin' (Gk. 'parthenos'). Miss Hell's problem Is
not intellectual but spiritual: she does not believe her Godis
powerful enough to cause a virgin birth. I know my Lord can do
anything.
To each his own
TO THE EDITOR: I would like to comment on David Horner's
letter, "Messianic Prophecy." Mr. Homer states, "As long,as
the world does not make this commitment (to the Messiah,
Jesus Christ) there will be no peace among nations."
As a Jew, I consider Mr. Homer's statement not only a
religious affront, but also an example of disrespect toward
another's religious beliefs. Mr. Homer's religious beliefs and
my beliefs are simply different, there is no right nor wrong
concerning them. To be able to knowingly blame others for
world problems because of their religion is certainly beyond
the scope of man's abilities. So, where does Mr. Homer come
off blaming hon-Chrlitians for the unrest betwerin nations?
Mr. Homer, as far as Bible-quoting goes, ,taking passages
out of context is quite unimpressive. Precdding Isaiah 53,
Isaiah 52:13 states, "My servant shall prosper . . . " Mr.
Horner, look at your Bible again; are those "he's" and "him's"
in Isaiah 53:5 capitalized? Well, they are not in my Bible,
which is the Hebrew translation. Obviously, the passages are
not in reference to the Lord, nor Messiah.
Mr. Homer, please read Deuteronomy 13 closely, especially
13:2 and 13:6. Those few paragraphs explain why I, as a Jew;
feel that Jesus Christ is not my Messiah. I only hope that you
can respect my beliefs, since that in itself is a religious lesson.
If people would just respect another's religion as they do their
own, this would be a big step toward peace among nations.
Strange magic
TO THE EDITOR: The article on The Doors' Soft Parade album
by John Martellaro brought to mind vast amounts of memories
of the late sixties and seventies. The music that evolved from
this period captured the essence of change, for this was a
period of radical change in American society as well as rock
music.
Unlike the music of today the music of The Doors and Jimi
Hendrix, probably the most powerful forces in rock music at
the time had a special characteristic to it. Their music was
rough, sensual, and quite drastically different from standard
forms of instrumentation, vocals and lyrics.
For the next two centuries the island was mainly a military
fortress for the protection of the Spanish empire. By 1800 the
population was increasing at a fast rate. The wars of in
dependence in Latin America made Spain tighten its grip on
the island, a policy the U.S. supported then, and, except for a
few brief interlude's, its nineteenth century regime was
politically repressive.
Puerto Ricans, meanwhile, had developed a sense of
cultural identity different from that of the Spaniards and began
to fight for political liberties. A reformist movement was .
formed which was able to obtain freedom for the slaves by
1873, and an independentist movement staged several revolts,
the major one occurring in 1868 "El Grito de Lares" (The
Lares Uprising). Luis Munoz Rivera led the reformist movement
and arrived at an agreement with politicians in Spain which
obtained autonomy for Puerto Rico in 1898 with Munoz as
prime minister. At the time the land was owned mostly by
independent coffee farmers. There was no revolutionary army,
and three months after autonomy United States troops invaded
Pudrto Rico, and took It as war booty, bringing "manifest
destiny" to the Caribbean.
After the invasion, the Puerto Rican government was
replaced by an all-American government, the governor being
appointed by the president of the United States. English was
made the official language of government and education.
Puerto Rico was allowed a non-voting commissioner in the
House of Representatives, an office which has been its only
representation to this date. Munoz Rivera was soon elected by
the people for this position. in 1917 Congress imposed
American citizenship on all Puerto Ricans, against the will of
the country's majority party, and without a referendum for the
people to decide upon it. A Puerto Rican would lose his right
to vote and to hold public office if he refused. The U.S.
Government had already established several military bases in
the country (it eventually had eight in the highly populated and
small island) and in this manner derived control and added
manpower to its army.
Absentee-owned sugar companies started buying and taking
possession of so much land that four of them practically
owned "the poorhouse of America" by 1930. Their economic
Linda Rosenson
3rd-agricultural business management
Both Jim( Hendrix and The Doors expressed in their music
feelings from both ends of the spectrum, love and loneliness.
