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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 41 No. 8. April 17 1978

Letters

Letters

Letters must be typed, double spaced on one side of the paper, and should not run on and on boring everybody to death. They can be dropped into the letters box just inside the Salient door (middle floor of the Union Building, graveyard end), left at the Studass office, or sent c/o VUWSA, Private Beg, Wellington

Drawing of a man impaled by a large pen

Dear Simon,

Last week Vic Urwin in the Salient letter pages wrote "rights derive from the nature of human beings, and the killing of a foetus just because the mother was too lazy to use contraceptives and just can't be bothered accepting the consequences . . . . "

Leaving aside the matter of "rights" and what consitutes a right, for the moment, let us examine Vic's statements about contraception.

First of ail he makes the assumption that women want to use abortion as a means of—rather than a back-up to—contraception that has failed. Women get pregnant because no contraceptive is 100% safe, not even the Pill. Not convinced Vic? Then look at the failure rates:
The Pill:1.5%
Injectable hormone:0.5—1.5%
Intrauterine devices3—7 %
Chemical spermicides:15—25%
Diaphragm or cap:2—15%
Condom:10—20%
Withdrawal20—30%
Rhythm:8—40%

If a woman diligently takes the Pill every day at the same hour throughout her cycle but happens to vomit one day, she could get pregnant. The chances are fairly slim but it could and does happen.

And what then Mr. Urwin? If the woman is fortunate enough and can afford the trip to Australia, she can have a safe legal abortion, but if she is poor then she is condemned either to a backstreet abortion or a life of hardship;

On the question of "rights", Vic Urwin has again misunderstood the application of the phrase "a woman's democratic right". He says it could have been argued that Hitler had a "democratic right" to kill 6 million Jews. A "democratic right" is not a "right" to do whatever you like, that's anarchism, but it is a right to control your own life without sute interference. Examples of this, as I said before, are the right to criticise the government, the right to withdraw your labour and finally the right to control your own reproduction. Abortion is a civil liberty which is, at present, being denied to New Zealand women.

Why are people (especially SPUC people) so afraid of the slogan "abortion—a woman's democratic right"? It is because this slogan emphasises that denying women abortions is not only a fundamental attack on women's rights but also part of the other attacks on the rights of all New Zealanders.

With the introduction of the Commerce Act and the Industrial Relations Act amendments workers no longer have the right to strike. With the passing of the SIS Act, New Zealanders no longer have the right to criticse the government without fear of being spied upon.

Finally, with the passing of the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act, women no longer have the right to control their own reproductive lives. All these rights that are being eroded are "democratic" rights.

SPUC people would like to see the abortion issue treated on a purely "moral" level, i.e. their morality will dictate who has (or rather does not have) abortions. But we are not dictating to women who do not wish to have abortions, that they must have them. Conversely we are asking for the democratic right of women to decide whether or not they want an abortion.

Lindy Cassidy

President VUWSA

China and Nuclear Weapons

Dear Simon,

I don't believe that the interview you carried in the Salient of April 3, under the headline "China's Foreign Policy: 'Minor reasons should obey big reasons'" was an accurate expression of the current Chinese government's views on important questions like nuclear disarmament.

For instance the interviewee, Wang Bingnan, claims that China favours all countries signing a pledge not to use nuclear weapons first. This in fact had been China's position for a number of years. But the frenetic anti-Sovietism of current Chinese foreign policy has changed that. China advises the West not to sign a no first-strike-pledge because it would supposedly disarm them against a Soviet strike,

Peking Review, an official government newspaper, wrote in a recent issue that the Soviet Union "attempted to render ineffective the Western defence based on nuclear deterrence by proposing that all participating countries in the European Security Conference undertake 'not to be the first to use nuclear weapons'. This proposal has been denounced by many farsighted French people."

The most recent Chinese statement along these lines is also the most disturbing. China has denounced the USA for its statements that it might cancel production of the neutron bomb!

The followers of China's policies in New Zealand are taking a similar approach. One of these Maoists, under the title of "Political Correspondent" expressed that in an article on the French elections.

