Editorial Opinion It's back? Don't go out and buy a one way ticket to Manitoba just yet, but it appears the military draft may be making a comeback. Gen. David C. Jones, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently asked a Congressional committee to revive the Selective Service system, which was virtually dismantled by the 'Ford Administration in the af termath of the Vietnam war. Jones asked that healthy young men between the ages of 18 and 26 at least be required to register with local boards on a standby basis, in case, "some day," it is necessary to begin inducting them. And if you're a healthy young woman, that's no reason to breathe any easier, because Secretary of Defense Harold Brown wants to go a step further. Brown has not only recommended that the draft be revived, but that it also include women so as not to be . discriminatory, he says. Jones, Brown, and other Pentagon leaders are clamoring for the return of Selective Service primarily because they fear the all volunteer military is being forced to cut corners in order to maintain its desired strength of 2 million. Too many of the - ap proximately 1,020,000 recruits accepted since the end of the draft would have been previously rejected as unfit or USE A BRIEFCASE. GO TO JAIL. Early training in compliance turns to apathy later c0.,:::',;.: underqualified about 9 percent of last year's recruits eventually had to be discharged early for those reasons: And nearly half the recruits were black or members of other minority groups, which is a cause 'of concern to some critics of the volunteer military. Of course, if the draft is revived, things could also suddenly become un comfortable for a great many University students. Toward the erid of the Vietnam con flict, then-President Richard Nixon signed into law, a bill eliminating both the student deferment and the 1-Y "temporarily medically unfit" status, a device by which many young men were able to postpone induction almost indefinitely. Thus, if Selective Service were to be revived without changes, students might run the risk of having their educations in terrupted to do a , stint in uniform, with just 30 days notice. President Carter has the power to bring . back the draft by executive order, without approval of Congress. However, if it is indeed necessary to revive it, the move should be left up to the legislators on Capitol Hill. Perhaps then, public debate may aid in the establishing of a system which is fair and equitable for all young people especially students, who've already invested much time and money in their education. Editor's note: This is the second in a four-part series on the reform of our educational system. Lincoln Elementary School is Johnny's home away from home. Every school morning he stands, places his right hand over his heart, and begins reciting the pledge of allegiance. The phrases, "I pledge allegiance," "one nation under God," and "with liberty and justice for all" begin to echo in Johnny's mind. It is doubtful that these phrases convey a meaning to Johnny at this age, but more probable that this early orientation prepares him for later learning and stresses the importance of loyalty to his country. Johnny has been told the story of George Washington and the cherry tree and all about honest Abe Lincoln. The pictures of Washington and Lincoln hang in his classrooms and the school is closed on their birthdays. The effect of putting our officials up on a pedastal for Johnny to see cannot be underestimated. One of the major functions of civics education in elementary school is to teach Johnny the importance of complying to rules and authority. Johnny is able to sense the importance of this by the strong emphasis his teacher, Mr. Simpson, puts on these areas. Later on in life, as a result of this early socialization, Johnny will learn to believe in the .rules and procedures of our government. Okay, so the schools teach Johnny to believe in our system. So what? Is there anything wrong with teaching someone to believe in a system that has proven, at this time, to be the best in the world. No, there is not. But at the same time the schools teach Johnny to believe, they also teach him, even if this is not their intention, not to care. Schools encourage students to participate in our democratic system, but they do not give them this opportunity in the authoritarian setting of the school. As ever, ideal of I What Iran has taught the U.S. One amazing thing about 'the recent power shift in Iran is how American intelligence was consistently wrong. The cause may have been poor information, bad judgments, or cultural naivete. Yet, in the hope this embarassing failure will not be repeated, I've collected what I believe to be the lessons of Iran. Primarily Iran shows that people are willing to sacrifice order for freedom. Somehow, romantic notions of con trolling one's own destiny flatter in the hearts of all men and prevail over the stability of totalitarians like • the Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi. Furthermore, the Shah's might did not make right. A country cannot be ruled by the trigger unless there are fingers fully committed to pulling triggers. Unlike distant generals playing war, most Iranian soldiers hadn't the heart for civil war with fellovi citizens. * " 4, t 7 iii(er siiiov.it. ~•,.. • .Vs, ,'": - h . . , The key to this unity is religion.' Out American ethos is unified on common secular values and we thus can't un derstand the Islamic republic of Ayatollah Khomeini. Yet in lands longer and more homogeneously populated than our own, religion has touched virtually every aspect of daily life. We follow a common dream into the future while the Iranians tread the same path but basing their course on the virtues of the past. A pait