OCR Text |
Show 'Let's Put Our Heads Together DESERET NEWS !!lllllllllllllilll!llllllllllllllllllllllll!llll!lllllllllllllll!llllilll111ininiIlt,'.A1lli!lll!t . . LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH We Stand For The Constitution Of The United States As 10 A Value Of Enlisting Having Been Divinely Inspired EDITORIAL THURSDAY, APRIL PAGE Within five days after his 18th birthday, the youth of toddy receives a draft notice and must register with the local draft board, even though he cant be draffed before six months. lie may not.be called for two years, but he is subject to call any day after 18 years of age. This is uppermost in his ' mind as he checks the mail box daily. In some ways the draft may be beaten, but not with certainly. Even though 26 is considered the maximum draft age, men are eligible until 35. Ministers, college students, fathers and other men can be and often are called. 3, 1969 Conference At Easter: A Time For Rebirth . draft-exem- Conference time this week holds a special meaning for LDS Church members because it coincides with Easter. Just as Easter signifies the triumph of the human spirit over death and darkness, Conference itself is a time for spiritual renewal and regeneration. As thousands of faithful gather from throughout the woild for the 139th Annual Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints, the need for spiritual renewal and regeneration grows greater in a world that grows more and more troubled. Who is there who at one time or another has not lost fcis sense of eagerness, his sense of wonder? How many of us, having had dreams shattered, dream no more? Havent most of us at some time seen problems where there were opportunities, or ignored the beauty all around us and concentrated on the ugliness? Dont responsibilities at times seem burdens instead of challenges for growth and development? When life becomes dull, uninspired, and commonplace, something in a man has died and needs res section. Thats where Conference comes in. What Conference-goe- r ,has not left Temple Square refreshed in spirit, with new dedication and new enthusiasm, feeling that an important part of him had been born again? As President McKay has observed, No man can sincerely resolve to apply in his daily life the teachings of JeBus of Nazareth without sensing a change in his whole being. The phrase born again has a depper significance than what many people attach to it. This changed feeling may be indescribable, but it is real. Happy is the person who has truly sensed the uplifting, transforming power that comes from this nearness to the Savior, this kinship to the living Christ. In this world, each of us needs a firm base founded on faith in divine purpose and a sense of direction and continuity in our lives. This is a time to strengthen our faith and our sense of direction. For Christians everywhere, Easter is a time of rededication and renewal of their faith in the risen Christ as a guide to a better life and a peaceful world. With LDS Church members gathered from many lands for the 139th Annual Conference, the opportunity for moral leadership toward peace and spirituality has seldom been greater. As the Church has grown in numbers, so has it grown in influence. With Conference, as wit. . Easter, come a deep joy and a In this spirit, we welcome Conlasting sense of ference visitors to a most choice gathering. fast-changi- well-bein- g. Isn't it possible for students and coliege administrators to sit down at a conference table and mediate their differences? Theodore M. Kheel, one of the nations best known labor mediators, thinks so. He feels campus unrest should yield to the same techniques he has used to settle railroad, maritime, and airline disputes. Almost certainly initial progress can be expected to be slow, for several reasons: One is that campus issues are often matters of moral judgment, not a matter of wages and working conditions. For example, how much should students participate in university administration? Should they have a voice in firing or hiring teachers and even college presidents? Besides the complexity of the issues, there is the problem of accepting mediation as a means of settling disputes something most large companies accepted long ago. But it may take both students and administrators time to get used to the idea. Campus rebels and college administrators cant resolve their differences unless they are willing to listen to each other. But how many of them realize, as James Kilpatrick pointed out in his column on this page, that understanding is a y two-wa- street? One Pennsylvania State University student leader, summoned to a mediation meeting, commented: Were going to the meeting to give Mr. Kheel information. But we dont have anything to mediate. Our demands are uncomprom-isabl- Understanding The Old Folks This is circuitROCHESTER, N.Y. riding time for some of us old Chautauqua speakers. Come spring, we hit the campus trail, from going one con- great-issue- s ference to another. Almost every uniit apversity, pears, now stages such an intellectual games day. It is haid work for the old- ster, but the pay is good and the joust Mr. Kilpatrick