"Political Correspondent" writes that "the FCP—FSP (French Communist Party—French Socialist Party—M.T.) alliance would only have disarmed the French people against the military threat posed by the Soviet Union .... Given the choice of a black cat and a white cat the French people have chosen one with a better attitude to hegemonism." Thus a right-wing victory is presented in a positive light simply because it might mean a greater hostility to the Soviet Union!

Another striking inaccuracy in the interview is in Wang Bingnan's attitude to the Israeli government. Wang states that "We support the Palestinians and Arabs, so we resolutely refuse to establish diplomatic relations with Israel or have any intercourse with it".

Recently, in contradiction to this statement, China has sung the praises of the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, in his so-called peace initiative. Sadat had "sold out the Palestinians by visiting Jerusalem—tantamount to recognition of the Zionist state", as Sarah Brown pointed out out in Salient March 27. This visit paved the way for the Israeli invasion of Southern Lebanon, since it emboldened the Zionist state.

China used to believe that "no one has the right to engage in political deals behind their (the Palestinians—M.T.) backs, bartering away their right to existence" (Peking Review, 1971). Now it supports precisely such deals. China supports Egypt because Egypt broke its relations with the Soviet Union. Peking Review writes that "President Sadat held direct negotiations with Israel in an effort to make a comparatively thorough break with Soviet control over Middle East peace talks".

Palestinian interest, like the blatant Western escalation of the nuclear arms race, are secondary to China in its anti-Soviet paranoia.

Yours,

Mike Treen.

Letters Unintellectual

Dear Ed,

In a newspaper that supposedly caters for people of a higher intellectual level than normal, one would expect to find letters on more controversial topics, however this is not so. Constantly there are immature letters appearing in your column that could have been written by 8 year old Tartan Terror or Andy Gibb fans.

Hail Sex Pistols and the like. Bands that get banned are good, they do at least stir up this turgid mess of music one must put up with. It is ironic that songs similar to Anarcy and Bodies are banned in New Zealand, which all goes to Bob Jones' theory that only money can buy verbal freedom (all $32,000) worth).

Come on you new wave mongooses, lets have an almightly punky reggae party and get the the Reptiles to Victoria.

Sid

and

John

(I quite agree with you about the trivial nature of a lot of our letters, but I can't help feeling they're all part of punk—Ed.)

page 22

What are Rights?

I would like to thank the typstr for the comments made in reply to my letter published in Salient 27/3/78. I agree that the problem is over a scale of rights, and who is deemed to possess rights. There is a conflict between those who say that abortion is a woman's democratic right and those who say that abortion is not a right at all. The whole problem comes back to the question of how it can be determined what rights exist, and even, are there such things as rights?

It seems to me that the whole matter of rights derives from the nature of human beings. For example, the fact that most adults can think independently and form their own opinions indicates a right of freedom of thought, and following from this freedom of expression. But even so, there are limits on these rights, because if one person's rights are excercised in a certain manner, they may cut across the rights of others.

But is abortion a 'right' like this? Sure, women have the 'right' to do as the please with their bodies, but is this an unlimited 'right'? Obviously not—one doesn't have the right to use one's body to murder other human beings, or wilfully injure them, for instance. Do rights have no responsibilities attached to them? Does the human foetus have some rights? The foetus's rights may be less than that of the mother, but are its rights such that its existance should not be terminated unless the mother's life is in danger? To suggest that a foetus is not human at all is to deny fact, for it does have a number of human characteristics; though obviously it does not possess every human characteristic.

The answer to the questions I have mentioned above varies according to which side of the abortion issue one places oneself on. However, I submit that it is most certainly not obvious that a woman has a right to an abortion per se, and it is disputed by many that such a right exists. To go around shouting that abortion is a woman's democratic right is to state something which is not accepted by many, and is rather doubtful that exits at all.

Yours etc.

Vic Urwin.

Identification

Dear Simon,

"You in there! If you don't stop playing that bloody piano. I'll go mad!"

