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Salient. Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 41 No. 3. March 13 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 Bag, Wellington

Drawing of a man impaled by a giant pen

A Chip on Whose Shoulder?

Dear Editor,

I strongly disagree with your Editorial of March 8. It was one of the most unbalanced and unsubstantiated that I have ever read. It represents a most unbalanced policy by your newspaper.

Nobody has ever denyed women the right to have control over their own bodies but when they are pregnant they have an unborn child to be concerned about which should also have rights that should be considered. You continually deny the unborn child any rights.

To claim that the act is a deliberate attempt to have women at home bearing children is absolutely ridiculous, a statement that could barely be credited to an intelligent person. You have gone further to say that women at home are disorganised. What rubbish! From what evidence did you derive that statement, if a housewife were disorganised nothing would ever be done.

You claim the act is undemocratic, it was passed by a majority of our democratically elected representatives, how more democratic could you get than that. We have no written constitution for it to violate.

Indeed your editorial represents the type of policy your paper takes on political and social issues. Not only is it unbalanced but unethical. After having only read a few issues of Salient I can only conclude your writers have one massive chip on their shoulders

G. H—J

(Although it is quite proper to address general comments on the paper to me, I must point out that Lamorna Rogers wrote the March 6 editorial. While I endorse the views she expressed I feel it is unwise to confuse us. For one thing, she's taller than lam — Ed.)

(I believe that the comment about women at home being disorganised is meant to include only political interest group organisation, such as 'organised labour' and student organisations. Further I might add that Salient is open to participation by all students and if you feel you can write better than others, then share your wealth, c'mon down and join us. — typesetter)

(p.s. we don't bite — really)

True Facts About Weir House

Dear Editor,

What is all this bullshit about efficiency at Weir House (Salient, vol.41, no. 1) ? The article says that with the arrival of the new chef 'The change has to be tasted to be believed'. This is true in a way; it would not be grossly wrong to say that the standard of the food at Weir is deteriorating as a decreasing geomtric series.

It is not unusual for the residents to gel an uncooked breakfast (mind you, the usual cooked breakfast is baked beans) on weekdays, or to have to munch raw vegies for dinner. We have just ended a spell of having to go without sugar, an item considered a basic by Kiwis and people from overseas. Is this a sort of exercise at food rationing in anticipation of a forthcoming calamity? As for the efficiency in the Dining Room this year, residents have to queue up for up to a quarter of an hour beyond the scheduled meal times in front of locked doors.

So if it was the Weir House management who were responsible for the Salient article they had better live up to their unfounded boasting. If it was by someone else, well, s/he has been badly misinformed.

Disgusted Weirman

( The article on Weir House was written by the warden, David Norton. I don't know how his name got left off, and quite frankly I suspected as much as your letter reveals.)

Staff Cars Favoured

Dear Sir,

Around the university there seems to be a proliferation of notices designating places as "authorised parking [unclear: only] while there is also Registry Employee whoso occupation in life seems to be writing out "warning notices" and no doubt acting on them in due course.

While not advocating a free-for-all in parking, I think it is time to question the Registry's policy on the distribution of parking space around the university.

With the use of the Cotton Extension site for parking as well as the long road leading to it, there now seems to be a sufeit of "official parking space". All day and every day there are 50—100 carspaces left empty. To fill the so-called "Economics Carpark" the staff of the Economics Department would have to bring at least three cars each to work.

Each person entitled to a space should have a specifically reserved one, all left-overs should be for the first to get them each day.

Opening up these surplus spaces to the public (notably students) would ease congestion on public Kelburn roads, while would be efficient use of the university funds used to create them.

The Registry's response to this suggestion should be sought and the Registrar should publicly state how many people are officially entitled (and what are the criteria?) to parking space provided by the university and how many carefully guarded "authorised" spaces there in fact are.

Yours Faithfully,

FM977

Julia Buchanan

Another Dear Abbie

Dear Sir,

I think that I am perverted because I only like straight sex. While those around me enjoy melons, dogs, and other men. This has been reinforced by the knowledge that Shakespeare was camp; and also as queer as a certain SIS men. Also I would like to know if Robert Muldoon enjoys just straight sex, and if so where can I find a seagull that won't fly away untold fast.

