1983_01 The Daily Collegian January 1983

              2    January 28, 1983
Opinion
Paying the price for
a quality education
Fulltime students at CSUF will pay $305 this semester with the advent of Gov.
George Deukmejian 's $64 increase — the highest in the CSU system.
The politicians are saying it will deny access to the higher education system and
compromise the quality of the services they offer. Students are complaining that they
have little time and less money to pay for the increase.
But we will pay. Well complain, but well pay. No one will drop out in protest over a
measly $64.
It's about time we started questioning the quality of education we're getting here al
Fresno State.
What student hasn'! had a class who's instructor came unprepared or didn't appear
to understand the material?
There was a time when students attended classes for personal enrichment and not
to fulfill a preplanned requirement set down by the state.
IVhen uxjs fneiasf rime you questioned your instructor's ability to teach a class? My
guess is that it has never even crossed your mind.
Let's face it, college is big business We're buying an education. Classes are
cancelled because not enough students attend. Two hundred people are jammed like
sardines into classes because that method has proven more cost-efficient.
Is it the instructors'fault? in part, yes, in that most are content to teach their classes, p
only to spend the rest of their time in their office talking to other instructors.
Is the administration to blame'-'Again, yes They consider a university as a business
— not a place of personal enrichment.
The brunt of the blame, though, talis on us. the students, who don't have the guts to
demand what a rightfully ours  A quality education.
We'll sit auietly in our classes, listening to instructors and writing the words they
want to read so we'll get good grades
Sad? 1 think so. bur take heart, for we aren't alone Researchers have found the
same characteristics in another life form
Letter
Jim Graham
Reagan human
Dear Editor,
Re: Susan Audet's turn at editorial bat
— Why B Salvador?
Why not Chile, Argentina, or the Phili-
pines, whom the Inter-American Human
Rights Convention and Amnesty Interna¬
tional all found guilty of substantial human
rights violations, all governments that
receive economic and military aid from
the United States?
We do not know: we ask, also, what
about human rights violators such as
Guinea, Ethiopia and Kampuchea? What
about international aggressors such as
Vietnam, Cuba and the Soviet Union?
Why $26 million (a paltry sum, really, in
military appropriations) when you could
pick on a vaster and far more imprudent
arms sales such as: Israeli Exocet missiles
to Argentina, North Korean arms to Iran,
and French nuclear-processing material
to Iraq? We do not know, except maybe
that was the particular item that lept out
and struck you.
We just want you to know that we are
aware of both human rights violations and
arms sales (Castor and Pollux) in both the
East and West, and we share your out¬
rage. We are saddened by the barbarism
of much of the world's peoples toward
theast Asia, which has in a decade per¬
petuated a genocide of epic proportions
in Vietnam and Kampuchea. But we feel
your linkage to abortion is specious and
your naivete concerning the realities of
foreign policy is obvious.
In the real world, the United States
must do business political and economic
— with other countries to survive. It is not
necessary for us to elucidate that in the
process, we reluctantly perpetuate a lotof
misery — but so does every other country
and everyone that participates in the
world economy.
The United States is virtually alone in
possessing a citizenry and upper echel¬
ons of government which are interested in
the moral credentials of the countries we
do business with, much like being the only
pimp in town who inspects his girls for
disease. Be that as it may, there are limits
to both the amount of pressure we can
bring to bear and the amount of aid we
■try. Exc
BLOOM COUNTY
by Berke Breathed
of either endanger the country's sove-
riegnty and our reputations for demo-
Now, just because there are some 200-
odd political assassinations in El Salvador
a month, that does not mean that the
ruling junta is the perpetrator in all cases.
Many of the incidents are acts of terror¬
ism from rival right and left wing groups.
Per example: last year's elections were
bifferly opposed by guerrillas, who assas¬
sinated voters in an unsuccessful attempt
to intimidate others planning to vote. Yet
the majority of the world's press casti
gated the junta as somehow being respon¬
sible for these tragedies.
Also, what constitutes an "assassina¬
tion?" Is it cold-blooded murder? Self
defense? A fire-fight between guerrillas
and the army? Maybe "assassination" is a
word for unfortunate left-wing guerrillas,
"murderers" a word for army troops, and
"unfortunate" a word for Maryknoll nuns.