I think that it is pretty stink that in order to gain usage of the rental equipment in the gymnasium you must first produce either an ISIC card or your driver's licence. Producing a library card does not seem to be sufficient proof of one's one's integrity. This classification of students as potential criminals appalls me.

It must be obvious to even the most meagre-brained idiot that this regulation blatantly discriminates against those of us who through no fault of our own have had out licenses revoked and do not possess the funds to purchase an ISIC card. Is this just another of the many stupid regulations on campus? Or could it be a plot to regain some of the $80,000 that N.Z. Truth alleges the N.Z. University Students Travel Bureau owes its Australian counterpart?

Regretfully yours, Disqualified driver

Cryptic

Dear Simon,

My firends say that all your letters are made up by the people who write your paper. If that is so then is this letter also written by the people who write your paper?

Yours,

Simon

(Alright, who's the scab?—Ed.)

Heard about the Restaurant?

Dear Simon,

BANG BANG BANG ALL RIGHT, WHO'S OUT THERE MAKING ALL THAT NOISE? IT'S THE GARAGE BANG BANG BANG BANG HE KEEPS HITTING 'EM BACK!

It has come to my attention that there are plans afoot to close the restaurant in the Student Union. Apparently the place is losing money.

I would be very disappointed if this were to happen as the restaurant provides the only decent full-meal service in the immediate vicinity of campus. And the prices are reasonable too. The lack of customers is probably more attributable to inadequate publicity than anything else.

Surely the Union management could do better than that wee sign over the door. After all how many students venture to the middle floor of the Union building in an average day?

So here is a blow for Restaurant PR. It is there people, and the food is generally quite good, and the prices are decent—and the staff are very friendly to boot!

And as for the people responsible for management, let's see some proper advertising and a proper sign out front. I strongly suspect that if people knew it were there, it would have many more customers.

Yours sincerely,

Doug Thompson

Hello Sailor Goodbye

This letter pertains to our disappointment at having missed the Hello Sailor concert in the lounge last Friday. Why was the concert not advertised more throoughly, as then we might have had a chance to know about it.

Disappointed,

John Norman

Matt Fyfe

Everlie Hall

Simple Pleasures

Dear Sir,

I have been apalled and disgusted by the letters on the subject of "Sex with an Aardvark" which have appeared in the Salient recently.

The very idea of a physical union between human and animal sickens me. Right thinking people do not want to hear about bestiality, fornication with a helpless beast, it's honey coloured fur glowing in the soft light, naked loins pulsing. And then the sensations, the whip biting into your helpless body, blood gushing (not forgetting the oral sex). Then as you grasp the . . . . oh dear I'm dreadfully sorry but these things affect me sometimes.

Yours,

Hugh Scrotum.

President of the Society for the Prevention of Depravity and Debauchery, and all that sex and necrophillia and aardvarks (but only twice a week), and not forgetting throbbing members and rape and.....

(Who said aardvarks were helpless?—typstr.)

Book Cons and other Grouches

Dear Sir,

I would like to expedite a few inquiries through your hallowed columns if I may. Firstly I must congratulate the Political Science Dept. for advertising the book "The New Zealand Voter in their prospectus, and then telling all us sucker students in the first lecture that it was not required! Was this Dept, in collusion with the Victoria Book Centre to get rid of old stock or was it just a practical joke? Either way it was bloody sickening as it cost me the best part of ten bucks.

Secondly, I must congratulate the Accountancy Dept. for a similar feat. That time, after reading their prospectus, I purchased their textbook as quoted at Whitcoulls for a mere twenty bucks or so. And what happens my dearly beloved? Some turd of a lecturer tells us First time out that this isn't the required text but we can purchase the current one from a stall outside K303 or from the Vic. Book Centre. Once again I am forced to conclude that a major plot had been arranged to suck in idiots like myself so that certain businesses could dispose of old stock.