Yours unhappily,

J. Ritchie

Closet Tory?

Dear Simon,

If Bob Tizard's performance at the forum last Tuesday is illustrative of the present Labour Party attitudes to current issues, then I can only wish the party the very best of luck in what will be a long and difficult period as opposition.

At times, one might have been forgiven for wondering to which party he really belonged. His refusals to answer directly, especially when questioned on the repeal of the S.I.S. Act, the speed with which he resorted to argumentum ad hominem, asking people if they needed his glasses when he was accidentally called a wrong name, and his general patronising smart attitude, are all characteristics displayed by those on the other side of the House from Mr Tizard. He seemed out of touch with the feelings of those students who are fast realising that the differences between labour and National are of degree and not of quality.

Rire Scotney.

page 20

Conned 'em all

Dear Simple Simon,

Ever since we arrived at this university, my friends and I have been wondering what that funny machine is, next to the photostating machine in the foyer of the Union Building.

Well last weekend we found a simply super use for them. We managed to squeeze our pet hamster, Henry, into one, and he uses it as a wet suit.

So, for all you owners of aquatic hamsters, go to it. Oh, by the way, a word of caution. We have found you can only use them once. Thank-you SRC, on behalf of Henry and all the other hamsters for the most useful thing you've ever done — I bet it was John Heb's idea.

Lots of love,

John,

Dog,

Paul

and

Kojak

Wayne off the Mark

Dear Sir,

This furore over the possible departure of Movick from New Zealand concerns me. The NZUSA is asking us to decide upon the merits of his case from the very few selected facts they have given us. I hope most of us are wise enough to realise no issue is as simple as they make this one out to be. I personally would want to know all the facts before making up my own mind on whether the Immigration Department's decision was just or unjust.

What concerns me most is that if Movick gets any advantage whatsoever from any student protests then this is grossly unfair to every overseas student who is not a member of the NZUSA executive. Why should Movick get preferred treatment merely because of his position?

Ah, somebody will say — you've left out the out the vital ingedient, the principle at slake, the one we invented last week. Well that "principle" is only a part of the gross over-simplification the NZUSA has made of this issue. It may be a good slogan, but that's all I'll say for it. And good only in the sense of being well designed for its job, to produce a gut reaction in favour of it.

Only a naive person would believe that the Immigration Dept was deliberately trying to interfere with NZUSA elections. That would be a sure fire way of creating the kind of public protest that bureaucrats and politicians alike avoid like the plague. What is more important is that if Movick is being sent from New Zealand according to the laws as normally administered, so that any person in an equal situation would get equal treatment, then no interference has taken place. Because in that case the department would merely be doing what it is supposed to be doing, deciding who should be permitted to remain in New Zealand. And if it doesn't include Movick, tough luck for the NZUSA.

Even allowing for the (unfortunate) student tendancy to see every issue in terms of black and white and every martyr as a Good Cause, the NZUSA have gone to extremes over this case. Their reaction reminds me of a child which has had something taken from it. "I want it — Gimmie!!"

Wayne Baker

Bad Taste Erudition?

Dear Sir,

After having seen you to organise an advertisement in "Salient" dated March 6 1978 in connection with Bob Tizzards's visit, I have been appalled to read the accompanying remarks which I have good reason to believe were written by that master of erudite commentary and downright bad taste, Neil Gray.

In an unrequested and indeed unconvincing paragraph, Gray made a reference to "The year of the blunt Labour knife", describing Mr. Tizard as "The party's prime antagonist". He also took the liberty of helping publicise our ensuing Stem and magnanimously and indulgently invited the University to "Piss-up and politic with the perpetual opposition".

Obscure as they are, Gray's political convictions are his own business, and as such, they should have absolutely no place in the advertising of clubs and associations. Without wishing to follow the point to its distasteful conclusion, what kind of possible justification would any Salient worker have to set an advertisement for, for instance, an overseas students' meeting or social with the expression: "Put on your drinking togs and come and sink with the wogs".

