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Show Letters To The Editor Protect Viet Friends pose to her songs. There's an outcry against hate and hypocrisy hypoc-risy and a plea for truth, peace and love. Many heard it but will they admit it? Sheila Hackett Baez Communist? Dear Editor: Mr. Leavitt called Joan Baez a Communist because she sang a song by Pete Seeger. What would he accuse her of because be-cause she sang "The Lord's Prayer"? Jerry Marchant Phil Yorgason D vid Marchant Dear Editor: Many people question why we are fighting in Vietnam. President Johnson answered them when he said, "We fight because we have to so countries coun-tries can shape their own destiny." dest-iny." WE HAVE spent millions of dollars and lives in this long drawn out war but we must realize that we lose a little in any fight. We have to be prepared to make the sacrifice sacri-fice of human lives. The cause for which we are fighting is what matters. For we fight to preserve Vietnam's right of self-determination to choose its own form of acceptable accept-able government. And that form of government is not Communism. THE VIETNAMESE do not want Communism to overtake them as they realize the inevitable inevit-able consequences. Vietnam is fighting for its life. The U.S. is fighting for the world. We realize that if Vietnam falls the ruin of Southeast Asia is guaranteed. The domino theory will be an actuality. Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma Bur-ma and the rest of Southeast Asia will be subjected to the immorality of Communism. The freedom of over 60 million people will be suppressed. THEREFORE IT is up to us to prevent this aggression wherever it occurs. We must keep the Chinese home and thus save the lives of our friends in Vietnam. We are justified in being in Vietnam to protect the interests of the South Vietnamese who are in danger of being dominated by the dictating Viet Cong. America Amer-ica is committed. In Viet Nam, Americans must support our government no matter what! For we reserve re-serve the right to interfere in a country, even in a civil war when we see that interest of the people is not served. We must insure that our western way of life, democracy and capitalism shall not only not perish but overcome. Robert Freeman Roger Reason Baez Message Dear Editor: Recently we were informed about Joan Baez by an editorial editor-ial written by Dee L. Leavitt. I doubt that the writer knows little else about this singer other than the one-side, baised newspaper material he presented. present-ed. I HEARD Miss Baez and she was a delight. Her sincerity and good-natured personality invaded the atmosphere of the tabernacle. Her clear voice was a pleasure to hear as were her songs which rang with meaning. mean-ing. Perhaps the most poignant of her reptorie was a song called "The Times They Are A-Changing" in which she sang, "Won't criticize what you don't understand." So many people do this but not Miss Baez. She's listened to opinions and made her decisions. She isn't going to act blindly as so many people do. SO MISS BAEZ led the Free Speech Movement at Berkely. Is that wrong? Since when do we casually accept injustice and act cowardly. Just because the Berkeley situation became out of hand is not the fault of Miss Baez. She fought for what she believes in and was not afraid to do so. She's to be admired. I'm certain that some people who weren't afraid admired her performance here last week too. They didn't all walk away thinking she was a Communist or a nut. Just because she's unafraid to express her opinion, no matter how different it is from others, is no reason to condemn her. THANK GOODNESS Miss Baez has a good sense of humor hu-mor and remains calm because she surely received some cold shoulders from a large segment seg-ment of her audience, primarily because of her forthrightness in speaking out on Vietnam and Alabama. Then too, as she received much publicity in Salt Lake asking her to hold the concert in a place which upheld civil rights, she commented on this. She said in effect that she didn't want to cause trouble. Then she went on to explain that she doesn't believe in what the Mormons do, nevertheless, she thought it nice of them to ask her anyway. There was an overall stillness in the room and then a minority of people clapped. YES, MISS BAEZ is a woman of courage and conviction con-viction and what is more admirable, ad-mirable, a woman not afraid to express it. It's a shame that not everyone every-one recognizes this. What is even more of a pity, however, is the fact that our growing city was too close-minded to accept this singer with her message. We remain ignorant and uncultured still, those of us who automatically dismiss Miss Baez as a Communist. WE FAIL to recognize that Miss Baez is Instilling something some-thing new and better into folk songs rather than just mere entertainment. There's a pur- |