This of course leads me to question, wh, didn't the personnel at Victoria Book Centre, i. e. Underwood and friends check to see that the books quoted were actually required? After all, as a business supposedly working in the students' interests should they not see this as a reasonable step to take? Are Mr. Underwood and friends reasonable people?

As a snivel servant I just loved the way the Library was open for my purposes on Easter Monday. As this was one of my rare moments to do some study I was most disappointed to see the library was closed. Is that bloody edifice there to serve the students study requirements or or just a place to keep a few more people employed? I consider it piss poor when a man can't get access to the background reading he needs to do when he wants to do it. I consider the Library a service, but it would appear to be a bloody useless service at that.

I must offer my humble thanks and grovelling platitudes of merciful benifices to my beloved Lindy Cassidy and Co. for allowing me the honour of a barely recognisable sacrifice to myself which I should really regard as an investment in my own interests, i.e. that $37.00 contribution I had to make to some shit for brains organisation at the beginning of the year. How thankful I was when I realised that someone somewhere just oozed satisfaction at the thought good old Gundtfartin's wallet being opened and 37 tinsy winsy little itty bitty arsehole dollars we went into paying the equivalent of a full time student's Studass fees when yours truly is crawling up that bloody hill to do a pitiful one unit this nineteen hundred and seventy eighth year of Christ.

Why the hell should I pay the same as a full time student when I am only doing one third his workload. Pisspoor yer hear, if I catch who made me pay that lot I kick the buggar. I hope whoever it was gets a dose of the clap. I hope all their brain cells turn cancerous, their grandmothers recompose themselves as Uncle Remus, their pet rabbits turn into llamas.

Really Gundtfartin please control yourself, what will all your readers think. Don't worry folks, I've got a piece of paper to say I'm sane. I bet you haven't got one hahahahaha no no please don't take me away my mummy loves me. Go on piss off you little bit of a wombats do. Yer awlright.

Yours expecting (in 9 months) Gundtfartin Arseholes

P.S. I just love having to type my letters out these days. Well done Mr. Editor, sir.

(Arghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!—typstr)

(Thank you. Your students association fee doesn't subsidise your academic work so the size of your workload is irrelevant. It does however help to pay for all the association facilities which you are free to benefit from. These include the recreation centre, everything in the Student Union Building—if you belong to a club you can use the rooms free of charge and get money to finance your activities—and the vast amount of education, welfare, political, cultural, and social work the association undertakes.

The fee also includes a levy to NZUSA so they can work on your behalf at a national level, and a levy to the Students Arts Council which enables them to tour artists and their work and gain discounts at concerts etc for students.—Ed)

Cryptic Criticism ...?

Dear Simon,

I am indeed sorry to have missed Sun, Moon and Earth's latest performance "The Total Eclipse of the Moon", especially since I gather that their newly refurbished premises The Sky have none of Downstage's problems with airconditioning nor of Circa's difficulties with sightliness. I am grateful to have had my attention drawn to this production by your drama critic John Bailey—whose review of Red Mole, I might add, I much preferred to your own. I am impressed with your critic's ideological position concerning the function of theatre in New Zealand today and I appreciate the irony in the headline given to his review—"Stumbling in the Dark". In these benighted times we should be grateful for such lucidity and enlightenment as he offers.

Yours sincerely,

Judith Dale

What about a Pome?

Dear Simon,

On behalf of the lovers of literary art in this university I would like to give you a Gentle hint, can't you include a little more good proletarian art in the form of poetry in your otherwise superb student 'newspaper'.

I have heard on very good authority that even the Salient workers may boast a few poetical geniuses, so why not take advantage of the situation?

PS This letter was not written by a Salient worker, especially not J—— S——

PPS could we have an aardvark appreciation corner?

Yours in all honesty

Ann Onymous.

(Mary had a little————,

Whose fleece was white as—————,

And everwhere that Mary—————,

The lamb was sure to too.