is` just as important as a future. And who are we to condemn their actions? The western model varies in both ends and means Always Spring will be here soon. Bring your 1.D., Bursar's receipt, computer cards and red ticket. The line will form at Davey Lab, March 21 and doors will open 26 hour, aheact r A. t.inie,.,.., ( R.P1 **PlbVi„„ttlf l Uniwsity : ,„ policies wllbe enforced t all tithes.' .. io „. IslanOucls,. ' ind-psy s Oolkwy,., March 8 =MI Natural resource In our four years at the Pennsylvania State University, we have seen a steady INCREASE in tuition and room and board rates, RISING costs of textbooks, DECREASES in doim maid service, a DECREASE in the available study time at Pattee Library, a DECREASE in campus lighting, the LOSS of our indoor ice skating rink, and DEPRECIATION of general deposits. • But recently, we have discovered that the cost of something has gone down. The price of dryers in North Halls is now a dime cheaper than last term. Yes, thank you, Penn State, for free hot air. Greed and vanity This is for all those men and women who wear fur strict vegetarian, I don't wear fur or leather and I don't coats and hats, and especially for trappers who exploit animals in any way. lam a devoted (and promote the fur industry. Please stop and think of exactly what you're doing. Fur is not replaceable, like wool, but is the fur and skin of what was once a living creature. Also, do any of you realize how many of these animals are taken in the Johnny's schools are no exception to this "Do'as I say, not as I do," philosophy. A student cannot gain practical. experience in democratic participation in schools where the at mosphere is repressive, emphasizing obedience and conformity. It is hard to believe that the system wants to hear your voice when you walk through a hallway that has an armed guard. Why not change the' schools? Let's encourage students to be creative, to think critically and to question anything that does not seem right to them. At the same time ;we would be encouraging participation we would also,leave the system open to question. The emphasis our schools place on obedience and con formity has acted as an authoritarian control that has assisted in keeping our democratic system intact. The question that now remains is how long we can remain a democratic nation (if this is what we are today) under these conditions. Our schools teach students to obey and conform and yet we can't seem to understand why Johnny is apathetic. Johnny doesn't care because he has been taught all along to accept things the way they are. It isn't until 'Johnny gets to college that we begin to expose hiui to the problems that exist in our society. Problems such as discrimination, prejudice, star vation, poverty,'a fuel tank nearing empty, the threat of nuclear war and pollution. The child's eyes, which have from the desires of other lands and can't be'arbitrarily imposed on them. If Iran wants• convenience restaurants, let 'it. , choose among , Burger King, Burger Shah, Burger Khomeini, or any other model it wants. Unfortunately, our policy in Iran has been dedicated •to .selfish interests and the status quo. Our two-faced policy never has been more evident than earlier this year. In a span of two months we 'supported three governments, in cluding the rights-stomping Shah. This ,blatant contradiction of human rights policy stemmed from ,U.S. motivations which continue even now; oil and warfare sales. We lead the world in military sales and the Shah was our biggest client. The Shah deployed his military toys in 'the Persian Gulf, through which flows three-fourths of Western Europe's oil. Additionally, Iran was a large supplier of oil to the U.S., Israel, and South Africa. Our Iranian performance demon strates that the red scare is alive and well and living in Washington. One would think that the myth of monolithic communism would end with Yugoslav independent action, small European divergencies, large Eurocommunist discrepancies, Cuba glancing west, the Sino-Soviet split, or the Cambodian and Vietnamese wars, Somehow 'the myth ,remains. • . • •The Iranian, 'evolution was popular, encompassing everyone from Marxists to the (llama (religious scholars). Howeyer, because it threatened the status quo we saw dominoes falling before our eyes. Iran has a long historical animosity toward the Soviet UniOn. Even if the divided and vastly outnumbered Marxists obtain some power, they will be no Soviet puppet by any definition., America finds it difficult to accept Iran's new isolationist neutrality. We tend to demand,' "You're either for us or against us," usually to our own disad vantage.' To make matters worse, the press on Letters to the Editor Michelene Zera 12th-rehabilitation education Debora Thompson 12th-geological science March 12 M4rk Ac k ton cruel leg-hold trap? Don't you dare say you do it for the "challenge"! You don't know the meaning of the word. A challenge is something that is offered and is rejected or accepted. How mahy "humane" trappers asked the last fox or raccoon if it would like to be tricked into stepping into a steel-jawed trap by false scents, then to I.lstruggleihr ttirrot andpain; no fOod, , no cover from the elements, easy prey for. anit:other predator. If he does •manage surVive until the 'trapper 'returns' which, legally, can be as long as 36 hours his reward still is death from the trapper. Some animals finally chew off the caught front or back paw in desperation, usually to die laterof blood loss or gangrene. How can anyone who has any respect for nature demand that her creatures meet such a cruel death for greed and vanity? I'm sure some of you are saying that, your coat is , rabbit fur and it is ranched. Since, for some reason, ranching animals for fur alone is somehow considered