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Show --f ChRONicU TttsdAy, Paqe Six ApRil 26, 1988 EDITORIAL Star Wars plan is fatal, foolish ifWANT A Five years ago, Ronald Reagan's benevolent face flickered across the television screen, informing us of salvation from the nuclear war demon: a new Strategic Defense Initiative, which would thwart a Soviet missile attack. The plan was ingenious. CA , 1 TO 1 PUMP,,,,, Space-base- d weaponry would circle the globe, monitoring the atmosphere and obliterating any hostile missiles with unerring force. As part of his PR push, Reagan called SDI a g akin to a "space security techno-condowhich he would use to hold back Soviet missiles But PR vanishes in the face of facts. Five years and $12 billion dollars later, SDI is no longer the dream its makers conceived. Instead, it has become a system likely to "suffer a catastrophic failure" the first and only time it would be called upon. Such was the news delivered Monday by the shield"--somethin- m, congressional Assessment, a an that has spent two years studying "Star Wars." e The report, which has not yet been released to the public, says that while the technical achievements of SDI research are impresmissile defense remains an sive, space-base- d impractical approach to the nuclear dilemma. The Chronicle would like to take this a step further: Even if SDI does work as proposed-neat- ly into harmless zapping Soviet 900-pag- SS-2- 0s very existence puffs of nuclear smoke-i- ts g of to the poses enormous threats well-bein- every person on earth. Forget that SDI violates the spirit of the Missile Treaty. Forget that the technology proposed to destroy incoming missiles can be easily outfoxed by tin foil, Converse shoe soles and dummy missiles. Instead, think of looking up into the night sky and seeing a huge platform loaded with nuclear detonators or braced with particle beam lasers sluggishly circling the earthand perhaps tumbling lazily through the stratosphere. This prospect is not an encouraging one, to say the least. If SDI is deployed, our primitive territorial battles will ride this "salvation" into the heavens, altering our sky forever. that Ultimately, SDI is fatal foolishness-fol- ly springs from the same mindset that gave us the nuclear bomb as a way to end war. No level of technological advance justifies SDI's risk. No level of uncertain safety validates "Star Wars" experimentation. Some University of Utah professors know this already, and refuse to contribute to SDI Anti-Ballist- ic research. Others around the country have joined the cause. Congress should take the hint that the scientific community doesn't support a defense sys- tem contingent upon science. SDI is a Pandora's Box, which must remain unopened. HRONICLE The Daily 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 $25 a year, $10 an academic quarter. All subscriptions must he prepaid. Forward all su- bscription correspondence, including change of addre&s, to the BusinessManager.XjivtViiAC.'Arom-cle- , 240L'nion,Universuvof 1'iah, SaliLakel'.itv.Utah 84112. - Khomeneiniites are mere thugs of Technology scientific group Office non-partis- Andrew Hunt- Last Thursday, 50 or so people gathered outside the Union Building for a demonstration against the Iran-Ira- q war. It began as a peaceful protest. Folks conversed with other folks. A few people carried signs. Others warmed up in the dreary weather over a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Everyone stood by to hear University of Utah f)atiently, eagerly awaiting Edwin Firmage deliver an impassioned to the genocidal war between Iran and Iraq. plea stop It was an extremely impressive turnout for a demonstration of that type. People were in good spirits and the anti-wsentiment in the crowd was strong. But things began to get ugly. As I stood in the crowd, waiting for Firmage to speak, a comrade approached me and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to her and she pointed to two people standing by the Ute Native American statue behind the Union Building. "See those people over there?" she asked. "Those are plainclothes police officers." I nodded. "Doesn't surprise me," I said. "Anywhere folks gather to speak out against injustice, you're bound to find cops there, too." The woman pointed out that the police weren't there to intimidate anyone. They were there to protect the demonstrators. Standing a few yards directly west of the police was a group of eight or nine brawny, tough