SCARLET AND BLACK

Friday. December |‘ |9b|

 

 

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Grinnell, Iowa
GRINNELL COLLEGE

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Open-Open Dorms ._

Tile Social Coordinating committee is to be commend,
ed for its recent recommendations to extend open-open
dorms to Friday nights ill addition to Sundays (see story
13, 1). The present system has set a successful precedent.
Openeopen dorms have given students a chance to talk priv-
ately with one another or stlldy, undisturbed by the blare at
TV sets or the pounding of self-made pianists. Yet men and
\vomen lnay enjoy a coinfort which tlle several dentist’s
waiting rooms without doors on the union’s second floor

could not pl'ossibly provide.
It seems obvious to most

people that those who intend

to play Doll Juan and tre")ass the delicately drau'n lilies
or" conventional morality, will undoubtedly find a place to
satisfy their inclinations regardless of openropen dorms.
doors or deans. The recommendation. “hich was conceived
iii an adult mauller, alid which will take adult attitudes to

ure success, appears to be a far better solution to the

innell social situation than lnost that have been Sileeesb

The Shelter Problem

In light of the new plans for a Grinnell fallout shelter

and the nation-Wide colltrovel‘s

' over the issues involved,

the suggestion of a Grinnell student government official
may be a thoughful one. It would seem advantageous for
G innell, a respected educational institution, to show a cone
scientious public interest in various sides of the problem
before declaring itsell’ a leader in a highly questionable

enterprise.

A conference and series of diszllssions by outside ex-
parts on both sides of the shelter fence might lead to a
greater clarification of, or Various alteniatives to. the pre-

sent solution.

If nothing else, such a series of discussions involving
administration, faculty, students alid various respectable

authorities would show that Grinnell is carefull

lnves lg" t-

ing the problems involved rather than making a hasty

“digging in” for which it could later be severely critic

ted.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Writers

To the Editor:

It is very difficult to bring
any solid principles to bear on
the matter or a college [allrout
shelter program that lead to any
clear conclusions,

Onc reads that the Pra'dent
of the United States consider it
most reprehensible, almost clini-
inally so, for citizens and com-
munities to fail to provide
themselves such shelters, And
one can appreciate the sense or
community responsibility winch
the college administration lecls
for the students enrolled here.

Yet questions about what
program to pursue and the
lensibility or the presently pro-
posed one Suggest themselves:

(1) In the light or conflicting
scientific opinions about fallvout
meet: and the uncertainties ol
the geography of possible missilc
attack, how can any defense pro»
gram [)0 intelligently planned?
Docs onc protect ior two hours.
two days, two wccks or two
months and against what blast
force or radiation inlcnsily7

(2) What is the goal of such
pr sumed protection? Avoidance
of a tempor’drv ham-d. or plcir
oration for civilizations renewal
in a completely desolatcd land7
The two would require quite dire
rel-ent measures.

(3) What is to be the extent or
such protection? At the moment
it is assumed lo bc the resident
student body, and the Atom take
the professor and townspeoplc
if they haven‘t resources enough
to build their own privolo shel~
ters Perhaps the college would
do bctlcr without proicssois.

(4) Are the present facilities
really adequate to the job pro—
posed for them" Ii they are not,
then should bigger and better
ones be built—though ruinous
financially for ,the college? But
it not the whole \vav. complete-
lv adequate preparation {or ul-
timate perils for everyone con-
cerned, why anything at all;
a situation in which the undone
contradicts the purpose or what
is douc‘?

(5) But lvhal will be the effect
or a concentration upon shelter
building? Will it lead lo a resigr
nation to the prospects of an
atomic war. strengthening the
hands of those in the military
that prefer to strike first in pres
venlive holocaust; or to the re-
jection of all other efforls to tire
vent such \i'ar? Will it subtly
orient all thought and endeavor
to an underground psychology?
And who is interested in that
kincl of life?

‘Villstoll L King

THE FORUM for DISSENT

by Bill Johnson

This article is on the peace
movements in the Unilea
States and elsewhere, 1 do
not pretend that it is all-inclu-
. ve, nor do I pretend that the
basic tenets or these move—
ments are dogma. The ideas
behind the peace movement
are open to debate, But what
the peace movement is, nnd
what it is trying to do, are
ideas that are not fully under
stood. This article is a vc ,
general attempt to understand
lhein.