The vocals and lyrics of Jim Morrison, the king of orgasmic
rock, with help from guitarist Robbie Krieger on lyrics created
"Light My Fire," "People Are Strange," "Touch Me," "Hello, I
Love You," "The• Crystal Ship" and "The Unknown Soldier,"
songs that still hold up today. The same Is true of the lyrics
and Immortal guitar instrumentals of Jimi Hendrix on "Thee
Wind Cries Mary," "Bold As Love," "Hey Joe," "Little Wing"
and his own rendition of Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watch
tower."
The music of , The Doors and Jimi Hendrix created feelings
and attained a class all their own. Their songs still cast a
magical hold on us today.
Mark Vitale
sth-physics
Union blues
TO THE EDITORL PSUPA, a proponent of faculty unionization,
charged on February 6 that a speaker brought to campus with
University funds spoke on the union defeat at the University of
Pittsburgh.
The speaker's expenses were paid to come to campus to give
two professional talks to students and faculty. He did that.
While here, he was also and incidentally asked to talk
with faculty members about unionization efforts at Pitt and the
ultimate voting down by'Pitt faculty of any union.
The facts were available and known to PSUPA. I
,am sorry
their co-,ctiairman chose to distort them. He and several paid
PSUPA organizers were at the open meeting.
Such emphasis by PSUPA on" appearance and disregard of
substance is unfortunate. The last time PSUPA claimed an
unfair labor practice was on the occasion of their lawsuit
charging that the University Senate was a company union.
After being in court several weeks, PSUPA withdrew that
charge.
These actions of PSUPA leadership have given us a glimpse
of the adversary nature and Inability to distinguish trivia that
might be characteristic of union management of faculty af
fairs.
Alive and kicking
TO THE EDITOR: In response to Steve Mitchell's comment
that the Kinks never really made it, I suggest that maybe he
just never looked around to see what they have made.
Obviously the Kinks have never had such fame as is
currently bestowed upon Peter Frampton, however, they have
made it on several other equally important levels. Once would
be hard-pressed to find an album with stronger politics than
"Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround." Also, let's not
forget that It was Ray Davies who first made it on the air, not to
mention making it artistically, with a song concerning
homosexuality (Lola). It was also the Kinks, who, according to
The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll, gave us
the finest in rock theater with their "Preservation" show. I
could go on but will let it suffice to say that the Kinks must
need for independence
oppression was so great that it offset the positive aspects of
the American regime such as an increase in the people's civil
liberties and the undertaking of a public works program of
schools, roads and hospitals, all of which had been neglected
by the Spanish. An initial Illusion of freedom under the
American flag was replaced by an affirmation of cultural
identity and a struggle for reform or independence.
In 1922 the U.S. Supreme Court declared Puerto Rico "a
territory but not a part" of the United States, therefore not
automatically a candidate for statehood. This was a new
concept of a territory for the United States, unlike the
Louisiana and Florida transfer treaties.
During the 1930's there were many calls for independence
and many of its supporters were persecuted.
Luis Munoz Marin emerged as a radical among the refor
mists and founded, along with .other Puerto Rican in
tellectuals, the Popular Democratic Party, which dealt the first
blow against the sugar corporation's pro-statehood party in the
1940 elections.
The next few years saw land expropriation and reform, labor
legislation, government sponsored industries and a reduction
in the gap separating the many poor from the few rich.
Some political reforms were obtained. The Congress
allowed Puerto Ricans to once again elect their executive.