ing is fun. Much of the pleasure comes from the informal with students. They are a mixed bag; it is not easy to generalize about them. A lew of the bearded oafs and stringy wenches have nothing to offer but a brutish insolence; their notion of free speech and reasoned debate is to grunt oink, oink at a guest. Others are amateurs at the oven; their opinions are brown on the outside but within. Most of the students are civil, informed, curious, half-bake- d The same words, phrases, questions and complaints recur. The big word this season is relevant. It has ousted to and alienation," mainstream, identify, which were big words a few needs of tomorrow. Regulations on student conduct are not relevant to the universitys propei role. Old moral concepts How Not To Plan When two sewer lines run down practically the same its costing taxpayers more money than they should be paying. d When highways are torn up time after time for water, sewer, or power lines, its a prime example of poor planning. And when an overpass must be built that costs half as much as a new school because the school was poorly located, its time to take steps to halt inefficiencies that keep spiraling property taxes. These examples are not coiifineJ to Salt Lake County, although all have happened here; they are indicative of lack of foresight and the resultant staggering costs that are fostering taxpayer revolts all across the country. Salt Lake County has 42 separate taxing districts each with its own capital improvements program. That in itself e might not be so bad if they coordinated their so one that was not programs organization continually undoing what another was doing. But they dont When the County Highway Department, busily repaving a street, passes a County Flood Control District crew digging up the other side, its no joke. Does anyone still wonder why Salt Lake Valley needs the study now being made of ways to streamline its governments? . . . Antique mythology united the goddess of love with the war tc warn us symbolically that everything we do not of god to love we will eventually destroy mankind cannot remain indifferent, and is inescapably pulled toward one of these polarities or the other. le&m 4 i two-wa- Some of this is truth. Most of it is sophomore stuff. One can agree, for example, on the necessity for wholesale reexamination of standard degree requirements. Unless one intends to make a career of chemistry, is anything really gained by much of the lab work? Is the French subjunctive relevant? Are all the rules on conduct really required? All of them? Fair questions, these; they demand responsive answers. for the relevance of the old ethical concepts, the old political truths, one can only urge patience. After a while, a loaf of bread gets done. The relationship between man and the state seldom is sepn clearly, even by oldsters who struggle all their lives to comprehend it Young eyes will see with greater clarity later on. As It is the business of old folks not understanding that gets to be irksome. Here, too, one has to concede both truth and novelty to the student complaint Todays generation gap is in fact different in kind, and not merely different in degree, from the generation gaps of ages before. These young men and women of 1969 are the first generation of television, of atomic weapons, of computer technology, of space flights, of the pill. They contend, quite rightly, that they have intellectual and ethical hang ups we never knew. Middle-age- d America, if I am not mis y One observes little effort in that direction. The editors of college newspapers, a remarkably vain and contemptuous lot, seldom appear to understand the real and palpable damage that is done by their flaming freedom. It is part of their vanity, part of the pose they assume, to profess indifference to mere money. Thus, if a dormitory bond issue is defeated, or a universitys appropriation reduced, or a prospective benefactor gravely offended by some editorial, the student editor is unmoved. He must be free! high-flow- n four-letter- This wont do. If state legislators are to be trsuaded to try to understand students, in some fashion the students must be persuaded to try to understand legislators. If we are to understand their concept of unfettered freedom, they must try equally to understand our conviction that order and liberty are inseparable. Wfi understaad their urgency: They want black studies now! Well, let them understand our caution; we have learned a little about leaping before looking. What all this adds up to is communication. Thats still a big word in the spring chautauquas. But communication is not just talking. It's listening also. The students are great talkers. It would be pleasant to see them unplug their ears. - Army. -B- the The articles a, an, and are among the tiniest and least noticed words in the language; we use them in every sentence, without even realizing their presence. Yet, to an observer of language, even the use of these tiny particles tells much about our attitudes toward things in the real world. For nstance, the British will say We have a telly in the house.. whUe the American says We have television. This