A man can often understand
.be problems of the world; he
can often undersland how they
might be solved, but he Lon do
little more than understand. loi-
ivhen hc attempts to apply his
ivisdoin, his small voice is
nearly mule as it tries to pence
tra‘te the “115 S, In the age of
ihcrmonncle- w a r l a r c, the
peace movements in the United
Flutes and elsowlicl’eisomcllmcs
anatical. sometimes admittedly
[Dubllcilyrscckingiare another
in the series of man's attempts
a control his own rate.

, is this movement necessa

Everyone wants peace, we all
my. How could anyone start a
war if everyone wants peace?

The truth is that wars haie
often been started dcspilc c
eryone's desire for peace. ii

undci-slunding between men, be-
tween nations these have
ca ~cd the great “31:: of lho

past that nobody wanted.

The members of peace move
lnenls tin-ouchoul this counlry
also bclicvc that almost nobody
iiarlts war. But they also believe
that despilc this. war will come
unless the arms race slope. whi-
iiill come it we continue to
spend 274 iimcs the amount ol
money on armaments that we
spend on lhc United Nations
War will come i: we do not
have more than a mere Senate
suhrcommitlee working on dis-
armament,

War uill come if we convince
our citizens that fallout shelte -
\iill sm'e most of our popul
‘llon in an allack and that we
will time nothing to lose in a
war. Everyone wants pcocc, bul
evel oiio dot»: not understand
fhoi peace is impossible unless
cvisling conditions change,

Even if peace is more lhnn
a dead issue, why must men
and women and youths march
up and down America’s side-
walks and behave in despera-
tion? If they think they are

right, why not operate through
conventional channels? way
not send letters to their con.
gressulen? Why not run for
public ofﬁce? Why not speak
to one‘s friends and neighbors
and convince them or the need
for change?

Those who believe that condo
tions must change are doing
this. But docs this change can-
ditionsv Does it woi . The
pcacc movement is loo young
to know what works, It knows
this: the American people are
largely unaware of the probm
bility of a nuclear war, and
lhey cannot imagine the cousce
oucuccs il one came about

Secondly, the adlninlsl ilion
does not feel enough pressure
lrom its electorate to take the
initiative in attempting to end
the arms rarc, to adopt a more
ll r'lbie foreign polio. to pm
more faith in the United Nae
tmlls.

it tho ridinlnis‘lmlion rim cdtle
cote lhc populace, if it can
change governmental approach
to certain policies. lhcu we are
at least heading in the direction
or a ﬁrm and lasting peace.

[1' T Arthur Hadley is correct.
FORUM FOR DISSENT
Cont. p, 5, col, 1

iscuss Shelters,

To the Editor:

The case against Civil Defense
rests on two related points
which tend to demonstrate that
the disadvantages of such a pro
gram far outweigh its advant-
aces

ll A nuclear war would be a
worldwide disaster. Even the
military experts who hold the
position [hat we can win a nu-
clear war concede that we can do
it only with an unprecedented
loss cl life and probable pollu—
tlon of the atmosphere. Moi-c
pessimistic experts project the
end or civilization.

2) The Civil Defense pr gram
is dangerous in that it builds a
two~sldcd stole of mind that
moves us closer to the war. lne
tornatlonally, it increases the
tension and suspicion which act
as blocks to effective negotiation.
Domestically, it provides us with
an acceptance cl the eventuality
or war. and a creeping complac-
ency as to its nature.

This is hnrdly n clear-cut
issue. and the decision collrcrnr
ing our fallout shelter must
necessarily involve a ccrtnin
nmoiinl of faith. If we deride
to co-opernte with Civil De»
icuse. we will place our inith
in the doctrine that we r.- n

survive and win a nuclear war,
and that the time has come lor
prepmntion.

Il we reluse to build a slicltcr
(and thereby sci an csnniplo for
oilicr institutions) wc must rc-
lusoon the faith that men are
cnnnlilc of acting rationally bolorc
it is too late. 1 don‘t really lhink
I need to emphasize \ihlch of
these positions is more in line
with the principles of a liberal
arts college.

Tom Phillips

To the Editor:

Paul Courtright‘s cartoon in
the last issue oi the Scarlet mid
Black can not justifiably he cons
demncd a misrepresentation
or the VVaslilnglon group. It had
nothing to do with the group
as such. but rather, was an air
fcclive piece of personal slander.

If we are to condemn Court
right for his viciousncss, we still
cannot avoid admiring his grasp
of lhe larger issues involved,

Ken Schill

To the Editor:

As I understand 1he substance
of Jim Glenn‘s rcccnl letter.
after d tilling it from its new
iuvect c, it seems that the
message concerned a group of
pselldoantellcctuals who were
able lo pi-oicct their ideas on
an apathetic campus by unscru-
pulmls means. Menlion was also
made of [hair putative position
as “God's chosen people."

Having come to the conclusion
that ll'lIS was not an anlleelnitr
ic attack, since the lcodcrs of
the executiverlegislallve complex
are members in good standing or
the Aryan race, I am writing to
agree with Mi Glenn: the word
ing of the r. lulion was me
fortunate

A poini that Mr, Glenn. cer-
tainly out of ignorance mid not
out or mahciousncss. neglected
to mention is the admmi ra-
lion’s realization of its crior
and subsequent nlllliﬁcation of
the referendum.

The administration's honest
admission or :In error and its
attempt to correct that error.
1 think, is admirable.

Certainly, the ability of pseu-
do-mlcllecluols lo proiccl their
ideas on an “apathetic" campus
is not the fault of the ioriner
but the doloult of the latter. i
would likc to Suggest to “Vocif.
erously Yours," Glenn that vo-
cifei-ousncss is most elicclive at
the birth or an issue not after
‘the campus has becn "brain-

To the Editor:

1 was singularly impressed rc—
ccutly with John Ward's last
piece in the Scarlet and Black.
Not only was it narrowmiinded,
but it was completely useless
and unnecessary. Every week I
open up the 53:3 to page two
only to be greeted with the
countenance of John Ward and
his column at lnanc nothings
completely unbecoming a par
per of the stature of the
Seas,

From Mr. Ward‘s column,I
gather that he is for every mi-
nority and splinter group on
campus and that the majority is
uninformed and disinterested. I
respectfully submit that some of
Mr Ward‘s stones are rattling
around in his head. The space der
voted to his Ihoughts could be
better utilized by being left
blank so that each student could
write his own column in his own
paper.

Somehow, Mr. Ward’s pseudo-
intellectual wit leaves me cold,
Undoubtedly Mr. Ward could
lainbast me as uninlormed and
disinterested. but i believe 1 am
in the majority in this case.

if Mr. Ward wniits the school
to go on a hunger strike Sup-
porting the Grinnell Students
in Peace I suggest that he skip

1,125 consecutive meals oi his
own and sit on a flag pole to
register his support while I,
with lull stoninvh, go mv disin-
(crested and uniiilormed way.

I think that this campus is
holding a slnall minority in too
much reverence This group is
the much touted and much shout
ed Grinnell Students for Peace.
Never let it be forgotten that
they are in the minority and
they are heard only because this
paper denotes lar too much space
to this dissident minority fac-
tion and not a proportionate
amount of space, to the majority
opinion. _

Undoubtedly this letter will
be the object of much ridicule
and scorn on this campus and
will be picketed by the Grinnell
Students lor Peace, but those
are the facts,

But I must content myself
with this liille outburst and
swallow my pride and my passion
as in each succeeding week I
rind Mr. Ward's face wasting
space in the paper lo which i
subscribe and read for the news
of the campus,

Indignantly yours,
Douglas Alan McLean

To the Editor:

We have followed with inter-
est the ~ecenf White House dem-
Dnstra‘lion undertaken by the
Grinncll group, The students
who participated in this pro-
Ect rendered Cl two—fold conll -
bution.

First, as is indicated by such
articles as that appearing on
the front page of the Nov. 2;
New York Times, "White House
Vigil Reflects Peace Drive on
Campuses," they have succeeded
in rciiying vital concerns with.
in the Amer-icon student coin—
munily, and moreover, in bring:
ing these concerns to the atten-
tion of the public.

Second. their demonstration
has added considerably to the
stature of Grinncll as a center
or academic lrccdoin, intellectu—
al i-itnliiy and i-csponsible social
commitment, We applaud their
clrorls on both counls

Benjamin R. Barber
llni-vnrii Graduate School
of Arts and Sciences

David Carter
Yale Graduate Sclloal

Finally, classifying a group
0[ people pseudovintcllcctual for
taki g an acti\ , moral stand
which is different from our
stand is a judgment which, in
the ﬁnal anal ' neilher side
is equipped to make,

Sally Singer

 