humane and justifiable, you may be surprised to know that since the recent boom in "fun" furs (how sad!) the demand for rabbit fur cannot be met by ranchers alone and must be partially supplied by trappers. And all of those parkas trimmed with raccoon and fox were bought by the pain, terror, and death of an innocent animal who only wanted to continue a natural life in the forest. And if one more misinformed trapper tells me there would be an instant outbreak of rabies if the steel-jawed traps were banned! There are several states where the leg-hold trap has been banned for years and there was absolutely no rise in the cases of rabies. And whoever is jumping for paper and pen to write ,back 'and call me a hypocrite because I eat animal • tiodies ,and wear leather save your breath. I am a radical) wildlife preservationist been conditioned only to see "good," have suddenly been opened to the. "evil" of the adult world. Johnny turns his head and looks elsewhere and we call it apathy, when it should really be called brainwashing. There are those who will probably not agree that the schools can be accused of brainwashing. After all, isn't it true that later in life some people no longer stand when the pledge is recited because they question the validity of phrases such as "liberty and justice for all"? At one time or another, all of us wonder how fair many of our rules are. It's also true that strong feelings that are present in children diminish as they get older, and many of us question the action of our leaders. Our ex perience eventually teaches us that our pursuit of the "American dream" is limited by our social classes and backgrounds. • In order to understand if brainwashing is an -ap propriate term we must first ask what kind of an in fluence early learning has on the development of later attitudes and beliefs. The answer is that "psychologists of various schools, ranging from psychoanalysis to learning theory, agree that learning that takes place early in life should have especially great influence on lasting personality characteristics." Many an thropologists tend to agree, noting that the elements learned earliest in life are most resistant to change. Even though Johnny may someday raise questions about the validity of the pledge or the actions of our President he will still believe, basically, in the legitimacy of the system because of the strong impact that early learning has had on him. It follows that the emphasis on obedience and conformity and the repressive atmosphere of the school contribute to the development of apathy in the student. It is something to keep in mind when you push your own children out the door and off to school. Mark Jackson is a 12th-term secondary education major. berty preva Iran has reflected events more like a stained glass window than a mirror. While the Shah's modernization programs were widely cited, Amnesty International's condemnations of his tyranny were not. The Shah's gift of $4O to $6O million of personal holdings back to the people was widely hailed, his smuggling of $22 billion into Swiss bank accounts was ignored. Concerning Iran we seem to have Sharon M. Long Defenders of Wildlife Sharon, Pa. March 12 `GOD BLESS AMERICA" kk% followed the policy outlined by Ate, it thur Goldschmidt, Middle Ease historyol s l professor. He once gloomily''iiiited;L:li "Countries do not have permanexit/.•[sl friends but they do have perinanentwil interests." I wonder how' 'long, 4- thth `lrfl ignorant, knee-jerk policy can contiriuiN/ before our international reputation' witPrire, be forever harmed. ' - Mark Harmon is a 12th-teini broad-tsv cast journalism major Trash trail .• rl t 47. I would like to bring to the attention of everynneln our„ L op, University community a problem which is an eyespre tA ii3 7,7 the residents of State College and University. Parls in , t ,,, unless of course you do not mind the trail of trashwhlp s k io , leads us on our wandering,,my to an,cl,4o . nr? AfpFe . lk, fraternities and apartments on rd off campp i .,,,, 1 . , / The problem isnot entirely the fault of the,hoq of party, because each of us who leaves these ; parSies various drunken states also contributes substantially. ;,elk,/ As possible solutions to this problem, each frat.frniktr, or host could see that no one takes a drink for the,roadj w ., and even if you do feel compelled, to prolong a gocj uß : buzz, keep the cup. Littering is degrading for yonfselt. m( l your environment, and the establishment of which yq}!„ (r, . area part. It is also a crime. mom So I will ask you to think about it before.you tos§yotFia tit next cup, and also ask the fraternity and apartmen.l4 ll dwellers about their civic pride. • .11.r,...p David A. M . ia psiwitaH • 3rd-secondaryedncatiop,, i , 44 .nwsh ig ® • tfll • ' the ily COI leg , Tuesday, March 13, 1979 Pete Barnes Editor Marjie Schlessinger Business Managekg4 BOARD OF EDITORS: Managing Editor, 'Harry Glenn;' Editorial Editors, Andy Ratner, Jim Zarroli; NewsrEditort ) ,J. Bruce Becker, Gina Carroll; Copy Editors, Corliss Bachman," Vicki Fong, Tim Konski, Allen Reeder, Jim Wilhelm, Mary Ellen Wright; Photo Editors, Chip Connelly,. Joe Toriiit4 Assistant Photo Editor, Dave Kraft; Sports , Editor, Jercyo jt Micco; Assistant Sports Editors, Denise Bache an; Jory,„ Saraceno; Features Editor, Stan Ellis; Art's , Editdr', ;loybb tl '• Gannon; Assistant Arts Editor, Diana Younken; Graphic4kill Editor, Della Hoke; Contributing Editor, Dave. Skidmore; A v. Office Manager, Lorraine Ryan. •:: ils .'(,ii '•'f% r 'JI ~2 '!~ i~~ " ^.l‘ ' :If v )9 , I • : ~i ' I ' in' ~,- :f `, lc I . I n' `1 (1 )2.l.,._.ity'r 1 1 •tom ."(') ( •) ) • LI; ) ci ' 4 ' ( 1 / 4. sk I , d . s • SUN!. , t;ii 3 >;ff "FI s:.'
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers