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Show - - - Page Six i The Daily Utah Chronicle, Tuesday, January 14, 1986 EDITORIAL Writers' behavior degrades all media Writers arc an arrogant group. They guard their freedom of expression the way a mother n child. carries her But they can often be a closed-mindgroup, as seen Sunday in the opening of the 48th International PEN Congress. Some writers from 55 countries participating in the conference booed and hissed Secretary of new-bor- ed State George Shultz, guest speaker of the gathering. True, Shultz is a member of what has been penned "the most ideologically right-win- g administration this country has yet seen.' But that is no reason for writers to heckle him to the point where they were infringing on his freedom. Shultz was invited to speak at the conference by author Norman Mailer, who said "It is our responsibility to protect everybody's right to free speech, no matter how much we disagree with their political stance." Some writers at the conference don't seem to understand that. They also seem to have little idea that they are part of a profession that would like to pride itself being on honest, true and objective. A group of 60 writers who opposed Shultz' presence at the meeting signed a petition condemning his appearance. The writers had every right in the world to sign the petition and present it to Shultz. The writers, however, overstepped their bounds in trying to humiliate Shultz while he spoke and should apologize for their behavior. Loan default bill needs full support Although Utah lawmakers will be faced with hundreds of important issues during the 1986 legislative session, there is one proposed bill which deserves special attention. The measure, which has been unanimously supported by the Board of Regents, is an attempt to crack down on former college students who have defaulted on their government guaranteed loans. Most proposals contain both negative and positive aspects. But the plan to collect defaulted loan money by removing it from the paychecks of state employed defaulters will benefit everyone involved. The federal government will lose less money to bad loans each year, and the image of the student loan process will be improved. This is especially important to students because it helps guarantee that loan programs will continue to exist as a form of financial aid. The proposal before state lawmakers is modeled after similar federal legislation which allowed for deductions from the paychecks of federally employed defaulters and could bring in more than $1.5 million more in loan payments. The Chronicle urges state legislators to follow the Board of Regents lead and give its full support to this proposal. Chronicle The Dcj;7y Utah Chronicle is an independent student newspaper published during fall, winter and spring quarters, excluding test weeks and quarter breaks, by the University Publications Council. Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board, and not necessarily the opinions of the student body or the administration. Subscriptions are S25 a year, S10 an academic quarter. All subscriptions must be prepaid. Forward all subscription correspondence, including change of address, to the iness Manager, Daily Utah Chronicle, 240 Union, University of Utah, Salt Lake Qty, Utah 841 12. Nuclear weapons are a necessity Of the many products of scientific progress, nuclear weapons are among the least popular. It's difficult to be devices whose fundamental enthusiastic about high-tec- h is the instant annihilation of hundreds of design objective thousands of people. Nonetheless, such devices arc an inescapable reality. More than 50,000 of them exist. (Four thousand new Soviet missiles have come into existence in just the time since they signed the last arms control agreement.) OPINION BY Mark Draper No one loves a nuclear missile. No one ever asked for one for Christmas. No one ever wanted to snuggle one or give one a fond pat on the nose cone. On the contrary, people hit the streets many thousands of missiles. nuclear to against regularly protest After all, is there anything worse than the threat posed by nuclear missiles? Yes, there is. The only thing worse would be a world without nuclear weapons. No matter how strong our visceral reactions against such dreadful weapons, no matter how afraid we are of them, how revolted we are at the very thought of the dreadful consequences of detonating such monstrosities, we must think rationally about them. No one likes unpleasant realities, but here are two facts that must be considered in thinking about nuclear weapons: 1. The Soviet Union is bent on world domination. Like it or not, the basic reality of the Soviet leaders includes an well-intention- ed unquestioning faith in their obligation to impose communism on you and me and everyone else on this globe. No matter how skilled the Soviet Union bec6mes in public relations; no matter how good a face they put on it, the continued existence of democracy is an insult to their faith in the inevitable worldwide triumph of communism. Anyone who fails to take this reality into account lives in a dangerous dream world. 2. The Soviet Union is a formidable military might. Its armed forces are the largest and most powerful on earth. Military service is compulsory and universal. The Soviet Union has more than 3 million persons in its army, navy and air force, with another 25 million trained fighters in reserve. With 10 times as many light combat ships as the United States, three times as many submarines, and about 25 percent more major combat vessels, the Red Navy is the world's largest. Most of the Soviet forces are concentrated in Eastern Europe and Western Russia. Bent as they are on worldwide dominion, overwhelmingly powerful as they are in conventional military might, one thing and one thing alone stops the Soviets from taking Western Europe now as they took Eastern Europe in World War II: the fear of nuclear retaliation. Edito rial Board: Peter Behle, Marva Bickle, Shauna Bona, Lisa Carricaburu, Shia Kapos, Debbie E. Milne, John Youngren. Editor-in-Chi- ef Associate Editor News Editor .... Editorial Editor Sports Editor Qty Editor Photography Editor Copy Editor Extra Editor Asst. Editorial Editor Peter Behle Debbie Eldredge Milne Lisa Carricaburu Shia Kapos John Youngren Marva Bickle Steve Griffin Dory Donner . Fara Warner Shauna Bona Asst. Sports Editor Reporters ' If every nuclear weapon disappeared today, tomorrow we would be at the mercy of the Red Army. Politburo members do not appear to be compassionate. Without nuclear weapons and the consequent risk of thermonuclear holocaust we would face the certainty of World War III. The atomic bombs that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki did more than save the million lives that would have been destroyed in an invasion of the Japanese mainland. The development of nuclear weapons as fearsome as they archas meant 40 years of freedom of Western Europe and 40 years of freedom from World War III. Were it not for the loathsome nuclear arms we love to hate, WWII I would certainly have already been fought. No matter who would have won, its human cost would have been incalculable. Paradoxically, nuclear weapons have saved not only democracy but hundreds of millions of lives. Mark Draper has attained a bachelor s degree in psychology and is currently studying English. LETTERS Disagrees with position Editor: Your editorial on Jan. 9, 1986 calls for "our European allies" to join the U.S. sanctions on Libya, but you overlook, as our President does, a great deal. The European nations have legitimate reasons for refusing sanctions, namely, they are closer economically, diplomatically, and physically to Libya than the United States is; they have sincere doubts that sanctions would reduce terrorism; and they simply do not officially call Khadafy a wacko in the U.S. style. You ignore all that rather than argue the reasons. But most irresponsible about your position, like that of the President, is that you ignore the cause of terrorism as expressed by the terrorists, whose beliefs you refuse to recognize. Terrorism for one side is legitimate war in a just cause for another side, and failing to recognize conflicting caus'es will simply prolong the killing, call it terrorism or war or defensive actions. Terrorism is neither new nor more contemptible than any other form of killing. And the United States has been a covert terrorist force in Latin America for many years. I not only agree with the European nations who will not follow the U.S. sanctions, I deplore the U.S. position and cannot support it in any way. I do urge official U.S. dialogue with all Palestinian groups in an effort to ish Phil Sullivan English professor Mike Prater Loren Jorgensen Donn Walker Amy Page Drew Staffanson Dee Naquin Photographer Business Manager Ad Representatives their "homelands" from which they have been refugees for many years. Todd Crosland Robert McOmber Jill Aggeler Rick Chase Alan Overmoe Mary Safi .Jorjn.Haujknecht.. Accountant Kay Andersen Classifieds Dawn Bacher Production Manager Robb Welch Production Assistants Randy Sheya Todd Crosland Mark Murphy Carrie Hadden Janet Taylor Christine Dangerfield Typesetters ' ,...- - Rodney Dallin Carpi avvayaj |