How's that Ann? — typstr)

Druids in Trouble

Sir,

I would like to express the disappointment our group has felt at the lack of interest shown in our society's advertisement. In the near future a rather important event in our calendar will be coming up for which it is vital to sacrifice at least [unclear: threv] virgins (preferably more), but as yet only one application has been made. Is this disinterest due to general student apathy, or is it that there are no longer any virginal students at this institute of higher learning? If so could it have something to do with some of the behaviour at the swimming pool?

Yrs Igor XIV for The New Zealand Society of Druidic Practices and Satanism

Stimulus in the Cafe

To Whom it may concern,

Dear Whom,

Last week while sitting in the Cafe I heard a question asked that set my brain, which was in an advanced state of atrophy, into action. Alas even with such metaphysical thinking I could not grasp the answer, and so I must ask this perplexing question to the populace in general and mad scientists in particular namely:

"Why is a mouse when it spins?::

I wonder if there is an answer or is it a Government plot?

Yours questioningly

Ima Pseudonym

(If you read Salient enough you would knew it is always a Government plot.—Ed.)

Mamby - Crambies

Dear Sir Simon (KBE?)

Neil Gray at the AGM called many students mamby-cramby cretins of which I suppose I would be a typical example. What would Neil's model student look like?.

Would s/he be a non honourable person as Neil suggested in the case of the secretary and treasurer?

Would s/he rush to meetings to nominate themselves the cleverest person as we saw Neil doing?

Neil does flap his redwinged fins a lot but is a good fish.

A Mamby-Cramby

Yachtie Cretin

page 23

Drivel

Dear Simon, (tit)

I wat disgusted and appalled to hear that you (you horrible little toady) had decided in your infinite wisdom, that the occasional silly letter that happens to appear in your damned rag (and even that's a compliment) is drivel, (not unlike certain editorials and Salient notes) and that in your esteemed position as head tit in Salient you have decided to stop the printing of these letters. Well sir, you may not like these letters and their content but there are students on this campus that feel that they are the high point of your magazine (which doesn't say a hell of a lot for it.) Granted that there are equally students who like Salient in its present form (God help them,) but they are already catered for by the rest of your magazine.

This magazine is supposedly a paper for all students, not just the students you feel like catering for, so cater for them idiot. And guess how you can? Yes Simon, by pandering to the wishes of those who waste their time reading it, them, whatever, by sir, printing those letters. Salient is not your personal little empire, written and printed for your own desires, it's written and printed by students for students. Do you get the gist of my meaning sir,. . . print those letters you smutty little son's of another person's donkey biting wiper of other people's rear-ends. (I would like to thank Michael Pallin and his associates for the inspiration behind that last tirade against you.)

Well I've got a Maths lecture now, so I'M going to finish now. I hope that you don't class this letter as drivel as it is written with extremely serious intentions, to awaken you to the fact that you and your little bunch of workers are not alone in this world, and that some other students do sometimes come here and do have actually some ideas, thoughts desires and wishes.

tata young man. Zachariah A.R.S. Licker

(Of course I call this drivel. If you claim to speak for the students who have "ideas, thoughts, desires and wishes" then god help them. I agree with you that I am not in a position to rule on what people are going to find funny but I suspect you are overestimating your own popularity. There is a further reason why I have not printed many of these letters: they are unnecessarily abusive. I am telling you right now that unless you can contain your nasty little mind I won't be printing any more—Ed)

(How dare you insult Simon's Mother!—typstr)

Cooperative Baby-Sitting

Dear Editor,

Drawing of women being turned into food

I am trying to contact other solo parents on campus, regarding forming a cooperative babysitting service, mainly for weekend and weekday evenings. As a newcomer to this state, I'm feeling incredibly deprived of entertainment and cannot afford babysitter's fees. I'm sure there must be others unfamiliar with Wellington also having this problem.

I can be contacted at 12 Oriental Terrace, or telephone 843—472.

Ta,

Frances O'Sullivan

On not Taking Sides

To Everybody,

How anyone can take sides as regards the Middle East situation is beyond me. There is no justification for war.

Both sides are guilty of Murder.

