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Show November 19, 1982 Forum Page 2 letteustothe editoR Veterans Day Speech Causes Anger would like to respond to Mr. Jan Bartletts Veteran s Day speech. My initial reaction was extreme anger which developed into a deep feeling of frustration and pain. Mr. Bartletts right to freedom of speech is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution; his timing and judgement leave much to be desired. On the day which this country honors those who served this country during times of war, he chose to make a political statement: a political statement totally out of context with the days events. A political statement which undermined the honoring of the lives of service men and women given in the defense of this nation. I would like to point out to Mr. Bartlett that when several people left the ceremony, it was not because they were cold, or tired of standing. They left because they could no longer contain their feelings of anger, frustration and outrage. Had there not been television coverage, I think the protest may have taken a more explicit course. Mr. Bartlett had passed the point of good judgement. Many of us remained, not to hear the rest of the statement, but to continue to honor our comrades, regardless of the statement. I am not a veteran of a foreign war. I am only a veteran of four years in the U.S. Marine Corps. I am a veteran of my fellow Marines screaming Vietnam nightmares. I am a veteran of friends giving their lives for an ideal. I am only a secondhand veteran. If what Mr. Bartlett said, at the time he said it, troubles me as deeply as it does, 1 hate to think of what it does to I Crosses were placed at the main entrance of Westminster College in memory of those who have died for their country. Editor Becomes Editor Our Editorial page this week may require more than one page. There are two distinct subjects, both of which need to be dealt with, in my opinion. First, there is the subject of the Veterans Day Memorial Observance. Jenny Wycoff, in the Dean of Students office, worked very hard to put that service together. She did an excellent job, and I thank her and the others who helped, on behalf of the students of Westminster. There was, however, one black spot in that which Jenny had no control over. That black program spot was Jan Bartletts speech. What he gave was a travesty of a prayer, a soapbox maligning of the purpose of the service. What he said had no place in that lovely, and touching, memorial service. It angers me that he had the audacity to use that service, and Westminster College, as a platform for his views. I will say no more on that subject: the letter from Mr. Halversen says the rest. Second, there is the subject of the Opinion Board. In the November 6 Legislative Assembly, the Forum received a criticism. 1 want to thank good amount of those individuals for offering their views on what the paper should, and shouldnt, be. I, as editor, have had to do some hard thinking and since receiving that feedback. What I deep discovered, to my dismay, was a medium-wid- e yellow streak down my back. I was afraid to make decisions which should be made by an editor. I tried to dump the responsibility of those decisions on an Editorial Board, and on the ASWC Executive Cabinet members via the Opinion Board. I cannot, in conscience, do that anymore. It was a mistake, and I admit it. The paper was renamed the Forum to encourage the submission of viewpoints which might interest the students of Westminster College. Then, I turned around and discouraged those opinions from being handed in. I was afraid to face controversy. Since then, 1 have learned that controversy comes with the editors territory. (After all this is supposed to be a learning growth of the Forum. Anne Sanders, Editor for. have chosen to make the Air Force my career. I am proud to be able to serve my country. I look forward to becoming a military professional. I am honored to be in a class of men and women who would lay down their lives to protect the ideals that founded this nation, and I hope that I can live up to the standards that those who have gone before me have set. The watchwords are duty, honor, and I country. suppose that Mr. Bartlett would classify me as a warmonger. I would like to quote General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur, from his address to cadets of the U.S. Military Academy in May of 1962. I are warmongers. On the contrary, the soldier above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and hear the deepest wounds and scars of war. But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all This docs not mean you philosophers: Only the dead have seen the end of war. Respectfully submitted, Robert A. Halverson Ron Bemis Nancy Chaney Margaret Chapman Andrea Dumke Lynn Gallegos Leslie Helm Jim Hough Charles Johnson David Lees Susan Lipscomb Kelly Morrison Julie Pannier Jean Pelham Kristen Preston Jill Schafer Dick Shepherd Stephanie Stevens Sharon Strickler Anne Thompson Claudia Vogl Connie Wilcox Sue Zimmerman Yvart Concert Jacques at Westminster of France was A part experienced College, as Jacques Yvart shared his talent and French ng experience! ) So, if the Executive Cabinet wants to continue the Opinion Board, that is entirely up to them. From this end, it wont be necessary. I say again, this time with complete honesty, that letters to the editor are welcome. Also, I apologize to those who have felt discouraged by the past policy. Thank you for your patience in putting up with the tution guaranteed the right of Mr. Bartlett to say what he said. The system of government which he maligned gave him that right. The Constitution was won with the blood of Americans; it remains intact because of the blood of Americans. Veterans Day is the one day chosen to honor those Americans. It is not a day to make statements which would lay aside all that they have fought, bled, and died Congratulations!! To Students Listed In Who's Who 1982-8- 3 well-deserv- soul-searchi- those who actually lived through the experience of war. I mentioned the First Amendment earlier. The Consti- Indifference Shown Im writing to the poor turnout our College community displayed on November 1 1 for our Annual Veterans Day Memorial Ceremony. in regard was indeed surprised if not amazed that out of the number of people on our campus there were only 60 to 70 in attendance. To my way of looking at it, thats a "poor turnout for honoring the men and women who died, and those that survived and are still paying their dues, both physically and mentally, in keeping America the unique I culture. Close to 300 people were immersed in the traditional folk music of France. Yvart sang and conversed with the crowd. The atmosphere was comfortable, and the energy of Yvart bounced off the walls and flowed through the room. Dr. Mary Kay Lazarus, in conjunction with the Distinguished Residence program, organized the French concert for Yvarts third time at Westminster. Paulette Rodriguez country it is today. grant you we are all busy people here on campus and that it was very cold outside, BUT a service once a year is not asking too much of anyone. I 25-minu- te am glad the people who represented our country during those awesome years gave me 25 minutes of their time and certainly MUCH, MUCH more! I ! Maggie Aloia, Director of Alumni Relations Veterans of two wars, Jack Gifford and Jay Lees, honor those uho fought and died serving their country. |