difference in mode of speaking reveals a sharp difference in thinking. To the American, television has become almost a way of life, while to the Briton it is still only one form of enter tainment in the home. Television, moreover, is far more pervasive and influential than broadcasting ever was as we can tell from the way we speak about it. During the reign of broadcasting, peowe have a ple would have said radio never we have radio." In other words, it was the receiving set they had, in a limited and specific way. which is But we have television with us the universal expression indicates a far different attitude toward this new medium. It means that we are plugged in, that our home is part of the whole TV environment, that it is the medium more than the message that Fable Of The Ring-Wis- Why No Pay Veto? "Ill veto this bill because it might be unconsti-tutional; this one because it is too broad; this one for the good of the people ; this one because it is not clearly stated. I have 75 questions concerning this bill, so says the governor. Why, then, didnt he veto his salary increase- -' and the school finance bill, which was discovered to be $2 million over the original estimate, for the'", good of the taxpayers of Utah? I have many more . questions I could put to the governor concerning his action on the bills he vetoed. Someone should . n inform him that the campaign ended with the last November. Or could it be that he is start- - . ing early for the next one? Lets forget politics and start running state gov-- ; eminent for the good of the people of the state and . not just the special interest groups. - -- . elec--tio- I -E- Once upon a time there was a Big Old Texas Bull who led his herd into a quagmire. It could happen to anyone. ART HOPPE But the Big Old Texas Bull was very vain. And he wasnt about to admit his soon they were all in up to their rump steaks. By this time, the herd was pretty sick and tired of stamping around aimlessly in the quagmire. Few. however, were for pulling out. not wishing to be thought Nervous Nellies. And few were for stamping harder, not wishing to be thought Dangerous Dans. "Quagmires are the insidious enemy of our beloved pastureland, said the Big Texas Bull Old sternly. For the good of the herd, let us all struggle together to stamp out this quagmire before it spreads. This sense. loyally made The herd began to In their frustration, they grew to hate not only the qu.,gmire but the Big Old Texas Bull for leading them into it. GUEST CARTOON stamp. Pretty soon, they were in up to their hocks. A few disreputable young bulls, who had to do most of the stamping, began to protest. Lets get out of this quagmire before it swallows us up," they said ner- Bull e point, a crafty, Bull spoke up. I have a secret plan to get us out of this quagmire with honor and safety, he said, if youll make me your leader. At this ring-wis- d Huzzah! cried the herd and they dumped the Big Old Texas Bull head first into a pot hole. Now, whats your secret plan? they asked their new Logan-- , Keep It Clear Every time I look out a window in Utah I am i thrilled with the variation in your skies. All the cliche phrases that come to mind are absolutely breath-takintrue words fail me, etc. The colors are so unbelievably intense, the clouds so intricate, the moods so changing, that I am constantly aware of the Superior Artist whose work they are. After California, which has no dearth of beauty indeed, but is more and more hidden in a haze, how refreshing and stimulating, not to mention healthy, it is to be securely wrapped in an old- fashioned sky. Dont let smog come in here and j spoil the splendor. Of course, the Battle-scarre- d Bull knew full well that the vast majority of the herd was against pulling out And he knew that the vast majority was also against escalating the stamping. So, being crafty and ringwlse, he took the only possible course. Honor demands that we not abandon Safety demands that we not escalate he said cautiously and our stamping, the herd cheered. My secret plan, he said sincerely, is to take the middle ground. Please stamp moderately. The herd was pleased with their new leaders nobleness, caution and moderation. And they loyally stamped behind him on the middle ground. Of course, that was w'here they had been stamping all along. So, of course, it was the quaggiest part of the mire. And eventually, of course, they were all swallowed up every bull, cow and calf. But the new leader remained popular to the end. I want to make one thing perfectly dear, he said as he vanished from sight, I led my herd in the diiec-tion Do you hove a new policy idea for MF?" ALFRED J. OLSON 3042 S. 20th East Your article on the teenager decency rally in 5 Miami should be, in good editorial taste, put on the. editorial p-e- . It expresses a biased opinion an overall conservative's opinion which does not rep-"- , resent the thinking of Utah's population. There are those of us who have seen the poor and despondent in the ghetto who realize that re-,- " will not relieve this plight. You must ' sponsibility realize that 35.000 teens rallying for decency will" not feed 2,000,000 people in New Yorks