The justifications given reflect the type of thinking that led previous generations to war, and nearly destruction.

Come on, Let us not make the same mistake.

Here's hoping, G.N.

Next Time You Don't See A Sensible Letter . . .

Dear Aard-up,

The other day I walked into the Cafe (at Sasrac Time) only to be jumped on by two/ three/six/ten friends who implored me to join the AGM of Aardsoc. Being a gullible fool and unable to see anyone else to sit with, I went along to see what was happening. I must confess that never before had I thought about the special difficulties that Aardvarks face and the ensuing conversation was most enlightening.

Sitting at the third table along, two from the window, my heart became filled with sorrow and pity as I learnt of the great oppression which he common aardvark faces in western society. Not many people realise this but in New Zealand [unclear: ill] surviving aardvarks are kept behind bars and there are some rumours that aardvarks are even extinct in New Zealand.

The relationships between students and aardvarks have been much distorted by the popular press with commercial media maintaining a pretence that there are no relationships between aardvarks and students. We know that students are not so narrow minded and thus deliver an impassioned plea for all good people to take a look around them and see what our society really is doing to aardvarks—next time you don't see an aardvark, stop a minute and think why!

Yours in heartfelt Sincerity,

Me (short for me)

On Being a Potential MP

Dear Typesetter,

Your counter-example of being a "potential MP" (3 Apr., 1978) could be used against you. If it is applied to the debate in question in a strict fashion the result would be:
1)I am a "potential Mp"
2)A present MP has the right to prevent me from becoming an MP.

Some may consider the second assertion as 'dangerous'.

Hope to Helpful, 'The Philosopher'
1.I am a sperm, a "potential Human Being'
2.A present human being has the right to prevent me from becoming a human being.

The Pope definitely thinks that the second assertion is dangerous,—typstr

Long Live Bureaucrats

Dear High Panjandrum,

I am writing to declare that this will be the last letter I will write to the Salient until you or a successor of yours quit refusing to print handwritten letters. The fact that you acting on your own miniscule authority, are restricting letters to those written only by people with time and typing ability to type their letters, is almost as great an infringement of individual rights as restricting abortions to those who can afford to fly to Australia.

I graduated from the railways Dept before coming to this establishement. Your action is worse than the greatest manifestations of bureaucracy I witnessed there. In your petty attempt to to make things easier for your own operation, at the cost of making things difficult for those you are supposed to serve, you are out bureaucrating the bureaucrats!

P.S. If my one man boycott has no effect or if this (hand-written) letter is not printed, expect to find me below the Salient Window throwing typewriters up at it, to continue my protest.

(Make sure they've got new ribbons in them—Ed.)

Aardvarks as Social Revolutionaries?

Dear Simon,

My Press Secretary informs me that you are not Simon Walker so it seems fairly safe to write to you. Let me congratulate you on your wonderfully perceptive and pertinent criticism of the Labour Party. It is a job to behold such wisdom in one so young—it makes me proud to be a New Zealander.

However one of my wonderfully clean cut guardians of democracy happened to be on campus and he collected a copy of Salient to read during the long lonely hours of surveillance on dangerous radicals, potential lefties and other citizens of our wonderful country. When this paper found its way into my hands I was appalled at what I read.

Firstly criticisms of the S.I.S.—this patriotic group of young people preserves democracy from mis-guided elements within our society.

The effectiveness and integrity of such organisations which are above the law has been proven countless times in countries such as Chile and South Africa.

Secondly Aardvark sex. This is not only unnatural, but it also relegates women to the workforce as their place in the bedroom is taken by lust crazed Aardvarks. As these women are forced into the workforce they become unemployed and we do not have sufficient money to pay them all the dole so cut out encouraging Aardvark sex.

As the law now stands Aardvark abortions are legal however this will soon change and all Aardpeople will be dealt with accordingly.

