“Your Gun Scares Me”

. by Dave schechter

Frankly, I don‘t care much for
_» s. My parents never allowed

it toy guns in our house and I
never really enjoyed tiring a rifle
at summer camp I don’t hunt and
don’t enjoy watching others do so.
Like 71 per cent of this country 1
am in iavor of gun control, and it
this qualifies me as a bleeding-
heart liberal, then so be it,

Efforts at gun control in this
country have been frustrated over
past years by the National Riﬂe

sociation, which boasts one
million members. The second
amendment of the United States
Cnnstitution does not guarantee an
Ddividual the right to possess

earms, as the NRA claims. The
‘right to bear arms’ passage ap-
plies to “a well-regulated militia . .
‘he amendment is there to insure
individual states that they could
have a militia although there
would be a national army,” stated
Professor Joseph Wall. a noted
constitutional historian. It is worth
noting that no gun control law has
ever been successfully challenged
on constitutional grounds

There are an estimated 45
million guns in this country, one for
wry five persons. 11,000 people a
year are murdered with handguns
and over 25,000 die each year from
gun accidents. The 1968 federal gun
r‘ ntrol law has been a failure

, ause it has allowed for the

ssembly of foreign gun parts and
several southern states have taken
advantage of this loophole. So why
hasn’t a strong gun control bill
En passed?

The NRA does not want in-
dividual citizens to be deprived of
owninga gun and has gone to great
efforts to prevent such legislation,
Massive letter writing campaigns
are the chief weapon used by the

 

NRA and many legislators admit
that they fear alienating such a
“single-issue” block of voters,

Enforcement ofcurrent laws and
tougher penalties tor crimes
committed with a gun are what the
NRA urges, not the registration
and licensing of firearms. Gun
enthusiasts sport bumper stickers
with such catchy phrases as
“When guns are outlawed, only
outlaws will have guns” and “I will
give up my gun when they peel my
cold dead fingers from around it.”

Discussing the prospects for gun
control Within the foreseeable
future, Wall said. “I'm doubtful of
it. The NRA is a very eiiective
lobby. Although polls show that the
American people would iavor gun
control, the lobby is so strong that
it has prevented gun control,” He
finds it politically unrealistic to
think that there is going to be gun
control. “l've gotten pretty cynical
and discouraged about effective
gun control."

Gun proponents will be dismayed
to learn that “A it kept hy a
civllian for protecti is six times
more likely to kill a family
member or friend than an intruder
0r attacker." St) reads a Cleveland.
Ohio. report to the American
Public Health Administration.

What is needed to prevent the
senseless deaths that are Caused
by firearms every day is a ban on
the possession, sale, or
manufacture of all handguns, and
on the importation of such weapons
and their parts. Maybea ban on the
sale of handgun ammunition
should be considered, All firearms,
be they handguns or riflcs, should
be registered and liscensed The
majority of the American public
wants gun control; now is the time
for the lawmakers to take action.

Permissive
education

bySueRepp

is it true that Grinnell grants a
truly permissive education? That
depends on what you term per-
missive. Outside of the science
department a great deal of
freedom is given students
regarding independent studies.
The reputation we have for being a
paper-writing school is well»
founded since most of us spend our
entire semester researching and a
couple oi mad days at the end
typing up those Zorpage papers.
Unlucky folks often find them-
selves writing a couple oi twenty
pagers.

Fortunately, paper writing
requires little professnrial ins
tervention. in that sense, our
education is permissive.

is the administration per-
missive'? In what sense? It is true
that we do have coed dorms and
coed bathrooms, Resident advisors
do not iunction as police officers,
In this sense, it is permissive.

Academically, the ad
ministration is not permissive. We
have a hard wort reputation of
academic excellence. The ad
ministration isn’t about to let us
iudge on our scholastic
achievement, Frankly, we
Wouldn’t want them to do so.
Unfortunately, this zest ior
respectability gets carred to ex
tremes.

Grinnell used to be one of the few
undergraduate institutions that
had an independent majors
program. In such a program a
student could choose an area in
which he or she would focus 40
credits or more in attempts to gain
an understanding of some par
ticular phenomenon, independent
study permitted students to major
in Chinese studies, Protestant
Culture, Urban Studies, Russian

‘Relay frivolities at hand

‘1 by John liuckwnltoi-

The Gl'innell Relays roll into
town this Saturday, May 1; they
’omise to be as wild and reeling
icvcr. The Relays seem to be

ch a playful menace that our own
President A, Richard Turner has
discovered a pressing engagement
which will keep him out of town for
the entire day According to Relays
Committee Chairman Russ
Damtoft, the president “decided to
skip town as soon as he heard about
the Relays." The loss of President
Turner is disappointing, but the
Relays must go on.