ghettos.. Wake up, express, show your readers that misery ! still exists, and tell them to help, help, help! Be- cause people still starve in America. -J- OHN GALLUP Los Angeles, Calif. . Face Responsibilities The American people might well be compared a group of tourists viewing a beautiful panorama. As they walk backward, the view becomes more majestic. Hence, they continue to back away, exclaiming to each other the exquisite delights before their eyes and remarking, Zion prospers, all is well, little realizing that a few more backward steps and they will all be plunged over a crul t precipice. Yes, we and our leaders are most certainly backing away from our political and moral. responsibilities and the chasm of Communistic enslavement yawns wider every day. -R- ALPH BADDLE Sandy, Utah , Yj leader. cheered. What! cried the Big Old Texas Bull Would you Nervous Nellies abandon a corner of our beloved pastureland to this quagmire? Stamp cn! ALLRED,..;-- to our sacred commitment to the quagmire, he said nobly and the herd vously. Pretty soon, the herd was in up to its knees. A few testy old bulls complained that the herd would never stamp out the quagmire unless it stamped twice as hard. What! cried the Big Old Texas Bull. Would you Dangerous Dans have us all swallowed up in a twinkling? Stamp on! But in mcdei alien. So the Big Old Texas Bull led the herd In a middle course through the quagmire, stamping moderately. And pretty er Battle-scarre- LWIN Tell Ghetto Story involves us. . The greater importance of the automobile to the newer generation than to the old can be heard in the slang question one teen-agwill ask another: Do you have wheels? Old people would ask, Do you have a car? , but by dropping the indefinite article, young people indicate how primary wheels" have become in their way of life. Words, and the ways we use them, or drop them, tell as much about our changing modes of living as our clothes or our customs. Its hardly an accident that in show business is the only business that has given up the the. e C. TAYLOR ' 1117 S. 7th East AYARD t 1 By SYDNEY J. HARRIS newly-surface- long-rang- are not relevant. Old people and old ideas are especially irrelevant Old people simply do not understand. taken. is prepared to accept this student point of view. University administrations are making desperate efforts to gain a deeper understanding of student revolt. But it is high time to suggest to these loquacious young people that understreet. When do standing is a they propose to understand us? The Little Things That Mean A Lot mistake. trench, JAMES J. KILPATRICK --MRS. e. Until such thinking changes, campus mediation is facing slow progress. But it is fai better than continued chaos. Draft eligibility constantly changes because our country's military needs keep changing. The young man of today needs to make some very important decisions at this time in his life. He must face his military obligations regardless. To await the draft call is uncertain and he will be obliged to go where and when sent Even if he . decides to go to school, he will find it hard to get a , good job. Many companies today shy away from e candidates. He may enlist and choose his line of endeavor and be certain as to the time and place. If a young man investigates, he will find that, . through enlistment, he will be aided in his educa- - . tion and will be guaranteed, in writing, to get the training he wants. The Army will be assured that . he completes high school and they need men who 4 have aptitude and ability to be trained for tough , technical jobs. It realizes that by offering a choice it will attract these men and they will be more efficient and more valuable to themselves and to the draft-eligibl- springs ago. If there is a single, underlying grievance, it is that much of the standardized higher education imposed on todays students is not relevant to their Mediation On Campus Afterthought , it wanted to go. Moral: Dont change leaders in the middle of a quagmire. Change directions. He's Still Alive V In the editorial Without Religion, U.S. Stumbles in Darkness," March 31, reference is made in the fifth paragraph to Gen. Omar N. Brad-'--leIt refers to him as the late Omar N. Bradley. '1 The fact is that he is still living the last ofV the five star generals of World War II. General Bradley is 76, board chairman of Bulova Watch Co., and lives in Beverly Hills, Calif. -- KEITH EAMES Logan - v. CONFERENCE NOTICE ? 4 The 139th Annual Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daSaints, to which all f. Church members are invited, will convene in the Tabernacle, SaIt'L8&fi.City, Utah, Friday, Satur-- , day and Sunday, April ?T5-er,- 4 eral sessions each day at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The General Priesthood meeting will be held . in the Tabernacle on Saturday, April 5, at 7 p.m. Only those who hold the priesthood are invited to attend this meeting. It Is understood that ward sacrament meetings will be held Sunday evening after the close of the Sunday afternoon general session of the conference, where practicable. DAVID O. McKAY-HUGB. BROWN. N. ELDON TANNER The First Presidency y 'J |