As to the "ace idental bombing of one's
See LETTER, page 4
jBajwUM
'The largest part of that fallen satellite, containing a quarter-ton of uranium, is still
floating around somewhere. You're on your own."
Daily Collegian
Founded in 1922
TH
Vietnam era: a bitter time, a horrible w<
"Good Evening. / have asked for this
radio and television time tonight for the
purpose of announcing that we today
have concluded an agreement to end the
uor and bring peace with honor in Viet-
nam and Southeast Asia"
President Richard Nixon, Jan. 23, 1973
It ended, not with a bang of victory
.■iebrations, but with a large collective
sigh by a torn nation that had long ago
grown weary of this djrty little war that, by
the time it ended on Jan. 27, 1973, had
taken over 57^000 American lives, untold
lumbers of Asian lives, divided America
-Hire than anything since the Civil War,
■-liaken the country to its very founda-
tions, run one powerful president from
■tfice, divided families, left untold psycho-
ogical scars, and tarnished America,
lerhaps forever, in the eyes of the world.
Ii is difficult to determine just when
Vrienca got involved in the Indochina
lebacls (you can take your pick from
'JO's to 1959) and likewise even though
..- "cease fire" went into effect on Jan.
■". 1973 fighting went on until April 30,
"7S, when South Vietnam finally col-
i: sed under an enormous final offensive
•nm the Communist North.
Even today the fighting goes on, but
■ike before, there are no Americans
ivofved.
For this writer and many others of my
(.Tu>ration, the Vietnam War began on a
:eamy day in August, 1964 when we
eard reports on radio and television that
**> American military vessels had been
'fd on by the North Vietnamese in the
mlf ol Tonkin.
We applauded as President Lyndon
luhnson received the overwhelming
approval of the U.S. Senate to retaliate.
Our generation was born in the baby
•i.iom period (1945-50) following World
War II, and we had grown up believing
■ Mt America was the last savior of civili¬
zation. We constantly heard that the U.S.
■i.id never lost a war and even in Korea we
■id prevented a Communist take-over
.-.nd we could've really turned the "Red
Tide" if the politicians had let General
MacArthur carry out his plans.
By 1964, we had come through the fab-
ill his fifties and we were now teenagers
a ho had more important things to do
jji h as to buy that latest record by the
Supreme) or Beatles, than to worry about.
* ime place called Vietnam.
With 1965 and 1966 came the large
-I ale troop escalations to South Vietnam
ind some of the "older" members of our
[roup began to be sent there. Still, by and
kids began to grow their hair long and join
counter culture groups.
By 1967 our military leaders were say¬
ing something about the light at the end of
the tunnel while on the battle field the
casualties mounted. By then most of us
who hadn't been drafted knew of some¬
one who had been killejfi in the now hard
to understand conflict that we could view
in living color on cjtfr TV screens.
By this time, major political and other
influential Americans began to speak out
In June, Senator Robert Kennedy, one
of the last politicians who had-the trust of
large numbers of blacks, whites, young
and older Americans, was likewise struck
down by a bullet during his presidential
campaign.
With the Democrats in disarray, the
country voted narrowly for Richard
Nixon, who said that he had a secret plan
to end the war.
As 1969 gave way to 1970, the war
dragged on, but for the first time America
rted   <.
■ ii tions. For the first time we began to see
some of the college kids protesting the
war and burning draft'eards. "Kooks" and
Punks" many of us called them. Who
.■.t>re they to question the goverment's
On the home front, the Civil Rights
movement had become more militant and
SORM cities began to burn under a series
! long, hot summers, black youth began
io talk about separation from the deca¬
dent American society, and many white
against the war. Protest songs were every¬
where and Muhammad Ali was stripped
of his Heavy Weight Boxing Title because
he refused indiction into the Army.
Then came 1968, the year that cracked
America's shining armor forever. In Jan¬
uary, the Vietcong and North Vietnamese '
launched the infamous Tet Offensive, in
which they eventually suffered a stinging
defeat. Psychologically, many Americans .
had had enough of what they now per¬
ceived as military propaganda on the war.