Be warned. Love,

Rod Muldoon

Wishy-Washy Politics

Dear Simon,

I was deeply disturbed by the irresponsible attitude taken by the Wed., 5th, SRC meeting. It was a blatant victory for all you middle-of-the-roaders, who probably don't bother to come, since Mr. Tees managed to get a motion passed which effectively said that we'll just condemn both sides in the Israel/Lebanon conflict rather than formulate some definite policy.

The arguments used by Mr. Tees were sickeningly patronising toward both sides of the debate, and reminded me of the "Fair and Reasonable Party" manifesto (which promises fair and reasonable treatment towards everybody in all situations at all times).

Students have got an important role to play in in the politics of NZ, and this is being hindered greatly by students' willingness to give in easily to this wishy-washy sort of policy making. It was a disgusting turn-around, particularly by the pro-Israeli students, who after having blamed all the present troubles on the Palestinians, voted for this motion which really said no one was more to blame than the other.

Also could somebody tell me how come a procedural motion can halt the discussion of another motion, and call for it to be put to the vote, without any debate occuring as to whether or not further discussion of that motion would change the outcome of a vote on it? Majority rules, but let's give the (narrow) minority a chance to put forward their views at least.

N.A. Livick

The Real Christianity

Dear Sir,

It's doubtful Salient's editorial policy has changed but it was unusual to see a report (on the University Inaugural Church Service) which openly followed a Christian line. It pul forward the view that what is generally called Christianity is actually a distortion of "true" Christianity, and therefore it really isn't the reactionary superstition it appears to be.

Like most Christian apologetics this appeals to those who want to believe, and though it isn't strictly invalid because of the ambiguity and inconsistency of the sources of Christian "teaching", it is improbable because it means the vast majority of those who have called themselves Christians in the last two thousand years have misunderstood what J.C. and the other prophets were about, while a select few, such as the report's writer, know the truth. Pull the other one, mate. Individuals who criticise the Christians for not being "real" Christians generally see Christianity as bourgeois humanism plus a bit of mysticism, which may be the impression given by Christian propaganda, but it isn't correct.

However I don't think many students would disagree with the point the report makes that the Chaplaincy and Christian clubs are irrelevant, though it doesn't draw the obvious conclusion that they sould be abolished, if only as a concession to the Twentieth Century.

Yours etc.,

G. Herrington

NZUSA Leaders Attacked

Dear Salient,

I am pissed off. . . . , people wonder why NZUSA is apparently collapsing in ruins, well I'm going to fucking tell you why. For years, leaders have seen NZUSA only as a federation of constituent students association presidents and officers. This has Meant the Final Alienation of the Ordinary Student from NZUSA in that Damn Hole Wellington.

All the presidents and officers and other wankers have kept things this way because they are only interested in preserving their own selfish, bourgoise, elitist, power preserving capitalist cliques at the top, at the expense of the ordinary student at large. Many of the present incumbants, both of NZUSA national office, present presidents, and their immediate predecessors are guilty of this.

The ordinary student has lost his effective 'say' in NZUSA 'goings on' because of this long standing elitist plot. Presidents have in the past (and recently) failed to report back the goings on on the national exec of NZUSA in a sufficiently frank, comprehensive and honest fashion.

Now . . we have people like Lisa Sacksen and Lindy Cassidy trying unsuccessfully to smooth things over, whitewash, and cover up facts revealing the full seriousness of the situation facing NZUSA, while people like Mike Lee (pres of Canterbury) are busy pulling NZUSA to bits clearly it's easier to destruct than try to start again. (Talk sense to fools and they call you foolish)

So, the present leaders are incapable. What is to be done? .... it is clear that it's going to be up to the ordinary students to register their displeasure at the ballot box and various meetings and also to get off their rears and do something to make the useless and often not entirely honest leaders realize that a fundamental change is needed not only in their attitudes but also in the whole working of NZUSA.

Given the necessary change NZUSA could emerge as a strong, worthwhile representative organisation.

Signed, HRH Viscount Vulture DSO KBE DFC

PS More on obscene activities in Wai-te-ata Rd.! Next week!

2) The Marijuana Party are a pack of non-descriptturds!