The Grinncll Relays began three
ﬁlers ago, just as the “Vietnam"
issue began to receed from the
minds of students, According to

,‘essor Wayne Moyer, who
‘ amtoft described as the ”Ad-
‘visor, Founder and Spiritual
Leader of the activities,” the
Vietnam era gave students little
time for frivolities and springtime
ﬁeasures. in the early "70's,
however, the Indo-China issue
began to lose momentum, and the

 

Relays channeled student energy
into a slightly diilerent path.

Professor Moycl‘ credited the
Relays with a variety oi uses. A
primary service. he said, was
simply that oi offering “a change
of pace ior people to have a good
time " The nclays give the
students a Chance to “let their hair
down and have a party," Professor
Moyer remarked that they also
give the students a chance to test
one another's abilities with en-
tirely different skills than usual,
“For instance,” said Moyer, “the
‘Ping Pong Shot Put' is a good test
oi physical strength H in this
event, the contestant chugs a beer,
and then immediately shot puts a
ping pong ball as far as he-she can.
Professor Moyer stressed that the
Relays are an ”anti-competitive
take-off of normal events,” such as
the Drake Relays.

The irivolities start Friday night
at 10:30 in Gardner Lounge with
the “Titular Head of the Relays”
contest. Russ Damtoft described
the contest as “creative,

 

degencrate. and otherwise won
thwhile,” The Relays otiicially
begin at l'30 Saturday with a
parade, including several hall
floats, and the “Titular Head”
riding in a convertible Professor
Moyer will give a customary
opening ceremony speech,
followed by the traditional “tap
ping oi the key” by Deans Walker,
Eysenbach and Tederman The
Relays begin at z. in case oi rain
(which is, of course, impossible)
the Relays will be held Sunday.
The Relays’ three-year lite has
seen many events; the most exs
citing ones, such as the
“Milwaukee Beverage Relay,” the
“Egg Toss" and the ”All Campus
Cned Chicken Fight” have
remained, while newer, more
exciting events will take the place
of Old, There are at least three new
events this year, including
“English Start Fighting” and an
event called “George Washington
Crossing the Delaware,” In the
latter events, teams of five sit one
behind another, each interlocking

 

The Scarlet and Black,’April 30, 1976—1), 5

Studies or any other academically
respectable program, We were leit
to pursue our curiosity.

Only two independent majors are
graduating in the 1976 class, Both
students were required to devote 40
credits to their major, have each
course approved by the Dean oi
Curriculum plus write a B. A.
thesis.

These two students were the
lucky ones, tor they may be the last

independent majors to graduate.
in attempts to tighten the screws
on academic excellence, the in
dependent majors program is
being phased out,

So is Grinnell a permissive at-
mosphere’! The question is
relative. It's a lot more open than
West Point. However, if I had to do
it again. . . I'd get my B. A, irom
Antioch as an independent major.

Last Monday was skip day and so John Cuilghlan and Peter Pretkel
relaxed with a cold beer as (lid many others. Outdoor concerts. 3 one act
play, movies, volleyball, and fl'isbces were among the Various activities

in which students participated.

Photo by steve Bolesia

 

legs with lhc person in front. The
teams members then chug beers is
succession until their boat “caps
sizes," The boat that stays
“afloat" wins. Another new item
for this year's Relays is soit
drinks, which will be served along
with the traditional beer.
Nortli-Sourth competitions will
include lhe “Big lied Ball Battle”
and lhc “All Campus Tug of War,”
The winning side will receive the
“Dave Tanyke Memorial Award

STUDYING LATE?

ior Sportsmanship." uiinaincd
sources say this award ulll be a
beautiiul antique toilet.

Other thrilling aspects of the
Relays will include a ”PM? Duel”
between SGA President Will
Collins and Dean Waldo Walker,
and the showing of the iilm
”Alice's Restaurant.“

DROP BY FOR A BREAK!

DANISH MAID BAKERY

818 Fourth Avenue

 

 

 

