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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol 35 no. 19. 3rd August 1972

More Letters

page 4

More Letters

Sentimentalist Tripe

Sir,

Mr Corrigans antiabortion article "A life in danger" (Salient No. 18.) is pure sentimentalist tripe. With his philosophy, placing quantity of life above quality, he should have long since starved himself to death, in order to avoid killing living plants and animals— I'll bet he's trodden on a good many spiders as large as the foetus shown in his much-magnified photo. The case against abortion is biologically a non-case anyway, since the life end health of the foetus is 100% dependant upon the life and health of its mother. Therefore, biologically, she does have the right to pronounce judgement on its existence; and anybody whose philosophy, morals or religion says she doesn't, should immediately revise his/her beliefs, because they are in disaccord with the laws of the universe.

David L. Atmore.

A Note of Disbelief

Sir,

With reference to "A Copper's Lot..." and also to the letter published above the name M.J. Sutton in SALIENT 18:

Something smells strongly of fish!

"A copper's Lot..." — fair enough, but when you try to pull my leg with "Truth" type self-congratulatory letter in the same issue you are stretching my credibility to the point where I begin to cry "enough!"

If you intend to continue these hoaxes, at least don't cut the herring quite so thick.

Pisces

United (Imagine That! - Ed.) We Stand

Sir,

As a participant and observer of Political Actions within this university, I am saddened at the lack of solidarity within the Left, and sickened with the solidarity of the right. The Right wingers, although unfeeling, selfish, and badly brought up, do teach us one thing...solidarity Is the answer...(how else did McKinley get in?). Within the left, we have representatives from both Spartacist Leagues, assorted Communist Parties (pro Russia, China etc), Labour Party, Socialist Action League, Anarchist League (if you can call it left) and so on. Then you have the hecklers, and hissers (not unlike those on the Right). O.K., Sal may be too pacifistic, Labour Party too vehement, but we all have one thing in common. . . we are lucky enough to be socialists (in degrees). Let's try and get on with the job and with each other. Forget about petty hates and jealousies when you work for a better society. Solidarity is what counts, not backstabbing.

Take a tip from McKinley/Mowbray and the clan . . Unity means money.....to us it should mean success. Although I am left wing, I cannot join any certain party at present, because other left wing factions see fit to rubbish me or anyone else for that matter. Maybe Sal is committing political suicide, but that is no reason to isolate them. They may isolate themselves from you, but they could hardly be called Socialists, then, could they? Compromisation and Solidarity the Left wing is needed in order to show the fascists and capitalists that we Are a viable force in the rebuilding of this society.

Robin Simenauer.

A Pigs Palace

The capitalist bureaucrats that operate the student cafeteria appear to have only sone neo-fascist view in mind, that of profit.

In search of profit the management leave the cafeteria in a filthy state. Overalls the staff wear are constantly dirty and cleaned cutlery is often found to have particles of food adhering to it. The tables and floor in the cafeteria are never kept clean and refuse and plates are allowed to accumulate until removed some hours later.

Absent also are the salt and papper shakers on the tables because of some swine called Merkin who kept swiping them.

Cooked foods are handled by the hands of the staff when tongs, which are insufficient and never cleaned, should be used. Trays on which food is displayed are not clean prior to the food being replenished. Milk shakes made in the coffee bar are appalling. Milkshake collars on the counter of the coffee bar allow groobies to be passed on to fellow students through the milkshake

Always requesting students to abide by the fascist rules of the cafeteria the management running the cafe put the government enforced regulations in abeyance.

The radical student should demand the following; (its quite legal so you fascists may request them also):

Demand that staff wear clean overalls at all times.

See that jugs of milk and water are covered to prevent them from dust and contamination.

Accept cooked food that has only been handled by staff using clean tongs.

Ensure that utensils are not wiped with a tea towel after being clean and rendered hygenic.

Use tongs yourself.

Milkshake collars must only be handled by staff and kept off the counter.

Avoid sipping milk shake before the collar is taken off. You pass your groobies on the other students.

Unless there is an improvement in the condition of the cafeteria you may find that the food you eat will have an effect similar to prunes and give you a good run for your money.

Bernard Randall.

Piss on the Nose

Sir,

Being an ignorant 1st year student I can't seem to understand the system by which the Rock Concerts, where ale is available, work.

I've vaguely heard of certain rules concerning the sale of alcohol on the campus. First, it's not allowed because its not licensed premises and second the caretaker has the right to close the bar when he sees fit i.e. when people are getting good and pissed. To me it seems a bit on the nose that a key wielding non student can virtually control a concert especially in the Student Union Hall.

On Sunday the Rock Concert Circus provided the potential for a really good time but I thought the organisation was a complete fuck-up.

At Canterbury they have a Stein (Pissup) each weekend. These sometimes have a band and if not just records. There is no admission charge but a student I.D. has to be shown. Outside the hail tickets can be bought for ale (20c can) and without being questioned at the door by some bow-tie clad prick. Surely the rules in the universities don't vary so much that one can have a good piss up each week and we have to manage with one a term.

Bruce Black.

Myopia

Sir,

The majority (as decided by the scrutineers) at the last SGM were pissed off because $2000 may not be sent to patch up the busted in Vietnam. Shaw seemed to get this point home with more emphasis on "[unclear: that] McKinley" (I wonder what he is). Shaw saw it that his government was responsible for these Busted Bastards so it was our duty (the good old Varsity boys) to see that his government's fault is put good by our money. I wonder if Shaw and his suckers have ever thought of those New Hebridean Bastards struggling against French repression. Have they thought of those people starving in N.Z.'s direct environment — The Pacific.

These "majority" have spilt their guts out over the French tests. Why are they doing this? Why do they want to send $2000 to Vietnam? Because These Effect them Directly. The poor Bastard living in a stinking shack in a Pacific Island is none of their business. About time these people got more concerned with their direct environment.

Pissed off Bastard. Ramesh Chandra.

Sickened and Amused

Sir,

Last Salient published some excerpts from the "Boy Advises Girl" column of the Sports Post to illustrate how gullible this newspaper is.

I have tried hard to see just what is so vastly improbable and unlikely in these made-up stories that would require gullibility to believe them. Take the first one. If the existence of a 20-year-old guy who has short hair and a girlfriend who had taken drugs and does not like his not being "with it" enough appears something so fantastic to the two authors of the hoax, then I suggest it is they who are gullible, not George Antiel.

What are they amused by? George Antiel being "saddened" and "sickened" by the drug addiction? The person concerned could have been a heroin addict, and, however harmless the other drugs might or might no be, heroin Is destructive. Is it really so amusing to find people saddened at the thought of young people fucking themselves up??

The authors find it sad that "so many troubled people do not have access to more personal forms of counselling". They also reproach George Antiel for dispersing advice on topics he knows very little about. Apparently they haven't read the answers to their own creations, where he suggests getting medical advice and approaching the personal and authoritative counselling services the use of which they are advocating.

Another objection is that Antiel is moralising. Admittedly, holding that health is "something to be treasured, nurtured and never to be abused"might be seen as a matter of personal values only, not to be imposed on anyone else. I don't want to argue the reasonableness of it here. But even if it is a value judgement only the authors are most probably members of the New Generation which proclaims the necessity of committing oneself to principles and values.

What I primarily object to here is not an abuse of another man's sincere, I believe, attempts to help others. It is the narrow-mindedness and intolerance, another thing the new generation is meant to be against, with which it was done. I only hope that no one will ever have to be advised by the authors of this hoax.

Vladimir Halama.