If these cheap abuses of Salient are allowed to persist, our newspaper may as well consider changing its name to something more in keeping with the use Gray and his ilk seem able to put it to.

Yours sincerely,

Phil Lewin,

Secretary V.U.W. Labour club

(It is true that you did see me to organise an advertisement for last week Salient. However, after a discussion with the Orientation Controller, Neil Gray, it was decided to include all activities related to Orientation on the Orientation page, for which Neil was immediately responsible.

Nevertheless I recognise that the content of the paper is still my final responsibility, and when a member of the Labour club saw me on Friday afternoon and asked for the notice to be changed back to its original form, I asked a staff member to do just that. For some reason this did not happen and I didn't pick it up. For this I can only apologise.

As for the "unconvincing" nature of Neil's descriptions, that must remain a matter of conjecture. — Ed.)

A Bummer, Bruce

Dear Simon

Ah yeah gidday I reckon there's too much politics in Salient. My student fees pay your bloody wages mate and I reckon it's about time you injected a bit more meaningless piffle into your magazine. As it is it encourages me to think and that makes my head hurt. You've got no right to do that. My student fees pay your bloody wages mate.

Just watch it mate,

Sebastian Dangerfield.

( The headaches caused by Salient making you think can be easily cured, mate, just spend four hours a day in front of your T. V. and you will find that the numbing somnolescence of the soporific soap operas will ease any mental strain and anguish caused by your encounter with the 'real world you find in Salient's pages. Try it. It works' Millions of satisfied T.V. addicts can't be wrong. Besides it's legal, free and even government subsidised" — *typstr)

Could Salient Make More Sense?

Dear Simon,

In the interests of accuracy, I should like to point out a small proofing mistake in the article "Welcome to Victoria ..." which appeared on page 6 of last week's issue. The line "But the three terms exams etc .... etc" should carry on to read "......the class test is worth 30 points and all the excercises, done in your time, worth 20 points." This way, the next line makes more sense.

Sorry to be pedantic.

Yours,

Rire Scotney

Democracy and Abortion

Dear Editor,

In the last Salient (March 6), there were at least five references to abortion as being a "democratic right" of women. The terminology employed is emotive, without any underlying basis for its use. However, it has the effect that if one uses the phrase for long enough one will start to believe it. ( A form of self-hypnosis or brain-washing)

Supposedly abortion is a "right" — or so the "abortion rights" movement suggests. But where does such a right derive from? There is no generally recognised document or statement conferring such a right, e.g. Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Human Rights Commission Act 1977. The law of this country denies that such a right exists. Therefore there would seem to be no basis for the claim that abortion is a "right". On this basis, abortion is as much a "right" as my right to thump your face in.

Secondly, abortion is said to be a "democratic" right. But where does democracy enter into it? New Zealand is a democracy, and our MPs last year exercised their democratic choice and voted to restrict abortions. Even if one took an opinion poll and got a 51% majority in favour of abortions — would that make it a "democratic" right? What if public opinion shifted to 49%? Or should the vote be between the pregnant woman and her foetus — but how can one say which way the foetus will vote? What if it is assumed the foetus wants to live? Who wins? Or is there some statute guaranteeing abortion as a "democratic right"? There isn't A vote might be taken at a meeting of pro-abortion people I suppose confirming this — but that wouldn't even be as democratic as Ian Smith's regime in Rhodesia.

Could you please refrain from using the terra "woman's democratic right to abortion" (and the like) in future in your newspaper. It is misleading and without foundation whatsoever.

Yours etc.,

Vic Urwin.

Dear Sir,

I would be grateful of the following letter could be included in the next edition of Salient;

On leaving the Union Hall after attending the Forum on March 3 regarding the Abortion Issue, I felt disgusted and sickened by the behaviour of my fellow students. In fact I was ashamed to be associated with a group of people whose response to the invited speakers was nothing less than an insult and a display of blatant disrespect.