looking Ayatollah Khomeini supporters. They stood in huddle formation, most likely discussing their plan of action. The woman told me there was probably going to be a confrontation of some type. She was right. As the speakers prepared to step up to the podium, the Khomeiniite thugs spread out in the audience at strategic points. No sooner than Firmage began his speech, the thugs began hollering slogans. "Prove it!" one shouted. "How do you know?" another one asked. "You don't know what is happening!" one yelled. "Get down from there, you have no right to speak on this issue!" yet another one interrupted. Soon, the Khomeiniites began making utterly ridiculous demands. They wanted equal time on the podium to state their position, which was absolutely ludicrous. If they so desperately wanted to speak out on behalf of the senseless war between Iran and Iraq, they could have taken the time and effort to organize ar s Editorial Board: Kent Anderson, Shauna Bona, Darren Hawkins, Andrew Hunt, Bryant Larsen, Dee NaQuin, Fara Warner Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor Editorial Editor Sports Editor Feature Editor Photography Editor Chief Copy Editor Investigative Editor Campus Editor Assistant News Editor Assistant Editorial Editor Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Feature Editor Shauna Bona Kent Anderson Fara Warner Assistant Feature Editor Assistant Photography Editor Assistant Copy Editor Reporters Dee L. NaQuin LauryLivsey Darren Hawkins Steven C Wilson Bryant Larsen Dermis Rumboy Darren Tucker Lori 3ona Andrew Hunt Glenn Seninger John Pecorelli Photographer Business Manager Accountant Classifieds their own demonstration. When the organizers of the protest refused to allow the gang to speak, the Khomeiniites charged that the demonstration was organized by activists. "Death to the organizers of this protest!" one belligerent fellow shouted. The thugs continued jeering throughout the entire protest. Then, to make matters worse, at the end of the protest, one of them stole a petition calling for an arms embargo against Iran and Iraq. A young Iranian fellow, who was supervising the table from which the petition was stolen, told me how it happened. "One of the people stole the petition right off the table," he told me. "He ran off through the crowd. When I went to chase him, a bunch of the Khomeini supporters stood in my way." This wasn't the first time a petition calling for an arms embargo against Iran and Iraq had been stolen. At one previous rally and at a table, the bandits made off with other petitions. Indeed, the Khomeiniites employ vicious scare tactics. According to the Guardian (July 9, 1987), last q war June one activist who was protesting the last June was stabbed and fatally wounded. Several other Iranians who have spoken out against the war have received death threats. pro-Khomei- ni pro-Sha- h, pro-C.I.- A. pro-Khomei- ni pro-Khomei- ni Iran-Ira- 'These people can't tolerate opposition. Once they get the names and addresses, they come to your house and harass you. It's just a scare tactic," Nayereh Fallahi, the moderator of the protest, told the Chronicle. To the Iranian people living in the United States who are opposed to the Iran-Ira- q war, these Khomeiniite thugs represent a very real threat. "Try to imagine thousands of these people, each one of them armed with machine guns. That's what it's like back home," one of the protesters told me. In spite of the efforts of the Khomeini supporters to demonstrators disrupt the demonstration, the anti-wwere the real victors in this instance. Their refusal to submit or yield to the intimidation of the people, coupled with their humane cries to end the horrible eight-yea- r war between Iran and Iraq, me and others to rally vigorously inspired many behind this noble cause. Andrew Hunt, a junior majoring in economics, is assistant editorial editor of the Chronicle. ar pro-Khomei- Kelly Hindley .... Guy E. Elder rV Edward Ruiz Bruce Burningham Kent Condon Todd Curtis Sharon Deckert Ellen Garll Amber McKee Kfirry Shea Deanie Wimmcr Jennifer Peterson Robert MeOmber Kay Andersen Charlene Collins Accounting Clerk Collections Account Executives ni Kim Bartel Michael All sop JohnHausknecht KrisDeBry Tammie Bo stick Todd Butler Sara Wilson Ad Production Typesetters Production Manager Assistant Production Manager Distribution AbbieHall James A. Beck TraceyL.Heinhold ; Michael Q. deary .Kenny Watanabe David Orchard Christopher Stratford . . |