Spanish became the official language again, but only after the
new Puerto Rican Secretary of Education decreed it so, since
the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled unconstitutional a Puerto
Rican law for this purpose. In 1952, Puerto Ricans approved a
constitution which was modified by Congress, ratified by
Puerto Ricans, and proclaimed in July 25, 1952, on the fifty
fourth anniversary of the American invasion. Established In
conformity with the American Constitution, and with previous
laws approved by Congress for Puerto Rico, the Constitution
for the, first time allowed the Puerto Rican flag to be raised
even though still at the side of the American flag. The United
States went to the United Nations and obtained the approval of
a resolution declaring that Puerto Rico had exercised Its right
to self-determination. Puerto Rico assumed the name of
"Estado Libre Asociado" (Free, Associated State), translated
officially into English as "Commonwealth." All Latin American
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Sean D. Boland
Bth-film and television production arts option
NOTTlica m's AO OF t 13uSINVeSS I
Bur r 'MAK Somaasia Ati: 2 OAM
4ERE ‘s• - rMst NC, - I+ls GRAMS
JOST A ZIT Teose 7 RtOUSl-si !
G.K. Schenck
State College resident
MAIW., inktatiellii. 1 11
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have made it, otherwise it would not; be so difficult to get
tickets for Kinks' concerts.
Steve, I don't know where you think Ray Davies has gone
("Even though Ray Davies was a nice guy . . .") but be assured
he is still a nice guy and one of the greatest live performers.
God save the Kinks.
Ask yourself why
TO THE EDITOR: The theme of how much enjoyment we t ;
Americans seem to get out of violence and 'watching the '
human body being abused, as recently portrayed by the TV
special "Violence in America," really hit home at last Saturday
night's gymnastic meet. While watching a Temple gymnast,
who appeared to be seriously hurt, being carried off on a
stretcher, the crowd burst out in a round of applause. Why?
Now, I agree that when a competitor is hurt, and is then able
to walk off under his own power, he deserves recognition for 4
his courage; and part of the reason for cheering is to show
you're glad he's okay. But to applaud the scene of a body being
carried off on a stretcher is sadistic. It was a time to feel
sympathy for Miss Donaldson, and empathy for the other
gymnasts on both teams who were obviously quite shaken by
the unfortunate accident.
The next time you cheer a similar scene, ask yourself: Why?
Gerald L. Palau
Bth-biology
•dtaiz,Collegiao
SHEILA McCAULEY
Editor
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Maimed
countries approved it, except for Mexico, Uruguay and
Guatemala.
In a desperate last attempt to call the world's attention to,.
what they saw as a farce in political freedom, a group of Puerto
Rican nationalists tried to kill the president of the United
States in 1950 and members of the House of Representatives in
1954. These nationalists still remain in prison. . -
Puerto Rico continued its economic development under the
PDP, and by 1956 the textile indistry had become the largest
source of income for the country. By 1960, Puerto Rico had
become the fifth largest U.S. buyer in the world. Copper eihd
nickel deposits were discovered but a controversy developed'
on how much of their mining would profit Puerto Rico vs. the
American mining companies. In 'general, Industries were again
absentee-owned and large pockets of poverty remained while a
mass migration to the United States continued.
There was a preference referendum on status in 1967 which
was won by Commonwealth supporters with 60 per cent of the
vote, followed by statehood supporters with 35 per cent.
In 1974, unemployment climbed to above 20 per cent of the
labor force, officially, and unemployment plus un
deremployment to 35 per cent. More than half of the
population started receiving food stamps. Forty per cent of the
American Investment In Latin America was by then located in
Puerto Rico, while one-third of the gross national product left
the country as corporate profits.
Pollution of the environment has increased at a fast rate,
counteracting otherwise dramatic Improvements in basic
health care, and a net migration back from the United States
has developed: The population density is now 'more than 900
persons per square mile and half of it is less than 20 years old.
The overall sense of these socio-economic developments
supports the charges of exploitation which will be under the
consideration of the United Nations this summer, as this body
re-evaluates the political relationship between Puerto Rico and
the United States. While the net result of the last 35 years of
American rule has been a large Increase in the average material
standard of living of Puerto Ricans (especially if compared to
Spanish rule), an awareness is rising of the political inferiority
of the present status both as a nation and as American
citizens.
NADINE KINSEY
Business Manager
Judson Kristoff
12th-education