At any public meeting or forum, as I understand it, it is the part of the audience (if they have any manners or respect at all) to listen, not to interject abusively, throw darts or talk themselves. If the meeting is properly chaired (which this one certainly was not) the time for questions and clarifications comes after the speaker has completed his or her address.

Regardless of whether one agrees with the speakers or not, it is surely common decency to allow them to present their views especially when we have invited them along expressly to do just that.

I see no point in inviting people to speak at forums if their voices are going to be drowned and their rights abused by the irresponsible behaviour of so many of the students. The right to life was not the only right challenged at that forum — the right of our invited speakers to present their views was also challenged.

It seems to me that many people have not only a total disregard for the right of the unborn child but having sacrificed and lost sight of this most fundamental of rights — the Right to Life —they are now intent upon the destruction of further human rights.

One might well ask "Where will it end?"

Marilyn Scott

(student)

Fraser Phased

Dear Sir,

What a splendid cover it would be; an almost fool-proof disguise....... I couldn't help wondering during the forum in which a supposed former SIS agent look the stand and allowed himself to be questioned, whether we were being hoodwinked .......

Surely, if Mr G.F. were as authentic as he claimed then someone, somewhere would have been keeping an eye on him; but I saw no other shads types in the audience who might have been there for that purpose.

I suggest that we should be more careful before accepting what this man says; after all we're living in suspicious times.

Now that he has won every body's support by saying that he is on our side, he has managed to get a foot-hold on campus and is able, perhaps, to get pretty close to student matters.

What, then, if in fact he is still a government agent, using this story as a cover? He freely admits that he was a spy once, but has he really finished ? How can we trust a character who likes to play at spies and will resort to all sorts of cunning in order to gain an inside view?

Let's be careful before accepting his story: it might be a piece of bait, you know, another government ploy.

Yours etc,

Maid Suspicious.

Watch the Walrus

Dear Whoever,

The time has come the Walrus said "and indeed it has for it is no coincidence that the Walrus is one of the great thinkers of our time so if he says the time has come then in fact it has come. You may get your skeptics who say that the time is never ripe but they cannot see the wood for the trees, as we all know those who disbelieve have no right to anyway.

So where does the Walrus figure in "Salient".? We shall return to this later after further expounding the symbolic importance of the character in question and his precise relation to highly subjective student newspapers. Subjectivity is not necessarily an evil as it does make the student feel more secure but is a false reality as the powers that are the power in this society do not agree with student ideology. We cannot survive like this as we are but a near-powerless microcosm of New Zealand society. We adjust or we rebel. Take heed of the Walrus and strike now! Salient join with the Walrus and me now to wage war against the ridiculously high price of records.

What is the Use of using your bursary to purchase a stereo if you cannot get (because of the price - $7.99-) anything to play on the thing? I remember the days when they (records) only cost $4.40 so Labour will not get my vote! Tape others' records, borrow or beg but do not steal them and do not buy them we will show them (the capitalists behind this plot to deny the people music) that they cannot survive without us — I hope.

Show Biz. — the new aristocracy — they are only normal people, at least support local talent first. Having read most student newspapers I must say "Salient" is rather prominent in its superiority so perhaps we are not so badly off. Do not let them get you down just remember, in times of hardship, that the ultimate good shall win so just be patient and wait for the revolution and do not forget to eat your porridge and rhubarb. Viva La Walrus!

Erconwald C. Bloodmourn.

Pepe Lopez Tequila advert

Salient received two letters complaining about our letters policy requiring letters to be typed.

We require this because both the editor and typesetter are barely able to keep up with the flow of copy coming through and handwriting slows down the process of sub-editing, typesetting and proofreading. Typed copy moves through the "mill" much faster, and will be reproduced more accurately.

Most commercial typesetters simply refuse to handle untyped copy. So far we have been extraordinarily lenient with hand written letters, because we know that you didn't know it was rude to give a typesetter untyped copy. But if you could see the smoke come out of his ears when I hand it to him, you wouldn't ask me to do it' So please......

We Jo have typewriters here for you to use if you haven I got one available, — Ed.