Show The Utah Statesman Wednesday May 13 ITT Here and NoW Maxwell Glen k Cody Shearer After dance ban by To the editor: The dark side of rock ’n’ roll I have lived in Utah for sometime now coming to the state in order to attend Utah State University which I graduated from in March of 1980 I have now returned to continue my education In the time that I have been here I have not spoken out against what I considered to be absurd ordinances and laws I basically had the feeling that when in Rome do as the Romans do But with the recent passage of the ordinance making dancing illegal after midnight on Saturdays by the Logan City Council I feel it is time for me to speak First off 1 want to make it clear that this letter is not an at ready to link the racial killings in Atlanta to punk think this music has contributed to Lsorgence of racism among teenagers 'While there has always been a certain amount of violence Lasted with rock and roll music — 10 years ago rock groups Lid sometimes set fire to their guitars during a —tome punk bands today blow up cars on stage k’llhe symbols songs and followers of many punk rock i tin don't speak well of the current rock and roll scene the swastika was originally used by punkers to racism in America it has become a coat of arms for f in the movement Songs such as “Master Race Rock” 'iMp written in jest arc now being taken seriously by many ’Now i Lnuac but many critics per-Lmb- f J Mgsen bant to the lyrics from t bad Black Flag: "White Al the Cornu a song called "White Minority” by minority white minority rest gonna be the majority breed inferiority Wtsll gonna vhat nenC? tack on the Mormon religion although many will tee it as such It is simply a protest against an ordinance and those who felt it necessary to control my moralistic rights I never thought there would be a day in the United States where dancing would become illegal I believe the first occurrence was in Nephi several years ago The City Council there outlawed dancing in places where alcohol was served Now the illness of controlling an individual’s freedoms has come to Logan Councilmen of Logan I ask what comes next? Prohibition of alcohol and a return to the 20s? I am truly beginning to believe that happy valley is altogether regressing in time 1 r that the City another look at ks and rescind it pvcjef c1 C‘ : individual’s freedom to dance or not so t — midnight Saturday ‘ As liar Counc- d- r f dale your m entity L : exposed with your cc that midnight Saturd'y t cT enough for those tivities You seem So ' CX because one dttca C-- t r ' (' night on Saturday tley moral Just who in tie I you to judge? Yet yr-- 1 dancing to continue r night in public or f ' j schools or churches I what is the difference? die” the band members who perform this song see ' inappropriate in its content A member of the group id our reporter Michael Duffy that the song seeks to relieve Of course sod tensions "Some people I Ixk Dukowtki lake the song very seriously” said bass player on t&i "ftdKsn't say go out and kid blacks But if you feel like a fee Minority you identify with it We do a big service to bring the open” d iwa kahowdo dtese tunes go over with I Do 14-an- intentions of punk rockers? tyondentsnd the talked with in Lo Ajtpirently not youth counsekirs nd San Francisco report that many young gangs there atonbraced the racist affectations of thrir punk roc k heroes j Uncover the new punk bands are esrn more outrageous nr half-serio- ci ii me a C M ol wee punk rock aoh Sex prototypes such as the Ramones and the Plasmatic s kady Williams lead singer for the mewed tried and acquitted for performing half nude ah in Cleveland Williams 31 who sports a black-on- Mohawk haircut appeared topless on stage wearing only during cream and some strips of electrical tape She was fhirjrd with making obscene gestures with a sleclgeham- now-opul- B Ms performed live punk rock music is increasingly caus-- 1 xury to band members and fans alike At several punk las Angeles “slam dancing” is the thing to do The ard dancers hurl themselves at each religiously Near dtvrlop Noses are frequently broken One lead singer of band recently had seven bones fractured in his hm one euphoric fan introduced himself with a sene ol J Bodies 'TMie has always been a certain amount of violence in rock make the newest punk groups aren't esrn trying to said John Carlin a visiting lecturer at ale who's currentlv teaching a course comparing punk : to y other art forms poops trnd to think they are still resolutionary but teally just reactionary” he said e sake of nxk fad may lx: 'Uingdifferent'Yhe tired HA-haie- rjr V id L fak 3( tl 752-6S- 3? nsasantos(iiisasaiisosoiisssaffsci(3c g ONVOCATION ER1ES m 2 I'flaC: -- wsvj gpcafo ? punk m of young America being outrageous punk’s popularity aWiy to invoke a helpless despair that’s shared by Americans today They feel they have in the words "no values no future and few real friends be latest in punk music has struck a respon-T"°®- g a wide range of younger white Americans is sudden- ws are maturing at a time when racism ®omc may feel shortchanged by affirmative-actiohave By verbalizing this discontent punkers ? morc acceptable among young people 2 tany young punkers don’t remember Dr Martinfjc-- i the civil movement or why aflirmativewe written rights frustrations may explain why pmeration’s pent-u- p violent let’s hope their anger doesn’t rage floor the weaknesses the appeal of nsf s n n c wwSbO d 20th-centur- if TtSO hwwrswwJVJ Ssw4wskwl c teCrdCdd 2 i 1 ef i sC 1 n It iCrjr r- - 0 crl t -- re tljr CnnCL----l |