More than ever, howls of "Get out of
Vietnam" were heard across the land.
Lyndon Johnson, seeing the writing on
the wall, stated that he was bowing out
after completion of his term.
A few days later, Dr. Martin Luther
King was assasinated, which further
polarized black and white America in the
spnng of 1968.
began a limited troop withdrawal. This
was not enough, angry youth demanded
an immediate, large scale exit and by 1970
U.S. college campuses "became sort of
miniature Vietnams as many were shut
down due to violent confrontations which
resulted in deaths at Kent State, Jackson
State, and the University of Wisconsin.
In the summer of 1970, the Vietnam
experience touched this writer directly as
I found myself, along with thousands of
rother puzzled troops looking out over
Chu Lai, South Vietnam as I settled into
what would be my home for a year.
I was lucky, I was stationed in the "rear"
as cook and mess hall clerk, but even with
that, I experienced enough of Vietnam to.
last a lifetime.
The My Lai massacre had occured only
about twelve miles from Chu Lai in 1968.
While stationed trajrV, I got to t_fc<J|
Army fav-rtgwor* who wttMn s
months would b«rn_Mna world hi     _
during the trial of Lt. Wttam Cdby.
The Vietnamese that I <
were an agrarian people who, I tf
really wanted to be left alone. & ,
them who spoke English told us that*
looked forward to the day that the/. 1
cans went home. Our coUecnve far*/ fl
that we didn't ask to be there!
Drugs were big at this tima L. ,
(nere were a number of Grs who lo
like the walking dead. Sadly, many'ft
them had become so disillusioned boah
with their country's policies and with thir
part in them, that they turned to drug^v "
1 met the "John Wayne," gung-hii
types, who said they loved all the kiflirig
and havoc. TheTe were the'peace nitrfr
who, like the college kids at home, pirB»
tested the war whenever possible.      '■}'■
Fraggings occured quite often. Thsitt
when some disenchanted America*
"wasted" a fellow American usually by
tossing a grenade into the unlucky partyTl
sleeping quarters.
There were the "lifers" (careeT soldieri)
who couldn't understand why the
younger troops questioned what th«y
perceived as stupid orders. "'    ■
Vietnam was a definite growing-Op
period (or me and countless others of r%
generation.
By the time Richard Nixon made his
announcement in Jan. 1973, Vietnam was
already an experience thaf the nation
wanted to forget. ■:iB-
It was the only war that many said
America had lost. Its veterans were-
viewed by some as misfits who were hav¬
ing trouble adjusting back into society.
Until recently, there were no movies
made about that conflict, one that was
never officially called a war.
In time, America shifted it's attention to
other news such as Watergate, ERA, the
Middle East, Jonestown, and MX mis¬
siles. Like an old photography Vietnam
fading image that was best (ot-
After years, many Americans are now
finally taking another look at the Ameri¬
cans who fought in that horrible war.
There is finally a memorial to Vietnam
Americans in Washington D.C. and some
states such as North Carolina and Florida
are proposing to build their own memor¬
ials to veterans of that era.
Sadly perhaps, we will never know how
our nation got involved in such a mess.
As the tenth anniversary of the "End of
the Vietnam War" approaches I think 111
quietly drink a toast to my fellow Vietnam
veterans and quietly reflect on one of the*
bitterest eras in American history and
hope by God thatit never happens again!
Personals
The
Collegian
and
Coffee
a great
midmorning
break!
Skiers:                    ■*."•'*■' Adventurers:
Feb. 26th is near. Are you ready lor Ski Here's the plan: Theo and the nlnja '
Carnival? have the first watch; tha Bard willjske
Kappa Sigma the second. Max and Die will have to gat
292-8235 up early to make breakfast while
To Kathy Evans, Gherudflte) and Amaron break camp.
One week down, 15 to go. What do Remember, everyone
you think so far-will we ever make it to '                      [BE Q0J_-T
Arizona?                             '               ■"' I need my rest.
Byam Elric
Jeepars, craapars,
Wherm'd you gmt truism pmmpars?
Jampmra, crmmpmra, •
Whara'd you get thosm EYES?
/Won
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